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Oxford Paperback Thesaurus

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A

aback

take someone aback
surprise, shock, stun, stagger, astound, astonish, startle, take by surprise; dumbfound, nonplus, stop someone in their tracks; shake (up), jolt, throw, unnerve, disconcert, unsettle, bewilder; informal flabbergast, knock sideways, floor; Brit. informal knock for six.

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abandon

verb
the party abandoned policies which made it unelectable
renounce, relinquish, dispense with, disclaim, disown, disavow, discard, wash one's hands of; give up, drop, jettison, do away with, axe; informal ditch, scrap, scrub, junk; formal forswear.
by that stage, she had abandoned painting
give up, stop, cease, drop, forgo, desist from, have done with, abstain from, discontinue, break off, refrain from, set aside; informal cut out, kick, pack in, quit; Brit. informal jack in; formal abjure.
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he abandoned his wife and children
desert, leave, leave high and dry, turn one's back on, cast aside, break (up) with; jilt, strand, leave stranded, leave in the lurch, throw over; informal walk out on, run out on, dump, ditch; poetic/literary forsake.
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the skipper gave the order to abandon ship
vacate, leave, depart from, withdraw from, quit, evacuate.
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a vast expanse of territory was abandoned to the invaders
relinquish, surrender, give up, cede, yield, leave.
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she abandoned herself to the sen suousness of the music
indulge in, give way to, give oneself up to, yield to, lose oneself to/in.
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ANTONYMS :keep, retain, continue.

noun
reckless abandon
uninhibitedness, recklessness, lack of restraint, lack of inhibition, wildness, impulsiveness, impetuosity, immoderation, wantonness. ANTONYMS :self-control.

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abandoned

adjective
an abandoned child
deserted, forsaken, cast aside/off; jilted, stranded, rejected; informal dumped, ditched.
an abandoned tin mine
unused, disused, neglected, idle; deserted, unoccupied, uninhabited, empty.
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a wild, abandoned dance
uninhibited, reckless, unrestrained, wild, unbridled, impulsive, impetuous; immoderate, wanton.
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abase

verb
humble, humiliate, belittle, demean, lower, degrade, debase, cheapen, discredit, bring low; (abase oneself) grovel, kowtow, bow and scrape, toady, fawn; informal crawl, suck up to someone, lick someone's boots.

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abasement

noun
humiliation, belittlement, lowering, degradation, debasement.

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abashed

adjective
embarrassed, ashamed, shamefaced, remorseful, conscience-stricken, mortified, humiliated, humbled, chagrined, crestfallen, sheepish, red-faced, blushing, put out of countenance, discountenanced, with one's tail between one's legs.

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abate

verb
the storm had abated
subside, die down/away/out, lessen, ease (off), let up, decrease, diminish, moderate, decline, fade, dwindle, recede, tail off, peter out, taper off, wane, ebb, weaken, come to an end; archaic remit.
nothing abated his crusading zeal
decrease, lessen, diminish, reduce, moderate, ease, soothe, dampen, calm, tone down, allay, temper.
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ANTONYMS :intensify, increase.

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abatement

noun
the storm still rages with no sign of abatement
subsiding, dying down/away/out, lessening, easing (off), let-up, decrease, moderation, decline, ebb.
noise abatement
decrease, reduction, lowering.
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abattoir

noun
slaughterhouse; Brit. butchery; archaic shambles.

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abbey

noun
monastery, convent, priory, cloister, friary, nunnery; historical charterhouse; rare coenobium.

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abbreviate

verb
shorten, reduce, cut, contract, condense, compress, abridge, truncate, pare down, prune, shrink, telescope; summarize, abstract, precis, synopsize, digest, edit. ANTONYMS :lengthen, expand.

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abbreviated

adjective
shortened, reduced, cut, condensed, abridged, concise, compact, succinct; summary, thumbnail, synoptic; formal compendious. ANTONYMS :long.

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abbreviation

noun
shortened form, short form, contraction, acronym, initialism, symbol, diminutive; elision.

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abdicate

verb
the king abdicated in 1936
resign, retire, stand down, step down, bow out, renounce the throne; archaic demit.
Ferdinand abdicated the throne
resign from, relinquish, renounce, give up, surrender, vacate, cede; Law disclaim; formal abjure.
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the state abdicated all responsibility for their welfare
disown, reject, renounce, give up, refuse, relinquish, repudiate, abandon, turn one's back on, wash one's hands of; formal abjure; poetic/literary forsake.
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abdication

noun
Edward VIII's abdication
resignation, retirement; relinquishment, renunciation, surrender; formal abjuration; archaic demission.
an abdication of responsibility
disowning, renunciation, rejection, refusal, relinquishment, repudiation, abandonment.
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abdomen

noun
stomach, belly, gut, middle, intestines; informal tummy, tum, insides, guts, maw, breadbasket, pot, paunch; Austral. informal bingy; dated corporation.

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abdominal

adjective
gastric, intestinal, stomach, stomachic, enteric, duodenal, visceral, coeliac, ventral.

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abduct

verb
kidnap, carry off, seize, capture, run away/off with, make off with, spirit away, hold hostage, hold to ransom; informal snatch.

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aberrant

adjective
deviant, deviating, divergent, abnormal, atypical, anomalous, irregular, rogue; strange, odd, peculiar, uncommon, freakish; twisted, warped, perverted. ANTONYMS :normal, typical.

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aberration

noun
a statistical aberration
anomaly, deviation, departure from the norm, divergence, abnormality, irregularity, variation, freak, rarity, oddity, peculiarity, curiosity; mistake.

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abet

verb
assist, aid, help, lend a hand, support, back, encourage; cooperate with, collaborate with, work with, collude with, be in collusion with, be hand in glove with, side with; second, endorse, sanction; promote, champion, further, expedite, connive at. ANTONYMS :hinder.

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abeyance

noun
suspension, a state of suspension, a state of uncertainty, remission; (in abeyance) pending, suspended, deferred, postponed, put off, put to one side, unresolved, up in the air; informal in cold storage, on ice, on the back burner, hanging fire.

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abhor

verb
detest, hate, loathe, despise, execrate, regard with disgust, shrink from, recoil from, shudder at; formal abominate. ANTONYMS :love, admire.

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abhorrence

noun
hatred, loathing, detestation, execration, revulsion, abomination, disgust, repugnance, horror, odium, aversion.

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abhorrent

adjective
detestable, hateful, loathsome, despicable, abominable, execrable, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, disgusting, distasteful, horrible, horrid, horrifying, awful, heinous, reprehensible, obnoxious, odious, nauseating, offensive, contemptible. ANTONYMS :admirable.

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abide

verb
he expected everybody to abide by the rules
comply with, obey, observe, follow, keep to, hold to, conform to, adhere to, stick to, stand by, act in accordance with, uphold, heed, accept, go along with, acknowledge, respect, defer to.
(informal) I can't abide the smell of cigarettes
tolerate, bear, stand, put up with, endure, take, countenance; informal stomach; Brit. informal stick; formal brook; archaic suffer.
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at least one memory will abide
continue, remain, survive, last, persist, stay, live on.
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ANTONYMS :flout, disobey.

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abiding

adjective
enduring, lasting, persisting, long-lasting, lifelong, continuing, remaining, surviving, standing, durable, everlasting, perpetual, eternal, unending, constant, permanent, unchanging, steadfast, immutable. ANTONYMS :short-lived, ephemeral.

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ability

noun
the ability to read and write
capacity, capability, potential, potentiality, power, faculty, aptness, facility; wherewithal, means.
the president's leadership ability
talent, skill, expertise, adeptness, aptitude, skilfulness, savoir faire, prowess, mastery, accomplishment; competence, proficiency; dexterity, adroitness, deftness, cleverness, flair, finesse, gift, knack, genius; qualification, resources; informal know-how.
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abject

adjective
abject poverty
wretched, miserable, hopeless, pathetic, pitiful, pitiable, piteous, sorry, woeful, lamentable, degrading, appalling, atrocious, awful.
an abject sinner
contemptible, base, low, vile, worthless, debased, degraded, despicable, ignominious, mean, unworthy, ignoble.
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an abject apology
obsequious, grovelling, fawning, toadyish, servile, cringing, sycophantic, submissive, craven.
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abjure

verb
(formal) renounce, relinquish, reject, forgo, disavow, abandon, deny, repudiate, give up, wash one's hands of; eschew, abstain from, refrain from; informal kick, pack in; Brit. informal jack in; Law disaffirm; poetic/literary forsake; formal forswear, abnegate.

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ablaze

adjective
several vehicles were ablaze
on fire, alight, aflame, in flames, flaming, burning, blazing; poetic/literary afire.
every window was ablaze with light
lit up, alight, gleaming, glowing, aglow, illuminated, bright, shining, radiant, shimmering, sparkling, flashing, dazzling, luminous, incandescent.
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his eyes were ablaze with fury
passionate, impassioned, aroused, excited, stimulated, eager, animated, intense, ardent, fervent, frenzied.
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able

adjective
he will soon be able to resume his duties
capable of, competent to, equal to, up to, fit to, prepared to, qualified to; allowed to, free to, in a position to.
an able student
intelligent, clever, talented, skilful, skilled, accomplished, gifted; proficient, apt, good, adroit, adept; capable, competent, efficient, effective.
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ANTONYMS :incompetent, incapable.

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able-bodied

adjective
healthy, fit, in good health, robust, strong, sound, sturdy, vigorous, hardy, hale and hearty, athletic, muscular, strapping, burly, brawny, lusty; in good shape, in good trim, in fine fettle, fighting fit, as fit as a fiddle, as fit as a flea; informal husky; dated stalwart. ANTONYMS :infirm, frail, disabled.

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ablutions

plural noun
(formal) washing, cleansing, bathing, showering, scrubbing; wash, bath, shower, toilet, soak, dip, douche; rare lavage, lavation.

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abnegation

noun
(formal) a serious abnegation of their responsibilities
renunciation, rejection, refusal, abandonment, abdication, surrender, relinquishment, repudiation, denial; formal abjuration.
people capable of abnegation and unselfishness
self-denial, self-sacrifice, abstinence, temperance, continence, asceticism, abstemiousness, austerity.
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ANTONYMS :acceptance, self-indulgence.

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abnormal

adjective
unusual, uncommon, atypical, untypical, non-typical, unrepresentative, rare, isolated, irregular, anomalous, deviant, divergent, aberrant, freak, freakish; strange, odd, peculiar, curious, bizarre, weird, queer; eccentric, idiosyncratic, quirky; unexpected, unfamiliar, unconventional, surprising, unorthodox, singular, exceptional, extraordinary, out of the ordinary, out of the way; unnatural, perverse, perverted, twisted, warped, unhealthy, distorted; Brit. out of the common; informal funny, freaky, kinky. ANTONYMS :normal, typical, common.

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abnormality

noun
babies born with physical or mental abnormalities
malformation, deformity, irregularity, flaw, defect.
the abnormality of such behaviour
unusualness, uncommonness, atypicality, irregularity, anomalousness, deviation, divergence, aberrance, aberration, freakishness; strangeness, oddness, peculiarity, unexpectedness, singularity.
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abode

noun
(formal) home, house, place of residence, accommodation, seat; quarters, lodgings, rooms; address; informal pad, digs; formal dwelling, dwelling place, residence, habitation.

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abolish

verb
put an end to, get rid of, scrap, end, stop, terminate, axe, eradicate, eliminate, exterminate, destroy, annihilate, stamp out, obliterate, wipe out, extinguish, quash, expunge, extirpate; annul, cancel, invalidate, nullify, void, dissolve; rescind, repeal, revoke, overturn; discontinue, remove, excise, drop, jettison; informal do away with, ditch, junk, scrub, dump, chop, give something the chop, knock something on the head; formal abrogate. ANTONYMS :retain, create.

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abolition

noun
scrapping, ending, termination, eradication, elimination, extermination, destruction, annihilation, obliteration, extirpation; annulment, cancellation, invalidation, nullification, dissolution; revocation, repeal, rescindment, discontinuation, removal; formal abrogation.

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abominable

adjective
loathsome, detestable, hateful, odious, obnoxious, despicable, contemptible, damnable, diabolical; disgusting, revolting, repellent, repulsive, offensive, repugnant, abhorrent, reprehensible, atrocious, horrifying, execrable, foul, vile, wretched, base, horrible, awful, dreadful, appalling, nauseating; horrid, nasty, disagreeable, unpleasant, distasteful; informal terrible, shocking, God-awful; Brit. informal beastly; dated cursed, accursed. ANTONYMS :good, admirable.

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abominate

verb
(formal) detest, loathe, hate, abhor, despise, execrate, shudder at, recoil from, shrink from, be repelled by. ANTONYMS :like, love.

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abomination

noun
in both wars, internment was an abomination
atrocity, disgrace, horror, obscenity, outrage, evil, crime, monstrosity, anathema, bane.
he had a Calvinist abomination of indulgence
detestation, loathing, hatred, aversion, antipathy, revulsion, repugnance, abhorrence, odium, execration, disgust, horror, hostility.
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ANTONYMS :liking, love.

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aboriginal

adjective
the area's aboriginal inhabitants
indigenous, native; original, earliest, first; ancient, primitive, primeval, primordial; rare autochthonous, autochthonic.
noun
the social structure of the aboriginals
native, aborigine, original inhabitant; rare autochthon, indigene.

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abort

verb
I decided not to abort the pregnancy
terminate, end.
the organism can cause pregnant ewes to abort
miscarry, have a miscarriage.
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the crew aborted the take-off
halt, stop, end, axe, call off, cut short, discontinue, terminate, arrest; informal pull the plug on.
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the mission aborted
come to a halt, end, terminate, fail, miscarry, go wrong, fall through, collapse, founder, come to grief.
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abortion

noun
termination, miscarriage; rare feticide.

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abortive

adjective
unsuccessful, failed, vain, thwarted, futile, useless, worthless, ineffective, ineffectual, to no effect, inefficacious, fruitless, unproductive, unavailing, to no avail, sterile, nugatory; archaic bootless. ANTONYMS :successful, fruitful.

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abound

verb
cafes and bars abound in the narrow streets
be plentiful, be abundant, be numerous, proliferate, superabound, be thick on the ground; informal grow on trees, be two/ten a penny.
a stream which abounded with trout and eels
be full of, overflow with, teem with, be packed with, be crowded with, be thronged with; be alive with, be crawling with, be overrun by/with, swarm with, bristle with, be infested with, be thick with; informal be lousy with, be stuffed with, be jam-packed with, be chock-a-block with, be chock-full of.
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abounding

adjective
abundant, plentiful, superabundant, considerable, copious, ample, lavish, luxuriant, profuse, boundless, prolific, inexhaustible, generous; galore; poetic/literary plenteous. ANTONYMS :meagre, scanty.

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about

preposition
a book about ancient Greece
regarding, concerning, with reference to, referring to, with regard to, with respect to, respecting, relating to, on, touching on, dealing with, relevant to, connected with, in connection with, on the subject of, in the matter of, apropos, re.
two hundred people were milling about the room
around, round, throughout, over, through, on every side of.
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adverb
there were babies crawling about in the grass
around, here and there, to and fro, back and forth, from place to place, hither and thither, in all directions.
I knew he was about somewhere
near, nearby, around, hereabouts, not far off/away, close by, in the vicinity, in the neighbourhood.
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the explosion caused about £15,000 worth of damage
approximately, roughly, around, round about, in the region of, circa, of the order of, something like; or so, or thereabouts, there or thereabouts, more or less, give or take a few, not far off; Brit. getting on for; informal as near as dammit; N. Amer. informal in the ballpark of.
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there's a lot of flu about
around, in circula tion, in existence, current, going on, prevailing, prevalent, happening, in the air, abroad.
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about to
(just) going to, ready to, all set to, preparing to, intending to, soon to; on the point of, on the verge of, on the brink of, within an ace of.

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about-turn (Brit.)

noun
he saluted and did an about-turn
about-face, volte-face, turnaround, turnabout, U-turn; informal U-ey, one-eighty.
the government was forced to make an about-turn
volte-face, U-turn, reversal, retraction, backtracking, swing, swerve; change of heart, change of mind, sea change.
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above

preposition
a tiny window above the door
over, higher (up) than; on top of, atop, on, upon.
those above the rank of Colonel
superior to, senior to, over, higher (up) than, more powerful than; in charge of, commanding.
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you must be above suspicion
beyond, not liable to, not open to, not vulnerable to, out of reach of; immune to, exempt from.
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the Chinese valued pearls above gold
more than, over, before, rather than, in preference to, instead of.
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an increase above the rate of inflation
greater than, more than, higher than, exceeding, in excess of, over, over and above, beyond, surpassing, upwards of.
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ANTONYMS :below, under, beneath.

adverb
in the darkness above, something moved
overhead, on/at the top, high up, on high, up above, (up) in the sky, high above one's head, aloft.
the two cases described above
earlier, previously, before, formerly.
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adjective
the above example
preceding, previous, earlier, former, foregoing, prior, above-stated, aforementioned, aforesaid.
above all
most importantly, before everything, beyond everything, first of all, most of all, chiefly, primarily, in the first place, first and foremost, mainly, principally, predominantly, especially, essentially, basically, in essence, at bottom; informal at the end of the day, when all is said and done. above oneself
conceited, proud, arrogant, self-important, cocky, haughty, disdainful, snobbish, snobby, supercilious; informal stuck-up, high and mighty, snooty, uppity, big-headed, swollen-headed, too big for one's boots.

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above board

adjective
the proceedings were completely above board
legitimate, lawful, legal, licit, honest, fair, open, frank, straight, overt, candid, forthright, unconcealed, trustworthy, unequivocal; informal legit, kosher, pukka, by the book, fair and square, square, on the level, on the up and up, upfront. ANTONYMS :dishonest, shady.

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abrade

verb
wear away, wear down, erode, scrape away, corrode, eat away at, gnaw away at.

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abrasion

noun
he had abrasions to his forehead
graze, cut, scrape, scratch, gash, laceration, injury, contusion; sore, ulcer; Medicine trauma.
the metal is resistant to abrasion
erosion, wearing away/down, corrosion.
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abrasive

adjective
abrasive kitchen cleaners
corrosive, corroding, erosive; caustic, harsh, coarse.
her abrasive manner
caustic, cutting, biting, acerbic; rough, harsh, hard, tough, sharp, curt, brusque, stern, severe; wounding, nasty, cruel, callous, insensitive, unfeeling, unsympathetic, inconsiderate; N. Amer. acerb.
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ANTONYMS :kind, gentle.

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abreast

adverb
they walked three abreast
in a row, side by side, alongside, level, beside each other, shoulder to shoulder.
try to keep abreast of current affairs
up to date with, up with, in touch with, informed about, acquainted with, knowledgeable about, conversant with, familiar with, au courant with, au fait with.
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abridge

verb
shorten, cut, cut short/down, curtail, truncate, trim, crop, clip, pare down, prune; abbreviate, condense, contract, compress, reduce, decrease, shrink; summarize, sum up, abstract, precis, synopsize, give a digest of, put in a nutshell, edit; rare epitomize. ANTONYMS :lengthen.

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abridged

adjective
shortened, cut, cut down, concise, condensed, abbreviated; summary, outline, thumbnail; bowdlerized, censored, expurgated; informal potted.

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abridgement

noun
summary, abstract, synopsis, precis, outline, résumé, sketch, digest.

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abroad

adverb
he regularly travels abroad
overseas, out of the country, to/in foreign parts, to/in a foreign country/land.
rumours were abroad
in circulation, circulating, widely current, everywhere, in the air, (here, there, and everywhere); about, around; at large.
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abrogate

verb
(formal) repeal, revoke, rescind, repudiate, overturn, annul, cancel, invalidate, nullify, void, negate, dissolve, countermand, declare null and void, discontinue; reverse, retract, remove, withdraw, abolish, put an end to, do away with, get rid of, end, stop, quash, scrap; Law disaffirm. ANTONYMS :institute, introduce.

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abrogation

noun
(formal) repeal, revocation, repudiation, rescindment, overturning, annulment, cancellation, invalidation, nullification, negation, dissolution, discontinuation; reversal, retraction, removal, withdrawal, abolition; formal rescission; Law disaffirmation.

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abrupt

adjective
an abrupt halt | an abrupt change of subject
sudden, unexpected, without warning, unanticipated, unforeseen, precipitate, surprising, startling; quick, swift, rapid, hurried, hasty, immediate, instantaneous.
an abrupt manner
curt, brusque, blunt, short, sharp, terse, brisk, crisp, gruff, rude, discourteous, uncivil, snappish, unceremonious, offhand, rough, harsh; bluff, no-nonsense, to the point; informal snappy.
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abrupt, epigrammatic paragraphs
disjointed, jerky, uneven, disconnected, inelegant.
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an abrupt slope
steep, sheer, precipitous, bluff, sharp, sudden; perpendicular, vertical, dizzy, vertiginous.
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ANTONYMS :gradual, gentle.

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abscess

noun
ulcer, ulceration, cyst, boil, blister, sore, pustule, carbuncle, pimple, wen, whitlow, canker; inflammation, infection, eruption.

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abscond

verb
run away, escape, bolt, flee, make off, take flight, take off, decamp; make a break for it, take to one's heels, make a quick getaway, beat a hasty retreat, show a clean pair of heels, run for it, make a run for it; disappear, vanish, slip away, steal away, sneak away; informal do a moonlight flit, clear out, cut and run, skedaddle, skip, head for the hills, do a disappearing act, fly the coop, take French leave, scarper, vamoose; Brit. informal do a bunk, do a runner; N. Amer. informal take a powder.

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absence

noun
his absence from the office
non-attendance, non-appearance, absenteeism; truancy, playing truant; leave, holiday, vacation, sabbatical.
the absence of any other suitable candidate
lack, want, non-existence, unavailability, deficiency, dearth; need.
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ANTONYMS :presence.

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absent

adjective
she was absent from work
away, off, out, non-attending, truant; off duty, on holiday, on leave; gone, missing, lacking, unavailable, non-existent; informal AWOL.
an absent look
distracted, preoccupied, inattentive, vague, absorbed, abstracted, unheeding, oblivious, distrait, absent-minded, dreamy, far away, in a world of one's own, lost in thought, in a brown study; blank, empty, vacant; informal miles away.
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ANTONYMS :present, attentive, alert.

verb
Rose absented herself from the occasion
stay away, be absent, withdraw, retire, take one's leave, remove oneself.

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absent-minded

adjective
forgetful, distracted, preoccupied, inattentive, vague, abstracted, unheeding, oblivious, distrait, in a brown study, wool-gathering; lost in thought, pensive, thoughtful, brooding; informal scatterbrained, miles away, having a mind/memory like a sieve.

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absolute

adjective
absolute silence | an absolute disgrace
complete, total, utter, out-and-out, outright, entire, perfect, pure, decided; thorough, thoroughgoing, undivided, unqualified, unadulterated, unalloyed, unmodified, unreserved, downright, undiluted, consummate, unmitigated, sheer, arrant, rank, dyed-in-the wool.
the absolute truth
definite, certain, positive, unconditional, categorical, unquestionable, incontrovertible, undoubted, unequivocal, decisive, conclusive, confirmed, infallible.
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absolute power
unlimited, unrestricted, unrestrained, unbounded, boundless, infinite, ultimate, total, supreme, unconditional.
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an absolute monarch
autocratic, despotic, dictatorial, tyrannical, tyrannous, authoritarian, arbitrary, autonomous, sovereign, autarchic, omnipotent.
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absolute moral standards
universal, fixed, independent, non-relative, non-variable, absolutist.
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ANTONYMS :partial, qualified, limited, conditional.

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absolutely

adverb
you're absolutely right
completely, totally, utterly, perfectly, entirely, wholly, fully, quite, thoroughly, unreservedly; definitely, certainly, positively, unconditionally, categorically, unquestionably, undoubtedly, without (a) doubt, without question, surely, unequivocally; exactly, precisely, decisively, conclusively, manifestly, in every way/respect, one hundred per cent, every inch, to the hilt; informal dead.
exclamation
(informal) "Have I made myself clear?" "Absolutely!"
yes, indeed, of course, definitely, certainly, quite, without (a) doubt, without question, unquestionably; affirmative, by all means.

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absolution

noun
forgiveness, pardon, exoneration, remission, dispensation, indulgence, clemency, mercy; discharge, acquittal; freedom, deliverance, release; vindication; informal let-off; formal exculpation; archaic shrift.

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absolve

verb
this fact does not absolve you from responsibility
exonerate, discharge, acquit, vindicate; release, relieve, liberate, free, deliver, clear, exempt, let off; formal exculpate.
(Christianity) I absolve you from your sins
forgive, pardon.
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ANTONYMS :blame, condemn.

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absorb

verb
a sponge-like material which absorbs water
soak up, suck up, draw up/in, take up/in, blot up, mop up, sop up.
she absorbed the information in silence
assimilate, digest, take in.
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the company was absorbed into the new concern
incorporate, assimilate, integrate, take in, subsume, include, co-opt, swallow up.
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these roles absorb most of his time and energy
use (up), consume, take up, occupy.
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she was totally abosrbed in her book
engross, captivate, occupy, preoccupy, engage, rivet, grip, hold, interest, intrigue, immerse, involve, enthral, spellbind, fascinate.
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absorbent

adjective
porous, spongy, sponge-like, permeable, pervious, absorptive; technical spongiform; rare sorbefacient.

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absorbing

adjective
fascinating, interesting, captivating, gripping, engrossing, compelling, compulsive, enthralling, riveting, spellbinding, intriguing, thrilling, exciting; informal unputdownable. ANTONYMS :boring, uninteresting.

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absorption

noun
the absorption of water
soaking up, sucking up; technical osmosis.
the company's absorption into a larger concern
incorporation, assimilation, integration, inclusion.
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her total absorption in the music
involvement, immersion, raptness, engrossment, occupation, preoccupation, engagement, captivation, fascination, enthralment.
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abstain

verb
Benjamin abstained from wine
refrain, desist, hold back, forbear; give up, renounce, avoid, shun, eschew, forgo, go without, do without; refuse, decline; informal cut out; formal abjure.
most pregnant women abstain, or drink very little
be teetotal, take the pledge; informal be on the wagon.
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262 voted against, 38 abstained
not vote, decline to vote.
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abstemious

adjective
self-denying, temperate, abstinent, moderate, self-disciplined, restrained, self-restrained, sober, austere, ascetic, puritanical, spartan, self-abnegating, hair-shirt. ANTONYMS :self-indulgent.

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abstinence

noun
self-denial, self-restraint; teetotalism, temperance, sobriety, abstemiousness, abstention.

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abstract

adjective
abstract concepts
theoretical, conceptual, notional, intellectual, metaphysical, philosophical, academic; rare ideational.
abstract art
non-representational, non-pictorial.
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ANTONYMS :actual, concrete.

verb
staff abstract material for an online database
summarize, precis, abridge, condense, compress, shorten, cut down, abbreviate, synopsize; rare epitomize.
a scheme to abstract more water from the river
extract, pump, draw (off), withdraw, remove, take out/away; separate, isolate.
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noun
an abstract of her speech
summary, synopsis, precis, résumé, outline, abridgement, digest, summation; N. Amer. wrap-up; archaic argument.

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abstracted

adjective
absent-minded, distracted, preoccupied, in a world of one's own, with one's head in the clouds, daydreaming, dreamy, inattentive, thoughtful, pensive, lost in thought, deep in thought, immersed in thought, wool-gathering, in a brown study, musing, brooding, absent, distrait; informal miles away. ANTONYMS :attentive.

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abstraction

noun
philosophical abstractions
concept, idea, notion, thought, theory, hypothesis.
she sensed his momentary abstraction
absent-mindedness, distraction, preoccupation, dreaminess, inattentiveness, inattention, wool-gathering; thoughtfulness, pensiveness.
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the abstraction of metal from ore
extraction, removal, separation.
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abstruse

adjective
obscure, arcane, esoteric, little known, recherché, rarefied, recondite, difficult, hard, puzzling, perplexing, cryptic, Delphic, complex, complicated, involved, over/above one's head, incomprehensible, unfathomable, impenetrable, mysterious.

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absurd

adjective
preposterous, ridiculous, ludicrous, farcical, laughable, risible, idiotic, stupid, foolish, silly, inane, imbecilic, insane, hare-brained; unreasonable, irrational, illogical, nonsensical, pointless, senseless; informal crazy; Brit. informal barmy, daft. ANTONYMS :reasonable, sensible.

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absurdity

noun
preposterousness, ridiculousness, ludicrousness, risibility, idiocy, stupidity, foolishness, folly, silliness, inanity, insanity; unreasonableness, irrationality, illogicality, pointlessness, senselessness; informal craziness.

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abundance

noun
profusion, plentifulness, profuseness, copiousness, amplitude, lavishness, bountifulness; host, cornucopia, riot; plenty, quantities, scores, multitude; informal millions, sea, ocean(s), wealth, lot(s), heap(s), mass(es), stack(s), pile(s), load(s), bags, mountain(s), ton(s), slew, scads, oodles; Brit. informal shedload; N. Amer. informal gobs; formal plenitude. ANTONYMS :lack, scarcity.

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abundant

adjective
an abundant supply of food
plentiful, copious, ample, profuse, rich, lavish, liberal, generous, bountiful, large, huge, great, bumper, overflowing, prolific, teeming; in plenty, in abundance; informal a gogo, galore; poetic/literary plenteous, bounteous. ANTONYMS :scarce, sparse.

be abundant
abound, be plentiful, be numerous, be in abundance, proliferate, be thick on the ground; informal grow on trees, be two/ten a penny.

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abuse

verb
the judge abused his power
misuse, misapply, misemploy; exploit, take advantage of.
he was accused of abusing children
mistreat, maltreat, ill-treat, treat badly; molest, interfere with, indecently assault, sexually abuse, sexually assault; injure, hurt, harm, damage.
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the referee was abused by players from both teams
insult, be rude to, swear at, curse, call someone names, taunt, shout at, revile, inveigh against, vilify, slander, cast aspersions on; Brit. informal slag off.
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noun
the abuse of power
misuse, misapplication, misemployment; exploitation.
the abuse of children
mistreatment, maltreatment, ill-treatment; molestation, interference, indecent assault, sexual abuse, sexual assault; injury, hurt, harm, damage.
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the scheme is open to administrative abuse
corruption, injustice, wrongdoing, wrong, misconduct, misdeed(s), offence(s), crime(s), sin(s).
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torrents of abuse
insults, curses, jibes, expletives, swear words; swearing, cursing, name-calling; invective, vilification, vituperation, slander; Brit. informal verbal(s); N. Amer. informal trash talk; archaic contumely.
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abusive

adjective
insulting, rude, vulgar, offensive, disparaging, belittling, derogatory, disrespectful, denigratory, uncomplimentary, pejorative, vituperative; defamatory, slanderous, libellous, scurrilous, blasphemous; informal bitchy; archaic contumelious.

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abut

verb
adjoin, be adjacent to, border, neighbour, join, touch, meet, reach, be contiguous with.

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abysmal

adjective
(informal) some of the teaching was abysmal
very bad, dreadful, awful, terrible, frightful, atrocious, disgraceful, deplorable, shameful, hopeless, lamentable, laughable; informal rotten, appalling, crummy, pathetic, pitiful, woeful, useless, lousy, dire, poxy, the pits; Brit. informal chronic, shocking.

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abyss

noun
chasm, gorge, ravine, canyon, fissure, rift, crevasse, hole, gulf, pit, cavity, void, bottomless pit.

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academic

adjective
an academic institution
educational, scholastic, instructional, pedagogical.
his academic turn of mind
scholarly, studious, literary, well read, intellectual, clever, erudite, learned, educated, cultured, bookish, highbrow, pedantic, donnish, cerebral; informal brainy; dated lettered.
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the debate has been largely academic
theoretical, conceptual, notional, philosophical, hypothetical, speculative, conjectural, suppositional, putative; impractical, unrealistic, ivory-tower.
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noun
a group of Russian academics
scholar, lecturer, don, teacher, tutor, professor, fellow, man/woman of letters, thinker, bluestocking; informal egghead, bookworm; formal pedagogue.

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academy

noun
educational institution, school, college, university, institute, seminary, conservatory, conservatoire.

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accede

verb
(formal) he acceded to the government's demands
agree to, consent to, accept, assent to, acquiesce in, comply with, go along with, concur with, surrender to, yield to, give in to, give way to, defer to.
Elizabeth I acceded to the throne in 1558
succeed to, come to, assume, inherit, take.
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Albania acceded to the IMF in 1990
join, become a member of, sign up to.
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accelerate

verb
the car accelerated down the hill
speed up, go faster, gain momentum, increase speed, pick up speed, gather speed, put on a spurt.
inflation started to accelerate
increase, rise, go up, leap up, surge, escalate, spiral.
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the university accelerated the planning process
hasten, expedite, precipitate, speed up, quicken, make faster, step up, advance, further, forward, promote, give a boost to, stimulate, spur on; informal crank up.
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ANTONYMS :decelerate, delay.

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acceleration

noun
the car's acceleration is sensational
increase in speed, increasing speed, gain in momentum.
the acceleration of the industrial process
hastening, precipitation, speeding up, quickening, stepping up, advancement, furtherance, boost, stimulation, spur.
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an acceleration in the divorce rate
increase, rise, leap, surge, escalation.
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accent

noun
a Scottish accent
pronunciation, intonation, enunciation, articulation, inflection, tone, modulation, cadence, timbre, manner of speaking, delivery; brogue, burr, drawl, twang.
the accent is on the first syllable
stress, emphasis, accentuation, force, prominence; beat; technical ictus.
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the accent is on comfort
emphasis, stress, priority; importance, prominence.
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an acute accent
mark, diacritic, diacritical mark.
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verb
fabrics which accent the background colours in the room
focus attention on, draw attention to, point up, underline, underscore, accentuate, highlight, spotlight, foreground, feature, play up, bring to the fore, heighten, stress, emphasize.

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accentuate

verb
focus attention on, draw attention to, point up, underline, underscore, accent, highlight, spotlight, foreground, feature, play up, bring to the fore, heighten, stress, emphasize.

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accept

verb
he accepted a pen as a present
receive, take, get, gain, obtain, acquire.
he accepted the job immediately
take on, undertake, assume, take responsibility for.
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she accepted an invitation to lunch
say yes to, reply in the affirmative, agree to.
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she was accepted as one of the family
welcome, receive, embrace, adopt.
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he accepted Ellen's explanation
believe, regard as true, give credence to, credit, trust; informal buy, swallow.
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we have agreed to accept his decision
go along with, agree to, consent to, acquiesce in, concur with, assent to, comply with, abide by, follow, adhere to, act in accordance with, defer to, yield to, surrender to, bow to, give in to, submit to, respect; formal accede to.
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she will just have to accept the consequences
tolerate, endure, put up with, bear, take, submit to, stomach, swallow; reconcile oneself to, resign oneself to, get used to, adjust to, learn to live with, make the best of; face up to.
Top
ANTONYMS :refuse, reject.

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acceptable

adjective
an acceptable standard of living
satisfactory, adequate, reasonable, quite good, fair, decent, good enough, sufficient, sufficiently good, fine, not bad, all right, average, tolerable, passable, middling, moderate; informal OK, so-so, fair-to-middling.
a most acceptable present
welcome, appreciated; pleasing, agreeable, delightful, desirable, satisfying, gratifying, to one's liking.
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the risk had seemed acceptable at the time
bearable, tolerable, allowable, admissible, sustainable, justifiable, defensible.
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acceptance

noun
the acceptance of an award
receipt, receiving, taking, obtaining.
the acceptance of responsibility
undertaking, assumption.
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acceptances to an invitation
yes, affirmative reply, confirmation.
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her acceptance as one of the family
welcome, favourable reception, adoption.
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his acceptance of Matilda's explanation
belief, credence, trust, faith.
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their acceptance of the decision
compliance, acquiescence, agreement, consent, concurrence, assent, adherence, deference, surrender, submission, respect.
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the acceptance of pain
toleration, endurance, forbearance.
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accepted

adjective
recognized, acknowledged, established, traditional, orthodox; usual, customary, common, normal, general, prevailing, accustomed, familiar, wonted, popular, expected, routine, standard, stock.

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access

noun
the building has a side access
entrance, entry, way in, means of entry; approach, means of approach.
they were denied access to the stadium
admission, admittance, entry, entrée, ingress, right of entry.
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students have access to a photocopier
(the) use of, permission to use.
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an access of rage
fit, attack, outburst, outpouring, eruption, explosion, burst, outbreak, flare-up, blow-up, blaze, paroxysm, bout, rush; outflow, outflowing, welling up.
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verb
the program used to access the data
retrieve, gain access to, obtain; read.

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accessible

adjective
the village is only accessible on foot | an easily accessible reference tool
reachable, attainable, approachable; obtainable, available; informal get-at-able.
his accessible style of writing
understandable, comprehensible, easy to understand, intelligible.
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Professor Cooper is very accessible
approachable, friendly, agreeable, obliging, congenial, affable, cordial, welcoming, easy-going, pleasant.
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accession

noun
the Queen's accession to the throne
succession, assumption, inheritance.
accession to the Treaty of Rome was effected in 1971
assent, consent, agreement; acceptance, acquiescence, compliance, concurrence.
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recent accessions to the museum
addition, acquisition, new item, gift, purchase.
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accessorize

verb
complement, enhance, set off, show off; go with, accompany; decorate, adorn, ornament, trim.

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accessory

noun
camera accessories such as tripods and flashguns
attachment, extra, addition, add-on, adjunct, appendage, appurtenance, fitment, supplement.
fashion accessories
adornment, embellishment, ornament, ornamentation, decoration; frills, trimmings.
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she was charged as an accessory to murder
accomplice, partner in crime, associate, collaborator, fellow conspirator; henchman.
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adjective
an accessory gearbox
additional, extra, supplementary, supplemental, auxiliary, ancillary, secondary, subsidiary, reserve, add-on.

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accident

noun
an accident at work
mishap, misadventure, unfortunate incident, mischance, misfortune, disaster, tragedy, catastrophe, calamity; technical casualty.
an accident on the motorway
crash, collision, smash, bump, car crash, road traffic accident, RTA; derailment; N. Amer. wreck; informal smash-up, pile-up; Brit. informal prang, shunt.
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it is no accident that there is a similarity between them
chance, mere chance, coincidence, twist of fate, freak, hazard; fluke, bit of luck, serendipity; fate, fortuity, fortune, providence, happenstance.
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accidental

adjective
an accidental meeting
fortuitous, chance, adventitious, fluky, coincidental, casual, serendipitous, random; unexpected, unforeseen, unanticipated, unlooked-for, unintentional, unintended, inadvertent, unplanned, unpremeditated, unthinking, unwitting.
the location is accidental and contributes nothing to the poem
incidental, unimportant, by the way, by the by, supplementary, subsidiary, subordinate, secondary, accessory, peripheral, tangential, extraneous, extrinsic, irrelevant, non-essential, inessential.
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ANTONYMS :intentional, deliberate.

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accidentally

adverb
by accident, by chance, by a mere chance, by a twist of fate, as luck would have it, fortuitously, by a fluke, by happenstance, coincidentally, adventitiously; unexpectedly, unintentionally, inadvertently, unwittingly.

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acclaim

verb
the booklet has been widely acclaimed by teachers
praise, applaud, cheer, commend, approve, welcome, pay tribute to, speak highly of, eulogize, compliment, celebrate, sing the praises of, rave about, heap praise on, wax lyrical about, lionize, exalt, admire, hail, extol, honour, hymn; informal crack someone/something up; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo; formal laud. ANTONYMS :criticize.

noun
she has won acclaim for her commitment to democracy
praise, applause, cheers, ovation, tribute, accolade, acclamation, salutes, plaudits, bouquets; approval, approbation, admiration, congratulations, commendation, welcome, homage; compliment, a pat on the back. ANTONYMS :criticism.

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acclaimed

adjective
celebrated, admired, highly rated, lionized, honoured, esteemed, exalted, well thought of, well received, acknowledged; eminent, great, renowned, distinguished, prestigious, illustrious, pre-eminent.

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acclamation

noun
praise, applause, cheers, ovation, tribute, accolade, acclaim, salutes, plaudits, bouquets; approval, admiration, approbation, congratulations, commendation, homage; compliment, a pat on the back. ANTONYMS :criticism.

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acclimatization

noun
adjustment, adaptation, accommodation, habituation, acculturation, familiarization, inurement; naturalization; N. Amer. acclimation.

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acclimatize

verb
adjust, adapt, accustom, accommodate, habituate, acculturate; get used, become inured, reconcile oneself, resign oneself; familiarize oneself; find one's feet, get one's bearings, become seasoned, become naturalized; N. Amer. acclimate.

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accolade

noun
he received the accolade of knighthood
honour, privilege, award, gift, title; prize, laurels, bays, palm.
the hotel won a top accolade from the inspectors
tribute, commendation, praise, testimonial, compliment, pat on the back; salutes, plaudits, congratulations, bouquets; informal rave.
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accommodate

verb
refugees were accommodated in army camps
lodge, house, put up, billet, quarter, board, take in, shelter, give someone a roof over their head; harbour.
the cottages accommodate up to six people
hold, take, have room for.
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our staff will make every effort to accommodate you
help, assist, aid, oblige; meet the needs/wants of, cater for, fit in with, satisfy.
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she tried to accommodate herself to her new situation
adjust, adapt, accustom, habituate, acclimatize, acculturate, get accustomed, get used, come to terms with; N. Amer. acclimate.
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the bank would be glad to accommodate you with a loan
provide, supply, furnish, grant.
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accommodating

adjective
obliging, cooperative, helpful, eager to help, adaptable, amenable, considerate, unselfish, generous, willing, kindly, hospitable, neighbourly, kind, friendly, pleasant, agreeable; Brit. informal decent.

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accommodation

noun
temporary accommodation
housing, lodging(s), living quarters, quarters, rooms; place to stay, billet; shelter, a roof over one's head; informal digs, pad; formal abode, residence, place of residence, dwelling, dwelling place, habitation.
lifeboat accommodation for 1,178 people
space, room, seating; places.
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an accommodation between the two parties was reached
arrangement, understanding, settlement, accord, deal, bargain, compromise.
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their accommodation to changing economic circumstances
adjustment, adaptation, habituation, acclimatization, acculturation; inurement; N. Amer. acclimation.
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accompaniment

noun
a musical accompaniment
backing, support, background, soundtrack.
the wine makes a superb accompaniment to cheese
complement, supplement, addition, adjunct, appendage, companion, accessory.
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accompany

verb
the driver accompanied her to the door
go with, travel with, keep someone company, tag along with, partner, escort, chaperone, attend, show, see, usher, conduct.
the illness is often accompanied by nausea
occur with, co-occur with, coexist with, go with, go together with, go hand in hand with, appear with, attend by.
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he accompanied the choir on the piano
back, play with, play for, support.
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accomplice

noun
partner in crime, associate, accessory, confederate, collaborator, fellow conspirator; henchman; informal sidekick.

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accomplish

verb
fulfil, achieve, succeed in, realize, attain, manage, bring about/off, carry out/through, execute, effect, perform, do, discharge, complete, finish, consummate, conclude; formal effectuate.

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accomplished

adjective
expert, skilled, skilful, masterly, virtuoso, master, consummate, complete, proficient, talented, gifted, adept, adroit, deft, dexterous, able, good, competent, capable, efficient, experienced, seasoned, trained, practised, professional, polished, ready, apt; informal great, mean, nifty, crack, ace, wizard; Brit. informal a dab hand at; N. Amer. informal crackerjack.

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accomplishment

noun
the reduction of inflation was a remarkable accomplishment
achievement, act, deed, exploit, performance, attainment, effort, feat, move, coup.
typing was another of her accomplishments
talent, skill, gift, ability, attainment, achievement, forte, knack.
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a poet of considerable accomplishment
expertise, skill, skilfulness, talent, adeptness, adroitness, deftness, dexterity, ability, prowess, mastery, competence, capability, proficiency, aptitude, artistry, art; informal know-how.
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accord

verb
the national assembly accorded him more power
give, grant, present, award, vouchsafe; confer on, bestow on, vest in, invest with.
his views accorded with mine
correspond, agree, tally, match, concur, be consistent, harmonize, be in harmony, be compatible, be in tune, correlate; conform to; informal square.
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ANTONYMS :withhold, disagree, differ.

noun
a peace accord
pact, treaty, agreement, settlement, deal, entente, concordat, protocol, contract, convention.
the two sides failed to reach accord
agreement, consensus, unanimity, harmony, unison, unity; formal concord.
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of one's own accord
voluntarily, of one's own free will, of one's own volition, by choice; willingly, freely, readily. with one accord
unanimously, in complete agreement, with one mind, without exception, as one, of one voice, to a man.

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accordance

noun
a ballot held in accordance with trade union rules
in agreement with, in conformity with, in line with, true to, in the spirit of, observing, following, heeding.

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according

adjective
she had a narrow escape, according to the doctors
as stated by, as claimed by, on the authority of, in the opinion of.
cook the rice according to the instructions
as specified by, as per, in accordance with, in compliance with, in agreement with.
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salary will be fixed according to experience
in proportion to, proportional to, commensurate with, in relation to, relative to, in line with, corresponding to.
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accordingly

adverb
they appreciated the danger and acted accordingly
appropriately, correspondingly, suitably.
accordingly, he returned home to Yorkshire
therefore, for that reason, consequently, so, as a result, as a consequence, in consequence, hence, thus, that being the case, ergo.
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accost

verb
speak to, call to, shout to, hail, address; approach, confront, detain, stop; informal buttonhole, collar; Brit. informal nobble.

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account

noun
his account of the incident
description, report, version, story, narration, narrative, statement, explanation, exposition, delineation, portrayal, tale; chronicle, history, record, log; view, impression.
a sensitive account of the Debussy Sonata
performance, interpretation, rendering, rendition, execution.
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the firm's quarterly accounts
financial record, ledger, balance sheet, financial statement; (accounts) books.
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I pay the account off in full each month
bill, invoice, tally; debt, charges; N. Amer. check; informal tab.
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his background is of no account
importance, import, significance, consequence, substance, note; formal moment.
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verb
her visit could not be accounted a success
consider, regard as, reckon, hold to be, think, look on as, view as, see as, judge, adjudge, count, deem, rate.
account for
they must account for the delay
explain, answer for, give reasons for, rationalize, justify.

excise duties account for over half the price of Sc otch
constitute, make up, comprise, form, compose, represent.
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on account of
because of, owing to, due to, as a consequence of, thanks to, by/in virtue of, in view of. on no account
never, under no circumstances, not for any reason.

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accountability

noun
responsibility, liability, answerability.

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accountable

adjective
the government was held accountable for the food shortage
responsible, liable, answerable; to blame.
the game's popularity is barely accountable
explicable, explainable; understandable, comprehensible.
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accoutrements

plural noun
equipment, paraphernalia, stuff, things, apparatus, tackle, kit, implements, material(s), rig, outfit, regalia, appurtenances, impedimenta, odds and ends, bits and pieces, bits and bobs, trappings, accessories.

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accredit

verb
he was accredited with being one of the world's fastest sprinters
recognize as, credit with.
the discovery of distillation is usually accredited to the Arabs
ascribe, attribute.
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professional bodies accredit these research degrees
recognize, authorize, approve, certify, license.
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accredited

adjective
official, appointed, recognized, authorized, approved, certified, licensed.

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accretion

noun
the accretion of sediments
accumulation, formation, collecting, cumulation, accrual; growth, increase.
architectural accretions
addition, extension, appendage, add-on, supplement.
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accrue

verb
financial benefits will accrue from restructuring
result, arise, follow, ensue; be caused by.
interest is added to the account as it accrues
accumulate, collect, build up, mount up, grow, increase.
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accumulate

verb
gather, collect, amass, stockpile, pile up, heap up, store (up), hoard, cumulate, lay in/up; increase, multiply, accrue; run up.

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accumulation

noun
mass, build-up, pile, heap, stack, collection, stock, store, stockpile, reserve, hoard; amassing, gathering, cumulation, accrual, accretion.

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accuracy

noun
correctness, precision, exactness; factuality, literalness, fidelity, faithfulness, truth, truthfulness, veracity, authenticity, realism, verisimilitude.

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accurate

adjective
accurate information | an accurate representation of the situation
correct, precise, exact, right, error-free, perfect; factual, fact-based, literal, faithful, true, truthful, true to life, authentic, realistic; informal on the mark, on the beam, on the nail; Brit. informal spot on, bang on; N. Amer. informal on the money, on the button; formal veracious.
an accurate shot
well aimed, on target, unerring, deadly, lethal, sure, true, on the mark.
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accursed

adjective
(dated) that accursed woman
hateful, detestable, loathsome, foul, abominable, damnable, odious, obnoxious, despicable, horrible, horrid, ghastly, awful, dreadful, terrible; annoying, irritating, infuriating, exasperating; informal damned, damn, blasted, pesky, pestilential, infernal; Brit. informal beastly.
(poetic/literary) he and his line are accursed
cursed, damned, doomed, condemned, ill-fated, ill-omened, jinxed.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant, blessed.

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accusation

noun
allegation, charge, claim, assertion, imputation; indictment, arraignment; suit, lawsuit; Law, Brit. plaint; N. Amer. impeachment.

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accuse

verb
four people were accused of assault
charge with, indict for, arraign for; summons, cite, prefer charges against; N. Amer. impeach for.
the companies were accused of causing job losses
blame for, lay the blame on, hold responsible for, hold accountable for; condemn for, criticize for, denounce for; informal lay at the door of, point the finger at, stick on, pin on.
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ANTONYMS :absolve, exonerate.

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accustom

verb
adapt, adjust, acclimatize, habituate, accommodate, acculturate; reconcile oneself, become reconciled, get used to, come to terms with, learn to live with, become inured; N. Amer. acclimate.

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accustomed

adjective
customary, usual, normal, habitual, regular, routine, ordinary, typical, traditional, established, common, general; poetic/literary wonted.

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ace (informal)

noun
a rowing ace
expert, master, genius, virtuoso, maestro, adept, past master, doyen, champion, star; informal demon, hotshot, wizard, whizz; Brit. informal dab hand; N. Amer. informal maven, crackerjack. ANTONYMS :amateur.

adjective
an ace tennis player
excellent, first-rate, first-class, marvellous, wonderful, magnificent, outstanding, superlative, formidable, virtuoso, masterly, expert, champion, consummate, skilful, adept; informal great, terrific, tremendous, superb, fantastic, sensational, fabulous, fab, crack, hotshot, A1, mean, demon, awesome, magic, tip-top, top-notch; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill. ANTONYMS :mediocre.

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acerbic

adjective
sharp, sarcastic, sardonic, mordant, trenchant, cutting, razor-edged, biting, stinging, searing, scathing, caustic, astringent, abrasive; N. Amer. acerb; Brit. informal sarky; N. Amer. informal snarky.

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ache

noun
a stomach ache
pain, cramp, twinge, pang; gnawing, stabbing, stinging, smarting; soreness, tenderness, irritation, discomfort.
the ache in her heart
sorrow, sadness, misery, grief, anguish, suffering, pain, agony, torture, hurt.
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verb
my legs were aching
hurt, be sore, be painful, be in pain, throb, pound, twinge; smart, burn, sting; informal give someone gyp; Brit. informal play up.
her heart ached for poor Philippa
grieve, sorrow, be in distress, be miserable, be in anguish, bleed.
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Marie ached for his affection
long, yearn, hunger, thirst, hanker, pine, itch; crave, desire.
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achieve

verb
attain, reach, arrive at; realize, bring off/about, pull off, accomplish, carry out/through, fulfil, execute, perform, engineer, conclude, complete, finish, consummate; earn, win, gain, acquire, obtain, come by, get, secure, clinch, net; informal wrap up, wangle, swing; formal effectuate.

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achievement

noun
the achievement of a high rate of economic growth
attainment, realization, accomplishment, fulfilment, implementation, execution, performance; conclusion, completion, close, consummation.
they felt justifiably proud of their achievement
accomplishment, attainment, feat, performance, undertaking, act, action, deed, effort, exploit; work, handiwork.
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Achilles' heel

noun
weak spot, weak point, weakness, soft underbelly, shortcoming, failing, imperfection, flaw, defect, chink in one's armour. ANTONYMS :strength.

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aching

adjective
his aching back
painful, achy, sore, stiff, hurt, tender, uncomfortable; hurting, in pain, throbbing, pounding, smarting, burning, stinging.
her aching heart
sorrowful, sad, miserable, grieving, upset, distressed, anguished, grief-stricken, heavy.
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acid

adjective
a slightly acid flavour
acidic, sour, tart, bitter, sharp, acrid, pungent, acerbic, vinegary, acetic, acetous.
acid remarks
acerbic, sarcastic, sharp, sardonic, scathing, cutting, razor-edged, biting, stinging, caustic, trenchant, mordant, bitter, acrimonious, astringent, harsh, abrasive, wounding, hurtful, unkind, vitriolic, venomous, waspish, spiteful, malicious; N. Amer. acerb; informal bitchy, catty; Brit. informal sarky; N. Amer. informal snarky.
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ANTONYMS :sweet, pleasant.

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acknowledge

verb
the government acknowledged the need to begin talks
admit, accept, grant, allow, concede, confess, own, recognize.
he did not acknowledge Colin, but hurried past
greet, salute, address; nod to, wave to, raise one's hat to, say hello to.
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Douglas was glad to acknowledge her help
express gratitude for, show appreciation for, thank someone for.
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few people acknowledged my letters
answer, reply to, respond to.
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ANTONYMS :reject, deny, ignore.

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acknowledged

adjective
recognized, accepted, approved, accredited, confirmed, declared, confessed, avowed.

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acknowledgement

noun
acknowledgement of the need to take new initiatives
acceptance, admission, concession, confession, recognition.
a smile of acknowledgement
greeting, welcome, salutation.
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she left without a word of acknowledgement
thanks, gratitude, appreciation, recognition.
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I sent off the form, but there was no acknowledgement
answer, reply, response.
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acme

noun
peak, pinnacle, zenith, height, high point, crown, crest, summit, top, apex, apogee; climax, culmination. ANTONYMS :nadir.

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acolyte

noun
assistant, helper, attendant, minion, underling, lackey, henchman; follower, disciple, supporter, votary; informal sidekick, groupie, hanger-on.

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acquaint

verb
he will need to acquaint himself with the regulations
familiarize, make familiar, make aware of, inform of, advise of, apprise of, let know, get up to date; brief, prime; informal fill in on, gen up on, clue in on.

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acquaintance

noun
a business acquaintance
contact, associate, colleague.
my acquaintance with George
association, relationship, contact.
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the pupils had little acquaintance with the language
familiarity with, knowledge of, experience of, awareness of, understanding of, comprehension of, grasp of.
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acquainted

adjective
she was well acquainted with Gothic literature
familiar, conversant, at home, up to date, abreast, au fait, au courant, well versed, knowledgeable, well informed; informed, apprised; informal genned up, clued in; formal cognizant.
I am not personally acquainted with him
friendly, on friendly terms.
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acquiesce

verb
he acquiesced in the cover-up
accept, consent to, agree to, allow, concede, assent to, concur with, give the nod to; comply with, cooperate with, give in to, bow to, yield to, submit to; informal go along with.

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acquiescence

noun
consent, agreement, acceptance, concurrence, assent, leave; compliance, concession, cooperation; submission.

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acquiescent

adjective
compliant, cooperative, willing, obliging, agreeable, amenable, tractable, persuadable, pliant, unprotesting; submissive, self-effacing, unassertive, yielding, biddable, docile.

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acquire

verb
obtain, come by, get, receive, gain, earn, win, come into, be given; buy, purchase, procure, possess oneself of, secure, pick up; informal get one's hands on, get hold of, land, bag, score. ANTONYMS :lose.

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acquirement

noun
her many acquirements
attainment, achievement, accomplishment, skill, talent.
the acquirement of money
acquisition, obtaining, gaining, earning, winning, procurement.
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acquisition

noun
a new acquisition
purchase, buy, gain, accession, addition, investment, possession.
the acquisition of funds
obtaining, acquirement, gaining, earning, winning, procurement, collection.
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acquisitive

adjective
greedy, covetous, avaricious, possessive, grasping, grabbing, predatory, avid, rapacious, mercenary, materialistic; informal money-grubbing.

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acquisitiveness

noun
greed, greediness, covetousness, cupidity, possessiveness, avarice, avidity, rapaciousness, rapacity, materialism.

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acquit

verb
the jury acquitted her
clear, exonerate, find innocent, absolve; discharge, release, free, set free; informal let off (the hook); formal exculpate.
the boys acquitted themselves well
behave, conduct oneself, perform, act; formal comport oneself.
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(archaic) they acquitted themselves of their duty
carry out, perform, discharge, execute.
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ANTONYMS :convict.

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acquittal

noun
the acquittal of the defendants
clearing, exoneration; discharge, release, freeing; informal let-off; formal exculpation.
(archaic) the acquittal of these duties
discharge, carrying out, execution, performance.
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ANTONYMS :conviction.

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acrid

adjective
pungent, bitter, sharp, sour, tart, harsh, acid, acidic, vinegary, acetic, acetous; stinging, burning.

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acrimonious

adjective
bitter, angry, rancorous, caustic, acerbic, scathing, sarcastic, acid, harsh, sharp, cutting; virulent, spiteful, vicious, vitriolic, hostile, venomous, nasty, bad-tempered, ill-natured, mean, malign, malicious, malignant, waspish; informal bitchy, catty.

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acrimony

noun
bitterness, anger, rancour, resentment, ill feeling, ill will, bad blood, animosity, hostility, enmity, antagonism, waspishness, spleen, malice, spitefulness, venom. ANTONYMS :goodwill.

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acrobat

noun
tumbler, gymnast, tightrope walker, wire walker, trapeze artist; rare funambulist.

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acrobatics

plural noun
staggering feats of acrobatics
gymnastics, tumbling; agility; rare funambulism.
the acrobatics required to negotiate an international contract
mental agility, skill, quick thinking, alertness, inventiveness.
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act

verb
the Government must act to remedy the situation
take action, take steps, take measures, move, react.
he was acting on the orders of the party leader
follow, act in accordance with, obey, heed, comply with; fulfil, meet, discharge.
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an estate agent acting for a prospective buyer
represent, act on behalf of; stand in for, fill in for, deputize for, take the place of.
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Alison began to act oddly
behave, conduct oneself, react; formal comport oneself.
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the scents act as a powerful aphrodisiac
operate, work, function, serve.
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the drug acted directly on the blood vessels
affect, have an effect on, work on; have an impact on, impact on, influence.
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he acted in a highly successful film
perform, play a part, take part, appear; informal tread the boards.
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we laughed, but most of us were just acting
pretend, play-act, put it on, fake it, feign it, dissemble, dissimulate.
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noun
acts of kindness | a criminal act
deed, action, feat, exploit, move, gesture, performance, undertaking, stunt, operation; achie vement, accomplishment.
the act raised the tax on tobacco
law, decree, statute, bill, act of Parliament, enactment, resolution, edict, dictum, ruling, measure; N. Amer. formal ordinance.
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the first act of the play
division, section, subsection, part, segment.
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a music hall act
performance, turn, routine, number, sketch, skit.
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it was all just an act
pretence, show, front, facade, masquerade, charade, posture, pose, affectation, sham, fake; informal a put-on.
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act up (informal)
all children act up from time to time
misbehave, behave badly, get up to mischief; Brit. informal play up.

the engine was acting up
malfunction, go wrong, be defective, be faulty; informal be on the blink; Brit. informal play up.
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acting

noun
the theory and practice of acting
drama, the theatre, the stage, the performing arts, thespianism, dramatics, dramaturgy, stagecraft, theatricals; informal treading the boards.
adjective
the bank's acting governor
temporary, interim, caretaker, pro tem, provisional, stopgap; deputy, stand-in, fill-in; N. Amer. informal pinch-hitting. ANTONYMS :permanent.

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action

noun
there can be no excuse for their actions
deed, act, move, undertaking, exploit, manoeuvre, endeavour, effort, exertion; behaviour, conduct, activity.
the need for local community action
measures, steps, activity, movement, work, operation.
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a man of action
energy, vitality, vigour, forcefulness, drive, initiative, spirit, liveliness, vim, pep; activity; informal get-up-and-go.
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the action of hormones on the pancreas
effect, influence, working; power.
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he missed all the action while he was away
excitement, activity, happenings, events, incidents; informal goings-on.
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twenty-nine men died in the action
fighting, hostilities, battle, conflict, combat, warfare; engagement, clash, encounter, skirmish.
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a civil action for damages
lawsuit, legal action, suit (at law), case, prosecution, litigation, proceedings.
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activate

verb
operate, switch on, turn on, start (up), set going, trigger (off), set in motion, actuate, energize; trip.

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active

adjective
despite her illness she remained active
energetic, lively, sprightly, spry, mobile, vigorous, vital, dynamic, sporty; busy, occupied; informal on the go, full of beans.
an active member of the union
hard-working, busy, industrious, diligent, tireless, contributing, effective, enterprising, involved, enthusiastic, keen, committed, devoted, zealous.
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the watermill was active until 1960
operative, working, functioning, functional, operating, operational, in action, in operation; live; informal up and running.
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ANTONYMS :listless, passive.

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activity

noun
there was a lot of activity in the area
bustle, hustle and bustle, busyness, action, liveliness, movement, life, stir, flurry; happenings, occurrences, proceedings, events, incidents; informal toing and froing, comings and goings.
a wide range of activities
pursuit, occupation, interest, hobby, pastime, recreation, diversion; venture, undertaking, enterprise, project, scheme, business, entertainment; act, action, deed, exploit.
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actor actress

noun
performer, player, trouper, thespian; film star, matinee idol, star, starlet; informal ham; Brit. informal luvvy; N. Amer. informal hambone. histrionic.

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actual

adjective
real, true, genuine, authentic, verified, attested, confirmed, definite, hard, plain, veritable; existing, existent, manifest, substantial, factual, de facto, bona fide; informal real live. ANTONYMS :notional.

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actuality

noun
the journalistic debate about actuality and fiction
reality, fact, truth, real life.
in actuality
in (actual) fact, actually, really, in reality, in point of fact, in truth, if truth be told, to tell the truth; archaic in sooth.

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actually

adverb
I looked upset but actually I was terribly excited
really, in (actual) fact, in point of fact, as a matter of fact, in reality, in actuality, in truth, if truth be told, to tell the truth; archaic in sooth.

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actuate

verb
the sprinkler system was actuated by the fire
activate, operate, switch on, turn on, start (up), set going, trigger (off), trip, set in motion, energize.
the defendant was actuated by malice
motivate, prompt, stimulate, move, drive, influence, incite, spur on, impel.
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acumen

noun
astuteness, shrewdness, acuity, sharpness, sharp-wittedness, cleverness, smartness, brains; judgement, understanding, awareness, sense, common sense, canniness, discernment, wisdom, wit, sagacity, perspicacity, insight, perception, penetration; informal nous, savvy, know-how, horse sense; N. Amer. informal smarts; formal perspicuity.

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acute

adjective
the acute food shortages
severe, critical, drastic, dire, dreadful, terrible, awful, grave, bad, serious, desperate, parlous, dangerous.
acute stomach pains
sharp, severe, stabbing, excruciating, agonizing, racking, searing.
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his acute mind
astute, shrewd, sharp, sharp-witted, razor-sharp, rapier-like, quick, quick-witted, agile, nimble, clever, intelligent, brilliant, smart, canny, discerning, perceptive, perspicacious, penetrating, insightful, incisive, piercing, discriminating, sagacious, wise, judicious; informal on the ball, quick off the mark, quick on the uptake, streetwise, savvy; N. Amer. informal heads-up.
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an acute sense of smell
keen, sharp, good, penetrating, discerning, sensitive.
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ANTONYMS :mild, dull.

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acutely

adverb
extremely, exceedingly, very, markedly, severely, intensely, deeply, profoundly, keenly, painfully, desperately, tremendously, enormously, thoroughly, heartily; informal awfully, terribly. ANTONYMS :slightly.

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adage

noun
saying, maxim, axiom, proverb, aphorism, apophthegm, saw, dictum, precept, motto, truism, platitude, cliché, commonplace.

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adamant

adjective
unshakeable, immovable, inflexible, unwavering, unswerving, uncompromising, resolute, resolved, determined, firm, steadfast; stubborn, unrelenting, unyielding, unbending, rigid, obdurate, inexorable, intransigent, dead set.

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adapt

verb
we've adapted the hotels to suit their needs
modify, alter, change, adjust, convert, redesign, restyle, refashion, remodel, reshape, revamp, rework, rejig, redo, reconstruct, reorganize; customize, tailor; improve, amend, refine; informal tweak.
he has adapted well to his new home
adjust, acclimatize oneself, accommodate oneself, habituate oneself, become habituated, get used, orient oneself, reconcile oneself, come to terms, get one's bearings, find one's feet, acculturate, assimilate, blend in, fit in; N. Amer. acclimate.
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adaptable

adjective
competent and adaptable staff
flexible, versatile, cooperative, accommodating, amenable.
an adaptable piece of furniture
versatile, modifiable, convertible, alterable, adjustable, changeable; multi-purpose, all-purpose.
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adaptation

noun
the adaptation of old buildings
conversion, alteration, modification, redesign, remodelling, revamping, reconstruction.
the adaptation of an ethnic community to British society
adjustment, acclimatization, accommodation, habituation, acculturation, assimilation, integration; N. Amer. acclimation.
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add

verb
the front porch was added in 1751
attach, build on, join, append, affix, connect, annex; include, incorporate.
they added all the figures up
total, count (up), compute, reckon up, tally; Brit. tot up.
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the subsidies added up to £1700
amount to, come to, run to, make, total, equal, number.
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the recent riots add up to a deepening crisis
amount to, constitute; signify, signal, mean, indicate, denote, point to, be evidence of, be symptomatic of; informal spell.
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her decision just added to his woe
increase, magnify, amplify, augment, intensify, heighten, deepen; exacerbate, aggravate, compound, reinforce; add fuel to the fire, fan the flames, rub salt on the wound.
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she added that she had every confidence in Laura
go on to say, state further, continue, carry on.
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ANTONYMS :subtract.

add up (informal) the situation just didn't add up

make sense, stand to reason, hold up, hold water, ring true, be convincing.

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addendum

noun
appendix, codicil, postscript, afterword, tailpiece, rider, coda, supplement; adjunct, appendage, addition, add-on, attachment.

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addict

noun
a heroin addict
abuser, user; informal junkie, druggy, -freak, -head, pill-popper; N. Amer. informal hophead.
(informal) skiing addicts
enthusiast, fan, lover, devotee, aficionado; informal freak, nut, fiend, fanatic, maniac.
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addicted

adjective
he was addicted to tranquillizers
dependent on; informal hooked on.
she became addicted to the theatre
devoted to, obsessed with, fixated on, fanatical about, passionate about, a slave to; informal hooked on, mad on, crazy about.
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addiction

noun
his heroin addiction
dependency, dependence, habit; informal monkey.
a slavish addiction to fashion
devotion to, dedication to, obsession with, infatuation with, passion for, love of, mania for, enslavement to.
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addictive

adjective
habit-forming; compulsive; Brit. informal moreish.

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addition

noun
the soil is improved by the addition of compost
adding, incorporation, inclusion, introduction.
an addition to the existing regulations
supplement, adjunct, addendum, appendage, add-on, extra; rider.
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in addition
conditions were harsh and in addition some soldiers fell victim to snipers
additionally, as well, what's more, furthermore, moreover, also, into the bargain, to boot.

eight presidential candidates in addition to the General
besides, as well as, on top of, plus, over and above.
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additional

adjective
extra, added, supplementary, supplemental, further, auxiliary, ancillary; more, other, another, new, fresh.

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additionally

adverb
also, in addition, as well, too, besides, on top (of that), moreover, further, furthermore, what's more, over and above that, into the bargain, to boot; archaic withal.

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additive

noun
added ingredient, addition; preservative, colouring; Brit. informal E-number.

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addled

adjective
muddled, confused, muzzy, fuddled, befuddled, dazed, disoriented, disorientated, fuzzy; informal woozy.

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address

noun
the address on the envelope
inscription, superscription; directions.
our officers called at the address
house, flat, apartment, home; formal residence, dwelling, dwelling place, habitation, abode, domicile.
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his address to the European Parliament
speech, lecture, talk, monologue, dissertation, discourse, oration, peroration; sermon, homily, lesson.
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verb
I addressed the envelope by hand
inscribe, superscribe.
the preacher addressed a crowded congregation
talk to, give a talk to, speak to, make a speech to, give a lecture to, lecture, hold forth to; preach to, give a sermon to.
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the question of how to address one's parents-in-law
call, name, designate; speak to, write to; formal denominate.
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correspondence should be addressed to the Banking Ombudsman
direct, send, communicate, convey, remit.
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the minister failed to address the issue of subsidies
attend to, apply oneself to, tackle, see to, deal with, confront, get to grips with, get down to, turn one's hand to, take in hand, undertake, concentrate on, focus on, devote oneself to.
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adduce

verb
cite, quote, name, mention, instance, point out, refer to; put forward, present, offer, advance, propose, proffer.

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adept

adjective
an adept negotiator
expert, proficient, accomplished, skilful, talented, masterly, consummate, virtuoso; adroit, dexterous, deft, artful; brilliant, splendid, marvellous, formidable, outstanding, first-rate, first-class, excellent, fine; informal great, top-notch, tip-top, A1, ace, mean, hotshot, crack, nifty, deadly; Brit. informal a dab hand at; N. Amer. informal crackerjack. ANTONYMS :inept.

noun
kung fu adepts
expert, past master, master, genius, maestro, doyen; informal wizard, demon, ace, hotshot, whizz; N. Amer. informal maven, crackerjack. ANTONYMS :amateur.

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adequacy

noun
the adequacy of the existing services
satisfactoriness, acceptability, acceptableness; sufficiency.
he had deep misgivings about his own adequacy
capability, competence, ability, aptitude, suitability; effectiveness, fitness; formal efficacy.
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adequate

adjective
he lacked adequate financial resources
sufficient, enough, requisite.
the company provides an adequate service
acceptable, passable, reasonable, satisfactory, tolerable, fair, decent, quite good, pretty good, goodish, moderate, unexceptional, unremarkable, undistinguished, ordinary, average, not bad, all right, middling; informal OK, so-so, fair-to-middling, nothing to write home about.
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the workstations were small but seemed adequate to the task
equal to, up to, capable of, suitable for, able to do, fit for, sufficient for.
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adhere

verb
a dollop of cream adhered to her nose
stick (fast), cohere, cling, bond, attach; be stuck, be fixed, be glued.
they adhere scrupulously to Judaic law
abide by, stick to, hold to, comply with, act in accordance with, conform to, submit to; follow, obey, heed, observe, respect, uphold, fulfil.
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ANTONYMS :flout, ignore.

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adherent

noun
follower, supporter, upholder, defender, advocate, disciple, votary, devotee, partisan, member, friend, stalwart, sectary; believer, worshipper. ANTONYMS :opponent.

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adhesion

noun
the adhesion of the gum strip to the paper fibres
sticking, adherence.
the front tyres were struggling for adhesion
traction, grip, purchase.
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adhesive

noun
a spray adhesive
glue, fixative, gum, paste, cement; N. Amer. mucilage; N. Amer. informal stickum.
adjective
adhesive mortar
sticky, tacky, gluey, gummed; viscous, viscid; technical adherent; informal icky.

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adieu

noun & exclamation
goodbye, farewell, until we meet again; informal bye-bye, ta-ta, bye, cheerio, cheers, ciao, so long; informal, dated toodle-oo, toodle-pip.

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ad infinitum

adverb
forever, for ever and ever, evermore, always, for all time, until the end of time, in perpetuity, until hell freezes over; perpetually, eternally, endlessly, interminably, unceasingly, unendingly; Brit. for evermore; informal until the cows come home, until the twelfth of never, until doomsday, until kingdom come; archaic for aye.

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adjacent

adjective
adjoining, neighbouring, next-door, abutting, contiguous, proximate; (adjacent to) close to, near, next to, by, by the side of, bordering on, beside, alongside, attached to, touching, cheek by jowl with.

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adjoin

verb
be next to, be adjacent to, border (on), abut, be contiguous with, communicate with, extend to; join, conjoin, connect with, touch, meet.

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adjoining

adjective
connecting, connected, interconnecting, adjacent, neighbouring, bordering, next-door; contiguous, proximate; attached, touching.

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adjourn

verb
the hearing was adjourned
suspend, break off, discontinue, interrupt, prorogue, stay, recess.
sentencing was adjourned until June 9
postpone, put off/back, defer, delay, hold over, shelve.
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they adjourned to the sitting room for liqueurs
withdraw, retire, retreat, take oneself; formal repair, remove; poetic/literary betake oneself.
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adjournment

noun
suspension, discontinuation, interruption, postponement, deferment, deferral, stay, prorogation; break, pause, recess.

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adjudge

verb
judge, deem, find, pronounce, proclaim, rule, hold, determine; consider, think, rate, reckon, perceive, regard as, view as, see as, believe to be.

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adjudicate

verb
judge, try, hear, examine, arbitrate; pronounce on, give a ruling on, pass judgement on, decide, determine, settle, resolve.

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adjudication

noun
judgement, decision, pronouncement, ruling, settlement, resolution, arbitration, finding, verdict, sentence; Law determination.

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adjudicator

noun
judge, arbitrator, arbiter; referee, umpire.

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adjunct

noun
supplement, addition, extra, add-on, accessory, accompaniment, complement, appurtenance; attachment, appendage, addendum.

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adjust

verb
Kate had adjusted to her new life
adapt, become accustomed, get used, accommodate, acclimatize, orient oneself, reconcile oneself, habituate oneself, assimilate; come to terms with, blend in with, fit in with, find one's feet in; N. Amer. acclimate.
he adjusted the brakes
modify, alter, regulate, tune, fine-tune, calibrate, balance; adapt, rearrange, change, rejig, rework, revamp, remodel, reshape, convert, tailor, improve, enhance, customize; repair, fix, correct, rectify, overhaul, put right; informal tweak.
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adjustable

adjective
alterable, adaptable, modifiable, convertible, variable, multiway, versatile.

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adjustment

noun
a period of adjustment
adaptation, accommodation, acclimatization, habituation, acculturation, naturalization, assimilation; N. Amer. acclimation.
the car will run on unleaded petrol with no adjustment
modification, alteration, regulation, adaptation, rearrangement, change, reconstruction, customization, refinement; repair, correction, amendment, overhaul, improvement.
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ad-lib

verb
she ad-libbed half the speech
improvise, extemporize, speak impromptu, play it by ear, make it up as one goes along; informal busk it, wing it.
adverb
she spoke ad lib
impromptu, extempore, without preparation, without rehearsal, extemporaneously; informal off the cuff, off the top of one's head.
adjective
a live, ad-lib commentary
impromptu, extempore, extemporaneous, extemporary, improvised, unprepared, unrehearsed, unscripted; informal off-the-cuff, spur-of-the-moment.

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administer

verb
the union is administered by a central executive
manage, direct, control, operate, regulate, conduct, handle, run, organize, supervise, superintend, oversee, preside over, govern, rule, lead, head, steer; be in control of, be in charge of, be responsible for, be at the helm of; informal head up.
the lifeboat crew administered first aid
dispense, issue, give, provide, apply, allot, distribute, hand out, dole out, disburse.
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a gym shoe was used to administer punishment
inflict, mete out, deal out, deliver.
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administration

noun
the day-to-day administration of the company
management, direction, control, command, charge, conduct, operation, running, leadership, government, governing, superintendence, supervision, regulation, overseeing.
the previous Labour administration
government, cabinet, ministry, regime, executive, authority, directorate, council, leadership, management; parliament, congress, senate; rule, term of office, incumbency.
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the administration of anti-inflammatory drugs
provision, issuing, issuance, application, dispensing, dispensation, distribution, disbursement.
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administrative

adjective
managerial, management, directorial, executive, organizational, supervisory, regulatory.

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administrator

noun
manager, director, executive, controller, head, chief, leader, governor, superintendent, supervisor; informal boss.

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admirable

adjective
commendable, praiseworthy, laudable, estimable, meritorious, creditable, exemplary, honourable, worthy, deserving, respectable, worthwhile, good, sterling, fine, masterly, great. ANTONYMS :deplorable.

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admiration

noun
respect, approval, approbation, appreciation, regard, (high) regard, esteem; commendation, acclaim, applause, praise, compliments, tributes, accolades, plaudits; formal laudation. ANTONYMS :scorn.

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admire

verb
I admire your courage
respect, approve of, esteem, think highly of, rate highly, hold in high regard, applaud, praise, commend, acclaim.
Simon had admired her for a long time
adore, love, worship, dote on, be enamoured of, be infatuated with; be taken with, be attracted to, find attractive; informal carry a torch for, have a thing about.
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ANTONYMS :despise.

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admirer

noun
a great admirer of Henry James
fan, devotee, enthusiast, aficionado; supporter, adherent, follower, disciple.
a handsome admirer of hers
suitor, wooer, sweetheart, lover, boyfriend, young man; poetic/literary swain; dated beau.
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admissible

adjective
valid, allowable, allowed, permissible, permitted, acceptable, satisfactory, justifiable, defensible, supportable, well founded, tenable, sound; legitimate, lawful, legal, licit; informal OK, legit, kosher, pukka.

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admission

noun
membership entitles you to free admission
admittance, entry, entrance, right of entry, access, right of access, ingress; entrée.
admission is fifty pence
entrance fee, entry charge, ticket.
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a written admission of liability
confession, acknowledgement, acceptance, concession, disclosure, divulgence.
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admit

verb
he unlocked the door to admit her
let in, allow entry, permit entry, take in, usher in, show in, receive, welcome.
he was admitted as a scholar to Winchester College
accept, take on, receive, enrol, enlist, register, sign up.
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Paul admitted that he was angry
confess, acknowledge, own, concede, grant, accept, allow; reveal, disclose, divulge.
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he admitted three offences of reckless driving
confess (to), plead guilty to, own up to, make a clean breast of.
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ANTONYMS :exclude, deny.

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admittance

noun
entry, right of entry, admission, entrance, access, right of access, ingress; entrée. ANTONYMS :exclusion.

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admonish

verb
he was severely admonished by his father
reprimand, rebuke, scold, reprove, reproach, upbraid, chastise, chide, berate, criticize, take to task, pull up, read the Riot Act to, haul over the coals; informal tell off, dress down, bawl out, rap over the knuckles, give someone hell; Brit. informal tick off, give someone a rocket, have a go at, carpet, tear someone off a strip; N. Amer. informal chew out; formal castigate; rare reprehend.
she admonished him to drink less
advise, recommend, counsel, urge, exhort, bid, enjoin; formal adjure.
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admonition

noun
a breach of the rules which led to an admonition
reprimand, rebuke, reproof, remonstrance, reproach, reproval, stricture, criticism, recrimination, scolding, censure; informal telling-off, dressing-down, talking-to, tongue-lashing, rap over the knuckles, slap on the wrist, flea in one's ear, earful; Brit. informal rocket, rollicking, wigging, ticking-off; formal castigation.
an admonition to proceed carefully
exhortation, warning, piece of advice, recommendation, counsel.
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ado

noun
fuss, trouble, bother, upset, agitation, commotion, stir, hubbub, confusion, excitement, hurly-burly, flurry; palaver, rigmarole, brouhaha; N. Amer. fuss and feathers; informal hassle, to-do, hoo-ha, ballyhoo, song and dance, performance, kerfuffle; Brit. informal carry-on.

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adolescence

noun
teenage years, teens, youth; pubescence, puberty.

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adolescent

noun
an awkward adolescent
teenager, youngster, young person, youth, boy, girl; juvenile, minor; informal teen, teeny-bopper.
adjective
an adolescent boy
teenage, pubescent, young; juvenile; informal teen.
adolescent silliness
immature, childish, juvenile, infantile, puerile, jejune.
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ANTONYMS :adult, mature.

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adopt

verb
the child was adopted by an American family
take as one's child, be adoptive parents to, take in, take care of.
they adopted local customs
espouse, take on/up, embrace, assume; appropriate, arrogate.
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the people adopted him as their patron saint
choose, select, pick, vote for, elect, settle on, decide on, opt for; name, nominate, appoint.
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ANTONYMS :abandon.

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adorable

adjective
lovable, appealing, charming, cute, sweet, enchanting, bewitching, captivating, engaging, endearing, dear, darling, delightful, lovely, beautiful, attractive, gorgeous, winsome, winning, fetching; Scottish & N. English bonny. ANTONYMS :hateful.

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adoration

noun
the girl gazed at him with adoration
love, devotion, care, fondness; admiration, high regard, awe, idolization, worship, hero-worship, adulation.
our day of prayer and adoration
worship, glory, glorification, praise, thanksgiving, homage, exaltation, extolment, veneration, reverence; archaic magnification.
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adore

verb
he adored his mother
love dearly, love, be devoted to, dote on, hold dear, cherish, treasure, prize, think the world of; admire, hold in high regard, look up to, idolize, worship; informal put on a pedestal.
the people had come to pray and adore God
worship, glorify, praise, revere, reverence, exalt, extol, venerate, pay homage to; formal laud; archaic magnify.
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(informal) I adore oysters
like, love, be very fond of, be very keen on, be partial to, have a weakness for; delight in, revel in, relish, savour; informal be crazy about, be wild about, have a thing about, be hooked on, go a bundle on; Brit. informal be potty about.
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ANTONYMS :hate.

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adorn

verb
decorate, embellish, ornament, enhance; beautify, prettify, grace, bedeck, deck (out), dress (up), trim, swathe, wreathe, festoon, garland, array, emblazon; poetic/literary bedizen, caparison. ANTONYMS :disfigure.

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adornment

noun
decoration, embellishment, ornamentation, ornament, enhancement; beautification, prettification; frills, accessories, trimmings, finishing touches.

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adrift

adjective
their empty boat was spotted adrift
drifting, unmoored, unanchored.
(Brit. informal) the pipe of my breathing apparatus came adrift
loose, free; detached, unsecured, unfastened, untied, unknotted, undone.
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he was adrift in a strange country
lost, off course; disorientated, disoriented, confused, (all) at sea; drifting, rootless, unsettled, directionless, aimless, purposeless, without purpose.
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(Brit. informal) his instincts were not entirely adrift.
See wrong adjective sense 1.
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adroit

adjective
skilful, adept, dexterous, deft, nimble, able, capable, skilled, expert, masterly, masterful, master, practised, polished, slick, proficient, accomplished, gifted, talented; quick-witted, quick-thinking, clever, smart, sharp, cunning, wily, resourceful, astute, shrewd, canny; informal nifty, crack, mean, wizard, demon, ace, A1, on the ball, savvy; N. Amer. informal crackerjack. ANTONYMS :inept, clumsy.

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adroitness

noun
skill, skilfulness, prowess, expertise, adeptness, dexterity, deftness, nimbleness, ability, capability, mastery, proficiency, accomplishment, artistry, art, facility, aptitude, flair, finesse, talent; quick-wittedness, cleverness, sharpness, cunning, astuteness, shrewdness, resourcefulness, savoir faire; informal know-how, savvy.

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adulation

noun
hero-worship, worship, idolization, adoration, admiration, veneration, awe, devotion, glorification, praise, flattery, blandishments.

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adulatory

adjective
flattering, complimentary, highly favourable, enthusiastic, glowing, reverential, rhapsodic, eulogistic, laudatory; fulsome, honeyed. ANTONYMS :disparaging.

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adult

adjective
an adult woman
mature, grown-up, fully grown, full-grown, fully developed, of age.
an adult movie
sexually explicit, pornographic, obscene, smutty, dirty, rude, erotic, sexy, suggestive, titillating; informal porn, porno, naughty, blue, X-rated, skin.
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adulterate

verb
make impure, degrade, debase, spoil, taint, contaminate; doctor, tamper with, dilute, water down, weaken; bastardize, corrupt; informal cut, spike, dope. ANTONYMS :purify.

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adulterer

noun
philanderer, deceiver, womanizer, ladies' man, Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario; informal cheat, two-timer, love rat; formal fornicator.

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adulterous

adjective
unfaithful, faithless, disloyal, untrue, inconstant, false, false-hearted, deceiving, deceitful, treacherous; extramarital; informal cheating, two-timing. ANTONYMS :faithful.

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adultery

noun
infidelity, unfaithfulness, falseness, disloyalty, cuckoldry, extramarital sex; affair, liaison, amour; informal carryings-on, hanky-panky, a bit on the side, playing around; formal fornication. ANTONYMS :fidelity.

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advance

verb
the battalion advanced rapidly
move forward, proceed, press on, push on, push forward, make progress, make headway, gain ground, approach, come closer, draw nearer, near; archaic draw nigh.
the court may advance the date of the hearing
bring forward, put forward, move forward.
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the move advanced his career
promote, further, forward, help, aid, assist, boost, strengthen, improve, benefit, foster.
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our technology has advanced in the last few years
progress, make progress, make headway, develop, evolve, make strides, move forward (in leaps and bounds), move ahead; improve, thrive, flourish, prosper.
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the hypothesis I wish to advance in this article
put forward, present, submit, suggest, propose, introduce, offer, adduce, moot.
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a relative advanced him some money
lend, loan, put up, come up with; Brit. informal sub.
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ANTONYMS :retreat, hinder, postpone, retract, borrow.

noun
the advance of the aggressors
progress, forward movement; approach.
a significant medical adva nce
breakthrough, development, step forward, step in the right direction, (quantum) leap; find, finding, discovery, invention.
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share prices showed significant advances
increase, rise, upturn, upsurge, upswing, growth; informal hike.
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the writer is going to be given a huge advance
down payment, retainer, prepayment, deposit, front money, money up front.
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unwelcome sexual advances
pass, proposition.
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adjective
an advance party of settlers
preliminary, sent (on) ahead, first, exploratory; pilot, test, trial.
advance warning
early, prior, beforehand.
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in advance
beforehand, before, ahead of time, earlier, previously; in readiness.

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advanced

adjective
advanced manufacturing techniques
state-of-the-art, new, modern, up to date, up to the minute, the newest, the latest; progressive, avant-garde, ahead of the times, pioneering, innovatory, sophisticated.
advanced further-education courses
higher-level, higher, tertiary.
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ANTONYMS :primitive.

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advancement

noun
the advancement of computer technology
development, progress, evolution, growth, improvement, advance, furtherance; headway.
employees must be offered opportunities for advancement
promotion, preferment, career development, upgrading, a step up the ladder, progress, improvement, betterment, growth.
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advantage

noun
the advantages of belonging to a union
benefit, value, good point, strong point, asset, plus, bonus, boon, blessing, virtue; attraction, beauty, usefulness, helpfulness, convenience, advantageousness, profit.
they appeared to be gaining the advantage over their opponents
upper hand, edge, lead, whip hand, trump card; superiority, dominance, ascendancy, supremacy, power, mastery.
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there is no advantage to be gained from delaying the process
benefit, profit, gain, good; informal mileage, percentage.
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ANTONYMS :disadvantage, drawback, detriment.

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advantageous

adjective
an advantageous position
superior, dominant, powerful; good, fortunate, lucky, favourable.
the arrangement is advantageous to both sides
beneficial, of benefit, helpful, of assistance, useful, of use, of value, of service, profitable, fruitful; convenient, expedient, in everyone's interests.
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ANTONYMS :disadvantageous, detrimental.

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advent

noun
arrival, appearance, emergence, materialization, occurrence, dawn, birth, rise, development; approach, coming. ANTONYMS :disappearance.

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adventitious

adjective
he felt that the conversation was not entirely adventitious
unplanned, unpremeditated, accidental, chance, fortuitous, serendipitous, coincidental, casual, random.
the adventitious population
foreign, alien, non-native.
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ANTONYMS :premeditated.

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adventure

noun
her recent adventures in Italy
exploit, escapade, deed, feat, experience; stunt.
they set off in search of adventure
excitement, thrill, stimulation; risk, danger, hazard, peril, uncertainty, precariousness.
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adventurer

noun
daredevil, hero, heroine; swashbuckler, knight errant.

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adventurous

adjective
an adventurous traveller
daring, daredevil, intrepid, venturesome, bold, fearless, brave, unafraid, unshrinking, dauntless; informal gutsy, spunky.
adventurous activities
risky, dangerous, perilous, hazardous, precarious, uncertain; exciting, thrilling.
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ANTONYMS :cautious.

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adversary

noun
opponent, rival, enemy, antagonist, combatant, challenger, contender, competitor, opposer; opposition, competition; poetic/literary foe. ANTONYMS :ally, supporter.

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adverse

adjective
adverse weather conditions
unfavourable, disadvantageous, inauspicious, unpropitious, unfortunate, unlucky, untimely, untoward.
the drug's adverse side effects
harmful, dangerous, injurious, detrimental, hurtful, deleterious.
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an adverse response from the public
hostile, unfavourable, antagonistic, unfriendly, ill-disposed, negative.
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ANTONYMS :favourable, auspicious, beneficial.

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adversity

noun
misfortune, ill luck, bad luck, trouble, difficulty, hardship, distress, disaster, suffering, affliction, sorrow, misery, tribulation, woe, pain, trauma; mishap, misadventure, accident, upset, reverse, setback, crisis, catastrophe, tragedy, calamity, trial, cross, burden, blow, vicissitude; hard times, trials and tribulations.

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advertise

verb
publicize, make public, make known, announce, broadcast, proclaim, trumpet, call attention to, bill; promote, market, beat/bang the drum for, trail, huckster; informal push, plug, hype, boost; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo, flack.

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advertisement

noun
notice, announcement, bulletin; commercial, promotion, blurb, write-up; poster, leaflet, pamphlet, flyer, bill, handbill, handout, circular, brochure, sign, placard; informal ad, push, plug, puff, bumph; Brit. informal advert.

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advice

noun
guidance, counselling, counsel, help, direction; information, recommendations, guidelines, suggestions, hints, tips, pointers, ideas, opinions, views.

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advisability

noun
wisdom, desirability, preferability, prudence, sense, appropriateness, aptness, fitness, suitability, judiciousness; expediency, advantageousness, advantage, benefit, profit, profitability.

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advisable

adjective
wise, desirable, preferable, well, best, sensible, prudent, proper, appropriate, apt, suitable, fitting, judicious, recommended, suggested; expedient, politic, advantageous, beneficial, profitable, in one's (best) interests.

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advise

verb
her grandmother advised her about marriage
counsel, give guidance, guide, offer suggestions, give hints/tips/pointers.
he advised caution
advocate, recommend, suggest, urge, encourage, enjoin.
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you will be advised of the requirements
inform, notify, give notice, apprise, warn, forewarn; acquaint with, make familiar with, make known to, update about; informal fill in on.
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adviser

noun
counsellor, mentor, guide, consultant, confidant, confidante; coach, teacher, tutor, guru.

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advisory

adjective
consultative, consultatory, advising; recommendatory. ANTONYMS :executive.

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advocacy

noun
support, backing, promotion, championing; recommendation, prescription; N. Amer. boosterism.

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advocate

noun
an advocate of children's rights
champion, upholder, supporter, backer, promoter, proponent, exponent, spokesman, spokeswoman, spokesperson, campaigner, fighter, crusader; propagandist, apostle, apologist; N. Amer. booster. ANTONYMS :critic.

verb
heart specialists advocate a diet low in cholesterol
recommend, prescribe, advise, urge; support, back, favour, uphold, subscribe to, champion, campaign on behalf of, speak for, argue for, lobby for, promote.

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aegis

noun
protection, backing, support, patronage, sponsorship, charge, care, guidance, guardianship, trusteeship, agency, safeguarding, shelter, umbrella, aid, assistance; auspices.

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aeon

noun
ages, an age, an eternity, a long time, a lifetime; years; informal donkey's years; Brit. informal yonks.

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aesthetic

adjective
artistic, tasteful, in good taste; graceful, elegant, exquisite, beautiful, attractive, pleasing, lovely.

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affability

noun
friendliness, amiability, geniality, congeniality, cordiality, warmth, pleasantness, likeability, good humour, good nature, kindliness, kindness, courtesy, courteousness, civility, approachability, amenability, sociability, gregariousness, neighbourliness.

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affable

adjective
friendly, amiable, genial, congenial, cordial, warm, pleasant, nice, likeable, personable, charming, agreeable, sympathetic, good-humoured, good-natured, kindly, kind, courteous, civil, gracious, approachable, accessible, amenable, sociable, outgoing, gregarious, clubbable, neighbourly, welcoming, hospitable, obliging; Scottish couthy. ANTONYMS :unfriendly.

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affair

noun
what you do is your affair
business, concern, matter, responsibility, province, preserve; problem, worry; Brit. informal lookout.
(affairs) his financial affairs
transactions, concerns, matters, activities, dealings, undertakings, ventures, business.
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the board admitted responsibility for the affair
event, incident, happening, occurrence, eventuality, episode; case, matter, business.
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his affair with Anthea was over
relationship, love affair, affaire (de cœur), romance, fling, flirtation, dalliance, liaison, involvement, intrigue, amour; informal hanky-panky; Brit. informal carry-on.
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affect 1

verb
this development may have affected the judge's decision
have an effect on, influence, act on, work on, have an impact on; change, alter, modify, transform, form, shape, sway, bias.
he was visibly affected by the experience
move, touch, make an impression on, hit (hard), tug at someone's heartstrings; upset, trouble, distress, disturb, agitate, shake (up).
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the disease affected his lungs
attack, infect; hit, strike.
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affect 2

verb
he deliberately affected a republican stance
assume, take on, adopt, embrace, espouse.
Paul affected an air of injured innocence
pretend, feign, fake, simulate, make a show of, make a pretence of, sham; informal put on; N. Amer. informal make like.
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affectation

noun
George had always abhorred affectation
pretension, pretentiousness, affectedness, artificiality, posturing, posing; airs (and graces); informal la-di-da; Brit. informal side.
an affectation of calm
facade, front, show, appearance, pretence, simulation, posture, pose.
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affected

adjective
pretentious, artificial, contrived, unnatural, stagy, studied, mannered, ostentatious; insincere, unconvincing, feigned, false, fake, sham, simulated; informal la-di-da, phoney, pretend, put on. ANTONYMS :natural, unpretentious, genuine.

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affecting

adjective
touching, moving, emotive, emotional; stirring, soul-stirring, heart-warming; poignant, pathetic, pitiful, piteous, tear-jerking, heart-rending, heartbreaking, disturbing, distressing, upsetting, sad, haunting.

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affection

noun
fondness, love, liking, tenderness, warmth, devotion, endearment, care, caring, attachment, friendship; warm feelings.

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affectionate

adjective
loving, fond, adoring, devoted, caring, doting, tender, warm, warm-hearted, soft-hearted, friendly; demonstrative, cuddly; informal touchy-feely, lovey-dovey. ANTONYMS :cold.

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affianced

adjective
(poetic/literary). See engaged sense 2.

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affiliate

verb
associate with, unite with, combine with, join (up) with, join forces with, link up with, ally with, align with, federate with, amalgamate with, merge with; attach to, annex to, incorporate into, integrate into.

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affiliated

adjective
associated, allied, related, federated, confederated, amalgamated, unified, connected, linked; in league, in partnership.

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affiliation

noun
association, connection, alliance, alignment, link, attachment, tie, relationship, fellowship, partnership, coalition, union; amalgamation, incorporation, integration, federation, confederation.

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affinity

noun
her affinity with animals and birds
empathy, rapport, sympathy, accord, harmony, relationship, bond, fellow feeling, like-mindedness, closeness, understanding; liking, fondness; informal chemistry.
the semantic affinity between the two words
similarity, resemblance, likeness, kinship, relationship, association, link, analogy, similitude, correspondence.
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ANTONYMS :aversion, dislike, dissimilarity.

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affirm

verb
he affirmed that they would lend military assistance
declare, state, assert, proclaim, pronounce, attest, swear, avow, guarantee, pledge, give an undertaking; formal aver; rare asseverate.
the referendum affirmed the republic's right to secede
uphold, support, confirm, ratify, endorse.
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ANTONYMS :deny.

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affirmation

noun
an affirmation of faith
declaration, statement, assertion, proclamation, pronouncement, attestation; oath, avowal, guarantee, pledge; deposition; formal averment; rare asseveration.
the poem ends with an affirmation of pastoral values
confirmation, ratification, endorsement.
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ANTONYMS :denial.

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affirmative

adjective
an affirmative answer
positive, assenting, consenting, corroborative, favourable. ANTONYMS :negative.

noun
she took his grunt as an affirmative
agreement, acceptance, assent, acquiescence, concurrence; OK, yes. ANTONYMS :disagreement.

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affix

verb
he affixed a stamp to the envelope
stick, glue, paste, gum; attach, fasten, fix; clip, tack, pin; tape.
(formal) affix your signature to the document
append, add, attach.
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ANTONYMS :detach.

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afflict

verb
trouble, burden, distress, cause suffering to, beset, harass, worry, oppress; torment, plague, blight, bedevil, rack, smite, curse; archaic ail.

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affliction

noun
a herb reputed to cure a variety of afflictions
disorder, disease, malady, complaint, ailment, illness, indisposition, handicap; scourge, plague, trouble.
he bore his affliction with great dignity
suffering, distress, pain, trouble, misery, wretchedness, hardship, misfortune, adversity, sorrow, torment, tribulation, woe.
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affluence

noun
wealth, prosperity, fortune; riches, money, resources, assets, possessions, property, substance, means. ANTONYMS :poverty.

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affluent

adjective
wealthy, rich, prosperous, well off, moneyed, well-to-do; propertied, substantial, of means, of substance, plutocratic; informal well heeled, rolling in it, made of money, filthy rich, stinking rich, loaded, on easy street, worth a packet. ANTONYMS :poor, impoverished.

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afford

verb
I can't afford a new car
pay for, bear the expense of, have the money for, spare the price of; run to, stretch to, manage.
it took more time than he could afford
spare, allow (oneself).
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the rooftop terrace affords beautiful views
provide, supply, furnish, offer, give, make available, yield.
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affray

noun
(Law, dated) fight, brawl, confrontation, clash, skirmish, scuffle, tussle; fracas, altercation, disturbance, breach of the peace; informal scrap, dust-up, punch-up, set-to, shindig, free-for-all.

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affront

noun
an affront to public morality
insult, offence, indignity, slight, snub, put-down, provocation, injury; outrage, atrocity, scandal; informal slap in the face, kick in the teeth.
verb
she was affronted by his familiarity
insult, offend, mortify, provoke, pique, wound, hurt; put out, irk, displease, bother, rankle, vex, gall; outrage, scandalize, disgust; informal put someone's back up, needle.

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aficionado

noun
connoisseur, expert, authority, specialist, pundit; enthusiast, devotee; informal buff, freak, nut, fiend, maniac, fanatic, addict.

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aflame

adjective
burning, ablaze, alight, on fire, in flames, blazing; poetic/literary afire.

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afloat

adverb & adjective
buoyant, floating, buoyed up, on/above the surface, (keeping one's head) above water.

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afoot

adjective & adverb
going on, happening, around, about, abroad, stirring, circulating, in circulation, at large, in the air/wind; brewing, looming, in the offing, on the horizon.

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aforesaid

adjective
previously mentioned, aforementioned, aforenamed; foregoing, preceding, earlier, previous; above.

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afraid

adjective
they ran away because they were afraid
frightened, scared, terrified, fearful, petrified, scared witless, scared to death, terror-stricken, terror-struck, frightened/scared out of one's wits, shaking in one's shoes, shaking like a leaf; intimidated, alarmed, panicky; faint-hearted, cowardly; informal scared stiff, in a (blue) funk, in a cold sweat; N. Amer. informal spooked; archaic afeared, affrighted.
don't be afraid to ask awkward questions
reluctant, hesitant, unwilling, disinclined, loath, slow, chary, shy.
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I'm afraid that your daughter is ill
sorry, sad, distressed, regretful, apologetic.
Top
-phobe. ANTONYMS :brave, confident.

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afresh

adverb
anew, again, over/once again, once more, another time.

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after

preposition
he made a speech after the performance
following, subsequent to, at the close/end of, in the wake of; formal posterior to.
Guy shut the door after them
behind, following.
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after the way he treated my sister I never want to speak to him again
because of, as a result/consequence of, in view of, owing to, on account of.
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is he still going to marry her, after all that's happened?
despite, in spite of, regardless of, notwithstanding.
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the policeman ran after him
in pursuit of, in someone's direction, following.
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I'm after information, and I'm willing to pay for it
in search of, in quest/pursuit of, trying to find, looking for.
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they asked after Dad
about, concerning, regarding, with regard/respect/reference to.
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the village was named after a Roman officer
in honour of, as a tribute to; with the name of.
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animal studies after Bandinelli
in the style of, in the manner of, in imitation of; similar to, like, characteristic of.
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post-. ANTONYMS :before, preceding.

adverb
the week after, we went to Madrid
later, afterwards, after this/that, subsequently.
porters were following on after with their bags
behind, in the rear, at the back, in someone's wake.
Top
ANTONYMS :previously, before, ahead, in front.

after all
most importantly, above all, beyond everything, ultimately; informal when all's said and done, at the end of the day, when push comes to shove.

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after-effect

noun
repercussion, aftermath, consequence; Medicine sequela.

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afterlife

noun
life after death, the next world, the hereafter, the afterworld; immortality.

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aftermath

noun
repercussions, after-effects, consequences, effects, results, fruits.

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afterwards

adverb
later, later on, subsequently, then, next, after this/that; at a later time/date, in due course.

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again

adverb
her spirits lifted again
once more, another time, afresh, anew.
this can add half as much again to the price
extra, in addition, additionally, on top.
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again, evidence was not always consistent
also, furthermore; moreover, besides.
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again and again
repeatedly, over and over (again), time and (time) again, many times, many a time; often, frequently, continually, constantly.

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against

preposition
a number of delegates were against the motion
opposed to, in opposition to, hostile to, averse to, antagonistic towards, inimical to, unsympathetic to, resistant to, at odds with, in disagreement with, dead set against; informal anti, agin.
he was swimming against the tide
in opposition to, counter to, contrary to, in the opposite direction to.
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his age is against him
disadvantageous to, unfavourable to, damaging to, detrimental to, prejudicial to, deleterious to, harmful to, injurious to, a drawback for.
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she leaned against the wall
touching, in contact with, up against, on.
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anti-. ANTONYMS :in favour of, pro.

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age

noun
he is 35 years of age
number of years, length of life; stage of life, generation, age group.
her hearing had deteriorated with age
elderliness, old age, oldness, senescence, seniority, maturity; one's advancing/advanced/declining years; poetic/literary eld; archaic caducity.
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the Elizabethan age
era, epoch, period, time.
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(informal) you haven't been in touch with me for ages
a long time, days/months/years on end, an eternity; informal ages and ages, donkey's years, a month of Sundays; Brit. informal yonks.
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verb
Cabernet Sauvignon ages well | the experience has aged her
mature, mellow, ripen; grow/become/make old, (cause to) decline.

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aged

adjective
elderly, old, mature, older, senior, ancient, senescent, advanced in years, in one's dotage, long in the tooth, as old as the hills, past one's prime, not as young as one used to be; informal getting on, over the hill, no spring chicken. ANTONYMS :young.

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agency

noun
an advertising agency
business, organization, company, firm, office, bureau.
the infection is caused by the agency of insects
action, activity, means, effect, influence, force, power, vehicle, medium.
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regional policy was introduced through the agency of the Board of Trade
intervention, intercession, involvement, good offices; auspices, aegis.
Top

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agenda

noun
list of items, schedule, programme, timetable, line-up, list, plan.

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agent

noun
the sale was arranged through an agent
representative, emissary, envoy, go-between, proxy, negotiator, broker, spokesperson, spokesman, spokeswoman; informal rep.
a travel agent
agency, business, organization, company, firm, bureau.
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a CIA agent
spy, secret agent, undercover agent, operative, fifth columnist, mole, Mata Hari; N. Amer. informal spook, G-man; archaic intelligencer.
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the agents of destruction
performer, author, executor, perpetrator, producer, instrument, catalyst.
Top
a cleansing agent
medium, means, instrument, vehicle.
Top

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agglomeration

noun
collection, mass, cluster, lump, clump, pile, heap; accumulation, build-up; miscellany, jumble, hotchpotch, mixed bag.

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aggravate

verb
the new law could aggravate the situation
worsen, make worse, exacerbate, inflame, compound; add fuel to the fire/flames, add insult to injury, rub salt in the wound.
(informal) you don't have to aggravate people to get what you want
annoy, irritate, exasperate, put out, nettle, provoke, antagonize, get on someone's nerves, ruffle (someone's feathers), try someone's patience; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal peeve, needle, bug, miff, hack off, get someone's goat, get under someone's skin, get up someone's nose; Brit. informal wind up, nark, get at, get across, get on someone's wick; N. Amer. informal tick off.
Top
ANTONYMS :alleviate, improve.

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aggravation

noun
the recession led to the aggravation of unemployment problems
worsening, exacerbation, compounding.
(informal) no amount of money is worth the aggravation
nuisance, annoyance, irritation, hassle, trouble, difficulty, inconvenience, bother; informal aggro.
Top

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aggregate

noun
the specimen is an aggregate of rock and mineral fragments
collection, mass, agglomeration, assemblage; mixture, mix, combination, blend; compound, alloy, amalgam.
he won with an aggregate of 325
total, sum total, sum, grand total.
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adjective
an aggregate score
total, combined, gross, overall, composite.

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aggression

noun
an act of aggression
hostility, aggressiveness, belligerence, bellicosity, force, violence; pugnacity, pugnaciousness, militancy, warmongering.
he played the game with unceasing aggression
confidence, self-confidence, boldness, determination, forcefulness, vigour, energy, dynamism, zeal.
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aggressive

adjective
aggressive and disruptive behaviour
violent, confrontational, antagonistic, truculent, pugnacious, macho; quarrelsome, argumentative.
aggressive foreign policy
warmongering, warlike, warring, belligerent, bellicose, hawkish, militaristic; offensive, expansionist; informal gung-ho.
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an aggressive promotional drive
assertive, pushy, forceful, vigorous, energetic, dynamic; bold, audacious; informal in-your-face, feisty.
Top
ANTONYMS :peaceable, peaceful.

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aggressor

noun
attacker, assaulter, assailant; invader.

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aggrieved

adjective
the manager looked aggrieved at the suggestion
resentful, affronted, indignant, disgruntled, discontented, upset, offended, piqued, riled, nettled, vexed, irked, irritated, annoyed, put out, chagrined; informal peeved, miffed, in a huff; Brit. informal cheesed off; N. Amer. informal sore, steamed.
the aggrieved party
wronged, injured, harmed.
Top
ANTONYMS :pleased.

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aghast

adjective
horrified, appalled, dismayed, thunderstruck, stunned, shocked, staggered; informal flabbergasted; Brit. informal gobsmacked.

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agile

adjective
she was as agile as a monkey
nimble, lithe, supple, limber, acrobatic, fleet-footed, light-footed, light on one's feet; informal nippy, twinkle-toed; poetic/literary fleet, lightsome.
an agile mind
alert, sharp, acute, shrewd, astute, perceptive, quick-witted.
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ANTONYMS :clumsy, stiff.

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agitate

verb
any mention of Clare agitates my grandmother
upset, perturb, fluster, ruffle, disconcert, unnerve, disquiet, disturb, distress, unsettle; informal rattle, faze; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.
she agitated for the appointment of more women
campaign, strive, battle, fight, struggle, push, press.
Top
agitate the water to disperse the oil
stir, whisk, beat.
Top

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agitated

adjective
upset, perturbed, flustered, ruffled, disconcerted, unnerved, disquieted, disturbed, distressed, unsettled; nervous, jumpy, on edge, tense, keyed up; informal rattled, fazed, in a dither, in a flap, in a state, in a lather, jittery, in a tizz/tizzy; Brit. informal having kittens, in a (flat) spin; N. Amer. informal discombobulated. ANTONYMS :calm, relaxed.

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agitation

noun
Freddie gritted his teeth in agitation
anxiety, perturbation, disquiet, distress, concern, alarm, worry; rare disconcertment.
an upsurge in nationalist agitation
campaigning, striving, battling, fighting, struggling.
Top
the vigorous agitation of the components
stirring, whisking, beating.
Top

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agitator

noun
troublemaker, rabble-rouser, agent provocateur, demagogue, incendiary; revolutionary, firebrand, rebel, insurgent, subversive; informal stirrer.

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agnostic

noun
sceptic, doubter, doubting Thomas; unbeliever, disbeliever, non-believer; rationalist; rare nullifidian. ANTONYMS :believer, theist.

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ago

adverb
in the past, before, earlier, back, since, previously; formal heretofore.

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agog

adverb
eager, excited, impatient, keen, anxious, avid, in suspense, on tenterhooks, on the edge of one's seat, on pins and needles, waiting with bated breath.

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agonize

verb
worry, fret, fuss, brood, upset oneself, rack one's brains, wrestle with oneself, be worried/anxious, feel uneasy, exercise oneself; informal stew; archaic pore on.

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agonizing

adjective
excruciating, harrowing, racking, searing, extremely painful, acute, severe, torturous, tormenting, piercing; informal hellish, killing; formal grievous.

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agony

noun
pain, hurt, suffering, torture, torment, anguish, affliction, trauma; pangs, throes; rare excruciation.

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agrarian

adjective
agricultural, rural, rustic, pastoral, countryside, farming; poetic/literary georgic, sylvan, Arcadian, agrestic.

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agree

verb
I agree with you
concur, be of the same mind/opinion, see eye to eye, be in sympathy, be united, be as one man.
they had agreed to a ceasefire
consent, assent, acquiesce, accept, approve, say yes, give one's approval, give the nod; formal accede.
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the plan and the drawing do not agree with each other
match (up), accord, correspond, conform, coincide, fit, tally, be in harmony/agreement, be consistent/equivalent; informal square.
Top
they agreed on a price
settle, decide, arrive at, negotiate, reach an agreement, come to terms, strike a bargain, make a deal, shake hands.
Top
ANTONYMS :differ, contradict, reject.

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agreeable

adjective
an agreeable atmosphere of rural tranquillity
pleasant, pleasing, enjoyable, pleasurable, nice, to one's liking, appealing, charming, delightful.
an agreeable fellow
likeable, charming, amiable, affable, pleasant, nice, friendly, good-natured, sociable, genial, congenial.
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we should get together for a talk, if you're agreeable
willing, amenable, in accord/agreement.
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ANTONYMS :unpleasant.

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agreement

noun
all heads nodded in agreement
accord, concurrence, consensus; assent, acceptance, consent, acquiescence, endorsement.
an agreement on military cooperation
contract, compact, treaty, covenant, pact, accord, concordat, protocol.
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there is some agreement between my view and that of the author
correspondence, consistency, compatibility, accord; similarity, resemblance, likeness, similitude.
Top
ANTONYMS :discord.

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agricultural

adjective
an agricultural labourer
farm, farming, agrarian; rural, rustic, pastoral, countryside; poetic/literary georgic, sylvan, Arcadian, agrestic.
agricultural land
farmed, farm, agrarian, cultivated, tilled.
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ANTONYMS :urban.

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agriculture

noun
farming, cultivation, tillage, tilling, husbandry, land/farm management; agribusiness, agronomy. agri-, agro-.

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aground

adverb & adjective
grounded, ashore, beached, stuck, shipwrecked, high and dry, on the rocks, on the ground/bottom.

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ahead

adverb
he peered ahead, but could see nothing
forward(s), towards the front, frontwards.
he had ridden on ahead
in front, at the head, in the lead, at the fore, in the vanguard, in advance.
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she was preparing herself for what lay ahead
in the future, in time, in time to come, in the fullness of time, at a later date, after this, henceforth, later on, in due course, next.
Top
they are ahead by six points
leading, winning, in the lead, (out) in front, first, coming first.
Top
ANTONYMS :behind, at the back, in the past.

ahead of
Blanche went ahead of the others
in front of, before.

we have a demanding trip ahead of us
in store for, waiting for.
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two months ahead of schedule
in advance of, before, earlier than.
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in terms of these amenities, Britain is ahead of other European countries
more advanced than, further on than, superior to, surpassing, exceeding, better than.
Top

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aid

noun
with the aid of his colleagues he prepared a manifesto
assistance, support, help, backing, cooperation, succour; a helping hand.
humanitarian aid
relief, charity, financial assistance, donations, contributions, subsidies, handouts, subvention; debt remission; historical alms.
Top
a hospital aid
helper, assistant, girl/man Friday.
Top
ANTONYMS :hindrance.

verb
he provided an army to aid the King of England
help, assist, abet, come to someone's aid, give assistance, lend a hand, be of service; avail, succour, sustain.
essences can aid restful sleep
facilitate, promote, encourage, help, further, boost; speed up, hasten, accelerate, expedite.
Top
ANTONYMS :hinder.

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aide

noun
assistant, helper, adviser, right-hand man, man/girl Friday, adjutant, deputy, second (in command); subordinate, junior, underling, acolyte; N. Amer. cohort.

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ail

verb
(archaic) trouble, afflict, pain, distress, bother, worry, be the matter with.

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ailing

adjective
his ailing mother
ill, unwell, sick, sickly, poorly, weak, indisposed, in poor/bad health, infirm, debilitated, delicate, valetudinarian, below par; Brit off colour; informal laid up, under the weather.
the country's ailing economy
failing, in poor condition, weak, poor, deficient.
Top
ANTONYMS :healthy.

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ailment

noun
illness, disease, disorder, affliction, malady, complaint, infirmity; informal bug, virus; Brit. informal lurgy.

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aim

verb
he aimed the rifle
point, direct, train, sight, line up.
she aimed at the target
take aim, fix on, zero in on, draw a bead on.
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undergraduates aiming for a first degree
work towards, be after, set one's sights on, try for, strive for, aspire to, endeavour to achieve; formal essay.
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this system is aimed at the home entertainment market
target, intend, destine, direct, design, tailor, market, pitch.
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we aim to give you the best possible service
intend, mean, have in mind/view; plan, resolve, propose, design.
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noun
our aim is to develop gymnasts to the top level
objective, object, goal, end, target, design, desire, desired result, intention, intent, plan, purpose, object of the exercise; ambition, aspiration, wish, dream, hope, raison d'être.

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aimless

adjective
Flavia set out on an aimless walk
purposeless, objectless, goalless, without purpose, without goal.
aimless men standing outside the bars
unoccupied, idle, at a loose end; purposeless, undirected.
Top
ANTONYMS :purposeful.

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air

noun
hundreds of birds hovered in the air
sky, atmosphere; heavens, ether.
open the windows to get some air into the room
breeze, draught, wind; breath/blast of air, gust/puff of wind.
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an air of defiance
expression, appearance, look, impression, aspect, aura, mien, countenance, manner, bearing, tone.
Top
women putting on airs
affectations, pretension, pretentiousness, affectedness, posing, posturing, airs and graces; Brit. informal side.
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a traditional Scottish air
tune, melody, song; poetic/literary lay.
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aerial, aero-.
verb
a chance to air your views
express, voice, make public, ventilate, articulate, state, declare, give expression/voice to; have one's say.
the windows were opened to air the room
ventilate, freshen, refresh, cool.
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the film was aired nationwide
broadcast, transmit, screen, show, televise, telecast.
Top

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airborne

adjective
flying, in flight, in the air, on the wing.

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airily

adverb
lightly, breezily, flippantly, casually, nonchalantly, heedlessly, without consideration. ANTONYMS :seriously.

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airing

noun
give the bedroom a good airing
ventilating, ventilation, freshening, refreshing, cooling.
they went to the park for an airing
stroll, walk, saunter, turn, amble, promenade; dated constitutional.
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the airing of different views
expression, voicing, venting, ventilation, articulation, stating, declaration, communication.
Top
I hope the BBC gives the play another airing
broadcast, transmission, screening, showing, televising, telecast.
Top

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airless

adjective
stuffy, close, stifling, suffocating, oppressive; unventilated, badly/poorly ventilated. ANTONYMS :airy, ventilated.

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airport

noun
Brit. aerodrome; N. Amer. airdrome; informal drome.

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airtight

adjective
an airtight container
sealed, hermetically sealed, closed/shut tight.
an airtight alibi
indisputable, unquestionable, incontrovertible, undeniable, incontestable, irrefutable, watertight, beyond dispute/question/doubt.
Top

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airy

adjective
the conservatory is light and airy
well ventilated, fresh; spacious, uncluttered; light, bright.
an airy gesture
nonchalant, casual, breezy, flippant, insouciant, heedless.
Top
airy clouds
delicate, soft, fine, feathery, insubstantial.
Top
ANTONYMS :stuffy.

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airy-fairy

adjective
(informal) impractical, unrealistic, idealistic, fanciful. ANTONYMS :practical.

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aisle

noun
passage, passageway, gangway, walkway.

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ajar

adjective & adverb
slightly open, half open, agape. ANTONYMS :closed, wide open.

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akin

adjective
similar, related, close, near, corresponding, comparable, equivalent; connected, alike, analogous. ANTONYMS :unlike.

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alacrity

noun
eagerness, willingness, readiness; enthusiasm, ardour, fervour, keenness; promptness, haste, swiftness, dispatch, speed.

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alarm

noun
the girl spun round in alarm
fear, anxiety, apprehension, trepidation, nervousness, unease, distress, agitation, consternation, disquiet, perturbation, fright, panic.
a smoke alarm
siren, warning sound, danger/distress signal; warning device, alarm bell; archaic tocsin.
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ANTONYMS :calmness, composure.

verb
the news had alarmed her
frighten, scare, panic, unnerve, distress, agitate, upset, disconcert, shock, dismay, disturb; informal rattle, spook, scare the living daylights out of; Brit. informal put the wind up.

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alarming

adjective
frightening, unnerving, shocking; distressing, upsetting, disconcerting, perturbing, dismaying, disquieting, disturbing; informal scary. ANTONYMS :reassuring.

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alarmist

noun
scaremonger, gloom-monger, doom-monger, doomster, doomsayer, Cassandra; informal doom and gloom merchant. ANTONYMS :optimist.

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alchemy

noun
chemistry; magic, sorcery, witchcraft.

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alcohol

noun
liquor, intoxicating liquor, strong/alcoholic drink, drink, spirits; informal booze, hooch, the hard stuff, firewater, rotgut, moonshine, grog, tipple, the demon drink, the bottle; Brit. informal gut-rot; N. Amer. informal juice; technical ethyl alcohol, ethanol.

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alcoholic

adjective
alcoholic drinks
intoxicating, inebriating, containing alcohol; strong, hard, stiff; formal spirituous.
noun
he is an alcoholic
dipsomaniac, drunk, drunkard, heavy/hard/serious drinker, problem drinker, alcohol-abuser, person with a drink problem; tippler, sot, inebriate; informal boozer, lush, alky, dipso, soak, tosspot, wino, sponge, barfly; Austral./NZ informal hophead; archaic toper.

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alcove

noun
recess, niche, nook, inglenook, bay.

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alert

adjective
police have asked neighbours to keep alert
vigilant, watchful, attentive, observant, wideawake, circumspect; on the lookout, on one's guard/toes, on the qui vive; informal keeping one's eyes open/peeled.
mentally alert
quick-witted, sharp, bright, quick, keen, perceptive, wideawake, on one's toes; informal on the ball, quick on the uptake, all there, with it.
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ANTONYMS :inattentive.

noun
a state of alert
vigilance, watchfulness, attentiveness, alertness, circumspection.
a flood alert
warning, notification, notice; siren, alarm, signal, danger/distress signal.
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verb
police were alerted by a phone call
warn, notify, apprise, forewarn, put on one's guard, put on the qui vive; informal tip off, clue in.

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alias

noun
he is known under several aliases
assumed name, false name, pseudonym, sobriquet, incognito; pen/stage name, nom de plume/guerre.
adverb
Cassius Clay, alias Muhammed Ali
also known as, aka, also called, otherwise known as.

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alibi

noun
we've both got a good alibi for last night
defence, justification, explanation, reason; informal story, line.
verb
(informal) her brother agreed to alibi her
cover for, give an alibi to, provide with an alibi.

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alien

adjective
alien cultures
foreign, overseas, non-native.
an alien landscape
unfamiliar, unknown, strange, peculiar; exotic, foreign.
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a vicious role alien to his nature
incompatible, opposed, conflicting, contrary, in conflict, at variance; rare oppugnant.
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alien beings
extraterrestrial, unearthly; Martian.
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ANTONYMS :native, familiar, earthly.

noun
an illegal alien
foreigner, non-native, immigrant, emigrant, émigré, incomer.
the alien's spaceship crashed
extraterrestrial, ET; Martian; informal little green man.
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alienate

verb
his homosexuality alienated him from his conservative father
estrange, divide, distance, put at a distance, isolate, cut off; set against, turn away, drive apart, disunite, set at variance/odds, drive a wedge between.
(Law) they tried to prevent the land from being alienated
transfer, pass on, hand over; Law convey, devolve.
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alienation

verb
she also shared my deep sense of alienation
isolation, detachment, estrangement, distance, separation, division; cutting off, turning away.
(Law) most leases contain restrictions against alienation
transfer, passing on, handing over; Law conveyance, devolution.
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alight 1

verb
he alighted from the train
get off, step off, disembark, pile out; detrain, deplane.
a swallow alighted on a branch
land, come to rest, settle, perch; archaic light.
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ANTONYMS :get on, board.

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alight 2

adjective
the bales of hay were alight
burning, ablaze, aflame, on fire, in flames, blazing; poetic/literary afire.
her face was alight with laughter
lit up, gleaming, glowing, aglow, ablaze, bright, shining, radiant.
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align

verb
the desks are aligned in straight rows
line up, put in order, put in rows/columns, place, position, situate, set, range.
he aligned himself with the workers
ally, affiliate, associate, join, side, unite, combine, join forces, form an alliance, team up, band together, throw in one's lot, make common cause.
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alike

adjective
all the doors looked alike
similar, (much) the same, indistinguishable, identical, uniform, interchangeable, cut from the same cloth, like (two) peas in a pod, (like) Tweedledum and Tweedledee; informal much of a muchness. ANTONYMS :different.

adverb
great minds think alike
similarly, (just) the same, in the same way/manner/fashion, identically.

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alimony

noun
financial support, maintenance, support; child support.

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alive

adjective
he was last seen alive on Boxing Day
living, live, breathing, animate, sentient; informal alive and kicking; archaic quick.
the synagogue has kept the Jewish faith alive
active, existing, in existence, existent, functioning, in operation; on the map.
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the thrills that kept him really alive
animated, lively, full of life, alert, active, energetic, vigorous, spry, sprightly, vital, vivacious, buoyant, exuberant, ebullient, zestful, spirited; informal full of beans, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, chirpy, chipper, peppy, full of vim and vigour.
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teachers need to be alive to their pupils' backgrounds
alert, awake, aware, conscious, mindful, heedful, sensitive, familiar; informal wise; formal cognizant.
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the place was alive with mice
teeming, swarming, overrun, crawling, bristling, infested; crowded, packed; informal lousy.
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ANTONYMS :dead, inanimate, inactive, lethargic.

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all

determiner
all the children went | all creatures need sleep
each of, each/every one of, every single one of; every (single), each and every.
the sun shone all week
the whole of the, every bit of the, the complete, the entire.
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in all honesty | with all speed
complete, entire, total, full; greatest (possible), maximum.
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omni-, pan-, panto-. ANTONYMS :no, none of.

pronoun
all are welcome
everyone, everybody, each/every person.
all of the cups were broken
each one, the sum, the total, the whole lot.
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they took all of it
everything, every part, the whole/total amount, the (whole) lot, the entirety.
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ANTONYMS :none, nobody, nothing.

adverb
he was dressed all in black
completely, fully, entirely, totally, wholly, absolutely, utterly; in every respect, in all respects, without reservation/exception. ANTONYMS :partly.

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allay

verb
reduce, diminish, decrease, lessen, assuage, alleviate, ease, relieve, soothe, soften, calm, take the edge off. ANTONYMS :increase, intensify.

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allegation

noun
claim, assertion, charge, accusation, declaration, statement, contention, argument, affirmation, attestation; formal averment.

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allege

verb
claim, assert, charge, accuse, declare, state, contend, argue, affirm, attest, testify, swear; formal aver.

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alleged

adjective
supposed, so-called, claimed, professed, purported, ostensible, putative, unproven.

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allegedly

adverb
reportedly, supposedly, reputedly, purportedly, ostensibly, apparently, putatively, by all accounts, so the story goes.

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allegiance

noun
loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity, obedience, adherence, homage, devotion; historical fealty; formal troth. ANTONYMS :disloyalty, treachery.

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allegorical

adjective
symbolic, metaphorical, figurative, representative, emblematic.

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allegory

noun
parable, analogy, metaphor, symbol, emblem.

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allergic

adjective
she was allergic to nuts
hypersensitive, sensitive, sensitized.
(informal) boys are allergic to washing
averse, opposed, hostile, inimical, antagonistic, antipathetic, resistant, (dead) set against.
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allergy

noun
an allergy to feathers
hypersensitivity, sensitivity, allergic reaction.
(informal) their allergy to free enterprise
aversion, antipathy, opposition, hostility, antagonism, dislike, distaste.
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alleviate

verb
reduce, ease, relieve, take the edge off, deaden, dull, diminish, lessen, weaken, lighten, attenuate, allay, assuage, palliate, damp, soothe, help, soften, temper. ANTONYMS :aggravate.

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alley

noun
passage, passageway, alleyway, back alley, backstreet, lane, path, pathway, walk, allée.

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alliance

noun
a defensive alliance
association, union, league, confederation, federation, confederacy, coalition, consortium, affiliation, partnership.
an alliance between medicine and morality
relationship, affinity, association, connection.
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allied

adjective
a group of allied nations
federated, confederated, associated, in alliance, in league, in partnership; unified, united, amalgamated, integrated.
agricultural and allied industries
associated, related, connected, interconnected, linked; similar, like, comparable, equivalent.
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ANTONYMS :independent, unrelated.

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all-important

adjective
vital, essential, indispensable, crucial, key, vitally important, of the utmost importance; critical, life-and-death, paramount, pre-eminent, high-priority; urgent, pressing, burning. ANTONYMS :inessential.

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allocate

verb
allot, assign, distribute, apportion, share out, portion out, deal out, dole out, give out, dish out, parcel out, ration out, divide out/up; informal divvy up.

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allocation

noun
the efficient allocation of resources
allotment, assignment, distribution, apportionment, sharing out, handing out, dealing out, doling out, giving out, dishing out, parcelling out, rationing out, dividing out/up; informal divvying up.
our annual allocation of funds
allowance, allotment, quota, share, ration, grant, slice; informal cut; Brit. informal whack.
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allot

verb
allocate, assign, apportion, distribute, issue, grant; earmark for, designate for, set aside for; hand out, deal out, dish out, dole out, give out; informal divvy up.

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allotment

noun
the allotment of shares by a company
allocation, assignment, distribution, apportionment, issuing, sharing out, handing out, dealing out, doling out, giving out, dishing out, parcelling out, rationing out, dividing out/up; informal divvying up.
each member received an allotment of new shares
quota, share, ration, grant, allocation, allowance, slice; informal cut; Brit. informal whack.
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all out

adverb
I'm working all out to finish my novel
strenuously, energetically, vigorously, hard, with all one's might (and main), eagerly, enthusiastically, industriously, diligently, assiduously, sedulously, indefatigably, with application/perseverance; informal like mad, like crazy; Brit. informal like billy-o. ANTONYMS :lackadaisically.

adjective
an all-out attack
strenuous, energetic, vigorous, forceful, forcible; spirited, mettlesome, plucky, determined, resolute, aggressive, eager, keen, enthusiastic, zealous, ardent, fervent. ANTONYMS :half-hearted.

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allow

verb
the police allowed him to go home
permit, let, authorize, give permission/authorization/leave, sanction, grant someone the right, license, enable, entitle; consent, assent, give one's consent/assent/blessing, give the nod, acquiesce, agree, approve; informal give the go-ahead, give the thumbs up, OK, give the OK, give the green light; formal accede.
allow an hour or so for driving
set aside, allocate, allot, earmark, designate, assign.
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the house was demolished to allow for road widening
provide, get ready, cater, take into consideration, take into account, make provision, make preparations, prepare, plan, make plans.
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she allowed that all people had their funny little ways
admit, acknowledge, recognize, agree, accept, concede, grant.
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ANTONYMS :prevent, forbid.

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allowable

adjective
the maximum allowable number of users
permissible, permitted, allowed, admissible, acceptable, legal, lawful, legitimate, licit, authorized, sanctioned, approved, in order; informal OK, legit. ANTONYMS :forbidden.

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allowance

noun
your baggage allowance
permitted amount/quantity, allocation, allotment, quota, share, ration, grant, limit, portion, slice.
her father gave her an allowance
payment, pocket money, sum of money, contribution, grant, subsidy, maintenance, financial support.
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a tax allowance
concession, reduction, decrease, discount.
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make allowance(s) for
you must make allowances for delays
take into consideration, take into account, bear in mind, have regard to, provide for, plan for, make plans for, get ready for, cater for, allow for, make provision for, make preparations for, prepare for.

she made allowances for his faults
excuse, make excuses for, forgive, pardon, overlook.
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alloy

noun
mixture, mix, amalgam, fusion, meld, blend, compound, combination, composite, union; technical admixture.

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all-powerful

adjective
omnipotent, almighty, supreme, pre-eminent; dictatorial, despotic, totalitarian, autocratic. ANTONYMS :powerless.

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all right

adjective
the tea was all right
satisfactory, acceptable, adequate, fairly good, passable, reasonable; informal so-so, OK.
are you all right?
unhurt, uninjured, unharmed, unscathed, in one piece, safe (and sound); well, fine, alive and well; informal OK.
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it's all right for you to go now
permissible, permitted, allowed, allowable, admissible, acceptable, legal, lawful, legitimate, licit, authorized, sanctioned, approved, in order; informal OK, legit.
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ANTONYMS :unsatisfactory, hurt, forbidden.

adverb
the system works all right
satisfactorily, adequately, fairly well, passably, acceptably, reasonably; informal OK.
it's him all right
definitely, certainly, unquestionably, undoubtedly, indubitably, undeniably, assuredly, without (a) doubt, beyond (any) doubt, beyond the shadow of a doubt; archaic in sooth, verily.
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exclamation
all right, I'll go
very well (then), right (then), fine, good, yes, agreed, wilco; informal OK, okey-dokey, roger; Brit. informal righto.

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allude

verb
refer, touch on, suggest, hint, imply, mention (in passing), make an allusion to; formal advert.

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allure

noun
the allure of Paris
attraction, lure, draw, pull, appeal, allurement, enticement, temptation, charm, seduction, fascination.
verb
will sponsors be allured by such opportunities?
attract, lure, entice, tempt, appeal to, captivate, draw, win over, charm, seduce, fascinate, whet the appetite of, make someone's mouth water. ANTONYMS :repel.

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alluring

adjective
enticing, tempting, attractive, appealing, inviting, captivating, fetching, seductive; enchanting, charming, fascinating; informal come-hither.

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allusion

noun
reference, mention, suggestion, hint, comment, remark.

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ally

noun
close political allies
associate, colleague, friend, confederate, partner, supporter. ANTONYMS :enemy, opponent.

verb
he allied his racing experience with business acumen
combine, marry, couple, merge, amalgamate, join, fuse.
the Catholic powers allied with Philip II
unite, combine, join (up), join forces, band together, team up, collaborate, side, align oneself, form an alliance, throw in one's lot, make common cause.
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ANTONYMS :split.

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almanac

noun
yearbook, calendar, register, annual; manual, handbook.

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almighty

adjective
I swear by almighty God
all-powerful, omnipotent, supreme, pre-eminent.
(informal) an almighty explosion
very great, huge, enormous, immense, colossal, massive, prodigious, stupendous, tremendous, monumental, mammoth, vast, gigantic, giant, mighty, Herculean, epic; very loud, deafening, ear-splitting, ear-piercing, booming, thundering, thunderous; informal whopping, thumping, astronomical, mega, monster, humongous, jumbo; Brit. informal whacking, ginormous.
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ANTONYMS :powerless, insignificant.

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almost

adverb
nearly, (just) about, more or less, practically, virtually, all but, as good as, close to, near, not quite, not far from/off, to all intents and purposes; approaching, bordering on, verging on; informal pretty nearly/much/well; poetic/literary well-nigh, nigh on. quasi-.

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alms

plural noun
(historical) gift(s), donation(s), handout(s), offering(s), charity, baksheesh, largesse; rare donative.

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aloft

adjective & adverb
he hoisted the Cup aloft
upwards, up, high, into the air/sky, skyward, heavenward.
the airships stayed aloft for many hours
in the air, in the sky, high up, up (above), on high, overhead.
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ANTONYMS :down.

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alone

adjective & adverb
she was alone in the house
by oneself, on one's own, all alone, solitary, single, singly, solo, solus; unescorted, partnerless, companionless; Brit. informal on one's tod, on one's lonesome, on one's Jack Jones; Austral./NZ informal on one's Pat Malone.
he managed alone
unaided, unassisted, without help/assistance, single-handedly, solo, on one's own.
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she felt terribly alone
lonely, isolated, solitary, deserted, abandoned, forlorn, friendless.
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a house standing alone
apart, by itself/oneself, separate, detached, isolated.
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you alone can inspire me
only, solely, just; and no one else, and nothing else, no one but, nothing but.
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ANTONYMS :in company, with help, among others.

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along

preposition
she walked along the corridor
down, from one end of to the other.
trees grew along the river bank
beside, by the side of, on the edge of, alongside.
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they'll stop along the way
on, at a point on, in the course of.
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adverb
Maurice moved along past the other exhibits
onwards, on, ahead, forward(s).
I invited a friend along
as company, with one, to accompany one, as a partner.
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along with
together with, accompanying, accompanied by; at the same time as; as well as, in addition to, plus, besides.

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aloof

adjective
distant, detached, unfriendly, unsociable, remote, unapproachable, formal, stiff, austere, withdrawn, reserved, unforthcoming, uncommunicative; informal stand-offish. ANTONYMS :familiar, friendly.

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aloud

adverb
audibly, out loud, for all to hear. ANTONYMS :silently.

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alphabet

noun
ABC, letters, writing system, syllabary.

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already

adverb
Anna had suffered a great deal already
by this/that time, by now/then, thus/so far, before now/then, until now/then, up to now/then.
is it 3 o'clock already?
as early as this/that, as soon as this/that, so soon.
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also

adverb
too, as well, besides, in addition, additionally, furthermore, further, moreover, into the bargain, on top (of that), what's more, to boot, equally; informal and all; archaic withal, forbye.

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alter

verb
Eliot was persuaded to alter the passage
change, make changes to, make different, make alterations to, adjust, make adjustments to, adapt, amend, modify, revise, revamp, rework, redo, refine, vary, transform; informal tweak; technical permute.
the state of affairs has altered
change, become different, undergo a (sea) change, adjust, adapt, transform, evolve.
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ANTONYMS :preserve, stay the same.

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alteration

noun
change, adjustment, adaptation, modification, variation, revision, amendment; rearrangement, reordering, restyling, rejigging, reworking, revamping; sea change, transformation; humorous transmogrification.

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altercation

noun
argument, quarrel, squabble, fight, shouting match, disagreement, difference of opinion, falling-out, dispute, disputation, wrangle, war of words; informal tiff, run-in, slanging match, spat, scrap; Brit. informal row, barney, ding-dong, bust-up, bit of argy-bargy; N. Amer. informal rhubarb; archaic broil, miff.

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alternate

verb
rows of trees alternate with dense shrub
be interspersed, occur in turn/rotation, rotate, follow one another; take turns, take it in turns, work/act in sequence.
we could alternate the groups so that no one felt they had been left out
give turns to, take in turn, rotate, take in rotation; swap, exchange, interchange.
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adjective
she attended on alternate days
every other, every second.
place the leeks and noodles in alternate layers
alternating, interchanging, following in sequence, sequential, occurring in turns.
Top
(N. Amer.) an alternate plan.
See alternative adjective sense 1.
Top

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alternative

adjective
an alternative route
different, other, another, second, possible, substitute, replacement; standby, emergency, reserve, back-up, auxiliary, fallback; N. Amer. alternate.
an alternative lifestyle
unorthodox, unconventional, non-standard, unusual, uncommon, out of the ordinary, radical, revolutionary, nonconformist, avant-garde; informal off the wall, oddball, offbeat, way-out.
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noun
we have no alternative
option, choice, other possibility; substitute, replacement.

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alternatively

adverb
on the other hand, as an alternative, or; otherwise, instead, if not, then again; N. Amer. alternately.

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although

conjunction
in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that, notwithstanding (the fact) that, even though/if, for all that, while, whilst.

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altitude

noun
height, elevation, distance above the sea/ground.

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altogether

adverb
he wasn't altogether happy
completely, totally, entirely, absolutely, wholly, fully, thoroughly, utterly, perfectly, one hundred per cent, in all respects.
we have five offices altogether
in all, all told, in toto.
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altogether it was a great evening
on the whole, overall, all in all, all things considered, on balance, on average, for the most part, in the main, in general, generally, by and large.
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altruism

noun
unselfishness, selflessness, compassion, kindness, public-spiritedness; charity, benevolence, beneficence, philanthropy, humanitarianism; poetic/literary bounty, bounteousness. ANTONYMS :selfishness.

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always

adverb
he's always late
every time, each time, at all times, all the time, without fail, consistently, invariably, regularly, habitually, unfailingly.
she's always complaining
continually, continuously, constantly, forever, perpetually, incessantly, ceaselessly, unceasingly, endlessly, the entire time; informal 24-7.
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the place will always be dear to me
forever, for always, for good (and all), for evermore, for ever and ever, until the end of time, eternally, for eternity, until hell freezes over; informal for keeps, until the cows come home; archaic for aye.
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you can always take it back to the shop
as a last resort, no matter what, in any event/case, come what may.
Top
ANTONYMS :never, seldom, sometimes.

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amalgamate

verb
combine, merge, unite, fuse, blend, meld; join (together), join forces, band (together), link (up), team up, go into partnership; poetic/literary commingle. ANTONYMS :separate.

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amalgamation

noun
combination, union, blend, mixture, fusion, coalescence, synthesis, composite, amalgam.

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amass

verb
gather, collect, assemble; accumulate, stockpile, store (up), cumulate, accrue, lay in/up, garner; informal stash (away). ANTONYMS :dissipate.

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amateur

noun
the crew were all amateurs
non-professional, non-specialist, layman, layperson; dilettante.
what a bunch of amateurs
bungler, incompetent, bumbler; Brit. informal bodger.
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ANTONYMS :professional, expert.

adjective
an amateur sportsman
non-professional, non-specialist, lay; dilettante.
their amateur efforts
incompetent, inept, unskilful, inexpert, amateurish, clumsy, maladroit, bumbling; Brit. informal bodged.
Top

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amateurish

adjective
. See amateur adjective sense 2.

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amatory

adjective
sexual, erotic, amorous, romantic, sensual, passionate, sexy; informal randy, steamy, naughty.

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amaze

verb
astonish, astound, surprise, stun, stagger, nonplus, shock, startle, stupefy, stop someone in their tracks, leave open-mouthed, leave aghast, take someone's breath away, dumbfound; informal bowl over, flabbergast; Brit. informal knock for six; (amazed) thunderstruck, at a loss for words, speechless; Brit. informal gobsmacked.

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amazement

noun
astonishment, surprise, shock, stupefaction, incredulity, disbelief, speechlessness, awe, wonder, wonderment.

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amazing

adjective
astonishing, astounding, surprising, stunning, staggering, shocking, startling, stupefying, breathtaking; awesome, awe-inspiring, sensational, remarkable, spectacular, stupendous, phenomenal, extraordinary, incredible, unbelievable; informal mind-blowing, flabbergasting; poetic/literary wondrous.

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ambassador

noun
the American ambassador
envoy, plenipotentiary, emissary, (papal) nuncio, representative, diplomat; archaic legate.
a great ambassador for the sport
campaigner, representative, promoter, champion, supporter, backer; N. Amer. booster.
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ambience

noun
atmosphere, air, aura, climate, mood, feel, feeling, vibrations, character, quality, impression, flavour, look, tone; informal vibes.

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ambiguity

noun
ambivalence, equivocation; obscurity, vagueness, abstruseness, doubtfulness, uncertainty; formal dubiety.

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ambiguous

adjective
equivocal, ambivalent, open to debate/argument, arguable, debatable; obscure, unclear, vague, abstruse, doubtful, dubious, uncertain. ANTONYMS :clear.

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ambit

noun
scope, extent, range, breadth, width, reach, sweep; terms of reference, field of reference, jurisdiction, remit; area, sphere, field, realm, compass.

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ambition

noun
young people with ambition
drive, determination, enterprise, initiative, eagerness, motivation, enthusiasm, zeal, commitment, a sense of purpose; informal get-up-and-go.
her ambition was to become a model
aspiration, intention, goal, aim, objective, object, purpose, intent, plan, desire, wish, design, target, dream.
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ambitious

adjective
an energetic and ambitious politician
aspiring, determined, forceful, pushy, enterprising, motivated, enthusiastic, energetic, zealous, committed, purposeful, power-hungry; informal go-ahead, go-getting.
he was ambitious to make it to the top
eager, determined, intent on, enthusiastic, anxious, hungry, impatient, striving.
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an ambitious task
difficult, exacting, demanding, formidable, challenging, hard, arduous, onerous, tough; archaic toilsome.
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ANTONYMS :laid-back.

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ambivalent

adjective
equivocal, uncertain, unsure, doubtful, indecisive, inconclusive, irresolute, in two minds, undecided, torn, in a dilemma, on the horns of a dilemma, in a quandary, on the fence, hesitating, wavering, vacillating, equivocating, blowing hot and cold; informal iffy. ANTONYMS :unequivocal, certain.

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amble

verb
stroll, saunter, wander, ramble, promenade, walk, go for a walk, take a walk; informal mosey, tootle; Brit. informal pootle, mooch; formal perambulate.

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ambush

noun
the soldiers were killed in an ambush
surprise attack, trap; archaic ambuscade.
verb
twenty youths ambushed their patrol car
attack by surprise, surprise, pounce on, lay a trap for, set an ambush for, lie in wait for, waylay; N. Amer. bushwhack; archaic ambuscade.

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ameliorate

verb
improve, make better, better, make improvements to, enhance, help, benefit, boost, amend; relieve, ease, mitigate; informal tweak, patch up. ANTONYMS :worsen.

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amenable

adjective
an amenable child
compliant, acquiescent, biddable, manageable, controllable, governable, persuadable, tractable, responsive, pliant, malleable, complaisant, easily handled; rare persuasible.
many cancers are amenable to treatment
susceptible, receptive, responsive; archaic susceptive.
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ANTONYMS :uncooperative.

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amend

verb
revise, alter, change, modify, qualify, adapt, adjust; edit, copy-edit, rewrite, redraft, rephrase, reword, rework, revamp.

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amends

plural noun
I wanted to make amends
compensation, recompense, reparation, restitution, redress, atonement, expiation.
make amends
compensate, recompense, indemnify, make it up to; atone for, make up for, make good, expiate.

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amenity

noun
basic amenities
facility, service, convenience, resource, appliance, aid, comfort, benefit, advantage.
a loss of amenity
pleasantness, agreeableness, niceness.
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America

noun
. See United States of America.

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amiable

adjective
friendly, affable, amicable, cordial; warm, warm-hearted, good-natured, nice, pleasant, agreeable, likeable, genial, good-humoured, charming, easy to get on/along with, companionable, sociable, personable; informal chummy; Brit. informal matey; N. Amer. informal regular. ANTONYMS :unfriendly, disagreeable.

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amicable

adjective
friendly, good-natured, cordial, easy, easy-going, neighbourly, harmonious, cooperative, civilized. ANTONYMS :unfriendly.

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amid

preposition
the jeep was concealed amid pine trees
in the middle of, surrounded by, among, amongst; poetic/literary amidst, in the midst of.
the truce collapsed amid fears of a revolt
at a time of, in an atmosphere of, against a background of; as a result of.
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amiss

adjective
an inspection revealed nothing amiss
wrong, awry, faulty, out of order, defective, unsatisfactory, incorrect; inappropriate, improper. ANTONYMS :right, in order.

not come/go amiss
be welcome, be appropriate, be useful. take something amiss
be offended, take offence, be upset.

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amity

noun
friendship, friendliness, harmony, harmoniousness, understanding, accord, cooperation, amicableness, goodwill, cordiality, warmth; formal concord. ANTONYMS :animosity, enmity.

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ammunition

noun
police seized arms and ammunition
bullets, shells, projectiles, missiles, rounds, shot, slugs, cartridges, munitions; informal ammo.

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amnesty

noun
an amnesty for political prisoners
pardon, pardoning, reprieve; release, discharge; informal let-off.
verb
the guerrillas were amnestied
pardon, grant an amnesty to, reprieve; release, discharge, liberate, free, spare; informal let off, let off the hook.

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amok

run amok
go berserk, get out of control, rampage, riot, run riot, go on the rampage, behave like a maniac, behave wildly/uncontrollably, become violent/destructive; informal raise hell.

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among amongst

preposition
you're among friends
surrounded by, in the company of, amongst, amid, in the middle of; poetic/literary amidst, in the midst of.
a child was among the injured
included in, one/some of, in the group/number of.
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he distributed the proceeds among his creditors
between, to each of.
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inter-.
between ourselves/yourselves/themselves
jointly, with one another, together, mutually, reciprocally.

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amoral

adjective
unprincipled, without standards/morals/scruples, unethical. ANTONYMS :principled.

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amorous

adjective
lustful, sexual, erotic, amatory, ardent, passionate, impassioned; in love, enamoured, lovesick; informal lovey-dovey, kissy, smoochy, goo-goo, hot; Brit. informal randy; archaic sportive. ANTONYMS :unloving.

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amorphous

adjective
shapeless, formless, structureless, indeterminate. ANTONYMS :shaped, definite.

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amount

noun
quantity, number, total, aggregate, sum, quota, group, size, mass, weight, volume, bulk, quantum.
amount to
the bill amounted to £50
add up to, come to, run to, be, make, total; Brit. tot up to.

the delays amounted to maladministration
constitute, comprise, be tantamount, come down, boil down; signify, signal, mean, indicate, suggest, denote, point to, be evidence, be symptomatic; poetic/literary betoken.
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her relationships had never amounted to anything significant
become, grow/develop into, prove to be, turn out to be.
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the full amount
the grand total, the total, the aggregate; informal the whole caboodle/shebang, the full nine yards.

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ample

adjective
there is ample time for discussion
enough, sufficient, adequate, plenty of, more than enough, enough and to spare.
an ample supply of wine
plentiful, abundant, copious, profuse, rich, lavish, liberal, generous, bountiful, large, huge, great, bumper; informal a gogo, galore; poetic/literary plenteous.
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his ample tunic
spacious, capacious, roomy, sizeable; voluminous, loose-fitting, baggy, sloppy; formal commodious.
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ANTONYMS :insufficient, meagre.

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amplify

verb
many frogs amplify their voices
make louder, louden, turn up, magnify, intensify, increase, boost, step up, raise.
these notes amplify our statement
expand, enlarge on, elaborate on, add to, supplement, develop, flesh out, add detail to, go into detail about.
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ANTONYMS :reduce, quieten.

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amplitude

noun
magnitude, size, volume; extent, range, compass; breadth, width.

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amputate

verb
cut off, sever, remove (surgically), saw/chop off.

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amulet

noun
lucky charm, charm, talisman, fetish, mascot, totem, idol, juju; archaic periapt.

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amuse

verb
her annoyance simply amused him
entertain, make laugh, delight, divert, cheer (up), please, charm, tickle; informal tickle pink, crack up; Brit. informal crease up.
he amused himself by writing poetry
occupy, engage, busy, employ, distract, absorb, engross, hold someone's attention; interest, entertain, divert.
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ANTONYMS :bore.

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amusement

noun
we looked with amusement at the cartoon
mirth, merriment, light-heartedness, hilarity, glee, delight, gaiety, joviality, fun; enjoyment, pleasure, high spirits, cheerfulness.
I read the book for amusement
entertainment, pleasure, leisure, relaxation, fun, enjoyment, interest, diversion; informal R and R; N. Amer. informal rec; archaic disport.
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a wide range of amusements
activity, entertainment, diversion; game, sport.
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amusing

adjective
entertaining, funny, comical, humorous, light-hearted, jocular, witty, mirthful, hilarious, droll, diverting; informal wacky, side-splitting, rib-tickling. ANTONYMS :boring, solemn.

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anaemic

adjective
his anaemic face
colourless, bloodless, pale, pallid, wan, ashen, grey, sallow, pasty-faced, whey-faced, peaky, sickly, etiolated.
an anaemic description of her feelings
feeble, weak, insipid, wishy-washy, vapid, bland; lame, tame, lacklustre, spiritless, lifeless, ineffective, ineffectual, etiolated; informal pathetic.
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anaesthetic

noun
narcotic, painkiller, painkilling drug, pain reliever, sedative, anodyne, analgesic; general, local.

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analgesic

adjective
painkilling, pain-relieving, anodyne, narcotic, palliative.

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analogous

adjective
comparable, parallel, similar, like, corresponding, related, kindred, equivalent; formal cognate. ANTONYMS :unrelated.

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analogy

noun
similarity, parallel, correspondence, likeness, resemblance, correlation, relation, kinship, equivalence, similitude. ANTONYMS :dissimilarity.

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analyse

verb
examine, inspect, survey, study, scrutinize, look over; investigate, explore, probe, research, go over (with a fine-tooth comb), review, evaluate, break down, dissect, anatomize.

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analysis

noun
examination, investigation, inspection, survey, study, scrutiny; exploration, probe, research, review, evaluation, interpretation, anatomization, dissection.

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analytical analytic

adjective
systematic, logical, scientific, methodical, (well) organized, ordered, orderly, meticulous, rigorous. ANTONYMS :unsystematic.

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anarchic

adjective
lawless, without law and order, in disorder/turmoil, unruly, chaotic, turbulent. ANTONYMS :ordered.

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anarchist

noun
nihilist, insurgent, agitator, subversive, terrorist, revolutionary, revolutionist, insurrectionist.

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anarchy

noun
lawlessness, nihilism, mobocracy, revolution, insurrection, disorder, chaos, tumult, turmoil. ANTONYMS :government, order.

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anathema

noun
racial hatred was anathema to her
abhorrent, hateful, repugnant, repellent, offensive; abomination, outrage, bane, bugbear, bête noire.
the Vatican Council issued an anathema
curse, ban, excommunication, proscription, debarment, denunciation.
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anatomy

noun
a cat's anatomy
structure, make-up, composition, constitution, form.
an anatomy of society
analysis, examination, inspection, survey, study, investigation, review, evaluation.
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ancestor

noun
he could trace his ancestors back to King James I
forebear, forefather, predecessor, antecedent, progenitor, primogenitor.
the instrument is an ancestor of the lute
forerunner, precursor, predecessor.
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ANTONYMS :descendant, successor.

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ancestral

adjective
inherited, hereditary, familial.

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ancestry

noun
ancestors, forebears, forefathers, progenitors, antecedents; family tree; lineage, genealogy, roots.

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anchor

noun
the anchor of the new coalition
mainstay, cornerstone, linchpin, bulwark, foundation.
a CBS news anchor
presenter, announcer, anchorman, anchorwoman, broadcaster.
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verb
the ship was anchored in the bay
moor, berth, be at anchor; archaic harbour.
the fish anchors itself to the coral
secure, fasten, attach, affix, fix.
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anchorage

noun
moorings, moorage, roads, roadstead, harbourage.

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anchorite

noun
(historical) hermit, recluse, ascetic; historical stylite; archaic eremite.

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ancient

adjective
ancient civilizations
of long ago, early, prehistoric, primeval, primordial, primitive; poetic/literary of yore; archaic foregone.
an ancient custom
old, very old, age-old, archaic, antediluvian, time-worn, time-honoured.
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I feel positively ancient
antiquated, aged, elderly, decrepit, antediluvian, in one's dotage; old-fashioned, out of date, outmoded, démodé, passé; informal out of the ark; Brit. informal past its/one's sell-by date.
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archaeo-, palaeo-. ANTONYMS :recent, contemporary.

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ancillary

adjective
additional, auxiliary, supporting, helping, extra, supplementary, accessory; Medicine adjuvant; rare adminicular. para-.

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and

conjunction
together with, along with, with, as well as, in addition to, also, too; besides, furthermore; informal plus.

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anecdotal

adjective
anecdotal evidence
unscientific, unreliable, based on hearsay.
her book is anecdotal and chatty
narrative, full of stories.
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anecdote

noun
story, tale, narrative; urban myth; informal yarn.

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anew

adverb
again, afresh, once more/again, over again.

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angel

noun
God sent an angel
messenger of God, divine/heavenly messenger, divine being.
she's an absolute angel
paragon of virtue, saint; gem, treasure, darling, dear; informal star; Brit. informal, dated brick.
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(informal) a financial angel
backer, sponsor, benefactor, promoter, patron.
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ANTONYMS :devil.

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angelic

adjective
angelic beings
divine, heavenly, celestial, holy, seraphic; poetic/literary empyrean.
Sophie's angelic appearance
innocent, pure, virtuous, good, saintly, wholesome.
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ANTONYMS :demonic, infernal.

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anger

noun
his face was livid with anger
annoyance, vexation, exasperation, crossness, irritation, irritability, indignation, pique; rage, fury, wrath, outrage, irascibility, ill temper/humour; informal aggravation; poetic/literary ire, choler. irascible. ANTONYMS :pleasure, good humour.

verb
she was angered by his terse reply
annoy, irritate, exasperate, irk, vex, put out; enrage, incense, infuriate, make someone's hackles rise; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal make someone's blood boil, get someone's back up, make someone see red, get someone's dander up, rattle someone's cage; aggravate, get someone, rile, hack off; Brit. informal wind up, nark; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off, burn up, gravel; informal, dated give someone the pip. ANTONYMS :pacify, placate.

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angle 1

noun
the wall is sloping at an angle of 33°
gradient, slant, inclination.
the angle of the roof
corner, intersection, point, apex.
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consider the problem from a different angle
perspective, point of view, viewpoint, standpoint, position, aspect, slant, direction.
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verb
Anna angled her camera towards the tree
tilt, slant, direct, turn.
angle your answer so that it is relevant
present, slant, orient, twist, bias.
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angle 2

verb
he was angling for an invitation
try to get, seek to obtain, fish for, hope for, be after.

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angler

noun
fisherman, rod; archaic fisher.

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angry

adjective
Vivienne got angry
irate, annoyed, cross, vexed, irritated, indignant, irked; furious, enraged, infuriated, in a temper, incensed, raging, incandescent, fuming, seething, beside oneself, outraged; informal (hopping) mad, wild, livid, apoplectic, as cross as two sticks, hot under the collar, up in arms, foaming at the mouth, steamed up, in a lather/paddy, fit to be tied; Brit. informal aerated, shirty; N. Amer. informal sore, bent out of shape, teed off, ticked off; Austral./NZ informal ropeable, snaky; poetic/literary wrathful; archaic wroth.
an angry debate
heated, passionate, stormy, "lively"; bad-tempered, ill-tempered, acrimonious, bitter.
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angry sores
inflamed, red, swollen, sore, painful.
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ANTONYMS :pleased, good-humoured.

get angry
lose one's temper, become enraged, go into a rage, go berserk, flare up; informal go mad/crazy/wild, go bananas, hit the roof, go through the roof, go up the wall, see red, go off the deep end, fly off the handle, blow one's top, blow a fuse/gasket, lose one's rag, flip (one's lid), have a fit, foam at the mouth, explode, go non-linear, go ballistic; Brit. informal go spare, do one's nut; N. Amer. informal flip one's wig, blow one's lid/stack, have a conniption fit.

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angst

noun
anxiety, fear, apprehension, worry, foreboding, trepidation, malaise, disquiet, disquietude, unease, uneasiness.

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anguish

noun
agony, pain, torment, torture, suffering, distress, angst, misery, sorrow, grief, heartache, desolation, despair; poetic/literary dolour. ANTONYMS :happiness.

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anguished

adjective
agonized, tormented, tortured; grief-stricken, wretched, heartbroken, desolate, devastated; informal cut up; poetic/literary dolorous.

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angular

adjective
an angular shape
sharp-cornered, pointed, V-shaped, Y-shaped.
an angular face
bony, raw-boned, lean, rangy, spare, thin, gaunt.
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ANTONYMS :rounded, curving.

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animal

noun
endangered animals
creature, beast, living thing; (animals) wildlife, fauna; N. Amer. informal critter.
the man was an animal
brute, beast, monster, devil, demon, fiend; informal swine, bastard, pig.
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zoo-.
adjective
animal life
zoological, animalistic; rare zoic.
a grunt of animal passion
carnal, fleshly, bodily, physical; brutish, unrefined, uncultured, coarse.
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animate

verb
a sense of excitement animated the whole school
enliven, vitalize, breathe (new) life into, energize, invigorate, revive, vivify, liven up; inspire, inspirit, exhilarate, thrill, excite, fire, arouse, rouse; N. Amer. light a fire under; informal buck up, pep up, give someone a buzz. ANTONYMS :depress.

adjective
an animate being
living, alive, live, breathing; archaic quick. ANTONYMS :inanimate.

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animated

adjective
lively, spirited, high-spirited, energetic, full of life, excited, enthusiastic, eager, alive, active, vigorous, vibrant, vital, vivacious, buoyant, exuberant, ebullient, effervescent, bouncy, bubbly, perky; informal bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of beans, bright and breezy, chirpy, chipper, peppy. ANTONYMS :lethargic, lifeless.

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animosity

noun
antipathy, hostility, friction, antagonism, enmity, animus, bitterness, rancour, resentment, dislike, ill feeling/will, bad blood, hatred, hate, loathing; malice, spite, spitefulness. ANTONYMS :goodwill, friendship.

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annals

plural noun
records, archives, chronicles, accounts, registers; Law muniments.

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annex

verb
ten amendments were annexed to the constitution
add, append, attach, tack on, tag on.
Charlemagne annexed northern Italy
take over, take possession of, appropriate, seize, conquer, occupy.
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noun
(also annexe) extension, addition; wing; N. Amer. ell.

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annexation

noun
seizure, occupation, invasion, conquest, takeover, appropriation.

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annihilate

verb
destroy, wipe out, obliterate, wipe off the face of the earth; kill, slaughter, exterminate, eliminate, liquidate; informal take out, rub out, snuff out, waste. ANTONYMS :create.

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annotate

verb
comment on, add notes/footnotes to, gloss, interpret; archaic margin.

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annotation

noun
note, notation, comment, gloss, footnote; commentary, explanation, interpretation.

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announce

verb
their financial results were announced
make public, make known, report, declare, state, give out, notify, publicize, broadcast, publish, advertise, circulate, proclaim, blazon abroad.
Victor announced the guests
introduce, present, name.
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strains of music announced her arrival
signal, indicate, give notice of, herald, proclaim; poetic/literary betoken.
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announcement

noun
an announcement by the Minister
statement, report, declaration, proclamation, pronouncement, rescript; bulletin, communiqué; N. Amer. advisory.
the announcement of the decision
declaration, notification, reporting, publishing, broadcasting, proclamation; archaic annunciation.
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announcer

noun
presenter, anchorman, anchorwoman, anchor; newsreader, newscaster, broadcaster.

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annoy

verb
irritate, vex, make angry/cross, anger, exasperate, irk, gall, pique, put out, antagonize, get on someone's nerves, ruffle someone's feathers, make someone's hackles rise, nettle; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal aggravate, peeve, hassle, miff, rile, needle, get (to), bug, hack off, get up someone's nose, get someone's goat, get someone's back up, give someone the hump, drive mad/crazy, drive round the bend/twist, drive up the wall, get someone's dander up; Brit. informal wind up, nark, get on someone's wick; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off, burn up, rankle, gravel; informal, dated give someone the pip. ANTONYMS :please, gratify.

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annoyance

noun
much to his annoyance, Louise didn't even notice
irritation, exasperation, vexation, indignation, anger, displeasure, chagrin; informal aggravation.
they found him an annoyance
nuisance, pest, bother, irritant, inconvenience, thorn in one's flesh; informal pain (in the neck), bind, bore, hassle; N. Amer. informal nudnik, burr in/under someone's saddle; Austral./NZ informal nark.
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annoyed

adjective
irritated, cross, angry, vexed, exasperated, irked, piqued, displeased, put out, disgruntled, nettled, in a bad mood, in a temper; informal aggravated, peeved, miffed, miffy, riled, hacked off, hot under the collar; Brit. informal narked, shirty; N. Amer. informal teed off, ticked off, sore, bent out of shape; Austral./NZ informal snaky, crook; archaic wroth.

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annoying

adjective
irritating, infuriating, exasperating, maddening, trying, tiresome, troublesome, bothersome, irksome, vexing, vexatious, galling; informal aggravating, pesky.

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annual

adjective
yearly, once-a-year; year-long, twelve-month.

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annually

adverb
yearly, once a year, each year, per annum.

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annul

verb
declare invalid, declare null and void, nullify, invalidate, void; repeal, reverse, rescind, revoke; Law vacate; formal abrogate; archaic recall. ANTONYMS :restore, enact.

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anodyne

noun
painkiller, painkilling drug, pain reliever, analgesic, narcotic.
adjective
the conversation was anodyne
bland, inoffensive, innocuous, neutral, unobjectionable.

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anoint

verb
the head of the infant was anointed
smear/rub with oil; archaic anele.
he was anointed and crowned
consecrate, bless, ordain; formal hallow.
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anomalous

adjective
abnormal, atypical, irregular, aberrant, exceptional, freak, freakish, odd, bizarre, peculiar, unusual, out of the ordinary. ANTONYMS :normal, typical.

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anomaly

noun
oddity, peculiarity, abnormality, irregularity, inconsistency, incongruity, aberration, quirk.

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anon

adverb
(informal) soon, shortly, in a little while, presently, before long, by and by; dated directly; poetic/literary ere long.

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anonymous

adjective
an anonymous donor
unnamed, of unknown name, nameless, incognito, unidentified, unknown; rare innominate.
an anonymous letter
unsigned, unattributed.
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an anonymous housing estate
characterless, nondescript, impersonal, faceless.
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ANTONYMS :known, identified.

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another

determiner
have another drink
one more, a further, an additional; an extra, a spare.
she left him for another man
a different, some other, an alternative.
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ANTONYMS :the same.

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answer

noun
her answer was unequivocal
reply, response, rejoinder, reaction; retort, riposte; informal comeback.
the answer is 150
solution, key.
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a new filter is the answer
solution, remedy, way out.
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ANTONYMS :question.

verb
Steve was about to answer
reply, respond, make a rejoinder, rejoin; retort, riposte.
he has yet to answer the charges
rebut, refute, defend oneself against.
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a man answering this description
match, fit, correspond to, be similar to.
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we're trying to answer the needs of our audience
satisfy, meet, fulfil, fill, measure up to.
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I answer to the Commissioner
report, work for/under, be subordinate, be accountable, be answerable, be responsible.
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answer someone back
respond cheekily to, be cheeky to, be impertinent to, talk back to, cheek; N. Amer. informal sass. answer for
he will answer for his crime
pay for, be punished for, suffer for; make amends for, make reparation for, atone for.

the government has a lot to answer for
be accountable for, be responsible for, be liable for, take the blame for; informal take the rap for.
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answerable

adjective
accountable, responsible, liable; subject.

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ant

formic.

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antagonism

noun
hostility, friction, enmity, antipathy, animus, opposition, dissension, rivalry; acrimony, bitterness, rancour, resentment, aversion, dislike, ill/bad feeling, ill will; Brit. informal needle. ANTONYMS :rapport, friendship.

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antagonist

noun
adversary, opponent, enemy, rival; (antagonists) opposition, competition. ANTONYMS :ally.

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antagonistic

adjective
he was antagonistic to the reforms
hostile, against, (dead) set against, opposed, inimical, antipathetic, ill-disposed, resistant, in disagreement; informal anti.
an antagonistic group of bystanders
hostile, aggressive, belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious; rare oppugnant.
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ANTONYMS :pro.

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antagonize

verb
arouse hostility in, alienate; anger, annoy, provoke, vex, irritate; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal aggravate, rile, needle, rattle someone's cage, get someone's back up, get someone's dander up; Brit. informal nark, get on someone's wick. ANTONYMS :pacify, placate.

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antecedent

noun
her antecedents have been traced
ancestor, forefather, forebear, progenitor, primogenitor; (antecedents) ancestry, family tree, lineage, genealogy, roots.
the guitar's antecedent
precursor, forerunner, predecessor.
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ANTONYMS :descendant.

adjective
antecedent events
previous, earlier, prior, preceding, precursory; formal anterior. ANTONYMS :subsequent.

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antedate

verb
precede, predate, come/go before.

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antediluvian

adjective
antediluvian animals
prehistoric, primeval, primordial, primal, ancient, early.
his antediluvian attitudes
out of date, outdated, outmoded, old-fashioned, antiquated, behind the times, passé.
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ante-room

noun
antechamber, vestibule, lobby, foyer; Architecture narthex.

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anthem

noun
hymn, song, chorale, psalm, paean.

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anthology

noun
collection, selection, compendium, treasury, miscellany; archaic garland.

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anticipate

verb
the police did not anticipate trouble
expect, foresee, predict, be prepared for, bargain on, reckon on; N. Amer. informal figure on.
Elaine anticipated her meeting with Will
look forward to, await, lick one's lips over.
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warders can't always anticipate the actions of prisoners
pre-empt, forestall, second-guess; informal beat someone to the punch.
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her plays anticipated her film work
foreshadow, precede, antedate, come/go before.
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anticipation

noun
my anticipation is that we will see a rise in rates
expectation, prediction, forecast.
her eyes sparkled with anticipation
expectancy, expectation, excitement, suspense.
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in anticipation of
in the expectation of, in preparation for, ready for.

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anticlimax

noun
let-down, disappointment, comedown, non-event; disillusionment; Brit. damp squib; informal washout.

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antics

plural noun
capers, pranks, larks, high jinks, skylarking; Brit. informal monkey tricks.

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antidote

noun
the antidote to this poison
antitoxin, antiserum, antivenin.
laughter is a good antidote to stress
remedy, cure, nostrum.
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antipathetic

adjective
hostile, against, (dead) set against, opposed, antagonistic, ill-disposed, unsympathetic; informal anti, down on. ANTONYMS :pro.

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antipathy

noun
hostility, antagonism, animosity, aversion, animus, enmity, dislike, distaste, hatred, hate, abhorrence, loathing. ANTONYMS :liking, affinity.

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antiquated

adjective
outdated, out of date, outmoded, outworn, behind the times, old-fashioned, anachronistic, old-fangled, passé, démodé; informal out of the ark, mouldy; N. Amer. informal horse and buggy, mossy, clunky. ANTONYMS :modern, up to date.

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antique

noun
collector's item, period piece, antiquity, object of virtu, objet d'art.
adjective
antique furniture
old, antiquarian, collectable.
statues of antique gods
ancient, of long ago; poetic/literary of yore.
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antique work practices.
See antiquated.
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ANTONYMS :modern, state-of-the-art.

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antiquity

noun
the civilizations of antiquity
ancient times, the ancient past, classical times, the distant past.
Islamic antiquities
antique, period piece, collector's item.
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a church of great antiquity
age, oldness, ancientness.
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antiseptic

adjective
an antiseptic substance
disinfectant, germicidal, bactericidal.
antiseptic bandages
sterile, aseptic, germ-free, uncontaminated, disinfected.
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their antiseptic surroundings
characterless, colourless, soulless; clinical, institutional.
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ANTONYMS :contaminated.

noun
disinfectant, germicide, bactericide.

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antisocial

adjective
antisocial behaviour
objectionable, offensive, unacceptable, distasteful, disruptive; sociopathic.
I'm feeling a bit antisocial
unsociable, unfriendly, uncommunicative, reclusive, misanthropic.
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antithesis

noun
(direct) opposite, converse, reverse, inverse, obverse, the other side of the coin; informal the flip side.

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antithetical

adjective
(directly) opposed, contrasting, contrary, contradictory, conflicting, incompatible, irreconcilable, inconsistent, poles apart, at variance/odds; rare oppugnant. ANTONYMS :identical, like.

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anxiety

noun
his anxiety grew
worry, concern, apprehension, apprehensiveness, uneasiness, unease, fearfulness, fear, disquiet, disquietude, perturbation, agitation, angst, nervousness, nerves, tension, tenseness; informal butterflies (in one's stomach), jitteriness, twitchiness, collywobbles, jim-jams.
an anxiety to please
eagerness, keenness, desire.
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ANTONYMS :serenity.

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anxious

adjective
I'm anxious about her
worried, concerned, apprehensive, fearful, uneasy, perturbed, troubled, bothered, disturbed, distressed, fretful, agitated, nervous, edgy, unquiet, on edge, tense, overwrought, worked up, keyed up, jumpy, worried sick, with one's stomach in knots, with one's heart in one's mouth; informal uptight, on tenterhooks, with butterflies in one's stomach, like a cat on a hot tin roof, jittery, twitchy, in a stew/twitter, all of a dither/lather, in a tizz/tizzy, het up; Brit. informal strung up, windy, having kittens, in a (flat) spin, like a cat on hot bricks; N. Amer. informal antsy, spooky, squirrelly, in a twit; Austral./NZ informal toey; dated overstrung.
she was anxious for news
eager, keen, desirous, impatient.
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ANTONYMS :carefree, unconcerned.

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any

determiner
is there any cake left?
some, a piece/part/bit of.
it doesn't make any difference
the slightest bit of, a scrap/shred/jot/whit of, an iota of.
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any job will do
whichever, no matter which, never mind which; informal any old.
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pronoun
you don't know any of my friends
a single one, (even) one; anyone, anybody.
adverb
is your father any better?
at all, in the least, to any extent, in any degree.

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anyhow

adverb
anyhow, it doesn't really matter
anyway, in any case/event, at any rate; however, be that as it may; N. Amer. informal anyways.
her clothes were strewn about anyhow
haphazardly, carelessly, heedlessly, negligently, in a muddle; informal all over the place; Brit. informal all over the shop; N. Amer. informal all over the lot.
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apace

adverb
(poetic/literary) quickly, fast, swiftly, rapidly, speedily, briskly, without delay, post-haste, expeditiously. ANTONYMS :slowly.

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apart

adverb
the villages are two miles apart
away/distant from each other.
Isabel stood apart
to one side, aside, separately, alone, by oneself/itself.
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his parents are living apart
separately, independently, on one's own.
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the car was blown apart
to pieces/bits, up; poetic/literary asunder.
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apart from
except for, but for, aside from, with the exception of, excepting, excluding, bar, barring, besides, other than; informal outside of; formal save.

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apartment

noun
a rented apartment
flat, penthouse; Austral. home unit; N. Amer. informal crib.
the royal apartments
suite (of rooms), rooms, living quarters, accommodation.
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apathetic

adjective
uninterested, indifferent, unconcerned, unmoved, uninvolved, unemotional, emotionless, dispassionate, lukewarm, unmotivated; informal couldn't-care-less; rare Laodicean.

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apathy

noun
indifference, lack of interest/enthusiasm/concern, unconcern, uninterestedness, unresponsiveness, impassivity, dispassion, dispassionateness, lethargy, languor, ennui, accidie. ANTONYMS :enthusiasm, passion.

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ape

noun
primate, simian; monkey; technical anthropoid.
verb
he aped Barbara's accent
imitate, mimic, copy, do an impression of; informal take off, send up; archaic monkey.

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aperture

noun
opening, hole, gap, slit, slot, vent, crevice, chink, crack, interstice; technical orifice, foramen.

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apex

noun
the apex of a pyramid
tip, peak, summit, pinnacle, top, vertex.
the apex of his career
climax, culmination, apotheosis; peak, pinnacle, zenith, acme, apogee, high(est) point.
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apical. ANTONYMS :bottom, nadir.

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aphorism

noun
saying, maxim, axiom, adage, epigram, dictum, gnome, proverb, saw, tag, apophthegm.

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aphrodisiac

noun
love potion, philtre.
adjective
erotic, sexy, sexually arousing.

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apiece

adverb
each, respectively, per item; informal a throw.

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aplenty

adjective
in abundance, in profusion, galore, in large quantities/numbers, by the dozen; informal a gogo, by the truckload.

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aplomb

noun
poise, self-assurance, self-confidence, calmness, composure, collectedness, level-headedness, sangfroid, equilibrium, equanimity; informal unflappability.

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apocryphal

adjective
fictitious, made-up, untrue, fabricated, false, spurious; unverified, unauthenticated, unsubstantiated. ANTONYMS :authentic.

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apologetic

adjective
regretful, sorry, contrite, remorseful, penitent, repentant; conscience-stricken, shamefaced, ashamed. ANTONYMS :unrepentant.

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apologia

noun
defence, justification, vindication, explanation; argument, case.

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apologist

noun
defender, supporter, upholder, advocate, proponent, exponent, propagandist, champion, campaigner. ANTONYMS :critic.

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apologize

verb
say sorry, express regret, be apologetic, make an apology, ask forgiveness, ask for pardon, eat humble pie.

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apology

noun
I owe you an apology
expression of regret, one's regrets; Austral./NZ informal beg-pardon; poetic/literary amende honorable.
(informal) an apology for a flat
travesty, inadequate/poor example; informal excuse.
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apoplectic

adjective
(informal) furious, enraged, infuriated, incensed, raging; incandescent, fuming, seething; informal (hopping) mad, livid, as cross as two sticks, foaming at the mouth, fit to be tied; poetic/literary wrathful.

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apostate

noun
dissenter, heretic, defector, turncoat; archaic recreant; rare tergiversator. ANTONYMS :follower.

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apostle

noun
the 12 apostles
disciple, follower.
the apostles of the Slavs
missionary, evangelist, proselytizer.
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an apostle of capitalism
advocate, apologist, proponent, exponent, promoter, supporter, upholder, champion; N. Amer. booster.
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apotheosis

noun
culmination, climax, peak, pinnacle, zenith, acme, apogee, high(est) point. ANTONYMS :nadir.

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appal

verb
horrify, shock, dismay, distress, outrage, scandalize; disgust, repel, revolt, sicken, nauseate, offend, make someone's blood run cold.

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appalling

adjective
an appalling crime
shocking, horrific, horrifying, horrible, terrible, awful, dreadful, ghastly, hideous, horrendous, frightful, atrocious, abominable, abhorrent, outrageous, gruesome, grisly, monstrous, heinous, egregious.
(informal) your schoolwork is appalling
dreadful, awful, terrible, frightful, atrocious, disgraceful, deplorable, hopeless, lamentable; informal rotten, crummy, pathetic, pitiful, woeful, useless, lousy, abysmal, dire; Brit. informal chronic, shocking.
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apparatus

noun
laboratory apparatus
equipment, gear, rig, tackle, gadgetry; appliance, instrument, machine, mechanism, device, contraption.
the apparatus of government
structure, system, framework, organization, network.
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apparel

noun
(formal) clothes, clothing, garments, dress, attire, wear, garb; informal gear, togs, duds; Brit. informal clobber, kit; N. Amer. informal threads; archaic raiment, habit, habiliments.

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apparent

adjective
their relief was all too apparent
evident, plain, obvious, clear, manifest, visible, discernible, perceptible; unmistakable, crystal clear, palpable, patent, blatant, as plain as a pikestaff, writ large; informal as plain as the nose on one's face, written all over one's face.
his apparent lack of concern
seeming, ostensible, outward, superficial; supposed, alleged, professed.
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ANTONYMS :unclear.

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apparently

adverb
seemingly, evidently, it seems/appears (that), as far as one knows, by all accounts; ostensibly, outwardly, on the face of it, so the story goes, so I'm told; allegedly, reputedly.

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apparition

noun
a monstrous apparition
ghost, phantom, spectre, spirit, wraith; vision, hallucination; informal spook; poetic/literary phantasm, revenant, shade, visitant, wight; rare eidolon.
the apparition of a strange man
appearance, manifestation, materialization, emergence; visitation.
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appeal

verb
police are appealing for information
ask urgently/earnestly, make an urgent/earnest request, call, make a plea, plead.
Andrew appealed to me to help them
implore, beg, entreat, call on, plead with, exhort, ask, request, petition; formal adjure; poetic/literary beseech.
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the thought of travelling appealed to me
attract, be attractive to, interest, take someone's fancy, fascinate, tempt, entice, allure, lure, draw, whet someone's appetite; informal float someone's boat.
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noun
an appeal for help
plea, urgent/earnest request, entreaty, cry, call, petition, supplication, cri de cœur; rare obsecration.
the cultural appeal of the island
attraction, attractiveness, allure, charm; fascination, magnetism, drawing power, pull.
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the court allowed the appeal
retrial, re-examination.
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appealing

adjective
attractive, engaging, alluring, enchanting, captivating, bewitching, fascinating, tempting, enticing, seductive, irresistible, winning, winsome, charming, desirable; Brit. informal tasty; dated taking. ANTONYMS :disagreeable, off-putting.

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appear

verb
a cloud of dust appeared on the horizon
become visible, come into view/sight, materialize, pop up.
fundamental differences were beginning to appear
be revealed, emerge, surface, manifest itself, become apparent/evident, come to light; arise, crop up.
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(informal) Bill still hadn't appeared
arrive, turn up, put in an appearance, come, get here/there; informal show (up), pitch up, fetch up, roll in, blow in.
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they appeared to be completely devoted
seem, look, give the impression, come across as, strike someone as.
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the paperback edition didn't appear for two years
become available, come on the market, go on sale, come out, be published, be produced.
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he appeared on Broadway
perform, play, act.
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ANTONYMS :vanish.

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appearance

noun
her dishevelled appearance
look(s), air, aspect, mien.
an appearance of respectability
impression, air, (outward) show; semblance, facade, veneer, front, pretence.
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the sudden appearance of her daughter
arrival, advent, coming, emergence, materialization.
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the appearance of these symptoms
occurrence, manifestation, development.
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appease

verb
an attempt to appease his critics
conciliate, placate, pacify, propitiate, reconcile, win over; informal sweeten.
I'd wasted a lot of money to appease my vanity
satisfy, fulfil, gratify, indulge; assuage, relieve, take the edge off.
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ANTONYMS :provoke, inflame.

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appeasement

noun
a policy of appeasement
conciliation, placation, pacification, propitiation, reconciliation; peacemaking, peace-mongering.
appeasement for battered consciences
satisfaction, fulfilment, gratification, indulgence; assuagement, relief.
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ANTONYMS :provocation.

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appellation

noun
(formal) name, title, designation, tag, sobriquet, byname, nickname, cognomen; informal moniker, handle; formal denomination.

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append

verb
add, attach, affix, tack on, tag on; formal subjoin.

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appendage

noun
I am not just an appendage to the family
addition, attachment, adjunct, addendum, appurtenance, accessory.
a pair of feathery appendages
protuberance, projection; technical process.
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appendix

noun
supplement, addendum, postscript, codicil; coda, epilogue, afterword, tailpiece, back matter.

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appertain

appertain to
pertain to, be pertinent to, apply to, relate to, concern, be concerned with, have to do with, be relevant to, have reference to, have a bearing on, bear on; archaic regard.

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appetite

noun
a walk sharpens the appetite
hunger, ravenousness, hungriness; taste, palate; rare edacity.
my appetite for learning
craving, longing, yearning, hankering, hunger, thirst, passion; enthusiasm, keenness, eagerness, desire; informal yen; archaic appetency.
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appetizer

noun
starter, first course, hors d'oeuvre, amuse-gueule, antipasto.

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appetizing

adjective
an appetizing lunch
mouth-watering, inviting, tempting; tasty, delicious, flavoursome, toothsome, delectable; informal scrumptious, scrummy, yummy, moreish.
the least appetizing part of election campaigns
appealing, attractive, inviting, alluring.
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ANTONYMS :bland, unappealing.

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applaud

verb
the audience applauded
clap, give a standing ovation, put one's hands together; show one's appreciation; informal give someone a big hand.
police have applauded the decision
praise, commend, acclaim, salute, welcome, celebrate, express admiration for, express approval of, look on with favour, approve of, sing the praises of, pay tribute to, speak highly of, take one's hat off to, express respect for.
Top
ANTONYMS :boo, criticize.

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applause

noun
a massive round of applause
clapping, handclapping, (standing) ovation; acclamation.
the museum's design won general applause
praise, acclaim, acclamation, admiration, commendation, adulation, favour, approbation, approval, respect; compliments, accolades, tributes.
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appliance

noun
domestic appliances
device, machine, instrument, gadget, contraption, apparatus, utensil, implement, tool, mechanism, contrivance, labour-saving device; informal gizmo, mod con.
the appliance of science
application, use, exercise, employment, implementation, utilization, practice, applying, discharge, execution, prosecution, enactment; formal praxis.
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applicable

adjective
the laws applicable to the dispute
relevant, appropriate, pertinent, appurtenant, apposite, germane, material, significant, related, connected; fitting, suitable, apt, befitting, to the point, useful, helpful; formal ad rem. ANTONYMS :inappropriate, irrelevant.

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applicant

noun
candidate, interviewee, competitor, contestant, contender, entrant; claimant, suppliant, supplicant, petitioner, postulant; prospective student/employee, job-seeker, job-hunter, auditioner.

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application

noun
an application for an overdraft
request, appeal, petition, entreaty, plea, solicitation, supplication, requisition, suit, approach, claim, demand.
the application of anti-inflation policies
implementation, use, exercise, employment, utilization, practice, applying, discharge, execution, prosecution, enactment; formal praxis.
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the argument is clearest in its application to the theatre
relevance, relevancy, bearing, significance, pertinence, aptness, appositeness, germaneness, importance.
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the application of make-up
putting on, rubbing in, applying.
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an application to relieve muscle pain
ointment, lotion, cream, rub, salve, emollient, preparation, liniment, embrocation, balm, unguent, poultice.
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the job takes a great deal of application
diligence, industriousness, industry, assiduity, commitment, dedication, devotion, conscientiousness, perseverance, persistence, tenacity, doggedness, sedulousness; concentration, attention, attentiveness, steadiness, patience, endurance; effort, hard work, labour, endeavour.
Top
a vector graphics application
program, software, routine.
Top

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apply

verb
300 people applied for the job
put in an application, put in, try, bid, appeal, petition, sue, register, audition; request, seek, solicit, claim, ask, try to obtain.
the Act did not apply to Scotland
be relevant, have relevance, have a bearing, appertain, pertain, relate, concern, affect, involve, cover, deal with, touch; be pertinent, be appropriate, be significant.
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she applied some ointment
put on, rub in, work in, spread, smear.
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a steady pressure should be applied
exert, administer, implement, use, exercise, employ, utilize, bring to bear.
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apply oneself
be diligent, be industrious, be assiduous, show commitment, show dedication; work hard, exert oneself, make an effort, try hard, do one's best, give one's all, buckle down, put one's shoulder to the wheel, keep one's nose to the grindstone; strive, endeavour, struggle, labour, toil; pay attention, commit oneself, devote oneself; persevere, persist; informal put one's back in it, knuckle down, get stuck in.

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appoint

verb
he was appointed chairman
nominate, name, designate, install as, commission, engage, co-opt; select, choose, elect, vote in; Military detail.
the arbitrator shall appoint a date for the meeting
specify, determine, assign, designate, allot, set, fix, arrange, choose, decide on, establish, settle, ordain, prescribe, decree.
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ANTONYMS :reject.

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appointed

adjective
at the appointed time
scheduled, arranged, pre-arranged, specified, decided, agreed, determined, assigned, designated, allotted, set, fixed, chosen, established, settled, preordained, ordained, prescribed, decreed.
a well appointed room
furnished, decorated, outfitted, fitted out, provided, supplied.
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appointment

noun
a six o'clock appointment
meeting, engagement, interview, arrangement, consultation, session; date, rendezvous, assignation; commitment, fixture; poetic/literary tryst.
the appointment of directors
nomination, naming, designation, installation, commissioning, engagement, co-option; selection, choosing, election, voting in; Military detailing.
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he held an appointment at the university
job, post, position, situation, employment, place, office; dated station.
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apportion

verb
share, divide, allocate, distribute, allot, assign, give out, hand out, mete out, deal out, dish out, dole out; ration, measure out; split; informal divvy up.

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apposite

adjective
appropriate, suitable, fitting, apt, befitting; relevant, pertinent, appurtenant, to the point, applicable, germane, material, congruous, felicitous; formal ad rem. ANTONYMS :inappropriate.

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appraisal

noun
an objective appraisal of the book
assessment, evaluation, estimation, judgement, rating, gauging, sizing up, summing-up, consideration.
a free insurance appraisal
valuation, estimate, estimation, quotation, pricing; survey.
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appraise

verb
they appraised their handiwork
assess, evaluate, judge, rate, gauge, review, consider; informal size up.
his goods were appraised at £1,800
value, price, estimate, quote; survey.
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appreciable

adjective
considerable, substantial, significant, sizeable, goodly, fair, reasonable, marked; perceptible, noticeable, visible; informal tidy. ANTONYMS :negligible.

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appreciate

verb
I'd appreciate your advice
be grateful, be thankful, be obliged, be indebted, be in your debt, be appreciative.
the college appreciated her greatly
value, treasure, admire, respect, hold in high regard, think highly of, think much of.
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we appreciate the problems
recognize, acknowledge, realize, know, be aware of, be conscious of, be sensitive to, understand, comprehend; informal be wise to.
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a home that will appreciate in value
increase, gain, grow, rise, go up, escalate, soar, rocket.
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ANTONYMS :disparage, depreciate, decrease.

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appreciation

noun
he showed his appreciation
gratitude, thanks, gratefulness, thankfulness, recognition, sense of obligation.
her appreciation of literature
valuing, treasuring, admiration, respect, regard, esteem, high opinion.
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an appreciation of the value of teamwork
acknowledgement, recognition, realization, knowledge, awareness, consciousness, understanding, comprehension.
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the appreciation of the franc against the pound
increase, gain, growth, rise, inflation, escalation.
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an appreciation of the professor's work
review, critique, criticism, critical analysis, assessment, evaluation, judgement, rating; Brit. informal crit.
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ANTONYMS :ingratitude, unawareness, depreciation, decrease.

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appreciative

adjective
we are appreciative of all your efforts
grateful, thankful, obliged, indebted, in someone's debt.
an appreciative audience
supportive, encouraging, sympathetic, responsive; enthusiastic, admiring, approving, complimentary.
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ANTONYMS :ungrateful, disparaging.

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apprehend

verb
the thieves were quickly apprehended
arrest, catch, capture, seize; take prisoner, take into custody, detain, put in jail, put behind bars, imprison, incarcerate; informal collar, nab, nail, run in, pinch, bust, pick up, pull in, feel someone's collar; Brit. informal nick, do.
they are slow to apprehend danger
appreciate, recognize, discern, perceive, make out, take in, realize, grasp, understand, comprehend; informal get the picture; Brit. informal twig, suss (out).
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apprehension

noun
he was filled with apprehension
anxiety, worry, unease, nervousness, nerves, misgivings, disquiet, concern, tension, trepidation, perturbation, consternation, angst, dread, fear, foreboding; informal butterflies, the willies, the heebie-jeebies.
her quick apprehension of their wishes
appreciation, recognition, discernment, perception, realization, grasp, understanding, comprehension, awareness.
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the apprehension of a perpetrator
arrest, capture, seizure; detention, imprisonment, incarceration; informal collar, nabbing, bust; Brit. informal nick.
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ANTONYMS :confidence.

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apprehensive

adjective
anxious, worried, uneasy, nervous, concerned, agitated, tense, afraid, scared, frightened, fearful; informal on tenterhooks. ANTONYMS :confident.

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apprentice

noun
trainee, learner, probationer, novice, beginner, starter; pupil, student; N. Amer. tenderfoot; informal rookie; N. Amer. informal greenhorn. ANTONYMS :veteran.

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apprenticeship

noun
traineeship, training period, studentship, novitiate; historical indentureship.

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apprise

verb
inform, tell, notify, advise, brief, make aware, enlighten, update, keep posted; informal clue in, fill in, put wise, put in the picture.

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approach

verb
she approached the altar
move towards, come/go towards, advance towards, go/come/draw/move nearer, go/come/draw/move closer, near; close in, gain on; reach, arrive at.
the trade deficit is approaching £20 million
border on, verge on, approximate, touch, nudge, get on for, near, come near to, come close to.
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she approached him about leaving his job
speak to, talk to; make advances, make overtures, make a proposal, sound out, proposition.
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he approached the problem in the best way
tackle, set about, address oneself to, undertake, get down to, launch into, embark on, go about, get to grips with.
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ANTONYMS :leave.

noun
the traditional British approach
method, procedure, technique, modus operandi, MO, style, way, manner; strategy, tactic, system, means, line of action.
he considered an approach to the High Court
proposal, proposition, submission, application, appeal, plea, request.
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(dated) his approaches were repulsed
advances, overtures, suggestions, attentions; suit.
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the dog bark ed at the approach of any intruder
advance, coming, nearing; arrival, appearance; advent.
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the approach to the castle
driveway, drive, access road, road, avenue; way.
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approachable

adjective
students found the staff approachable
friendly, welcoming, pleasant, agreeable, congenial, affable, cordial; obliging, communicative, helpful.
the south landing is approachable by boat
accessible, attainable, reachable; informal get-at-able.
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ANTONYMS :aloof, inaccessible.

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approbation

noun
approval, acceptance, endorsement, appreciation, respect, admiration, commendation, praise, congratulations, acclaim, esteem, applause. ANTONYMS :criticism.

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appropriate

adjective
this isn't the appropriate time
suitable, proper, fitting, apt, right; relevant, pertinent, apposite; convenient, opportune; seemly, befitting; formal ad rem; archaic meet. ANTONYMS :unsuitable.

verb
the barons appropriated church lands
seize, commandeer, expropriate, annex, arrogate, sequestrate, sequester, take over, hijack; steal, take; informal swipe, nab, bag; Brit. informal pinch, half-inch, nick.
his images have been appropriated by advertisers
plagiarize, copy; poach, steal, "borrow"; informal rip off.
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we are appropriating funds for these expenses
allocate, assign, allot, earmark, set aside, devote, apportion.
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approval

noun
their proposals went to the ministry for approval
acceptance, agreement, consent, assent, permission, leave, the nod; rubber stamp, sanction, endorsement, ratification, authorization, validation; support, backing; informal the go-ahead, the green light, the OK, the thumbs up.
Lily looked at him with approval
approbation, appreciation, favour, liking, admiration, regard, esteem, respect, praise.
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we will send you the goods on approval
trial, sale or return; Brit. informal appro.
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ANTONYMS :refusal, dislike.

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approve

verb
his boss doesn't approve of his lifestyle
agree with, hold with, endorse, support, back, uphold, subscribe to, recommend, advocate, be in favour of, favour, think well of, like, appreciate, take kindly to; be pleased with, admire, applaud, praise.
the government approved the proposals
accept, agree to, consent to, assent to, give one's blessing to, bless, rubber-stamp, give the nod; ratify, sanction, endorse, authorize, validate, pass; support, back; informal give the go-ahead, give the green light, give the OK, give the thumbs-up.
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ANTONYMS :condemn, refuse.

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approximate

adjective
all measurements are approximate
estimated, rough, imprecise, inexact, indefinite, broad, loose; N. Amer. informal ballpark. ANTONYMS :precise.

verb
this scenario probably approximates to the truth
be/come close to, be/come near to, approach, border on, verge on; resemble, be similar to, be not unlike.

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approximately

adverb
roughly, about, around, circa, round about, more or less, in the neighbourhood of, in the region of, of the order of, something like, give or take (a few); near to, close to, nearly, almost, approaching; Brit. getting on for; informal pushing; N. Amer. informal in the ballpark of. ANTONYMS :precisely.

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approximation

noun
the figure is only an approximation
estimate, estimation, guess, rough calculation; informal guesstimate; N. Amer. informal ballpark figure.
an approximation to the truth
semblance, resemblance, likeness, similarity, correspondence.
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appurtenances

plural noun
accessories, trappings, appendages, accoutrements, equipment, paraphernalia, impedimenta, bits and pieces, things; informal stuff.

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a priori

adjective
a priori reasoning
theoretical, deduced, deductive, inferred, postulated, suppositional; scientific. ANTONYMS :empirical.

adverb
the results cannot be predicted a priori
theoretically, deductively, scientifically.

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apron

noun
pinafore, overall; informal pinny.

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apropos

preposition
he was asked a question apropos his resignation
with reference to, with regard to, with respect to, regarding, concerning, on the subject of, connected with, about, re.
adjective
the word "conglomerate" was decidedly apropos
appropriate, pertinent, relevant, apposite, apt, applicable, suitable, germane, material. ANTONYMS :inappropriate.

apropos of nothing
irrelevantly, arbitrarily, at random, for no reason, illogically.

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apt

adjective
a very apt description of how I felt
suitable, fitting, appropriate, befitting, relevant, applicable, apposite; Brit. informal spot on.
they are apt to get a mite slipshod
inclined, given, likely, liable, disposed, predisposed, prone.
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an apt pupil
clever, quick, bright, sharp, smart, intelligent, able, gifted, adept, astute.
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ANTONYMS :inappropriate, unlikely, slow.

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aptitude

noun
talent, gift, flair, bent, skill, knack, facility, ability, capability, potential, capacity, faculty, genius.

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aquatic

adjective
marine, water, saltwater, freshwater, seawater, sea, oceanic, river; technical pelagic, thalassic.

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aqueduct

noun
conduit, race, channel, watercourse, sluice, sluiceway, spillway; bridge, viaduct.

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aquiline

adjective
hooked, curved, bent, angular; beak-like.

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arable

adjective
farmable, cultivable, cultivatable; fertile, productive, fecund.

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arbiter

noun
an arbiter between Moscow and Washington.
See arbitrator.
the great arbiter of fashion
authority, judge, controller, director; master, expert, pundit.
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arbitrary

adjective
an arbitrary decision
capricious, whimsical, random, chance, unpredictable; casual, wanton, unmotivated, motiveless, unreasoned, unsupported, irrational, illogical, groundless, unjustified.
the arbitrary power of a prince
autocratic, dictatorial, autarchic, undemocratic, despotic, tyrannical, authoritarian; absolute, uncontrolled, unlimited, unrestrained.
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ANTONYMS :reasoned, democratic.

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arbitrate

verb
adjudicate, judge, referee, umpire; mediate, conciliate, intervene, intercede; settle, decide, resolve, pass judgement.

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arbitration

noun
adjudication, judgement, arbitrament; mediation, mediatorship, conciliation, intervention, interposition.

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arbitrator

noun
adjudicator, arbiter, judge, referee, umpire; mediator, conciliator, intervenor, intercessor, go-between.

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arbour

noun
bower, alcove, grotto, recess, pergola, gazebo.

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arc

noun
the arc of a circle
curve, arch, crescent, semicircle, half-moon; curvature, convexity.
verb
I sent the ball arcing out over the river
curl, curve; arch.

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arcade

noun
a classical arcade
gallery, colonnade, cloister, loggia, portico, peristyle, stoa.
she went to a cafe in the arcade
(Brit.) shopping centre, shopping precinct; N. Amer. plaza, mall, shopping mall.
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arcane

adjective
mysterious, secret, covert, clandestine; enigmatic, esoteric, obscure, abstruse, recondite, recherché, impenetrable, opaque.

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arch 1

noun
a stone arch
archway, vault, span, dome.
the arch of his spine
curve, bow, bend, arc, curvature, convexity; hunch, crook.
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verb
she arched her eyebrows
curve, arc; raise.

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arch 2

adjective
an arch grin
mischievous, teasing, saucy, knowing, playful, roguish, impish, cheeky, tongue-in-cheek.

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arch-

combining form
his arch-enemy
chief, principal, foremost, leading, main, major, prime, premier, greatest; informal number-one. ANTONYMS :minor.

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archaic

adjective
obsolete, out of date, old-fashioned, outmoded, behind the times, bygone, anachronistic, antiquated, superannuated, antediluvian, olde worlde, old-fangled; ancient, old, extinct, defunct; informal out of the arc; poetic/literary of yore.ANTONYMS :modern.

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arched

adjective
vaulted, domed, curved, bowed; poetic/literary embowed.

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archer

noun
bowman. toxophily.

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archetypal

adjective
quintessential, classic, most typical, representative, model, exemplary, textbook, copybook; stock, stereotypical, prototypical. ANTONYMS :atypical.

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archetype

noun
quintessence, essence, typification, representative, model, embodiment, prototype, stereotype; original, pattern, standard, paradigm.

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architect

noun
the architect of Durham Cathedral
designer, planner, draughtsman.
the architect of the National Health Service
originator, author, creator, founder, (founding) father; engineer, inventor, mastermind; poetic/literary begetter.
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architecture

noun
modern architecture
building design, building style, planning, building, construction; formal architectonics.
the architecture of a computer system
structure, construction, organization, layout, design, build, anatomy, make-up; informal set-up.
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archive

noun
she delved into the family archives
records, annals, chronicles, accounts; papers, documents, files; history; Law muniments.
the National Sound Archive
record office, registry, repository, museum, chancery.
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verb
the videos are archived for future use
file, log, catalogue, document, record, register; store, cache.

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arctic

adjective
Arctic waters
polar, far northern; poetic/literary hyperborean; technical boreal.
arctic weather conditions
(bitterly) cold, wintry, freezing, frozen, icy, glacial, gelid, sub-zero, polar, Siberian.
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ANTONYMS :Antarctic, tropical.

noun
far north, North Pole, Arctic circle. ANTONYMS :Antarctic.

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ardent

adjective
passionate, fervent, zealous, wholehearted, vehement, intense, fierce; enthusiastic, keen, eager, avid, committed, dedicated. ANTONYMS :apathetic.

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ardour

noun
passion, fervour, zeal, vehemence, intensity, fire, emotion; enthusiasm, eagerness, gusto, keenness, dedication.

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arduous

adjective
onerous, taxing, difficult, hard, heavy, laborious, burdensome, strenuous, vigorous, back-breaking; demanding, tough, challenging, formidable; exhausting, tiring, punishing, gruelling; informal killing; Brit. informal knackering; archaic toilsome. ANTONYMS :easy.

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area

noun
an inner-city area
district, region, zone, sector, quarter; locality, locale, neighbourhood, parish, patch; tract, belt; informal neck of the woods; Brit. informal manor; N. Amer. informal turf.
specific areas of scientific knowledge
field, sphere, discipline, realm, domain, sector, province, territory, line.
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the dining area
section, space; place, room.
Top
the area of a circle
expanse, extent, size, scope, compass; dimensions, proportions.
Top

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arena

noun
an ice-hockey arena
stadium, amphitheatre, coliseum; ground, field, ring, rink, pitch, court; N. Amer. bowl, park; historical circus.
the political arena
scene, sphere, realm, province, domain, sector, forum, territory, world.
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argot

noun
jargon, slang, idiom, cant, parlance, vernacular, patois; dialect, speech, language; informal lingo.

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arguable

adjective
he had an arguable claim for asylum
tenable, defendable, defensible, supportable, sustainable, able to hold water; reasonable, viable, acceptable.
it is arguable whether these routes are worthwhile
debatable, questionable, open to question, controversial, contentious, doubtful, uncertain, moot.
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ANTONYMS :untenable, certain.

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arguably

adverb
possibly, conceivably, feasibly, plausibly, probably, maybe, perhaps.

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argue

verb
they argued that the government was to blame
contend, assert, maintain, insist, hold, claim, reason, swear, allege; Law depose; formal aver, represent, opine.
the children are always arguing
quarrel, disagree, row, squabble, fall out, bicker, fight, wrangle, dispute, feud, have words, cross swords, lock horns, be at each other's throats; informal argufy, spat; archaic altercate.
Top
it is hard to argue the point
dispute, debate, discuss, controvert.
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argument

noun
he had an argument with Tony
quarrel, disagreement, squabble, fight, dispute, wrangle, clash, altercation, feud, contretemps, disputation, falling-out; informal tiff, barney, slanging match; Brit. informal row.
arguments for the existence of God
reasoning, justification, explanation, rationalization; case, defence, vindication; evidence, reasons, grounds.
Top
(archaic) the argument of the book
theme, topic, subject matter; summary, synopsis, precis, gist, outline.
Top

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argumentative

adjective
quarrelsome, disputatious, captious, contrary, cantankerous, contentious; belligerent, bellicose, combative, antagonistic, truculent, pugnacious; rare oppugnant.

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arid

adjective
an arid landscape
dry, dried up, waterless, moistureless, parched, scorched, baked, thirsty, droughty, desert; barren, infertile.
this town has an arid, empty feel
dreary, dull, drab, dry, sterile, colourless, unstimulating, uninspiring, flat, boring, uninteresting, lifeless.
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ANTONYMS :wet, fertile, vibrant.

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aright

adverb
(dated) correctly, rightly, right, all right; accurately, properly, precisely, perfectly; informal OK.

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arise

verb
many problems arose
come to light, become apparent, appear, emerge, crop up, turn up, surface, spring up; occur; poetic/literary befall, come to pass.
injuries arising from defective products
result, proceed, follow, ensue, derive, stem, originate; be caused by.
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(formal) the beast arose
stand up, rise, get to one's feet, get up.
Top

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aristocracy

noun
nobility, peerage, gentry, upper class, ruling class, elite, high society, establishment, haut monde; aristocrats, lords, ladies, peers (of the realm), nobles, noblemen, noblewomen; informal upper crust, top drawer, aristos; Brit. informal nobs, toffs. ANTONYMS :working class.

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aristocrat

noun
nobleman, noblewoman, lord, lady, peer (of the realm), peeress, grandee; informal aristo; Brit. informal toff, nob. ANTONYMS :commoner.

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aristocratic

adjective
an aristocratic family
noble, titled, upper-class, blue-blooded, high-born, well born, elite; Brit. upmarket; informal upper crust, top drawer; Brit. informal posh; archaic gentle.
an aristocratic manner
refined, polished, courtly, dignified, decorous, gracious, fine, gentlemanly, ladylike; haughty, proud.
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ANTONYMS :working-class, vulgar.

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arm 1

noun
the arm of her jacket
sleeve.
an arm of the sea
inlet, creek, cove, fjord, bay, voe; estuary, firth, strait(s), sound, channel.
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the political arm of the group
branch, section, department, division, wing, sector, detachment, offshoot, extension.
Top
the long arm of the law
reach, power, authority, influence.
Top

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arm 2

verb
he armed himself with a revolver
equip, provide, supply, furnish, issue, fit out.
arm yourself against criticism
prepare, forearm, make ready, brace, steel, fortify.
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armada

noun
fleet, flotilla, squadron; poetic/literary navy.

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armaments

plural noun
arms, weapons, weaponry, firearms, guns, ordnance, artillery, munitions, materiel.

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armistice

noun
truce, ceasefire, peace, suspension of hostilities.

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armour

noun
protective covering, armour plate; historical chain mail, coat of mail, panoply.

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armoured

adjective
armour-plated, steel-plated, ironclad; bulletproof, bombproof; reinforced, toughened.

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armoury

noun
arsenal, arms depot, arms cache, ordnance depot, magazine, ammunition dump.

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arms

plural noun
the illegal export of arms
weapons, weaponry, firearms, guns, ordnance, artillery, armaments, munitions, materiel.
the family arms
crest, emblem, coat of arms, heraldic device, insignia, escutcheon, shield.
Top
heraldic.

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army

noun
the invading army
armed force, military force, land force, military, soldiery, infantry, militia; troops, soldiers; archaic host.
an army of tourists
crowd, swarm, multitude, horde, mob, gang, throng, mass, flock, herd, pack.
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military, martial.

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aroma

noun
smell, odour, fragrance, scent, perfume, bouquet, nose; poetic/literary redolence.

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aromatic

adjective
fragrant, scented, perfumed, fragranced, odoriferous; poetic/literary redolent.

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around

adverb
there were houses scattered around
on every side, on all sides, throughout, all over (the place), everywhere; about, here and there.
he turned around
in the opposite direction, to face the other way, backwards, to the rear.
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there was no one around
nearby, near, about, close by, close (at hand), at hand, in the vicinity, at close range.
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preposition
the palazzo is built around a courtyard
on all sides of, about, encircling, surrounding.
they drove around town
about, all over, in/to all parts of.
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around three miles
approximately, about, round about, circa, roughly, something like, more or less, in the region of, in the neighbourhood of, give or take (a few); nearly, close to, approaching; Brit. getting on for; N. Amer. informal in the ballpark of.
Top

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arouse

verb
they had aroused his suspicion
induce, prompt, trigger, stir up, bring out, kindle, fire, spark off, provoke, engender, cause, foster; poetic/literary enkindle.
his ability to arouse the masses
stir up, rouse, galvanize, excite, electrify, stimulate, inspire, inspirit, move, fire up, whip up, get going, inflame, agitate, goad, incite.
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his touch aroused her
excite, stimulate (sexually), titillate; informal turn on, get going, give a thrill to, light someone's fire.
Top
she was aroused from her sleep
wake (up), awaken, bring to/round, rouse; Brit. informal knock up; poetic/literary waken.
Top
ANTONYMS :allay, pacify, turn off.

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arraign

verb
he was arraigned for murder
indict, prosecute, put on trial, bring to trial, take to court, lay/file/prefer charges against, summons, cite; accuse of, charge with; N. Amer. impeach; informal do; archaic inculpate.
they bitterly arraigned the government
criticize, censure, attack, condemn, chastise, lambaste, rebuke, admonish, remonstrate with, take to task, berate, reproach; informal knock, slam, blast, lay into; Brit. informal slate, slag off; formal castigate, excoriate.
Top
ANTONYMS :acquit, praise.

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arrange

verb
she arranged the flowers
order, set out, lay out, array, position, dispose, present, display, exhibit; group, sort, organize, tidy.
they hoped to arrange a meeting
organize, fix (up), plan, schedule, pencil in, contrive, settle on, decide, determine, agree.
Top
he arranged the piece for a full orchestra
adapt, set, score, orchestrate, instrument.
Top

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arrangement

noun
the arrangement of the furniture
positioning, disposition, order, presentation, display; grouping, organization, alignment.
the arrangements for my trip
preparation, plan, provision; planning, groundwork.
Top
we had an arrangement
agreement, deal, understanding, bargain, settlement, pact, modus vivendi.
Top
an arrangement of Beethoven's symphonies
adaptation, orchestration, instrumentation.
Top

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arrant

adjective
what arrant nonsense!
utter, complete, total, absolute, downright, outright, thorough, out-and-out, sheer, pure, unmitigated, unqualified; blatant, flagrant; Brit. informal right.

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array

noun
a huge array of cars
range, collection, selection, assortment, diversity, variety; arrangement, assemblage, line-up, formation; display, exhibition, exposition.
she arrived in silken array
dress, attire, clothing, garb, garments; finery; formal apparel.
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verb
a buffet was arrayed on the table
arrange, assemble, group, order, range, place, position, set out, lay out, dispose; display.
he was arrayed in grey flannel
dress, attire, clothe, garb, deck (out), outfit, get up, turn out; archaic apparel, habit.
Top

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arrears

plural noun
rent arrears
money owing, outstanding payment(s), debt(s), liabilities, dues. ANTONYMS :credit.

in arrears
behind, behindhand, late, overdue, in the red, in debt.

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arrest

verb
police arrested him for murder
apprehend, take into custody, take prisoner, detain, put in jail; informal pick up, pull in, pinch, bust, nab, do, collar; Brit. informal nick.
the spread of the disease can be arrested
stop, halt, check, block, hinder, restrict, limit, inhibit, impede, curb; prevent, obstruct; poetic/literary stay.
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she tried to arrest his attention
attract, capture, catch, hold, engage; absorb, occupy, engross.
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ANTONYMS :release, start.

noun
a warrant for your arrest
detention, apprehension, seizure, capture.
a cardiac arrest
stoppage, halt, interruption.
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arresting

adjective
an arresting image
striking, eye-catching, conspicuous, engaging, impressive, imposing, spectacular, dramatic, breathtaking, dazzling, stunning, awe-inspiring; remarkable, outstanding, distinctive. ANTONYMS :inconspicuous.

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arrival

noun
they awaited Ruth's arrival
coming, appearance, entrance, entry, approach.
staff greeted the late arrivals
comer, entrant, incomer; visitor, caller, guest.
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the arrival of democracy
emergence, appearance, advent, coming, dawn, onset, inauguration, origin, birth.
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ANTONYMS :departure, end.

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arrive

verb
more police arrived
come, turn up, get here/there, make it, appear, enter, present oneself, come along, materialize; informal show (up), roll in/up, blow in, show one's face.
we arrived at his house
reach, get to, come to, make, make it to, gain, end up at; informal wind up at.
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they arrived at an agreement
reach, achieve, attain, gain, accomplish; work out, draw up, put together, strike, settle on; informal clinch.
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the wedding finally arrived
happen, occur, take place, come about; present itself, crop up; poetic/literary come to pass.
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quadraphony had arrived
emerge, appear, surface, dawn, be born, come into being, arise.
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(informal) their Rolls Royce proved that they had arrived
succeed, be a success, do well, reach the top, make good, prosper, thrive; informal make it, make one's mark, do all right for oneself.
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ANTONYMS :depart, leave.

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arriviste

noun
social climber, status seeker, would-be, self-seeker; upstart, parvenu(e), vulgarian; (arrivistes) nouveau riche, new money; informal go-getter.

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arrogant

adjective
haughty, conceited, self-important, egotistic, full of oneself, superior; overbearing, pompous, bumptious, imperious, overweening; proud, immodest; informal high and mighty, too big for one's boots, big-headed; rare hubristic. ANTONYMS :modest.

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arrogate

verb
assume, take, claim, appropriate, seize, expropriate, wrest, usurp, commandeer.

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arrow

noun
a bow and arrow
shaft, bolt, dart; historical quarrel.
the arrow pointed right
pointer, indicator, marker, needle.
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arsenal

noun
Britain's nuclear arsenal
weapons, weaponry, arms, armaments.
mutineers broke into the arsenal
armoury, arms depot, arms cache, ordnance depot, magazine, ammunition dump.
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arson

noun
incendiarism, pyromania; Brit. fire-raising.

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arsonist

noun
incendiary, pyromaniac; Brit. fire-raiser; informal firebug, pyro; N. Amer. informal torch.

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art

noun
he studied art
fine art, artwork, design.
the art of writing
skill, craft, technique, knack, facility, ability.
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she uses art to achieve her aims
cunning, artfulness, slyness, craftiness, guile; deceit, duplicity, artifice, wiles.
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artery

noun
the main arteries out of town
main road, trunk road, high road, highway.

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artful

adjective
sly, crafty, cunning, wily, scheming, devious, Machiavellian, sneaky, tricky, conniving, designing, calculating; canny, shrewd; deceitful, duplicitous, disingenuous, underhand; informal foxy, shifty; archaic subtle. ANTONYMS :ingenuous.

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article

noun
small household articles
object, thing, item, artefact, commodity, product.
an article in The Times
report, account, story, write-up, feature, item, piece (of writing), column, review, commentary.
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the crucial article of the treaty
clause, section, subsection, point, item, paragraph, division, subdivision, part, portion.
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articulate

adjective
an articulate speaker
eloquent, fluent, effective, persuasive, lucid, expressive, silver-tongued; intelligible, comprehensible, understandable. ANTONYMS :unintelligible.

verb
they were unable to articulate their emotions
express, voice, vocalize, put in words, communicate, state; air, ventilate, vent, pour out; utter, say, speak, enunciate, pronounce; informal come out with.

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articulated

adjective
hinged, jointed, segmented; technical articulate.

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artifice

noun
trickery, deceit, deception, duplicity, guile, cunning, artfulness, wiliness, craftiness, slyness, chicanery; fraud, fraudulence.

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artificial

adjective
artificial flowers
synthetic, fake, imitation, mock, ersatz, substitute, replica, reproduction; man-made, manufactured, fabricated; plastic; informal pretend.
an artificial smile
insincere, feigned, false, unnatural, contrived, put-on, exaggerated, forced, laboured, strained, hollow; informal pretend, phoney.
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ANTONYMS :natural, genuine.

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artillery

noun
ordnance, (big) guns, cannon(s), cannonry.

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artisan

noun
craftsman, craftswoman, craftsperson; skilled worker, technician; smith, wright, journeyman; archaic artificer.

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artist

noun
a Belfast mural artist
designer, creator, originator, producer; old master.
the surgeon is an artist with the knife
expert, master, maestro, past master, virtuoso, genius; informal pro, ace; Brit. informal dab hand.
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ANTONYMS :novice.

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artiste

noun
entertainer, performer, showman, artist; player, musician, singer, dancer, actor, actress; star.

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artistic

adjective
he's very artistic
creative, imaginative, inventive, expressive; sensitive, perceptive, discerning.
artistic dances
aesthetic, aesthetically pleasing, beautiful, attractive, fine; decorative, ornamental; tasteful, stylish, elegant, exquisite.
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ANTONYMS :unimaginative, inelegant.

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artistry

noun
creative skill, creativity, art, skill, talent, genius, brilliance, flair, proficiency, virtuosity, finesse, style; craftsmanship, workmanship.

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artless

adjective
natural, ingenuous, naive, simple, innocent, childlike, guileless; candid, open, sincere, unaffected. ANTONYMS :scheming.

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as

conjunction
she saw him as he disappeared
while, just as, even as, just when, at the time that, at the moment that.
we all felt as Frank did
in the (same) way that, the (same) way; informal like.
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do as you're told
what, that which.
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they were free, as the case had not been proved
because, since, seeing that/as, in view of the fact that, owing to the fact that; informal on account of; poetic/literary for.
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try as she did, she couldn't smile
though, although, even though, in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that, notwithstanding that, for all that, albeit, however.
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relatively short distances, as Paris to Lyons
such as, like, for instance, for example, e.g.
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I'm away a lot, as you know
which, a fact which.
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preposition
he was dressed as a policeman
like, in the guise of, so as to appear to be.
I'm speaking to you as your friend
in the role of, being, acting as.
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as for/as to
concerning, with respect to, on the subject of, in the matter of, as regards, with regard to, regarding, with reference to, re, in re, apropos, vis-à-vis. as it were
so to speak, in a manner of speaking, to some extent, so to say; informal sort of. as yet
so far, thus far, yet, still, up till now, up to now.

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ascend

verb
climb, go up/upwards, move up/upwards, rise (up); mount, scale, conquer; take to the air, take off. ANTONYMS :descend.

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ascendancy

noun
dominance, domination, supremacy, superiority, paramountcy, predominance, primacy, dominion, hegemony, authority, control, command, power, rule, sovereignty, lordship, leadership, influence. ANTONYMS :subordination.

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ascendant

adjective
rising (in power), on the rise, on the way up, up-and-coming, flourishing, prospering, burgeoning. ANTONYMS :declining.

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ascent

noun
the first ascent of the Matterhorn
climb, scaling, conquest.
a balloon ascent
rise, climb, launch, take-off, lift-off, blast-off.
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the ascent grew steeper
(upward) slope, incline, rise, upward gradient, inclination, acclivity.
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ANTONYMS :descent, drop.

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ascertain

verb
find out, discover, get to know, work out, make out, fathom (out), learn, deduce, divine, discern, see, understand, comprehend; establish, determine, verify, confirm; informal figure out; Brit. informal suss (out).

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ascetic

adjective
an ascetic life
austere, self-denying, abstinent, abstemious, self-disciplined, self-abnegating; simple, puritanical, monastic; reclusive, eremitic, hermitic; celibate, chaste. ANTONYMS :sybaritic.

noun
a desert ascetic
abstainer, puritan, recluse, hermit, solitary; fakir, Sufi, dervish, sadhu, muni; historical anchorite; archaic eremite. ANTONYMS :sybarite.

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ascribe

verb
attribute, assign, put down, accredit, credit, chalk up, impute; blame on, lay at the door of; connect with, associate with.

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ash

noun
cinders, ashes, clinker.

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ashamed

adjective
the poor are made to feel ashamed
sorry, shamefaced, abashed, sheepish, guilty, contrite, remorseful, repentant, penitent, regretful, rueful, apologetic; embarrassed, mortified.
he was ashamed to admit it
reluctant, loath, unwilling, disinclined, indisposed, afraid.
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ANTONYMS :proud, pleased.

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ashen

adjective
pale, wan, pasty, grey, colourless, pallid, white, waxen, ghostly, bloodless.

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ashore

adverb
on to (the) land, on to the shore; shorewards, landwards; on the shore, on (dry) land.

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aside

adverb
they stood aside
to one side, to the side, on one side; apart, away, separately.
that aside, he seemed a nice man
apart, notwithstanding.
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noun
"Her parents died," said Mrs Manton in an aside
whispered remark, confidential remark, stage whisper; digression, incidental remark, obiter dictum, deviation.
aside from
apart from, besides, in addition to, not counting, barring, other than, but (for), excluding, not including, except (for), excepting, leaving out, save (for).

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asinine

adjective
foolish, stupid, brainless, mindless, senseless, idiotic, imbecilic, ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, nonsensical, fatuous, silly, inane, witless, empty-headed; informal half-witted, dumb, moronic; Brit. informal daft; Scottish & N. English informal glaikit. ANTONYMS :intelligent, sensible.

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ask

verb
he asked what time we opened
enquire, query, want to know; question, interrogate, quiz.
they want to ask a few questions
put (forward), pose, raise, submit.
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don't be afraid to ask for advice
request, demand; solicit, seek, crave, apply, petition, call, appeal, sue.
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let's ask them to dinner
invite, bid, summon, have someone over/round.
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ANTONYMS :answer.

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askance

adverb
they look askance at anything foreign
suspiciously, sceptically, cynically, mistrustfully, distrustfully, doubtfully, dubiously; disapprovingly, contemptuously, scornfully, disdainfully. ANTONYMS :approvingly.

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askew

adjective
crooked, lopsided, tilted, angled, at an angle, skew, skewed, slanted, aslant, awry, squint, out of true, to/on one side, uneven, off centre, asymmetrical; informal cock-eyed, wonky; Brit. informal skew-whiff. ANTONYMS :straight.

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asleep

adjective
she was asleep in bed
sleeping, in a deep sleep, napping, catnapping, dozing, drowsing; informal snoozing, dead to the world; Brit. informal kipping; humorous in the land of Nod; poetic/literary slumbering.
my leg's asleep
numb, with no feeling, numbed, benumbed, dead, insensible, insensate, unfeeling.
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ANTONYMS :awake.

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aspect

noun
the photos depict every aspect of life
feature, facet, side, characteristic, particular, detail; angle, slant.
his face had a sinister aspect
appearance, look, air, cast, mien, demeanour, expression; atmosphere, mood, quality, ambience, feeling.
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a summer house with a southern aspect
outlook, view, exposure; situation, position, location.
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the front aspect of the hotel
face, elevation, facade, side.
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asperity

noun
harshness, sharpness, abrasiveness, severity, acerbity, astringency, tartness, sarcasm.

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aspersions

plural noun
vilification, disparagement, denigration, defamation, condemnation, criticism, denunciation, slander, libel, calumny; slurs, smears, insults, slights; informal mud-slinging, bad-mouthing; Brit. informal slagging off; formal castigation.
cast aspersions on
vilify, disparage, denigrate, defame, run down, impugn, belittle, criticize, condemn, decry, denounce, pillory; malign, slander, libel, discredit; informal pull apart, throw mud at, knock, bad-mouth; Brit. informal rubbish, slate, slag off.

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asphyxiate

verb
choke (to death), suffocate, smother, stifle; throttle, strangle.

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aspiration

noun
desire, hope, dream, wish, longing, yearning; aim, ambition, expectation, goal, target.

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aspire

verb
desire, hope, dream, long, yearn, set one's heart on, wish, want, be desirous of; aim, seek, pursue, set one's sights on.

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aspiring

adjective
would-be, aspirant, hopeful, budding; potential, prospective, future; ambitious, determined; informal wannabe.

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ass

noun
he rode on an ass
donkey, jackass, jenny; Scottish cuddy; Brit. informal moke, neddy.
(informal) don't be a silly ass
fool, idiot, dolt, simpleton, imbecile; informal ninny, nincompoop, dimwit, donkey, chump, halfwit, dum-dum, loon, jackass, cretin, jerk, nerd, fathead, blockhead, numbskull, dunce, dipstick, lamebrain, pea-brain, thickhead, woodenhead, pinhead, airhead, birdbrain; Brit. informal nitwit, twit, clot, plonker, berk, prat, pillock, wally, twerp, charlie; Scottish informal nyaff, balloon, gowk; N. Amer. informal schmuck, bozo, turkey, goofball, putz, wiener, weeny; Austral./NZ informal drongo, galah; dated tomfool, muttonhead.
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assail

verb
the army moved in to assail the enemy
attack, assault, pounce on, set upon/about, fall on, charge, rush, storm; informal lay into, tear into, pitch into.
she was assailed by doubts
plague, torment, rack, beset, dog, trouble, disturb, worry, bedevil, nag, vex.
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critics assailed the policy
criticize, censure, attack, condemn, pillory, revile; informal knock, slam; Brit. informal slate, slag off; formal castigate.
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assailant

noun
attacker, mugger, assaulter; rare assailer.

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assassin

noun
murderer, killer, gunman; executioner; informal hit man, hired gun; poetic/literary slayer; dated homicide.

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assassinate

verb
murder, kill, slaughter; eliminate, execute; N. Amer. terminate; informal hit; poetic/literary slay.

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assassination

noun
murder, killing, slaughter, homicide; political execution, elimination; N. Amer. termination; informal hit; poetic/literary slaying.

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assault

verb
he assaulted a police officer
attack, hit, strike, punch, beat up, thump; pummel, pound, batter; informal clout, wallop, belt, clobber, bop, biff, sock, deck, slug, plug, lay into, do over, rough up; Austral. informal quilt; poetic/literary smite.
they left to assault the hill
attack, assail, pounce on, set upon, strike, fall on, swoop on, rush, storm, besiege.
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he first assaulted then murdered her
rape, sexually assault, molest, interfere with.
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noun
he was charged with assault
battery, violence; sexual assault, rape; Brit. grievous bodily harm, GBH, actual bodily harm, ABH.
an assault on the city
attack, strike, onslaught, offensive, charge, push, thrust, invasion, bombardment, sortie, incursion, raid, blitz, campaign.
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assay

noun
new plate was brought for assay
evaluation, assessment, appraisal, analysis, examination, tests, inspection, scrutiny.
verb
gold is assayed to determine its purity
evaluate, assess, appraise, analyse, examine, test, inspect, scrutinize, probe.

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assemblage

noun
collection, accumulation, conglomeration, gathering, group, grouping, cluster, aggregation, mass, number; assortment, selection, array.

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assemble

verb
a crowd had assembled
gather, collect, get together, congregate, convene, meet, muster, rally; formal foregather.
he assembled the suspects
bring/call together, gather, collect, round up, marshal, muster, summon; formal convoke.
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how to assemble the kite
construct, build, fabricate, manufacture, erect, set up, put/piece together, connect, join.
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ANTONYMS :disperse, dismantle.

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assembly

noun
an assembly of dockers
gathering, meeting, congregation, convention, rally, convocation, assemblage, group, body, crowd, throng, company; informal get-together.
the labour needed in car assembly
construction, manufacture, building, fabrication, erection.
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assent

noun
they are likely to give their assent
agreement, acceptance, approval, approbation, consent, acquiescence, compliance, concurrence, the nod; sanction, endorsement, confirmation; permission, leave, blessing; informal the go-ahead, the green light, the OK, the thumbs up. ANTONYMS :dissent, refusal.

verb
he assented to the change
agree to, accept, approve, consent to, acquiesce in, concur in, give one's blessing to, give the nod; sanction, endorse, confirm; informal give the go-ahead, give the green light, give the OK, OK, give the thumbs up; formal accede to. ANTONYMS :refuse.

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assert

verb
they asserted that all aboard were safe
declare, maintain, contend, argue, state, claim, propound, proclaim, announce, pronounce, swear, insist, avow; formal aver, opine; rare asseverate.
we find it difficult to assert our rights
insist on, stand up for, uphold, defend, contend, establish, press/push for, stress.
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assert oneself
behave/speak confidently, be assertive, put oneself forward, make one's presence felt; informal put one's foot down.

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assertion

noun
I questioned his assertion
declaration, contention, statement, claim, opinion, proclamation, announcement, pronouncement, protestation, avowal; formal averment; rare asseveration.
an assertion of the right to march
defence, upholding; insistence on.
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assertive

adjective
confident, self-confident, bold, decisive, assured, self-assured, self-possessed; authoritative, strong-willed, forceful, insistent, determined, commanding, pushy; informal feisty; dated pushful. ANTONYMS :timid.

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assess

verb
the committee's power is hard to assess
evaluate, judge, gauge, rate, estimate, appraise, get the measure of, determine, weigh up, analyse; informal size up.
the damage was assessed at £5 billion
value, calculate, work out, determine, fix, cost, price, estimate.
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assessment

noun
a teacher's assessment of the pupil's abilities
evaluation, judgement, rating, estimation, appraisal, analysis, opinion.
some assessments valued the estate at £2 million
valuation, calculation, costing, pricing, estimate.
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asset

noun
he sees his age as an asset
benefit, advantage, blessing, good point, strong point, strength, forte, virtue, recommendation, attraction, resource, boon, merit, bonus, plus, pro.
the seizure of all their assets
property, resources, estate, holdings, possessions, effects, goods, valuables, belongings, chattels.
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ANTONYMS :liability.

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assiduous

adjective
diligent, careful, meticulous, thorough, sedulous, attentive, conscientious, punctilious, painstaking, rigorous, particular; persevering.

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assign

verb
a young doctor was assigned the task
allocate, allot, give, set; charge with, entrust with.
she was assigned to a new post
appoint, promote, delegate, commission, post, co-opt; select for, choose for, install in; Military detail.
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we assign large sums of money to travel budgets
earmark, designate, set aside, reserve, appropriate, allot, allocate, apportion.
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he assigned the opinion to the Prince
ascribe, attribute, put down, accredit, credit, chalk up, impute; pin on, lay at the door of.
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he may assign the money to a third party
transfer, make over, give, pass, hand over/down, convey, consign; Law attorn, devise.
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assignation

noun
rendezvous, date, appointment, meeting; poetic/literary tryst.

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assignment

noun
I'm going to finish this assignment tonight
task, piece of work, job, duty, chore, mission, errand, undertaking, exercise, business, endeavour, enterprise; project, homework.
the assignment of tasks
allocation, allotment, issuance, designation; sharing out, apportionment, distribution, handing out, dispensation.
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the assignment of property
transfer, making over, giving, hand down, consignment; Law conveyance, devise, attornment.
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assimilate

verb
the amount of information he can assimilate
absorb, take in, acquire, pick up, grasp, comprehend, understand, learn, master; digest, ingest.
many tribes were assimilated by Turkic peoples
subsume, incorporate, integrate, absorb, engulf, acculturate; co-opt, adopt, embrace, admit.
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assist

verb
I spend my time assisting the chef
help, aid, abet, lend a (helping) hand to, oblige, accommodate, serve; collaborate with, work with; support, back (up), second; informal pitch in with; Brit. informal muck in with.
the exchange rates assisted the firm's expansion
facilitate, aid, ease, expedite, spur, promote, boost, benefit, foster, encourage, stimulate, precipitate, accelerate, advance, further, forward.
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ANTONYMS :hinder, impede.

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assistance

noun
help, aid, support, backing, reinforcement, succour, relief, intervention, cooperation, collaboration; a (helping) hand, a good turn; informal a break, a leg up. ANTONYMS :hindrance.

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assistant

noun
a photographer's assistant
subordinate, deputy, second (in command), number two, right-hand man/woman, aide, personal assistant, PA, attendant, mate, apprentice, junior, auxiliary; hired hand, hired help, helper, man/girl Friday; informal sidekick, gofer; Brit. informal dogsbody, skivvy.
an assistant in the local shop
sales assistant, salesperson, saleswoman/girl, salesman, server, checkout operator; seller, vendor; N. Amer. clerk; informal counter-jumper; dated shop boy/girl.
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associate

verb
the colours that we associate with fire
link, connect, relate, identify, equate, bracket, set side by side.
I was forced to associate with them
mix, keep company, mingle, socialize, go around, rub shoulders, fraternize, consort, have dealings; N. Amer. rub elbows; informal hobnob, hang out/around/round, be thick with; Brit. informal hang about.
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the firm is associated with a local charity
affiliate, align, connect, join, attach, team up, be in league, ally; merge, integrate, confederate.
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noun
his business associate
partner, colleague, co-worker, workmate, comrade, ally, confederate; connection, contact, acquaintance; collaborator, partner; informal crony; Brit. informal oppo; Austral./NZ informal offsider.

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associated

adjective
salaries and associated costs
related, connected, linked, correlated, similar, corresponding; attendant, accompanying, incidental.
their associated company
affiliated, allied, integrated, amalgamated, federated, confederated, syndicated, connected, related.
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ANTONYMS :unrelated.

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association

noun
a trade association
alliance, consortium, coalition, union, league, guild, syndicate, federation, confederation, confederacy, conglomerate, cooperative, partnership, affiliation.
the association between man and environment
relationship, relation, interrelation, connection, interconnection, link, bond, union, tie, attachment, interdependence, affiliation.
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assorted

adjective
various, miscellaneous, mixed, varied, varying, diverse, eclectic, multifarious, sundry; poetic/literary divers.

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assortment

noun
mixture, variety, array, mixed bag, mix, miscellany, selection, medley, diversity, ragbag, pot-pourri, salmagundi, farrago, gallimaufry, omnium gatherum.

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assuage

verb
a pain that could never be assuaged
relieve, ease, alleviate, soothe, mitigate, allay, palliate, abate, suppress, subdue, tranquillize; moderate, lessen, diminish, reduce.
her hunger was quickly assuaged
satisfy, gratify, appease, fulfil, indulge, relieve, slake, sate, satiate, quench, check.
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ANTONYMS :aggravate, intensify.

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assume

verb
I assumed he wanted me to keep the book
presume, suppose, take it (as given), take for granted, take as read, conjecture, surmise, conclude, deduce, infer, reckon, reason, think, fancy, believe, understand, gather; N. Amer. figure; archaic ween.
he assumed a Southern accent
affect, adopt, impersonate, put on, simulate, feign, fake.
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the disease may assume epidemic proportions
acquire, take on, come to have.
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they are to assume more responsibility
accept, shoulder, bear, undertake, take on/up, manage, handle, deal with.
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he assumed control of their finances
seize, take (over), appropriate, commandeer, expropriate, hijack, wrest, usurp.
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assumed

adjective
false, fictitious, invented, made-up, fake, bogus, sham, spurious, make-believe, improvised, adopted; informal pretend, phoney; Brit. informal cod. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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assumption

noun
an informed assumption
supposition, presumption, belief, expectation, conjecture, speculation, surmise, guess, premise, hypothesis; conclusion, deduction, inference, notion, impression.
her assumption of ease
pretence, simulation, affectation.
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the early assumption of community obligation
acceptance, shouldering, tackling, undertaking.
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the assumption of power by revolutionaries
seizure, arrogation, appropriation, expropriation, commandeering, confiscation, hijacking, wresting.
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assurance

noun
her calm assurance
self-confidence, confidence, self-assurance, self-possession, nerve, poise, aplomb, level-headedness; calmness, composure, sangfroid, equanimity; informal cool, unflappability.
you have my assurance
word (of honour), promise, pledge, vow, avowal, oath, bond, undertaking, guarantee, commitment.
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there is no assurance of getting one's money back
guarantee, certainty, certitude, surety, confidence, expectation.
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life assurance
insurance, indemnity, indemnification, protection, security, cover.
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ANTONYMS :self-doubt, uncertainty.

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assure

verb
we must assure him of our loyal support
reassure, convince, satisfy, persuade, guarantee, promise, tell; affirm, pledge, swear, vow.
he wants to assure a favourable vote
ensure, secure, guarantee, seal, clinch, confirm; informal sew up.
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they guarantee to assure your life
insure, provide insurance, cover, indemnify.
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assured

adjective
an assured voice
confident, self-confident, self-assured, self-possessed, poised, phlegmatic, level-headed; calm, composed, equanimous, imperturbable, unruffled; informal unflappable, together.
an assured supply of weapons
guaranteed, certain, sure, secure, reliable, dependable, sound; infallible, unfailing; informal sure-fire.
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ANTONYMS :doubtful, uncertain.

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astonish

verb
amaze, astound, stagger, surprise, startle, stun, confound, dumbfound, stupefy, daze, nonplus, take aback, leave open-mouthed, leave aghast; informal flabbergast, bowl over; Brit. informal knock for six.

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astonished

adjective
amazed, astounded, staggered, surprised, startled, stunned, thunderstruck, aghast, taken aback, dumbfounded, dumbstruck, stupefied, dazed, nonplussed, awestruck; informal flabbergasted; Brit. informal gobsmacked.

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astonishing

adjective
amazing, astounding, staggering, surprising, breathtaking; remarkable, extraordinary, incredible, unbelievable, phenomenal; informal mind-boggling.

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astonishment

noun
amazement, surprise, stupefaction, incredulity, disbelief, speechlessness, awe, wonder.

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astound

verb
amaze, astonish, stagger, surprise, startle, stun, confound, dumbfound, stupefy, daze, nonplus, take aback, leave open-mouthed, leave aghast; informal flabbergast, bowl over; Brit. informal knock for six.

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astounding

adjective
amazing, astonishing, staggering, surprising, breathtaking, remarkable, extraordinary, incredible, unbelievable, phenomenal; informal mind-boggling.

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astray

adverb
the shots went astray
off target, wide of the mark, awry, off course.
the older boys lead him astray
into wrongdoing, into sin, into iniquity, away from the straight and narrow.
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astringent

adjective
the lotion has an astringent effect on pores
constricting, constrictive, contracting; styptic.
her astringent words
severe, sharp, stern, harsh, acerbic, acidulous, caustic, mordant, trenchant; scathing, cutting, incisive, waspish; N. Amer. acerb.
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astrology

noun
horoscopy; horoscopes; rare astromancy.

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astronaut

noun
spaceman/woman, cosmonaut, space traveller, space cadet; N. Amer. informal jock.

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astronomical

adjective
astronomical alignments
planetary, stellar; celestial.
(informal) the sums he has paid are astronomical
huge, enormous, very large, prodigious, monumental, colossal, vast, gigantic, massive; substantial, considerable, sizeable, hefty; inordinate; informal astronomic, whopping, humongous; Brit. informal ginormous.
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ANTONYMS :tiny.

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astute

adjective
shrewd, sharp, acute, quick, clever, intelligent, bright, smart, canny, intuitive, perceptive, insightful, incisive, sagacious, wise; informal on the ball, quick on the uptake, savvy; Brit. informal suss; N. Amer. informal heads-up; rare argute. ANTONYMS :stupid.

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asunder

adverb
(poetic/literary) the fabric of society may be torn asunder
apart, up, in two; to pieces, to shreds.

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asylum

noun
he appealed for political asylum
refuge, sanctuary, shelter, safety, protection, security, immunity; a safe haven.
his father was confined to an asylum
psychiatric hospital, mental hospital, mental institution, mental asylum; informal madhouse, loony bin, funny farm; N. Amer. informal bughouse; dated lunatic asylum; archaic bedlam.
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asymmetrical

adjective
lopsided, unsymmetrical, uneven, unbalanced, crooked, awry, askew, skew, squint, misaligned; disproportionate, unequal, irregular; informal cock-eyed; Brit. informal skew-whiff, wonky.

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atheism

noun
non-belief, disbelief, unbelief, scepticism, doubt, agnosticism; nihilism.

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atheist

noun
non-believer, disbeliever, unbeliever, sceptic, doubter, doubting Thomas, agnostic; nihilist; rare nullifidian. ANTONYMS :believer.

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athlete

noun
sportsman, sportswoman, sportsperson; Olympian; runner; N. Amer. informal jock.

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athletic

adjective
his athletic physique
muscular, muscly, sturdy, strapping, well built, strong, powerful, robust, able-bodied, vigorous, hardy, lusty, hearty, brawny, burly, broad-shouldered, Herculean; fit, in good shape, in trim; informal sporty, husky, hunky, beefy; poetic/literary thewy, stark.
athletic events
sporting, sports; Olympic.
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ANTONYMS :puny.

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athletics

plural noun
track and field events, sporting events, sports, games, races; contests.

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atmosphere

noun
the gases present in the atmosphere
air, aerospace; sky; poetic/literary the heavens, the firmament, the blue, the azure, the ether.
the hotel has a relaxed atmosphere
ambience, air, mood, feel, feeling, character, tone, tenor, aura, quality, undercurrent, flavour; informal vibe.
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atom

noun
they build tiny circuits atom by atom
particle, molecule, bit, piece, fragment, fraction.
there wasn't an atom of truth in the allegations
grain, iota, jot, whit, mite, scrap, shred, ounce, scintilla; Irish stim; informal smidgen.
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atone

verb
make amends, make reparation, make up for, compensate, pay, recompense, expiate, make good, offset; do penance.

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atrocious

adjective
atrocious cruelties
brutal, barbaric, barbarous, savage, vicious; wicked, cruel, nasty, heinous, monstrous, vile, inhuman, black-hearted, fiendish, ghastly, horrible; abominable, outrageous, hateful, disgusting, despicable, contemptible, loathsome, odious, abhorrent, sickening, horrifying, unspeakable, execrable, egregious.
the weather was atrocious
appalling, dreadful, terrible, very bad, unpleasant, miserable; informal abysmal, dire, rotten, lousy, God-awful; Brit. informal shocking, chronic.
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ANTONYMS :admirable, superb.

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atrocity

noun
press reports detailed a number of atrocities
abomination, cruelty, enormity, outrage, horror, monstrosity, obscenity, violation, crime, abuse.
conflict and atrocity around the globe
barbarity, barbarism, brutality, savagery, inhumanity, cruelty, wickedness, evil, iniquity, horror.
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atrophy

verb
muscles atrophy in microgravity
waste away, become emaciated, wither, shrivel (up), shrink; decay, decline, deteriorate, degenerate, weaken.
the Labour campaign atrophied
dwindle, deteriorate, decline, wane, fade, peter out, crumble, disintegrate, collapse, slump, go downhill.
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ANTONYMS :strengthen, flourish.

noun
muscular atrophy
wasting, emaciation, withering, shrivelling, shrinking; decay, decline, deterioration, degeneration, weakening, debilitation, enfeeblement. ANTONYMS :strengthening.

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attach

verb
a lead weight is attached to the cord
fasten, fix, affix, join, connect, link, secure, make fast, tie, bind, chain; stick, adhere, glue, fuse; append.
he attached himself to the Liberal Party
affiliate, associate, align, ally, unite, integrate, join; be in league with, form an alliance with.
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they attached importance to research
ascribe, assign, attribute, accredit, impute.
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the medical officer attached to HQ
assign, appoint, allocate, second; Military detail.
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ANTONYMS :detach, separate.

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attached

adjective
I'm not interested in you I'm attached
married, engaged, promised in marriage; going out, spoken for, involved; informal hitched, spliced, shackled, going steady; dated betrothed; formal wed, wedded; poetic/literary affianced; archaic espoused.
she was very attached to her brother
fond of, devoted to; informal mad about, crazy about.
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ANTONYMS :single.

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attachment

noun
he has a strong attachment to his mother
bond, closeness, devotion, loyalty; fondness for, love for, affection for, feeling for; relationship with.
the shower had a massage attachment
accessory, fitting, fitment, extension, add-on, appendage.
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the attachment of safety restraints
fixing, fastening, linking, coupling, connection.
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he was on attachment from another regiment
assignment, appointment, secondment, transfer; Military detail.
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his family's Conservative attachment
affiliation, association, alliance, alignment, connection; links, ties, sympathies.
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attack

verb
Chris had been brutally attacked
assault, assail, set upon, beat up; batter, pummel, punch; N. Amer. beat up on; informal do over, work over, rough up; Brit. informal duff up.
the French had still not attacked
strike, charge, pounce; bombard, shell, blitz, strafe, fire.
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the clergy attacked government policies
criticize, censure, condemn, pillory, savage, revile, vilify; informal knock, slam, bash, lay into; Brit. informal slate, slag off, rubbish; N. Amer. informal pummel.
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they have to attack the problem soon
address, attend to, deal with, confront, apply oneself to, get to work on, undertake, embark on; informal get stuck into, get cracking on, get weaving on.
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the virus attacks the liver
affect, have an effect on, strike; infect, damage, injure.
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ANTONYMS :defend, praise, protect.

noun
an attack on their home
assault, onslaught, offensive, strike, blitz, raid, charge, rush, invasion, incursion.
she wrote a hostile attack on him
criticism, censure, rebuke, admonishment, reprimand, reproval; condemnation, denunciation, revilement, vilification; tirade, diatribe, polemic; informal roasting, caning; Brit. informal slating, rollicking, blast.
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an asthmatic attack
fit, seizure, spasm, convulsion, paroxysm, outburst, bout.
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ANTONYMS :defence, commendation.

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attacker

noun
assailant, assaulter, aggressor; mugger, rapist, killer, murderer.

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attain

verb
achieve, accomplish, reach, obtain, gain, procure, secure, get, hook, net, win, earn, acquire; realize, fulfil; informal clinch, bag, wrap up.

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attainable

adjective
achievable, obtainable, accessible, within reach, securable, realizable; practicable, workable, realistic, reasonable, viable, feasible, possible; informal doable, get-at-able.

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attainment

noun
the attainment of common goals
achievement, accomplishment, realization, fulfilment, completion; formal effectuation, reification.
educational attainment
achievement, accomplishment, proficiency, competence; qualification; skill, aptitude, ability.
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attempt

verb
I attempted to answer the question
try, strive, aim, venture, endeavour, seek, undertake, make an effort; have a go at, try one's hand at; informal go all out, bend over backwards, bust a gut, have a crack at, have a shot at, have a stab at; formal essay; archaic assay.
noun
an attempt to put the economy to rights
effort, endeavour, try, venture, trial; informal crack, go, shot, stab; formal essay; archaic assay.

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attend

verb
they attended a carol service
be present at, sit in on, take part in; appear at, present oneself at, turn up at, visit, go to; informal show up at, show one's face at.
he had not attended to the regulations
pay attention, pay heed, be attentive, listen; concentrate, take note, bear in mind, take into consideration, heed, observe, mark.
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the wounded were attended to nearby
care for, look after, minister to, see to; tend, treat, nurse, help, aid, assist, succour; informal doctor.
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he attended to the boy's education
deal with, see to, manage, organize, sort out, handle, take care of, take charge of, take in hand, tackle.
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the queen was attended by an usher
escort, accompany, chaperone, squire, guide, lead, conduct, usher, shepherd; assist, help, serve, wait on.
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her giddiness was attended with a fever
be accompanied by, occur with, coexist with, be associated with, connected with, be linked with; be produced by, originate from/in, stem from, result from, arise from.
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ANTONYMS :miss, disregard, ignore, neglect.

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attendance

noun
you requested the attendance of a doctor
presence, appearance; attention.
their gig attendances grew
audience, turnout, house, gate; crowd, congregation, gathering; Austral. informal muster.
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ANTONYMS :absence.

in attendance
present, here, there, near, nearby, at hand, available; assisting, supervising.

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attendant

noun
a sleeping car attendant
steward, waiter, waitress, garçon, porter, servant; N. Amer. waitperson.
a royal attendant
escort, companion, retainer, aide, lady in waiting, equerry, chaperone; servant, manservant, valet, gentleman's gentleman, maidservant, maid; N. Amer. houseman; Brit. informal skivvy; Military, dated batman.
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adjective
new discoveries and the attendant excitement
accompanying, associated, related, connected, concomitant; resultant, resulting, consequent.

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attention

noun
the issue needs further attention
consideration, contemplation, deliberation, thought, study, observation, scrutiny, investigation, action.
he tried to attract the attention of a policeman
awareness, notice, observation, heed, regard, scrutiny, surveillance.
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adequate medical attention
care, treatment, ministration, succour, relief, aid, help, assistance.
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he was effusive in his attentions
overtures, approaches, suit, wooing, courting; compliments, flattery.
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attentive

adjective
a bright and attentive scholar
perceptive, observant, alert, acute, aware, heedful, vigilant; intent, focused, committed, studious, diligent, conscientious, earnest; informal not missing a trick, on the ball.
the most attentive of husbands
conscientious, considerate, thoughtful, kind, caring, solicitous, understanding, sympathetic, obliging, accommodating, gallant, chivalrous; dutiful, responsible.
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ANTONYMS :inconsiderate.

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attenuated

adjective
attenuated fingers
thin, slender, narrow, slim, skinny, spindly, bony; poetic/literary extenuated; rare attenuate.
his muscle activity was much attenuated
weakened, reduced, lessened, decreased, diminished, impaired.
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ANTONYMS :plump, broad, strengthened.

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attest

verb
certify, corroborate, confirm, verify, substantiate, authenticate, evidence, demonstrate, show, prove; endorse, support, affirm, bear out, give credence to, vouch for; formal evince. ANTONYMS :disprove.

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attic

noun
loft, roof space, cock loft; garret, mansard.

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attire

noun
Thomas preferred formal attire
clothing, clothes, garments, dress, wear, outfits, garb, costume; informal gear, togs, duds, get-up; Brit. informal clobber; N. Amer. informal threads; formal apparel; archaic raiment, habiliments.
verb
she was attired in black crêpe
dress (up), clothe, garb, robe, array, costume, swathe, deck (out), turn out, fit out, trick out/up, rig out; informal get up; archaic apparel, invest, habit.

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attitude

noun
you seem ambivalent in your attitude
view, viewpoint, outlook, perspective, stance, standpoint, position, inclination, orientation, approach, reaction; opinion, ideas, convictions, feelings, thinking.
an attitude of prayer
position, posture, pose, stance.
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attorney

noun
lawyer, legal practitioner, legal executive, legal representative, member of the bar, counsel; Brit. barrister, Queen's counsel, QC; Scottish advocate; N. Amer. counselor(-at-law); informal brief.

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attract

verb
positive ions are attracted to the negatively charged terminal
draw, pull, magnetize.
he was attracted by her smile
entice, allure, lure, tempt, charm, win over, woo, engage, enchant, entrance, captivate, beguile, bewitch, seduce; excite, titillate, arouse; informal turn on.
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ANTONYMS :repel.

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attraction

noun
the stars are held together by gravitational attraction
pull, draw; magnetism.
she had lost whatever attraction she had ever had
appeal, attractiveness, desirability, seductiveness, seduction, allure, animal magnetism; charisma, charm, beauty, good looks; informal come-on.
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the fair offers sideshows and other attractions
entertainment, activity, diversion, interest.
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ANTONYMS :repulsion.

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attractive

adjective
a more attractive career
appealing, inviting, tempting, irresistible; agreeable, pleasing, interesting.
she has no idea how attractive she is
good-looking, beautiful, pretty, handsome, lovely, stunning, striking, arresting, gorgeous, prepossessing, fetching, captivating, bewitching, beguiling, engaging, charming, enchanting, appealing, delightful; sexy, seductive, alluring, tantalizing, irresistible, ravishing, desirable; Scottish & N. English bonny; informal fanciable, tasty, hot, easy on the eye, drop-dead gorgeous; Brit. informal fit; N. Amer. informal cute, foxy; Austral./NZ informal spunky; poetic/literary beauteous; archaic comely, fair.
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ANTONYMS :uninviting, ugly.

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attribute

verb
they attributed their success to him
ascribe, assign, accredit, credit, impute; put down, chalk up, hold responsible, pin on; connect with, associate with.
noun
he has all the attributes of a top player
quality, characteristic, trait, feature, element, aspect, property, sign, hallmark, mark, distinction.
the hourglass is the attribute of Father Time
symbol, mark, sign, hallmark, trademark.
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attrition

noun
a gradual attrition of the market economy
wearing down/away, weakening, debilitation, enfeebling, sapping, attenuation.
the attrition of the edges of the teeth
abrasion, friction, erosion, corrosion, grinding, wearing (away); deterioration, damaging; rare detrition.
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attune

verb
accustom, adjust, adapt, acclimatize, condition, accommodate, assimilate; N. Amer. acclimate.

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atypical

adjective
unusual, untypical, uncommon, unconventional, unorthodox, irregular, abnormal, aberrant, deviant, unrepresentative; strange, odd, peculiar, bizarre, weird, queer, freakish; exceptional, singular, rare, out of the way, out of the ordinary, extraordinary; Brit. out of the common; informal funny, freaky. ANTONYMS :normal.

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auburn

adjective
reddish-brown, red-brown, Titian (red), tawny, russet, chestnut, copper, coppery, rufous.

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au courant

adjective
up to date, au fait, in touch, familiar, at home, acquainted, conversant; abreast, apprised, in the know, well informed, knowledgeable, well versed, enlightened; informal clued up, wise to, hip to.

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audacious

adjective
his audacious exploits
bold, daring, fearless, intrepid, brave, courageous, valiant, heroic, plucky; daredevil, devil-may-care, death-or-glory, reckless, madcap; venturesome, mettlesome; informal gutsy, spunky, ballsy; poetic/literary temerarious.
an audacious remark
impudent, impertinent, insolent, presumptuous, cheeky, irreverent, discourteous, disrespectful, insubordinate, ill-mannered, unmannerly, rude, brazen, shameless, pert, defiant, cocky, bold (as brass); informal brass-necked, fresh, lippy, mouthy, saucy; N. Amer. informal sassy, nervy; archaic malapert, contumelious.
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ANTONYMS :timid, polite.

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audacity

noun
a traveller of extraordinary audacity
boldness, daring, fearlessness, intrepidity, bravery, courage, heroism, pluck, grit; recklessness; spirit, mettle; informal guts, gutsiness, spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie.
he had the audacity to contradict me
impudence, impertinence, insolence, presumption, cheek, bad manners, effrontery, nerve, gall, defiance, temerity; informal brass (neck), chutzpah; Brit. informal sauce; N. Amer. informal sass.
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audible

adjective
hearable, perceptible, discernible, detectable, appreciable; clear, distinct, loud. ANTONYMS :faint.

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audience

noun
the audience applauded
spectators, listeners, viewers, onlookers, patrons; crowd, throng, congregation, turnout; house, gallery, stalls; Brit. informal punters.
the radio station has a teenage audience
market, public, following, fans; listenership, viewership.
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an audience with the Pope
meeting, consultation, conference, hearing, reception, interview.
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audit

noun
an audit of the party accounts
inspection, examination, scrutiny, probe, investigation, assessment, appraisal, evaluation, review, analysis; informal going-over, once-over.
verb
we audited their accounts
inspect, examine, survey, go through, scrutinize, check, probe, vet, investigate, enquire into, assess, appraise, evaluate, review, analyse, study; informal give something a/the once-over, give something a going-over.

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auditorium

noun
theatre, hall, assembly room; chamber, room.

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au fait

adjective
familiar, acquainted, conversant, at home, up to date, au courant, in touch; abreast, apprised, in the know, well informed, knowledgeable, well versed, enlightened; informal clued up, wise to, hip to.

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augment

verb
increase, add to, supplement, top up, build up, enlarge, expand, extend, raise, multiply, swell; magnify, amplify, escalate; improve, boost; informal up, jack up, hike up, bump up. ANTONYMS :decrease.

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augur

verb
these successes augur well for the future
bode, portend, herald, be a sign, warn, forewarn, foreshadow, be an omen, presage, indicate, signify, signal, promise, threaten, spell, denote; predict, prophesy; poetic/literary betoken, foretoken, forebode.

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august

adjective
distinguished, respected, eminent, venerable, hallowed, illustrious, prestigious, renowned, celebrated, honoured, acclaimed, esteemed, exalted; great, important, lofty, noble; imposing, impressive, awe-inspiring, stately, grand, dignified.

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aura

noun
atmosphere, ambience, air, quality, character, mood, feeling, feel, flavour, tone, tenor; emanation, vibration; informal vibe.

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auspices

plural noun
patronage, aegis, umbrella, protection, keeping, care; support, backing, guardianship, trusteeship, guidance, supervision.

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auspicious

adjective
favourable, propitious, promising, rosy, good, encouraging; opportune, timely, lucky, fortunate, providential, felicitous, advantageous.

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austere

adjective
an outwardly austere man
severe, stern, strict, harsh, steely, flinty, dour, grim, cold, frosty, unemotional, unfriendly; formal, stiff, reserved, aloof, forbidding; grave, solemn, serious, unsmiling, unsympathetic, unforgiving; hard, unyielding, unbending, inflexible, illiberal; informal hard-boiled.
an austere life
ascetic, self-denying, self-disciplined, non-indulgent, frugal, spartan, puritanical, abstemious, abstinent, self-sacrificing, strict, temperate, sober, simple, restrained; celibate, chaste.
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the buildings were austere
plain, simple, basic, functional, modest, unadorned, unembellished, unfussy, restrained; stark, bleak, bare, clinical, spartan, ascetic; informal no frills.
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ANTONYMS :genial, immoderate, ornate.

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Australia

noun
informal Oz, Aussie, down under.

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authentic

adjective
an authentic document
genuine, real, bona fide, true, veritable, simon-pure; legitimate, lawful, legal, valid; informal the real McCoy, the real thing, pukka, kosher; Austral./NZ informal dinkum.
an authentic depiction of the situation
reliable, dependable, trustworthy, authoritative, honest, faithful; accurate, factual, true, truthful; formal veridical, veracious.
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ANTONYMS :fake, unreliable.

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authenticate

verb
the evidence will authenticate his claim
verify, validate, prove, substantiate, corroborate, confirm, support, back up, attest to, give credence to.
a mandate authenticated by the popular vote
validate, ratify, confirm, seal, sanction, endorse.
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authenticity

noun
the authenticity of the painting
genuineness, bona fides; legitimacy, legality, validity.
the authenticity of this account
reliability, dependability, trustworthiness, credibility; accuracy, truth, veracity, fidelity.
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author

noun
modern Canadian authors
writer, wordsmith; novelist, playwright, poet, essayist, biographer; columnist, reporter; informal penman, penwoman, scribe, scribbler.
the author of the peace plan
originator, creator, instigator, founder, father, architect, designer, deviser, producer; cause, agent.
Top
auctorial.

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authoritarian

adjective
his authoritarian manner
autocratic, dictatorial, despotic, tyrannical, draconian, oppressive, repressive, illiberal, undemocratic; disciplinarian, domineering, overbearing, high-handed, peremptory, imperious, strict, rigid, inflexible; informal bossy. ANTONYMS :democratic, liberal.

noun
the army is dominated by authoritarians
autocrat, despot, dictator, tyrant; disciplinarian, martinet.

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authoritative

adjective
authoritative information
reliable, dependable, trustworthy, sound, authentic, valid, attested, verifiable; accurate.
the authoritative edition
definitive, most reliable, best; authorized, accredited, recognized, accepted, approved.
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his authoritative manner
assured, confident, assertive; commanding, masterful, lordly; domineering, imperious, overbearing, authoritarian; informal bossy.
Top
ANTONYMS :unreliable, timid.

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authority

noun
a rebellion against those in authority
power, jurisdiction, command, control, charge, dominance, rule, sovereignty, supremacy; influence; informal clout.
the authority to arrest drug traffickers
authorization, right, power, mandate, prerogative, licence.
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the money was spent without parliamentary authority
authorization, permission, consent, leave, sanction, licence, dispensation, assent, acquiescence, agreement, approval, endorsement, clearance; informal the go-ahead, the thumbs up, the OK, the green light.
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the authorities
officials, officialdom; government, administration, establishment; police; informal the powers that be.
Top
an authority on the stock market
expert, specialist, aficionado, pundit, doyen(ne), guru, sage; informal boffin.
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he cites the nuns' testimony as an authority
source, reference, citation, quotation, passage.
Top
on good authority
evidence, testimony, witness, attestation, word, avowal; Law deposition.
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authorization

noun
permission, consent, leave, sanction, licence, dispensation, clearance, the nod; assent, agreement, approval, endorsement; authority, right, power, mandate; informal the go-ahead, the thumbs up, the OK, the green light. ANTONYMS :refusal.

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authorize

verb
they authorized further action
sanction, permit, allow, approve, consent to, assent to; ratify, endorse, validate; informal give the green light, give the go-ahead, OK, give the thumbs up.
the troops were authorized to fire
empower, mandate, commission; entitle.
Top
ANTONYMS :forbid.

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authorized

adjective
approved, recognized, sanctioned; accredited, licensed, certified; official, lawful, legal, legitimate. ANTONYMS :unofficial.

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autobiography

noun
memoirs, life story, personal history.

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autocracy

noun
absolutism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, despotism, tyranny, monocracy, autarchy. ANTONYMS :democracy.

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autocrat

noun
absolute ruler, dictator, despot, tyrant, monocrat.

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autocratic

adjective
despotic, tyrannical, dictatorial, totalitarian, autarchic; undemocratic, one-party, monocratic; domineering, draconian, overbearing, high-handed, peremptory, imperious; harsh, rigid, inflexible, illiberal, oppressive.

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autograph

noun
fans pestered him for his autograph
signature; N. Amer. informal John Hancock.
verb
Jack autographed copies of his book
sign.

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automatic

adjective
automatic garage doors
mechanized, mechanical, automated, computerized, electronic, robotic; self-activating.
an automatic reaction
instinctive, involuntary, unconscious, reflex, knee-jerk, instinctual, subconscious; spontaneous, impulsive, unthinking; mechanical; informal gut.
Top
he is the automatic choice for the team
inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable, mandatory, compulsory; certain, definite, undoubted, assured.
Top
ANTONYMS :manual, deliberate.

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autonomous

adjective
self-governing, self-ruling, self-determining, independent, sovereign, free.

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autonomy

noun
self-government, self-rule, home rule, self-determination, independence, sovereignty, freedom.

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autopsy

noun
post-mortem, PM, necropsy.

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auxiliary

adjective
an auxiliary power source
additional, supplementary, supplemental, extra, reserve, back-up, emergency, fallback, other.
auxiliary nursing staff
ancillary, assistant, support.
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noun
a nursing auxiliary
assistant, helper, ancillary.

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avail

verb
guests can avail themselves of the facilities
use, take advantage of, utilize, employ.
his arguments cannot avail him
help, aid, assist, benefit, profit, be of service.
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to no avail
in vain, without success, unsuccessfully, fruitlessly, for nothing.

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available

adjective
refreshments will be available
obtainable, accessible, to/at hand, at one's disposal, handy, convenient; on sale, procurable; untaken, unengaged, unused; informal up for grabs, on tap, gettable.
I'll see if he's available
free, unoccupied; present, in attendance; contactable.
Top
ANTONYMS :busy, engaged.

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avalanche

noun
snowslide, icefall; rockslide, landslide, landslip; Brit. snow-slip.
an avalanche of press comment
barrage, volley, flood, deluge, torrent, tide, shower, wave.
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avant-garde

adjective
innovative, innovatory, original, experimental, left-field, inventive, ahead of the times, new, modern, advanced, forward-looking, state-of-the-art, trendsetting, pioneering, progressive, ground-breaking, trailblazing, revolutionary; unfamiliar, unorthodox, unconventional; informal offbeat, way-out. ANTONYMS :conservative.

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avarice

noun
greed, acquisitiveness, cupidity, covetousness, rapacity, materialism, mercenariness, Mammonism; informal money-grubbing. ANTONYMS :generosity.

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avenge

verb
requite, punish, repay, pay back, take revenge for, get even for.

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avenue

noun
tree-lined avenues
road, street, drive, parade, boulevard, broadway, thoroughfare.
possible avenues of research
line, path; method, approach.
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aver

verb
(formal) declare, maintain, claim, assert, state, swear, avow, vow; rare asseverate.

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average

noun
the price is above the national average
mean, median, mode; norm, standard, rule, par.
adjective
the average temperature in May
mean, median, modal.
a woman of average height
ordinary, standard, normal, typical, regular.
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a very average director
mediocre, second-rate, undistinguished, ordinary, middle-of-the-road, unexceptional, unexciting, unremarkable, unmemorable, indifferent, pedestrian, lacklustre, forgettable, amateurish; informal OK, so-so, fair-to-middling, no great shakes, not up to much; Brit. informal not much cop; N. Amer. informal bush-league; NZ informal half-pie.
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ANTONYMS :outstanding, exceptional.

on average
normally, usually, ordinarily, generally, in general, for the most part, as a rule, typically; overall, by and large, on the whole.

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averse

adjective
opposed, against, antipathetic, hostile, ill-disposed, resistant; disinclined, reluctant, loath; informal anti. ANTONYMS :keen.

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aversion

noun
dislike, antipathy, distaste, abhorrence, hatred, loathing, detestation, hostility; reluctance, disinclination; archaic disrelish. ANTONYMS :liking.

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avert

verb
she averted her head
turn aside, turn away.
an attempt to avert political chaos
prevent, avoid, stave off, ward off, forestall, preclude.
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aviator

noun
(dated) pilot, airman/woman, flyer; dated aeronaut.

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avid

adjective
keen, eager, enthusiastic, ardent, passionate, zealous; devoted, dedicated, wholehearted, earnest; Brit. informal as keen as mustard. ANTONYMS :apathetic.

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avoid

verb
I avoid situations that stress me
keep away from, steer clear of, give a wide berth to, fight shy of.
he is trying to avoid responsibility
evade, dodge, sidestep, escape, run away from; informal duck, wriggle out of, get out of, cop out of; Austral./NZ informal duck-shove.
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she moved to avoid a blow
dodge, duck, get out of the way of.
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you've been avoiding me all evening
shun, stay away from, evade, keep one's distance, elude, hide from; ignore.
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he should avoid drinking alcohol
refrain from, abstain from, desist from, eschew.
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ANTONYMS :confront, face up to, seek out.

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avoidable

adjective
preventable, stoppable, avertable, escapable. ANTONYMS :inescapable.

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avow

verb
assert, declare, state, maintain, swear, vow, insist; rare asseverate; formal aver.

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avowed

adjective
self-confessed, self-declared, acknowledged, admitted; open, overt.

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await

verb
Peter was awaiting news
wait for, expect, anticipate.
many dangers await them
be in store for, lie ahead of, lie in wait for, be waiting for.
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awake

verb
she awoke the following morning
wake (up), awaken, stir, come to, come round; poetic/literary waken.
the alarm awoke him at 7.30
wake (up), awaken, rouse, arouse; Brit. informal knock up.
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they finally awoke to the extent of the problem
realize, become aware of, become conscious of; informal get wise to.
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adjective
she was still awake
wakeful, sleepless, restless, restive; archaic watchful; rare insomnolent.
too few are awake to the dangers
aware of, conscious of, mindful of, alert to; formal cognizant of; archaic ware of.
Top
ANTONYMS :asleep, oblivious.

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awaken

verb
I awakened early | the jolt awakened her.
See awake senses 1, 2.
he had awakened strong emotions in her
arouse, rouse, bring out, engender, evoke, trigger, stir up, stimulate, kindle; revive; poetic/literary enkindle.
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award

verb
the society awarded him a silver medal
give, grant, accord, assign; confer on, bestow on, present to, endow with, decorate with.
noun
an award for high-quality service
prize, trophy, medal, decoration; reward; informal gong.
a libel award
payment, settlement, compensation.
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the Arts Council gave him an award of £1,500
grant, scholarship, endowment; Brit. bursary.
Top
the award of an honorary doctorate
conferral, conferment, bestowal, presentation.
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aware

adjective
she is aware of the dangers
conscious of, mindful of, informed about, acquainted with, familiar with, alive to, alert to; informal wise to, in the know about, hip to; formal cognizant of; archaic ware of.
we need to be more environmentally aware
knowledgeable, enlightened, well informed, au fait; informal clued up, genned up; Brit. informal switched-on.
Top
ANTONYMS :ignorant.

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awareness

noun
consciousness, recognition, realization; understanding, grasp, appreciation, knowledge, insight; familiarity; formal cognizance.

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awash

adjective
the road was awash
flooded, under water, submerged, submersed.
the city was awash with journalists
inundated, flooded, swamped, teeming, overflowing, overrun; informal knee-deep in.
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away

adverb
she began to walk away
off, from here, from there.
stay away from the trouble
at a distance from, apart from.
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Bernice pushed him away
aside, off, to one side.
Top
we'll be away for two weeks
elsewhere, abroad; gone, absent; on holiday, on vacation.
Top

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awe

noun
wonder, wonderment; admiration, reverence, respect; dread, fear.

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awe-inspiring

adjective
. See awesome.

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awesome

adjective
breathtaking, awe-inspiring, magnificent, amazing, stunning, staggering, imposing, stirring, impressive; formidable, fearsome; informal mind-boggling, mind-blowing; poetic/literary wondrous; archaic awful. ANTONYMS :unimpressive.

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awestruck

adjective
awed, wonderstruck, amazed, lost for words, open-mouthed; reverential; terrified, afraid, fearful.

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awful

adjective
the place smelled awful
disgusting, nasty, terrible, dreadful, ghastly, horrible, vile, foul, revolting, repulsive, repugnant, odious, sickening, nauseating; informal yucky, sick-making, gross; Brit. informal beastly; poetic/literary noisome.
an awful book
dreadful, terrible, frightful, atrocious, execrable; inadequate, inferior, substandard, lamentable; informal crummy, pathetic, rotten, woeful, lousy, appalling, abysmal, dire, poxy; Brit. informal duff, rubbish.
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an awful accident
serious, grave, bad, terrible, dreadful.
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you look awful go and lie down
ill, unwell, sick, peaky, queasy, nauseous; Brit. off colour, poorly; informal rough, lousy, rotten, terrible, dreadful; Brit. informal grotty, ropy; Scottish informal wabbit, peely-wally; Austral./NZ informal crook; dated queer, seedy.
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I felt awful for getting so angry
remorseful, guilty, ashamed, contrite, sorry, regretful, repentant, self-reproachful.
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(archaic) the awful sights of nature
awe-inspiring, awesome, impressive; dread, fearful.
Top
ANTONYMS :wonderful.

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awfully

adverb
(informal) an awfully nice man
very, extremely, really, immensely, exceedingly, thoroughly, dreadfully, exceptionally, remarkably, extraordinarily; N. English right; informal terrifically, terribly, devilishly, seriously, majorly; Brit. informal jolly, ever so, dead, well; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful; informal, dated frightfully; archaic exceeding.
(informal) thanks awfully
very much, a lot; informal a million.
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we played awfully
very badly, terribly, dreadfully, atrociously, appallingly, execrably; informal abysmally, pitifully, diabolically.
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awhile

adverb
for a moment, for a (little) while, for a short time; informal for a bit.

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awkward

adjective
the box was awkward to carry
difficult, tricky; cumbersome, lumbersome, unwieldy; Brit. informal fiddly.
an awkward time
inconvenient, inappropriate, inopportune, unseasonable, difficult.
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he put her in a very awkward position
embarrassing, uncomfortable, unpleasant, delicate, tricky, problematic(al), troublesome, thorny; humiliating, compromising; informal sticky, dicey, hairy; Brit. informal dodgy.
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she felt awkward alone with him
uncomfortable, uneasy, tense, nervous, edgy, unquiet; self-conscious, embarrassed.
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his awkward movements
clumsy, ungainly, uncoordinated, graceless, inelegant, gauche, gawky, wooden, stiff; unskilful, maladroit, inept, blundering; informal clodhopping, ham-fisted, ham-handed, cack-handed; Brit. informal all (fingers and) thumbs.
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(Brit.) you're being damned awkward
unreasonable, uncooperative, unhelpful, disobliging, difficult, obstructive; contrary, perverse; stubborn, obstinate; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bo lshie; N. Amer. informal balky; formal refractory.
Top
ANTONYMS :easy, convenient, at ease, graceful, amenable.

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awning

noun
canopy, shade, sunshade, shelter, cover; Brit. blind, sunblind.

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awry

adjective
something was awry
amiss, wrong; informal up.
his wig looked awry
askew, crooked, lopsided, tilted, skewed, skew, squint, to one side, off-centre, uneven; informal cock-eyed; Brit. informal skew-whiff, wonky.
Top
ANTONYMS :straight.

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axe

noun
hatchet, cleaver, tomahawk, adze, poleaxe; Brit. chopper; historical battleaxe.
verb
the show was axed
cancel, withdraw, drop, scrap, discontinue, terminate, end; informal ditch, dump, pull the plug on.
500 staff were axed
dismiss, make redundant, lay off, let go, discharge, get rid of; informal sack, fire, give someone the sack, give someone the bullet, give someone their marching orders; Brit. informal give someone their cards.
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axiom

noun
accepted truth, general truth, dictum, truism; maxim, adage, aphorism, apophthegm, gnome.

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axis

noun
the earth revolves on its axis
centre line, vertical, horizontal.
the Anglo-American axis
alliance, coalition, bloc, union, confederation, confederacy, league.
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axle

noun
shaft, spindle, rod, arbor, mandrel, pivot.

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azure

adjective
sky-blue, bright blue, blue; poetic/literary cerulean; rare cyanic.

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OXFORD

UNIVERSITY PRESS
The Oxford Paperback Thesaurus

Editorial staff
Editor

Maurice Waite

Project Editor

Sara Hawker

Senior Assistant Editors

Catherine Bailey

Chris Cowley

Edited by Maurice Waite
300,000 entries
This thesaurus covers nearly one-third of a million alternative and opposite words. The most useful alternative word is given first, with words closest in meaning to the entry word given in capitals. Opposites and related terms are clearly marked, and thousands of example sentences help users select the right word. There is clear labelling of informal, dialect, literary, and technical words.
Maurice Waite studied linguistics, German, and Swahili before joining OUP in 1984. He worked on English learners' dictionaries, then German dictionaries, before moving to the English Dictionaries Department.

ISBN 8605862

© Oxford University Press 2001, 2002

Second Edition, 2001

B

babble

verb
Betty babbled away
prattle, rattle on, gabble, chatter, jabber, twitter, go on, run on, prate, ramble, burble, blather, blether; informal gab, yak, yabber, yatter, yammer, blabber, jaw, gas, shoot one's mouth off; Brit. informal witter, rabbit, chunter, natter, waffle; N. Amer. informal run off at the mouth.
a brook babbled gently
burble, murmur, gurgle, purl, tinkle; poetic/literary plash.
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noun
his inarticulate babble
prattle, gabble, chatter, jabber, prating, rambling, blather, blether; informal gab, yak, yabbering, yatter; Brit. informal wittering, waffle, natter, chuntering.

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babe

noun
(poetic/literary). See baby noun.

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babel

noun
clamour, din, racket, confused noise, tumult, uproar, hubbub; babble, babbling, shouting, yelling, screaming; informal hullabaloo; Brit. informal row.

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baby

noun
a newborn baby
infant, newborn, child, tot, little one; Scottish & N. English bairn; informal sprog, tiny; poetic/literary babe, babe in arms; technical neonate. infantile.
adjective
baby carrots
miniature, mini, little, small, small-scale, scaled-down, toy, pocket, midget, dwarf; Scottish wee; N. Amer. vest-pocket; informal teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy, teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy, itty-bitty, tiddly, bite-sized; Brit. informal titchy; N. Amer. informal little-bitty. ANTONYMS :large.

verb
her aunt babied her
pamper, mollycoddle, spoil, cosset, coddle, indulge, overindulge, pet, nanny, pander to.

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babyish

adjective
childish, immature, infantile, juvenile, puerile, adolescent. ANTONYMS :mature.

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back

noun
she's broken her back
spine, backbone, spinal column, vertebral column.
the back of the house
rear, rear side, other side; Nautical stern.
Top
the back of the queue
end, tail end, rear end, tail; N. Amer. tag end.
Top
the back of a postcard
reverse, other side, underside; verso; informal flip side.
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dorsal, lumbar. ANTONYMS :front, head, face.

adverb
he pushed his chair back
backwards, behind one, to one's rear, rearwards; away, off.
a few months back
ago, earlier, previously, before, in the past.
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ANTONYMS :forward.

verb
the record companies backed the scheme with a few hundred pounds
sponsor, finance, put up the money for, fund, subsidize, underwrite, be a patron of, act as guarantor of; informal foot the bill for, pick up the tab for; N. Amer. informal bankroll, stake.
most people backed the idea
support, endorse, sanction, approve of, give one's blessing to, smile on, favour, advocate, promote, uphold, champion; vote for, ally oneself with, stand behind, side with, be on the side of, defend, take up the cudgels for; second; informal throw one's weight behind.
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he backed the horse at 33 1
bet on, gamble on, stake money on.
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he backed away
reverse, draw back, step back, move backwards, back off, pull back, retreat, withdraw, give ground, backtrack, retrace one's steps.
Top
ANTONYMS :oppose, advance.

adjective
the back seats
rear, rearmost, hind, hindmost, hinder, posterior.
a back copy
past, old, previous, earlier, former, out of date.
Top
ANTONYMS :front, future.

back down
give in, concede defeat, surrender, yield, submit, climb down, concede, reconsider; backtrack, back-pedal. back out of
renege on, go back on, withdraw from, pull out of, retreat from, fail to honour, abandon, default on, repudiate, back-pedal on. back something up
substantiate, corroborate, confirm, support, bear out, endorse, bolster, reinforce, lend weight to. back someone up
support, stand by, give one's support to, side with, be on someone's side, take someone's side, take someone's part; vouch for. behind someone's back
secretly, without someone's knowledge, on the sly, slyly, sneakily, covertly, surreptitiously, furtively.

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backbiting

noun
malicious talk, spiteful talk, slander, libel, defamation, abuse, character assassination, disparagement, denigration; slurs, aspersions; informal bitching, bitchiness, cattiness, mud-slinging, bad-mouthing; Brit. informal slagging off, rubbishing.

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backbone

noun
an injured backbone
spine, spinal column, vertebral column, vertebrae; back; Anatomy dorsum, rachis.
infantry are the backbone of most armies
mainstay, cornerstone, foundation, chief support, buttress, pillar.
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he has enough backbone to see us through
strength of character, strength of will, firmness of purpose, firmness, resolution, resolve, grit, determination, fortitude, mettle, spirit; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle.
Top
spinal.

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back-breaking

adjective
gruelling, arduous, strenuous, onerous, punishing, crushing, demanding, exacting, taxing, exhausting, draining; informal killing; Brit. informal knackering; archaic toilsome. ANTONYMS :easy.

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backchat

noun
(Brit. informal) impudence, impertinence, cheek, cheekiness, effrontery, insolence, rudeness, rude retorts; answering back, talking back; informal mouth, lip; N. Amer. informal sass, smart mouth, back talk; rare contumely.

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backer

noun
£3 million was provided by the project's backers
sponsor, investor, underwriter, financier, patron, benefactor, benefactress; informal angel.
the backers of the proposition
supporter, defender, advocate, promoter, proponent; seconder; N. Amer. booster.
Top

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backfire

verb
Bernard's plan backfired on him
rebound, boomerang, come back; fail, miscarry, go wrong; informal blow up in someone's face; archaic redound on.

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background

noun
a background of palm trees
backdrop, backcloth, surrounding(s), setting, scene.
students from many different backgrounds
social circumstances, family circumstances; environment, class, culture, tradition; upbringing.
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her nursing background
experience, record, history, past, training, education, grounding, knowledge.
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the political background
circumstances, context, conditions, situation, environment, milieu, scene, scenario.
Top
ANTONYMS :foreground.
in the background maybe there was a sugar daddy in the background

behind the scenes, out of the public eye, out of the spotlight, out of the limelight, backstage; inconspicuous, unobtrusive, unnoticed.

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backhanded

adjective
indirect, ambiguous, oblique, equivocal; double-edged, two-edged; tongue-in-cheek. ANTONYMS :direct.

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backing

noun
he has the backing of his colleagues
support, help, assistance, aid; approval, endorsement, sanction, blessing.
financial backing
sponsorship, funding, patronage; money, investment, funds, finance; grant, contribution, subsidy.
Top
musical backing
accompaniment; harmony, obbligato.
Top

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backlash

noun
adverse reaction, adverse response, counterblast, comeback; retaliation, reprisal.

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backlog

noun
accumulation, logjam, pile-up.

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back-pedal

verb
the government has back-pedalled on its plans
change one's mind, go into reverse, backtrack, back down, climb down, do an about-face, do a U-turn, renege, go back on, back out of, fail to honour, withdraw, take back, default on; Brit. do an about-turn.

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backslide

verb
many things can cause slimmers to backslide
relapse, lapse, regress, retrogress, weaken, lose one's resolve, give in to temptation, go astray, leave the straight and narrow. ANTONYMS :persevere.

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backslider

noun
recidivist, regressor; apostate, fallen angel.

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back-up

noun
help, support, assistance, aid; reinforcements, reserves, additional resources.

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backward

adjective
a backward look
rearward, to/towards the rear, to/towards the back, behind one, reverse.
the decision was a backward step
retrograde, retrogressive, regressive, for the worse, in the wrong direction, downhill, negative.
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an economically backward country
underdeveloped, undeveloped; primitive, benighted.
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he was not backward in displaying his talents
hesitant, reticent, reluctant; shy, diffident, bashful, timid; unwilling, afraid, loath, averse.
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ANTONYMS :forward, progressive, advanced, confident.

adverb
the car rolled slowly backward.
See backwards.

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backwards

adverb
Penny glanced backwards
towards the rear, rearwards, backward, behind one.
count backwards from twenty to ten
in reverse, in reverse order.
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ANTONYMS :forwards.

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backwash

noun
a ship's backwash
wake, wash, slipstream, backflow.
the backwash of the Cuban missile crisis
repercussions, reverberations, after-effects, aftermath, fallout.
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backwoods

plural noun
the back of beyond, remote areas, the wilds, the hinterlands, a backwater; N. Amer. the backcountry, the backland; informal the middle of nowhere, the sticks; N. Amer. informal the boondocks, the boonies; Austral./NZ informal beyond the black stump.

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bacteria

plural noun
micro-organisms, microbes, germs, bacilli, pathogens; informal bugs.

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bad

adjective
bad workmanship
substandard, poor, inferior, second-rate, second-class, unsatisfactory, inadequate, unacceptable, not up to scratch, not up to par, deficient, imperfect, defective, faulty, shoddy, amateurish, careless, negligent, miserable, sorry; incompetent, inept, inexpert, ineffectual; informal crummy, rotten, pathetic, useless, woeful, bum, lousy, ropy, not up to snuff; Brit. informal duff, rubbish.
the alcohol had a really bad effect on me
harmful, damaging, detrimental, injurious, hurtful, inimical, destructive, ruinous, deleterious; unhealthy, unwholesome.
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the bad guys
wicked, sinful, immoral, evil, morally wrong, corrupt, base, black-hearted, reprobate, amoral; criminal, villainous, nefarious, iniquitous, dishonest, dishonourable, unscrupulous, unprincipled; informal crooked, bent, dirty; dated dastardly.
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you bad girl!
naughty, badly behaved, disobedient, wayward, wilful, self-willed, defiant, unruly, insubordinate, undisciplined.
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bad news
unpleasant, disagreeable, unwelcome; unfortunate, unlucky, unfavourable; terrible, dreadful, awful, grim, distressing.
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a bad time to arrive
inauspicious, unfavourable, inopportune, unpropitious, unfortunate, disadvantageous, adverse, inappropriate, unsuitable, untoward.
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a bad accident
severe, serious, grave, critical, acute; formal grievous.
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the meat's bad
rotten, off, decayed, decomposed, decomposing, putrid, putrefied, mouldy, mouldering; sour, rancid, rank, unfit for human consumption; addled.
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if you still feel bad, stay in bed.
See ill adjective sense 1.
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a bad knee
injured, wounded, diseased; Brit. informal gammy, knackered; Austral./NZ informal crook.
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I felt bad about leaving them
guilty, conscience-stricken, remorseful, guilt-ridden, ashamed, contrite, sorry, full of regret, regretful, shamefaced.
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a bad cheque
invalid, worthless; counterfeit, fake, false, bogus, fraudulent; informal phoney, dud.
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bad language
offensive, vulgar, crude, foul, obscene, rude, coarse, smutty, dirty, filthy, indecent, indecorous; blasphemous, profane.
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ANTONYMS :good, beneficial, virtuous, well behaved, minor, slight, fresh, unrepentant.

not bad
all right, adequate, good enough, reasonable, fair, decent, average, tolerable, acceptable, passable, middling, moderate, fine; informal OK, so-so, fair-to-middling.

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badge

noun
a name badge
pin, brooch; N. Amer. button.
a badge of success
sign, symbol, indication, signal, mark; hallmark, trademark.
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badger

verb
pester, harass, bother, plague, torment, hound, nag, chivvy, harry, keep on at, go on at; informal hassle, bug.

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badinage

noun
banter, repartee, witty conversation, raillery, wordplay, cut and thrust; witticisms, bons mots, ripostes, sallies, quips; N. Amer. informal josh.

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badly

adverb
the job had very been badly done
poorly, incompetently, ineptly, inexpertly, inefficiently, imperfectly, deficiently, defectively, unsatisfactorily, inadequately, incorrectly, faultily, shoddily, amateurishly, carelessly, negligently; informal crummily, pitifully, woefully.
try not to think badly of me
unfavourably, ill, critically, disapprovingly.
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stop behaving badly
naughtily, disobediently, wilfully, reprehensibly, mischievously.
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he had been badly treated
cruelly, wickedly, unkindly, harshly, shamefully; unfairly, unjustly, wrongly, improperly.
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it turned out badly
unsuccessfully, unfavourably, adversely, unfortunately, unhappily, unluckily.
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some of the victims are badly hurt
severely, seriously, gravely, acutely, critically; formal grievously.
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she badly needs help
desperately, sorely, intensely, seriously, very much, greatly, exceedingly.
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ANTONYMS :well, slightly.

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bad-tempered

adjective
irritable, irascible, tetchy, testy, grumpy, grouchy, crotchety, in a (bad) mood, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, ill-tempered, ill-humoured, peevish, having got out of bed on the wrong side, cross, as cross as two sticks, fractious, pettish, crabby; informal snappish, on a short fuse; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery; Austral./NZ informal snaky; informal, dated miffy. ANTONYMS :good-humoured, affable.

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baffle

verb
perplex, puzzle, bewilder, mystify, bemuse, confuse, confound, nonplus; informal flummox, faze, stump, beat, fox, make someone scratch their head, be all Greek to, floor; N. Amer. informal discombobulate, buffalo. ANTONYMS :enlighten.

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baffling

adjective
puzzling, bewildering, perplexing, mystifying, bemusing, confusing, unclear; inexplicable, incomprehensible, impenetrable, cryptic, opaque. ANTONYMS :clear, comprehensible.

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bag

noun
I dug around in my bag for my lipstick
handbag, shoulder bag, clutch bag, evening bag, pochette; N. Amer. pocketbook, purse; historical reticule, scrip.
she began to unpack her bags
suitcase, case, valise, portmanteau, holdall, grip, overnighter; backpack, rucksack, knapsack, haversack, kitbag, duffel bag; satchel; (bags) luggage, baggage.
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verb
locals bagged the most fish
catch, land, capture, trap, snare, ensnare; kill, shoot.
he bagged seven medals
get, secure, obtain, acquire, pick up; win, achieve, attain; commandeer, grab, appropriate, take; informal get one's hands on, land, net.
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baggage

noun
luggage, suitcases, cases, bags.

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baggy

adjective
loose-fitting, loose, roomy, generously cut, full, ample, voluminous, billowing; oversized, shapeless, ill-fitting, tent-like, sack-like. ANTONYMS :tight.

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bail

noun
he was released on bail
surety, security, assurance, indemnity, indemnification; bond, guarantee, pledge; archaic gage.
bail out the pilot bailed out

eject, parachute to safety. bail someone/something out
rescue, save, relieve; finance, help (out), assist, aid; informal save someone's bacon/neck/skin.

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bait

noun
the fish let go of the bait
lure, decoy, fly, troll, jig, plug.
was she the bait to lure him into a trap?
enticement, lure, decoy, snare, trap, siren, carrot, attraction, draw, magnet, incentive, temptation, inducement; informal come-on.
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verb
he was baited at school
taunt, tease, goad, pick on, torment, persecute, plague, harry, harass, hound; informal needle; Brit. informal wind up, nark.

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bake

verb
bake the fish for 15 20 minutes
cook, oven-bake, roast, dry-roast, pot-roast; rare oven.
the earth was baked by the sun
scorch, burn, sear, parch, dry (up), desiccate; N. Amer. broil.
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balance

noun
I tripped and lost my balance
stability, equilibrium, steadiness, footing.
political balance in broadcasting
fairness, justice, impartiality, egalitarianism, equal opportunity; parity, equity, equilibrium, equipoise, evenness, symmetry, correspondence, uniformity, equality, equivalence, comparability.
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this stylistic development provides a balance to the rest of the work
counterbalance, counterweight, stabilizer, compensation.
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the food was weighed on a balance
scale(s), weighing machine, weighbridge.
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the balance of the rent
remainder, outstanding amount, rest, residue, difference, remaining part.
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ANTONYMS :instability.

verb
she balanced the book on her head
steady, stabilize, poise, level.
he balanced his radical remarks with more familiar declarations
counterbalance, balance out, offset, even out/up, counteract, compensate for, make up for.
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their income and expenditure do not balance
correspond, agree, tally, match up, concur, coincide, be in agreement, be consistent, equate, be equal.
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you need to balance cost against benefit
weigh, weigh up, compare, evaluate, consider, assess, appraise, judge.
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in the balance
uncertain, undetermined, unsettled, unresolved, unsure, pending, in limbo, up in the air, at a turning point, critical, at a critical stage, at a crisis. on balance
overall, all in all, all things considered, taking everything into consideration/account, by and large, on average.

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balanced

adjective
a balanced view
fair, equitable, just, unbiased, unprejudiced, objective, impartial, dispassionate.
a balanced diet
mixed, varied; healthy, sensible.
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a balanced individual
level-headed, well balanced, well adjusted, mature, stable, sensible, practical, realistic, with both feet on the ground, pragmatic, reasonable, rational, sane, even-tempered, commonsensical, full of common sense; informal together.
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ANTONYMS :partial, unhealthy, neurotic.

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balcony

noun
the balcony of the villa
veranda, loggia, terrace, patio.
the applause from the balcony
gallery, upper circle; informal the gods.
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bald

adjective
a bald head
hairless, smooth, shaven, depilated; bald-headed.
a few bald bushes
leafless, bare, uncovered.
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a bald statement
plain, simple, unadorned, unvarnished, unembellished, undisguised, unveiled, stark, severe, austere, brutal, harsh; blunt, direct, forthright, plain-spoken, straight, straightforward, candid, honest, truthful, realistic, frank, outspoken; informal upfront.
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ANTONYMS :hairy, lush, vague.

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balderdash

noun
. See nonsense sense 1.

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baldness

noun
hair loss, hairlessness; Medicine alopecia.

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bale 1

noun
a bale of cotton
bundle, truss, bunch, pack, package, parcel.

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bale 2

bale out. See bail.

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baleful

adjective
menacing, threatening, unfriendly, hostile, antagonistic, evil, evil-intentioned, vindictive, malevolent, malicious, malignant, malign, sinister; harmful, injurious, dangerous, noxious, pernicious, deadly, venomous, poisonous; poetic/literary malefic, maleficent. ANTONYMS :benevolent, friendly.

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balk

verb
. See baulk.

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ball 1

noun
a ball of dough
sphere, globe, orb, globule, spherule, spheroid, ovoid.
a musket ball
bullet, pellet, slug, projectile.
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ball 2

noun
a fancy-dress ball
dance, dinner dance, masked ball, masquerade; N. Amer. hoedown, prom; informal hop, disco, bop.

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ballad

noun
song, folk song, shanty, ditty, canzone; poem, tale, saga.

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balloon

noun
hot-air balloon, barrage balloon; airship, dirigible, Zeppelin; envelope, gasbag; informal blimp.
verb
her long skirt ballooned in the wind
swell (out), puff out/up, bulge (out), bag, belly (out), fill (out), billow (out).
the company's debt has ballooned
increase rapidly, soar, rocket, shoot up, escalate, mount, surge, spiral; informal go through the roof, skyrocket.
Top
ANTONYMS :plummet.

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ballot

noun
vote, poll, election, referendum, plebiscite, show of hands.

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ballyhoo

noun
(informal) publicity, advertising, promotion, marketing, propaganda, push, puffery, build-up, boosting; fuss, excitement; informal hype, spiel, hoo-ha, hullabaloo, splash.

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balm

noun
a skin balm
ointment, lotion, cream, salve, liniment, embrocation, rub, gel, emollient, unguent, balsam, moisturizer; dated pomade; technical demulcent, humectant; archaic unction.
balm for troubled spirits
relief, comfort, ease, succour, consolation, cheer, solace; poetic/literary easement.
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ANTONYMS :astringent, misery.

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balmy

adjective
mild, gentle, temperate, summery, calm, tranquil, clement, fine, pleasant, benign, soothing, soft. ANTONYMS :harsh, wintry.

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bamboozle

verb
(informal). See trick verb.

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ban

verb
smoking was banned
prohibit, forbid, veto, proscribe, disallow, outlaw, make illegal, embargo, bar, debar, block, stop, suppress, interdict; Law enjoin, restrain.
Gary was banned from the playground
exclude, banish, expel, eject, evict, drive out, force out, oust, remove, get rid of; informal boot out, kick out; Brit. informal turf out.
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ANTONYMS :permit, admit.

noun
a ban on smoking
prohibition, veto, proscription, embargo, bar, suppression, stoppage, interdict, interdiction, moratorium, injunction.
a ban from international football
exclusion, banishment, expulsion, ejection, eviction, removal.
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ANTONYMS :permission, admission.

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banal

adjective
trite, hackneyed, clichéd, platitudinous, vapid, commonplace, ordinary, common, stock, conventional, stereotyped, overused, overdone, overworked, stale, worn out, time-worn, tired, threadbare, hoary, hack, unimaginative, unoriginal, uninteresting, dull; informal old hat, corny, played out; N. Amer. informal cornball, dime-store. ANTONYMS :original.

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banality

noun
the banality of most sitcoms
triteness, platitudinousness, vapidity, staleness, unimaginativeness, lack of originality, prosaicness, dullness; informal corniness.
they exchanged banalities
platitude, cliché, truism, commonplace, old chestnut, bromide.
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ANTONYMS :originality, epigram, witticism.

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band 1

noun
a band round her waist
belt, sash, girdle, strap, tape, ring, hoop, loop, circlet, circle, cord, tie, string, thong, ribbon, fillet, strip; poetic/literary cincture.
the green band round his pullover
stripe, strip, streak, line, bar, belt, swathe; technical stria, striation.
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band 2

noun
a band of robbers
group, gang, mob, pack, troop, troupe, company, party, crew, body, working party, posse; team, side, line-up; association, society, club, circle, fellowship, partnership, guild, lodge, order, fraternity, confraternity, sodality, brotherhood, sisterhood, sorority, union, alliance, affiliation, institution, league, federation, clique, set, coterie; informal bunch.
the band played on
(musical) group, pop group, ensemble, orchestra; informal combo.
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verb
local people banded together
join (up), team up, join forces, pool resources, club together, get together; amalgamate, unite, form an alliance, form an association, affiliate, federate. ANTONYMS :split up.

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bandage

noun
she had a bandage on her foot
dressing, covering, gauze, compress, plaster, tourniquet; trademark Elastoplast, Band-Aid.
verb
she bandaged my knee
bind, bind up, dress, cover, wrap, swaddle, strap (up).

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bandit

noun
they were robbed by bandits
robber, thief, raider, mugger; freebooter, outlaw, hijacker, looter, marauder, gangster; dated desperado; poetic/literary brigand; historical rustler, highwayman, footpad, reaver; Scottish historical mosstrooper.

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bandy 1

adjective
bandy legs
bowed, curved, bent; bow-legged, bandy-legged. ANTONYMS :straight.

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bandy 2

verb
lots of figures were bandied about
spread (about/around), put about, toss about, discuss, rumour, mention, repeat; poetic/literary bruit about/abroad.
I'm not going to bandy words with you
exchange, swap, trade.
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bane

noun
scourge, plague, curse, blight, pest, nuisance, headache, nightmare, trial, hardship, cross to bear, burden, thorn in one's flesh/side, bitter pill, affliction, trouble, misery, woe, tribulation, misfortune; informal pain.

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bang

noun
the door slammed with a bang
thud, thump, bump, crack, crash, smack, boom, clang, clap, knock, tap, clunk, clonk; stamp, stomp, clump, clomp; report, explosion, detonation; informal wham, whump, whomp.
a nasty bang on the head
blow, knock, thump, bump, hit, smack, crack; informal bash, whack, thwack.
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verb
he banged the table with his fist
hit, strike, beat, thump, hammer, knock, rap, pound, thud, punch, bump, smack, crack, slap, slam, welt, cuff, pummel, buffet; informal bash, whack, thwack, clobber, clout, clip, wallop, belt, biff, bop, sock, lam, whomp; Brit. informal slosh; N. Amer. informal boff, bust, slug, whale.
fireworks banged in the air
go bang, thud, thump, boom, clap, pound, crack, crash, explode, detonate, burst, blow up.
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adverb
(informal) bang in the mi ddle of town | bang on time
precisely, exactly, right, directly, immediately, squarely, dead; promptly, prompt, dead on, on the stroke of , on the dot of ; sharp, on the dot; informal smack, slap, slap bang, plumb; N. Amer. informal on the button, on the nose, smack dab, spang.
bang up to date
completely, absolutely, totally, entirely, wholly, fully, thoroughly, in all respects, utterly, perfectly, quite, altogether, one hundred per cent.
Top

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bangle

noun
bracelet, wristlet, anklet, armlet.

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banish

verb
he was banished for his crime
exile, expel, deport, eject, expatriate, extradite, repatriate, transport; cast out, oust, evict, throw out, exclude, shut out, ban.
he tried to banish his fear
dispel, dismiss, disperse, scatter, dissipate, drive away, chase away, shut out, quell, allay.
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ANTONYMS :admit, engender.

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banister

noun
handrail, railing, rail; baluster; balustrade.

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bank 1

noun
the banks of Lake Michigan
edge, side, embankment, levee, border, verge, boundary, margin, rim, fringe; poetic/literary marge, bourn, skirt.
a grassy bank
slope, rise, incline, gradient, ramp; mound, ridge, hillock, hummock, knoll; bar, reef, shoal, shelf; accumulation, pile, heap, mass, drift.
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a bank of switches
array, row, line, tier, group, series.
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riparian, riverain.
verb
they banked up the earth
pile (up), heap (up), stack (up); accumulate, amass, assemble, put together.
the aircraft banked
tilt, lean, tip, slant, incline, angle, slope, list, camber, pitch, dip, cant.
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bank 2

noun
money in the bank
financial institution, merchant bank, savings bank, finance company, finance house; Brit. building society; N. Amer. savings and loan (association), thrift.
a blood bank
store, reserve, accumulation, stock, stockpile, supply, pool, fund, cache, hoard, deposit; storehouse, reservoir, repository, depository.
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verb
I banked the money
deposit, pay in.
they bank with Barclays
have an account at, deposit one's money with, use, be a customer of.
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bank on
rely on, depend on, count on, place reliance on, bargain on, plan on, reckon on, calculate on; anticipate, expect; be confident of, be sure of, pin one's hopes/faith on; N. Amer. informal figure on.

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banknote

noun
note; N. Amer. bill; US informal greenback; US & historical Treasury note; (banknotes) paper money.

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bankrupt

adjective
the company was declared bankrupt
insolvent, failed, ruined, in debt, owing money, in the red, in arrears; Brit. in administration, in receivership; informal bust, belly up, gone to the wall, broke, flat broke; informal, dated smashed; Brit. informal skint, stony broke, in Queer Street; Brit. informal, dated in Carey Street.
this government is bankrupt of ideas
bereft, devoid, empty, destitute; completely lacking, without, in need of, wanting; informal minus, sans.
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ANTONYMS :solvent, teeming with.

verb
the strike nearly bankrupted the union
ruin, impoverish, reduce to penury/destitution, bring to ruin, bring someone to their knees, wipe out, break, pauperize; rare beggar.

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bankruptcy

noun
many companies were facing bankruptcy
insolvency, liquidation, failure, (financial) ruin; Brit. administration, receivership. ANTONYMS :solvency.

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banner

noun
students waved banners
placard, sign, poster, notice.
banners fluttered above the troops
flag, standard, ensign, colour(s), pennant, banderole, guidon; Brit. pendant; Nautical burgee.
Top

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banquet

noun
feast, dinner; informal spread, blowout; Brit. informal nosh-up, slap-up meal; Brit. informal, dated tuck-in. ANTONYMS :snack.

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banter

noun
a brief exchange of banter
repartee, witty conversation, raillery, wordplay, cut and thrust, badinage; N. Amer. informal josh.
verb
sightseers were bantering with the guards
joke, jest, quip; informal josh, wisecrack.

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baptism

noun
the baptism ceremony
christening, naming; rare lustration.
his baptism as a politician
initiation, debut, introduction, inauguration, launch, rite of passage.
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baptize

verb
he was baptized as a baby
christen; rare lustrate.
they were baptized into the church
admit, initiate, enrol, recruit, convert.
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he was baptized Enoch
name, give the name, call, dub; formal denominate.
Top

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bar

noun
an iron bar
rod, pole, stick, batten, shaft, rail, paling, spar, strut, crosspiece, beam.
a bar of chocolate
block, slab, cake, tablet, brick, loaf, wedge, ingot.
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your drinks are on the bar
counter, table, buffet, stand.
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she had a drink in a bar
hostelry, tavern, inn, taproom; Brit. pub, public house; informal watering hole; Brit. informal local, boozer; dated alehouse; N. Amer. historical saloon.
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a bar to promotion
obstacle, impediment, hindrance, obstruction, block, hurdle, barrier, stumbling block.
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(Brit.) members of the Bar
barristers, advocates, counsel.
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the bar across the river mouth
sandbank, shoal, shallow, reef.
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ANTONYMS :aid.

verb
they have barred the door
bolt, lock, fasten, secure, block, barricade, obstruct.
I was barred from entering
prohibit, debar, preclude, forbid, ban, interdict, inhibit; exclude, keep out; obstruct, hinder, block; Law enjoin.
Top
ANTONYMS :open, admit.

preposition
everyone bar me.
See except preposition.

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barb

noun
the hook has a nasty barb
spike, prong, spur, thorn, needle, prickle, spine, quill.
the barbs from his critics
insult, sneer, jibe, cutting remark, shaft, slight, brickbat, slur, jeer, taunt; (barbs) abuse, disparagement, scoffing, scorn, sarcasm, goading; informal dig, put-down.
Top

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barbarian

noun
the city was besieged by barbarians
savage, heathen, brute, beast, wild man/woman; ruffian, thug, lout, vandal, hoodlum, hooligan; informal roughneck; Brit. informal yobbo, yob, lager lout.
adjective
the barbarian hordes
savage, uncivilized, barbaric, primitive, heathen, wild, brutish, Neanderthal. ANTONYMS :civilized.

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barbaric

adjective
barbaric crimes
brutal, barbarous, brutish, bestial, savage, vicious, wicked, cruel, ruthless, merciless, villainous, murderous, heinous, monstrous, vile, inhuman, infernal, dark, fiendish, diabolical.
barbaric cultures
savage, barbarian, primitive, heathen, wild, brutish, Neanderthal.
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ANTONYMS :civilized.

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barbarity

noun
the barbarity of slavery
brutality, brutalism, cruelty, bestiality, barbarism, barbarousness, savagery, viciousness, wickedness, villainy, baseness, inhumanity.
the barbarities of the last war
atrocity, act of brutality, act of savagery, crime, outrage, enormity.
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ANTONYMS :benevolence.

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barbarous

adjective
. See barbaric sense 1.

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barbecue

noun
she held a barbecue
meal cooked outdoors, roast; N. Amer. cookout; informal barbie, BBQ.
verb
they barbecued some steaks
cook outdoors, grill, spit-roast; N. Amer. broil, charbroil.

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barbed

adjective
hurtful, wounding, cutting, stinging, mean, spiteful, nasty, cruel, vicious, unkind, snide, scathing, pointed, bitter, acid, caustic, sharp, vitriolic, venomous, poisonous, hostile, malicious, malevolent, vindictive; informal bitchy, catty. ANTONYMS :kindly.

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bard

noun
(poetic/literary). See poet.

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bare

adjective
he was bare to the waist
naked, unclothed, undressed, uncovered, stripped, having nothing on, nude, in the nude, stark naked; informal without a stitch on, in one's birthday suit, in the raw, in the altogether, in the buff; Brit. informal starkers; Scottish informal in the scud; N. Amer. informal buck naked.
a bare room
empty, unfurnished, cleared; stark, austere, spartan, unadorned, unembellished, unornamented, plain.
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a cupboard bare of food
empty, devoid, bereft; without, lacking, wanting, free from.
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a bare landscape
barren, bleak, exposed, desolate, stark, arid, desert, lunar; treeless, deforested.
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the bare facts
basic, essential, fundamental, plain, straightforward, simple, pure, stark, bald, cold, hard, brutal, harsh.
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a bare minimum
mere, no more than, simple; slim, slight, slender, paltry, minimum.
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ANTONYMS :clothed, furnished, embellished, lush.

verb
he bared his arm
unco ver, strip, lay bare, undress, unclothe, denude, expose. ANTONYMS :cover.

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barefaced

adjective
flagrant, blatant, glaring, obvious, undisguised, unconcealed, naked; shameless, unabashed, unashamed, impudent, audacious, unblushing, brazen, brass-necked.

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barely

adverb
hardly, scarcely, just, only just, narrowly, by the skin of one's teeth, by a hair's breadth; almost not; informal by a whisker. ANTONYMS :easily.

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bargain

noun
I'll make a bargain with you
agreement, arrangement, understanding, deal; contract, pact, compact; pledge, promise.
this binder is a bargain at £1.98
good buy, cheap buy; (good) value for money, surprisingly cheap; informal snip, steal, giveaway.
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ANTONYMS :rip-off.

verb
they bargained over the contract
haggle, negotiate, discuss terms, hold talks, deal, barter, dicker; formal treat.
bargain for/on
expect, anticipate, be prepared for, allow for, plan for, reckon with, take into account/consideration, contemplate, imagine, envisage, foresee, predict; count on, rely on, depend on, bank on, plan on, reckon on; N. Amer. informal figure on. into the bargain
also, as well, in addition, additionally, besides, on top (of that), over and above that, to boot, for good measure; N. Amer. in the bargain.

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barge

noun
lighter, canal boat; Brit. narrowboat, wherry; N. Amer. scow.
verb
he barged us out of the way
push, shove, force, elbow, shoulder, jostle, bulldoze, muscle.
barge in
burst in, break in, butt in, cut in, interrupt, intrude, encroach; gatecrash; informal horn in.

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bark 1

noun
the bark of a dog
woof, yap, yelp, bay.
verb
the dog barked
woof, yap, yelp, bay.
"Okay, outside!" he barked
say brusquely, say abruptly, say angrily, snap; shout, bawl, cry, yell, roar, bellow, thunder; informal holler.
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ANTONYMS :whisper.

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bark 2

noun
the bark of a tree
rind, skin, peel, covering; integument; cork; technical cortex. corticate.
verb
he barked his shin
scrape, graze, scratch, abrade, scuff, rasp, skin.

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barmy

adjective
(Brit. informal). See foolish.

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barn

noun
outbuilding, shed, outhouse, shelter; stable, stall; Brit. byre; archaic grange, garner.

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baron

noun
he was created a baron
lord, noble, nobleman, aristocrat, peer.
a press baron
magnate, tycoon, mogul, captain of industry, nabob, mandarin.
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baroque

adjective
the baroque exuberance of his printed silk shirts
ornate, fancy, over-elaborate, extravagant, rococo, fussy, busy, ostentatious, showy.
baroque prose
flowery, florid, flamboyant, high-flown, high-sounding, magniloquent, grandiloquent, orotund, overblown, convoluted, pleonastic; informal highfalutin, purple; rare fustian.
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ANTONYMS :plain.

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barrack

verb
(Brit. & Austral./NZ) jeer, heckle, shout at/down; interrupt, boo, hiss. ANTONYMS :applaud.

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barracks

plural noun
garrison, camp, encampment, depot, billet, quarters, fort, cantonment.

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barrage

noun
an artillery barrage
bombardment, cannonade; gunfire, shelling; salvo, volley, fusillade; historical broadside.
a barrage of criticism
deluge, stream, storm, torrent, onslaught, flood, spate, tide, avalanche, hail, blaze; abundance, mass, profusion.
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a barrage across the river
dam, barrier, weir, dyke, embankment, wall.
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barrel

noun
cask, keg, butt, vat, tun, drum, hogshead, kilderkin, pin, pipe; historical firkin. cooper, stave, hoop.

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barren

adjective
barren land
unproductive, infertile, unfruitful, sterile, arid, desert.
(archaic) a barren woman
infertile, sterile, childless; technical infecund.
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a barren exchange of courtesies
pointless, futile, worthless, profitless, valueless, unrewarding, purposeless, useless, vain, aimless, hollow, empty, vacuous, vapid.
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ANTONYMS :fertile.

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barricade

noun
a barricade across the street
barrier, roadblock, blockade; obstacle, obstruction.
verb
they barricaded the building
seal (up), close up, block off, shut off/up; defend, protect, fortify, occupy.

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barrier

noun
the barrier across the entrance
fence, railing, barricade, hurdle, bar, blockade, roadblock.
a barrier to international trade
obstacle, obstruction, hurdle, stumbling block, bar, block, impediment, hindrance, curb.
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barring

preposition
except for, with the exception of, excepting, if there is/are no, bar, discounting, short of, apart from, but for, other than, aside from, excluding, omitting, leaving out, save for, saving; informal outside of.

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barrister

noun
counsel, Queen's Counsel, QC, lawyer; Scottish advocate; N. Amer. attorney, counselor(-at-law); informal brief; (barristers) Brit. the Bar.

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barter

verb
they bartered grain for salt
trade, swap, exchange, sell.
you can barter for souvenirs
haggle, bargain, negotiate, discuss terms, deal, dicker; formal treat.
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noun
an economy based on barter
trading, trade, exchange, business, commerce, buying and selling, dealing.

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base 1

noun
the base of the tower
foundation, bottom, foot, support, stand, pedestal, plinth.
the system uses existing technology as its base
basis, foundation, bedrock, starting point, source, origin, root(s), core, key component, heart, backbone.
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the troops returned to their base
headquarters, camp, site, station, settlement, post, centre, starting point.
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ANTONYMS :top.

verb
he based his idea on a movie
found, build, construct, form, ground, root; use as a basis; (be based on) derive from, spring from, stem from, originate in, have its origin in, issue from.
the company was based in London
locate, situate, position, install, station, site, establish, garrison.
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base 2

adjective
base motives
sordid, ignoble, low, low-minded, mean, immoral, improper, unseemly, unscrupulous, unprincipled, dishonest, dishonourable, shameful, bad, wrong, evil, wicked, iniquitous, sinful. ANTONYMS :noble.

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baseless

adjective
baseless accusations
groundless, unfounded, ill-founded, without foundation; unsubstantiated, unproven, unsupported, uncorroborated, unconfirmed, unverified, unattested; unjustified, unwarranted; speculative, conjectural; unsound, unreliable, spurious, specious, trumped up, fabricated, untrue. ANTONYMS :valid.

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basement

noun
cellar, vault, crypt, undercroft; Brit. lower ground floor; Scottish dunny.

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bash (informal)

verb
she bashed him with her stick
strike, hit, beat, thump, slap, smack, clip, bang, knock, batter, pound, pummel; informal wallop, clout, belt, whack, thwack, clobber, bop, biff, sock; archaic smite.
they bashed into one another
crash, run, bang, smash, slam, cannon, knock, bump; collide with, hit, meet head-on.
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noun
a bash on the head
blow, rap, hit, knock, bang, slap, crack, thump, tap, clip; informal wallop, clout, belt, whack, thwack, bop, biff, sock; archaic smite.
Harry's birthday bash.
See party noun sense 1.
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(Brit.) I'll have a bash at it.
See attempt.
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bashful

adjective
shy, reserved, diffident, inhibited, retiring, reticent, reluctant, shrinking; hesitant, timid, apprehensive, nervous, wary.ANTONYMS :bold, confident.

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basic

adjective
basic human rights
fundamental, essential, primary, principal, cardinal, elementary, elemental, quintessential, intrinsic, central, pivotal, critical, key, focal; vital, necessary, indispensable.
basic cooking facilities
plain, simple, unsophisticated, straightforward, adequate; unadorned, undecorated, unornamented, without frills; spartan, stark, severe, austere, limited, meagre, rudimentary, patchy, sketchy, minimal; unfussy, homely, homespun; rough (and ready), crude, makeshift; informal bog-standard.
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ANTONYMS :secondary, unimportant, elaborate.

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basically

adverb
fundamentally, essentially, in essence; firstly, first of all, first and foremost, primarily; at heart, at bottom, au fond; principally, chiefly, above all, most of all, mostly, mainly, on the whole, by and large, substantially; intrinsically, inherently; informal at the end of the day, when all is said and done.

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basics

plural noun
fundamentals, essentials, rudiments, (first) principles, foundations, preliminaries, groundwork; essence, basis, core; informal nitty-gritty, brass tacks, nuts and bolts, ABC.

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basin

noun
she poured water into the basin
bowl, dish, pan.
a basin among low hills
valley, hollow, dip, depression.
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basis

noun
the basis of his method
foundation, support, base; reasoning, rationale, defence; reason, grounds, justification, motivation.
the basis of discussion
starting point, base, point of departure, beginning, premise, fundamental point/principle, principal constituent, main ingredient, cornerstone, core, heart, thrust, essence, kernel, nub.
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on a part-time basis
footing, condition, status, position; arrangement, system, method.
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bask

verb
I basked in the sun
laze, lie, lounge, relax, sprawl, loll; sunbathe, sun oneself.
she's basking in all the glory
revel, delight, luxuriate, wallow, take pleasure, rejoice, glory, indulge oneself; enjoy, relish, savour, lap up.
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basket

noun
wickerwork box, hamper, creel, pannier, punnet, trug.

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bass

adjective
low, deep, low-pitched, resonant, sonorous, rumbling, booming, resounding; baritone. ANTONYMS :high.

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bastard

noun
(archaic) he had fathered a bastard
illegitimate child, child born out of wedlock; dated love child; Brit. dated by-blow; archaic natural child/son/daughter.
(informal) he's a real bastard.
See scoundrel.
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adjective
(archaic) a bastard child
illegitimate, born out of wedlock; archaic natural.
a bastard Darwinism
adulterated, alloyed, impure, inferior; hybrid, mongrel, patchwork.
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bastardize

verb
adulterate, corrupt, contaminate, weaken, dilute, taint, pollute, debase, distort.

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bastion

noun
the town wall and bastions
projection, outwork, breastwork, barbican; Architecture bartizan.
a bastion of respectability
stronghold, bulwark, defender, support, supporter, guard, protection, protector, defence, prop, mainstay.
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batch

noun
group, quantity, lot, bunch, mass, cluster, raft, set, collection, bundle, pack; consignment, shipment.

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bath

noun
he lay soaking in the bath
bathtub, tub, hot tub, whirlpool, sauna, steam bath, Turkish bath; trademark jacuzzi.
she had a quick bath
wash, soak, dip; shower.
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balneal, balneary.
verb
have you bathed? | he would bath the baby
bathe, have/take a bath, give someone a bath, wash; shower.

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bathe

verb
she bathed and dressed.
See bath verb.
I bathed in the local swimming pool
swim, go swimming, take a dip.
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they bathed his wounds
clean, wash, rinse, wet, soak, immerse.
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the room was bathed in light
suffuse, permeate, pervade, envelop, flood, cover, wash, fill.
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noun
we had a bathe
swim, dip, paddle.

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bathing costume (Brit.)

noun
swimsuit, bathing suit; swimming trunks, bikini; swimwear; Brit. swimming costume; informal cossie; Austral./NZ informal bathers.

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bathos

noun
anticlimax, let-down, disappointment, disillusionment; absurdity; informal comedown.

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baton

noun
the conductor's baton
stick, rod, staff, wand.
police batons
truncheon, club, cudgel, bludgeon, stick, mace, shillelagh; N. Amer. nightstick, blackjack; Brit. informal cosh.
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battalion

noun
an infantry battalion
regiment, brigade, force, division, squadron, squad, company, section, detachment, contingent, legion, corps, cohort.
a battalion of supporters.
See crowd noun sense 1.
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batten

noun
a timber batten
bar, bolt, rail, shaft; board, strip.
verb
Stephen was battening down the shutters
fasten, fix, secure, clamp, lash, make fast, nail, seal.

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batter

verb
pummel, pound, hit repeatedly, rain blows on, buffet, belabour, thrash, beat up; informal knock about/around, beat the living daylights out of, give someone a good hiding, lay into, lace into, do over, rough up.

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battered

adjective
damaged, shabby, run down, worn out, falling to pieces, falling apart, dilapidated, rickety, ramshackle, crumbling, the worse for wear, on its last legs.

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battery

noun
a flat battery
cell, accumulator.
a gun battery
emplacement, artillery unit; cannonry, ordnance.
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a battery of equipment
array, set, bank, group, row, line, line-up, collection.
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a battery of tests
series, sequence, cycle, string, succession.
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assault and battery
violence, assault, mugging; Brit. grievous bodily harm, GBH, actual bodily harm, ABH.
Top

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battle

noun
he was killed in the battle
fight, armed conflict, clash, struggle, skirmish, engagement, fray, duel; war, campaign, crusade; fighting, warfare, combat, action, hostilities; informal scrap, dogfight, shoot-out.
a legal battle
conflict, clash, contest, competition, struggle; disagreement, argument, altercation, dispute, controversy.
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verb
he has been battling against illness
fight, combat, contend with; resist, withstand, stand up to, confront; war, feud; struggle, strive, work.
Mark battled his way to the bar
force, push, elbow, shoulder, fight; struggle, labour.
Top

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battleaxe

noun
a severe blow from a battleaxe
poleaxe, axe, pike, halberd, tomahawk, war mattock.
(informal) she's a real battleaxe.
See harridan.
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battle cry

noun
the army's battle cry
war cry, war whoop, rallying call/cry.
the battle cry of the feminist movement
slogan, motto, watchword, catchphrase.
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battlefield

noun
battleground, field of battle, field of operations, combat zone, theatre (of war), front.

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battlement

noun
castellation, crenellation, parapet, rampart, wall.

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batty

adjective
(informal). See mad sense 1.

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bauble

noun
trinket, knick-knack, ornament, frippery, gewgaw, gimcrack, bibelot; N. Amer. kickshaw; N. Amer. informal tchotchke.

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baulk

verb
I baulk at paying that much
be unwilling to, draw the line at, jib at, be reluctant to, hesitate over; eschew, resist, scruple to, refuse to, take exception to; draw back from, flinch from, shrink from, recoil from, demur from, not like to, hate to.
they were baulked by traffic
impede, obstruct, thwart, hinder, prevent, check, stop, curb, halt, bar, block, forestall, frustrate.
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ANTONYMS :accept, assist.

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bawdy

adjective
ribald, indecent, risqué, racy, rude, spicy, sexy, suggestive, titillating, naughty, improper, indelicate, indecorous, off colour, earthy, broad, locker-room, Rabelaisian; pornographic, obscene, vulgar, crude, coarse, gross, lewd, dirty, filthy, smutty, unseemly, salacious, prurient, lascivious, licentious, near the bone, near the knuckle; informal X-rated, blue, raunchy, nudge-nudge; euphemistic adult. ANTONYMS :clean, innocent.

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bawl

verb
"Come on!" he bawled
shout, yell, roar, bellow, screech, scream, shriek, howl, whoop, bark, trumpet, thunder; informal yammer, holler.
the children continued to bawl
cry, sob, weep, shed tears, wail, whine, howl, squall, ululate; Scottish informal greet.
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ANTONYMS :whisper.

noun
a terrifying bawl
shout, yell, roar, bellow, screech, scream, howl, whoop; informal holler. ANTONYMS :whisper.

bawl someone out (informal). See reprimand.

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bay 1

noun
ships were anchored in the bay
cove, inlet, indentation, gulf, bight, basin, fjord, arm; natural harbour, anchorage.

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bay 2

noun
there was a bay let into the wall
alcove, recess, niche, nook, opening, hollow, cavity, inglenook.

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bay 3

verb
the hounds bayed
howl, bark, yelp, yap, cry, bellow, roar.
the crowd bayed for an encore
clamour, shout, call, press, yell, scream, shriek, roar; demand, insist on.
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at bay
at a distance, away, off, at arm's length.

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bayonet

noun
a man armed with a bayonet
sword, knife, blade, spear, lance, pike, javelin; poetic/literary brand.
verb
stragglers were bayoneted
stab, spear, knife, gore, spike, stick, impale, run through, transfix, gash, slash.

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bazaar

noun
a Turkish bazaar
market, market place, souk, mart, exchange.
the church bazaar
fête, fair, jumble sale, bring-and-buy sale, car boot sale, carnival; fund-raiser, charity event; N. Amer. tag sale.
Top

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be

verb
there was once a king
exist, have being, have existence; live, be alive, have life, breathe, draw breath, be extant.
is there a cafe here?
be present, be around, be available, be near, be nearby, be at hand.
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the trial is tomorrow at half past one
occur, happen, take place, come about, arise, crop up, transpire, fall, materialize, ensue; poetic/literary come to pass, befall, betide.
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the bed is over there
be situated, be located, be found, be present, be set, be positioned, be placed, be installed.
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it has been like this for hours
remain, stay, last, continue, survive, endure, persist, prevail; wait, linger, hold on, hang on; formal obtain.
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I'm at college
attend, go to, be present at, take part in; frequent, haunt, patronize.
Top

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beach

noun
a sandy beach
seaside, seashore, shore, coast, coastline, coastal region, littoral, seaboard, foreshore, water's edge; sands, lido; dated plage; poetic/literary strand.
verb
they beached the boat
land, ground, strand, run aground, run ashore.

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beachcomber

noun
scavenger, forager, collector; informal scrounger.

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beached

adjective
stranded, grounded, aground, ashore, marooned, high and dry, stuck.

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beacon

noun
warning light/fire, signal (light/fire), danger signal, bonfire; lighthouse, light-tower.

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bead

noun
a string of beads
ball, pellet, pill, globule, sphere, spheroid, oval, ovoid, orb, round; (beads) necklace, rosary, chaplet.
beads of sweat
droplet, drop, blob, dot, dewdrop, teardrop.
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draw/get a bead on
aim at, fix on, focus on, zero in on, sight.

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beak

noun
a bird's beak
bill, nib, mandible; Scottish & N. English neb.
(informal) he blew his beak loudly.
See nose noun sense 1.
Top

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beaker

noun
cup, tumbler, glass, mug, drinking vessel.

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beam

noun
an oak beam
joist, lintel, rafter, purlin; spar, girder, baulk, timber, plank; support, strut; scantling, transom, stringer.
a beam of light coming from the window
ray, shaft, stream, streak, pencil, finger; flash, gleam, glow, glimmer, glint, flare.
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the beam on her face
grin, smile, happy expression, bright look.
Top
ANTONYMS :frown.

verb
the signal is beamed out
broadcast, transmit, relay, send/put out, disseminate; direct, aim.
the sun beamed down
shine, radiate, give off light, glare, gleam.
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he beamed broadly
grin, smile, smirk; informal be all smiles.
Top
ANTONYMS :frown.

off beam (informal)
mistaken, incorrect, inaccurate, wrong, erroneous, off target, out, on the wrong track, wide of the mark, awry. on the beam (informal)
correct, right, accurate, true, on the straight and narrow, on the right track, on the right lines; informal on the money, on the m ark; Brit. informal spot on.

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bear

verb
she was bearing a box of cookies
carry, bring, transport, move, convey, take, fetch, deliver; informal tote.
the bag bore my name
display, exhibit, be marked with, show, carry, have.
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will it bear his weight?
support, carry, hold up, prop up.
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they can't bear the cost alone
sustain, carry, support, shoulder, absorb, take on.
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she bore no grudge
harbour, foster, entertain, cherish, nurse, nurture, brood over.
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such a solution does not bear close scrutiny
withstand, stand up to, stand, put up with, take, cope with, handle, sustain, accept.
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I can't bear having him around
endure, tolerate, put up with, stand, abide, submit to, experience, undergo, go through, countenance, brave, weather, stomach, support; Scottish thole; informal hack, swallow; Brit. informal stick, wear, be doing with; formal brook; archaic suffer.
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she bore a son
give birth to, bring forth, deliver, be delivered o f, have, produce, spawn; N. Amer. birth; informal drop; poetic/literary beget.
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a shrub that bears yellow berries
produce, yield, give forth, give, grow, provide, supply.
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bear left at the junction
veer, curve, swerve, fork, diverge, deviate, turn, bend.
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bear oneself
conduct oneself, carry oneself, acquit oneself, act, behave, perform; formal comport oneself. bear down on
advance on, close in on, move in on, converge on. bear fruit
yield results, get results, succeed, meet with success, be successful, be effective, be profitable, work, go as planned; informal pay off, come off, pan out, do the trick, do the business. bear something in mind
take into account, take into consideration, remember, consider, be mindful, mind, mark, heed. bear on
be relevant to, appertain to, pertain to, relate to, have a bearing on, have relevance to, apply to, be pertinent to. bear something out
confirm, corroborate, subst antiate, endorse, vindicate, give credence to, support, ratify, warrant, uphold, justify, prove, authenticate, verify. bear up
remain cheerful, grin and bear it; cope, manage, get by, muddle through; informal hack it. bear with
be patient with, show forbearance towards, make allowances for, tolerate, put up with, endure. bear witness/testimony to
testify to, be evidence of, be proof of, attest to, evidence, prove, vouch for; demonstrate, show, establish, indicate, reveal, bespeak.

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bearable

adjective
tolerable, endurable, supportable, sustainable.

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beard

noun
a black beard
facial hair, whiskers, stubble, designer stubble, five o'clock shadow, bristles; goatee, imperial, Vandyke.
verb
I bearded him when he was on his own
confront, face, challenge, brave, come face to face with, meet head on; defy, oppose, stand up against, square up to, dare, throw down the gauntlet to.

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bearded

adjective
unshaven, whiskered, whiskery, bewhiskered; stubbly, bristly. ANTONYMS :clean shaven.

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bearer

noun
a lantern-bearer
carrier, porter.
the bearer of bad news
messenger, agent, conveyor, carrier, emissary.
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the bearer of the documents
holder, possessor, owner.
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bearing

noun
a man of military bearing
posture, stance, carriage, gait; Brit. deportment; formal comportment.
a rather regal bearing
demeanour, manner, air, aspect, attitude, behaviour, mien, style.
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this has no bearing on the matter
relevance, pertinence, connection, appositeness, germaneness, importance, significance, application.
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a bearing of 015°
direction, orientation, course, trajectory, heading, tack, path, line, run.
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he tormented her beyond bearing
endurance, tolerance, toleration.
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I lost my bearings
orientation, sense of direction; whereabouts, location, position.
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beast

noun
the beasts of the forest
animal, creature, brute; N. Amer. informal critter.
he is a cruel beast
monster, brute, savage, barbarian, animal, swine, pig, ogre, fiend, sadist, demon, devil.
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bestial.

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beastly

adjective
(Brit. informal) politics is a beastly profession
awful, horrible, rotten, nasty, foul, objectionable, unpleasant, disagreeable, offensive, vile, hateful, detestable; informal terrible, God-awful.
he was beastly to her
unkind, malicious, mean, nasty, unpleasant, unfriendly, spiteful, cruel, vicious, base, foul, malevolent, despicable, contemptible; informal horrible, horrid, rotten.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant, kind.

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beat

verb
they were beaten with truncheons
hit, strike, batter, thump, bang, hammer, punch, knock, thrash, pound, pummel, slap, rain blows on; assault, attack, abuse; cudgel, club, birch; informal wallop, belt, bash, whack, thwack, clout, clobber, slug, tan, biff, bop, sock, deck, plug, beat the living daylights out of, give someone a good hiding.
the waves beat all along the shore
break on/against, dash against; lash, strike, lap, wash; splash, ripple, roll; poetic/literary plash, lave.
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the metal is beaten into a die
hammer, forge, form, shape, mould, work, stamp, fashion, model.
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her heart was still beating
pulsate, pulse, palpitate, vibrate, throb; pump, pound, thump, thud, hammer, drum; pitter-patter, go pit-a-pat.
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the eagle beat its wings
flap, flutter, thresh, thrash, wave, vibrate, oscillate.
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beat the cream into the mixture
whisk, mix, blend, whip.
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she beat a path through the grass
tread, tramp, trample, wear, flatten, press down.
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the team they need to beat
defeat, conquer, win against, get the better of, vanquish, trounce, rout, overpower, overcome, subdue; informal lick, thrash, whip, wipe the floor with, clobber.
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he beat the record
surpass, exceed, better, improve on, go one better than, eclipse, transcend, top, trump, cap.
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noun
the song has a good beat
rhythm, pulse, metre, time, measure, cadence; stress, accent.
the beat of hooves
pounding, banging, thumping, thudding, booming, hammering, battering, crashing.
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the beat of her heart
pulse, pulsating, vibration, throb, palpitation, reverberation; pounding, thump, thud, hammering, drumming; pit-a-pat.
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a policeman on his beat
circuit, round, route, way, path.
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adjective
(informal) phew, I'm beat!
See exhausted sense 1.
beat a (hasty) retreat. See retreat verb sense 1. beat it (informal). See run verb sense 2. beat someone/something off
repel, fight off, fend off, stave off, repulse, drive away/back, force back, beat back, push back, put to flight. beat someone up
assault, attack, mug, thrash; informal knock about/around, do over, work over, rough up, fill in, lay into, lace into, sail into, beat the living daylights out of, let someone have it; Brit. informal duff someone up; N. Amer. informal beat up on.

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beatific

adjective
a beatific smile
rapturous, joyful, ecstatic, seraphic, blissful, serene, happy, beaming.
a beatific vision
blessed, exalted, sublime, heavenly, holy, divine, celestial, paradisical, glorious.
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beatify

verb
canonize, bless, sanctify, hallow, consecrate, make holy.

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beatitude

noun
blessedness, benediction, grace; bliss, ecstasy, exaltation, supreme happiness, divine joy/rapture; saintliness, sainthood.

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beau

noun
(dated) Sally and her beau
boyfriend, sweetheart, lover, darling, partner, significant other, escort, young man, admirer, suitor.
an eighteenth-century beau
dandy, fop, man about town; informal, dated swell; archaic coxcomb, popinjay.
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beautiful

adjective
attractive, pretty, handsome, good-looking, alluring, prepossessing; lovely, charming, delightful, appealing, engaging, winsome; ravishing, gorgeous, stunning, arresting, glamorous, bewitching, beguiling; graceful, elegant, exquisite, aesthetic, artistic, decorative, magnificent; Scottish & N. English bonny; informal tasty, divine, knockout, drop-dead gorgeous, fanciable; Brit. informal smashing; N. Amer. informal cute, foxy; Austral./NZ informal beaut, spunky; formal beauteous; archaic comely, fair. ANTONYMS :ugly.

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beautify

verb
adorn, embellish, enhance, decorate, ornament, garnish, gild, smarten, prettify, enrich, glamorize, spruce up, deck (out), trick out, grace; informal get up, do up, do out, tart up. ANTONYMS :spoil, uglify.

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beauty

noun
the great beauty of the scenery
attractiveness, prettiness, good looks, comeliness, allure; loveliness, charm, appeal, heavenliness; winsomeness, grace, elegance, exquisiteness; splendour, magnificence, grandeur, impressiveness, decorativeness; gorgeousness, glamour; Scottish & N. English bonniness; poetic/literary beauteousness, pulchritude.
she is a beauty
beautiful woman, belle, vision, Venus, goddess, beauty queen, English rose, picture; informal looker, good looker, lovely, stunner, knockout, bombshell, dish, cracker, peach, eyeful, bit of all right; Brit. informal smasher.
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the beauty of this plan
advantage, attraction, strength, benefit, boon, blessing, good thing, strong point, virtue, merit, selling point.
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ANTONYMS :ugliness, drawback.

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beaver

beaver away (informal). See slog verb sense 1.

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becalmed

adjective
motionless, still, at a standstill, at a halt, unmoving, stuck.

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because

conjunction
since, as, in view of the fact that, owing to the fact that, seeing that/as; informal on account of; poetic/literary for. ANTONYMS :despite.

because of
on account of, as a result of, as a consequence of, owing to, due to; thanks to, by/in virtue of; formal by reason of.

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beckon

verb
the guard beckoned to Benny
gesture, signal, wave, gesticulate, motion.
the countryside beckons you
entice, invite, tempt, coax, lure, charm, attract, draw, call.
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become

verb
she became rich
grow, get, turn, come to be, get to be; poetic/literary wax.
he became a tyrant
turn into, change into, be transformed into, be converted into.
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he became Foreign Secretary
be appointed (as), be assigned as, be nominated, be elected (as), be made.
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the dress becomes her
suit, flatter, look good on; set off, show to advantage; informal do something for.
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it ill becomes him to preach the gospel
befit, suit; formal behove.
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become of
happen to, be the fate of, be the lot of, overtake; poetic/literary befall, betide.

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becoming

adjective
flattering, fetching; attractive, lovely, pretty, handsome; stylish, elegant, chic, fashionable, tasteful; archaic comely.

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bed

noun
she got into bed
couch, cot, cradle, berth, billet; informal the sack, the hay; Brit. informal one's pit; Scottish informal one's kip.
a flower bed
patch, plot, border, strip.
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built on a bed of stones
base, foundation, support, prop, substructure, substratum.
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a river bed
bottom, floor, ground.
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verb
the tiles are bedded in mortar
embed, set, fix, insert, inlay, implant, bury, base, plant, settle.
time to bed out the seedlings
plant (out), transplant.
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bed down. See go to bed. go to bed
retire, call it a day; go to sleep, have/take a nap, have a doze, get some sleep; informal hit the sack, hit the hay, turn in, snatch forty winks, get some shut-eye; Brit. informal have a kip, get some kip, hit the pit; N. Amer. informal catch some Zs.

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bedaub

verb
(poetic/literary) smear, daub, bespatter, spatter, splatter, cover, coat; poetic/literary besmirch, begrime.

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bedclothes

plural noun
bedding, sheets and blankets; bed linen; bedcovers, covers.

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bedding

noun
. See bedclothes.

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bedeck

verb
decorate, adorn, ornament, embellish, furnish, garnish, trim, deck, grace, enrich, dress up, trick out; swathe, wreathe, festoon; informal get up, do out; poetic/literary furbelow.

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bedevil

verb
afflict, torment, beset, assail, beleaguer, plague, blight, rack, oppress, harry, curse, dog; harass, distress, trouble, worry, torture.

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bedlam

noun
uproar, pandemonium, commotion, mayhem, confusion, disorder, chaos, anarchy, lawlessness; furore, upheaval, hubbub, hurly-burly, turmoil, riot, ruckus, rumpus, tumult; informal hullabaloo, ructions, snafu. ANTONYMS :calm.

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bedraggled

adjective
dishevelled, disordered, untidy, unkempt, tousled, disarranged, in a mess; N. Amer. informal mussed. ANTONYMS :neat, clean, dry.

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bedridden

adjective
confined to bed, immobilized; informal laid up, flat on one's back.

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bedrock

noun
this fact is the bedrock of our authority
core, basis, base, foundation, roots, heart, backbone, principle, essence, nitty-gritty; informal nuts and bolts.

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bedspread

noun
bedcover, coverlet, quilt, throwover, blanket; Brit. eiderdown; N. Amer. throw, spread, comforter; dated counterpane.

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bee

apian.

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beef (informal)

noun
there's plenty of beef on him
muscle, brawn, bulk; strength, power.
his beef was about the cost
complaint, criticism, objection, cavil, quibble, grievance, grumble, grouse; informal gripe, grouch, moan, whinge.
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verb
security was being beefed up
toughen up, strengthen, build up, reinforce, consolidate, invigorate, improve.

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beefy

adjective
(informal) muscular, brawny, hefty, burly, hulking, strapping, well built, solid, strong, powerful, heavy, robust, sturdy; informal hunky, husky. ANTONYMS :puny.

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beer

noun
ale, brew; Brit. informal wallop, pint, jar; Austral./NZ informal hop, sherbet.

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beetle

noun

coleopteran, coleopterous.
verb
(informal) he beetled past
scurry, scamper, scuttle, bustle, hurry, hasten, rush, dash; informal scoot, zip.

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beetling

adjective
projecting, protruding, prominent, overhanging, sticking out, jutting out.

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befall

verb
(poetic/literary) the same fate befell him
happen to, overtake, come upon, be visited on.
tell us what befell
happen, occur, take place, come about, transpire, materialize; ensue, follow, result; N. Amer. informal go down; poetic/literary come to pass, betide; formal eventuate.
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befitting

preposition
in keeping with, as befits, appropriate to, fit for, suitable for, suited to, proper to, right for, compatible with, consistent with, in character with; archaic meet for.

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befogged

adjective
confused, muddled, fuddled, befuddled, groggy, dizzy, muzzy; informal dopey, woozy, not with it. ANTONYMS :lucid.

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before

preposition
he dressed up before going out
prior to, previous to, earlier than, preparatory to, in preparation for, preliminary to, in anticipation of, in expectation of; in advance of, ahead of, leading up to, on the eve of; rare anterior to.
he appeared before the judge
in front of, in the presence of, in the sight of.
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death before dishonour
in preference to, rather than, sooner than.
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pre-. ANTONYMS :after.

adverb
she has ridden before
previously, before now/then, until now/then, up to now/then; earlier, formerly, hitherto, in the past, in days gone by; formal heretofore.
a small party went on before
ahead, in front, in advance.
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ANTONYMS :behind.

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beforehand

adverb
in advance, in readiness, ahead of time; before, before now/then, earlier (on), previously, already, sooner. ANTONYMS :afterwards.

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befriend

verb
make friends with, make a friend of; look after, help, protect, stand by.

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befuddled

adjective
confused, muddled, addled, bewildered, disorientated, all at sea, fazed, perplexed, dazed, dizzy, stupefied, groggy, muzzy, foggy, fuzzy, dopey, woozy; informal mixed up; N. Amer. informal discombobulated. ANTONYMS :clear.

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beg

verb
he begged on the streets
ask for money, seek charity, seek alms; informal sponge, cadge, scrounge, bum; Brit. informal scab; N. Amer. informal mooch; Austral./NZ informal bludge.
we begged for mercy
ask for, request, plead for, appeal for, call for, sue for, solicit, seek, press for.
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he begged her not to go
implore, entreat, plead with, appeal to, supplicate, pray to, importune; ask, request, call on, petition; poetic/literary beseech.
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beget

verb
(poetic/literary) he begat a son
father, sire, have, bring into the world, give life to, bring into being, spawn.
violence begets violence
cause, give rise to, lead to, result in, bring about, create, produce, generate, engender, spawn, occasion, bring on, precipitate, prompt, provoke, kindle, trigger, spark off, touch off, stir up, whip up, induce, inspire, promote; poetic/literary enkindle.
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beggar

noun
he never turned any beggar from his kitchen door
tramp, beggarman, beggarwoman, vagrant, vagabond, mendicant; N. Amer. hobo; informal scrounger, sponger, cadger, freeloader; Brit. informal dosser; N. Amer. informal bum, moocher, mooch, schnorrer; Austral./NZ informal bagman, bludger; rare clochard.
(informal) the lucky beggar!
See person.
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verb
the fare beggared her for a week
impoverish, make poor, reduce to penury, bankrupt, make destitute, pauperize, ruin, wipe out, break, cripple; bring someone to their knees.

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beggarly

adjective
a beggarly sum
meagre, paltry, pitiful, miserable, miserly, ungenerous, scant, scanty, skimpy, puny, inadequate, insufficient, insubstantial; informal measly, stingy, pathetic, piddling, piffling, mingy; formal exiguous.
in beggarly circumstances
wretched, miserable, sordid, squalid, shabby, mean; poor, poverty-stricken, impoverished, distressed, needy, destitute.
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ANTONYMS :considerable, affluent.

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beggary

noun
poverty, penury, destitution, ruin, ruination, indigence, impecuniousness, impoverishment, need, privation, pauperism, mendicity, want, hardship, reduced circumstances, straitened circumstances, debt, financial ruin; rare pauperdom.

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begin

verb
we began work
start, commence, set about, go about, embark on, launch into, get down to, take up; initiate, set in motion, institute, inaugurate, get ahead with; informal get cracking on, get going on.
he began by saying hello
open, lead off, get under way, get going, get off the ground, start (off), go ahead, commence; informal start the ball rolling, kick off, get the show on the road, fire away, take the plunge.
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when did the illness begin?
appear, arise, become apparent, make an appearance, spring up, crop up, turn up, come into existence, come into being, originate, start, commence, develop; poetic/literary come to pass.
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incipient, inceptive, inchoate, embryonic. ANTONYMS :finish, end, disappear.

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beginner

noun
novice, starter, (raw) recruit, newcomer, tyro, fledgling, neophyte, initiate, fresher, freshman, cub, probationer; postulant, novitiate; N. Amer. tenderfoot; informal rookie, new kid (on the block), newie, newbie; N. Amer. informal greenhorn, probie. ANTONYMS :expert, veteran.

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beginning

noun
the beginning of socialism
dawn, birth, inception, conception, origination, genesis, emergence, rise, start, commencement, starting point, launch, onset, outset; day one; informal kick-off.
the beginning of the article
opening, start, commencement, first part, introduction, preamble, opening statement.
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the therapy has its beginnings in China
origin, source, roots, starting point, birthplace, fons et origo, cradle, spring, early stages, fountainhead; genesis, creation; poetic/literary fount, well spring.
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ANTONYMS :end, conclusion.

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begrime

verb
(poetic/literary) dirty, soil, sully, stain, mark, muddy; smear, daub, spatter, bespatter, splatter; poetic/literary besmirch, bedaub.

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begrudge

verb
she begrudged Brian his affluence
envy, grudge; resent, be jealous of, be envious of.
don't begrudge the cost
resent, feel aggrieved about, feel bitter about, be annoyed about, be resentful of, grudge, mind, object to, take exception to, regret; give unwillingly, give reluctantly.
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beguile

verb
she was beguiled by its beauty
charm, attract, enchant, entrance, win over, woo, captivate, bewitch, spellbind, dazzle, hypnotize, mesmerize, seduce.
the programme has been beguiling children for years
entertain, amuse, delight, please, occupy, absorb, engage, distract, divert, fascinate, enthral, engross.
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ANTONYMS :repel, bore.

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beguiling

adjective
charming, enchanting, entrancing, charismatic, captivating, bewitching, spellbinding, hypnotizing, mesmerizing, magnetic, alluring, enticing, tempting, inviting, seductive, irresistible; informal come-hither. ANTONYMS :unappealing.

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behalf

on behalf of/on someone's behalf
I am writing on behalf of my client
as a representative of, as a spokesperson for, for, in the name of, in place of, on the authority of, at the behest of.

a campaign on behalf of cycling
in the interests of, in support of, for, for the benefit of, for the good of, for the sake of.
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behave

verb
she behaved badly
conduct oneself, act, acquit oneself, bear oneself; formal comport oneself; archaic deport oneself.
the children behaved themselves
act correctly, act properly, conduct oneself well, be well behaved, be good; be polite, show good manners, mind one's manners, mind one's Ps and Qs.
Top
ANTONYMS :misbehave.

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behaviour

noun
his behaviour was inexcusable
conduct, deportment, bearing, etiquette; actions, doings; manners, ways; formal comportment.
the behaviour of these organisms
functioning, action, performance, operation, working, reaction, response.
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behead

verb
decapitate, cut someone's head off, guillotine.

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behest

noun
(poetic/literary) instruction, requirement, demand, insistence, bidding, request, wish, desire, will; command, order, decree, ruling, directive; informal say-so.

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behind

preposition
he hid behind a tree
at the back/rear of, beyond, on the far/other side of; N. Amer. in back of.
a guard ran behind him
after, following, at the back/rear of, hard on the heels of, in the wake of.
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you are behind the rest of the class
less advanced than, slower than, weaker than, inferior to.
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he was behind the bombings
responsible for, at the bottom of, the cause of, the source of, the organizer of; to blame for, culpable of, guilty of.
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they have the nation behind them
supporting, backing, for, on the side of, in agreement with; financing; informal rooting for.
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ANTONYMS :in front of, ahead of.

adverb
a man followed behind
after, afterwards, at the back/end, in the rear.
I looked behind
over one's shoulder, to/towards the back, to/towards the rear, backwards.
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we're behind, so don't stop
(running) late, behind schedule, behindhand, not on time, behind time.
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he was behind with his subscription
in arrears, overdue; late, unpunctual, behindhand.
Top
ANTONYMS :in front, ahead.

noun
(informal) he sat on h is behind.
See bottom noun sense 6.
put something behind one
consign to the past, put down to experience, regard as water under the bridge, forget about, ignore.

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behindhand

adverb
behind, behind schedule/time; late, belated, unpunctual, slow.ANTONYMS :ahead.

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behold

verb
(poetic/literary) no eyes beheld them
see, observe, view, look at, watch, survey, gaze at/upon, regard, contemplate, inspect, eye; catch sight of, glimpse, spot, spy, notice; informal clap eyes on, have/take a gander at, get a load of; Brit. informal have/take a dekko at, have/take a butcher's at, have/take a shufti at, clock; N. Amer. informal eyeball; poetic/literary espy, descry.
exclamation
(archaic) behold, here I am!
look, see; archaic lo.

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beholden

adjective
indebted, in someone's debt, obligated, under an obligation; grateful, owing a debt of gratitude.

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behove

verb
it behoves me to go
be incumbent on, be obligatory for, be required of, be expected of, be appropriate for.
it ill behoves them to comment
befit, become, suit.
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beige

adjective
fawn, pale brown, buff, sand, sandy, oatmeal, biscuit, coffee, coffee-coloured, café au lait, camel, ecru.

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being

noun
she is warmed by his very being
existence, living, life, reality, actuality, essential nature, lifeblood, vital force; Philosophy esse.
God is alive in the being of man
soul, spirit, nature, essence, inner being, inner self, psyche; heart, bosom, breast; Philosophy quiddity, pneuma.
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an enlightened being
creature, life form, living entity, living thing, (living) soul, individual, person, human (being).
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belabour

verb
he belaboured the driver about the head
beat, hit, strike, smack, batter, pummel, pound, buffet, rain blows on, thrash; N. Amer. beat up on; informal wallop, whack, clout, clobber, bop, biff, sock, plug; N. Amer. informal whale; archaic smite.
he was belaboured in the press
criticize, attack, berate, censure, condemn, denounce, denigrate, revile, pillory, flay, lambaste, savage, tear/pull to pieces, run down; informal knock, slam, pan, bash, take apart, crucify, hammer, lay into, roast; Brit. informal slate, rubbish, slag off; N. Amer. informal pummel, cut up; formal castigate, excoriate.
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don't belabour the point
over-elaborate, labour, dwell on, harp on about, hammer away at; overdo, overplay, over-dramatize, make too much of, place too much emphasis on; informal flog to death, drag out, make a big thing of, blow out of all proportion.
Top
ANTONYMS :praise, understate.

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belated

adjective
late, overdue, behindhand, behind time, behind schedule, delayed, tardy, unpunctual. ANTONYMS :early.

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belch

verb
onions make me belch
bring up wind; informal burp; Scottish & N. English informal rift.
the furnace belched flames
emit, give off, give out, pour out, discharge, disgorge, spew out, spit out, vomit, cough up; poetic/literary disembogue.
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noun
he gave a loud belch
informal burp; Scottish & N. English informal rift; formal eructation.

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beleaguered

adjective
the beleaguered garrison
besieged, under siege, blockaded, surrounded, encircled, hemmed in, under attack.
a beleaguered government
hard-pressed, troubled, in difficulties, under pressure, under stress, with one's back to the wall, in a tight corner, in a tight spot; informal up against it.
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belie

verb
his eyes belied his words
contradict, be at odds with, call into question, give the lie to, show/prove to be false, disprove, debunk, discredit, controvert, negative; formal confute.
his image belies his talent
conceal, cover, disguise; misrepresent, falsify, give a false idea/account of.
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ANTONYMS :testify to, reveal.

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belief

noun
it's my belief that age is irrelevant
opinion, view, conviction, judgement, thinking, way of thinking, idea, impression, theory, conclusion, notion.
belief in God
faith, trust, reliance, confidence, credence.
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traditional beliefs
ideology, principle, ethic, tenet, canon; doctrine, teaching, dogma, article of faith, creed, credo.
Top
ANTONYMS :disbelief, doubt.

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believable

adjective
credible, plausible, tenable, able to hold water, conceivable, likely, probable, possible, feasible, reasonable, with a ring of truth. ANTONYMS :inconceivable.

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believe

verb
I don't believe you
be convinced by, trust, have confidence in, consider honest, consider truthful.
do you believe that story?
regard as true, accept, be convinced by, give credence to, credit, trust, put confidence in; informal swallow, buy, go for.
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I believe he worked for you
think, be of the opinion that, have an idea that, imagine, suspect, suppose, assume, presume, take it, conjecture, surmise, conclude, deduce, understand, be given to understand, gather, fancy, guess, dare say; informal reckon, figure; archaic ween.
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ANTONYMS :doubt.

believe in
she believed in God
be convinced of the existence of, be sure of the existence of.

I believe in lots of exercise
have faith in, pin one's faith on, trust in, have every confidence in, cling to, set (great) store by, value, be convinced by, be persuaded by; subscribe to, approve of; informal swear by, rate.
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believer

noun
devotee, adherent, disciple, follower, supporter, upholder, worshipper. ANTONYMS :infidel, sceptic.

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belittle

verb
disparage, denigrate, run down, deprecate, depreciate, downgrade, play down, trivialize, minimize, make light of, treat lightly; informal do down, pooh-pooh; formal derogate; rare misprize. ANTONYMS :praise, magnify.

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belle

noun
beauty, vision, picture, pin-up, beauty queen, English rose, goddess, Venus; informal looker, good looker, lovely, stunner, knockout, bombshell, dish, cracker, bobby-dazzler, peach, honey, eyeful, sight for sore eyes, bit of all right; Brit. informal smasher.

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bellicose

adjective
belligerent, aggressive, hostile, antagonistic, pugnacious, truculent, confrontational, contentious, militant, combative; informal spoiling for a fight; Brit. informal stroppy, bolshie; N. Amer. informal scrappy; rare oppugnant.ANTONYMS :peaceable.

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belligerent

adjective
a belligerent stare
hostile, aggressive, threatening, antagonistic, pugnacious, bellicose, truculent, confrontational, contentious, militant, combative; informal spoiling for a fight; Brit. informal stroppy, bolshie; N. Amer. informal scrappy; rare oppugnant.
the belligerent states
warring, at war, combatant, fighting, battling.
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ANTONYMS :peaceable, neutral.

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bellow

verb
she bellowed in his ear
roar, shout, bawl, thunder, trumpet, boom, bark, yell, shriek, howl, scream; raise one's voice; informal holler. ANTONYMS :whisper.

noun
a bellow of pain
roar, shout, bawl, bark, yell, yelp, shriek, howl, scream; informal holler. ANTONYMS :whisper.

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belly

noun
he scratched his belly
stomach, abdomen, paunch, middle, midriff, girth; informal tummy, tum, gut, guts, insides, pot, pot belly, beer belly, beer gut, bread basket; Scottish informal kyte; N. Amer. informal bay window; dated corporation.
verb
her skirt bellied out
billow (out), bulge (out), balloon (out), bag (out), fill (out); distend. ANTONYMS :sag, flap.

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belong

verb
the house belongs to his mother
be owned by, be the property of, be the possession of, be held by, be in the hands of.
I belong to a trade union
be a member of, be in, be affiliated to, be allied to, be associated with, be linked to, be an adherent of.
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the garden belongs to the basement flat
be part of, be attached to, be an adjunct of, go with.
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these creatures belong with bony fish
be classed, be classified, be categorized, be included, have a place, be located, be situated, be found, lie.
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she doesn't belong here
fit in, be suited to, have a rightful place, have a home; informal go, click.
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belonging

noun
affiliation, acceptance, association, attachment, integration, closeness; rapport, fellow feeling, fellowship. ANTONYMS :alienation.

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belongings

plural noun
possessions, effects, worldly goods, chattels, property; informal gear, tackle, kit, things, stuff, bits and pieces, bits and bobs; Brit. informal clobber, gubbins.

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beloved

adjective
her beloved brother
darling, dear, dearest, precious, adored, much loved, cherished, treasured, prized, highly regarded, admired, esteemed, worshipped, revered, venerated, idolized. ANTONYMS :hated.

noun
he watched his beloved
sweetheart, love, darling, dearest, lover, girlfriend, boyfriend, young lady, young man, lady friend, man friend; informal steady, baby, angel, honey, pet; poetic/literary swain; dated beau; archaic paramour, doxy.

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below

preposition
the water rushed below them
beneath, under, underneath, further down than, lower than.
the sum is below average
less than, lower than, under, not as much as, smaller than.
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a captain is below a major
lower than, under, inferior to, subordinate to, subservient to.
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hypo-, sub-. ANTONYMS :above, over, more than.

adverb
I could see what was happening below
further down, lower down, in a lower position, underneath, beneath.
the statements below
underneath, following, further on, at a later point.
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belt

noun
the belt of her coat
girdle, sash, strap, cummerbund, band; poetic/literary cincture; historical baldric.
farmers in the cotton belt
region, area, district, zone, sector, territory; tract, strip, stretch.
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(informal) a belt across the face
blow, punch, smack, crack, slap, bang, thump, knock, box; informal clout, bash, clip, biff, whack, thwack, wallop, sock, swipe; Brit. informal slosh; N. Amer. informal boff, bust, slug, whale; archaic smite.
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verb
she belted the children in
fasten, tie, bind; poetic/literary gird.
(informal) a guy belted him in the face
hit, strike, smack, slap, bang, beat, punch, thump, welt; informal clout, bash, biff, whack, thwack, wallop, sock, slog, clobber, bop, lam, larrup; N. Amer. informal boff, bust, slug, whale; archaic smite.
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(informal) he belted down the hill.
See speed verb sense 1.
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below the belt
unfair, unjust, unacceptable, inequitable; unethical, unprincipled, immoral, unscrupulous, unsporting, sneaky, dishonourable, dishonest, underhand; informal low-down, dirty; Brit. informal out of order, off, a bit thick, not cricket. belt up (informal)
be quiet, quieten down, be silent, fall silent, hush, stop talking, hold your tongue; informal shut up, shut your face/mouth/trap, button your lip, pipe down, cut the cackle, put a sock in it; Brit. informal shut your gob, wrap up; N. Amer. informal save it.

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bemoan

verb
lament, bewail, mourn, grieve over, sorrow over, cry over; deplore, complain about; archaic plain over. ANTONYMS :rejoice at, applaud.

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bemused

adjective
bewildered, confused, puzzled, perplexed, baffled, mystified, nonplussed, muddled, dumbfounded, at sea, at a loss, taken aback, disoriented, disconcerted; informal flummoxed, bamboozled, clueless, fazed; N. Amer. informal discombobulated.

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bemusement

noun
bewilderment, confusion, puzzlement, perplexity, bafflement, befuddlement, stupefaction, mystification, disorientation; informal bamboozlement; N. Amer. informal discombobulation.

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bench

noun
he sat on a bench
pew, form, stall, settle.
a laboratory bench
workbench, work table, worktop, work surface, counter.
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the bench heard the evidence
judges, magistrates, judiciary; court.
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benchmark

noun
standard, point of reference, gauge, criterion, specification, canon, convention, guide, guideline, guiding principle, norm, touchstone, yardstick, barometer, indicator, measure, model, exemplar, pattern.

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bend

verb
the frames can be bent to fit your face
curve, crook, flex, angle, hook, bow, arch, buckle, warp, contort, distort, deform.
the highway bent to the left
turn, curve, incline, swing, veer, deviate, diverge, fork, change course, curl, loop.
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he bent down to tie his shoe
stoop, bow, crouch, hunch, lean down/over.
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they want to bend me to their will
mould, shape, manipulate, direct, force, press, influence, incline, sway.
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he bent his mind to the question
direct, turn, train, steer, set.
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ANTONYMS :straighten.

noun
he came to a bend in the road
curve, turn, corner, kink, angle, arc, crescent, twist, crook, deviation, deflection, loop; dogleg, oxbow, zigzag; Brit. hairpin bend, hairpin turn, hairpin; rare incurvation. ANTONYMS :straight.

bend over backwards (informal)
try one's hardest, do one's best, do one's utmost, do all one can, give one's all, make every effort; informal do o ne's damnedest, go all out, pull out all the stops, bust a gut, move heaven and earth.

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beneath

preposition
we sat beneath the trees
under, underneath, below, at the foot of, at the bottom of; lower than.
the rank beneath theirs
inferior to, below, not so important as, lower in status than, subordinate to, subservient to.
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such an attitude was beneath her
unworthy of, unbecoming to, degrading to, below.
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ANTONYMS :above.

adverb
sand with rock beneath
underneath, below, further down, lower down. ANTONYMS :above.

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benediction

noun
the priest said a benediction
blessing, prayer, invocation; grace.
filled with heavenly benediction
blessedness, beatitude, bliss, grace.
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benefactor benefactress

noun
patron, supporter, backer, sponsor; donor, contributor, subscriber; informal angel.

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beneficent

adjective
benevolent, charitable, altruistic, humanitarian, neighbourly, public-spirited, philanthropic; generous, magnanimous, munificent, unselfish, unstinting, open-handed, liberal, lavish, bountiful; poetic/literary bounteous. ANTONYMS :unkind, mean.

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beneficial

adjective
advantageous, favourable, helpful, useful, of use, of benefit, of assistance, valuable, of value, profitable, rewarding, gainful. ANTONYMS :disadvantageous.

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beneficiary

noun
heir, heiress, inheritor, legatee; recipient; Law devisee, cestui que trust; Scottish Law heritor.

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benefit

noun
for the benefit of others
good, sake, welfare, well-being, advantage, comfort, ease, convenience; help, aid, assistance, service.
the benefits of working for a large firm
advantage, reward, merit, boon, blessing, virtue; bonus; value; informal perk; formal perquisite.
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state benefit
social security payments, public assistance allowance, welfare; charity, donations, gifts, financial assistance; informal the dole; Scottish informal the buroo, the broo.
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ANTONYMS :detriment, disadvantage.

verb
the deal benefited them both
be advantageous to, be beneficial to, be of advantage to, be to the advantage of, profit, do good to, be of service to, serve, be useful to, be of use to, be helpful to, be of help to, help, aid, assist, be of assistance to; better, improve, strengthen, boost, advance, further.
they may benefit from drugs
profit, gain, reap benefits, reap reward, make money; make the most of, exploit, turn to one's advantage, put to good use, do well out of; informal cash in, make a killing.
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ANTONYMS :damage, suffer.

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benevolence

noun
kindness, kind-heartedness, big-heartedness, goodness, goodwill, charity, altruism, humanitarianism, compassion, philanthropism; generosity, magnanimity, munificence, unselfishness, open-handedness, beneficence; poetic/literary bounty, bounteousness. ANTONYMS :spite, miserliness.

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benevolent

adjective
a benevolent patriarch
kind, kindly, kind-hearted, big-hearted, good-natured, good, benign, compassionate, caring, altruistic, humanitarian, philanthropic; generous, magnanimous, munificent, unselfish, open-handed, beneficent; poetic/literary bounteous.
a benevolent institution
charitable, non-profit-making, non-profit, not-for-profit; formal eleemosynary.
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ANTONYMS :unkind, tight-fisted.

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benighted

adjective
ignorant, unenlightened, uneducated, uninformed, backward, simple; primitive, uncivilized, unsophisticated, philistine, barbarian, barbaric, barbarous; poetic/literary nescient; archaic rude. ANTONYMS :enlightened.

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benign

adjective
a benign grandfatherly role
kindly, kind, warm-hearted, good-natured, friendly, warm, affectionate, agreeable, genial, congenial, cordial, approachable, tender-hearted, gentle, sympathetic, compassionate, caring, well disposed, benevolent.
a benign climate
temperate, mild, gentle, balmy, soft, pleasant; healthy, wholesome, salubrious.
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(Medicine) a benign tumour
harmless, non-malignant, non-cancerous, innocent; Medicine benignant.
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ANTONYMS :unfriendly, hostile, unhealthy, unfavourable, malignant.

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bent

adjective
the bucket had a bent handle
twisted, crooked, warped, contorted, deformed, misshapen, out of shape, irregular; bowed, arched, curved, angled, hooked, kinked; N. Amer. informal pretzeled.
(Brit. informal) a bent policeman.
See corrupt adjective sense 1.
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(Brit. informal). See homosexual adjective.
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ANTONYMS :straight, law-abiding, heterosexual.

noun
an artistic bent
inclination, leaning, tendency; talent, gift, flair, aptitude, facility, skill, capability, capacity; predisposition, disposition, instinct, orientation, predilection, proclivity, propensity.
bent on
intent on, determined on, set on, insistent on, resolved on, hell-bent on; committed to, single-minded about, obsessed with, fanatical about, fixated on.

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benumbed

adjective
numb, unfeeling, insensible, stupefied, groggy, foggy, fuzzy, muzzy, dazed, dizzy; befuddled, fuddled, disoriented, confused, bewildered, all at sea; informal dopey, woozy, mixed up; N. Amer. informal discombobulated. ANTONYMS :perceptive.

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bequeath

verb
leave (in one's will), will, make over, pass on, hand on/down, entrust, grant, transfer; donate, give; endow on, bestow on, confer on; Law demise, devise, convey.

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bequest

noun
legacy, inheritance, endowment, settlement; estate, heritage; bestowal, bequeathal; Law devise; Law, dated hereditament.

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berate

verb
scold, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove, admonish, chide, criticize, upbraid, take to task, pull up, read someone the Riot Act, haul over the coals; informal tell off, give someone a talking-to, give someone a telling-off, give someone a dressing-down, give someone a roasting, rap over the knuckles, send someone away with a flea in their ear, bawl out, come down on, tear into, put on the mat, slap down, blast; Brit. informal tick off, have a go at, carpet, give someone a rocket, give someone a rollicking, tear someone off a strip; Brit. informal, dated give someone a wigging; N. Amer. informal chew out, ream out, take to the woodshed; Austral. informal monster; formal castigate; dated call down, rate; rare reprehend, objurgate. ANTONYMS :praise.

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bereaved

adjective
orphaned, widowed; mourning, grieving.

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bereavement

noun
death in the family, loss, passing (away), demise; formal decease.

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bereft

adjective
deprived, robbed, stripped, devoid, bankrupt; wanting, in need of, lacking, without; informal minus, sans, clean out of.

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berry

noun
fruit, currant.

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berserk

adjective
mad, crazy, insane, out of one's mind, hysterical, frenzied, crazed, demented, maniacal, manic, frantic, raving, wild, out of control, amok, on the rampage; informal off one's head, off the deep end, ape, bananas, bonkers, nuts, hyper; Brit. informal spare, crackers, barmy; N. Amer. informal postal.

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berth

noun
a 4-berth cabin
bunk, bed, cot, couch, hammock.
the vessel left its berth
mooring, dock.
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verb
the ship berthed in London Docks
dock, moor, land, tie up, make fast.
the boats each berth six
accommodate, sleep.
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give someone/something a wide berth
avoid, shun, keep away from, stay away from, steer clear of, keep at arm's length, have nothing to do with; dodge, sidestep, circumvent, skirt round.

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beseech

verb
(poetic/literary) implore, beg, entreat, plead with, appeal to, call on, supplicate, importune, pray to, ask, request, petition.

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beset

verb
he is beset by fears
plague, bedevil, assail, beleaguer, afflict, torment, rack, oppress, trouble, worry, harass, dog.
they were beset by enemy forces
surround, besiege, hem in, shut in, fence in, box in, encircle, ring round.
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beside

preposition
Kate walked beside him
alongside, by/at the side of, next to, parallel to, abreast of, at someone's elbow; adjacent to, next door to, cheek by jowl with; bordering, abutting, neighbouring.
beside Paula, she felt clumsy
compared with/to, in comparison with/to, by comparison with, next to, against, contrasted with, in contrast to/with.
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para-.
beside oneself
distraught, overcome, out of one's mind, frantic, desperate, distracted, at one's wits' end, frenzied, wound up, worked up; hysterical, unhinged, mad, crazed, berserk, demented. beside the point. See point1.

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besides

preposition
who did you ask besides Mary?
in addition to, as well as, over and above, above and beyond, on top of; apart from, other than, aside from, but for, save for, not counting, excluding, not including, except, with the exception of, excepting, leaving aside; N. Amer. informal outside of; archaic forbye.
adverb
there's a lot more besides
in addition, as well, too, also, into the bargain, on top of that, to boot; archaic therewithal.
besides, he's a man
furthermore, moreover, further; anyway, anyhow, in any case, be that as it may; informal what's more; N. Amer. informal anyways.
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besiege

verb
the English army besieged Leith
lay siege to, beleaguer, blockade, surround; archaic invest.
fans besieged his hotel
surround, mob, crowd round, swarm round, throng round, ring round, encircle.
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guilt besieged him
oppress, torment, torture, rack, plague, afflict, haunt, harrow, beset, beleaguer, trouble, bedevil, prey on.
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he was besieged with requests
overwhelm, inundate, deluge, flood, swamp, snow under; bombard.
Top

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besmirch

verb
(poetic/literary) sully, tarnish, blacken, drag through the mud/mire, stain, taint, smear, disgrace, dishonour, bring discredit to, damage, ruin. ANTONYMS :honour, enhance.

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besotted

adjective
infatuated, smitten, in love, head over heels in love, obsessed; doting on, greatly enamoured of; informal bowled over by, swept off one's feet by, struck on, crazy about, mad about, wild about, gone on, carrying a torch for; Brit. informal potty about.

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bespatter

verb
splatter, spatter, splash, speck, fleck, spot; dirty, soil; Scottish & Irish slabber; informal splotch, splodge, splosh.

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bespeak

verb
a tree-lined road which bespoke money
indicate, be evidence of, be a sign of, denote, point to, testify to, evidence, reflect, demonstrate, show, manifest, display, signify; reveal, betray; informal spell; poetic/literary betoken.
he had bespoken a room
order, reserve, book; informal bag.
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ANTONYMS :belie.

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best

adjective
the best hotel in Paris
finest, greatest, top, foremost, leading, pre-eminent, premier, prime, first, chief, principal, supreme, of the highest quality, superlative, par excellence, unrivalled, second to none, without equal, nonpareil, unsurpassed, peerless, matchless, unparalleled, unbeaten, unbeatable, optimum, optimal, ultimate, incomparable, ideal, perfect; highest, record-breaking; informal star, number-one, a cut above the rest, top-drawer; formal unexampled.
do whatever you think best
most advantageous, most useful, most suitable, most fitting, most appropriate; most prudent, most sensible, most advisable.
Top
ANTONYMS :worst.

adverb
the best-dressed man
to the highest standard, in the best way.
the food he liked best
most, to the highest/greatest degree.
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this is best done at home
most advantageously, most usefully, most suitably, most fittingly, most appropriately; most sensibly, most prudently, most wisely; better.
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ANTONYMS :worst, least.

noun
only the best will do
finest, choicest, top, cream, choice, prime, elite, crème de la crème, flower, jewel in the crown, nonpareil; informal tops, pick of the bunch.
she dressed in her best
best clothes, finery, Sunday best; informal best bib and tucker, glad rags.
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give her my best
best wishes, regards, kind/kindest regards, greetings, compliments, felicitations, respects; love.
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verb
(informal) she was not to be bested
defeat, beat, get the better of, outdo, outwit, outsmart, worst, be more than a match for, prevail over, vanquish, trounce, triumph over; surpass, outclass, outshine, put someone in the shade, overshadow, eclipse; informal lick, get one over on.
at one's best
on top form, at one's peak, in one's prime, in the pink, in the best of health. do one's best
do one's utmost, try one's hardest, make every effort, do all one can, give one's all; informal bend over backwards, do one's damnedest, go all out, pull out all the stops, bust a gut, break one's neck, move heaven and earth. had best
ought to, should.

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bestial

adjective
Stanley's bestial behaviour
savage, brutish, brutal, barbarous, barbaric, cruel, vicious, violent, inhuman, subhuman; depraved, degenerate, perverted, immoral, warped.
man's bestial ancestors
animal, beast-like, animalistic; rare zoic.
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ANTONYMS :civilized, humane.

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bestir

bestir oneself
exert oneself, make an effort, rouse oneself, get going, get moving, get on with it; informal shake a leg, look lively, get cracking, get weaving, get one's finger out, get off one's backside; Brit. informal, dated stir one's stumps.

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bestow

verb
confer on, grant, accord, afford, endow someone with, vest in, present, award, give, donate, entrust with, vouchsafe.

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bestride

verb
the oilfield bestrides the border
extend across, lie on both sides of, straddle, span, bridge.
he bestrode his horse
straddle, sit/stand astride.
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Italy bestrode Europe in opera
dominate, tower over/above.
Top

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best-seller

noun
great success, brand leader; informal hit, smash (hit), blockbuster, chart-topper, chartbuster. ANTONYMS :failure, flop.

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best-selling

adjective
very successful, very popular; informal number-one, chart-topping, hit, smash.

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bet

verb
he bet £10 on the favourite
wager, gamble, stake, risk, venture, hazard, chance; put/lay money, speculate; informal punt; Brit. informal have a flutter, chance one's arm.
(informal) I bet it was your idea
be certain, be sure, be convinced, be confident; expect, predict, forecast, guess; Brit. informal put one's shirt on.
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noun
a £20 bet
wager, gamble, stake, ante; Brit. informal flutter, punt.
(informal) my bet is that they'll lose
prediction, forecast, guess; opinion, belief, feeling, view, theory.
Top
(informal) your best bet is to go early
option, choice, alternative, course of action, plan.
Top

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bête noire

noun
bugbear, pet hate, bogey; a thorn in one's flesh/side, the bane of one's life; N. Amer. bugaboo. ANTONYMS :favourite.

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betide

verb
(poetic/literary) happen, occur, take place, come about, transpire, arise, chance; result, ensue, follow, develop, supervene; N. Amer. informal go down; formal eventuate; poetic/literary come to pass, befall; archaic hap, bechance.

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betoken

verb
(poetic/literary) a small gift betokening regret
indicate, be a sign of, be evidence of, evidence, manifest, mean, signify, denote, represent, show, demonstrate, bespeak; informal spell.
the blue sky betokened a day of good weather
foretell, signal, give notice of, herald, proclaim, prophesy, foreshadow, presage, be a harbinger of, portend, augur, be an omen of, be a sign of, be a warning of, warn of, bode; poetic/literary foretoken, forebode.
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betray

verb
he betrayed his own brother
break one's promise to, be disloyal to, be unfaithful to, break faith with, play someone false; inform on/against, give away, denounce, sell out, stab in the back; informal split on, rat on, peach on, stitch up, do the dirty on, sell down the river, squeal on; Brit. informal grass on, shop, sneak on; N. Amer. informal rat out, drop a/the dime on, finger; Austral./NZ informal dob on, point the bone at.
he betrayed a secret
reveal, disclose, divulge, tell, give away, leak; unmask, expose, bring out into the open; let slip, let out, let drop, blurt out; informal blab, spill.
Top
ANTONYMS :be loyal to, hide.

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betrayal

noun
disloyalty, treachery, bad faith, faithlessness, falseness, Punic faith; duplicity, deception, double-dealing; breach of faith, breach of trust, stab in the back; double-cross, sell-out; poetic/literary perfidy. ANTONYMS :loyalty.

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betrayer

noun
traitor, back-stabber, Judas, double-crosser; renegade, quisling, double agent, collaborator, informer, mole, stool pigeon; turncoat, defector; informal snake in the grass, rat, scab; Brit. informal grass, supergrass, nark; N. Amer. informal fink, stoolie.

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betrothal

noun
(dated) engagement, marriage contract; archaic espousal.

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betrothed

adjective
(dated) engaged (to be married), promised/pledged in marriage, attached; informal spoken for; poetic/literary affianced; archaic plighted, espoused. ANTONYMS :unattached.

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better

adjective
better facilities
superior, finer, of higher quality; preferable; informal a cut above, streets ahead, head and shoulders above, ahead of the pack/field.
there couldn't be a better time
more advantageous, more suitable, more fitting, more appropriate, more useful, more valuable, more desirable.
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are you better?
healthier, fitter, stronger; well, cured, healed, recovered; recovering, on the road to recovery, making progress, improving; informal on the mend.
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ANTONYMS :worse, inferior.

adverb
I played better today
to a higher standard, in a superior/finer way.
this may suit you better
more, to a greater degree/extent.
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the money could be better spent
more wisely, more sensibly, more suitably, more fittingly, more advantageously.
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verb
he bettered the record
surpass, improve on, beat, exceed, top, cap, trump, eclipse.
refugees who want to better their lot
improve, ameliorate, raise, advance, further, lift, upgrade, enhance.
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ANTONYMS :worsen.

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betterment

noun
improvement, amelioration, advancement, furtherance, upgrading, enhancement.

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between

preposition
Philip stood between his parents
in the space separating, in the middle of, with one on either side; archaic betwixt.
the bond between her and her mother
connecting, linking, joining; uniting, allying.
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inter-.

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bevel

noun
slope, slant, angle, cant, chamfer.

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beverage

noun
drink, liquid refreshment; humorous libation; archaic potation.

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bevy

noun
group, crowd, herd, flock, horde, army, galaxy, assemblage, gathering, band, body, pack; knot, cluster; informal bunch, gaggle, posse.

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bewail

verb
lament, bemoan, mourn, grieve over, sorrow over, cry over; deplore, complain about; archaic plain over. ANTONYMS :rejoice at, applaud.

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beware

verb
be on your guard, watch out, look out, mind out, be alert, be on the lookout, keep your eyes open/peeled, keep an eye out, keep a sharp lookout, be on the qui vive; take care, be careful, be cautious, have a care, watch your step; Brit. school slang, dated cave; Golf fore; Hunting ware.

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bewilder

verb
baffle, mystify, bemuse, perplex, puzzle, confuse, confound, nonplus; informal flummox, faze, stump, beat, fox, make someone scratch their head, be all Greek to, floor; N. Amer. informal discombobulate, buffalo. ANTONYMS :enlighten.

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bewildered

adjective
baffled, mystified, bemused, perplexed, puzzled, confused, nonplussed, at sea, at a loss, disorientated, taken aback; informal flummoxed, bamboozled; N. Amer. informal discombobulated.

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bewitch

verb
that evil woman bewitched him
cast/put a spell on, enchant; possess, witch, curse; N. Amer. hex, hoodoo; Austral. point the bone at.
she was bewitched by her surroundings
captivate, enchant, entrance, enrapture, charm, beguile, delight, fascinate, enthral.
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ANTONYMS :repel.

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beyond

preposition
beyond the trees
on the far side of, on the other side of, further away than, behind, past, after.
beyond six o'clock
later than, past, after.
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inflation beyond 10 per cent
greater than, more than, exceeding, in excess of, above, over and above, above and beyond, upwards of.
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little beyond food was provided
apart from, except, other than, besides; informal outside of; formal save.
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adverb
a house with a garden beyond
further away, further off.

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bias

noun
he accused the media of bias
prejudice, partiality, partisanship, favouritism, unfairness, one-sidedness; bigotry, intolerance, discrimination, a jaundiced eye; leaning, tendency, inclination, predilection.
a dress cut on the bias
diagonal, cross, slant, angle.
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ANTONYMS :impartiality.

verb
this may have biased the result
prejudice, influence, colour, sway, weight, predispose; distort, skew, slant.

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biased

adjective
prejudiced, partial, partisan, one-sided, blinkered; bigoted, intolerant, discriminatory; jaundiced, distorted, warped, twisted, skewed. ANTONYMS :impartial.

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Bible

noun
he read the Bible
the (Holy) Scriptures, Holy Writ, the Good Book, the Book of Books.
(informal) the taxi driver's bible
handbook, manual, ABC, companion, guide, vade mecum.
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bibliophile

noun
book lover, avid reader; informal book worm; rare bibliomaniac.

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bicker

verb
squabble, argue, quarrel, wrangle, fight, disagree, dispute, spar, have words, be at each other's throats, lock horns; informal scrap, argufy, spat; archaic altercate. ANTONYMS :agree.

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bicycle

noun
cycle, two-wheeler, pedal cycle; informal bike, pushbike.

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bid 1

verb
United bid £1 million for the striker
offer, make an offer of, put in a bid of, put up, tender, proffer, propose.
she is bidding for a place in the England team
try to obtain, try to get, make a pitch for, make a bid for.
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noun
a bid of £3,000
offer, tender, proposal.
a bid to cut crime
attempt, effort, endeavour, try; informal crack, go, shot, stab; formal essay.
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bid 2

verb
she bid him farewell
wish; utter.
(poetic/literary) I did as he bade me
order, command, tell, instruct, direct, enjoin, charge.
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(poetic/literary) he bade his companions enter
invite to, ask to, request to.
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biddable

adjective
obedient, acquiescent, compliant, tractable, amenable, complaisant, cooperative, dutiful, submissive; rare persuasible. ANTONYMS :disobedient, uncooperative.

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bidding

noun
command, order, instruction, decree, injunction, demand, mandate, direction, summons, call; wish, desire; request; poetic/literary behest; archaic hest.

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big

adjective
a big building
large, sizeable, substantial, great, huge, immense, enormous, extensive, colossal, massive, mammoth, vast, tremendous, gigantic, giant, monumental, mighty, gargantuan, elephantine, titanic, mountainous, Brobdingnagian; towering, tall, high, lofty; outsize, oversized; goodly; capacious, voluminous, spacious; king-size(d), man-size, family-size(d), economy-size(d); informal jumbo, whopping, thumping, bumper, mega, humongous, monster, astronomical, almighty, dirty great, socking great; Brit. informal whacking, ginormous; formal commodious.
a big man
well built, sturdy, brawny, burly, broad-shouldered, muscular, muscly, rugged, lusty, Herculean, bulky, hulking, strapping, thickset, stocky, solid, hefty; tall, huge, gigantic; fat, stout, portly, plump, fleshy, paunchy, corpulent, obese; informal hunky, beefy, husky; poetic/literary thewy, stark.
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my big brother
grown-up , adult, mature, grown; elder, older.
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a big decision
important, significant, major, momentous, weighty, consequential, far-reaching, key, vital, critical, crucial.
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(informal) a big man in the government
powerful, important, prominent, influential, high-powered, leading; N. Amer. major-league.
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(informal) he has big plans
ambitious, far-reaching, grandiose, on a grand scale.
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she's got a big heart
generous, kind, kindly, caring, compassionate, loving.
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(informal) African bands are big in Britain
popular, successful, in demand, sought-after, all the rage; informal hot, in, cool, trendy, now, hip; Brit. informal, dated all the go.
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ANTONYMS :small, minor, modest.

too big for one's boots (informal)
conceited, full of oneself, cocky, arrogant, cocksure, above oneself, self-important; vain, self-satisfied, pleased with oneself, smug, complacent; informal big-headed, swollen-headed; poetic/literary vainglorious.

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big-headed

adjective
(informal) conceited, full of oneself, cocky, arrogant, cocksure, above oneself, self-important; vain, self-satisfied, pleased with oneself, smug, complacent; informal swollen-headed, too big for one's boots; poetic/literary vainglorious. ANTONYMS :modest.

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big-hearted

adjective
generous, magnanimous, munificent, open-handed, bountiful, unstinting, unselfish, altruistic, charitable, philanthropic, benevolent; kind, kindly, kind-hearted; poetic/literary bounteous. ANTONYMS :mean.

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bigot

noun
dogmatist, partisan, sectarian; racist, sexist, chauvinist, jingoist.

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bigoted

adjective
prejudiced, biased, partial, one-sided, sectarian, discriminatory; opinionated, dogmatic, intolerant, narrow-minded, blinkered, illiberal; racist, sexist, chauvinistic, jingoistic; jaundiced, warped, twisted, distorted. ANTONYMS :open-minded.

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bigotry

noun
prejudice, bias, partiality, partisanship, sectarianism, discrimination; dogmatism, intolerance, narrow-mindedness; racism, sexism, chauvinism, jingoism. ANTONYMS :open-mindedness.

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bigwig

noun
(informal) VIP, important person, notable, dignitary, grandee; celebrity; informal somebody, heavyweight, big shot, big noise, big gun, big cheese, big fish; Brit. informal brass hat; N. Amer. informal big wheel. ANTONYMS :nonentity.

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bijou

adjective
small, little, compact, snug, cosy.

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bilge

noun
(informal). See nonsense sense 1.

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bilious

adjective
I felt bilious
nauseous, sick, queasy, nauseated, green about the gills; N. Amer. informal barfy.
his bilious disposition
bad-tempered, irritable, irascible, tetchy, testy, crotchety, ill-tempered, ill-natured, ill-humoured, peevish, fractious, pettish, crabby, waspish, prickly, crusty, shrewish, quick-tempered; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery.
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a bilious green and pink colour scheme
lurid, garish, loud, violent; sickly, nauseating.
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ANTONYMS :well, good-humoured, muted.

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bilk

verb
(informal). See swindle verb.

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bill 1

noun
a bill for £6
invoice, account, statement, list of charges; N. Amer. check; informal, humorous the damage; N. Amer. informal tab; archaic reckoning, score.
a parliamentary bill
draft law, proposed piece of legislation, proposal, measure.
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she was top of the bill
programme (of entertainment), line-up; N. Amer. playbill.
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(N. Amer.) a $10 bill
banknote, note; US informal greenback; US & historical Treasury note.
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he had been posting bills
poster, advertisement, public notice, announcement; flyer, leaflet, handbill; Brit. fly-poster; N. Amer. dodger; informal ad; Brit. informal advert.
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verb
please bill me for the work
invoice, charge, debit, send a statement to.
the concert went ahead as billed
advertise, announce; schedule, programme, timetable; N. Amer. slate.
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he was billed as the new Sean Connery
describe, call, style, label, dub; promote, publicize, talk up; informal hype.
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bill 2

noun
a bird's bill
beak; Scottish & N. English neb; technical mandibles.

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billet

noun
the troops' billets
quarters, rooms; accommodation, lodging, housing; barracks, cantonment.
verb
two soldiers were billeted here
accommodate, quarter, put up, lodge, house; station, garrison.

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billow

noun
billows of smoke
cloud, mass.
(archaic) the billows that break upon the shore
wave, roller, boomer, breaker.
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verb
her dress billowed around her
puff up/out, balloon (out), swell, fill (out), belly out.
smoke billowed from the chimney
swirl, spiral, roll, undulate, eddy; pour, flow.
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billowing

adjective
rolling, swirling, undulating, surging, heaving, billowy, swelling, rippling.

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bin

noun
container, receptacle, holder; drum, canister, caddy, can, tin.

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bind

verb
they bound her hands and feet
tie (up), fasten (together), hold together, secure, make fast, attach; rope, strap, lash, truss, tether.
Shelley bound up the wound with a clean dressing
bandage, dress, cover, wrap; strap up, tape up.
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the experience had bound them together
unite, join, bond, knit together, draw together, yoke together.
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we have not bound ourselves to join
commit oneself, undertake, pledge, vow, promise, swear, give one's word.
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the edges are bound in a contrasting colour
trim, hem, edge, border, fringe; finish.
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they are bound by the agreement
constrain, restrict, restrain, trammel, tie hand and foot, tie down, shackle; hamper, hinder, inhibit.
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ANTONYMS :untie, separate.

noun
(informal) starting so early is a bind
nuisance, annoyance, inconvenience, bore, bother, source of irritation, irritant, trial; informal pain, pain in the neck/backside, headache, hassle, drag; N. Amer. informal pain in the butt.
he is in a political bind
predicament, difficult/awkward situation, quandary, dilemma, plight, cleft stick; informal spot, tight spot, hole.
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binding

adjective
irrevocable, unalterable, inescapable, unbreakable, contractual; compulsory, obligatory, mandatory, incumbent.

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binge

noun
(informal) drinking bout, debauch; informal bender, session, booze-up, blind; Scottish informal skite; N. Amer. informal jag, toot; dated souse; poetic/literary bacchanal, bacchanalia; archaic wassail.

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biography

noun
life story, life history, life, memoir; informal bio, biog.

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bird

noun
fowl; chick, fledgling, nestling; (birds) avifauna; informal feathered friend, birdie. avian, ornith-.

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birth

noun
the birth of a child
childbirth, delivery, nativity, birthing; formal parturition; dated confinement; archaic accouchement, childbed.
the birth of science
beginning(s), emergence, genesis, dawn, dawning, rise, start.
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he is of noble birth
ancestry, lineage, blood, descent, parentage, family, extraction, origin, genealogy, heritage, stock, kinship.
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natal. ANTONYMS :death, demise, end.

give birth to
have, bear, produce, be delivered of, bring into the world; N. Amer. birth; informal drop; dated mother; archaic bring forth.

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birthmark

noun
naevus, mole, blemish.

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birthright

noun
patrimony, inheritance, heritage; right, due, prerogative, privilege; primogeniture.

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biscuit

noun
(Brit.) cracker, wafer; N. Amer. cookie; informal bicky.

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bisect

verb
cut in half, halve, divide/cut/split in two, split down the middle; cross, intersect.

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bisexual

adjective
bisexual crustaceans
hermaphrodite, hermaphroditic, intersex; androgynous, epicene; technical monoclinous, gynandrous, gynandromorphic.
a bisexual actor
ambisexual; informal AC/DC, bi, swinging both ways, ambidextrous; N. Amer. informal switch-hitting.
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bishop

noun
diocesan, metropolitan, suffragan; formal prelate. episcopal.

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bishopric

noun
diocese, see.

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bit

noun
a bit of bread
piece, portion, segment, section, part; chunk, lump, hunk, slice; fragment, scrap, shred, crumb, grain, speck; spot, drop, pinch, dash, soupçon, modicum; morsel, mouthful, bite, sample; iota, jot, tittle, whit, atom, particle, trace, touch, suggestion, hint, tinge; snippet, snatch; informal smidgen, tad.
wait a bit
moment, minute, second, (little) while; informal sec, jiffy; Brit. informal mo, tick.
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ANTONYMS :lot.

a bit
rather, fairly, slightly, somewhat, quite, moderately; informal pretty, sort of, kind of. bit by bit
gradually, little by little, in stages, step by step, piecemeal, slowly. in a bit
soon, in a (little) while, in a second, in a minute, in a moment, shortly; informal anon, in a jiffy, in two shakes; Brit. informal in a tick, in two ticks, in a mo; N. Amer. informal in a snap; dated directly; poetic/literary ere long.

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bitch

noun
(informal) she's such a bitch
shrew, vixen, she-devil, hellcat; informal cow, cat; archaic grimalkin.
a bitch of a job
nightmare; informal bastard, bummer, from hell, swine, pig, stinker.
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verb
big men bitched about the price of oil
complain, whine, grumble, grouse; informal whinge, moan, grouch, gripe.
he's always bitching about colleagues
be spiteful about, criticize, run down, speak ill of, slander, malign; informal knock, pull to pieces, take apart, bad-mouth, do a hatchet job on; N. Amer. informal trash; Brit. informal slag off.
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bitch something up (informal)
make a mess of, mess up, spoil, ruin, wreck; bungle; informal botch, muck up, make a hash of, screw up, louse up, muff; Brit. informal make a pig's ear of, cock up; N. Amer. informal flub, goof up.

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bitchy

adjective
(informal). See spiteful.

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bite

verb
the dog bit his arm
sink one's teeth into, chew, munch, crunch, champ, tear at.
the acid bites into the copper
corrode, eat into, eat away at, burn (into), etch, dissolve.
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my boots failed to bite
grip, hold, get a purchase.
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the measures begin to bite
take effect, have an effect, be effective, work, act, have results.
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a hundred or so retailers should bite
accept, agree, respond; be lured, be enticed, be tempted; take the bait.
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noun
he took a bite at his sandwich
chew, munch, nibble, gnaw, nip, snap.
he ate it in two bites
mouthful, piece, bit, morsel.
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do you fancy a bite?
snack, light meal, mouthful, soupçon; refreshments; informal a little something.
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the appetizer had a fiery bite
piquancy, pungency, spiciness, strong flavour, tang, zest, sharpness, tartness; informal kick, punch, zing.
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biting

adjective
biting comments
vicious, harsh, cruel, savage, cutting, sharp, bitter, scathing, caustic, acid, acrimonious, acerbic, stinging; vitriolic, hostile, spiteful, venomous, mean, nasty; informal bitchy, catty.
the biting wind
freezing, icy, arctic, glacial; bitter, piercing, penetrating, raw, wintry.
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ANTONYMS :mild.

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bitter

adjective
bitter coffee
sharp, acid, acidic, acrid, tart, sour, biting, unsweetened, vinegary; N. Amer. acerb; technical acerbic.
a bitter woman
resentful, embittered, aggrieved, grudge-bearing, begrudging, rancorous, spiteful, jaundiced, ill-disposed, sullen, sour, churlish, morose, petulant, peevish, with a chip on one's shoulder.
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a bitter blow
painful, unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty, cruel, awful, distressing, upsetting, harrowing, heartbreaking, heart-rending, agonizing, traumatic, tragic, chilling; formal grievous.
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a bitter wind
freezing, icy, arctic, glacial; biting, piercing, penetrating, raw, wintry.
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a bitter row
acrimonious, virulent, angry, rancorous, spiteful, vicious, vitriolic, savage, ferocious, hate-filled, venomous, poisonous, acrid, nasty, ill-natured.
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ANTONYMS :sweet, magnanimous, content, welcome, warm, amicable.

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bitterness

noun
the bitterness of the medicine
sharpness, acidity, acridity, tartness, sourness, harshness, vinegariness; technical acerbity.
his bitterness grew
resentment, rancour, indignation, grudge, spite, sullenness, sourness, churlishness, moroseness, petulance, pique, peevishness.
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the bitterness of war
trauma, pain, agony, grief; unpleasantness, disagreeableness, nastiness; heartache, heartbreak, distress, desolation, despair, tragedy.
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there was no bitterness between them
acrimony, hostility, antipathy, antagonism, enmity, animus, friction, rancour, vitriol, hatred, loathing, venom, poison, nastiness, ill feeling, ill will, bad blood.
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ANTONYMS :sweetness, magnanimity, contentment, warmth, goodwill.

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bitty

adjective
(informal) disjointed, incoherent, fragmented, fragmentary, scrappy, piecemeal; inconsistent, unsystematic, jumbled; uneven, erratic, patchy. ANTONYMS :coherent.

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bizarre

adjective
strange, peculiar, odd, funny, curious, outlandish, outré, eccentric, unconventional, unorthodox, queer, extraordinary; informal weird, wacky, oddball, way out, freaky, off the wall, offbeat; Brit. informal rum; N. Amer. informal wacko. ANTONYMS :normal.

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blab

verb
(informal) she blabbed to the press
talk, give the game away; informal let the cat out of the bag, spill the beans; Brit. informal blow the gaff, cough.
I do not blab secrets
blurt out, let slip, let out, tell, reveal, betray, disclose, give away, divulge, leak; informal let on, spill.
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blabber

verb
(informal). See chat verb.

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blabbermouth

noun
(informal) talker, chatterer, prattler; N. Amer. blatherskite; informal chatterbox, windbag, gasbag; Brit. informal natterer.

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black

adjective
a black horse
dark, pitch-black, jet-black, coal-black, inky; Heraldry sable; rare nigrescent.
a black night
unlit, dark, starless, moonless; poetic/literary tenebrous, Stygian.
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the blackest day of the war
tragic, disastrous, calamitous, catastrophic, cataclysmic, fateful, wretched, woeful, awful, terrible; formal grievous.
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Mary was in a black mood
miserable, unhappy, sad, wretched, broken-hearted, heartbroken, grief-stricken, grieving, sorrowful, sorrowing, anguished, desolate, despairing, disconsolate, downcast, dejected, cheerless, melancholy, morose, gloomy, glum, mournful, doleful, funereal, dismal, forlorn, woeful, abject; informal blue; poetic/literary dolorous.
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black humour
cynical, macabre, weird, unhealthy, ghoulish, morbid, perverted, gruesome; informal sick.
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a black look.
See angry sense 1.
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(archaic) a black deed.
See wicked sense 1.
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melan-. ANTONYMS :white, clear, bright, joyful.

verb
the steps of the houses were neatly blacked
blacken, darken; dirty, make sooty, make smoky, stain, grime, soil.
she blacked his eye
bruise, contuse; hit, punch, injure.
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(Brit. dated) trade union members blacked the work
boycott, embargo, blacklist, proscribe.
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black out
faint, lose consciousness, pass out, swoon; informal flake out, go out. black something out
darken, shade, turn off the lights in; keep the light out of. in the black
in credit, in funds, debt-free, out of debt, solvent, financially sound, able to pay one's debts, creditworthy; rare unindebted. black and white
a black-and-white picture
monochrome, greyscale.

I wish to see the proposals in black and white
in print, printed, written down, set down, on paper, recorded, on record, documented.
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in black-and-white terms
categorical, unequivocal, absolute, uncompromising, unconditional, unqualified, unambiguous, clear, clear-cut.
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blackball

verb
reject, debar, bar, ban, vote against, blacklist, exclude, shut out. ANTONYMS :admit.

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blacken

verb
they blackened their faces
black, darken; dirty, make sooty, make smoky, stain, grime, soil.
the sky blackened
grow/become black, darken, dim, grow dim, cloud over.
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someone has blackened my name
sully, tarnish, besmirch, drag through the mud/mire, stain, taint, smear, disgrace, dishonour, bring discredit to, damage, ruin; slander, defame.
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ANTONYMS :whiten, clean, lighten, brighten, clear.

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blackguard

noun
(archaic). See villain.

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blacklist

verb
boycott, ostracize, avoid, embargo, steer clear of, ignore; refuse to employ; Brit. dated black.

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black magic

noun
sorcery, witchcraft, wizardry, necromancy, the black arts, devilry; malediction, voodoo, witching, witchery.

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blackmail

noun
he was accused of blackmail
extortion, demanding money with menaces; informal hush money; formal exaction.
verb
he was blackmailing the murderer
extort money from, threaten, hold to ransom; informal demand hush money from.
she blackmailed me to work for her
coerce, pressurize, pressure, force; informal lean on, put the screws on, twist someone's arm.
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blackout

noun
a power blackout
power cut, power failure, failure of the electricity supply; brown-out.
a news blackout
suppression, silence, censorship, reporting restrictions.
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he had a blackout
fainting fit, faint, loss of consciousness, passing out, swoon, collapse; Medicine syncope.
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blame

verb
he always blames others
hold responsible, hold accountable, condemn, accuse, find/consider guilty, assign fault/liability/guilt to; archaic inculpate.
they blame youth crime on unemployment
ascribe to, attribute to, impute to, lay at the door of, put down to; informal pin.
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ANTONYMS :absolve.

noun
he was cleared of all blame
responsibility, guilt, accountability, liability, culpability, fault.

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blameless

adjective
innocent, guiltless, above reproach, irreproachable, unimpeachable, in the clear, exemplary, perfect, virtuous, pure, impeccable; informal squeaky clean. ANTONYMS :blameworthy.

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blameworthy

adjective
culpable, reprehensible, indefensible, inexcusable, guilty, criminal, delinquent, wrong, evil, wicked; to blame, at fault, reproachable, responsible, answerable, erring, errant, in the wrong. ANTONYMS :blameless.

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blanch

verb
the moon blanches her hair
turn pale, whiten, lighten, wash out, fade, blench, etiolate.
his face blanched
pale, turn pale, turn white, whiten, lose its colour, lighten, fade, blench.
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blanch the spinach leaves
scald, boil briefly.
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ANTONYMS :colour, darken.

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bland

adjective
bland food
tasteless, flavourless, insipid, weak, watery, spiceless, wishy-washy.
a bland film
uninteresting, dull, boring, tedious, monotonous, dry, drab, dreary, wearisome; unexciting, unimaginative, uninspiring, uninspired, lacklustre, vapid, flat, stale, trite, vacuous, wishy-washy.
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a bland expression
unemotional, emotionless, dispassionate, passionless; unexpressive, cool, impassive; expressionless, blank, wooden, stony, deadpan, hollow, undemonstrative, imperturbable.
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ANTONYMS :tangy, interesting, emotional.

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blandishments

plural noun
flattery, cajolery, coaxing, wheedling, persuasion, honeyed words, smooth talk, blarney; informal sweet talk, soft soap, buttering up.

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blank

adjective
a blank sheet of paper
empty, unmarked, unused, clear, free, bare, clean, plain.
a blank face
expressionless, deadpan, wooden, stony, impassive, unresponsive, poker-faced, vacuous, empty, glazed, fixed, lifeless, inscrutable.
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"What?" said Maxim, looking blank
baffled, mystified, puzzled, perplexed, stumped, at a loss, stuck, bewildered, nonplussed, bemused, lost, uncomprehending, (all) at sea, confused; informal flummoxed, bamboozled.
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a blank refusal
outright, absolute, categorical, unqualified, complete, flat, straight, positive, certain, explicit, unequivocal, clear, clear-cut.
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ANTONYMS :full, expressive, qualified.

noun
space, gap, lacuna.

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blanket

noun
a blanket of cloud
covering, layer, coating, carpet, overlay, cloak, mantle, veil, pall, shroud.
adjective
blanket coverage
complete, total, comprehensive, overall, general, mass, umbrella, inclusive, all-inclusive, all-round, wholesale, outright, across the board, sweeping, indiscriminate, thorough; universal, global, worldwide, international, nationwide, countrywide, coast-to-coast. ANTONYMS :partial, piecemeal.

verb
snow blanketed the mountains
cover, coat, carpet, overlay; cloak, shroud, swathe, envelop; poetic/literary mantle.
double glazing blankets the noise a bit
muffle, deaden, soften, mute, silence, quieten, smother, dampen.
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ANTONYMS :amplify.

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blare

verb
sirens blared
blast, sound loudly, trumpet, clamour, boom, roar, thunder, bellow, resound. ANTONYMS :murmur.

noun
the blare of the siren
blast, trumpeting, clamour, boom, roar, thunder, bellow. ANTONYMS :murmur.

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blarney

noun
blandishments, honeyed words, smooth talk, flattery, cajolery, coaxing, wheedling, persuasion; charm offensive; informal sweet talk, soft soap, smarm, buttering up.

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blasé

adjective
indifferent, unconcerned, uncaring, casual, nonchalant, offhand, uninterested, apathetic, unimpressed, unmoved, unresponsive, phlegmatic; informal laid-back; rare pococurante. ANTONYMS :concerned, responsive.

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blaspheme

verb
swear, curse, take the Lord's name in vain; informal cuss; archaic execrate.

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blasphemous

adjective
sacrilegious, profane, irreligious, irreverent, impious, ungodly, godless. ANTONYMS :reverent.

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blasphemy

noun
profanity, sacrilege, irreligion, irreverence, taking the Lord's name in vain, swearing, curse, cursing, impiety, desecration; archaic execration. ANTONYMS :reverence.

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blast

noun
the blast from the bomb
shock wave, pressure wave.
Friday's blast killed two people
explosion, detonation, discharge, burst.
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a sudden blast of cold air
gust, rush, gale, squall, wind, draught, waft, puff, flurry.
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the shrill blast of the trumpets
blare, wail, roar, screech, shriek, hoot, honk, beep.
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(informal) I braced myself for the inevitable blast.
See reprimand noun.
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verb
bombers were blasting enemy airfields
blow up, bomb, blow (to pieces), dynamite, explode.
guns were blasting away
fire, shoot, blaze, let fly, discharge.
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he blasted his horn
honk, beep, toot, sound.
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radios blasting out pop music
blare, boom, roar, thunder, bellow, pump, shriek, screech.
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Fowler was blasted with an air gun
shoot, gun down, mow down, cut down, put a bullet in; informal pot, plug.
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(informal) he blasted the pupils for being late.
See reprimand verb.
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blast off
be launched, take off, lift off, leave the ground, become airborne, take to the air.

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blasted

adjective
(informal). See damned sense 2.

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blast-off

noun
launch, lift-off, take-off, ascent, firing. ANTONYMS :touchdown.

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blatant

adjective
flagrant, glaring, obvious, undisguised, unconcealed, open; shameless, barefaced, unabashed, unashamed, unblushing, brazen, brass-necked. ANTONYMS :inconspicuous, shamefaced.

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blather

verb
he just blathered on
prattle, babble, chatter, twitter, prate, go on, run on, rattle on, yap, jibber-jabber, maunder, ramble, burble, drivel; informal yak, yatter; Brit. informal witter, rabbit, chunter, waffle.
noun
mindless blather
prattle, chatter, twitter, babble, prating, gabble, jabber, rambling; informal yatter, twaddle; Brit. informal wittering, chuntering.

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blaze

noun
firemen fought the blaze
fire, flames, conflagration, inferno, holocaust.
a blaze of light
glare, gleam, flash, burst, flare, streak, radiance, brilliance, beam.
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a blaze of anger
outburst, burst, eruption, flare-up, explosion, outbreak; blast, attack, fit, spasm, paroxysm, access, rush, storm.
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verb
the fire blazed merrily
burn, be alight, be on fire, be in flames, flame.
headlights blazed
shine, flash, flare, glare, gleam, glint, dazzle, glitter, glisten.
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soldiers blazed away
fire, shoot, blast, let fly.
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blazon

verb
their name is blazoned across the sails
display, exhibit, present, spread, emblazon, plaster.
the newspapers blazoned the news abroad
publicize, make known, make public, announce, report, communicate, spread, circulate, give out, publish, broadcast, trumpet, proclaim, promulgate.
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bleach

verb
the blinds had been bleached by the sun
turn white, whiten, turn pale, blanch, lighten, fade, decolour, decolorize, peroxide.
they saw bones bleaching in the sun
turn white, whiten, turn pale, pale, blanch, lose its colour, lighten, fade.
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ANTONYMS :darken.

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bleak

adjective
a bleak landscape
bare, exposed, desolate, stark, desert, lunar, open, empty, windswept; treeless, without vegetation, denuded.
the future is bleak
unpromising, unfavourable, unpropitious, inauspicious; discouraging, disheartening, depressing, dim, gloomy, black, dark, grim, hopeless.
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ANTONYMS :lush, promising.

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bleary

adjective
blurred, blurry, unfocused; fogged, clouded, dull, misty, watery, rheumy; archaic blear. ANTONYMS :clear.

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bleat

verb
the sheep were bleating
baa; N. Amer. informal blat.
don't bleat to me about fairness
complain, grouse, carp, fuss, snivel; Scottish & Irish girn; informal gripe, beef, whinge, bellyache, moan, go on; N. English informal mither; N. Amer. informal kvetch.
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bleed

verb
his arm was bleeding
lose blood, haemorrhage.
the doctor bled him
draw blood from; Medicine exsanguinate; archaic phlebotomize.
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one colour bled into another
flow, run, seep, filter, percolate, leach.
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sap was bleeding from the trunk
flow, run, ooze, seep, exude, weep.
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the country was bled dry by poachers
drain, sap, deplete, milk, exhaust.
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my heart bleeds for them
grieve, ache, sorrow, mourn, lament, feel, suffer; sympathize with, pity.
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blemish

noun
not a blemish marred her skin
imperfection, flaw, defect, fault, deformity, discoloration, disfigurement; bruise, scar, pit, pock, scratch, cut, gash; mark, streak, spot, smear, speck, blotch, smudge, smut; birthmark; Medicine stigma.
government is not without blemish
defect, fault, failing, flaw, imperfection, foible, vice; shortcoming, weakness, deficiency, limitation; taint, stain, dishonour, disgrace.
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ANTONYMS :virtue.

verb
nothing blemished the coast
mar, spoil, impair, disfigure, blight, deface, mark, scar; ruin.
his reign has been blemished by controversy
sully, tarnish, besmirch, blacken, blot, taint; spoil, mar, ruin, disgrace, damage, undermine, degrade, dishonour; formal vitiate.
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ANTONYMS :enhance.

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blench

verb
flinch, start, shy (away), recoil, shrink, pull back, cringe, wince, quail, cower.

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blend

verb
blend the ingredients until smooth
mix, mingle, combine, merge, fuse, meld, coalesce, integrate, intermix; stir, whisk, fold in; technical admix; poetic/literary commingle.
the new buildings blend with the older ones
harmonize, go (well), fit (in), be in tune, be compatible; coordinate, match, complement.
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noun
a blend of bananas, raisins, and ginger
mixture, mix, combination, amalgamation, amalgam, union, marriage, fusion, meld, synthesis; technical admixture.

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bless

verb
the chaplain blessed the couple
ask/invoke God's favour for, give a benediction for.
the Cardinal blessed the memorial plaque
consecrate, sanctify, dedicate (to God), make holy, make sacred; formal hallow.
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bless the name of the Lord
praise, worship, glorify, honour, exalt, pay homage to, venerate, reverence, hallow; archaic magnify.
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the gods blessed us with magical voices
endow, bestow, furnish, accord, give, favour, grace; confer on; poetic/literary endue.
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I bless the day you came here
give thanks for, be grateful for, thank; appreciate.
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the government refused to bless the undertaking
sanction, consent to, endorse, agree to, approve, back, support; informal give the thumbs up to, give the green light to, OK.
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ANTONYMS :curse, trouble, rue, oppose.

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blessed

adjective
a blessed place
holy, sacred, hallowed, consecrated, sanctified; ordained, canonized, beatified.
blessed are the meek
favoured, fortunate, lucky, privileged, enviable.
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the fresh air made a blessed change
welcome, pleasant, agreeable, refreshing, favourable, gratifying, heartening, much needed.
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ANTONYMS :cursed, wretched, unwelcome.

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blessing

noun
may God give us his blessing
protection, favour.
a special blessing from the priest
benediction, invocation, prayer, intercession; grace.
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she gave the plan her blessing
sanction, endorsement, approval, approbation, favour, consent, assent, agreement; backing, support; informal the thumbs up.
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it was a blessing they didn't have far to go
boon, godsend, advantage, benefit, help, bonus, plus; stroke of luck, windfall; poetic/literary benison.
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ANTONYMS :condemnation, affliction.

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blight

noun
potato blight
disease, canker, infestation, fungus, mildew, mould.
the blight of aircraft noise
affliction, scourge, bane, curse, plague, menace, misfortune, woe, trouble, ordeal, trial, nuisance, pest.
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ANTONYMS :blessing.

verb
a tree blighted by leaf curl
infect, mildew; kill, destroy.
scandal blighted the careers of several politicians
ruin, wreck, spoil, mar, frustrate, disrupt, undo, end, scotch, destroy, shatter, devastate, demolish; informal mess up, foul up, put paid to, put the kibosh on, stymie; Brit. informal scupper; archaic bring to naught.
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blind

adjective
he has been blind since birth
sightless, unsighted, visually impaired, visionless, unseeing; partially sighted, purblind; informal as blind as a bat.
she was ignorant, but not blind
imperceptive, unperceptive, insensitive, slow, obtuse, uncomprehending; stupid, unintelligent; informal dense, dim, thick, dumb, dopey; Brit. informal dozy; Scottish & N. English informal glaikit.
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you should be blind to failure
unmindful of, mindless of, careless of, heedless of, oblivious to, insensible to, unconcerned about, indifferent to.
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blind acceptance of conventional opinion
uncritical, unreasoned, unthinking, unconsidered, mindless, undiscerning, indiscriminate.
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a blind rage
impetuous, impulsive, uncontrolled, uncontrollable, unrestrained, immoderate, intemperate, wild, irrational, unbridled.
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a blind alley
without exit, blocked, closed, barred, impassable; dead end.
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ANTONYMS :sighted, perceptive, mindful, discerning.

verb
he was blinded in a car crash
make blind, deprive of sight, render sightless; put someone's eyes out.
scaffolding blinded the windows
obscure, cover, blot out, mask, shroud, block, eclipse, obstruct.
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he was blinded by his faith
deprive of judgement, deprive of perception, deprive of reason, deprive of sense.
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they try to blind you with science
overawe, intimidate, daunt, deter, discourage, cow, abash, subdue, dismay; disquiet, discomfit, unsettle, disconcert; confuse, bewilder, confound, perplex, overwhelm; informal faze, psych out.
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noun
a window blind
screen, shade, sunshade, curtain, awning, canopy; louvre, jalousie, shutter.
some crook had sent the card as a blind
deception, camouflage, smokescreen, front, facade, cover, pretext, masquerade, feint; trick, ploy, ruse, machination.
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blindly

adverb
he stared blindly ahead
sightlessly, unseeingly.
he ran blindly upstairs
impetuously, impulsively, recklessly, heedlessly, uncontrolledly.
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they blindly followed US policy
uncritically, unthinkingly, mindlessly, indiscriminately.
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blink

verb
his eyes did not blink
flutter, flicker, wink, bat; technical nictitate, nictate.
several red lights began to blink
flash, flicker, wink.
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no one even blinks at the "waitresses" in drag
be surprised, look twice; informal boggle.
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blinkered

adjective
narrow-minded, inward-looking, parochial, provincial, insular, small-minded, close-minded, short-sighted; hidebound, inflexible, entrenched, prejudiced, bigoted; Brit. parish-pump. ANTONYMS :broad-minded.

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bliss

noun
she gave a sigh of bliss
joy, happiness, pleasure, delight, ecstasy, elation, rapture, euphoria.
religions promise perfect bliss after death
blessedness, benediction, beatitude, glory, heavenly joy, divine happiness; heaven, paradise.
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ANTONYMS :misery, hell.

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blissful

adjective
ecstatic, euphoric, joyful, elated, rapturous, on cloud nine, in seventh heaven; delighted, thrilled, overjoyed, joyous; informal over the moon, on top of the world; Austral. informal wrapped.

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blister

noun
a blister on each heel
bleb; Medicine bulla, pustule, vesicle, vesication.
check for blisters in the roofing felt
bubble, swelling, bulge, protuberance.
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blistering

adjective
blistering heat
intense, extreme, ferocious, fierce; scorching, searing, blazing, burning, fiery; informal boiling, baking, roasting, sweltering.
a blistering attack on the government
savage, vicious, fierce, bitter, harsh, scathing, devastating, caustic, searing, vitriolic.
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a blistering pace
very fast, breakneck; informal blinding.
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ANTONYMS :mild, leisurely.

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blithe

adjective
a blithe disregard for the rules
casual, indifferent, unconcerned, unworried, untroubled, uncaring, careless, heedless, thoughtless; nonchalant, blasé.
(poetic/literary) his blithe, smiling face
happy, cheerful, jolly, merry, joyful, joyous, blissful, ecstatic, euphoric, elated; poetic/literary blithesome; dated gay.
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ANTONYMS :thoughtful, sad.

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blitz

noun
the 1940 blitz on London
bombardment, bombing, onslaught, barrage; attack, assault, raid, strike, blitzkrieg.
verb
the town was blitzed in the war
bombard, attack, bomb, shell, torpedo, strafe; destroy, devastate, ravage.

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blizzard

noun
snowstorm, white-out.

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bloated

adjective
swollen, distended, tumefied, bulging, inflated, enlarged, expanded, dilated.

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blob

noun
a blob of cold gravy
drop, droplet, globule, bead, bubble; informal glob.
a blob of ink
spot, dab, blotch, blot, dot, smudge; informal splotch, splodge.
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verb
masking fluid is blobbed on freely
daub, dab, spot, slop.

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bloc

noun
alliance, coalition, federation, confederation, league, union, partnership, axis, body, association, group.

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block

noun
a block of cheese
chunk, hunk, lump, wedge, cube, brick, slab, piece; Brit. informal wodge.
an apartment block
building, complex, structure, development.
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a block of shares
batch, group, set, quantity.
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a sketching block
pad, notepad, sketchpad, jotter, tablet.
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a block to Third World development
obstacle, bar, barrier, impediment, hindrance, check, hurdle, stumbling block, handicap, deterrent.
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a block in the pipe
blockage, obstruction, stoppage, congestion, occlusion, clot.
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ANTONYMS :aid.

verb
weeds can block drainage ditches
clog (up), stop up, choke, plug, obstruct, gum up, dam up, congest, jam, close; informal bung up; Brit. informal gunge up; technical occlude.
picket lines blocked access to the factory
hinder, hamper, obstruct, impede, inhibit, restrict, limit; halt, stop, bar, check, prevent.
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he blocked a shot on the goal line
parry, stop, deflect, fend off, hold off, repel, repulse.
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ANTONYMS :facilitate.

block something off
close up, shut off, seal off, barricade, bar, obstruct. block something out
trees blocked out the light
conceal, keep out, blot out, exclude, obliterate, blank out, stop.

block out an area in charcoal
rough out, sketch out, outline, delineate, draft.
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blockade

noun
a naval blockade of the island
siege; rare besiegement.
they erected blockades in the streets
barricade, barrier, roadblock; obstacle, obstruction.
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verb
rebels blockaded the capital
barricade, block off, shut off, seal; besiege, surround.

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blockage

noun
obstruction, stoppage, block, occlusion, congestion.

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bloke

noun
(Brit. informal). See fellow sense 1.

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blonde blond, masc.

adjective
fair, light, yellow, flaxen, tow-coloured, golden, platinum, ash blonde, strawberry blonde; bleached, peroxide. ANTONYMS :dark.

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blood

noun
he had lost too much blood
gore, vital fluid; poetic/literary lifeblood, ichor.
a woman of noble blood
ancestry, lineage, bloodline, descent, parentage, family, birth, extraction, origin, genealogy, heritage, stock, kinship.
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haemal, haemic, haematic, sanguineous.

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blood-curdling

adjective
terrifying, frightening, spine-chilling, chilling, hair-raising, horrifying, alarming; eerie, sinister, horrible; Scottish eldritch; informal scary.

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bloodless

adjective
a bloodless revolution
non-violent, peaceful, peaceable, pacifist.
his face was bloodless
anaemic, pale, wan, pallid, ashen, colourless, chalky, waxen, white, grey, pasty, drained, drawn, deathly.
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a bloodless Hollywood mogul
heartless, unfeeling, cruel, ruthless, merciless, pitiless, uncharitable; cold, hard, stony-hearted, cold-blooded, callous.
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a bloodless chorus
feeble, spiritless, lifeless, listless, half-hearted, unenthusiastic, lukewarm.
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ANTONYMS :bloody, ruddy, charitable, powerful.

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bloodshed

noun
slaughter, massacre, killing, wounding; carnage, butchery, bloodletting, bloodbath; violence, fighting, warfare, battle; poetic/literary slaying.

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bloodthirsty

adjective
murderous, homicidal, violent, vicious, barbarous, barbaric, savage, brutal, cut-throat; fierce, ferocious, inhuman.

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bloody

adjective
his bloody nose
bleeding.
bloody medical waste
bloodstained, blood-soaked, gory; archaic sanguinary.
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a bloody civil war
vicious, ferocious, savage, fierce, brutal, murderous, gory; archaic sanguinary.
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(Brit. informal) a bloody nuisance!
See damned.
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bloody-minded

adjective
(Brit. informal) uncooperative, awkward, disobliging, recalcitrant, unaccommodating, inflexible, uncompromising, contrary, perverse, obstinate, stubborn; difficult; informal pig-headed; Brit. informal bolshie, stroppy. ANTONYMS :compliant.

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bloom

noun
orchid blooms
flower, blossom, floweret, floret.
a girl in the bloom of youth
prime, perfection, acme, peak, height, heyday; salad days.
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the bloom of her skin
radiance, lustre, sheen, glow, freshness; blush, rosiness, pinkness, colour.
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verb
the geraniums bloomed
flower, blossom, open; mature.
the children bloomed in the Devonshire air
flourish, thrive, prosper, progress, burgeon; informal be in the pink.
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ANTONYMS :wither, decline.

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blossom

noun
pink blossoms
flower, bloom, floweret, floret.
verb
the snowdrops have blossomed
bloom, flower, open, unfold; mature.
the whole region had blossomed
develop, grow, mature, progress, evolve; flourish, thrive, prosper, bloom, burgeon.
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ANTONYMS :fade, decline.

in blossom
in flower, flowering, blossoming, blooming, in (full) bloom, open, out.

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blot

noun
an ink blot
spot, dot, mark, blotch, smudge, patch, dab; informal splotch; Brit. informal splodge.
the only blot on a clean campaign
blemish, taint, stain, blight, flaw, fault; disgrace, dishonour.
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a blot on the landscape
eyesore, monstrosity, carbuncle, mess; informal sight.
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verb
blot the excess water
soak up, absorb, sponge up, mop up; dry up/out; dab, pat.
the writing was messy and blotted
smudge, smear, blotch, mark.
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he had blotted our name forever
tarnish, taint, stain, blacken, sully, mar; dishonour, disgrace, besmirch.
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ANTONYMS :honour.

blot something out
Mary blotted out her picture
erase, obliterate, delete, efface, rub out, blank out, expunge; cross out, strike out.

clouds were starting to blot out the stars
conceal, hide, obscure, exclude, obliterate; shadow, eclipse.
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he urged her to blot out the memory
erase, efface, eradicate, expunge, wipe out.
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blotch

noun
pink flowers with dark blotches
patch, smudge, dot, spot, blot, dab, daub; informal splotch; Brit. informal splodge.
his face was covered in blotches
patch, mark, freckle, birthmark, discoloration, eruption, naevus.
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verb
her face was blotched and swollen
spot, mark, smudge, streak, blemish.

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blotchy

adjective
mottled, dappled, blotched, patchy, spotty, spotted, smudged, marked; informal splotchy; Brit. informal splodgy.

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blow 1

verb
the icy wind blew around us
gust, puff, flurry, blast, roar, bluster, rush, storm.
his ship was blown on to the rocks
sweep, carry, toss, drive, push, force.
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leaves blew across the road
drift, flutter, waft, float, glide, whirl, move.
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he blew a smoke ring
exhale, puff; emit, expel, discharge, issue.
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Uncle Albert was puffing and blowing
wheeze, puff, pant, gasp.
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he blew a trumpet
sound, blast, toot, pipe, trumpet; play.
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a rear tyre had blown
burst, explode, blow out, split, rupture, puncture.
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the bulb had blown
fuse, short-circuit, burn out, break, go.
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(informal) he blew his money on gambling
squander, waste, misspend, throw away, fritter away, go through, lose, lavish, dissipate, use up; spend recklessly; informal splurge; Brit. informal, dated blue.
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(informal) don't blow this opportunity
spoil, ruin, bungle, mess up, fudge, muff; waste, lose, squander; informal botch, screw up, foul up; Brit. informal cock up, bodge.
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his cover was blown
expose, reveal, uncover, disclose, divulge, unveil, betray, leak.
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noun
a severe blow
gale, storm, tempest, hurricane; wind, breeze, gust, draught, flurry.
a blow on the guard's whistle
toot, blast, blare; whistle.
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blow out
the matches will not blow out in a strong wind
be extinguished, go out, be put out, stop burning.

the front tyre blew out.
See blow1 verb sense 7.
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the windows blew out
shatter, rupture, crack, smash, splinter, disintegrate; burst, explode, fly apart; informal bust.
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blow something out
extinguish, put out, snuff, douse, quench, smother. blow over
abate, subside, drop off, lessen, ease (off), let up, diminish, fade, dwindle, slacken, recede, tail off, peter out, pass, die down, fizzle out. blow up
a lorryload of shells blew up
explode, detonate, go off, ignite, erupt.

he blows up at whoever's in his way
lose one's temper, get angry, rant and rave, go berserk, flare up, erupt; informal go mad, go crazy, go wild, go ape, hit the roof, fly off the handle.
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a crisis blew up
break out, erupt, flare up, boil over; emerge, arise.
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blow something up
they blew the plane up
bomb, blast, destroy; explode, detonate.

blow up the balloons
inflate, pump up, fill up, puff up, swell, expand, aerate.
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things get blown up out of all proportion
exaggerate, overstate, overstress, overestimate, magnify, amplify; aggrandize, embellish, elaborate.
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I blew the picture up on a photocopier
enlarge, magnify, expand, increase.
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blow 2

noun
a blow on the head
knock, bang, hit, punch, thump, smack, crack, rap; informal whack, thwack, bash, clout, sock, wallop.
losing his wife must have been a blow
shock, surprise, bombshell, thunderbolt, jolt; calamity, catastrophe, disaster, upset, setback.
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blowout

noun
the steering is automatic in the event of blowouts
puncture, flat tyre, burst tyre; informal flat.
(informal) this meal is our last real blowout
feast, banquet, celebration, party; informal shindig, do, binge; Brit. informal beanfeast, bunfight, nosh-up.
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blowsy

adjective
untidy, sloppy, scruffy, messy, dishevelled, unkempt, frowzy, slovenly; coarse; red-faced, ruddy, florid, raddled. ANTONYMS :tidy, respectable.

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blowy

adjective
windy, windswept, blustery, gusty, breezy; stormy, squally. ANTONYMS :still.

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blubber 1

noun
whale blubber
fat, fatty tissue.

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blubber 2

verb
(informal) she started to blubber
cry, sob, weep, howl, snivel; informal blub, boohoo.

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bludgeon

noun
hooligans wielding bludgeons
cudgel, club, stick, truncheon, baton; N. Amer. nightstick, blackjack; Brit. informal cosh.
verb
he was bludgeoned to death
batter, cudgel, club, beat, thrash; informal clobber.
I let him bludgeon me into marriage
coerce, force, compel, pressurize, pressure, bully, browbeat, hector, dragoon, steamroller; informal strong-arm, railroad.
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blue

adjective
bright blue eyes
sky-blue, azure, cobalt, sapphire, navy, Oxford blue, Cambridge blue, ultramarine, aquamarine, cyan; poetic/literary cerulean.
(informal) Mum was feeling a bit blue
depressed, down, sad, unhappy, melancholy, miserable, gloomy, dejected, downhearted, downcast, despondent, low, glum; informal down in the dumps, down in the mouth, fed up.
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(informal) a blue movie
pornographic, racy, risqué, naughty, spicy; indecent, dirty, lewd, smutty, filthy, obscene, sordid; erotic, arousing, sexy, titillating, explicit; informal porn, porno, X-rated, raunchy; euphemistic adult.
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ANTONYMS :happy, clean.

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blueprint

noun
blueprints of the aircraft
plan, design, diagram, drawing, sketch, map, layout, representation.
a blueprint for similar measures in other countries
model, plan, template, framework, pattern, example, guide, prototype, pilot.
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blues

plural noun
(informal) a fit of blues
depression, sadness, unhappiness, melancholy, misery, sorrow, gloom, dejection, despondency, despair; the doldrums.

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bluff 1

noun
this offer was denounced as a bluff
deception, subterfuge, pretence, sham, fake, deceit, feint, hoax, fraud, charade; trick, ruse, scheme, machination; informal put-on.
verb
they are bluffing to hide their guilt
pretend, sham, fake, feign, lie, hoax, pose, posture, masquerade, dissemble.
I managed to bluff the board into believing me
deceive, delude, mislead, trick, fool, hoodwink, dupe, hoax, beguile, gull; informal con, kid, have on.
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bluff 2

adjective
a bluff man
plain-spoken, straightforward, blunt, direct, no-nonsense, frank, open, candid, forthright, unequivocal; hearty, genial, good-natured; informal upfront.

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bluff 3

noun
an impregnable high bluff
cliff, promontory, headland, crag, bank, peak, escarpment, scarp.

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blunder

noun
he shook his head at his blunder
mistake, error, gaffe, slip, oversight, faux pas; informal botch, slip-up, boo-boo; Brit. informal clanger, boob; N. Amer. informal blooper.
verb
the government admitted it had blundered
make a mistake, err, miscalculate, bungle, trip up, be wrong; informal slip up, screw up, blow it, goof; Brit. informal boob.
she blundered down the steps
stumble, lurch, stagger, flounder, struggle, fumble, grope.
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blunt

adjective
a blunt knife
unsharpened, dull, worn, edgeless.
the leaf is broad with a blunt tip
rounded, flat, obtuse, stubby.
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a blunt message
straightforward, frank, plain-spoken, candid, direct, bluff, forthright, unequivocal; brusque, abrupt, curt, terse, bald, brutal, harsh; stark, undisguised, unvarnished; informal upfront.
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ANTONYMS :sharp, pointed, subtle.

verb
ebony blunts tools very rapidly
dull, make less sharp.
age hasn't blunted my passion for life
dull, deaden, dampen, numb, weaken, sap, cool, temper, allay, abate; diminish, reduce, decrease, lessen, deplete.
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ANTONYMS :sharpen, intensify.

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blur

verb
she felt tears blur her vision
cloud, fog, obscure, dim, make hazy, unfocus, soften; poetic/literary bedim; archaic blear.
films blur the difference between villains and victims
obscure, make vague, confuse, muddle, muddy, obfuscate, cloud, weaken.
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memories of the picnic had blurred
become dim, dull, numb, deaden, mute; lessen, decrease, diminish.
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ANTONYMS :sharpen, focus.

noun
a blur on the horizon
indistinct shape, smudge; haze, cloud, mist.

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blurred

adjective
indistinct, blurry, fuzzy, hazy, misty, foggy, shadowy, faint; unclear, vague, indefinite, unfocused, obscure, nebulous.

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blurt

blurt something out
burst out with, exclaim, call out; divulge, disclose, reveal, betray, let slip, give away; informal blab, gush, let on, spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag; dated ejaculate.

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blush

verb
Joan blushed at the compliment
redden, turn/go pink, turn/go red, flush, colour, burn up; feel shy, feel embarrassed.
noun
the darkness hid her fiery blush
flush, rosiness, pinkness, bloom, high colour.

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bluster

verb
he started blustering about the general election
rant, thunder, bellow, sound off; be overbearing; informal throw one's weight about/around.
storms bluster in from the sea
blast, gust, storm, roar, rush.
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noun
his bluster turned to cooperation
ranting, thundering, hectoring, bullying; bombast, bumptiousness, braggadocio.

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blustery

adjective
stormy, gusty, blowy, windy, squally, wild, tempestuous, turbulent; howling, roaring. ANTONYMS :calm.

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board

noun
a wooden board
plank, beam, panel, slat, batten, timber, lath.
the board of directors
committee, council, panel, directorate, commission, group.
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your room and board will be free
food, meals, provisions, refreshments, diet, table, bread; keep, maintenance; informal grub, nosh, eats, chow; Brit. informal scoff.
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verb
he boarded the aircraft
get on, go aboard, enter, mount, ascend; embark, emplane, entrain; catch; informal hop on.
a number of students boarded with them
lodge, live, reside, be housed; N. Amer. room; informal put up, have digs.
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they run a facility for boarding dogs
accommodate, lodge, take in, put up, house; keep, feed, cater for.
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board something up/over
cover up/over, close up, shut up, seal.

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boast

verb
his mother had been boasting about him
brag, crow, swagger, swank, gloat, show off; exaggerate, overstate; informal talk big, lay it on thick; Austral./NZ informal skite.
the hotel boasts a fine restaurant
possess, have, own, enjoy, pride oneself/itself on.
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noun
the government's main boast seemed undone
brag, self-praise; exaggeration, overstatement, fanfaronade; informal swank; Austral./NZ informal skite.
the hall is the boast of the county
pride, joy, wonder, delight, treasure, gem.
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boastful

adjective
bragging, swaggering, bumptious, puffed up, full of oneself; cocky, conceited, arrogant, egotistical; informal swanky, big-headed; N. Amer. informal blowhard; poetic/literary vainglorious. ANTONYMS :modest.

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boat

noun
a rowing boat
vessel, craft, watercraft, ship; poetic/literary keel, barque.
verb
he insisted on boating into the lake
sail, yacht, cruise.

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bob

verb
their yacht bobbed about
move up and down, bounce, toss, skip, dance, jounce; wobble, jiggle, joggle, jolt, jerk.
the bookie's head bobbed
nod, incline, dip; wag, waggle.
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the maid bobbed and left the room
curtsy, bow.
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noun
a bob of his head
nod, inclination, dip; wag, waggle.
the maid scurried away with a bob
curtsy, bow, obeisance.
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bode

verb
augur, portend, herald, be a sign of, warn of, foreshadow, be an omen of, presage, indicate, signify, promise, threaten, spell, denote, foretell; prophesy, predict; poetic/literary betoken, forebode.

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bodily

adjective
bodily sensations
physical, corporeal, corporal, somatic, fleshly; concrete, real, actual, tangible. ANTONYMS :spiritual, mental.

adverb
he hauled her bodily from the van
forcefully, forcibly, violently; wholly, completely, entirely.

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body

noun
the human body
figure, frame, form, physique, anatomy, skeleton; soma; informal bod.
he was hit by shrapnel in the head and body
torso, trunk.
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the bodies were put in the fire
corpse, carcass, skeleton, remains; informal stiff; Medicine cadaver.
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the body of the article
main part, central part, core, heart, hub.
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the body of the ship
bodywork, hull; fuselage.
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a body of water
expanse, mass, area, stretch, tract, sweep, extent.
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a growing body of evidence
quantity, amount, volume, collection, mass, corpus.
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the representative body of the employers
association, organization, group, party, company, society, circle, syndicate, guild, corporation, contingent.
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a heavenly body
object, entity.
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add body to your hair
fullness, thickness, substance, bounce, lift, shape.
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body and soul
completely, entirely, totally, utterly, fully, thoroughly, wholehearte dly, unconditionally, to the hilt.

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bodyguard

noun
minder, guard, protector, guardian, defender; informal heavy.

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boffin

noun
(Brit. informal) expert, specialist, authority, genius, mastermind; scientist, technician, inventor; informal egghead, Einstein.

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bog

noun
marsh, swamp, mire, quagmire, morass, slough, fen, wetland; Brit. carr; Scottish & N. English moss.
bog someone/something down
mire, stick, entangle, ensnare, embroil; hamper, hinder, impede, delay, stall, detain; swamp, overwhelm.

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bogey

noun
water bogies frighten children from pools
evil spirit, bogle, spectre, phantom, hobgoblin, demon; informal spook.
the guild is the bogey of bankers
bugbear, pet hate, bane, anathema, abomination, nightmare, horror, dread, curse; N. Amer. bugaboo.
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boggle

verb
(informal) this data makes the mind boggle
marvel, wonder, be astonished, be overwhelmed, be staggered; gape, goggle; informal gawk.
you never boggle at plain speaking
demur, baulk; shrink from, shy away from, be shy about; hesitate, waver, falter; informal be cagey about.
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boggy

adjective
marshy, swampy, miry, fenny, muddy, waterlogged, wet, soggy, sodden, squelchy; spongy, heavy, sloughy.

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bogus

adjective
fake, spurious, false, fraudulent, sham, deceptive; counterfeit, forged, feigned; make-believe, dummy, pseudo; informal phoney, pretend. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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bohemian

noun
he is an artist and a real bohemian
nonconformist, avant-gardist, free spirit, dropout; hippy, beatnik. ANTONYMS :conservative.

adjective
a bohemian student life
unconventional, nonconformist, unorthodox, avant-garde, irregular, alternative; artistic; informal arty-farty, way-out, offbeat. ANTONYMS :conventional.

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boil 1

verb
boil the potatoes
bring to the boil, simmer; cook.
the soup is boiling
simmer, bubble, stew.
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a huge cliff with the sea boiling below
churn, seethe, froth, foam; poetic/literary roil.
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she boiled at his lack of consideration
fume, seethe, rage, smoulder, bristle, be angry, be furious; get worked up; informal see red, get steamed up.
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noun
bring the stock to the boil
boiling point, 100 degrees centigrade.
boil something down
condense, reduce, concentrate, thicken. boil down to
come down to, amount to, add up to, be in essence.

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boil 2

noun
a boil on her neck
swelling, spot, pimple, blister, pustule, eruption, carbuncle, wen, abscess, ulcer; technical furuncle.

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boiling

adjective
boiling water
at boiling point, at 100 degrees centigrade; very hot, piping hot; bubbling.
(informal) it was a boiling day
very hot, scorching, blistering, sweltering, sultry, torrid; informal roasting, baking.
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ANTONYMS :freezing.

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boisterous

adjective
a boisterous game of handball
lively, animated, exuberant, spirited; rowdy, unruly, wild, uproarious, unrestrained, undisciplined, uninhibited, uncontrolled, rough, disorderly, riotous; noisy, loud, clamorous; Brit. informal rumbustious.
a boisterous wind
blustery, gusty, windy, stormy, wild, squally, tempestuous; howling, roaring; informal blowy.
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ANTONYMS :restrained, calm.

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bold

adjective
bold adventurers
daring, intrepid, brave, courageous, valiant, valorous, fearless, dauntless, audacious, daredevil; adventurous, heroic, plucky, spirited, confident, assured; informal gutsy, spunky, feisty.
a bold pattern
striking, vivid, bright, strong, eye-catching, prominent; gaudy, lurid, garish.
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departure times are in bold type
heavy, thick, pronounced.
Top
ANTONYMS :timid, pale.

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bolshie

adjective
(Brit. informal) uncooperative, awkward, disobliging, unhelpful, recalcitrant, contrary, perverse, obstinate, stubborn, difficult, unreasonable, exasperating, trying; Brit. informal bloody-minded, stroppy. ANTONYMS :compliant.

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bolster

noun
the bed was strewn with bolsters
pillow, cushion, pad.
verb
a break would bolster her morale
strengthen, reinforce, boost, fortify, renew; support, buoy up, shore up, maintain, aid, help; augment, increase. ANTONYMS :undermine.

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bolt

noun
the bolt on the shed door
bar, lock, catch, latch, fastener.
nuts and bolts
rivet, pin, peg, screw.
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a bolt whirred over my head
arrow, quarrel, dart, shaft; poetic/literary reed.
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a bolt of lightning
flash, shaft, streak, burst, flare.
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Mark made a bolt for the door
dash, dart, run, sprint, leap, bound.
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a bolt of cloth
roll, reel, spool; quantity, amount.
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verb
he bolted the door
lock, bar, latch, fasten, secure.
the lid was bolted down
rivet, pin, peg, screw; fasten, fix.
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Anna bolted from the room
dash, dart, run, sprint, hurtle, rush, fly, shoot, bound; flee; informal tear, scoot, leg it.
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he bolted down his breakfast
gobble, gulp, wolf, guzzle, devour; informal demolish, polish off, shovel down; Brit. informal shift, gollop, scoff; N. Amer. informal scarf, snarf .
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a bolt from/out of the blue
shock, surprise, bombshell, thunderbolt, revelation; informal turn-up for the books. bolt upright
straight, rigidly, stiffly.

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bomb

noun
they saw bombs bursting on the runway
explosive, incendiary (device); missile, projectile; dated blockbuster, bombshell.
the world has lived with the bomb
nuclear weapons, nuclear bombs, atom bombs, A-bombs.
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(Brit. informal) a new superstore will cost a bomb.
See fortune sense 5.
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verb
their headquarters were bombed
bombard, blast, shell, blitz, strafe, pound; attack, assault; blow up, destroy, demolish, flatten, devastate.
(Brit. informal) she bombed across Texas.
See speed verb sense 1.
Top
(informal) the film bombed at the box office.
See fail sense 1.
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bombard

verb
gun batteries bombarded the islands
shell, pound, blitz, strafe, bomb; assail, attack, assault, batter, blast, pelt.
we were bombarded with information
inundate, swamp, flood, deluge, snow under; besiege, overwhelm.
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bombast

noun
bluster, pomposity, empty talk, humbug, turgidity, verbosity, verbiage; pretentiousness, ostentation, grandiloquence; informal hot air; rare fustian.

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bombastic

adjective
pompous, blustering, turgid, verbose, orotund, high-flown, high-sounding, overwrought, pretentious, ostentatious, grandiloquent; informal highfalutin; rare fustian.

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bona fide

adjective
authentic, genuine, real, true, actual; legal, legitimate, lawful, valid, proper; informal legit, pukka, the real McCoy. ANTONYMS :bogus.

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bonanza

noun
windfall, godsend, boon, blessing, bonus, stroke of luck; informal jackpot.

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bond

noun
the women forged a close bond
friendship, relationship, fellowship, partnership, association, affiliation, alliance, attachment.
the prisoner struggled with his bonds
chains, fetters, shackles, manacles, irons, restraints.
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I've broken my bond
promise, pledge, vow, oath, word (of honour), guarantee, assurance; agreement, contract, pact, bargain, deal.
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verb
the extensions are bonded to your hair
join, fasten, fix, affix, attach, secure, bind, stick, fuse.

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bondage

noun
slavery, enslavement, servitude, subjugation, subjection, oppression, domination, exploitation, persecution; historical serfdom, vassalage; archaic enthralment. ANTONYMS :liberty.

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bonhomie

noun
geniality, affability, conviviality, cordiality, amiability, sociability, friendliness, warmth, joviality. ANTONYMS :coldness.

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bon mot

noun
witticism, quip, pun, pleasantry, jest, joke; informal wisecrack, one-liner.

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bonny

adjective
(Scottish & N. English) beautiful, attractive, pretty, gorgeous, fetching, prepossessing; lovely, nice, sweet, cute, appealing, endearing, adorable, lovable, charming, winsome; informal divine; Austral./NZ informal beaut; poetic/literary beauteous; archaic fair, comely. ANTONYMS :unattractive.

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bonus

noun
the extra work's a real bonus
benefit, advantage, boon, blessing, godsend, stroke of luck, asset, plus, pro, attraction; informal perk; formal perquisite.
she's on a good salary and she gets a bonus
gratuity, handout, gift, present, reward, prize; incentive, inducement; informal perk, sweetener; formal perquisite.
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ANTONYMS :disadvantage.

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bon viveur bon vivant

noun
hedonist, pleasure-seeker, sensualist, sybarite, voluptuary; epicure, gourmet, gastronome. ANTONYMS :puritan.

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bony

adjective
gaunt, angular, skinny, thin, lean, spare, spindly, skin-and-bones, skeletal, emaciated, underweight; informal like a bag of bones. ANTONYMS :plump.

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booby

noun
See idiot.

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book

noun
he published his first book in 1610
volume, tome, publication, title; novel, storybook, treatise, manual; paperback, hardback, softback.
he scribbled in his book
notepad, notebook, pad, memo pad, exercise book; logbook, ledger, journal, diary; Brit. jotter, pocketbook; N. Amer. scratch pad.
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the council had to balance its books
accounts, records; account book, record book, ledger, balance sheet.
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verb
she booked a table at the restaurant
reserve, make a reservation for, pre-arrange, order; informal bag; formal bespeak.
we booked a number of events in the Festival
arrange, programme, schedule, timetable, line up, lay on; N. Amer. slate.
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by the book
according to the rules, within the law, lawfully, legally, legitimately; honestly, fairly; informal on the level, fair and square. book in
register, check in, enrol.

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booking

noun
reservation, pre-arrangement; appointment, date.

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bookish

adjective
studious, scholarly, academic, intellectual, highbrow, erudite, learned, educated, knowledgeable; cerebral, serious, earnest, thoughtful.

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booklet

noun
pamphlet, brochure, leaflet, handbill, flyer, tract; N. Amer. folder, mailer.

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boom

noun
the boom of the waves on the rocks
reverberation, resonance, thunder, echoing, crashing, drumming, pounding, roar, rumble.
an unprecedented boom in sales
upturn, upsurge, upswing, increase, advance, growth, boost, escalation, improvement.
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ANTONYMS :slump.

verb
thunder boomed overhead
reverberate, resound, resonate; rumble, thunder, blare, echo; crash, roll, clap, explode, bang.
a voice boomed at her
bellow, roar, thunder, shout, bawl; informal holler.
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the market continued to boom
flourish, burgeon, thrive, prosper, progress, improve, pick up, expand, mushroom, snowball.
Top
ANTONYMS :whisper, slump.

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boomerang

verb
backfire, recoil, reverse, rebound, come back, ricochet; be self-defeating; informal blow up in one's face.

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booming

adjective
a booming voice
resonant, sonorous, ringing, resounding, reverberating, carrying, thunderous; strident, stentorian, strong, powerful.
booming business
flourishing, burgeoning, thriving, prospering, prosperous, successful, strong, buoyant; profitable, fruitful, lucrative; expanding.
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boon 1

noun
their help was such a boon
blessing, godsend, bonus, plus, benefit, advantage, help, aid, asset; stroke of luck; informal perk; formal perquisite. ANTONYMS :curse.

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boon 2

adjective
a boon companion
close, intimate, bosom, inseparable, faithful; favourite, best.

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boor

noun
lout, oaf, ruffian, thug, yahoo, barbarian, Neanderthal, brute, beast; informal clod, roughneck, peasant, pig; Brit. informal yobbo, yob, oik.

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boorish

adjective
coarse, uncouth, rude, ill-bred, ill-mannered, uncivilized, unrefined, common, rough, thuggish, loutish; vulgar, unsavoury, gross, brutish, Neanderthal; informal cloddish, plebby; Brit. informal yobbish; Austral. informal ocker. ANTONYMS :refined.

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boost

noun
a boost to one's morale
uplift, lift, spur, encouragement, help, inspiration, stimulus, fillip.
a boost in sales
increase, expansion, upturn, upsurge, upswing, rise, escalation, improvement, advance, growth, boom; informal hike.
Top
ANTONYMS :decrease.

verb
he phones her to boost her morale
improve, raise, uplift, increase, enhance, encourage, heighten, help, promote, foster, stimulate, invigorate, revitalize; informal buck up.
they used advertising to boost sales
increase, raise, escalate, improve, strengthen, inflate, push up, promote, advance, foster, stimulate; facilitate, help, assist, aid; informal hike, bump up.
Top
ANTONYMS :decrease.

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boot 1

noun
muddy boots
gumboot, wellington, wader, walking boot, riding boot, moon boot, thigh boot, ankle boot, pixie boot, desert boot; informal welly; trademark Doc Martens; historical top boot.
(informal) a boot in the stomach
kick, blow, knock.
Top

verb
his shot was booted away by the goalkeeper
kick, punt, bunt, tap; propel, drive, knock.
boot up your computer
start up, fire up.
Top

boot someone out (informal). See dismiss sense 1. give someone the boot (informal). See dismiss sense 1.

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boot 2

to boot
as well, also, too, besides, into the bargain, in addition, additionally, on top, what's more, moreover, furthermore; informal and all.

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booth

noun
booths for different traders
stall, stand, kiosk.
a phone booth
cubicle, kiosk, box, enclosure, cabin.
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bootleg

adjective
illegal, illicit, unlawful, unauthorized, unlicensed, pirated; contraband, smuggled, black-market.

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bootless

adjective
(archaic). See fruitless.

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bootlicker

noun
(informal) sycophant, toady, fawner, flatterer, creep, crawler, lickspittle, truckler, groveller, kowtower; informal yes-man; archaic toad-eater.

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booty

noun
loot, plunder, pillage, haul, spoils, stolen goods, ill-gotten gains, pickings; informal swag.

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booze (informal)

noun
fill him up with food and booze
alcohol, alcoholic drink, (intoxicating) liquor, drink, spirits, intoxicants; informal grog, firewater, rotgut, the hard stuff, the bottle, Dutch courage, hooch, moonshine; Brit. informal bevvies; N. Amer. informal juice, the sauce.
verb
I was boozing with my mates
drink (alcohol), tipple, imbibe, indulge; informal hit the bottle, knock a few back, swill; Brit. informal bevvy; N. Amer. informal bend one's elbow.

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boozer

noun
(informal) he's a notorious boozer
drinker, drunk, drunkard, alcoholic, dipsomaniac, tippler, imbiber, sot, inebriate; informal lush, alky, dipso, soak, tosspot, wino, sponge, barfly; Austral./NZ informal hophead; archaic toper.
(Brit. informal) I'm off down the boozer
bar, wine bar, inn, roadhouse; Brit. pub, public house; N. Amer. tavern; informal watering hole; Brit. informal local; dated alehouse; N. Amer. historical saloon; archaic hostelry.
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bop

noun
(Brit. informal) I fancy a bop
dance; informal boogie, jive.
a college bop
discotheque; informal disco, hop.
Top

verb
(informal) they were bopping to disco music
dance, jig; informal boogie, jive, groove, disco, rock, stomp, hoof it; N. Amer. informal get down, cut a/the rug.

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bordello

noun
(N. Amer.) brothel, whorehouse; Law disorderly house; Brit. informal knocking shop; N. Amer. informal cathouse; euphemistic massage parlour; archaic bawdy house, house of ill fame, house of ill repute.

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border

noun
the border of a medieval manuscript
edge, margin, perimeter, circumference, periphery; rim, fringe, verge; sides.
the Soviet border
frontier, boundary, borderline, perimeter; marches, bounds.
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verb
the fields were bordered by hedges
surround, enclose, encircle, circle, edge, fringe, bound, flank.
the straps are bordered with gold braid
edge, fringe, hem; trim, pipe, finish.
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the forest bordered on Broadmoor
adjoin, abut, be next to, be adjacent to, be contiguous with, touch, join, meet, reach.
Top

border on
verge on, approach, come close to, be comparable to, approximate to, be tantamount to, be similar to, resemble.

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borderline

noun
the borderline between old and antique
dividing line, divide, division, demarcation line, line, cut-off point; threshold, margin, border, boundary.
adjective
borderline cases
marginal, uncertain, indefinite, unsettled, undecided, doubtful, indeterminate, unclassifiable, equivocal; questionable, debatable, controversial, contentious, problematic; informal iffy.

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bore 1

verb
bore a hole in the ceiling
drill, pierce, perforate, puncture, punch, cut; tunnel, burrow, mine, dig, gouge, sink.
noun
a well bore
borehole, hole, well, shaft, pit.
the canon has a bore of 890 millimetres
calibre, diameter, gauge.
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bore 2

verb
the television news bored Philip
stultify, pall on, stupefy, weary, tire, fatigue, send to sleep, leave cold; bore to death, bore to tears; informal turn off. ANTONYMS :interest.

noun
you can be such a bore
tedious person/thing, tiresome person/thing, bother, nuisance, pest, annoyance, trial, vexation, thorn in one's flesh/side; informal drag, pain (in the neck), headache, hassle; N. Amer. informal nudnik.

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boredom

noun
weariness, ennui, apathy, unconcern, accidie; frustration, dissatisfaction, restlessness, restiveness; tedium, dullness, monotony, repetitiveness, flatness, dreariness; informal deadliness.

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boring

adjective
tedious, dull, monotonous, repetitive, unrelieved, unvaried, unimaginative, uneventful; characterless, featureless, colourless, lifeless, insipid, uninteresting, unexciting, uninspiring, unstimulating, jejune, flat, bland, dry, stale, tired, banal, lacklustre, stodgy, dreary, humdrum, mundane; mind-numbing, soul-destroying, wearisome, tiring, tiresome, irksome, trying, frustrating; informal deadly, not up to much; Brit. informal samey; N. Amer. informal dullsville.

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borrow

verb
we borrowed a lot of money
loan, take as a loan; lease, hire; informal cadge, scrounge, bum; Brit. informal scab; N. Amer. informal mooch; Austral./NZ informal bludge.
(informal) they "borrowed" all of his tools
take, help oneself to, appropriate, commandeer, abscond with, carry off; steal, purloin; informal filch, rob, swipe, nab, rip off, lift, "liberate", snaffle; Brit. informal nick, pinch, half-inch, whip, knock off; N. Amer. informal heist, glom.
Top
adventurous chefs borrow foreign techniques
adopt, take on, acquire, embrace.
Top
ANTONYMS :lend.

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bosom

noun
the gown was set low over her bosom
bust, chest; breasts, mammary glands, mammae; informal boobs, knockers, bubbies; Brit. informal bristols, charlies; N. Amer. informal bazooms; archaic embonpoint.
(poetic/literary) the family took Gill into its bosom
protection, shelter, safety, refuge; heart, core; poetic/literary midst.
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love was kindled within his bosom
heart, breast, soul, core, spirit.
Top

adjective
bosom friends
close, boon, intimate, inseparable, faithful, constant, devoted; good, best, firm, favourite.

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boss (informal)

noun
the boss of a large company
head, chief, principal, director, president, chief executive, chair, manager(ess); supervisor, foreman, overseer, controller; employer, owner, proprietor, patron; informal number one, kingpin, top dog, bigwig; Brit. informal gaffer, governor; N. Amer. informal head honcho, padrone, sachem, big kahuna.
verb
you have no right to boss me about
order about/around, dictate to, lord it over, bully, push around/about, domineer, dominate, pressurize, browbeat; call the shots, lay down the law; informal bulldoze, walk all over, railroad.

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bossy

adjective
(informal) domineering, pushy, overbearing, imperious, officious, high-handed, authoritarian, dictatorial, controlling; informal high and mighty. ANTONYMS :submissive.

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botch (informal)

verb
examiners botched the marking
bungle, mismanage, mishandle, make a mess of; informal mess up, make a hash of, muff, fluff, foul up, screw up; Brit. informal bodge, cock up; N. Amer. informal flub.
noun
I've made a botch of things
mess, blunder, failure, wreck, fiasco, debacle; informal hash; Brit. informal bodge, cock-up, pig's ear. ANTONYMS :success.

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bother

verb
no one bothered her
disturb, trouble, inconvenience, pester, badger, harass, molest, plague, nag, hound, harry, annoy, upset, irritate; informal hassle, bug, get up someone's nose, get in someone's hair; N. English informal mither; N. Amer. informal ride.
the incident was too small to bother about
mind, care, concern oneself, trouble oneself, worry oneself; informal give a damn, give a hoot.
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there was something bothering him
worry, trouble, concern, perturb, disturb, disquiet, disconcert, unnerve; fret, upset, distress, agitate, gnaw at, weigh down; informal rattle.
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noun
I don't want to put you to any bother
trouble, effort, exertion, inconvenience, fuss, pains; informal hassle.
the food was such a bother to cook
nuisance, pest, palaver, rigmarole, job, trial, bind, bore, drag, inconvenience, trouble, problem; informal hassle, headache, pain (in the neck).
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a spot of bother in the public bar
disorder, fightin g, trouble, ado, disturbance, agitation, commotion, uproar; NZ bobsy-die; informal hoo-ha, aggro, argy-bargy, kerfuffle.
Top

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bothersome

adjective
annoying, irritating, vexatious, maddening, exasperating; tedious, wearisome, tiresome; troublesome, trying, taxing, awkward; informal aggravating, pesky, pestilential.

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bottle

noun
a bottle of whisky
carafe, flask, decanter, pitcher, flagon, carboy, demijohn.
(informal) a world blurred by the bottle.
See alcohol.
Top
(Brit. informal) no one had the bottle to stand up to McGregor
courage, bravery, valour, nerve, confidence, daring, audacity, pluck, spirit, grit, mettle, spine, backbone; informal guts, spunk, gumption; N. Amer. informal moxie.
Top

bottle something up
suppress, repress, restrain, withhold, hold in, rein in, inhibit, smother, stifle, contain, conceal, hide; informal keep a lid on.

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bottleneck

noun
traffic jam, jam, congestion, hold-up, gridlock, tailback; constriction, narrowing, restriction, obstruction, blockage; informal snarl-up.

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bottom

noun
the bottom of the stairs
foot, lowest part, lowest point, base; foundation, substructure, underpinning.
the bottom of the car
underside, underneath, undersurface, undercarriage, underbelly.
Top
the bottom of Lake Ontario
floor, bed, depths.
Top
the bottom of his garden
farthest point, far end, extremity.
Top
the bottom of his class
lowest level, lowest position.
Top
(Brit.) I've got a tattoo on my bottom
rear (end), rump, backside, seat; buttocks, cheeks; informal behind, BTM, sit-upon, derrière; Brit. informal bum, botty, jacksie; N. Amer. informal butt, fanny, tush, tail, buns, booty, heinie; humorous fundament, posterior, stern; Anatomy nates.
Top
police got to the bottom of the mystery
origin, cause, root, source, basis, foundation; heart, kernel; reality, essence.
Top
ANTONYMS :top, surface.

adjective
she sat on the bottom step
lowest, last, bottommost; technical basal. ANTONYMS :top.

from top to bottom
thoroughly, fully, extensively, completely, comprehensively, rigorously, exhaustively, scrupulously, meticulously.

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bottomless

adjective
the bottomless pits of hell
fathomless, unfathomable, endless, infinite, immeasurable.
George's appetite was bottomless
unlimited, limitless, boundless, infinite, inexhaustible, endless, never-ending, everlasting; vast, huge, enormous.
Top
ANTONYMS :limited.

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bough

noun
branch, limb, arm, offshoot.

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boulder

noun
rock, stone; Austral./NZ gibber.

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boulevard

noun
avenue, street, road, drive, lane, parade, broadway, thoroughfare.

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bounce

verb
the ball bounced
rebound, spring back, ricochet, jounce; N. Amer. carom.
William bounced down the stairs
bound, leap, jump, spring, bob, hop, skip, trip, prance.
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noun
he reached the door in a single bounce
bound, leap, jump, spring, hop, skip.
the pitch's uneven bounce
springiness, resilience, elasticity, give.
Top
she had lost her bounce
vitality, vigour, energy, vivacity, liveliness, animation, sparkle, verve, spirit, enthusiasm, dynamism; cheerfulness, happiness, buoyancy, optimism; informal get-up-and-go, pep, zing.
Top

bounce back
recover, revive, rally, pick up, be on the mend; perk up, cheer up, brighten up, liven up; informal buck up.

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bouncing

adjective
vigorous, thriving, flourishing, blooming; healthy, strong, robust, fit, in fine fettle; informal in the pink.

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bouncy

adjective
a bouncy bridge
springy, flexible, resilient, elastic, stretchy, rubbery.
a rather bouncy ride
bumpy, jolting, jerky, jumpy, jarring, rough.
Top
she was always bouncy
lively, energetic, perky, frisky, jaunty, dynamic, vital, vigorous, vibrant, animated, spirited, buoyant, bubbly, sparkling, vivacious; enthusiastic, upbeat; informal peppy, zingy, chirpy.
Top

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bound 1

adjective
he raised his bound ankles
tied, chained, fettered, shackled, secured.
she seemed bound to win
certain, sure, very likely, destined.
Top
you're bound by the Official Secrets Act to keep quiet
obligated, obliged, compelled, required, constrained.
Top
religion and morality are bound up with one another
connected, linked, tied, united, allied.
Top

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bound 2

verb
hares bound in the fields
leap, jump, spring, bounce, hop; skip, bob, dance, prance, gambol, gallop.
noun
he crossed the room with a single bound
leap, jump, spring, bounce, hop.

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bound 3

verb
corporate freedom is bounded by law
limit, restrict, confine, circumscribe, demarcate, delimit.
the heath is bounded by a hedge
enclose, surround, encircle, circle, border; close in/off, hem in.
Top
the garden was bounded by Mill Lane
border, adjoin, abut; be next to, be adjacent to.
Top

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boundary

noun
the boundary between Israel and Jordan
border, frontier, borderline, partition.
the boundary between art and advertising
dividing line, divide, division, borderline, cut-off point.
Top
the boundary of his estate
bounds, confines, limits, margins, edges, fringes; border, periphery, perimeter.
Top
the boundaries of accepted behaviour
limits, parameters, bounds, confines; ambit, compass.
Top

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boundless

adjective
limitless, unlimited, unbounded, untold, immeasurable, abundant; inexhaustible, endless, infinite, interminable, unfailing, ceaseless, everlasting. ANTONYMS :limited.

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bounds

plural noun
we keep rents within reasonable bounds
limits, confines, proportions.
land within the forest bounds
borders, boundaries, confines, limits, margins, edges; periphery, perimeter.
Top

out of bounds
off limits, restricted; forbidden, banned, proscribed, illegal, illicit, unlawful, unacceptable, taboo; informal no go.

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bountiful

adjective
their bountiful patron
generous, magnanimous, munificent, open-handed, unselfish, unstinting, lavish; benevolent, beneficent, charitable.
a bountiful supply of fresh food
abundant, plentiful, ample, copious, bumper, superabundant, inexhaustible, prolific, profuse; lavish, generous, handsome, rich; informal whopping; poetic/literary plenteous.
Top
ANTONYMS :mean, meagre.

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bounty

noun
a bounty for each man killed
reward, prize, award, commission, premium, dividend, bonus, gratuity, tip, donation, handout; incentive, inducement; money; informal perk, sweetener; formal perquisite.
(poetic/literary) I thank the Lord for all his bounty
generosity, magnanimity, munificence, bountifulness, largesse, lavishness; benevolence, beneficence, charity, goodwill; blessings, favours.
Top

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bouquet

noun
her bridal bouquet
bunch of flowers, posy, nosegay, tussie-mussie, spray, corsage.
bouquets go to Ann for a well-planned event
compliment, commendation, tribute, accolade; praise, congratulations, applause.
Top
the Chardonnay has a fine bouquet
aroma, nose, smell, fragrance, perfume, scent, odour.
Top

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bourgeois

adjective
a bourgeois family
middle-class, propertied; conventional, conservative, conformist; provincial, suburban, small-town.
bourgeois decadence
capitalistic, materialistic, money-oriented, commercial.
Top
ANTONYMS :proletarian, communist.

noun
a proud bourgeois
member of the middle class, property owner.

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bout

noun
a short bout of exercise
spell, period, time, stretch, stint, session; burst, flurry, spurt.
a coughing bout
attack, fit, spasm, paroxysm, convulsion, eruption, outburst.
Top
he is fighting only his fifth bout
contest, match, round, heat, competition, event, meeting, fixture; fight, prizefight.
Top

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bovine

adjective
large, bovine eyes
cow-like, calf-like, taurine.
an expression of bovine amazement
stupid, slow, ignorant, unintelligent, imperceptive, half-baked, vacuous, mindless, witless, doltish; informal dumb, dense, dim, dim-witted, dopey, birdbrained, pea-brained; Brit. informal dozy, daft; Scottish & N. English informal glaikit.
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noun
cow, heifer, bull, bullock, calf, ox; N. Amer. informal boss, bossy; Farming beef.

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bow 1

verb
the officers bowed
incline the body, incline the head, nod, salaam, curtsy, bob.
the mast quivered and bowed
bend, buckle, stoop, curve, flex, deform.
Top
the government bowed to foreign pressure
yield, submit, give in, surrender, succumb, capitulate, defer, conform; comply with, accept, heed, observe.
Top
a footman bowed her in
usher, conduct, show, lead, guide, direct, steer, shepherd.
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noun
a perfunctory bow
obeisance, salaam, bob, curtsy, nod; archaic reverence.
bow out
withdraw, resign, retire, step down, pull out, back out; give up, quit, leave; informal pack in, chuck (in); Brit. informal jack in.

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bow 2

noun
the bow of the tanker
prow, front, stem, nose, head, cutwater; Brit. humorous sharp end.

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bow 3

noun
she tied a bow in her hair
loop, knot; ribbon.
he bent the rod into a bow
arc, curve, bend; crescent, half-moon.
Top
an archer's bow
longbow, crossbow; Archery recurve.
Top

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bowdlerize

verb
expurgate, censor, blue-pencil, cut, edit; sanitize, water down, emasculate.

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bowel

noun
a disorder of the bowels
intestine(s), small intestine, large intestine, colon; informal guts, insides.
the bowels of the ship
interior, inside, core, belly; depths, recesses; informal innards.
Top

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bower

noun
a rose-scented bower
arbour, pergola, grotto, alcove, sanctuary.
(poetic/literary) the lady's bower
bedroom; historical boudoir; archaic bedchamber, chamber.
Top

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bowl 1

verb
he bowled a hundred or so balls
pitch, throw, propel, hurl, toss, lob, loft, fling, launch, deliver; spin, roll; informal chuck, sling, bung, heave, buzz; dated shy.
the car bowled along the roads
hurtle, speed, shoot, sweep, career, hare, fly; informal belt, tear, scoot; Brit. informal bomb; N. Amer. informal clip.
Top

bowl someone over
the explosion bowled us over
knock down/over, fell, floor, prostrate.

(informal) I have been bowled over by your generosity
overwhelm, astound, astonish, overawe, dumbfound, stagger, stun, daze, shake, take aback, leave aghast; informal knock sideways, flabbergast, blow away; Brit. informal knock for six.
Top

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bowl 2

noun
she cracked two eggs into a bowl
dish, basin, pot, crock, crucible, mortar; container, vessel, receptacle; historical jorum, porringer.
the town lay in a shallow bowl
valley, hollow, dip, depression, trough, crater.
Top
(N. Amer.) the Hollywood Bowl
stadium, arena, amphitheatre, colosseum; enclosure, ground; informal park.
Top

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box 1

noun
a box of cigars
carton, pack, packet; case, crate, chest, coffer, casket; container, receptacle.
a telephone box
booth, cubicle, kiosk, cabin, hut; compartment, carrel, alcove, bay, recess.
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verb
Muriel boxed up his clothes
package, pack, parcel, wrap, bundle, bale, crate.
box something/someone in
hem in, fence in, close in, shut in; trap, confine, imprison, intern; surround, enclose, encircle, circle.

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box 2

verb
he began boxing professionally
fight, prizefight, spar; battle, brawl; informal scrap.
he boxed my ears
cuff, smack, strike, hit, thump, slap, swat, punch, jab, wallop; Scottish & N. English skelp; informal belt, bop, biff, sock, clout, clobber, whack, plug, slug; Brit. informal slosh, dot; N. Amer. informal boff, bust.
Top

noun
a box on the ear
cuff, hit, thump, slap, smack, swat, punch, jab, hook; Scottish & N. English skelp; informal belt, bop, biff, sock, clout, whack, plug, slug.

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boxer

noun
fighter, pugilist, ringster, prizefighter, kick-boxer; informal bruiser, scrapper.

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boxing

noun
pugilism, the noble art, fighting, sparring, fisticuffs; kick-boxing, prizefighting; the (prize) ring.

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boy

noun
lad, schoolboy, male child, youth, young man, stripling; Scottish & N. English laddie; derogatory brat. See also child.

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boycott

verb
they boycotted the elections
spurn, snub, shun, avoid, abstain from, wash one's hands of, turn one's back on, reject, veto. ANTONYMS :support.

noun
a boycott on the use of tropical timbers
ban, veto, embargo, prohibition, sanction, restriction; avoidance, rejection, refusal.

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boyfriend

noun
lover, sweetheart, beloved, darling, dearest, young man, man friend, man, escort, suitor; partner, significant other; informal fella, flame, fancy man, toy boy, sugar daddy; N. Amer. informal squeeze; poetic/literary swain; dated beau; archaic paramour.

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boyish

adjective
youthful, young, childlike, adolescent, teenage; immature, juvenile, infantile, childish, babyish, puerile.

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brace

noun
the saw is best used with a brace
vice, clamp, press.
power drills run faster than a brace
drill, boring tool, rotary tool.
Top
the aquarium is supported by wooden braces
prop, beam, joist, batten, rod, post, strut, stay, support, stanchion, bracket.
Top
a brace on his right leg
support, caliper.
Top
a brace of partridges
pair, couple, duo, twosome; two.
Top
(Printing) the term within braces
bracket, parenthesis.
Top

verb
the plane's wing is braced by a system of rods
support, shore up, prop up, hold up, buttress, underpin; strengthen, reinforce.
he braced his hand on the railing
steady, secure, stabilize, fix, poise; tense, tighten.
Top
brace yourself for disappointment
prepare, get ready, gear up, nerve, steel, galvanize, gird, strengthen, fortify; informal psych oneself up.
Top

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bracelet

noun
bangle, band, circlet, armlet, wristlet; manilla, rakhi, kara.

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bracing

adjective
invigorating, refreshing, stimulating, energizing, exhilarating, reviving, restorative, rejuvenating, revitalizing, rousing, fortifying, strengthening; fresh, brisk, keen.

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bracket

noun
each speaker is fixed on a separate bracket
support, prop, stay, batten, joist; rest, mounting, rack, frame.
put the words in brackets
parenthesis; Printing brace.
Top
a higher tax bracket
group, category, grade, classification, set, division, order.
Top

verb
women were bracketed with minors
group, classify, class, categorize, grade, list, sort, place, assign; couple, pair, twin; liken, compare.

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brackish

adjective
slightly salty, saline, salt.

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brag

verb
boast, crow, swagger, swank, bluster, gloat, show off; blow one's own trumpet, sing one's own praises; informal talk big, lay it on thick; Austral./NZ informal skite.

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braggart

noun
he was a prodigious braggart and a liar
boaster, bragger, swaggerer, poser, poseur, egotist; informal big-head, loudmouth, show-off, swank; N. Amer. informal showboat, blowhard; Austral./NZ informal skite; Brit. informal, dated swankpot.

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braid

noun
straps bordered with gold braid
cord, bullion, thread, tape, binding, rickrack, ribbon; cordon, torsade; Military slang scrambled egg.
his hair is in braids
plait, pigtail, twist; cornrows, dreadlocks.
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verb
she began to braid her hair
plait, entwine, intertwine, interweave, weave, twist, twine.
the sleeves are braided in scarlet
trim, edge, border, pipe, hem, fringe.
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brain

noun
the disease attacks certain cells in the brain
cerebrum, cerebral matter, encephalon.
success requires brains as well as brawn
intelligence, intellect, brainpower, cleverness, wit(s), reasoning, wisdom, acumen, discernment, judgement, understanding, sense; informal nous, grey matter, savvy; N. Amer. informal smarts.
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(informal) Janice is the brains of the family
clever person, intellectual, intellect, thinker, mind, scholar; genius, Einstein; informal egghead, bright spark; Brit. informal brainbox, clever clogs; N. Amer. informal brainiac, rocket scientist.
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cerebral, encephalic. ANTONYMS :dunce.

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brainless

adjective
stupid, foolish, witless, unintelligent, ignorant, idiotic, simple-minded, empty-headed, half-baked; informal dumb, half-witted, brain-dead, moronic, cretinous, thick, dopey, dozy, birdbrained, pea-brained, dippy, wooden-headed; Brit. informal divvy; Scottish & N. English informal glaikit; N. Amer. informal dumb-ass, chowderheaded. ANTONYMS :clever.

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brain-teaser

noun
(informal) puzzle, problem, riddle, conundrum, poser.

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brainwash

verb
indoctrinate, condition, re-educate, persuade, influence.

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brainy

adjective
(informal) clever, intelligent, bright, brilliant, gifted; intellectual, erudite, academic, scholarly, studious, bookish; informal smart; Brit. informal swotty. ANTONYMS :stupid.

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brake

noun
a brake on research
curb, check, restraint, restriction, constraint, control, limitation.
verb
she braked at the traffic lights
slow (down), decelerate, reduce speed. ANTONYMS :accelerate.

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branch

noun
the branches of a tree
bough, limb, arm, offshoot.
a branch of the river
tributary, feeder, side stream.
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the judicial branch of government
division, subdivision, section, subsection, department, sector, part, side, wing.
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the corporation's New York branch
office, bureau, agency; subsidiary, offshoot, satellite.
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verb
the place where the road branches
fork, bifurcate, divide, subdivide, split.
narrow paths branched off the road
diverge from, deviate from, split off from; fan out from, radiate from.
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branch out
expand, open up, extend; diversify, broaden one's horizons.

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brand

noun
a new brand of margarine
make, line, label, marque; type, kind, sort, variety; trade name, trademark, proprietary name.
her particular brand of humour
type, kind, sort, variety, class, category, genre, style, ilk; N. Amer. stripe.
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the brand on a sheep
identification, marker, earmark.
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the brand of dipsomania
stigma, shame, disgrace; taint, blot, mark.
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verb
the letter M was branded on each animal
mark, stamp, burn, sear.
the scene was branded on her brain
engrave, stamp, etch, imprint.
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the media branded us as communists
stigmatize, mark out; denounce, discredit, vilify; label.
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brandish

verb
flourish, wave, shake, wield; swing, swish; display, flaunt.

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brash

adjective
a brash man
self-assertive, pushy, cocksure, cocky, self-confident, arrogant, bold, audacious, brazen; forward, impudent, insolent, rude.
brash colours
garish, gaudy, loud, flamboyant, showy, tasteless; informal flashy, tacky.
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ANTONYMS :meek, muted.

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brassy

adjective
brazen, forward, bold, self-assertive, pushy, cocksure, cocky, brash; shameless, immodest; loud, vulgar, showy, ostentatious; informal flashy.
brassy music
loud, blaring, noisy, deafening, strident; raucous, harsh, dissonant, discordant, cacophonous; tinny.
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ANTONYMS :demure, soft.

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brat

noun
(derogatory) rascal, wretch, imp; minx, chit; informal monster, horror, whippersnapper.

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bravado

noun
boldness, swaggering, bluster; machismo; boasting, bragging, bombast, braggadocio; informal showing off.

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brave

adjective
they put up a brave fight
courageous, plucky, valiant, valorous, intrepid, heroic, lionhearted, bold, fearless, daring, audacious; unflinching, unshrinking, unafraid, dauntless, doughty, mettlesome, stout-hearted, spirited; informal game, gutsy, spunky.
(poetic/literary) his medals made a brave show
splendid, magnificent, impressive, fine, handsome.
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ANTONYMS :cowardly.

noun
(dated) an Indian brave
warrior, soldier, fighter.
verb
fans braved freezing temperatures to see them play
endure, put up with, bear, withstand, weather, suffer, go through; face, confront, defy.

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bravery

noun
courage, pluck, valour, intrepidity, nerve, daring, fearlessness, audacity, boldness, dauntlessness, stout-heartedness, heroism; backbone, grit, spine, spirit, mettle; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie.

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bravo

exclamation
well done, congratulations; encore.

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bravura

noun
a display of bravura
skill, brilliance, virtuosity, expertise, artistry, talent, ability, flair.
adjective
a bravura performance
virtuoso, masterly, outstanding, excellent, superb, brilliant, first-class; informal mean, ace, A1.

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brawl

noun
a drunken brawl
fight, skirmish, scuffle, tussle, fray, melee, free-for-all, scrum; fisticuffs; informal scrap, dust-up, set-to; Brit. informal punch-up, ruck; Scottish informal rammy; N. Amer. informal rough house, brannigan; Law, dated affray.
verb
he ended up brawling with photographers
fight, skirmish, scuffle, tussle, exchange blows, grapple, wrestle; informal scrap; N. Amer. informal rough-house.

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brawn

noun
physical strength, muscle(s), burliness, huskiness, toughness, power, might; informal beef, beefiness.

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brawny

adjective
strong, muscular, muscly, well built, powerful, mighty, Herculean, strapping, burly, sturdy, husky, rugged; bulky, hefty, meaty, solid; informal beefy, hunky, hulking. ANTONYMS :puny, weak.

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bray

verb
a donkey brayed
neigh, whinny, hee-haw.
Billy brayed with laughter
roar, bellow, trumpet.
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brazen

adjective
brazen defiance
bold, shameless, unashamed, unabashed, unembarrassed; defiant, impudent, impertinent, cheeky; barefaced, blatant, flagrant; Brit. informal saucy.
(poetic/literary) brazen objects
brass.
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ANTONYMS :timid.

brazen it out
put on a bold front, stand one's ground, be defiant, be unrepentant, be unabashed.

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breach

noun
a clear breach of the regulations
contravention, violation, infringement, infraction, transgression, neglect; Law delict.
a breach between government and Church
rift, schism, division, gulf, chasm; disunion, estrangement, discord, dissension, disagreement; split, break, rupture, scission; Brit. informal bust-up.
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a breach in the sea wall
break, rupture, split, crack, fracture; opening, gap, hole, fissure.
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verb
the river breached its bank
break (through), burst, rupture; informal bust.
the changes breached union rules
break, contravene, violate, infringe; defy, disobey, flout, fly in the face of; Law infract.
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bread

noun
(informal) his job puts bread on the table.
See food sense 1.
(informal) I hate doing this, but I need the bread.
See money sense 1.
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breadth

noun
a breadth of 100 metres
width, broadness, wideness, thickness; span; diameter.
the breadth of his knowledge
range, extent, scope, depth, reach, compass, scale, degree.
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break

verb
the mirror broke
shatter, smash, crack, snap, fracture, fragment, splinter, fall to bits, fall to pieces; split, burst; informal bust.
she had broken her leg
fracture, crack.
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the bite had barely broken the skin
pierce, puncture, penetrate, perforate; cut.
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the coffee machine has broken
stop working, break down, give out, go wrong, malfunction, crash; informal go kaput, conk out, be on the blink, give up the ghost; Brit. informal pack up.
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traders who break the law
contravene, violate, infringe, breach; defy, flout, disobey, fly in the face of.
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his concentration was broken
interrupt, disturb, interfere with.
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they broke for coffee
stop, pause, have a rest; N. Amer. recess; informal knock off, take five.
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a pile of carpets broke his fall
cushion, soften the impact of, take the edge off.
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the film broke box-office records
exceed, surpass, beat, better, cap, top, outdo, outstrip, eclipse; informal leave standing.
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habits are very difficult to break
give up, relinquish, drop; informal kick, shake, pack in, quit.
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the strategies used to break the union
destroy, crush, quash, defeat, vanquish, overcome, overpower, overwhelm, suppress, cripple; weaken, subdue, cow, undermine.
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her self-control finally broke
give way, crack, cave in, yield, go to pieces.
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four thousand pounds wouldn't break him
bankrupt, ruin, pauperize.
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he tried to break the news gently
reveal, disclose, divulge, impart, tell; announce, release.
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he broke the encryption code
decipher, decode, decrypt, unravel, work out; informal figure out.
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the day broke fair and cloudless
dawn, begin, start, emerge, appear.
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a political scandal broke
erupt, break out.
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the weather broke
change, alter, shift.
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waves broke against the rocks
crash, dash, beat, pound, lash.
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her voice broke as she relived the experience
falter, quaver, quiver, tremble, shake.
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ANTONYMS :repair, keep, resume.

noun
the magazine has been published without a break since 1950
interruption, interval, gap, hiatus; discontinuation, suspension, disruption, cut-off; stop, stoppage, cessation.
a break in the weather
change, alteration, variation.
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let's have a break
rest, respite, recess; stop, pause; interval, intermission; informal breather, time out, down time.
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a weekend break
holiday; N. Amer. vacation; Brit. informal vac.
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a break in diplomatic relations
rift, schism, split, break-up, severance, rupture; Brit. informal bust-up.
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a break in the wall
gap, opening, space, hole, breach, chink, crack, fissure; tear, split.
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(informal) the actress got her first break in 1951
opportunity, chance, opening.
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break away
she attempted to break away from his grip
escape, get away, run away, flee, make off; break free, break loose, get out of someone's clutches; informal leg it, cut and run.

a group broke away from the main party
leave, secede from, split off from, separate from, part company with, defect from; form a splinter group.
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break down
his van broke down.
See break verb sense 4.

pay negotiations broke down
fail, collapse, founder, fall through, disintegrate; informal fizzle out.
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Vicky broke down, sobbing loudly
burst into tears; lose control, be overcome, go to pieces, crumble, disintegrate; informal crack up, lose it.
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break something down
the police broke the door down
knock down, kick down, smash in, pull down, tear down, demolish.

break big tasks down into smaller parts
divide, separate.
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graphs show how the information can be broken down
analyse, categorize, classify, sort out, itemize, organize; dissect.
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break in
thieves broke in and took her cheque book
commit burglary, break and enter; force one's way in, burst in.

"I don't want to interfere," Mrs Hendry broke in
interrupt, butt in, cut in, interject, interpose, intervene, chime in; Brit. informal chip in.
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break someone in
train, initiate; informal show someone the ropes. break into
thieves broke into a house in Perth Street
burgle, rob; force one's way into, burst into.

Phil broke into the discussion
interrupt, butt into, cut in on, intervene in.
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he broke into a song
burst into, launch into.
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break off
snap off, come off, become detached, become separated. break something off
I broke off a branch from the tree
snap off, pull off, sever, detach.

they threatened to break off diplomatic relations
end, terminate, stop, cease, call a halt to, finish, dissolve; suspend, discontinue; informal pull the plug on.
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break out
he broke out of the detention centre
escape from, abscond from, flee from; get free.

fighting broke out
flare up, start suddenly, erupt, burst out.
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break up
the meeting broke up
end, finish, stop, terminate; adjourn; N. Amer. recess.

the crowd began to break up
disperse, scatter, disband, part company.
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Danny and I broke up last year
split up, separate, part (company); divorce.
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(informal) the whole cast broke up
burst out laughing, dissolve into laughter; informal fall about, crack up, crease up; theatrical slang corpse.
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break something up
police tried to break up the crowd
disperse, scatter, disband.

I'm not going to let you break up my marriage
wreck, ruin, destroy.
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breakable

adjective
fragile, delicate, flimsy, insubstantial; destructible; formal frangible.

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breakaway

adjective
a breakaway group
separatist, secessionist, schismatic, splinter; rebel, renegade.

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breakdown

noun
the breakdown of the negotiations
failure, collapse, disintegration, foundering.
on the death of her father she suffered a breakdown
nervous breakdown; informal crack-up.
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the breakdown of the computer system
malfunction, failure, crash.
Top
a breakdown of the figures
analysis, classification, examination, investigation, dissection.
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breaker

noun
wave, roller, comber, white horse; informal boomer; N. Amer. informal kahuna.

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break-in

noun
burglary, robbery, theft, raid; informal smash-and-grab.

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breakneck

adjective
the breakneck pace of change
extremely fast, rapid, speedy, high-speed, lightning, whirlwind.
at breakneck speed
dangerously fast, at full tilt, flat out, ventre à terre; informal hell for leather, like the wind, like a bat out of hell, like greased lightning; Brit. informal like the clappers.

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breakthrough

noun
advance, development, step forward, success, improvement; discovery, innovation, revolution. ANTONYMS :setback.

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break-up

noun
the break-up of negotiations
end, dissolution; breakdown, failure, collapse, disintegration.
their break-up was very amicable
separation, split, parting, divorce; estrangement, rift; Brit. informal bust-up.
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the break-up of the Soviet Union
division, partition.
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breakwater

noun
sea wall, jetty, mole, groyne, pier.

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breast

noun
the curve of her breasts
mammary gland, mamma; (breasts) bosom(s), bust, chest; informal boobs, knockers, bubbies; Brit. informal bristols, charlies; N. Amer. informal bazooms.
feelings of frustration were rising up in his breast
heart, bosom, soul, core.
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breath

noun
I took a deep breath
inhalation, inspiration, gulp of air; exhalation, expiration; Medicine respiration.
I had barely enough breath to reply
wind; informal puff.
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a breath of wind
puff, waft, faint breeze.
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a breath of scandal
hint, suggestion, trace, touch, whisper, suspicion, whiff, undertone.
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(archaic) there was no breath left in him
life (force).
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respiratory.
take someone's breath away
astonish, astound, amaze, stun, startle, stagger, shock, take aback, dumbfound, jolt, shake up; awe, overawe, thrill; informal knock sideways, flabbergast, blow away, bowl over; Brit. informal knock for six.

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breathe

verb
she breathed deeply
inhale and exhale, respire, draw breath; puff, pant, blow, gasp, wheeze; Medicine inspire, expire; poetic/literary suspire.
at least I'm still breathing
be alive, be living, live.
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he would breathe new life into his firm
instil, infuse, inject, impart.
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"Together at last," she breathed
whisper, murmur, purr, sigh, say.
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the room breathed an air of hygiene
suggest, indicate, have all the hallmarks of.
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breather

noun
(informal) break, rest, respite, breathing space, pause, interval, recess.

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breathless

adjective
Will arrived flushed and breathless
out of breath, panting, puffing, gasping, wheezing; winded, puffed out, short of breath; informal out of puff.
the crowd were breathless with anticipation
agog, open-mouthed, waiting with bated breath, on the edge of one's seat, on tenterhooks, in suspense; excited, impatient.
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breathtaking

adjective
spectacular, magnificent, wonderful, awe-inspiring, awesome, astounding, astonishing, amazing, stunning, incredible; thrilling, exciting; informal sensational, out of this world; poetic/literary wondrous.

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breed

verb
elephants breed readily in captivity
reproduce, produce offspring, procreate, multiply; mate.
she was born and bred in the village
bring up, rear, raise, nurture.
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the political system bred discontent
cause, bring about, give rise to, lead to, produce, generate, foster, result in; stir up; poetic/literary beget.
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noun
a breed of cow
variety, stock, strain; type, kind, sort.
a new breed of journalist
type, kind, sort, variety, class, genre, generation; N. Amer. stripe.
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breeding

noun
individual birds pair for breeding
reproduction, procreation; mating.
the breeding of rats
rearing, raising, nurturing.
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her aristocratic breeding
upbringing, rearing; parentage, family, pedigree, blood, birth.
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people of rank and breeding
(good) manners, gentility, refinement, cultivation, polish, urbanity; informal class.
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breeding ground

noun
the school is a breeding ground for communists
nursery, cradle, nest, den; hotbed.

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breeze

noun
a breeze ruffled the leaves
gentle wind, puff of air, gust; Meteorology light air(s); poetic/literary zephyr.
(informal) travelling through London was a breeze
easy task, five-finger exercise, walkover; child's play, nothing; informal doddle, piece of cake, cinch, kids' stuff, cakewalk; N. Amer. informal duck soup, snap; Austral./NZ informal bludge; dated snip.
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verb
(informal) Roger breezed into her office
saunter, stroll, sail, cruise.

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breezy

adjective
a bright, breezy day
windy, fresh, brisk, airy; blowy, blustery, gusty.
his breezy manner
jaunty, cheerful, cheery, brisk, carefree, easy, casual, relaxed, informal, light-hearted, lively, buoyant, sunny; informal upbeat, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed; dated gay.
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brevity

noun
the report is notable for its brevity
conciseness, concision, succinctness, economy of language, pithiness, incisiveness, shortness, compactness.
the brevity of human life
shortness, briefness, transience, ephemerality, impermanence.
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ANTONYMS :verbosity.

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brew

verb
this beer is brewed in Frankfurt
ferment, make.
I'll brew some tea
prepare, infuse, make, stew; Brit. informal mash.
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there's trouble brewing
develop, loom, impend, be imminent, be on the horizon, be in the offing, be just around the corner.
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noun
home brew
beer, ale.
a hot reviving brew
drink, beverage; tea, coffee.
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a dangerous brew of political turmoil and violent conflict
mixture, mix, blend, combination, amalgam.
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bribe

verb
he used his wealth to bribe officials
buy off, pay off, suborn; informal grease someone's palm, keep someone sweet, fix, square; Brit. informal nobble.
noun
he accepted bribes
inducement, incentive, douceur; informal backhander, pay-off, kickback, sweetener, carrot; Brit. informal bung; N. Amer. informal schmear.

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bribery

noun
subornation; N. Amer. payola; informal palm-greasing, graft, hush money.

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bric-a-brac

noun
ornaments, knick-knacks, trinkets, bibelots, gewgaws, gimcracks; bits and pieces, bits and bobs, odds and ends, things, stuff; informal junk.

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brick

noun
bricks and mortar
breeze block, adobe, clinker; header, stretcher, bondstone; Brit. airbrick.
a brick of ice cream
block, cube, bar, cake.
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bridal

adjective
the bridal party
wedding, nuptial, marriage, matrimonial, marital, conjugal.

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bride

noun
wife, marriage partner; newly-wed.

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bridge

noun
a bridge over the river
viaduct, flyover, overpass, aqueduct.
a bridge between rival groups
link, connection, bond, tie.
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verb
a walkway bridged the motorway
span, cross (over), extend across, traverse, arch over.
an attempt to bridge the gap between cultures
join, link, connect, unite; straddle; overcome, reconcile.
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bridle

noun
a horse's bridle
harness, headgear.
verb
she bridled at his tone
bristle, take offence, take umbrage, be affronted, be offended, get angry.
he bridled his indignation
curb, restrain, hold back, control, check, rein in/back; suppress, stifle; informal keep a/the lid on.
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brief

adjective
a brief account
concise, succinct, short, pithy, incisive, abridged, condensed, compressed, abbreviated, compact, thumbnail, potted; formal compendious.
a brief visit
short, flying, fleeting, hasty, hurried, quick, cursory, perfunctory; temporary, short-lived, momentary, transient; informal quickie.
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a pair of brief shorts
skimpy, scanty, short; revealing.
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the boss was rather brief with him
brusque, abrupt, curt, short, blunt, sharp.
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ANTONYMS :lengthy.

noun
a barrister's brief
summary, case, argument, contention; dossier.
(informal) his brief's eloquence saved him.
See lawyer.
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a brief of our requirements
outline, summary, synopsis, precis, sketch, digest.
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verb
employees were briefed about the decision
inform, tell, update, notify, advise, apprise; prepare, prime, instruct; informal fill in, clue in, put in the picture.

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briefing

noun
a press briefing
conference, meeting, interview; N. Amer. backgrounder.
this briefing explains the systems
information, rundown, guidance; instructions, directions, guidelines.
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briefly

adverb
Henry paused briefly
momentarily, temporarily, for a moment, fleetingly.
briefly, the plot is as follows
in short, in brief, to cut a long story short, in a word, in sum, in a nutshell, in essence.
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briefs

plural noun
underpants, pants, knickers, Y-fronts, G-string, thong; N. Amer. shorts, undershorts; informal panties, undies, frillies; Brit. informal kecks, smalls.

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brigade

noun
a brigade of soldiers
unit, contingent, battalion, regiment, division, squadron, company, platoon, section, corps, troop.
the volunteer ambulance brigade
squad, team, group, band, party, crew, force, outfit.
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brigand

noun
(poetic/literary). See bandit.

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bright

adjective
the bright surface of the metal
shining, brilliant, dazzling, beaming, glaring; sparkling, flashing, glittering, scintillating, gleaming, glowing, luminous, radiant; shiny, lustrous, glossy.
a bright morning
sunny, sunshiny, cloudless, clear, fair, fine.
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bright colours
vivid, brilliant, intense, strong, bold, glowing, rich; gaudy, lurid, garish.
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bright flowers
colourful, brightly-coloured, vivid, vibrant; dated gay.
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a bright guitar sound
clear, vibrant, pellucid; high-pitched.
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a bright young graduate
clever, intelligent, quick-witted, smart, canny, astute, intuitive, perceptive; ingenious, resourceful; gifted, brilliant; informal brainy.
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a bright smile
happy, cheerful, cheery, jolly, merry, sunny, beaming; lively, exuberant, buoyant, bubbly, bouncy, perky, chirpy; dated gay.
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a bright future
promising, rosy, optimistic, hopeful, favour able, propitious, auspicious, encouraging, good, golden.
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ANTONYMS :dull, dark, stupid.

adverb
(poetic/literary) the moon shone bright
brightly, brilliantly, intensely.

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brighten

verb
sunshine brightened the room
illuminate, light up, lighten, make bright, make brighter, cast/shed light on.
you can brighten up the shadiest of corners
enhance, embellish, enrich, dress up, prettify, beautify; informal jazz up.
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Sarah brightened up as she thought of Emily's words
cheer up, perk up, rally; be enlivened, feel heartened, be uplifted, be encouraged, take heart; informal buck up, pep up.
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brilliance

noun
a philosopher of great brilliance
genius, talent, ability, prowess, skill, expertise, aptitude, flair, finesse, panache; greatness, distinction; intelligence, wisdom, sagacity, intellect.
the brilliance and beauty of Paris
splendour, magnificence, grandeur, resplendence.
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the brilliance of the sunshine
brightness, vividness, intensity; sparkle, glitter, glittering, glow, blaze, beam, luminosity, radiance.
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brilliant

adjective
a brilliant student
gifted, talented, able, adept, skilful; bright, intelligent, clever, smart, astute, intellectual; elite, superior, first-class, first-rate, excellent; informal brainy.
his brilliant career
superb, glorious, illustrious, impressive, remarkable, exceptional.
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(Brit. informal) we had a brilliant time
excellent, marvellous, superb, very good, first-rate, first-class, wonderful, splendid; informal great, terrific, tremendous, fantastic, sensational, fabulous, fab, ace, cool, awesome, magic, wicked; Brit. informal smashing, brill; Austral./NZ informal bonzer.
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a shaft of brilliant light
bright, shining, blazing, dazzling, vivid, intense, gleaming, glaring, luminous, radiant; poetic/literary irradiant, coruscating.
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brilliant green
vivid, intense, bright, bold, dazzling.
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ANTONYMS :stupid, bad, dark.

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brim

noun
the brim of his hat
peak, visor, shield, shade.
the cup was filled to its brim
rim, lip, brink, edge.
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verb
the pan was brimming with water
be full (up), be filled to the top; overflow, run over.
her eyes were brimming with tears
fill, fill up; overflow.
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brimful

adjective
full (up), brimming, filled/full to the brim, filled to capacity, overfull, running over; informal chock-full. ANTONYMS :empty.

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brindle brindled

adjective
tawny, brownish, brown; dappled, streaked, mottled, speckled, flecked.

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bring

verb
he brought over a tray
carry, fetch, bear, take; convey, transport; move, haul, shift.
Philip brought his bride to his mansion
escort, conduct, guide, lead, usher, show, shepherd.
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the wind changed and brought rain
cause, produce, create, generate, precipitate, lead to, give rise to, result in; stir up, whip up, promote; poetic/literary beget.
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the police contemplated bringing charges
put forward, prefer, lay, submit, present, initiate, institute.
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this job brings him a regular salary
earn, make, fetch, bring in, yield, net, gross, return, produce; command, attract.
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bring something about
the affair that brought about her death
cause, produce, give rise to, result in, lead to, occasion, bring to pass; provoke, generate, engender, precipitate; formal effectuate.

he brought the ship about
turn (round/around), reverse, change the direction of.
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bring something back
the smell brought back memories
remind one of, put one in mind of, bring/call to mind, conjure up, evoke, summon up; take one back.

bring back capital punishment
reintroduce, reinstate, re-establish, revive, resurrect.
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bring someone down
he was brought down by a clumsy challenge
trip, knock over/down; foul.

I couldn't bear to bring her down
depress, sadden, upset, get down, dispirit, dishearten, discourage.
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bring something down
we will bring down the price
decrease, reduce, lower, cut, drop; informal slash.

the unrest brought down the government
unseat, overturn, topple, overthrow, depose, oust.
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bring something forward
propose, suggest, advance, raise, table, present, move, submit, lodge. bring someone in
involve, include, count in. bring something in
he brought in a private member's bill
introduce, launch, inaugurate, initiate, institute.

the event brings in one million pounds each year.
See bring sense 5.
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bring something off
achieve, accomplish, attain, bring about, pull off, manage, realize, complete, finish; execute, perform, discharge; formal effectuate. bring something on. See bring something about sense 1. bring something out
they were bringing out a new magazine
launch, establish, begin, start, found, set up, instigate, inaugurate, market; publish, print, issue, produce.

the shawl brings out the colour of your eyes
accentuate, highlight, emphasize, accent, set off.
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bring someone round
she administered artificial respiration and brought him round
wake up, return to consciousness, rouse, bring to.

we would have brought him round, given time
persuade, convince, talk round, win over, sway, influence.
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bring oneself to she could not bring herself to complain

force oneself to, make oneself, bear to. bring someone up
rear, raise, care for, look after, nurture, provide for. bring something up
mention, allude to, touch on, raise, broach, introduce; voice, air, suggest, propose, submit, put forward, bring forward, table.

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brink

noun
the brink of the abyss
edge, verge, margin, rim, lip; border, boundary, perimeter, periphery, limit(s).
two countries on the brink of war
verge, threshold, point, edge.
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brio

noun
vigour, vivacity, gusto, verve, zest, enthusiasm, vitality, dynamism, animation, spirit, energy; informal pep, vim, get-up-and-go.

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brisk

adjective
a brisk pace
quick, rapid, fast, swift, speedy, hurried; energetic, lively, vigorous; informal nippy.
the bar was doing a brisk trade
busy, bustling, lively, hectic; good.
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his tone became brisk
no-nonsense, decisive, businesslike; brusque, abrupt, short, sharp, curt, blunt, terse, gruff; informal snappy.
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a brisk breeze
bracing, fresh, crisp, invigorating, refreshing, stimulating, energizing; biting, keen, chilly, cold; informal nippy.
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ANTONYMS :slow, quiet.

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bristle

noun
the bristles on his chin
hair, whisker; (bristles) stubble, five o'clock shadow; Zoology seta.
a hedgehog's bristles
spine, prickle, quill, barb.
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verb
the hair on the back of his neck bristled
rise, stand up, stand on end; poetic/literary horripilate.
she bristled at his tone
bridle, take offence, take umbrage, be affronted, be offended; get angry, be irritated.
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the roof bristled with antennae
abound, overflow, be full, be packed, be crowded, be jammed, be covered; informal be thick, be jam-packed, be chock-full.
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bristly

adjective
bristly little bushes
prickly, spiky, thorny, scratchy, brambly.
the bristly skin of his cheek
stubbly, hairy, fuzzy, unshaven, whiskered, whiskery; scratchy, rough, coarse, prickly; Zoology hispid.
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ANTONYMS :smooth.

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Britain

noun
the United Kingdom, the UK, Great Britain, the British Isles; Brit. informal Blighty; poetic/literary Albion.

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brittle

adjective
glass is a brittle material
breakable, fragile, delicate; splintery; formal frangible.
a brittle laugh
harsh, hard, sharp, grating.
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a brittle young woman
edgy, nervy, anxious, unstable, highly strung, tense, excitable, jumpy, skittish, neurotic; informal uptight.
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ANTONYMS :flexible, resilient, soft, relaxed.

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broach

verb
I broached the matter with my parents
bring up, raise, introduce, talk about, mention, touch on, air.
he broached a barrel of beer
pierce, puncture, tap; open, uncork; informal crack open.
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broad

adjective
a broad flight of steps
wide.
the leaves are two inches broad
wide, across, in breadth, in width.
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a broad expanse of prairie
extensive, vast, immense, great, spacious, expansive, sizeable, sweeping, rolling.
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a broad range of opportunities
comprehensive, inclusive, extensive, wide, all-embracing, eclectic, unlimited.
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this report gives a broad outline
general, non-specific, unspecific, rough, approximate, basic; loose, vague.
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a broad hint
obvious, unsubtle, explicit, direct, plain, clear, straightforward, bald, patent, transparent, undisguised, overt.
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his broad humour has been toned down
indecent, coarse, indelicate, ribald, risqué, racy, rude, suggestive, naughty, off colour, earthy, smutty, dirty, filthy, vulgar; informal blue, near the knuckle.
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a broad Somerset accent
pronounced, noticeable, strong, thick.
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he was attacked in broad daylight
full, complete, total; clear, bright.
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ANTONYMS :narrow, limited, detailed, subtle.

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broadcast

verb
the show will be broadcast worldwide
transmit, relay, air, beam, show, televise, telecast, screen.
the result was broadcast far and wide
report, announce, publicize, proclaim; spread, circulate, air, blazon, trumpet.
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don't broadcast too much seed
scatter, sow, disperse, sprinkle, spread, distribute.
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noun
radio and television broadcasts
programme, show, production, transmission, telecast, screening; informal prog.

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broaden

verb
her smile broadened
widen, expand, stretch (out), draw out, spread; deepen.
the government tried to broaden its political base
expand, enlarge, extend, widen, swell; increase, augment, add to, amplify; develop, enrich, improve, build on.
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broadly

adverb
the pattern is broadly similar for men and women
in general, on the whole, as a rule, in the main, mainly, predominantly; loosely, roughly, approximately.
he was smiling broadly now
widely, openly.
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broad-minded

adjective
liberal, tolerant, open-minded, free-thinking, indulgent, progressive, permissive, unshockable; unprejudiced, unbiased, unbigoted. ANTONYMS :intolerant.

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broadside

noun
(historical) the gunners fired broadsides
salvo, volley, cannonade, barrage, blast, fusillade.
a broadside against the economic reforms
criticism, censure, polemic, diatribe, tirade; attack, onslaught; poetic/literary philippic.
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brochure

noun
booklet, prospectus, catalogue; pamphlet, leaflet, handbill, handout; N. Amer. folder.

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broil

verb
(N. Amer.) grill, toast, barbecue, bake; cook.

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broke

adjective
(informal). See penniless.

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broken

adjective
a broken bottle
smashed, shattered, fragmented, splintered, crushed, snapped; in bits, in pieces; destroyed, disintegrated; cracked, split; informal in smithereens.
a broken arm
fractured, damaged, injured.
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his video's broken
damaged, faulty, defective, not working, malfunctioning, in disrepair, inoperative, out of order, broken-down, down; informal on the blink, kaput, bust, busted, conked out, acting up, done for; Brit. informal knackered.
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broken skin
cut, ruptured, punctured, perforated.
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a broken marriage
failed, ended.
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broken promises
flouted, violated, infringed, contravened, disregarded, ignored.
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he was left a broken man
defeated, beaten, subdued; demoralized, dispirited, discouraged, crushed, humbled; dishonoured, ruined.
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a night of broken sleep
interrupted, disturbed, fitful, disrupted, discontinuous, intermittent, unsettled, troubled.
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he pressed on over the broken ground
uneven, rough, irregular, bumpy; rutted, pitted.
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she spoke in broken English
halting, hesitating, disjointed, faltering, imperfect.
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ANTONYMS :whole, working, uninterrupted, smooth, perfect.

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broken-down

adjective
a broken-down hotel
dilapidated, run down, ramshackle, tumbledown, in disrepair, battered, crumbling, deteriorated, gone to rack and ruin.
a broken-down car
defective, broken, faulty; not working, malfunctioning, inoperative, non-functioning; informal kaput, conked out, clapped out, done for; Brit. informal knackered.
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ANTONYMS :smart.

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broken-hearted

adjective
heartbroken, grief-stricken, desolate, devastated, inconsolable, miserable, depressed, melancholy, wretched, sorrowful, forlorn, heavy-hearted, woeful, doleful, downcast, woebegone, sad, down; informal down in the mouth; poetic/literary heartsick. ANTONYMS :overjoyed.

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broker

noun
a top City broker
dealer, broker-dealer, agent; middleman, intermediary, mediator; factor, liaison; stockbroker.
verb
an agreement brokered by the secretariat
arrange, organize, orchestrate, work out, settle, clinch, bring about; negotiate, mediate.

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bronze

noun
Scotland won the bronze
bronze medal, third prize.

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bronzed

adjective
tanned, suntanned, tan, bronze, brown, reddish-brown.

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brooch

noun
breastpin, pin, clip, badge.

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brood

noun
the bird flew to feed its brood
offspring, young, progeny; family, hatch, clutch; formal progeniture.
(informal) Gill was the youngest of the brood
family; children, offspring, youngsters, progeny; informal kids.
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verb
once the eggs are laid the male broods them
incubate, hatch.
he slumped in his armchair, brooding
worry, fret, agonize, mope, sulk; think, ponder, contemplate, meditate, muse, ruminate.
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brook 1

noun
a babbling brook
stream, streamlet, rill, brooklet, runnel, runlet, gill; N. English beck; Scottish & N. English burn; S. English bourn; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ creek.

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brook 2

verb
(formal) we brook no violence
tolerate, allow, stand, bear, abide, put up with, endure; accept, permit, countenance; informal stomach, stand for, hack; Brit. informal stick; archaic suffer.

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brothel

noun
whorehouse; N. Amer. bordello; Brit. informal knocking shop; N. Amer. informal cathouse, creepjoint; euphemistic massage parlour; Law disorderly house; archaic bawdy house, house of ill fame, house of ill repute.

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brother

noun
she had a younger brother
informal bro.
they were brothers in crime
colleague, associate, partner, comrade, fellow, friend; informal pal, chum; Brit. informal mate.
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a brother of the Order
monk, cleric, friar, religious, monastic.
Top
fraternal.

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brotherhood

noun
the ideals of justice and brotherhood
comradeship, fellowship, brotherliness, fraternalism, kinship; camaraderie, friendship.
a masonic brotherhood
society, fraternity, association, alliance, union, league, guild, order, body, community, club, lodge, circle.
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brotherly

adjective
brotherly rivalry
fraternal, sibling.
brotherly love
friendly, comradely; affectionate, amicable, kind, devoted, loyal.
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brow

noun
the doctor wiped his brow
forehead, temple; Zoology frons.
heavy black brows
eyebrow.
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the brow of the hill
summit, peak, top, crest, crown, head, pinnacle, apex.
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browbeat

verb
bully, hector, intimidate, force, coerce, compel, dragoon, bludgeon, pressure, pressurize, tyrannize, terrorize, menace; harass, harry, hound; informal bulldoze, railroad.

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brown

adjective
she has brown eyes
hazel, chocolate-coloured, coffee-coloured, cocoa-coloured, nut-brown; brunette; sepia, mahogany, umber, burnt sienna; beige, buff, tan, fawn, camel, café au lait, caramel, chestnut.
his skin was brown
tanned, suntanned, browned, bronze, bronzed; dark, swarthy, dusky.
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brown bread
wholemeal.
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verb
the grill browns food evenly
grill, toast, singe, sear, crisp (up); barbecue, bake, cook.

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browned off

adjective
(informal) fed up, irritated, annoyed, irked, put out, peeved, disgruntled; disheartened, depressed; informal hacked off; Brit. informal brassed off, cheesed off, narked.

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browse

verb
I browsed among the little shops
look around/round, window-shop, peruse.
she browsed through the newspaper
scan, skim, glance, look, peruse; thumb, leaf, flick; dip into.
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three cows were browsing in the meadow
graze, feed, crop; ruminate.
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noun
this brochure is well worth a browse
scan, read, skim, glance, look.

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bruise

noun
a bruise across her forehead
contusion, lesion, mark, injury; swelling, lump, bump, welt; Medicine ecchymosis.
verb
her face was badly bruised
contuse, injure, mark, discolour.
every one of the apples is bruised
mark, discolour, blemish; damage, spoil.
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Eric's ego was bruised
upset, offend, insult, affront, hurt, wound, injure, crush.
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brunette

adjective
brown-haired, dark, dark-haired.

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brunt

noun
(full) force, impact, shock, burden, pressure, weight; effect, repercussions, consequences.

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brush 1

noun
a dustpan and brush
broom, sweeper, besom, whisk.
he gave the seat a brush with his hand
clean, sweep, wipe, dust.
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a fox's brush
tail.
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the brush of his lips against her cheek
touch, stroke, skim, graze, nudge, contact; kiss.
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a brush with the law
encounter, clash, confrontation, conflict, altercation, incident; informal run-in, to-do; Brit. informal spot of bother.
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verb
he spent his day brushing the floors
sweep, clean, buff, scrub.
she brushed her hair
groom, comb, neaten, tidy, smooth, arrange, fix, do; curry.
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she felt his lips brush her cheek
touch, stroke, caress, skim, sweep, graze, contact; kiss.
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she brushed a wisp of hair away
push, move, sweep, clear.
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brush something aside
disregard, ignore, dismiss, shrug off, wave aside; overlook, pay no attention to, take no notice of, neglect, forget about, turn a blind eye to; reject, spurn ; laugh off, make light of, trivialize; informal pooh-pooh. brush someone off
rebuff, dismiss, spurn, reject; slight, scorn, disdain; ignore, disregard, snub, cut, turn one's back on, give someone the cold shoulder, freeze out; jilt, cast aside, discard, throw over, drop, leave; informal knock back. brush up (on)
revise, read up, go over, relearn, cram, study; improve, sharpen (up), polish up; hone, refine, perfect; informal bone up; Brit. informal swot up, gen up.

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brush 2

noun
an area covered in dense brush
undergrowth, underwood, scrub, brushwood, shrubs, bushes; N. Amer. underbrush, chaparral.

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brush-off

noun
(informal) rejection, refusal, rebuff, repulse; snub, slight, cut; informal knock-back; N. Amer. informal kiss-off.

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brusque

adjective
curt, abrupt, blunt, short, sharp, terse, brisk, peremptory, gruff, bluff; offhand, discourteous, impolite, rude; informal snappy. ANTONYMS :polite.

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brutal

adjective
a brutal attack
savage, cruel, vicious, ferocious, barbaric, barbarous, wicked, murderous, bloodthirsty, cold-blooded, callous, heartless, merciless, sadistic; heinous, monstrous, abominable, atrocious.
brutal honesty
unsparing, unstinting, unembellished, unvarnished, bald, naked, stark, blunt, direct, straightforward, frank, outspoken, forthright, plain-spoken; complete, total.
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ANTONYMS :gentle.

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brutalize

verb
the men were brutalized by life in the trenches
desensitize, dehumanize, harden, toughen, inure.
they were brutalized by the police
attack, assault, beat, batter; abuse.
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brute

noun
a callous brute
savage, beast, monster, animal, barbarian, fiend, ogre; sadist; thug, lout, ruffian; informal swine, pig.
the alsatian was a vicious-looking brute
animal, beast, creature; N. Amer. informal critter.
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adjective
brute strength
physical, bodily; crude, violent.

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bubble

noun
the bubbles in his mineral water
globule, bead, blister; air pocket; (bubbles) sparkle, fizz, effervescence, froth.
a bubble of confidence
illusion, delusion, fantasy, dream, chimera, castle in the air; informal pie in the sky.
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verb
this wine bubbled nicely on the tongue
sparkle, fizz, effervesce, foam, froth.
the milk was bubbling above the flame
boil, simmer, seethe, gurgle.
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she was bubbling over with enthusiasm
overflow, brim over, be filled, gush.
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bubbly

adjective
a bubbly wine
sparkling, bubbling, fizzy, effervescent, gassy, aerated, carbonated; spumante, pétillant, mousseux; frothy, foamy.
she was bubbly and full of life
vivacious, animated, ebullient, lively, high-spirited, zestful; sparkling, bouncy, buoyant, carefree; merry, happy, cheerful, perky, sunny, bright; informal upbeat, chirpy.
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ANTONYMS :still, listless.

noun
(informal) a bottle of bubbly
champagne, sparkling wine; mousseux, spumante, cava; informal champers, fizz.

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buccaneer

noun
(archaic) pirate, marauder, raider, freebooter, plunderer, cut-throat, privateer.

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buck

verb
it takes guts to buck the system
resist, oppose, defy, fight, kick against.
buck up (informal)
cheer up, perk up, take heart, pick up, bounce back. buck someone up (informal)
cheer up, buoy up, ginger up, perk up, hearten, uplift, encourage, enliven, give someone a lift; informal pep up.

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bucket

noun
a bucket of cold water
pail, scuttle, can, tub.
(informal) everyone wept buckets
floods, gallons, oceans.
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verb
(Brit. informal) it was bucketing down
rain heavily, rain cats and dogs, rain hard, pour, pelt, lash, teem; Brit. tip.
the car came bucketing out of a side road.
See speed verb sense 1.
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buckle

noun
a belt buckle
clasp, clip, catch, hasp, fastener.
verb
he buckled the belt round his waist
fasten, do up, hook, strap, secure, clasp, clip.
the front axle buckled
warp, bend, twist, curve, distort, contort, deform; bulge, arc, arch; crumple, collapse, give way.
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buckle down
get (down) to work, set to work, get down to business; work hard, apply oneself, make an effort, be industrious, be diligent, focus; informal pull one's finger out; Brit. informal get stuck in.

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bucolic

adjective
rustic, rural, pastoral, country, countryside; poetic/literary Arcadian, sylvan, georgic.

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bud

noun
fresh buds
sprout, shoot; Botany plumule.
verb
trees began to bud
sprout, shoot, germinate, swell; dated vegetate.

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budding

adjective
promising, up-and-coming, rising, in the making, aspiring, future, prospective, potential, fledgling, developing; informal would-be, wannabe.

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budge

verb
the horses wouldn't budge
move, shift, stir, go.
I couldn't budge the door
dislodge, shift, move, reposition.
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they refuse to budge on the issue
give way, give in, yield, change one's mind, acquiesce, compromise, do a U-turn.
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our customers won't be budged on price alone
influence, sway, convince, persuade, induce, entice, tempt, lure, cajole, bring round.
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budge up/over (informal)
move up/over, shift up/over, make room, make space.

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budget

noun
your budget for the week
financial plan, forecast; accounts, statement.
the defence budget
allowance, allocation, quota; grant, award, funds, resources, capital.
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verb
we have to budget £7,000 for the work
allocate, allot, allow, earmark, designate, set aside.
budget your finances
schedule, plan, cost, estimate; ration.
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adjective
a budget hotel
cheap, inexpensive, economy, low-cost, low-price, cut-price, discount, bargain. ANTONYMS :expensive.

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buff 1

adjective
a plain buff envelope
beige, yellowish, yellowish-brown, light brown, fawn, sandy, wheaten, biscuit, camel.
verb
he buffed the glass
polish, burnish, shine, clean, rub.
in the buff (informal). See naked sense 1.

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buff 2

noun
(informal) a film buff
enthusiast, fan, devotee, lover, admirer; expert, aficionado, authority, pundit; informal freak, nut, fanatic, addict.

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buffer

noun
a buffer against market fluctuations
cushion, bulwark, shield, barrier, guard, safeguard.
verb
a massage helped to buffer the strain
cushion, absorb, soften, lessen, diminish, moderate, allay. ANTONYMS :intensify.

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buffet 1

noun
a sumptuous buffet
cold table, self-service meal, smorgasbord.
a station buffet
cafe, cafeteria, snack bar, canteen, restaurant.
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the plates are kept in the buffet
sideboard, cabinet, cupboard.
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buffet 2

verb
rough seas buffeted the coast
batter, pound, lash, strike, hit.
he has been buffeted by bad publicity
afflict, trouble, harm, burden, bother, beset, harass, torment, blight, bedevil.
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noun
(dated) I rained buffets on the door
blow, punch, thump, box, knock, rap; informal whack, wallop, clout.
all the buffets of this world
shock, upset, setback, crisis, blow; misfortune, trouble, problem, hardship, adversity; affliction, sorrow, tribulation, tragedy, vicissitude.
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buffoon

noun
he regarded the chaplain as a buffoon
fool, idiot, dunce, ignoramus, simpleton, jackass; informal chump, blockhead, nincompoop, numbskull, dope, twit, nitwit, halfwit, clot, birdbrain, twerp.

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bug

noun
bugs were crawling everywhere
insect, mite; informal creepy-crawly, beastie.
(informal) a stomach bug
illness, ailment, disorder, infection, disease, sickness, complaint, upset, condition; bacterium, germ, virus; Brit. informal lurgy.
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(informal) he caught the journalism bug
obsession, enthusiasm, craze, fad, mania, passion, fixation.
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the bug planted on his phone
listening device, hidden microphone, wire, wiretap, tap.
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the program developed a bug
fault, error, defect, flaw; virus; informal glitch, gremlin.
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verb
her conversations were bugged
record, eavesdrop on, spy on, overhear; wiretap, tap, monitor.
(informal) she really bugs me.
See annoy.
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bugbear

noun
pet hate, bête noire, bogey; bane, irritation, vexation, anathema, thorn in one's flesh/side; nightmare, horror; informal peeve, pain (in the neck), hang-up; N. Amer. bugaboo.

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build

verb
a supermarket had been built
construct, erect, put up, assemble.
they were building a snowman
make, construct, form, create, fashion, model, shape.
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they are building a business strategy
establish, found, set up, institute, inaugurate, initiate.
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noun
a man of slim build
physique, frame, body, figure, form, shape, stature, proportions; informal vital statistics.
build something in/into
incorporate in/into, include in, absorb into, subsume into, assimilate into. build on
expand on, enlarge on, develop, elaborate, flesh out, embellish, amplify; refine, improve, perfect. build up
increase, grow, mount up, intensify, escalate; strengthen. build something up
he built up a huge business
establish, set up, found, institute, start, create; develop, expand, enlarge.

he built up his stamina
boost, strengthen, increase, improve, augment, raise, enhance, swell; informal beef up.
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I have built up a collection of prints
accumulate, amass, collect, gather; stockpile, hoard.
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builder

noun
a canal builder
designer, planner, architect, deviser, creator, maker, constructor.
the builders must finish the job in time
construction worker, bricklayer, labourer; Brit. ganger; Brit. dated navvy.
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building

noun
a brick building
structure, construction, edifice, erection, pile; property, premises, establishment.
the building of power stations
construction, erection, fabrication, assembly.
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tectonic.

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build-up

noun
the build-up of military strength
increase, growth, expansion, escalation, development, proliferation.
the build-up of carbon dioxide
accumulation, accretion.
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the build-up for the World Cup
publicity, promotion, advertising, marketing; informal hype, ballyhoo.
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built-in

adjective
a built-in cupboard
fitted, integral, integrated, incorporated.
built-in advantages
inherent, intrinsic, inbuilt; essential, implicit, basic, fundamental, deep-rooted.
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bulb

noun
tuber, corm, rhizome.

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bulbous

adjective
bulging, protuberant, round, fat, rotund; swollen, tumid, distended, bloated.

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bulge

noun
a bulge in his pocket
swelling, bump, lump, protuberance, prominence.
(informal) a bulge in the population
surge, upsurge, rise, increase, escalation.
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verb
his eyes were bulging
swell, stick out, puff out, balloon (out), fill out, belly, distend; project, protrude, stand out.

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bulk

noun
the sheer bulk of the bags
size, volume, dimensions, proportions, mass, scale, magnitude, immensity, vastness.
the bulk of entrants were British
majority, generality, main part, major part, lion's share, preponderance; most, almost all.
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ANTONYMS :minority.

verb
some meals are bulked out with fat
expand, pad out, fill out, eke out; augment, increase.
bulk large
be important, loom large, dominate; be significant, be influential, be of consequence, carry weight; count, matter, signify.

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bulky

adjective
bulky items of refuse
large, big, huge, sizeable, substantial, massive; king-size, outsize, oversized, considerable; cumbersome, unmanageable, unwieldy, ponderous, heavy, weighty; informal jumbo, whopping, hulking; Brit. informal ginormous.
a bulky man
heavily built, stocky, thickset, sturdy, well built, burly, strapping, solid, heavy, hefty, meaty; stout, fat, plump, chubby, portly, rotund, round, chunky; overweight, obese, fleshy, corpulent; informal tubby, pudgy, roly-poly, beefy, porky, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy.
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ANTONYMS :small, slight.

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bulldoze

verb
they plan to bulldoze the park
demolish, knock down, tear down, pull down, flatten, level, raze, clear.
he bulldozed his way through
force, push, shove, barge, elbow, shoulder, jostle; plunge, crash, sweep, bundle.
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(informal) she tends to bulldoze everyone
bully, hector, browbeat, intimidate, steamroller, dragoon, bludgeon, domineer, pressurize, tyrannize, strong-arm; informal railroad, lean on, boss.
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bullet

noun
ball, shot; informal slug; (bullets) lead.

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bulletin

noun
a news bulletin
report, dispatch, story, press release, newscast, flash; statement, announcement, message, communication, communiqué.
the society's monthly bulletin
newsletter, news-sheet, proceedings; newspaper, magazine, digest, gazette, review.
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bullish

adjective
confident, positive, assertive, self-assertive, assured, self-assured, bold, determined; optimistic, buoyant, sanguine; informal feisty, upbeat.

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bully

noun
the village bully
persecutor, oppressor, tyrant, tormentor, intimidator; tough guy, bully boy, thug.
verb
the others bully him
persecute, oppress, tyrannize, browbeat, intimidate, strong-arm, dominate; informal push around/about.
she was bullied into helping
coerce, pressure, pressurize, press, push; force, compel; badger, goad, prod, browbeat, bludgeon, intimidate, dragoon, strong-arm; informal bulldoze, railroad, lean on.
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bulwark

noun
ancient bulwarks
wall, rampart, fortification, parapet, stockade, palisade, barricade, embankment, earthwork.
a bulwark of liberty
protector, defender, protection, guard, defence, supporter, buttress; mainstay, bastion, stronghold.
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bum 1

noun
(Brit. informal). See bottom noun sense 6.

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bum 2 (informal)

noun
(N. Amer.) the bums sleeping on the sidewalk.
See tramp noun sense 1.
you lazy bum
idler, loafer, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, layabout, lounger, shirker; informal waster, loser, scrounger.
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verb
he bummed around Florida
loaf, lounge, idle, moon, amble, wander, drift, meander, dawdle; informal mooch; N. Amer. informal lollygag.
they bummed money off him
beg, borrow; informal scrounge, cadge, sponge; Brit. informal scab; N. Amer. informal mooch; Austral./NZ informal bludge.
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adjective
a bum deal
bad, poor, second-rate, third-rate, second-class, unsatisfactory, inadequate, unacceptable; dreadful, awful, terrible, deplorable, lamentable; informal crummy, rotten, pathetic, lousy, pitiful, dire, poxy; Brit. informal duff, rubbish. ANTONYMS :excellent.

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bumble

verb
they bumbled around the house
blunder, lurch, stumble, stagger, lumber, flounder, totter.
the speakers bumbled
mutter, mumble, stumble, babble, burble, drivel, gibber.
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bumbling

adjective
blundering, bungling, inept, clumsy, maladroit, awkward, muddled; oafish, clodhopping, lumbering; crude; informal botched, ham-fisted, cack-handed. ANTONYMS :efficient.

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bump

noun
I landed with a bump
jolt, crash, smash, smack, crack, bang, thud, thump; informal whack, thwack, bash, wallop.
I was woken by a bump
bang, crack, boom, clang, knock, thud, thump, clunk, crash, smash; stomp, clump, clomp; informal whump.
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a bump in the road
hump, lump, ridge, bulge, knob, protuberance.
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a bump on his head
swelling, lump, bulge, injury, contusion; outgrowth, growth, carbuncle, protuberance; Anatomy bulla.
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verb
cars bumped into each other
hit, crash, smash, slam, bang, knock, run, plough; ram, collide with, strike; N. Amer. impact.
a cart bumping along the road
bounce, jolt, jerk, rattle, shake.
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bump into (informal)
meet (by chance), encounter, run into/across, come across, chance on, happen on. bump someone off (informal). See kill verb sense 1.

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bumper

adjective
abundant, rich, bountiful, good, fine; large, big, huge, plentiful, profuse, copious; informal whopping; poetic/literary plenteous, bounteous. ANTONYMS :meagre.

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bumpkin

noun
yokel, peasant, provincial, rustic, country cousin, countryman/woman; N. Amer. informal hayseed, hillbilly, hick; Austral. informal bushy; Irish informal culchie.

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bumptious

adjective
self-important, conceited, arrogant, self-assertive, pushy, swollen-headed, pompous, overbearing, cocky, swaggering; proud, haughty, overweening, egotistical; informal snooty, uppity. ANTONYMS :modest.

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bumpy

adjective
a bumpy road
uneven, rough, rutted, pitted, potholed, holey; lumpy, rocky.
a bumpy ride
bouncy, rough, uncomfortable, jolting, lurching, jerky, jarring, bone-shaking.
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a bumpy start
inconsistent, variable, irregular, fluctuating, intermittent, erratic, patchy; rocky, unsettled, unstable, turbulent, chaotic, full of ups and downs.
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ANTONYMS :smooth.

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bunch

noun
a bunch of flowers
bouquet, posy, nosegay, tussie-mussie, spray, corsage; wreath, garland.
a bunch of keys
cluster, clump, knot; group.
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(informal) a great bunch of people
group, set, circle, company, collection, bevy, band; informal gang, crowd, load.
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(N. Amer. informal) a whole bunch of things.
See lot pronoun.
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verb
he bunched the reins in his hand
bundle, clump, cluster, group, gather; pack.
his trousers bunched around his ankles
gather, ruffle, pucker, fold, pleat.
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the runners bunched up behind him
cluster, huddle, gather, congregate, collect, amass, group, crowd.
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bundle

noun
a bundle of clothes
bunch, roll, clump, wad, parcel, sheaf, bale, bolt; pile, stack, heap, mass; informal load, wodge.
verb
she bundled up her things
tie, pack, parcel, wrap, roll, fold, bind, truss, bale.
she was bundled in furs
wrap, envelop, clothe, cover, muffle, swathe, swaddle, shroud, drape, enfold.
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(informal) he was bundled into a van
hustle, manhandle, frogmarch, hurry, rush; shove, push, thrust.
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bung

noun
stopper, plug, cork, spigot, spile, seal; N. Amer. stopple.

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bungle

verb
mishandle, mismanage, mess up, spoil, ruin; informal botch, muff, fluff, make a hash of, foul up, screw up; Brit. informal make a pig's ear of, cock up; N. Amer. informal flub, goof up.

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bungler

noun
blunderer, incompetent, amateur, bumbler, clown; informal botcher, butterfingers; Brit. informal bodger; N. Amer. informal jackleg.

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bungling

adjective
incompetent, blundering, amateurish, inept, unskilful, clumsy, awkward, bumbling; informal ham-fisted, cack-handed.

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bunk 1

noun
berth, cot, bed.

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bunk 2 (Brit.informal)

verb
he bunked off school
(play) truant from, skip, avoid, shirk; Brit. informal skive off; N. Amer. informal play hookey from, goof off, cut; Austral./NZ informal wag.
do a bunk. See abscond.

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bunk 3

noun
(informal). See nonsense sense 1.

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bunkum

noun
(informal, dated). See nonsense sense 1.

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buoy

noun
a mooring buoy
float, marker, beacon.
verb
the party was buoyed by an election victory
cheer (up), hearten, rally, invigorate, uplift, lift, encourage, stimulate, inspirit; informal pep up, perk up, buck up. ANTONYMS :depress.

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buoyancy

noun
the drum's buoyancy
ability to float, lightness, floatability.
her natural buoyancy
cheerfulness, happiness, light-heartedness, joy, bounce, sunniness, breeziness, jollity; liveliness, ebullience, high spirits, vivacity, vitality, verve, sparkle, zest; optimism; informal pep.
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the buoyancy of the market
vigour, strength, resilience, growth, improvement, expansion.
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buoyant

adjective
a buoyant substance
able to float, floating, floatable.
a buoyant mood
cheerful, cheery, happy, light-hearted, carefree, bright, merry, joyful, bubbly, bouncy, sunny, jolly; lively, jaunty, high-spirited, perky; optimistic, confident, positive; informal peppy, upbeat.
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sales were buoyant
booming, strong, vigorous, thriving; improving, expanding, mushrooming, snowballing.
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burble

verb
the exhaust was burbling
gurgle, bubble, murmur, purr, whirr, drone, hum, rumble.
he burbled on
prattle, blather, blether, babble, gabble, prate, drivel, rattle, ramble, maunder, go on, run on; informal jabber, blabber, yatter, gab; Brit. informal rabbit, witter, waffle, chunter; N. Amer. informal run off at the mouth.
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burden

noun
they shouldered their burdens
load, cargo, weight; pack, bundle.
a financial burden
responsibility, onus, charge, duty, obligation, liability; trouble, care, problem, worry, difficulty, strain, encumbrance.
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the burden of his message
gist, substance, drift, thrust, meaning, significance, essence, import, message.
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verb
he was burdened with a heavy pack
load, charge, weigh down, encumber, hamper; overload, overburden.
avoid burdening them with guilt
oppress, trouble, worry, harass, upset, distress; haunt, afflict, strain, stress, tax, overwhelm.
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burdensome

adjective
onerous, oppressive, troublesome, weighty, worrisome, stressful; vexatious, irksome, trying, difficult; arduous, strenuous, hard, laborious, exhausting, tiring, taxing, demanding, punishing, gruelling.

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bureau

noun
an oak bureau
desk, writing table, secretaire, escritoire; Brit. davenport.
a marriage bureau
agency, service, office, business, company, firm.
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the intelligence bureau
department, division, branch, section.
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bureaucracy

noun
the ranks of the bureaucracy
civil service, government, administration; establishment, system, powers that be; ministries, authorities.
unnecessary bureaucracy
red tape, rules and regulations, protocol, officialdom, paperwork.
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bureaucrat

noun
official, administrator, civil servant, minister, functionary, mandarin; Brit. jack-in-office; derogatory apparatchik.

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bureaucratic

adjective
bureaucratic structure
administrative, official, governmental, ministerial, state, civic.
current practice is far too bureaucratic
rule-bound, rigid, inflexible, complicated.
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burgeon

verb
flourish, thrive, prosper, improve; expand, escalate, swell, grow, boom, mushroom, snowball, rocket.

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burglar

noun
housebreaker, robber, cat burglar, thief, raider, looter, safe-breaker/cracker; intruder; N. Amer. informal yegg; informal, dated cracksman.

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burglary

noun
a sentence for burglary
housebreaking, breaking and entering, theft, stealing, robbery, larceny, thievery, looting.
a series of burglaries
break-in, theft, robbery, raid; informal smash and grab; N. Amer. informal heist.
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burgle

verb
rob, loot, steal from, plunder, rifle, pillage; break into; informal do.

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burial

noun
burying, interment, committal, inhumation, entombment; funeral, obsequies; formal exequies; archaic sepulture. funerary, sepulchral. ANTONYMS :exhumation.

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burial ground

noun
cemetery, graveyard, churchyard, necropolis, garden of remembrance; Scottish kirkyard; N. Amer. memorial park; informal boneyard; archaic God's acre; historical potter's field.

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burlesque

noun
parody, caricature, satire, lampoon, skit; informal send-up, take-off, spoof.

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burly

adjective
strapping, well built, sturdy, brawny, strong, muscular, muscly, thickset, big, hefty, bulky, stocky, Herculean; informal hunky, beefy, husky, hulking. ANTONYMS :puny.

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burn

verb
the coal was burning
be on fire, be alight, be ablaze, blaze, go up (in smoke), be in flames, be aflame; smoulder, glow.
he burned the letters
set fire to, set on fire, set alight, set light to, light, ignite, touch off; incinerate; informal torch.
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I burned my dress with the iron
scorch, singe, sear, char, blacken, brand; scald.
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her face burned
be hot, be warm, be feverish, be on fire; blush, redden, go red, flush, colour.
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she was burning with curiosity
be consumed, be eaten up, be obsessed, be tormented, be beside oneself.
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Meredith burned to know the secret
yearn, long, ache, desire, want, wish, hanker, crave, hunger, thirst; informal have a yen, yen, itch, be dying.
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the energy they burn up
consume, use up, expend, get/go through, eat up; dissipate.
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burning

adjective
burning coals
blazing, flaming, fiery, ignited, glowing, red-hot, smouldering; raging, roaring.
burning desert sands
extremely hot, red-hot, fiery, blistering, scorching, searing, sweltering, torrid; informal baking, boiling (hot), roasting, sizzling.
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a burning desire
intense, passionate, deep-seated, profound, wholehearted, strong, ardent, fervent, urgent, fierce, eager, frantic, consuming, uncontrollable.
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burning issues
important, crucial, significant, vital, essential, pivotal; urgent, pressing, compelling, critical.
Top

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burnish

verb
polish (up), shine, buff (up), rub (up).

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burp (informal)

verb
belch, bring up wind; Scottish & N. English informal rift.
noun
belch; wind; Scottish & N. English informal rift; formal eructation.

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burrow

noun
a rabbits' burrow
warren, tunnel, hole, dugout; lair, set, den, earth.
verb
the mouse burrows a hole
tunnel, dig (out), excavate, grub, mine, bore, channel; hollow out, gouge out.

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burst

verb
one balloon burst
split (open), rupture, break, tear.
a shell burst
explode, blow up, detonate, go off.
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smoke burst through the hole
break, erupt, surge, gush, rush, stream, flow, pour, spill; spout, spurt, jet, spew.
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he burst into the room
plunge, charge, barge, plough, hurtle, career, rush, dash, tear.
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she burst into tears
break out in, erupt in, have a fit of.
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noun
a burst in the tyre
rupture, puncture, breach, split, blowout.
mortar bursts
explosion, detonation, blast, eruption, bang.
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a burst of gunfire
volley, salvo, fusillade, barrage, discharge; hail, rain.
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a burst of activity
outbreak, eruption, flare-up, blaze, attack, fit, rush, gale, storm, surge, upsurge, spurt; informal splurt.
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burst out
"I don't care!" she burst out
exclaim, blurt, cry, shout, yell; dated ejacula te.

he burst out crying
suddenly start.
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bury

verb
the dead were buried
inter, lay to rest, entomb; informal put six feet under, plant; poetic/literary inhume.
she buried her face in her hands
hide, conceal, cover, enfold, engulf, tuck, cup, sink.
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the bullet buried itself in the wood
embed, sink, implant, submerge; drive into.
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he buried himself in his work
absorb, engross, immerse, occupy, engage, busy, involve.
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ANTONYMS :exhume.

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bush

noun
a rose bush
shrub; (bushes) undergrowth, shrubbery.
the bush
wilds, wilderness; backwoods, hinterland(s); N. Amer. backcountry, backland(s); Austral./NZ outback, backblocks, booay; N. Amer. informal boondocks, tall timbers; Austral./NZ informal Woop Woop, beyond the black stump.
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bushy

adjective
thick, shaggy, fuzzy, bristly, fluffy, woolly; luxuriant; informal jungly. ANTONYMS :sleek, wispy.

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busily

adverb
actively, energetically, vigorously, enthusiastically; industriously, purposefully, diligently.

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business

noun
she has to smile in her business
work, line of work, occupation, profession, career, employment, job, position; vocation, calling; field, sphere, trade, craft; informal racket, game; archaic employ.
who do you do business with?
trade, trading, commerce, dealing, traffic, merchandising; dealings, transactions, negotiations.
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her own business
firm, company, concern, enterprise, venture, organization, operation, undertaking; office, agency, franchise, practice; informal outfit, set-up.
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none of your business
concern, affair, responsibility, duty, function, obligation; problem, worry; informal pigeon, bailiwick; Brit. informal lookout.
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an odd business
affair, matter, thing, case, circumstance, situation, event, incident, happening, occurrence; episode.
Top
corporate.

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businesslike

adjective
professional, efficient, slick, competent, methodical, disciplined, systematic, orderly, organized, structured, practical, pragmatic.

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businessman businesswoman

noun
entrepreneur, business person, industrialist, manufacturer, tycoon, magnate, employer; dealer, trader, broker, merchant, buyer, seller, marketeer, merchandiser, vendor, tradesman, retailer, supplier.

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bust 1

noun
her large bust
chest, bosom; breasts, mammary glands, mammae; informal boobs, knockers, bubbies; Brit. informal bristols, charlies; N. Amer. informal bazooms.
a bust of Caesar
sculpture, carving, effigy, statue; head and shoulders.
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bust 2 (informal)

verb
the lock has bust
break, crack, snap, smash, fracture, shatter, disintegrate; split, burst.
he promised to bust the mafia
overthrow, destroy, topple, bring down, ruin, break, overturn, overcome, defeat, get rid of, oust, dislodge.
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they were busted for drugs.
See arrest verb sense 1.
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(N. Amer.) my apartment got busted.
See raid verb sense 3.
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go bust
fail, collapse, fold, go under, founder; go bankrupt, go into receivership, go into liquidation, be wound up; informal crash, go broke, go to the wall, go belly up, flop.

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bustle

verb
people bustled about
rush, dash, hurry, scurry, scuttle, scamper, scramble; run, tear, charge; informal scoot, beetle, buzz, zoom.
she bustled us into the kitchen
hustle, bundle, sweep, push, whisk.
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noun
the bustle of the market
activity, action, liveliness, hustle and bustle, excitement; tumult, hubbub, whirl; informal toing and froing, comings and goings.

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bustling

adjective
busy, crowded, swarming, teeming, thronged; buzzing, hectic, lively. ANTONYMS :deserted.

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busy

adjective
they are busy raising money
occupied (in), engaged in, involved in, employed in, working at, hard at work (on); rushed off one's feet, hard-pressed; on the job, absorbed, engrossed, immersed, preoccupied; informal (as) busy as a bee, on the go, hard at it; Brit. informal on the hop.
she is busy at the moment
unavailable, engaged, occupied; working, in a meeting, on duty; informal tied up.
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a busy day
hectic, active, lively, full, eventful; energetic, tiring.
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the town was busy
crowded, bustling, hectic, swarming, teeming, full, thronged.
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a busy design
ornate, over-elaborate, overblown, overwrought, overdone, fussy, cluttered, overworked.
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ANTONYMS :idle, free, quiet.

verb
he busied himself with paperwork
occupy, involve, engage, concern, absorb, engross, immerse, preoccupy; distract, divert.

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busybody

noun
meddler, interferer, mischief-maker, troublemaker; gossip, scandalmonger; eavesdropper, gawker; informal nosy parker, snoop, snooper, rubberneck; Brit. informal gawper; informal, dated Paul Pry.

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but

conjunction
he stumbled but didn't fall
yet, nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, however, still, notwithstanding, despite that, in spite of that, for all that, all the same, just the same; though, although.
I am clean but you aren't
whereas, conversely, but then, then again, on the other hand, by/in contrast, on the contrary.
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one cannot but sympathize
(do) other than, (do) otherwise than; except.
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preposition
everyone but him
except (for), apart from, other than, besides, aside from, with the exception of, bar, excepting, excluding, leaving out, save (for), saving.
adverb
he is but a shadow of his former self
only, just, simply, merely, no more than, nothing but; a mere; N. English nobbut.
but for
except for, if it were not for, were it not for, barring, notwithstanding.

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butch

adjective
(informal) masculine, manly; mannish, manlike, unfeminine, unladylike; informal macho. ANTONYMS :effeminate.

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butcher

noun
a butcher's shop
meat seller, meat trader; slaughterer; Scottish flesher.
a Nazi butcher
murderer, slaughterer, killer, assassin; N. Amer. terminator; poetic/literary slayer; dated cut-throat, homicide.
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verb
the goat was butchered
slaughter, cut up, carve up, joint.
they butchered 150 people
massacre, murder, slaughter, kill, destroy, exterminate, assassinate; N. Amer. terminate; informal dispose of; poetic/literary slay.
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the studio butchered the film
spoil, ruin, mutilate, mangle, mess up, wreck; informal make a hash of, screw up.
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butchery

noun
the butchery trade
meat selling.
(Brit.) the cattle went to the butchery
abattoir, slaughterhouse.
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(Brit.) a butchery
butcher's (shop), meat market, meat counter.
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the butchery in the war
slaughter, massacre, mass murder; poetic/literary slaying.
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butt 1

verb
she butted him
ram, headbutt, bunt; bump, buffet, push, shove; N. English tup.
butt in
interrupt, break in, cut in, chime in, interject, intervene, interfere; informal poke one's nose in, put one's oar in; Brit. informal chip in.

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butt 2

noun
the butt of a joke
target, victim, object, subject; laughing stock.

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butt 3

noun
the butt of a gun
stock, end, handle, hilt, haft, helve.
a cigarette butt
stub, end, tail end, stump, remnant; informal fag end, dog end.
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(N. Amer. informal) sitting on his butt.
See bottom noun sense 6.
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verb
the shop butts up against the house
adjoin, abut, be next to, be adjacent to, border (on), neighbour, be connected to; join, touch.

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butt 4

noun
a brandy butt
barrel, cask, keg, vat, tun; tub, bin, drum, canister.

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butter

butter someone up (informal)
flatter, court, wheedle, persuade, blarney, coax, get round, prevail on; be obsequious towards, be sycophantic towards, toady to, fawn on, make up to, play up to, ingratiate oneself with, rub up the right way, curry favour with; informal suck up to, be all over, keep someone sweet, sweet-talk, soft-soap.

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butterfly

noun
lepidopteran.

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buttocks

plural noun
cheeks; rear (end), rump, backside, seat; Brit. bottom; informal behind, BTM, sit-upon, derrière; Brit. informal bum, botty, jacksie; N. Amer. informal butt, fanny, tush, tail, buns, booty, heinie; humorous fundament, posterior, stern; Anatomy nates.

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button

noun
shirt buttons
fastener, stud, toggle; hook, catch, clasp.
press the button
switch, knob, control; lever, handle.
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buttonhole

verb
(informal). See accost.

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buttress

noun
stone buttresses
prop, support, abutment, shore, pier, reinforcement, stanchion.
a buttress against social collapse
safeguard, defence, protection, guard; support, prop; bulwark.
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verb
authority was buttressed by religion
strengthen, reinforce, fortify, support, bolster, shore up, underpin, cement, uphold, defend, back up.

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buxom

adjective
large-breasted, big-breasted, bosomy, big-bosomed; shapely, ample, plump, rounded, full-figured, voluptuous, curvaceous, Rubenesque; informal busty, chesty, well endowed, curvy.

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buy

verb
they bought a new house
purchase, acquire, obtain, get, pick up, snap up; take, procure, pay for; invest in; informal get hold of, score.
he could not be bought
bribe, buy off, suborn, corrupt; informal grease someone's palm, give a backhander to, get at, fix, square; Brit. informal nobble.
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ANTONYMS :sell.

noun
(informal) a good buy
purchase, investment, acquisition, gain; deal, bargain.

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buyer

noun
purchaser, customer, consumer, shopper, investor; (buyers) clientele, patronage, market; Law vendee.

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buzz

noun
the buzz of the bees
hum, humming, buzzing, murmur, drone; Brit. informal zizz.
an insistent buzz from her control panel
warning sound, purr, ring, note, tone, beep, bleep, warble, alarm.
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(informal) give me a buzz.
See call noun sense 3.
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(informal) the buzz is that he's gone.
See rumour.
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(informal) get a buzz out of flying
thrill, stimulation, glow, tingle; informal kick; N. Amer. informal charge.
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verb
bees buzzed
hum, drone, bumble, murmur; Brit. informal zizz.
the intercom soon buzzed
purr, warble, sound, ring, beep, bleep.
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(informal) he buzzed around
bustle, scurry, scuttle, hurry, rush, race, dash, tear, chase; informal scoot, beetle, whizz, zoom, zip.
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the club is buzzing with excitement
hum, throb, vibrate, pulse, bustle.
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by

preposition
I broke it by forcing the lid
through, as a result of, because of, by dint of, by way of, via, by means of; with the help of, with the aid of, by virtue of.
be there by midday
no later than, in good time for, at, before.
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a house by the lake
next to, beside, alongside, by/at the side of, adjacent to, side by side with; near, close to, neighbouring, adjoining, bordering, overlooking; connected to, contiguous with, attached to.
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go by the building
past, in front of, beyond.
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all right by me
according to, with, as far as is concerned.
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adverb
people hurried by
past, on, along.
by and by
eventually, ultimately, finally, in the end, one day, some day, sooner or later, in time, in a while, in the long run, in the fullness of time, in time to come, at length, in the future, in due course. by oneself
alone, on one's own, singly, separately, solitarily, unaccompanied, companionless, unattended, unescorted, solo; unaided, un assisted, without help, by one's own efforts, under one's own steam, independently, single-handed(ly), off one's own bat, on one's own initiative; informal by one's lonesome; Brit. informal on one's tod, on one's Jack Jones.

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bygone

adjective
past, former, olden, earlier, previous, one-time, long-ago, of old, ancient, antiquated; departed, dead, extinct, defunct, out of date, outmoded; poetic/literary of yore. ANTONYMS :present, recent.

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by-law

noun
(Brit.) local law, regulation, rule.

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bypass

noun
ring road, detour, diversion, alternative route; Brit. relief road.
verb
bypass the farm
go round, go past, make a detour round; avoid.
an attempt to bypass the problem
avoid, evade, dodge, escape, elude, circumvent, get round, skirt, sidestep, steer clear of; informal duck.
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they bypassed the regulations
ignore, pass over, omit, neglect, go over the head of; informal short-circuit.
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by-product

noun
side effect, consequence, entailment, corollary; ramification, repercussion, spin-off, fallout; fruits; Brit. knock-on effect.

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bystander

noun
onlooker, looker-on, passer-by, non-participant, observer, spectator, eyewitness, witness, watcher; informal gawper, rubberneck.

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byword

noun
the office was a byword for delay
perfect example, classic case, model, exemplar, embodiment, incarnation, personification, epitome, typification.
reality was his byword
slogan, motto, maxim, mantra, catchword, watchword, formula; middle name.
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C

cab

noun
she hailed a cab
taxi, taxi cab; Brit minicab, hackney carriage; N. Amer. hack; historical fiacre.
a truck driver's cab
(driver's) compartment, cabin.
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cabal

noun
clique, faction, coterie, cell, sect, camarilla; pressure group; Brit. ginger group.

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cabaret

noun
the evening's cabaret
entertainment, (floor) show, performance.
the cabarets of Montreal
nightclub, club, boîte; N. Amer. cafe; informal nightspot, niterie, clip joint; N. Amer. informal honky-tonk.
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cabin

noun
a first-class cabin
berth, stateroom, deckhouse; historical roundhouse.
a cabin by the lake
hut, log cabin, shanty, shack; chalet; Scottish bothy; N. Amer. cabana; Austral. mia-mia; archaic cot; N. Amer. archaic shebang.
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the driver's cabin
cab, compartment.
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cabinet

noun
a walnut cabinet
cupboard, bureau, chest of drawers.
the new cabinet
senior ministers, ministry, council, executive.
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cable

noun
a thick cable moored the ship
rope, cord, line, guy; Nautical hawser, stay, bridle, topping lift; N. Amer. choker.
electric cables
wire, lead; power line; Brit. flex.
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(historical) he immediately sent a cable
telegram, telemessage, radiogram; informal wire; historical cablegram.
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verb
the secretariat cabled a reply
radio, send, transmit; informal wire.

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cache

noun
a cache of arms
hoard, store, stockpile, stock, supply, reserve; arsenal; informal stash.
a niche used as a cache
hiding place, secret place; informal hidey-hole; informal, dated stash.
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cachet

noun
prestige, prestigiousness, status, standing, kudos, snob value, stature, pre-eminence, eminence; street credibility.

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cackle

verb
the geese cackled at him
squawk, cluck.
Noel cackled with glee
laugh loudly, guffaw, crow, chortle, chuckle.
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cacophonous

adjective
loud, noisy, ear-splitting, raucous, discordant, dissonant, inharmonious, unmelodious, unmusical, tuneless; archaic absonant. ANTONYMS :harmonious.

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cacophony

noun
din, racket, noise, discord, dissonance, discordance.

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cad

noun
(dated). See scoundrel.

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cadaver

noun
(Medicine) corpse, (dead) body, remains, carcass; informal stiff; archaic corse.

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cadaverous

adjective
(deathly) pale, pallid, ashen, grey, whey-faced, etiolated, corpse-like; as thin as a rake, bony, skeletal, emaciated, skin-and-bones, haggard, gaunt, drawn, pinched, hollow-cheeked, hollow-eyed; informal like a bag of bones, anorexic; archaic starveling. ANTONYMS :rosy, plump.

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cadence

noun
rhythm, tempo, metre, beat, pulse; intonation, modulation, lilt.

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cadge

verb
(informal) scrounge, borrow; informal bum, touch someone for, sponge; Brit. informal scab; N. Amer. informal mooch; Austral./NZ informal bludge.

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cadre

noun
corps, body, team, group.

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cafe

noun
snack bar, cafeteria, buffet; coffee bar/shop, tea room/shop; bistro, brasserie; N. Amer. diner; informal eatery, noshery; Brit. informal caff.

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cafeteria

noun
self-service restaurant, canteen, cafe, buffet.

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cage

noun
animals in cages
enclosure, pen, pound; coop, hutch; birdcage, aviary; N. Amer. corral.
verb
many animals are caged
confine, shut in/up, pen, coop up, immure, impound; N. Amer. corral.

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cagey

adjective
(informal) secretive, guarded, non-committal, tight-lipped, reticent, evasive; informal playing one's cards close to one's chest. ANTONYMS :open.

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cahoots

in cahoots (informal)
in league, colluding, in collusion, conspiring, collaborating, hand in glove.

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cajole

verb
persuade, wheedle, coax, talk into, prevail on, blarney; informal sweet-talk, soft-soap, twist someone's arm; archaic blandish.

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cajolery

noun
persuasion, wheedling, coaxing, inveiglement, cajolement; blandishments, blarney; informal sweet talk, soft soap, arm-twisting; formal suasion.

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cake

noun
cream cakes
bun, pastry, gateau.
a cake of soap
bar, tablet, block, slab, lump.
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verb
boots caked with mud
coat, encrust, plaster, cover.
the blood was beginning to cake
clot, congeal, coagulate, solidify, set, inspissate.
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calamitous

adjective
disastrous, catastrophic, cataclysmic, devastating, dire, tragic; poetic/literary direful.

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calamity

noun
disaster, catastrophe, tragedy, cataclysm, adversity, tribulation, affliction, misfortune, misadventure. ANTONYMS :godsend.

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calculate

verb
the interest is calculated on a daily basis
compute, work out, reckon, figure; add up/together, count up, tally, total; Brit. tot up.
his words were calculated to wound her
intend, mean, design.
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we had calculated on a quiet Sunday
expect, anticipate, reckon, bargain; N. Amer. informal figure on.
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calculated

adjective
deliberate, premeditated, planned, pre-planned, preconceived, intentional, intended; Law, dated prepense. ANTONYMS :unintentional.

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calculating

adjective
cunning, crafty, wily, shrewd, scheming, devious, designing, Machiavellian; informal foxy; archaic subtle. ANTONYMS :ingenuous.

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calculation

noun
the calculation of the overall cost
computation, reckoning, adding up, counting up, working out, figuring; Brit. totting up.
political calculations
assessment, judgement; forecast, projection, prediction.
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calendar

noun
almanac.
my social calendar
schedule, programme, diary.
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calibre

noun
a man of his calibre
quality, merit, distinction, stature, excellence, pre-eminence; ability, expertise, talent, capability, capacity, proficiency.
rugby of this calibre
standard, level, quality.
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the calibre of a gun
bore, diameter, gauge.
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call

verb
"Wait for me!" she called
cry (out), shout, yell, bellow, roar, bawl, scream, vociferate; informal holler.
Mum called me in the morning
wake (up), awaken, rouse; Brit. informal knock up; poetic/literary waken.
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I'll call you tomorrow
phone, telephone, get someone on the phone, give someone a call; Brit. ring (up), give someone a ring; informal call up, give someone a buzz; Brit. informal give someone a bell/tinkle, get someone on the blower; N. Amer. informal get someone on the horn.
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Rose called a taxi
summon, send for, order.
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he called at Ashgrove Cottage
pay a (brief) visit to, visit, pay a call on, call/drop/look in on, drop/stop by, pop into.
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the prime minister called a meeting
convene, summon, assemble; formal convoke.
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they called their daughter Hannah
name, christen, baptize; designate, style, term, dub; formal denominate.
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I would call him a friend
describe as, regard as, look on as, consider to be.
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noun
I heard calls from the auditor ium
cry, shout, yell, roar, scream, exclamation, vociferation; informal holler.
the call of the water rail
cry, song, sound.
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I'll give you a call tomorrow
phone call, telephone call; Brit. ring; informal buzz; Brit. informal bell, tinkle.
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he paid a call on Harold
visit, social call.
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a call for party unity
appeal, request, plea, entreaty.
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the last call for passengers on flight BA701
summons, request.
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there's no call for that kind of language
need, necessity, reason, justification, excuse.
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there's no call for expensive wine here
demand, desire, market.
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the call of the Cairngorms
attraction, appeal, lure, allure, spell, pull, draw.
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call for
desperate times call for desperate measures
require, need, necessitate; justify, warrant.

I'll call for you around seven
pick up, collect, fetch.
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call something off
cancel, abandon, scrap, drop, axe; informal scrub, nix; N. Amer. informal re dline. call on
I might call on her later
visit, pay a call on, go and see, look/drop in on; N. Amer. visit with; informal look up, pop in on.

he called on the government to hold a plebiscite
appeal to, ask, request, petition, urge.
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we are able to call on qualified staff
have recourse to, avail oneself of, draw on, make use of.
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call the shots
be in charge, be in control, be at the helm/wheel, be in the driving seat, pull the strings; informal run the show, be the boss. call to mind
this calls to mind Cézanne's works
evoke, bring to mind, call up, conjure up.

I cannot call to mind where I have seen you
remember, recall, recollect.
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call someone up
(informal) Roland called me up.
See call verb sense 3.

they called up the reservists
enlist, recruit, conscript; US draft.
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he was called up for the England team
select, pick, choose; Brit. cap.
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on call
on duty, on standby, available.

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call girl

noun
prostitute, whore, sex worker, fille de joie; informal tart, pro, working girl; N. Amer. informal hooker, hustler; euphemistic escort, masseuse; dated woman of the streets; archaic strumpet, harlot, trollop.

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calling

noun
profession, occupation, vocation, career, work, employment, job, business, trade, craft, line (of work); archaic employ.

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callous

adjective
heartless, unfeeling, uncaring, cold, cold-hearted, hard, as hard as nails, hard-hearted, stony-hearted, insensitive, lacking compassion, hardbitten, unsympathetic. ANTONYMS :kind, compassionate.

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callow

adjective
immature, inexperienced, juvenile, adolescent, naive, green, raw, untried, unworldly, unsophisticated; informal wet behind the ears. ANTONYMS :mature.

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calm

adjective
she seemed very calm
serene, tranquil, relaxed, unruffled, unperturbed, unflustered, untroubled; equable, even-tempered; placid, unexcitable, unemotional, phlegmatic; composed, (cool, calm, and collected), cool-headed, self-possessed; informal unflappable, unfazed.
the night was calm
windless, still, tranquil, quiet.
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the calm waters of the lake
tranquil, still, smooth, glassy, like a millpond; poetic/literary stilly.
Top
ANTONYMS :excited, nervous, stormy.

noun
calm prevailed
tranquillity, stillness, calmness, quiet, quietness, quietude, peace, peacefulness.
his usual calm deserted him
composure, coolness, calmness, self-possession, sangfroid; serenity, tranquillity, equanimity, equability, placidness, placidity; informal cool, unflappability.
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verb
I tried to calm him down
soothe, pacify, placate, mollify, appease, conciliate; Brit. quieten (down); Austral. square off; poetic/literary dulcify.
she forced herself to calm down
compose oneself, recover/regain one's composure, control oneself, pull oneself together, simmer down, cool down/off, take it easy; Brit. quieten down; informal get a grip, keep one's shirt on, wind down; N. Amer. informal chill out, hang/stay loose, decompress.
Top
ANTONYMS :excite, upset.

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calumny

noun
slander, defamation (of character), character assassination, calumniation, libel; vilification, traducement, obloquy, verbal abuse, revilement, scurrility; informal mud-slinging; archaic contumely.

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camaraderie

noun
friendship, comradeship, fellowship, companionship; mutual support, team spirit, esprit de corps.

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camouflage

noun
pieces of turf served for camouflage
disguise, concealment.
her indifference was merely camouflage
facade, (false) front, smokescreen, cover-up, mask, blind, screen, masquerade, dissimulation, pretence.
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verb
the caravan was camouflaged with branches
disguise, hide, conceal, keep hidden, mask, screen, cover (up).

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camp 1

noun
an army camp
bivouac, encampment; campsite, camping ground.
the liberal and conservative camps
faction, wing, group, lobby, caucus, bloc, coterie, sect, cabal.
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verb
they camped in a field
pitch tents, set up camp, encamp, bivouac.

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camp 2 (informal)

adjective
a highly camp actor
effeminate, effete, mincing; informal campy, limp-wristed; Brit. informal poncey.
camp humour
exaggerated, theatrical, affected; informal over the top, OTT, camped up.
Top
ANTONYMS :macho.

camp it up
posture, behave theatrically/affectedly, overact; informal ham it up.

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campaign

noun
Napoleon's Russian campaign
military operation(s), manoeuvre(s); crusade, war, battle, offensive, attack.
the campaign to reduce vehicle emissions
crusade, drive, push, struggle; operation, strategy, battle plan.
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verb
they are campaigning for political reform
crusade, fight, battle, push, press, strive, struggle, lobby.
she campaigned as a political outsider
run/stand for office, canvass, electioneer; N. Amer. stump.
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campaigner

noun
crusader, fighter, activist; champion, advocate, promoter.

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can

noun
tin, canister; jerrycan, oilcan.

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canal

noun
barges chugged up the canal
inland waterway, watercourse.
the ear canal
duct, tube, passage.
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cancel

verb
the match was cancelled
call off, abandon, scrap, drop, axe; informal scrub, nix; N. Amer. informal redline.
his visa has been cancelled
annul, invalidate, nullify, declare null and void, void; revoke, rescind, retract, countermand, withdraw; Law vacate, discharge.
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rising unemployment cancelled out earlier economic gains
neutralize, counterbalance, counteract, balance (out), countervail; negate, nullify, wipe out, negative.
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cancer

noun
most skin cancers are curable
malignant growth, cancerous growth, tumour, malignancy; technical carcinoma, sarcoma, melanoma, lymphoma, myeloma.
racism is a cancer
evil, blight, scourge, poison, canker, plague; archaic pestilence.
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carcinomatous, carcin-.

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candid

adjective
his responses were remarkably candid
frank, outspoken, forthright, blunt, open, honest, truthful, sincere, direct, plain-spoken, bluff; informal upfront, on the level; N. Amer. informal on the up and up; archaic round, free-spoken.
candid shots
unposed, informal, uncontrived, impromptu, natural.
Top
ANTONYMS :guarded.

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candidate

noun
candidates should be computer-literate
(job) applicant, job-seeker, interviewee; contender, nominee, possible; Brit. informal runner.
A-level candidates
examinee, entrant.
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candour

noun
frankness, openness, honesty, candidness, truthfulness, sincerity, forthrightness, directness, plain-spokenness, bluffness, bluntness, outspokenness; informal telling it like it is.

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candy

noun
(N. Amer.). See confectionery.

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cane

noun
a silver-topped cane
(walking) stick, staff; alpenstock; crook; Austral./NZ waddy.
tie the shoot to a cane
stick, stake, upright, pole.
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he was been beaten with a cane
stick, rod, birch; N. Amer. informal paddle; historical ferule.
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verb
Matthew was caned for bullying
beat, strike, hit, flog, thrash, lash, birch, flagellate; informal give someone a hiding, larrup; N. Amer. informal whale.

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canker

noun
this plant is susceptible to canker
fungal disease, plant rot; blight.
ear cankers
ulcer, ulceration, infection, sore, abscess.
Top
racism remains a canker.
See cancer sense 2.
Top

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cannabis

noun
marijuana, hashish, bhang, hemp, kif, ganja, sinsemilla, skunkweed; informal hash, dope, grass, skunk, pot, blow, draw, the weed, reefer; Brit. informal wacky baccy; N. Amer. informal locoweed.

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cannibal

noun
maneater, people-eater.

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cannon

noun
mounted gun, field gun, piece of artillery; mortar, howitzer; historical carronade, bombard, culverin, falconet, serpentine; Brit. historical pom-pom.
verb
the couple behind cannoned into us
collide with, hit, run into, crash into, plough into.

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cannonade

noun
bombardment, shelling, gunfire, artillery fire, barrage, pounding.

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canny

adjective
shrewd, astute, smart, sharp, sharp-witted, discerning, penetrating, discriminating, perceptive, perspicacious, wise, sagacious; cunning, crafty, wily; N. Amer. as sharp as a tack; informal savvy; Brit. informal suss, sussed; N. Amer. informal heads-up; dated long-headed; rare argute. ANTONYMS :foolish.

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canoe

noun
kayak, dugout, outrigger, bidarka, pirogue, waka.

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canon 1

noun
the canons of fair play and equal opportunity
principle, rule, law, tenet, precept; standard, convention, criterion, measure.
a set of ecclesiastical canons
law, decree, edict, statute, dictate, decretal.
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the Shakespeare canon
(list of) works, writings, oeuvre.
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canon 2

noun
a canon assists the bishop
prebendary, minor canon.

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canonical

adjective
the canonical method
recognized, authoritative, authorized, accepted, sanctioned, approved, established, orthodox.
canonical rites
according to ecclesiastical law, official, sanctioned.
Top
ANTONYMS :unorthodox.

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canonize

verb
the saint was canonized
beatify, declare to be a saint.
we canonize freedom of speech
glorify, acclaim, regard as sacred; enshrine.
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canopy

noun
awning, shade, sunshade; baldachin, tester, chuppah, velarium.

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cant 1

noun
religious cant
hypocrisy, sanctimoniousness, sanctimony, humbug, pietism.
thieves' cant
slang, jargon, idiom, argot, patois, speech, terminology, language; informal lingo, -speak, -ese.
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cant 2

verb
the deck canted some twenty degrees
tilt, lean, slant, slope, incline; tip, list, bank, heel.
noun
the cant of the walls
slope, slant, tilt, angle, inclination.

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cantankerous

adjective
bad-tempered, irascible, irritable, grumpy, grouchy, crotchety, tetchy, testy, crusty, curmudgeonly, ill-tempered, ill-humoured, peevish, cross, fractious, pettish, crabbed, crabby, prickly, touchy; informal snappish, snappy, chippy; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, narky, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery; Austral./NZ informal snaky; informal, dated miffy. ANTONYMS :affable.

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canteen

noun
the staff canteen
restaurant, cafeteria, refectory, mess hall; Brit. Military NAAFI; N. Amer. lunchroom.
a canteen of water
container, flask, bottle.
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canvass

verb
he's canvassing for the Green Party
campaign, electioneer; N. Amer. stump; Brit. informal doorstep.
they promised to canvass all members
poll, question, ask, survey, interview.
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they're canvassing support
seek, try to obtain.
Top
early retirement was canvassed as a solution
propose, suggest, discuss, debate, consider.
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canyon

noun
ravine, gorge, gully, defile, couloir; chasm, abyss, gulf; N. Amer. gulch, coulee.

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cap

noun
a white plastic cap
lid, top, stopper, cork, bung, spile; N. Amer. stopple.
cap and gown
mortar board, academic cap; Brit. square; dated trencher.
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the cap on spending
(upper) limit, ceiling; curb, check.
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verb
mountains capped with snow
top, crown, cover, coat.
his innings capped a great day
round off, crown, be a fitting climax to.
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they tried to cap each other's stories
beat, better, improve on, surpass, outdo, outshine, top, upstage.
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(Brit.) he was capped for England
choose, select, pick, give someone the nod.
Top
budgets will be capped
set a limit on, limit, restrict; curb, control, peg.
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capability

noun
ability, capacity, power, potential; competence, proficiency, accomplishment, adeptness, aptitude, faculty, experience, skill, skilfulness, talent, flair; informal know-how.

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capable

adjective
a very capable young woman
competent, able, efficient, effective, proficient, accomplished, adept, handy, experienced, skilful, skilled, talented, gifted; informal useful; rare habile. ANTONYMS :incompetent.

be capable of
I'm quite capable of looking after myself
have the ability to, be equal to (the task of), be up to; informal have what it takes to.

the strange events are capable of rational explanation
be open/susceptible to, admit of, allow of.
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capacious

adjective
roomy, spacious, ample, big, large, sizeable, generous; formal commodious. ANTONYMS :cramped, small.

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capacity

noun
the capacity of the freezer
volume, size, magnitude, dimensions, measurements, proportions.
his capacity to inspire trust.
See capability.
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in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief
position, post, job, office; role, function.
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cape 1

noun
a woollen cape
cloak, mantle, cope, wrap, stole, tippet, poncho; historical pelisse, pelerine, mantlet.

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cape 2

noun
the ship rounded the cape
headland, promontory, point, head, foreland; horn, hook, bill, ness, mull.

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caper

verb
children were capering about
skip, dance, romp, frisk, gambol, cavort, prance, frolic, leap, hop, jump; rare curvet, rollick.
noun
she did a little caper
dance, skip, hop, leap, jump, curvet, gambado.
(informal) I'm too old for this kind of caper
escapade, stunt, prank, trick, mischief, antics, high jinks, skylarking; informal lark, shenanigans.
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capital

noun
Warsaw is the capital of Poland
first city, seat of government, metropolis.
he had enough capital to pull off the deal
money, finance(s), funds, the wherewithal, the means, assets, wealth, resources, investment capital; informal dough, bread, loot; Brit. informal dosh, brass, lolly, spondulicks; US informal greenbacks; N. Amer. informal bucks; Austral./NZ informal Oscar.
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he wrote the name in capitals
capital letter, upper-case letter, block capital; informal cap.
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adjective
capital letters
upper-case, block.
(informal, dated) he's a really capital fellow.
See splendid sense 2.
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capitalism

noun
private enterprise, free enterprise, the free market. ANTONYMS :communism.

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capitalist

noun
financier, investor, industrialist; magnate, tycoon.

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capitalize

verb
the capacity to capitalize new ventures
finance, fund, underwrite, provide capital for, back; N. Amer. informal bankroll, stake.
capitalize on
take advantage of, profit from, make the most of, exploit; informal cash in on.

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capitulate

verb
surrender, give in, yield, concede defeat, give up the struggle, submit; lay down one's arms, raise/show the white flag, throw in the towel/sponge. ANTONYMS :resist, hold out.

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caprice

noun
his wife's caprices
whim, whimsy, vagary, fancy, fad, quirk, eccentricity, foible.
the staff tired of his caprice
fickleness, changeableness, volatility, capriciousness, unpredictability.
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capricious

adjective
fickle, inconstant, changeable, variable, mercurial, volatile, unpredictable, temperamental; whimsical, fanciful, flighty, quirky, faddish. ANTONYMS :consistent.

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capsize

verb
overturn, turn over, turn upside down, upend, flip/tip/keel over, turn turtle; Nautical pitchpole; archaic overset. ANTONYMS :right.

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capsule

noun
he swallowed a capsule
pill, tablet, lozenge, pastille, drop; informal tab.
the bottle's capsule
cover, seal, cap, top.
Top
a space capsule
module, craft, probe.
Top

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captain

noun
the ship's captain
commander, master; informal skipper.
the team's captain
leader, head; informal boss, skipper.
Top
a captain of industry
magnate, tycoon, industrialist; chief, head, leader, principal; informal boss, number one, bigwig, big shot/gun, honcho, top dog; N. Amer. informal kahuna, top banana.
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verb
a vessel captained by a cut-throat
command, run, be in charge of, control, manage, govern; informal skipper.

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caption

noun
title, heading, wording, head, legend, rubric, slogan.

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captious

adjective
critical, fault-finding, quibbling, cavilling; hypercritical, pedantic, hair-splitting; informal nit-picking, pernickety. ANTONYMS :forgiving.

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captivate

verb
enthral, charm, enchant, bewitch, fascinate, beguile, entrance, enrapture, delight, attract, allure. ANTONYMS :repel, bore.

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captive

noun
release the captives
prisoner, convict, detainee, inmate; prisoner of war, POW, internee; informal jailbird, con; Brit. informal (old) lag; N. Amer. informal yardbird.
adjective
captive wild animals
confined, caged, incarcerated, locked up; jailed, imprisoned, in prison, interned, detained, in captivity, under lock and key, behind bars.

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captivity

noun
imprisonment, confinement, internment, incarceration, detention; archaic duress, durance. ANTONYMS :freedom.

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captor

noun
jailer, guard, incarcerator, keeper.

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capture

verb
the spy was captured in Moscow
catch, apprehend, seize, arrest; take prisoner/captive, imprison, detain, put/throw in jail, put behind bars, put under lock and key, incarcerate; informal nab, collar, lift, pick up, pull in; Brit. informal nick.
guerrillas captured a strategic district
occupy, invade, conquer, seize, take (possession of).
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the music captured the atmosphere of a summer morning
express, reproduce, represent, encapsulate.
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the tales of pirates captured the children's imaginations
engage, attract, catch, seize, hold.
Top
ANTONYMS :free.

noun
he tried to evade capture
arrest, apprehension, seizure, being taken prisoner/captive, imprisonment.

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car

noun
he drove up in his car
motor (car), automobile; informal wheels; N. Amer. informal auto.
the dining car
carriage, coach; Brit. saloon.
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carafe

noun
flask, jug, pitcher, decanter, flagon.

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caravan

noun
a fishing holiday in a caravan
mobile home, camper, caravanette; N. Amer. trailer; Brit. trademark Dormobile.
a gypsy caravan
wagon, covered cart.
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a refugee caravan
convoy, procession, column, train.
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carbuncle

noun
boil, sore, abscess, pustule, wen, whitlow; technical furuncle.

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carcass

noun
a lamb carcass
corpse, (dead) body, remains; Medicine cadaver; informal stiff; archaic corse.
(informal) shift your carcass
body, self; backside; N. Amer. informal butt.
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card

noun
a piece of stiff card
cardboard, pasteboard, board.
I'll send her a card
greetings card, postcard.
Top
she produced her card
identification, ID, credentials; business card.
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she paid with her card
credit card, debit card, cash card, swipe card; informal plastic.
Top
the cards were dealt
playing card; (cards) pack of cards.
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(informal, dated) he said she was a card
eccentric, character; joker, wit, wag, jester, clown; informal laugh, scream, hoot, riot; informal, dated caution.
Top

give someone their cards (Brit. informal)
dismiss, get rid of, lay off, make redundant, let someone go, discharge; informal sack, fire, kick/boot out, give someone their marching orders, give someone the (old) heave-ho, give someone the elbow/push. on the cards (informal)
likely, possible, probable, expected, in the wind, in the offing.

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cardinal

adjective
fundamental, basic, main, chief, primary, prime, principal, paramount, pre-eminent, highest, key, essential. ANTONYMS :unimportant.

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care

noun
the care of the child
safe keeping, supervision, custody, charge, protection, control, responsibility; guardianship, wardship.
handle with care
caution, carefulness, heedfulness, heed, attention, attentiveness.
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she chose her words with care
discretion, judiciousness, forethought, thought, regard, heed, mindfulness; accuracy, precision.
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the cares of the day
worry, anxiety, trouble, concern, stress, pressure, strain; sorrow, woe, hardship.
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constant care for others
concern, consideration, thought, regard, solicitude.
Top
ANTONYMS :neglect, carelessness.

verb
the teachers didn't care about our work
be concerned, worry (oneself), trouble/concern oneself, bother, mind, be interested; informal give a damn/hoot/rap.
care for
he cares for his children
love, be fond of, be devoted to, treasure, adore, dote on, think the world of, worship, idolize.

would you care for a cup of coffee?
like, want, desire, fancy, feel like.
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the ho spice cares for the terminally ill
look after, take care of, tend, attend to, minister to, nurse; be responsible for, keep safe, keep an eye on.
Top

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career

noun
a business career
profession, occupation, vocation, calling, employment, line (of work), walk of life, métier.
a chequered career
existence, life, course, passage, path.
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adjective
a career politician
professional, permanent, full-time.
verb
they careered down the hill
rush, hurtle, streak, shoot, race, bolt, dash, speed, run, whizz, zoom, flash, blast, charge, hare, fly, pelt, go like the wind; informal belt, scoot, tear, zap, zip, whip, go like a bat out of hell; Brit. informal bomb, bucket; N. Amer. informal hightail, clip.

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carefree

adjective
unworried, untroubled, blithe, airy, nonchalant, insouciant, happy-go-lucky, free and easy, easy-going, relaxed; informal laid back. ANTONYMS :careworn.

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careful

adjective
be careful when you go up the stairs
cautious, heedful, alert, attentive, watchful, vigilant, wary, on guard, circumspect.
Roland was careful of his reputation
mindful, heedful, protective.
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careful with money
prudent, thrifty, economical, sparing, frugal, scrimping, abstemious; informal stingy.
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careful consideration of the facts
attentive, conscientious, painstaking, meticulous, diligent, assiduous, sedulous, scrupulous, punctilious, methodical; informal pernickety; archaic nice.
Top
ANTONYMS :careless, extravagant.

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careless

adjective
careless motorists
inattentive, incautious, negligent, remiss; heedless, irresponsible, impetuous, reckless.
careless work
shoddy, slapdash, slipshod, scrappy, slovenly, negligent, lax, slack, disorganized, hasty, hurried; informal sloppy, slap-happy.
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a careless remark
thoughtless, insensitive, indiscreet, unguarded, incautious, inadvertent.
Top
she was very careless of investments
negligent, heedless, improvident, unconcerned, indifferent, oblivious.
Top
careless masculine grace
unstudied, artless, casual, effortless, nonchalant, insouciant, languid.
Top
ANTONYMS :careful, meticulous.

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caress

verb
stroke, touch, fondle, brush, skim, nuzzle.

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caretaker

noun
janitor, attendant, porter, custodian, concierge; N. Amer. superintendent.
adjective
the caretaker manager
temporary, short-term, provisional, substitute, acting, interim, pro tem, stand-in, fill-in, stopgap; N. Amer. informal pinch-hitting. ANTONYMS :permanent.

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careworn

adjective
worried, anxious, harassed, strained, stressed; drained, drawn, gaunt, haggard; informal hassled. ANTONYMS :carefree.

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cargo

noun
freight, load, haul, consignment, delivery, shipment; goods, merchandise; archaic lading.

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caricature

noun
a caricature of the Prime Minister
cartoon, parody, satire, lampoon, burlesque; informal send-up, take-off.
verb
she has turned to caricaturing her fellow actors
parody, satirize, lampoon, make fun of, burlesque; informal send up, take off.

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caring

adjective
kind, kind-hearted, warm-hearted, tender; concerned, attentive, thoughtful, solicitous, considerate; affectionate, loving, doting, fond; sympathetic, understanding, compassionate, feeling. ANTONYMS :cruel.

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carnage

noun
slaughter, massacre, mass murder, butchery, bloodbath, bloodletting; holocaust, pogrom, ethnic cleansing.

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carnal

adjective
sexual, sensual, erotic, lustful, lascivious, libidinous, lecherous, licentious; physical, bodily, corporeal, fleshly. ANTONYMS :spiritual.

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carnival

noun
the town's carnival
festival, fiesta, fête, gala, jamboree, celebration.
(N. Amer.) he worked at a carnival
funfair, circus, fair, amusement show.
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carnivorous

adjective
meat-eating, predatory, of prey. ANTONYMS :herbivorous.

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carol

noun
children sang carols
Christmas song, hymn, canticle.
verb
Boris carolled happily
sing, trill, warble, chirp; archaic wassail.

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carouse

verb
drink and make merry, go on a drinking bout, go on a spree; revel, celebrate, roister; informal booze, go boozing, binge, go on a binge, go on a bender, paint the town red, party, rave, make whoopee, whoop it up; Brit. informal go on the bevvy; archaic wassail.

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carp

verb
complain, cavil, grumble, grouse, whine, bleat, nag; informal gripe, grouch, beef, bellyache, moan, bitch, whinge; Brit. informal be on at someone; N. English informal mither; N. Amer. informal kvetch. ANTONYMS :praise.

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carpenter

noun
woodworker, joiner, cabinet-maker; Brit. informal chippy.

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carpet

noun
a Turkish carpet
rug, mat, matting, floor covering.
a carpet of wild flowers
covering, blanket, layer, cover, cloak, mantle.
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verb
the gravel was carpeted in moss
cover, coat, overlay, overspread, blanket.
(Brit. informal) an officer was carpeted for leaking information.
See reprimand verb.
Top

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carriage

noun
a railway carriage
coach, car; Brit. saloon.
a horse and carriage
wagon, hackney, hansom, gig, landau, trap.
Top
the carriage of bikes on trains
transport, transportation, conveyance, carrying, movement, shipment.
Top
an erect carriage
posture, bearing, stance, gait; attitude, manner, demeanour; Brit. deportment.
Top

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carrier

noun
bearer, conveyor, transporter; porter, courier, haulier.

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carry

verb
she carried the box into the kitchen
convey, transfer, move, take, bring, bear, lug, fetch; informal cart, hump.
a coach operator carrying 12 million passengers a year
transport, convey, move, handle.
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satellites carry the signal over the Atlantic
transmit, conduct, relay, communicate, convey, dispatch, beam.
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the dinghy can carry the weight of the baggage
support, sustain, stand; prop up, shore up, bolster.
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managers carry most responsibility
undertake, accept, assume, bear, shoulder, take on (oneself).
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she was carrying his baby
be pregnant with, bear, expect; technical be gravid with.
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she carried herself with assurance
conduct, bear, hold; act, behave, acquit; formal comport; archaic deport.
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a resolution was carried
approve, vote for, accept, endorse, ratify; agree to, assent to, rubber-stamp; informal OK, give the thumbs up to.
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I carried the whole audience
win over, sway, convince, persuade, influence; motivate, stimulate.
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today's paper carried an article on housing policy
publish, print, communicate, distribute; broadcast, transmit.
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we carry a wide range
sell, stock, keep (in stock), offer, have (for sale), retail, supply.
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most toxins carry warnings
display, bear, exhibit, show, be marked with.
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it carries a penalty of two years' imprisonment
entail, involve, result in, occasion, have as a consequence.
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his voice carried across the quay
be audible, travel, reach.
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be/get carried away
lose self-control, get overexcited, go too far; informal flip, lose it. carry someone off
kill (off), cause the death of, take/end the life of, finish off; informal do in. carry something off
she carried off four awards
win, secure, gain, achieve, collect; informal land, net, bag, scoop.

he has carried it off
succeed, triumph, be victorious, be successful, do well, make good; informal crack it.
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carry on
they carried on arguing
continue, keep (on), go on; persist in, persevere in; informal stick with/at.

(informal) the English way of carrying on
behave, act, conduct oneself, acquit oneself; formal comport oneself; archaic deport oneself.
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(informal) she was carrying on with other men
have an affair, commit adultery, have a fling; informal play around, mess about/around; Brit. informal play away; N. Amer. informal fool around.
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(informal) I was always carrying on
misbehave, behave badly, get up to mischief, cause trouble, get up to no good, be naughty; clown about/around, fool about/around, mess about/around; informal act up; Brit. informal muck about/around, play up.
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carry something on
engage in, conduct, undertake, be involved in, carry out, perform. carry something out
they carried out a Caesarean
conduct, perform, implement, execute.

I carried out my promise to her
fulfil, carry through, honour, redeem, make good; keep, observe, abide by, comply with, adhere to, stick to, keep faith with.
Top

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carry-on

noun
(Brit. informal) fuss, commotion, trouble, bother, excitement, palaver; informal hoo-ha, ballyhoo, song and dance, performance, kerfuffle.

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cart

noun
a horse-drawn cart
wagon, carriage, dray; archaic wain.
a man with a cart took their luggage
handcart, pushcart, trolley, barrow.
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verb
(informal) he had the wreckage carted away
transport, convey, haul, move, shift, take; carry, lug, heft; informal hump.

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carton

noun
box, package, cardboard box, container, pack, packet.

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cartoon

noun
a cartoon of the Prime Minister
caricature, parody, lampoon, satire; informal take-off, send-up.
he was reading cartoons
comic strip, comic, graphic novel.
Top
they watched cartoons on television
animated film, animation.
Top
detailed cartoons for a full-size portrait
sketch, rough, outline, preliminary drawing, underdrawing; Computing wireframe.
Top

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cartridge

noun
a toner cartridge
cassette, magazine, canister, container.
a rifle cartridge
bullet, round, shell, charge, shot.
Top

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carve

verb
he carved horn handles
sculpt, sculpture; cut, hew, whittle; form, shape, fashion.
I carved my initials on the tree
engrave, etch, incise, score.
Top
he carved the roast chicken
slice, cut up, chop.
Top

carve something up
divide, partition, apportion, subdivide, split up, break up; share out, dole out; informal divvy up.

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carving

noun
sculpture, model, statue, statuette, figure, figurine. glyptic.

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cascade

noun
waterfall, cataract, falls, rapids, white water.
verb
rain cascaded from the roof
pour, gush, surge, spill, stream, flow, issue, spurt, jet.

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case 1

noun
a classic case of overreaction
instance, occurrence, manifestation, demonstration, exposition, exhibition; example, illustration, specimen, sample, exemplification.
if that is the case I will have to find somebody else
situation, position, state of affairs, the lie of the land; circumstances, conditions, facts, how things stand; Brit. state of play; informal score.
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the officers on the case
investigation, enquiry, examination, exploration, probe, search, inquest.
Top
urgent cases
patient, sick person, invalid, sufferer, victim.
Top
he lost his case
lawsuit, (legal) action, legal dispute, suit, trial, legal/judicial proceedings, litigation.
Top
a strong case
argument, contention, reasoning, logic, defence, justification, vindication, exposition, thesis.
Top

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case 2

noun
a cigarette case
container, box, canister, receptacle, holder; dated etui.
a seed case
casing, cover, covering, sheath, sheathing, envelope, sleeve, jacket, integument.
Top
(Brit.) she threw some clothes into a case
suitcase, (travelling) bag, valise, portmanteau; (cases) luggage, baggage.
Top
a case of wine
crate, box, pack.
Top
a glass display case
cabinet, cupboard.
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verb
the rifle is cased in wood
cover, surround, encase, sheathe, envelop.
(informal) a thief casing the joint
reconnoitre, inspect, examine, survey, explore; informal recce, check out.
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cash

noun
a wallet stuffed with cash
money, currency, hard cash; (bank) notes, coins, change; N. Amer. bills; informal dough, bread, loot, readies, moolah; Brit. informal dosh, brass, lolly, spondulicks; US informal greenbacks; N. Amer. informal bucks, dinero; Austral./NZ informal Oscar; Brit. dated l.s.d.
a lack of cash
finance, money, resources, funds, assets, the means, the wherewithal.
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ANTONYMS :cheque, credit.

verb
the bank cashed her cheque
exchange, change, convert into cash/money; honour, pay, accept; Brit. encash.
cash in on
take advantage of, exploit, milk; make money from, profit from; informal make a killing out of.

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cashier 1

noun
the cashier took the cheque
clerk, bank clerk, teller, banker, treasurer, bursar, purser.

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cashier 2

verb
(Military) he was found guilty and cashiered
dismiss, discharge, expel, throw/cast out, get rid of; informal sack, fire, kick/boot out, give someone their marching orders, give someone the bullet, give someone the elbow/push.

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casing

noun
cover, case, shell, envelope, sheath, sheathing, sleeve, jacket, housing.

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casino

noun
gambling house, gambling club, gambling den; dated gaming house.

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cask

noun
barrel, keg, butt, tun, vat, drum, hogshead; historical puncheon, firkin.

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casket

noun
a small casket
box, chest, case, container, receptacle.
(N. Amer.) the casket of a dead soldier
coffin; informal box; humorous wooden overcoat.
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cast

verb
he cast the stone into the stream
throw, toss, fling, pitch, hurl, lob; informal chuck, sling, bung; dated shy.
fishermen cast their nets
spread, throw, open out.
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she cast a fearful glance over her shoulder
direct, shoot, throw, send.
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each citizen cast a vote
register, record, enter, file, vote.
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the fire cast a soft light
emit, give off, send out, radiate.
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the figures cast shadows
form, create, produce; project, throw.
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the stags' antlers are cast each year
shed, lose, discard, slough off.
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a figure cast by hand
mould, fashion, form, shape, model; sculpt, sculpture, forge.
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they were cast as extras
choose, select, pick, name, nominate.
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noun
a cast of the writer's hand
mould, die, matrix, shape, casting, model.
a cast of the dice
throw, toss, fling, pitch, hurl, lob; informal chuck, sling, bung; dated shy.
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an enquiring cast of mind
type, sort, kind, character, variety, class, style, stamp, nature.
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a cast in one eye
squint, strabismus.
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the cast of "The Barber of Seville"
actors, performers, players, company; dramatis personae, characters.
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cast something aside
discard, reject, throw away/out, get rid of, dispose of, abandon. cast someone away
shipwreck, wreck; strand, leave stranded, maroon. cast down
depressed, downcast, unhappy, sad, miserable, gloomy, down, low; dejected, dispirited, discouraged, disheartened, downhearted, demoralized, disconsolate, crestfallen, despondent; informal blue.

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caste

noun
(social) class, social order, rank, level, stratum, echelon, status; dated estate, station.

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castigate (formal)

verb
reprimand, rebuke, admonish, chastise, chide, upbraid, reprove, reproach, scold, berate, take to task, lambaste, give someone a piece of one's mind, haul over the coals, censure; informal tell off, give someone an earful, give someone a roasting, rap someone on the knuckles, slap someone's wrist, dress down, bawl out, give someone hell, blow up at, pitch into, lay into, blast; Brit. informal tick off, have a go at, carpet, tear someone off a strip, give someone what for, give someone a rocket; N. Amer. informal chew out, ream out; Austral. informal monster; dated give someone a rating; rare reprehend, objurgate. ANTONYMS :praise, commend.

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castle

noun
fortress, fort, stronghold, fortification, keep, citadel.

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castrate

verb
neuter, geld, cut, desex, sterilize, fix; N. Amer. & Austral. alter; Brit. informal doctor; archaic emasculate.

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casual

adjective
a casual attitude to life
indifferent, apathetic, uncaring, unconcerned; lackadaisical, blasé, nonchalant, insouciant, offhand, flippant; easy-going, free and easy, blithe, carefree, devil-may-care; informal laid-back.
a casual remark
offhand, spontaneous, unpremeditated, unthinking, unconsidered, impromptu, throwaway, unguarded; informal off-the-cuff.
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a casual glance
cursory, perfunctory, superficial, passing, fleeting; hasty, brief, quick.
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a casual acquaintance
slight, superficial.
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casual work
temporary, part-time, freelance, impermanent, irregular, occasional.
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casual sex
promiscuous, recreational, extramarital, free.
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a casual meeting changed his life
chance, accidental, unplanned, unintended, unexpected, unforeseen, unanticipated, fortuitous, serendipitous, adventitious.
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a casual shirt
informal, comfortable, leisure, sportif, everyday; informal sporty.
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the inn's casual atmosphere
relaxed, friendly, informal, unceremonious, easy-going, free and easy; informal laid-back.
Top
ANTONYMS :careful, planned, formal.

noun
we employ ten casuals
temporary worker, part-timer, freelance, freelancer; informal temp.

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casualty

noun
victim, fatality, loss, MIA; (casualties) dead and injured, missing (in action).

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casuistry

noun
sophistry, specious reasoning, speciousness.

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cat

noun
feline, tomcat, tom, kitten, mouser; informal pussy (cat), puss; Brit. informal moggie, mog; archaic grimalkin.

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cataclysm

noun
disaster, catastrophe, calamity, tragedy, devastation, holocaust, ruin, ruination, upheaval, convulsion.

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cataclysmic

adjective
disastrous, catastrophic, calamitous, tragic, devastating, ruinous, terrible, violent, awful.

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catacombs

plural noun
underground cemetery, crypt, vault, tomb, ossuary.

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catalogue

noun
a library catalogue
directory, register, index, list, listing, record, archive, inventory.
a mail-order catalogue
brochure, magalogue, mailer; N. Amer. informal wish book.
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verb
the collection is fully catalogued
classify, categorize, systematize, index, list, archive, make an inventory of, inventory, record, itemize.

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catapult

noun
a boy fired the catapult
sling, slingshot; Austral./NZ shanghai; historical ballista, trebuchet.
verb
Sam was catapulted into the sea
propel, launch, hurl, fling, send flying, fire, blast, shoot.

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cataract

noun
waterfall, cascade, falls, rapids, white water.

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catastrophe

noun
disaster, calamity, cataclysm, holocaust, ruin, ruination, tragedy; adversity, blight, trouble, trial, tribulation.

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catastrophic

adjective
disastrous, calamitous, cataclysmic, ruinous, tragic, fatal, dire, awful, terrible, dreadful; poetic/literary direful.

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catcall

noun
whistle, boo, hiss, jeer, raspberry, hoot, taunt; (catcalls) scoffing, abuse, taunting, derision.

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catch

verb
he caught the ball
seize, grab, snatch, seize/grab/take hold of, grasp, grip, clutch, clench; receive, get, intercept.
we've caught the thief
capture, seize; apprehend, arrest, take prisoner/captive, take into custody; trap, snare, ensnare; net, hook, land; informal nab, collar, run in, bust; Brit. informal nick.
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her heel caught in a hole
become trapped, become entangled, snag.
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she caught the 7.45 bus
be in time for, make, get; board, get on, step aboard.
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they were caught siphoning petrol
discover, find, come upon/across, stumble on, chance on; surprise, catch red-handed, catch in the act.
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it caught his imagination
engage, capture, attract, draw, grab, grip, seize; hold, absorb, engross.
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she caught a trace of aftershave
perceive, notice, observe, discern, detect, note, make out; Brit. informal clock.
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I couldn't catch what she was saying
hear, perceive, discern, make out; understand, comprehend, grasp, apprehend; informal get, get the drift of, figure out; Brit. informal twig, suss (out).
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it caught the flavour of the sixties
evoke, conjure up, call to mind, recall, encapsulate, capture.
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the blow caught her on the side of her face
hit, strike, slap, smack, bang.
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he caught malaria
become infected with, contract, get, be taken ill with, develop, come down with, be struck down with; Brit. go down with; informal take ill with; N. Amer. informal take sick with.
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the kindling wouldn't catch
ignite, start burning, catch fire, kindle.
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the generator caught immediately
start (running), fire, begin working.
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ANTONYMS :drop, release, miss.

noun
he inspected the catch
haul, net, bag, yield.
(informal) Giles is a good catch
eligible man/woman, marriage prospect.
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he slipped the catch
latch, lock, fastener, clasp, hasp.
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he is always looking for the catch
snag, disadvantage, drawback, stumbling block, hitch, fly in the ointment, pitfall, complication, problem, hiccup, difficulty; trap, trick, snare; informal con.
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a catch in her voice
tremor, unevenness, shake, quiver, wobble.
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catch it (informal)
be reprimanded, be scolded, be rebuked, be taken to task, be chastised, get into trouble, be hauled over the coals; informal be told off, be for the high jump, be in hot water, get a dressing-down, get an earful, get a roasting, get a rap over the knuckles, get a slap on the wrist; Brit. informal be for it; formal be castigated. catch on
radio soon caught on
become popular/fashionable, take off, boom, flourish, thrive.

I caught on fast
understand, comprehend, learn, see the light; informal cotton on, latch on, get the picture/message, get wise.
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catch (someone) up
draw level (with), reach; gain on.

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catching

adjective
(informal) infectious, contagious, communicable, transmittable, transmissible; dated infective.

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catchphrase

noun
saying, quotation, quote, slogan, catchword; N. Amer. informal tag line.

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catchword

noun
motto, watchword, slogan, byword, catchphrase; informal buzzword.

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catchy

adjective
memorable, unforgettable; appealing, popular; singable, melodious, tuneful.

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catechize

verb
interrogate, question, cross-examine, cross-question, quiz, sound out, give the third degree to; informal grill, pump.

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categorical

adjective
unqualified, unconditional, unequivocal, absolute, explicit, unambiguous, definite, direct, downright, outright, emphatic, positive, point-blank, conclusive, without reservations, out-and-out; formal apodictic. ANTONYMS :qualified, equivocal.

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categorize

verb
classify, class, group, grade, rate, designate; order, arrange, sort, rank; file, catalogue, list, index.

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category

noun
class, classification, group, grouping, bracket, heading, set; type, sort, kind, variety, species, breed, brand, make, model; grade, order, rank.

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cater

cater for
we cater for vegetarians
provide food for, feed, serve, cook for; dated victual.

a resort catering for older holidaymakers
serve, provide for, meet the needs/wants of, accommodate.
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he seemed to cater for all tastes
take into account/consideration, allow for, consider, bear in mind, make provision for, have regard for.
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cater to
satisfy, indulge, pander to, gratify, accommodate, minister to, give in to, fulfil.

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caterwaul

verb
howl, wail, bawl, cry, yell, scream, screech, yowl, ululate.

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catharsis

noun
purging, purgation, purification, cleansing, (emotional) release, relief; Psychoanalysis abreaction.

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catholic

adjective
diverse, diversified, wide, broad, broad-based, eclectic, liberal; comprehensive, all-encompassing, all-embracing, all-inclusive. ANTONYMS :narrow.

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cattle

plural noun
cows, bovines, oxen, bulls; stock, livestock. bovine.

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catty

adjective
(informal) a catty remark.
See spiteful.

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caucus

noun
(in North America & NZ) caucuses will be held in eleven states
meeting, assembly, gathering, congress, conference, convention, rally, convocation.
(in the UK) the right-wing caucus
faction, camp, bloc, group, set, band, ring, cabal, coterie, pressure group; Brit. ginger group.
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cause

noun
the cause of the fire
source, root, origin, beginning(s), starting point; mainspring, base, basis, foundation, fountainhead; originator, author, creator, producer, agent; formal radix.
there is no cause for alarm
reason, grounds, justification, call, need, necessity, occasion, excuse, pretext.
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the cause of human rights | a good cause
principle, ideal, belief, conviction; object, end, aim, objective, purpose; charity.
Top
he went to plead his cause
case, suit, lawsuit, action, dispute.
Top
-genic, -facient. ANTONYMS :effect, result.

verb
this disease can cause blindness
bring about, give rise to, lead to, result in, create, produce, generate, engender, spawn, bring on, precipitate, prompt, provoke, trigger, make happen, induce, inspire, promote, foster; poetic/literary beget, enkindle. ANTONYMS :result from.

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caustic

adjective
a caustic cleaner
corrosive, corroding, mordant, acid.
a caustic comment
sarcastic, cutting, biting, mordant, sharp, bitter, scathing, derisive, sardonic, ironic, scornful, trenchant, acerbic, vitriolic, acidulous; Brit. informal sarky; formal mordacious.
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cauterize

verb
(Medicine) burn, sear, singe, scorch; disinfect, sterilize.

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caution

noun
proceed with caution
care, carefulness, heedfulness, heed, attention, attentiveness, alertness, watchfulness, vigilance, circumspection, discretion, prudence.
a first offender may receive a caution
warning, admonishment, injunction; reprimand, rebuke, reproof, scolding; informal telling-off, dressing-down, talking-to; Brit. informal ticking-off, carpeting.
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(informal, dated) her uncle's a caution.
See clown noun sense 2.
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verb
advisers cautioned against tax increases
advise, warn, counsel, urge.
he was cautioned by the police
warn, admonish; reprimand, rebuke, reprove, scold; informal tell off, give someone a dressing-down, give someone a talking-to; Brit. informal give someone a ticking-off, carpet.
Top

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cautious

adjective
careful, heedful, attentive, alert, watchful, vigilant, circumspect, prudent. ANTONYMS :reckless.

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cavalcade

noun
procession, parade, motorcade, cortège; Brit. march past.

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cavalier

noun
(historical) Cavaliers dying for King Charles
Royalist, king's man.
(archaic) the lady and her cavalier
escort, gentleman; dated beau.
Top
(archaic) foot soldiers and cavaliers
horseman, equestrian; cavalryman, trooper, knight.
Top
ANTONYMS :Roundhead.

adjective
a cavalier disregard for danger
offhand, indifferent, casual, dismissive, insouciant, unconcerned; supercilious, patronizing, condescending, disdainful, scornful, contemptuous; informal couldn't-care-less.

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cavalry

plural noun
(historical) mounted troops, cavalrymen, troopers, horse; historical dragoons, lancers, hussars.

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cave

noun
cavern, grotto, pothole, underground chamber. speleology, speleologist; N. Amer. spelunking.
cave in
the roof caved in
collapse, fall in/down, give (way), crumble, subside.

the manager caved in to their demands
yield, surrender, capitulate, give in, back down, make concessions, throw in the towel/sponge.
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caveat

noun
warning, caution, admonition; proviso, condition, stipulation, provision, clause, rider, qualification.

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caveman cavewoman

noun
cave-dweller, troglodyte, primitive man/woman, prehistoric man/woman.

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cavern

noun
large cave, grotto, underground chamber/gallery.

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cavernous

adjective
vast, huge, large, immense, spacious, roomy, airy, capacious, voluminous, extensive, deep; hollow, gaping, yawning; formal commodious. ANTONYMS :small.

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cavil

verb
complain, carp, grumble, grouse, whine, bleat, quibble, niggle; informal gripe, grouch, beef, bellyache, moan, bitch, whinge, kick up a fuss; Brit. informal chunter, create; N. English informal mither; N. Amer. informal kvetch.

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cavity

noun
space, chamber, hollow, hole, pocket, pouch; orifice, aperture; socket, gap, crater, pit.

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cavort

verb
skip, dance, romp, jig, caper, frisk, gambol, prance, frolic, lark; bounce, trip, leap, jump, bound, spring, hop; rare rollick.

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cease

verb
hostilities had ceased
come to an end, come to a halt, end, halt, stop, conclude, terminate, finish, draw to a close, be over.
they ceased all military activity
bring to an end, bring to a halt, end, halt, stop, conclude, terminate, finish, wind up, discontinue, suspend, break off; informal leave off.
Top
ANTONYMS :start, continue.

without cease
continuously, incessantly, unendingly, unremittingly, without a pause/break, on and on.

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ceaseless

adjective
continual, constant, continuous; incessant, unceasing, unending, endless, never-ending, interminable, non-stop, uninterrupted, unremitting, relentless, unrelenting, unrelieved, sustained, persistent, eternal, perpetual. ANTONYMS :intermittent.

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cede

verb
surrender, concede, relinquish, yield, part with, give up; hand over, deliver up, give over, make over, transfer; abandon, forgo, sacrifice; poetic/literary forsake.

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ceiling

noun
upper limit, maximum, limitation.

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celebrate

verb
they were celebrating their wedding anniversary
commemorate, observe, mark, keep, honour, remember, memorialize.
let's all celebrate!
enjoy oneself, make merry, have fun, have a good time, have a party, revel, roister, carouse; N. Amer. step out; informal party, go out on the town, paint the town red, whoop it up, make whoopee, live it up, have a ball.
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the priest celebrated mass
perform, observe, officiate at.
Top
he was celebrated for his achievements
praise, extol, glorify, eulogize, reverence, honour, pay tribute to; formal laud; archaic emblazon.
Top

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celebrated

adjective
acclaimed, admired, highly rated, lionized, revered, honoured, esteemed, exalted, vaunted, well thought of; eminent, great, distinguished, prestigious, illustrious, pre-eminent, estimable, notable, of note, of repute; formal lauded. ANTONYMS :unsung.

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celebration

noun
the celebration of his 50th birthday
commemoration, observance, marking, keeping.
a cause for celebration
jollification, merrymaking, enjoying oneself, carousing, revelry, revels, festivities; informal partying.
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a birthday celebration
party, function, gathering, festivities, festival, fête, carnival, jamboree; informal do, bash, rave; Brit. informal rave-up, knees-up, beanfeast, bunfight, beano.
Top
the celebration of the Eucharist
observance, performance, officiation, solemnization.
Top

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celebrity

noun
his celebrity grew
fame, prominence, renown, eminence, pre-eminence, stardom, popularity, distinction, note, notability, prestige, stature, repute, reputation.
a sporting celebrity
famous person, VIP, very important person, personality, (big) name, famous/household name, star, superstar; informal celeb, somebody, someone, megastar.
Top
ANTONYMS :obscurity.

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celestial

adjective
a celestial body
(in) space, heavenly, astronomical, extraterrestrial, stellar, planetary.
celestial beings
heavenly, holy, saintly, divine, godly, godlike, ethereal; immortal, angelic, seraphic, cherubic.
Top
ANTONYMS :earthly, hellish.

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celibate

adjective
unmarried, single, unwed, spouseless; chaste, virginal, virgin, maidenly, maiden, intact, abstinent, self-denying.

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cell

noun
a prison cell
room, cubicle, chamber; dungeon, oubliette, lock-up.
each cell of the honeycomb
compartment, cavity, hole, hollow, section.
Top
terrorist cells
unit, faction, arm, section, coterie, group.
Top

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cellar

noun
basement, vault, underground room, lower ground floor; crypt, undercroft. ANTONYMS :attic.

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cement

noun
polystyrene cement
adhesive, glue, fixative, gum, paste; superglue, epoxy resin; N. Amer. mucilage; N. Amer. informal stickum.
verb
he cemented the sample to a microscope slide
stick, bond; fasten, fix, affix, attach, secure, bind, glue, gum, paste.

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cemetery

noun
graveyard, churchyard, burial ground, necropolis; informal boneyard; historical potter's field; archaic God's acre.

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censor

noun
the film censors
expurgator, bowdlerizer; examiner, inspector, editor.
verb
letters home were censored
cut, delete parts of, make cuts in, blue-pencil; edit, expurgate, bowdlerize, sanitize; informal clean up.

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censorious

adjective
hypercritical, overcritical, disapproving, condemnatory, denunciatory, deprecatory, disparaging, reproachful, reproving, censuring, captious; formal castigatory. ANTONYMS :complimentary.

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censure

verb
he was censured for his conduct.
See reprimand verb.
noun
a note of censure
condemnation, criticism, attack, abuse; reprimand, rebuke, admonishment, reproof, reproval, upbraiding, disapproval, reproach, reprehension, obloquy; formal excoriation, castigation; rare objurgation. ANTONYMS :approval.

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central

adjective
occupying a central position
middle, centre, halfway, midway, mid, median, medial, mean; Anatomy mesial.
central London
inner, innermost, middle, mid.
Top
their central campaign issue
main, chief, principal, primary, leading, foremost, first, most important, predominant, dominant, key, crucial, vital, essential, basic, fundamental, core, prime, premier, paramount, major, overriding; informal number-one.
Top
ANTONYMS :side, outer, subordinate.

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centralize

verb
concentrate, consolidate, amalgamate, condense, unify, streamline, focus, rationalize. ANTONYMS :devolve.

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centre

noun
the centre of the town
middle, nucleus, heart, core, hub; middle point, midpoint, halfway point, mean, median. ANTONYMS :edge.

verb
the story centres on a doctor
focus, concentrate, pivot, revolve, be based.

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centrepiece

noun
highlight, main feature, high point/spot, best part, climax; focus of attention, focal point, centre of attention/interest, magnet, cynosure.

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ceramics

plural noun
pottery, pots, china.

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ceremonial

adjective
a ceremonial occasion
formal, official, state, public; ritual, ritualistic, prescribed, stately, courtly, solemn. ANTONYMS :informal.

noun
diplomatic ceremonial
ritual, ceremony, rite, formality, pomp, protocol; formal praxis.

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ceremonious

adjective
dignified, majestic, imposing, impressive, solemn, stately, formal, courtly; regal, imperial, elegant, grand, glorious, splendid, magnificent, resplendent, portentous; informal starchy.

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ceremony

noun
a wedding ceremony
rite, ritual, ceremonial, observance; service, sacrament, liturgy, worship, celebration.
the new Queen was proclaimed with due ceremony
pomp, protocol, formalities, niceties, decorum, etiquette, punctilio, politesse.
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certain

adjective
I'm certain he's guilty
sure, confident, positive, convinced, in no doubt, satisfied, assured, persuaded.
it is certain that more changes are in the offing
unquestionable, sure, definite, beyond question, not in doubt, indubitable, undeniable, irrefutable, indisputable; obvious, evident, recognized, confirmed, accepted, acknowledged, undisputed, undoubted, unquestioned, as sure as eggs is eggs.
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they are certain to win
sure, very likely, bound, destined.
Top
certain defeat
inevitable, assured, destined, predestined; unavoidable, inescapable, inexorable, ineluctable.
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there is no certain cure for this
reliable, dependable, trustworthy, foolproof, tried and tested, effective, guaranteed, sure, unfailing, infallible; informal sure-fire; dated sovereign.
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a certain sum of money
determined, definite, fixed, established, precise.
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a certain lady
particular, specific, individual, special.
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to a certain extent that is true
moderate, modest, medium, middling; limited, small.
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ANTONYMS :doubtful, possible, unlikely.

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certainly

adverb
this is certainly a late work
unquestionably, surely, assuredly, definitely, beyond/without question, without doubt, indubitably, undeniably, irrefutably, indisputably; obviously, patently, evidently, plainly, clearly, unmistakably, undisputedly, undoubtedly, as sure as eggs is eggs.
our revenues are certainly lower
admittedly, without question, definitely, undoubtedly, without a doubt.
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ANTONYMS :possibly.

exclamation
"Shall we eat now?" "Certainly."
yes, definitely, absolutely, sure, by all means, indeed, of course, naturally; affirmative; Brit. dated rather.

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certainty

noun
she knew with certainty that he was telling the truth
confidence, sureness, positiveness, conviction, certitude, assurance.
he accepted defeat as a certainty
inevitability, foregone conclusion; informal sure thing; Brit. informal cert, dead cert.
Top
ANTONYMS :doubt, possibility.

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certificate

noun
guarantee, certification, document, authorization, authentication, credentials, accreditation, licence, diploma.

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certify

verb
the aircraft was certified as airworthy
verify, guarantee, attest, validate, confirm, substantiate, endorse, vouch for, testify to; provide evidence, give proof, prove, demonstrate.
a certified hospital
accredit, recognize, license, authorize, approve, warrant.
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certitude

noun
certainty, confidence, sureness, positiveness, conviction, assurance. ANTONYMS :doubt.

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cessation

noun
end, ending, termination, stopping, halting, ceasing, finish, finishing, stoppage, conclusion, winding up, discontinuation, abandonment, suspension, breaking off, cutting short. ANTONYMS :start, resumption.

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cession

noun
surrender, surrendering, ceding, concession, relinquishment, yielding, giving up; handing over, transfer; abandonment, sacrifice; poetic/literary forsaking.

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chafe

verb
the collar chafed his neck
abrade, graze, rub against, gall, scrape, scratch; Medicine excoriate.
I chafed her feet
rub, warm (up).
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material chafed by the rock
wear away/down, erode, abrade, scour, scrape away.
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the bank chafed at the restrictions
be angry, be annoyed, be irritated, fume, be exasperated, be frustrated.
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chaff 1

noun
separating the chaff from the grain
husks, hulls, pods, shells, bran; N. Amer. shucks.
the proposals were so much chaff
rubbish, dross; N. Amer. garbage, trash; Austral./NZ mullock; informal junk.
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chaff 2

noun
good-natured chaff
banter, repartee, teasing, ragging, joking, jesting, raillery, badinage, wisecracks, witticism(s); informal kidding, ribbing; formal persiflage.
verb
the pleasures of chaffing your mates
tease, make fun of, poke fun at, rag; informal take the mickey out of, rib, josh, kid, have on, pull someone's leg; Brit. informal wind up; N. Amer. informal goof on, rag on, razz; Austral./NZ informal poke mullock at, poke borak at; informal, dated twit; archaic make sport of.

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chagrin

noun
annoyance, irritation, vexation, exasperation, displeasure, dissatisfaction, discontent; anger, rage, fury, wrath, indignation, resentment; embarrassment, mortification, humiliation, shame. ANTONYMS :delight.

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chain

noun
he was held in chains
fetters, shackles, irons, leg-irons, manacles, handcuffs; informal cuffs, bracelets; Brit. archaic, informal darbies; historical bilboes; archaic gyves.
a chain of events
series, succession, string, sequence, train, course.
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a chain of shops
group, multiple shop/store, multiple.
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verb
she chained her bicycle to the railings
secure, fasten, tie, tether, hitch; restrain, shackle, fetter, manacle, handcuff.

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chair

noun
he sat down on a chair
seat.
the chair of the committee.
See chairman.
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a university chair
professorship.
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(N. Amer.) he was sent to the chair
electric chair, electrocution, execution.
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verb
she chairs the economic committee
preside over, take the chair of; lead, direct, run, manage, control, be in charge of.

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chairman chairwoman

noun
chair, chairperson, president, leader, convener; spokesperson, spokesman, spokeswoman.

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chalk

calcareous.
chalk something up
he has chalked up another success
achieve, attain, accomplish, gain, earn, win, succeed in making, make, get, obtain, notch up, rack up.

I forgot completely chalk it up to age
attribute, assign, ascribe, put down; blame on, pin on, lay at the door of.
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chalky

adjective
chalky skin
pale, bloodless, pallid, colourless, wan, ashen, white, pasty.
chalky bits at the bottom of the glass
powdery, gritty, granular; archaic pulverulent.
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challenge

noun
he accepted the challenge
dare, provocation; summons.
a challenge to his leadership
test, questioning, dispute, stand, opposition, confrontation.
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it was proving quite a challenge
problem, difficult task, test, trial.
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verb
we challenged their statistics
question, disagree with, dispute, take issue with, protest against, call into question, object to.
he challenged one of my men to a duel
dare, summon, throw down the gauntlet to.
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changes that would challenge them
test, tax, strain, make demands on; stretch, stimulate, inspire, excite.
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challenging

adjective
demanding, testing, taxing, exacting; stretching, exciting, stimulating, inspiring; difficult, tough, hard, formidable, onerous, arduous, strenuous, gruelling; formal exigent. ANTONYMS :easy, uninspiring.

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chamber

noun
a debating chamber
room, hall, assembly room, auditorium.
(archaic) we slept safely in our chamber
bedroom, room; poetic/literary bower; historical boudoir; archaic bedchamber.
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the left chamber of the heart
compartment, cavity; Anatomy auricle, ventricle.
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champagne

noun
sparkling wine; mousseux, spumante, cava; informal champers, bubbly, fizz.

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champion

noun
the world champion
winner, title-holder, defending champion, gold medallist; prizewinner, victor (ludorum); informal champ, number one.
a champion of change
advocate, proponent, promoter, supporter, defender, upholder, backer, exponent; campaigner, lobbyist, crusader, apologist; N. Amer. booster.
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(historical) the king's champion
knight, man-at-arms, warrior.
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verb
championing the rights of tribal peoples
advocate, promote, defend, uphold, support, back, stand up for, take someone's part; campaign for, lobby for, fight for, crusade for, stick up for. ANTONYMS :oppose.

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chance

noun
there was a chance he might be released
possibility, prospect, probability, likelihood, likeliness, expectation, anticipation; risk, threat, danger.
I gave her a chance to answer
opportunity, opening, occasion, turn, time, window (of opportunity); N. Amer. & Austral./NZ show; informal shot, look-in.
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Nigel took an awful chance
risk, gamble, venture, speculation, long shot, leap in the dark.
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pure chance
accident, coincidence, serendipity, fate, destiny, fortuity, providence, happenstance; good fortune, (good) luck, fluke.
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adjective
a chance discovery
accidental, fortuitous, adventitious, fluky, coincidental, serendipitous; unintentional, unintended, inadvertent, unplanned. ANTONYMS :intentional.

verb
I chanced to meet him
happen.
(informal) she chanced another look
risk, hazard, venture, try; formal essay.
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by chance
fortuitously, by accident, accidentally, coincidentally, serendipitously; unintentionally, i nadvertently. chance on/upon
come across/upon, run across/into, happen on, light on, stumble on, find by chance, meet (by chance); informal bump into; archaic run against.

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chancy

adjective
(informal) risky, unpredictable, uncertain, precarious; unsafe, insecure, tricky, high-risk, hazardous, perilous, parlous; informal dicey, hairy; Brit. informal dodgy. ANTONYMS :predictable.

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change

verb
this could change the face of Britain | things have changed
alter, make/become different, adjust, adapt, amend, modify, revise, refine; reshape, refashion, redesign, restyle, revamp, rework, remodel, reorganize, reorder; vary, transform, transfigure, transmute, metamorphose, evolve; informal tweak; technical permute.
he's changed his job
exchange, substitute, swap, switch, replace, alternate, interchange.
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ANTONYMS :preserve, keep.

noun
a change of plan
alteration, modification, variation, revision, amendment, adjustment, adaptation; remodelling, reshaping, rearrangement, reordering, restyling, reworking; metamorphosis, transformation, evolution, mutation; humorous transmogrification.
a change of government
exchange, substitution, swap, switch, replacement, alternation, interchange.
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I've no change
coins, loose/small change, (hard) cash, silver, coppers, specie.
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have a change of heart. See heart.

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changeable

adjective
the weather will be changeable | changeable moods
variable, inconstant, varying, changing, fluctuating, irregular; erratic, inconsistent, unstable, unsettled, turbulent, changeful, protean; fickle, capricious, temperamental, volatile, mercurial, unpredictable, blowing hot and cold; informal up and down; poetic/literary fluctuant.
the colours are changeable
alterable, adjustable, modifiable, variable, mutable, exchangeable, interchangeable, replaceable.
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ANTONYMS :constant.

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changeless

adjective
unchanging, unvarying, timeless, static, fixed, permanent, constant, unchanged, consistent, uniform, undeviating; stable, steady, unchangeable, unalterable, invariable, immutable. ANTONYMS :variable.

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channel

noun
the English Channel
strait(s), sound, narrows, (sea) passage.
the water ran down a channel
duct, gutter, conduit, trough, culvert, sluice, spillway, race, drain.
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a channel for their extraordinary energy
use, medium, vehicle, way of harnessing; release (mechanism), safety valve, vent.
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a channel of communication
means, medium, instrument, mechanism, agency, vehicle, route, avenue.
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verb
she channelled out a groove
hollow out, gouge (out), cut (out).
many countries channel their aid through charities
convey, transmit, conduct, direct, guide, relay, pass on, transfer.
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chant

noun
the protesters' chants
shout, cry, (rallying) call, slogan.
the melodious chant of the monks
incantation, intonation, singing, song, recitative; rare cantillation.
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verb
protesters were chanting slogans
shout, chorus, repeat.
the choir chanted Psalm 118
sing, intone, incant; rare cantillate.
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chaos

noun
disorder, disarray, disorganization, confusion, mayhem, bedlam, pandemonium, havoc, turmoil, tumult, commotion, disruption, upheaval, uproar; a muddle, a mess, a shambles; anarchy, lawlessness; informal hullabaloo, all hell broken loose. ANTONYMS :order.

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chaotic

adjective
disorderly, disordered, in disorder, in chaos, in disarray, disorganized, topsy-turvy, in pandemonium, in turmoil, in uproar; in a muddle, in a mess, messy, in a shambles; anarchic, lawless; Brit. informal shambolic.

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chap 1

verb
my skin chapped in the wind
become raw, become sore, become inflamed, chafe, crack.

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chap 2

noun
(Brit. informal) he's a nice chap
man, boy, character; informal fellow, guy, geezer; Brit. informal bloke, lad, bod; N. Amer. informal dude, hombre; Brit. informal, dated cove.

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chaperone

noun
Aunt Millie went as chaperone
companion, duenna, escort, protectress, protector, minder.
verb
she was chaperoned by her mother
accompany, escort, attend, watch over, keep an eye on, protect, mind.

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chapter

noun
the first chapter of the book
section, division, part, portion.
a new chapter in our history
period, phase, page, stage, epoch, era.
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(N. Amer.) a local chapter of the American Cancer Society
branch, division, subdivision, section, department, lodge, wing, arm.
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the cathedral chapter
governing body, council, assembly, convocation, synod, consistory.
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char

verb
scorch, burn, singe, sear, blacken; informal toast.

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character

noun
a forceful character | the character of a town
personality, nature, disposition, temperament, temper, mentality, make-up; features, qualities, properties, traits; spirit, essence, identity, ethos, complexion, tone, feel, feeling.
a woman of character
integrity, honour, moral strength/fibre, rectitude, uprightness; fortitude, strength, backbone, resolve, grit, will power; informal guts, gutsiness; Brit. informal bottle.
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a stain on his character
reputation, (good) name, standing, stature, position, status.
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(informal) a bit of a character
eccentric, oddity, madcap, crank, individualist, nonconformist, rare bird; informal oddball; Brit. informal odd bod; informal, dated card, caution.
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a boorish character
person, man, woman, soul, creature, individual, customer; informal cookie; Brit. informal bod, guy; informal, dated body, dog.
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the characters develop throughout the play
persona, role, pa rt; (characters) dramatis personae.
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thirty characters
letter, figure, symbol, sign, mark.
Top

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characteristic

noun
interesting characteristics
attribute, feature, (essential) quality, property, trait, aspect, element, facet; mannerism, habit, custom, idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, quirk, oddity, foible.
adjective
his characteristic eloquence
typical, usual, normal, predictable, habitual; distinctive, particular, special, especial, peculiar, idiosyncratic, singular, unique.

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characterize

verb
the period was characterized by scientific advancement
distinguish, make distinctive, mark, typify, set apart.
the women are characterized as prophets of doom
portray, depict, present, represent, describe; categorize, class, style, brand.
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charade

noun
farce, pantomime, travesty, mockery, parody, act, masquerade.

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charge

verb
he didn't charge much
ask (in payment), levy, demand, exact; bill, invoice.
the subscription will be charged to your account
bill, debit from, take from.
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two men were charged with affray
accuse, indict, arraign; prosecute, try, put on trial; N. Amer. impeach; archaic inculpate.
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they charged him with reforming the system
entrust, burden, encumber, saddle, tax.
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the cavalry charged the tanks
attack, storm, assault, assail, fall on, swoop on, descend on; informal lay into, tear into.
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we charged into the crowd
rush, storm, stampede, push, plough, launch oneself, go headlong; informal steam; N. Amer. informal barrel.
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charge your glasses! | the guns were charged
fill (up), top up; load (up), arm, prepare to fire.
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his work was charged with energy
suffuse, pervade, permeate, saturate, infuse, imbue, fill.
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I charge you to stop
order, command, direct, instruct, enjoin; formal adjure; poetic/literary bid.
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noun
all customers pay a charge
fee, payment, price, tariff, amount, sum, fare, levy.
he pleaded guilty to the charge
accusation, allegation, indictment, arraignment; N. Amer. impeachment; archaic inculpation.
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an infantry charge
attack, assault, offensive, onslaught, drive, push, thrust.
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the child was in her charge
care, protection, safe keeping, control; custody, guardianship, wardship; hands; archaic ward.
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his charge was to save the business
duty, responsibility, task, job, assignment, mission, function; Brit. informal pigeon.
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the safety of my charge
ward, protégé, dependant.
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the judge gave a careful charge to the jury
instruction, direction, directive, order, command, dictate, exhortation.
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(N. Amer. informal) I get a real charge out of working hard
thrill, tingle, glow; excitement, stimulation, enjoyment, pleasure; informal kick, buzz.
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in charge of
responsible for, in control of, at the helm/wheel of; managing, running, administering, directing, supervising, overseeing, controlling; informal running the show.

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charisma

noun
charm, presence, (force of) personality, strength of character; (animal) magnetism, attractiveness, appeal, allure.

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charismatic

adjective
charming, fascinating, strong in character; magnetic, captivating, beguiling, attractive, appealing, alluring.

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charitable

adjective
charitable activities
philanthropic, humanitarian, altruistic, benevolent, public-spirited; non-profit-making; formal eleemosynary.
charitable people
big-hearted, generous, open-handed, free-handed, munificent, bountiful, beneficent; poetic/literary bounteous.
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he was charitable in his judgements
magnanimous, generous, liberal, tolerant, easy-going, broad-minded, considerate, sympathetic, lenient, indulgent, forgiving.
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charity

noun
an AIDS charity
non-profit-making organization, voluntary organization, charitable institution; fund, trust, foundation.
we don't need charity
financial assistance, aid, welfare, (financial) relief; handouts, gifts, presents, largesse; historical alms.
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his actions are motivated by charity
philanthropy, humanitarianism, humanity, altruism, public-spiritedness, social conscience, benevolence, beneficence, munificence.
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show a bit of charity
goodwill, compassion, consideration, concern, kindness, kind-heartedness, tenderness, tender-heartedness, sympathy, indulgence, tolerance, leniency, caritas; poetic/literary bounteousness.
Top

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charlatan

noun
quack, mountebank, sham, fraud, fake, impostor, hoodwinker, hoaxer, cheat, deceiver, double-dealer, (confidence) trickster, swindler, fraudster; informal phoney, shark, con man/artist, flimflammer; Brit. informal twister; N. Amer. informal bunco artist, gold brick, chiseller; Austral. informal magsman, illywhacker; dated confidence man/woman.

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charm

noun
people were captivated by her charm
attractiveness, beauty, glamour, loveliness; appeal, allure, desirability, seductiveness, sexual/animal magnetism, charisma; informal pulling power.
these traditions retain a lot of charm
appeal, drawing power, attraction, allure, fascination.
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magical charms
spell, incantation, conjuration, rune, magic formula/word; N. Amer. mojo, hex.
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a lucky charm
talisman, fetish, amulet, mascot, totem, juju; archaic periapt.
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verb
he charmed them with his singing
delight, please, win (over), attract, captivate, allure, lure, dazzle, fascinate, enchant, enthral, enrapture, seduce, spellbind.
he charmed his mother into agreeing
coax, cajole, wheedle; informal sweet-talk, soft-soap; archaic blandish.
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charming

adjective
delightful, pleasing, pleasant, agreeable, likeable, endearing, lovely, lovable, adorable, appealing, attractive, good-looking, prepossessing; alluring, delectable, ravishing, winning, winsome, fetching, captivating, enchanting, entrancing, fascinating, seductive; informal heavenly, divine, gorgeous, easy on the eye; Brit. informal smashing; poetic/literary beauteous; archaic fair, comely. ANTONYMS :repulsive.

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chart

noun
check your ideal weight on the chart
graph, table, diagram, histogram; bar chart, pie chart, flow chart; Computing graphic.
the pop charts
top twenty, list, listing; dated hit parade.
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verb
the changes were charted accurately
tabulate, plot, graph, record, register, represent; make a chart/diagram of.
the book charted his progress
follow, trace, outline, describe, detail, record, document, chronicle, log.
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charter

noun
a Royal charter
authority, authorization, sanction, dispensation, consent, permission; permit, licence, warrant, franchise.
the UN Charter
constitution, code, canon; fundamental principles, rules, laws.
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the charter of a yacht
hire, hiring, lease, leasing, rent, rental, renting; booking, reservation, reserving.
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verb
they chartered a bus
hire, lease, rent; book, reserve.

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chary

adjective
wary, cautious, circumspect, heedful, careful, on one's guard; distrustful, mistrustful, sceptical, suspicious, dubious, hesitant, reluctant, leery, nervous, apprehensive, uneasy; informal cagey, iffy.

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chase 1

verb
the dogs chased the fox
pursue, run after, give chase to, follow; hunt, track, trail; informal tail.
chasing young girls
woo, pursue, run after, make advances to, flirt with, pay court to; informal chat up, come on to; dated court, romance, set one's cap at, make love to.
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she chased away the donkeys
drive, send, scare; informal send packing.
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she chased away all thoughts of him
dispel, banish, dismiss, drive away, shut out, put out of one's mind.
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photographers chased on to the runway
rush, dash, race, speed, streak, shoot, charge, scramble, scurry, hurry, fly, pelt; informal scoot, belt, tear, zip, whip; N. Amer. informal boogie, hightail, clip; archaic hie.
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noun
they gave up the chase
pursuit, hunt, trail.
chase someone/something up
pester, harass, harry, nag; seek out, find, go after; informal hassle.

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chase 2

verb
the figures are chased on the dish
engrave, etch, carve, inscribe, cut, chisel.

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chasm

noun
a deep chasm
gorge, abyss, canyon, ravine, gully, gulf, defile, couloir, crevasse, fissure, crevice; N. Amer. gulch, coulee.
the chasm between their views
breach, gulf, rift; difference, separation, division, dissension, schism, scission.
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chassis

noun
framework, frame, structure, substructure, shell, casing, bodywork, body.

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chaste

adjective
chaste girlhood
virginal, virgin, intact, maidenly, unmarried, unwed; celibate, abstinent, self-restrained, self-denying, continent; innocent, virtuous, pure (as the driven snow), sinless, undefiled, unsullied; Christianity immaculate; poetic/literary vestal.
a chaste kiss on the cheek
non-sexual, platonic, innocent.
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the dark, chaste interior
plain, simple, bare, unadorned, undecorated, unornamented, unembellished, functional, no-frills, austere.
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ANTONYMS :promiscuous, passionate.

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chasten

verb
both men were chastened
subdue, humble, cow, squash, deflate, flatten, take down a peg or two, put someone in their place; informal cut down to size, settle someone's hash.
(archaic) the Heaven that chastens us.
See chastise sense 1.
Top

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chastise

verb
the staff were chastised for arriving late
scold, upbraid, berate, reprimand, reprove, rebuke, admonish, chide, censure, lambaste, lecture, give someone a piece of one's mind, take to task, haul over the coals; informal tell off, dress down, bawl out, blow up at, give someone an earful, give someone a roasting, come down on someone like a ton of bricks, have someone's guts for garters, slap someone's wrist, rap over the knuckles, give someone hell; Brit. informal carpet, tick off, have a go at, tear someone off a strip, give someone what for, give someone a rocket; N. Amer. informal chew out, ream out; Austral. informal monster; dated give someone a rating; formal castigate; archaic chasten; rare reprehend, objurgate.
(dated) her mistress chastised her with a whip.
See beat verb sense 1.
Top
ANTONYMS :praise.

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chastity

noun
celibacy, chasteness, virginity, abstinence, self-restraint, self-denial, continence; singleness, maidenhood; innocence, purity, virtue, morality; Christianity immaculateness.

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chat

noun
I popped in for a chat
talk, conversation, gossip, chatter, heart-to-heart, tête-à-tête, blather; informal jaw, gas, confab; Brit. informal natter, chinwag, rabbit; N. Amer. informal rap, bull session; formal confabulation, colloquy.
verb
they chatted with their guests
talk, gossip, chatter, speak, converse, engage in conversation, tittle-tattle, prattle, jabber, babble; informal gas, jaw, chew the rag/fat, yap, yak, yabber, yatter, yammer; Brit. informal natter, rabbit, chunter, have a chinwag; N. Amer. informal shoot the breeze/bull, visit; Austral./NZ informal mag; formal confabulate; archaic clack.
chat someone up (informal)
flirt with, make advances to; informal come on to; dated make love to, set one's cap at, romance.

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chatter

noun
she tired him with her chatter
chat, talk, gossip, chit-chat, patter, jabbering, jabber, prattling, prattle, babbling, babble, tittle-tattle, blathering, blather; informal yabbering, yammering, yattering, yapping, jawing, chewing the rag/fat; Brit. informal nattering, chuntering, rabbiting on; formal confabulation, colloquy; archaic clack.
verb
they chattered excitedly.
See chat verb.

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chatterbox

noun
(informal) talker, chatterer, prattler; N. Amer. blatherskite; informal windbag, gasbag, blabbermouth; Brit. informal natterer.

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chatty

adjective
he was a chatty person
talkative, communicative, expansive, unreserved, gossipy, gossiping, garrulous, loquacious, voluble, verbose; informal mouthy, gabby, gassy; Brit. informal able to talk the hind legs off a donkey.
a chatty letter
conversational, gossipy, informal, casual, familiar, friendly; informal newsy.
Top
ANTONYMS :taciturn.

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chauvinist

adjective
chauvinist sentiments
jingoistic, chauvinistic, excessively patriotic, excessively nationalistic, flag-waving, xenophobic, racist, racialist, ethnocentric; sexist, male chauvinist, anti-feminist, misogynist, woman-hating.
noun
he's a chauvinist
sexist, anti-feminist, misogynist, woman-hater; informal male chauvinist pig, MCP.

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cheap

adjective
cheap tickets
inexpensive, low-priced, low-cost, economical, competitive, affordable, reasonable, reasonably priced, budget, economy, bargain, cut-price, reduced, discounted, discount, rock-bottom, giveaway, bargain-basement; informal dirt cheap.
plain without looking cheap
poor-quality, second-rate, third-rate, substandard, low-grade, inferior, vulgar, shoddy, trashy, tawdry, meretricious, cheap and nasty, cheapjack, gimcrack, Brummagem, pinchbeck; informal rubbishy, cheapo, junky, tacky, kitsch; Brit. informal naff, duff, ropy, grotty; N. Amer. informal two-bit, dime-store.
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the cheap exploitation of suffering
despicable, contemptible, immoral, unscrupulous, unprincipled, unsavoury, distasteful, vulgar, ignoble, shameful; archaic scurvy.
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he made me feel cheap
ashamed, humiliated, mortified, debased, degraded.
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(N. Amer. informal) he made the other guests look cheap.
See mean2 sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :expensive.

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cheapen

verb
cheapening the cost of exports
reduce, lower (in price), cut, mark down, discount; informal slash.
Hetty never cheapened herself
demean, debase, degrade, lower, humble, devalue, abase, discredit, disgrace, dishonour, shame, humiliate, mortify, prostitute.
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cheat

verb
customers were cheated
swindle, defraud, deceive, trick, dupe, hoodwink, double-cross, gull; informal diddle, rip off, con, fleece, shaft, sting, bilk, rook, gyp, finagle, flimflam, put one over on, pull a fast one on; N. Amer. informal sucker, gold-brick, stiff; Austral. informal pull a swifty on; formal mulct; poetic/literary cozen; archaic chicane.
she cheated Ryan out of his fortune
deprive of, deny, prevent from gaining; informal do out of.
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the boy cheated death
avoid, escape, evade, elude; foil, frustrate, thwart.
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cheating husbands
commit adultery, be unfaithful, stray; informal two-time, play about/around; Brit. informal play away.
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noun
a liar and a cheat
swindler, cheater, fraudster, (confidence) trickster, deceiver, hoaxer, hoodwinker, double-dealer, double-crosser, sham, fraud, fake, charlatan, quack, mountebank; informal con man/artist, shark, sharper, phoney, flimflammer; Brit. i nformal twister; N. Amer. informal grifter, bunco artist, gold brick, chiseller; Austral. informal magsman, illywhacker; dated confidence man, confidence woman.
a sure cheat for generating cash
swindle, fraud, deception, deceit, hoax, sham, trick, ruse; informal con.
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check

verb
troops checked all vehicles | I checked her background
examine, inspect, look at/over, scrutinize, survey; study, investigate, research, probe, look into, enquire into; informal check out, give something a/the once-over.
he checked that the gun was cocked
make sure, confirm, verify.
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two defeats checked their progress
halt, stop, arrest, cut short; bar, obstruct, hamper, impede, inhibit, frustrate, foil, thwart, curb, block, stall, hold up, retard, delay, slow down; poetic/literary stay.
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her tears could not be checked
suppress, repress, restrain, control, curb, rein in, stifle, hold back, choke back; informal keep a lid on.
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noun
a check of the records
examination, inspection, scrutiny, scrutinization, perusal, study, investigation, probe, analysis; test, trial, monitoring; check-up; informal once-over, look-see.
a check on the abuse of authority
control, restraint, constraint, curb, limitation.
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(N. Amer.) the waitress arr ived with the check
bill, account, invoice, statement; N. Amer. informal tab; archaic reckoning.
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check in
report (one's arrival), book in, register. check out
leave, vacate, depart; pay the bill, settle up. check something out (informal)
the police checked out dozens of leads
investigate, look into, enquire into, probe, research, examine, go over; assess, weigh up, analyse, evaluate; follow up; informal give something a/the once-over; N. Amer. informal scope out.

she checked herself out in the mirror
look at, survey, regard, inspect, contemplate; informal have a gander/squint at; Brit. informal have a dekko/butcher's at, clock; N. Amer. informal eyeball.
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keep something in check
curb, restrain, hold back, keep a tight rein on, rein in/back; control, govern, master, suppress, stifle; informal keep a lid on.

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check-up

noun
examination, inspection, evaluation, analysis, survey, probe, test, appraisal; check, health check; informal once-over, going-over.

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cheek

noun
that's enough of your cheek!
impudence, impertinence, insolence, cheekiness, presumption, effrontery, gall, pertness, impoliteness, disrespect, bad manners, overfamiliarity, cockiness; answering back, talking back; informal brass (neck), lip, mouth, chutzpah; Brit. informal sauce, backchat; N. Amer. informal sass, sassiness, nerviness, back talk; archaic assumption.
verb
they were cheeking the dinner lady
answer back, talk back, be cheeky, be impertinent; Brit. informal backchat; N. Amer. informal sass, be sassy.

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cheeky

adjective
impudent, impertinent, insolent, presumptuous, forward, pert, bold (as brass), brazen, cocky, overfamiliar, discourteous, disrespectful, impolite, bad-mannered; informal brass-necked, lippy, mouthy, fresh, saucy; N. Amer. informal sassy, nervy; archaic assumptive. ANTONYMS :respectful, polite.

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cheep

verb
chirp, chirrup, twitter, tweet, peep, chitter, chirr, trill, warble, sing.

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cheer

noun
the cheers of the crowd
hurrah, hurray, whoop, bravo, shout; hosanna, alleluia; (cheers) acclaim, acclamation, clamour, applause, ovation.
a time of cheer
happiness, joy, joyousness, cheerfulness, cheeriness, gladness, merriment, gaiety, jubilation, jollity, jolliness, high spirits, joviality, jocularity, conviviality, light-heartedness; merrymaking, pleasure, rejoicing, revelry.
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Christmas cheer
fare, food, foodstuffs, eatables, provender; drink, beverages; informal eats, nibbles, nosh, grub, chow; Brit. informal scoff; dated victuals; formal comestibles; poetic/literary viands.
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ANTONYMS :boo, sadness.

verb
they cheered their team
acclaim, hail, salute, shout for, hurrah, hurray, applaud, clap, put one's hands together for; bring the house down; informal holler for, give someone a big hand; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo.
the bad weather did little to cheer me
raise someone's spirits, make happier, brighten, buoy up, enliven, exhilarate, hearten, gladden, uplift, perk up, encourage, inspirit; informal buck up.
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ANTONYMS :boo, depress.

cheer someone on
encourage, urge on, spur on, drive on, motivate, inspire, fire (up), inspirit; N. Amer. light a fire under. cheer up
perk up, brighten (up), become more cheerful, liven up, rally, revive, bounce back, take heart; informal buck up. cheer someone up. See cheer verb sense 2.

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cheerful

adjective
he arrived looking cheerful
happy, jolly, merry, bright, glad, sunny, joyful, joyous, light-hearted, in good/high spirits, full of the joys of spring, sparkling, bubbly, exuberant, buoyant, ebullient, cock-a-hoop, elated, gleeful, breezy, cheery, jaunty, animated, radiant, smiling; jovial, genial, good-humoured; carefree, unworried, untroubled, without a care in the world; informal upbeat, chipper, chirpy, peppy, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of beans; dated gay; formal jocund; poetic/literary gladsome, blithe, blithesome.
a cheerful room
pleasant, attractive, agreeable, cheering, bright, sunny, happy, friendly, welcoming.
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ANTONYMS :sad.

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cheerio

exclamation
(Brit. informal) goodbye, farewell, adieu, au revoir, ciao, adios, auf Wiedersehen, sayonara; Austral./NZ hooray; informal bye, bye-bye, so long, see you (later), later(s); Brit. informal cheers, ta-ta, ta-ra; informal, dated pip pip, toodle-oo.

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cheerless

adjective
gloomy, dreary, dull, dismal, bleak, drab, sombre, dark, dim, dingy, funereal; austere, stark, bare, comfortless, unwelcoming, uninviting; miserable, wretched, joyless, depressing, disheartening, dispiriting.

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cheers

exclamation
(informal) he raised his glass and said "Cheers!"
here's to you, good health, your health, skol, prosit, salut; informal bottoms up, down the hatch; Brit. informal here's mud in your eye; Brit. informal, dated cheerio, chin-chin.
(Brit. informal) cheers, see you later!
See cheerio.
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(Brit. informal) cheers, mate
(many) thanks, thanks a lot, thank you (kindly), much obliged; informal thanks a million; Brit. informal ta.
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cheery

adjective
. See cheerful sense 1.

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chef

noun
cook, cordon bleu cook, food preparer; chef de cuisine, chef de partie; pastry cook, saucier; N. Amer. informal short-order cook.

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chef-d'œuvre

noun
masterpiece, masterwork, finest work, magnum opus, pièce de résistance, tour de force.

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chequered

adjective
a chequered tablecloth
checked, multicoloured, many-coloured.
a chequered history
varied, mixed, full of ups and downs, vicissitudinous; unstable, irregular, erratic, inconstant; informal up and down.
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cherish

verb
a woman he could cherish
adore, hold dear, love, dote on, be devoted to, revere, esteem, admire; think the world of, set great store by, hold in high esteem; care for, look after, protect, preserve, keep safe.
I cherish her letters
treasure, prize, value highly, hold dear.
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they cherished dreams of glory
harbour, entertain, possess, hold (on to), cling to, keep in one's mind, foster, nurture.
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cherub

noun
she was borne up to heaven by cherubs
angel, seraph.
a cherub of 18 months
baby, infant, toddler; pretty/loveable child, innocent child, little angel; informal (tiny) tot, tiny; poetic/literary babe (in arms).
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cherubic

adjective
angelic, sweet, cute, adorable, appealing, loveable; innocent, seraphic, saintly.

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chest

noun
a bullet wound in the chest
breast, upper body, torso, trunk; technical thorax.
a large chest
bust, bosom; archaic embonpoint.
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an oak chest
box, case, casket, crate, trunk, coffer, strongbox.
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pectoral, thoracic.
get something off one's chest (informal)
confess, disclose, divulge, reveal, make known, make public, make a clean breast of, bring into the open, tell all about, get a load off one's mind.

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chew

verb
Carolyn chewed a mouthful of toast
masticate, munch, champ, crunch, nibble, gnaw, eat, consume; formal manducate.
chew something over
meditate on, ruminate on, think about/over/through, mull over, consider, weigh up, ponder on, deliberate on, reflect on, muse on, dwell on, give thought to, turn over in one's mind; brood over, puzzle over, rack one's brains about; N. Amer. think on; informal kick around/about, bat around/about; formal cogitate about; archaic pore on. chew the fat/rag (informal). See chat verb.

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chic

adjective
stylish, smart, elegant, sophisticated, dressy, dapper, dashing, trim; fashionable, high-fashion, in vogue, up to date, up to the minute, contemporary, à la mode; informal trendy, with it, snappy, snazzy, natty, swish; N. Amer. informal fly, spiffy, kicky, tony. ANTONYMS :unfashionable.

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chicanery

noun
trickery, deception, deceit, deceitfulness, duplicity, dishonesty, deviousness, unscrupulousness, underhandedness, subterfuge, fraud, fraudulence, sharp practice, skulduggery, swindling, cheating, duping, hoodwinking; informal crookedness, monkey business, hanky-panky, shenanigans; Brit. informal jiggery-pokery; N. Amer. informal monkeyshines; archaic management, knavery.

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chide

verb
scold, chastise, upbraid, berate, reprimand, reprove, rebuke, admonish, censure, lambaste, lecture, give someone a piece of one's mind, take to task, haul over the coals; informal tell off, dress down, bawl out, blow up at, give someone an earful, give someone a roasting, come down on someone like a ton of bricks, have someone's guts for garters, slap someone's wrist, rap over the knuckles, give someone hell; Brit. informal carpet, tick off, have a go at, tear someone off a strip, give someone what for, give someone a rocket; N. Amer. informal chew out, ream out; Austral. informal monster; formal castigate; dated give someone a rating; archaic chasten; rare reprehend, objurgate. ANTONYMS :praise.

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chief

noun
a Highland chief
leader, chieftain, head, headman, ruler, overlord, master, commander, seigneur, liege (lord), potentate.
the chief of the central bank
head, principal, chief executive, president, chair, chairman, chairwoman, chairperson, governor, director, manager, manageress; employer, proprietor; N. Amer. chief executive officer, CEO; informal skipper, numero uno, (head) honcho, boss; Brit. informal gaffer, guv'nor; N. Amer. informal padrone, sachem.
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adjective
the chief rabbi
head, leading, principal, premier, highest, foremost, supreme, arch.
their chief aim
main, principal, most important, primary, prime, first, cardinal, central, key, crucial, essential, predominant, pre-eminent, paramount, overriding; informal number-one.
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arch-. ANTONYMS :subordinate, minor.

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chiefly

adverb
mainly, in the main, primarily, principally, predominantly, mostly, for the most part; usually, habitually, typically, commonly, generally, on the whole, largely, by and large, as a rule, almost always.

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child

noun
youngster, little one, boy, girl; baby, newborn, infant, toddler; schoolboy, schoolgirl, minor, junior; son, daughter, descendant; (children) offspring, progeny; Scottish & N. English bairn, laddie, lassie, lass; informal kid, kiddie, kiddiewink, nipper, tiny, (tiny) tot, shaver, young 'un, lad; Brit. informal sprog; N. Amer. informal rug rat; Austral./NZ informal ankle-biter; derogatory brat, guttersnipe; poetic/literary babe (in arms). paedo-.

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childbirth

noun
labour, delivery, giving birth, birthing; formal parturition; dated confinement; poetic/literary travail; archaic lying-in, accouchement, childbed. obstetric, puerperal.

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childhood

noun
youth, early years/life, infancy, babyhood, boyhood, girlhood, pre-teens, pre-pubescence, minority; the springtime of life, one's salad days; formal nonage, juvenescence. ANTONYMS :adulthood.

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childish

adjective
childish behaviour
immature, babyish, infantile, juvenile, puerile; silly, inane, jejune, foolish, irresponsible.
a round childish face
childlike, youthful, young, young-looking, girlish, boyish.
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ANTONYMS :mature, adult.

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childlike

adjective
grandmother looked almost childlike
youthful, young, young-looking, girlish, boyish.
geniuses tend to be rather childlike
innocent, artless, guileless, unworldly, unsophisticated, naive, ingenuous, trusting, unsuspicious, unwary, credulous, gullible; unaffected, without airs, uninhibited, natural, spontaneous; informal wet behind the ears.
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chill

noun
a chill in the air
coldness, chilliness, coolness, iciness, rawness, bitterness, nip.
he had a chill
cold, dose of flu/influenza; archaic grippe.
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the chill in their relations
unfriendliness, lack of warmth/understanding, chilliness, coldness, coolness.
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ANTONYMS :warmth.

verb
the dessert is best chilled
make cold, make colder, cool (down/off); refrigerate, ice.
his quiet tone chilled Ruth
scare, frighten, petrify, terrify, alarm; make someone's blood run cold, chill to the bone/marrow, make someone's flesh crawl; informal scare the pants off; Brit. informal put the wind up; archaic affright.
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ANTONYMS :warm.

adjective
a chill wind
cold, chilly, cool, fresh; wintry, frosty, icy, ice-cold, icy-cold, glacial, polar, arctic, raw, bitter, bitterly cold, biting, freezing, frigid, gelid; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky.
chill out (N. Amer. informal) a place to chill out.
See relax sense 1.

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chilly

adjective
the weather had turned chilly
cold, cool, crisp, fresh, wintry, frosty, icy, ice-cold, icy-cold, chill, glacial, polar, arctic, raw, bitter, bitterly cold, freezing, frigid, gelid; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky.
I woke up feeling chilly
cold, frozen (stiff), frozen to the marrow/core/bone, freezing (cold), bitterly cold, shivery, chilled.
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a chilly reception
unfriendly, unwelcoming, cold, cool, frosty, gelid; informal stand-offish, offish.
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ANTONYMS :warm.

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chime

verb
the bells began to chime
ring, peal, toll, sound; ding, dong, clang, boom; poetic/literary knell.
the clock chimed eight o'clock
strike, sound.
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noun
the chimes of the bells
peal, pealing, ringing, carillon, toll, tolling; ding-dong, clanging, tintinnabulation; poetic/literary knell.
chime in
"Yes, you do that," Doreen chimed in
interject, interpose, interrupt, butt in, cut in, join in; Brit. informal chip in.

his remarks chimed in with the ideas of Adam Smith
accord, correspond, be consistent, be compatible, agree, be in agreement, fit in, be in tune, be consonant; informal square.
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chimera

noun
illusion, fantasy, delusion, dream, fancy.

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chimney

noun
stack, smokestack; flue, funnel, vent.

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china

noun
a china cup
porcelain.
a table laid with the best china
dishes, plates, cups and saucers, crockery, tableware, dinner service, tea service.
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chink 1

noun
a chink in the curtains
opening, gap, space, hole, aperture, crack, fissure, crevice, cranny, cleft, split, slit, slot.

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chink 2

verb
the glasses chinked
jingle, jangle, clink, tinkle.

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chip

noun
wood chips
fragment, sliver, splinter, spell, shaving, paring, flake.
a chip in the glass
nick, crack, scratch; flaw, fault.
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fish and chips
chipped potatoes, potato chips; Brit. French fried potatoes; N. Amer. French fries.
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gambling chips
counter, token, jetton; N. Amer. check.
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verb
the teacup was chipped
nick, crack, scratch; damage.
the plaster had chipped
break (off), crack, crumble.
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chip the flint to the required shape
whittle, hew, chisel.
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chip in
"He's right," Gloria chipped in
interrupt, interject, interpose, cut in, chime in, butt in.

parents and staff chipped in to raise the cash
contribute, make a contribution/donation, club together, pay; informal fork out, shell out, cough up; Brit. informal stump up; N. Amer. informal kick in.
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chirp

verb
tweet, twitter, chirrup, cheep, peep, chitter, chirr; sing, warble, trill.

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chirpy

adjective
(informal) a chirpy mood.
See cheerful sense 2.

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chit-chat

noun
(informal) small talk, chat, chatting, chatter, prattle; Brit. informal nattering, chuntering.

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chivalrous

adjective
his chivalrous treatment of women
gallant, gentlemanly, honourable, respectful, considerate; courteous, polite, gracious, well mannered, mannerly; archaic gentle.
chivalrous pursuits
knightly, noble, chivalric; brave, courageous, bold, valiant, valorous, heroic, daring, intrepid.
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ANTONYMS :rude, cowardly.

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chivalry

noun
acts of chivalry
gallantry, gentlemanliness, considerateness; courtesy, courteousness, politeness, graciousness, mannerliness, good manners.
the values of chivalry
knight errantry, courtly manners, knightliness, courtliness, nobility; bravery, courage, boldness, valour, heroism, daring, intrepidity.
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ANTONYMS :rudeness.

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chivvy

verb
nag, badger, hound, harass, harry, pester, keep on at, go on at; informal hassle, bug, breathe down someone's neck; N. Amer. informal ride.

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choice

noun
their choice of candidate | freedom of choice
selection, election, choosing, picking; decision, say, vote.
you have no other choice
option, alternative, possible course of action.
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an extensive choice of wines
range, variety, selection, assortment.
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the perfect choice
appointee, nominee, candidate, selection.
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adjective
choice plums
superior, first-class, first-rate, prime, premier, grade A, best, finest, excellent, select, quality, high-quality, top, top-quality, high-grade, prize, fine, special; hand-picked, carefully chosen; informal tip-top, A1, top-notch.
a few choice words
rude, abusive, insulting, offensive.
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ANTONYMS :inferior.

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choir

noun
singers, chorus, chorale. choral.

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choke

verb
Christopher started to choke
gag, retch, cough, fight for breath.
thick dust choked her
suffocate, asphyxiate, smother, stifle.
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she had been choked to death
strangle, throttle; asphyxiate, suffocate; informal strangulate.
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the guttering was choked with leaves
clog (up), bung up, stop up, block, obstruct, plug; technical occlude.
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choke something back
suppress, hold back, fight back, bite back, swallow, check, restrain, control, repress, smother, stifle; informal keep a/the lid on.

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choleric

adjective
bad-tempered, irascible, irritable, grumpy, grouchy, crotchety, tetchy, testy, crusty, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, ill-tempered, peevish, cross, fractious, crabbed, crabby, waspish, prickly, peppery, touchy, short-tempered; informal snappish, snappy, chippy, short-fused; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, narky, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery, soreheaded; Austral./NZ informal snaky. ANTONYMS :good-natured, affable.

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choose

verb
we chose a quiet country hotel
select, pick (out), opt for, plump for, settle on, decide on, fix on; appoint, name, nominate, vote for.
I'll stay as long as I choose
wish, want, desire, feel/be inclined, please, like, see fit.
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choosy

adjective
(informal) fussy, finicky, fastidious, over-particular, difficult/hard to please, exacting, demanding; informal picky, pernickety; N. Amer. informal persnickety; archaic nice.

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chop

verb
chop the potatoes into pieces
cut up, cut into pieces, chop up, cube, dice; N. Amer. hash.
chopping wood
chop up, cut up, cut into pieces, hew, split.
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four fingers were chopped off
sever, cut off, hack off, slice off, lop off, saw off, shear off.
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they chopped down large areas of rainforest
cut down, fell, hack down.
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(informal) their training courses were chopped
reduce drastically, cut; abolish, axe, scrap; informal slash.
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the chop (Brit. informal)
notice; informal the sack, the boot, the elbow, the push, one's marching orders; Brit. informal one's cards.

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chopper

noun
(Brit.) axe, cleaver, hatchet.

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choppy

adjective
rough, turbulent, heavy, heaving, stormy, tempestuous, squally. ANTONYMS :calm.

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chore

noun
task, job, duty, errand; (domestic) work.

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chortle

verb
chuckle, laugh, giggle, titter, tee-hee, snigger.

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chorus

noun
the chorus sang powerfully
choir, ensemble, choral group, choristers, (group of) singers.
they sang the chorus
refrain.
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in chorus
in unison, together, simultaneously, as one; in concert, in harmony.

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Christ

noun
Jesus (Christ), the Messiah, the Son of God, the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace, the Nazarene, the Galilean.

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christen

verb
she was christened Sara
baptize, name, give the name of, call.
a group who were christened "The Magic Circle"
call, name, dub, style, term, designate, label, nickname, give the name of; formal denominate.
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Christmas

noun
Noel; informal Xmas; Brit. informal Chrimbo, Chrissie; archaic Yule, Yuletide.

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chronic

adjective
a chronic illness
persistent, long-standing, long-term; incurable.
chronic economic problems
constant, continuing, ceaseless, unabating, unending, persistent, long-lasting; severe, serious, acute, grave, dire.
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a chronic liar
inveterate, hardened, dyed-in-the-wool, incorrigible; compulsive; informal pathological.
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(Brit. informal) the film was chronic.
See substandard.
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ANTONYMS :acute, temporary.

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chronicle

noun
a chronicle of the region's past
record, written account, history, annals, archive(s); log, diary, journal.
verb
the events that followed have been chronicled
record, put on record, write down, set down, document, register, report.

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chronicler

noun
annalist, historian, archivist, diarist, recorder, reporter.

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chronological

adjective
sequential, consecutive, in sequence, in order (of time).

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chubby

adjective
plump, tubby, fat, rotund, portly, dumpy, chunky, well upholstered, well covered, well rounded; informal roly-poly, pudgy, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy; N. Amer. informal zaftig, corn-fed; archaic pursy. ANTONYMS :skinny.

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chuck

verb
(informal) he chucked the letter onto the table
throw, toss, fling, hurl, pitch, cast, lob; informal sling, bung, buzz; Austral. informal hoy; NZ informal bish.
I chucked the rubbish
throw away/out, discard, dispose of, get rid of, dump, bin, scrap, jettison; informal ditch, junk; N. Amer. informal trash.
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I've chucked my job
give up, leave, resign from; informal quit, pack in; Brit. informal jack in.
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Mary chucked him for another guy
leave, throw over, finish with, break off with, jilt; informal dump, ditch, give someone the elbow; Brit. informal give someone the push, give someone the big E.
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chuckle

verb
chortle, giggle, titter, tee-hee, snicker, snigger.

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chum

noun
(informal) friend, companion, intimate; playmate, classmate, schoolmate, workmate; informal pal, spar, crony; Brit. informal mate, oppo, china, mucker; N. Amer. informal buddy, amigo, compadre, homeboy. ANTONYMS :enemy, stranger.

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chummy

adjective
(informal) friendly, on good terms, close, familiar, intimate; informal thick, matey, pally, buddy-buddy, palsy-walsy.

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chunk

noun
lump, hunk, wedge, block, slab, square, nugget, brick, cube, bar, cake; informal wodge; N. Amer. informal gob.

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chunky

adjective
a chunky young man
stocky, sturdy, thickset, heavily built, well built, burly, bulky, brawny, solid, heavy; Austral./NZ nuggety; Brit. informal fubsy.
a chunky sweater
thick, bulky, heavy-knit.
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ANTONYMS :slight, light.

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church

noun
a village church
place of worship, house of God; cathedral, minster, abbey, chapel, basilica; Scottish & N. English kirk.
the Methodist Church
denomination, sect, creed; faith.
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ecclesiastical.

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churchyard

noun
graveyard, cemetery, necropolis, burial ground, garden of remembrance; Scottish kirkyard; N. Amer. memorial park; archaic God's acre.

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churlish

adjective
rude, ill-mannered, ill-bred, discourteous, impolite, unmannerly, uncivil, unchivalrous; inconsiderate, uncharitable, surly, sullen; informal ignorant. ANTONYMS :polite.

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churn

verb
village girls churned the milk
stir, agitate, beat, whip, whisk.
the sea churned
heave, boil, swirl, toss, seethe; poetic/literary roil.
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the propellers churned up the water
disturb, stir up, agitate; poetic/literary roil.
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churn something out
produce, make, turn out; informal crank out, bang out.

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chute

noun
a refuse chute
channel, slide, shaft, funnel, conduit.
water chutes
(water) slide, flume.
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cigarette

noun
filter tip, king-size; informal ciggy, cig, smoke, cancer stick, coffin nail; Brit. informal fag, snout, roll-up.

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cinch

noun
(informal) it's a cinch
easy task, child's play, five-finger exercise, gift, walkover; informal doddle, piece of cake, picnic, breeze, kids' stuff, cakewalk, pushover; Brit. informal doss; N. Amer. informal duck soup, snap; Austral./NZ informal bludge, snack; dated snip.
he was a cinch to take a prize
certainty, sure thing; Brit. informal (dead) cert.
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ANTONYMS :challenge.

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cinders

plural noun
ashes, ash, embers.

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cinema

noun
the local cinema
multiplex, cinematheque; N. Amer. movie theatre/house; dated picture palace/theatre; historical nickelodeon.
I hardly ever go to the cinema
the pictures, the movies; informal the flicks.
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British cinema
films, movies, pictures, motion pictures.
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cipher

noun
information in cipher
code, secret writing; cryptograph.
working as a cipher
nobody, nonentity, unimportant person.
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(dated) a row of ciphers
zero, nought, nil, 0.
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circa

preposition
approximately, (round) about, around, in the region of, roughly, something like, of the order of, or so, or thereabouts, more or less; informal as near as dammit; N. Amer. informal in the ballpark of. ANTONYMS :exactly.

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circle

noun
a circle of gold stars
ring, band, hoop, circlet; halo, disc; technical annulus.
her circle of friends
group, set, company, coterie, clique; crowd, band; informal gang, bunch, crew.
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illustrious circles
sphere, world, milieu; society.
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verb
seagulls circled above
wheel, move round, revolve, rotate, whirl, spiral.
satellites circling the earth
go round, travel round, circumnavigate; orbit, revolve round.
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the abbey was circled by a wall
surround, encircle, ring, enclose, encompass; poetic/literary gird.
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circuit

noun
two circuits of the village green
lap, turn, round, circle.
(Brit.) a racing circuit
track, racetrack, running track, course.
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the judge's circuit
tour (of duty), rounds.
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circuitous

adjective
a circuitous route
roundabout, indirect, winding, meandering, serpentine.
a circuitous discussion
indirect, oblique, roundabout, circumlocutory, periphrastic.
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ANTONYMS :direct.

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circular

adjective
a circular window
round, disc-shaped, ring-shaped, annular.
noun
a free circular
leaflet, pamphlet, handbill, flyer; N. Amer. mailer, folder, dodger.

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circulate

verb
the news was widely circulated
spread (about/around), communicate, disseminate, make known, make public, broadcast, publicize, advertise; distribute, give out, pass around.
fresh air circulates freely
flow, course, move round.
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they circulated among their guests
socialize, mingle.
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circumference

noun
the circumference of the pit
perimeter, border, boundary; edge, rim, verge, margin, fringe; poetic/literary marge, bourn.
the circumference of his arm
girth, width.
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circumlocution

noun
periphrasis, discursiveness, long-windedness, verbosity, verbiage, wordiness, prolixity, redundancy, pleonasm, tautology, repetitiveness, repetitiousness.

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circumscribe

verb
restrict, limit, keep within bounds, curb, confine, restrain; regulate, control.

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circumspect

adjective
cautious, wary, careful, chary, guarded, on one's guard; watchful, alert, attentive, heedful, vigilant, leery; informal cagey, playing one's cards close to one's chest. ANTONYMS :unguarded.

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circumstances

plural noun
favourable economic circumstances
situation, conditions, state of affairs, position; (turn of) events, incidents, occurrences, happenings; factors, context, background, environment; informal circs.
Jane explained the circumstances to him
the facts, the details, the particulars, how things stand, the lie of the land; Brit. the state of play; N. Amer. the lay of the land; informal what's what, the score.
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reduced circumstances
financial position, lot, lifestyle; resources, means, finances, income; dated station in life.
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circumstantial

adjective
they have only circumstantial evidence
indirect, inferred, deduced, conjectural; inconclusive, unprovable.
the picture was so circumstantial that it began to be convincing
detailed, particularized, comprehensive, thorough, exhaustive; explicit, specific.
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circumvent

verb
avoid, get round/past, evade, bypass, sidestep, dodge; N. Amer. end-run; informal duck.

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cistern

noun
tank, reservoir, container, butt.

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citadel

noun
fortress, fort, stronghold, fortification, castle, burg; archaic hold.

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citation

noun
a citation from an eighteenth-century text
quotation, quote, extract, excerpt, passage, line; reference, allusion; N. Amer. cite.
a citation for gallantry
commendation, (honourable) mention.
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(Law) a traffic citation
summons, subpoena, writ, court order.
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cite

verb
cite the passage in full
quote, reproduce.
he cited the case of Leigh v. Gladstone
refer to, make reference to, mention, allude to, adduce, instance; specify, name.
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he has been cited many times
commend, pay tribute to, praise.
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(Law) the writ cited four of the signatories
summon, summons, serve with a summons/writ, subpoena.
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citizen

noun
a British citizen
subject, national, passport holder, native.
the citizens of Edinburgh
inhabitant, resident, native, townsman, townswoman; formal denizen; archaic burgher; Brit. archaic burgess.
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city

noun
town, municipality, metropolis, megalopolis; conurbation, urban area, metropolitan area; Scottish burgh; informal big smoke; N. Amer. informal burg. urban, civic.

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civic

adjective
municipal, city, town, urban, metropolitan; public, civil, community.

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civil

adjective
a civil marriage
secular, non-religious, lay; formal laic.
civil aviation
non-military, civilian.
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a civil war
internal, domestic, interior, national.
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he behaved in a civil manner
polite, courteous, well mannered, well bred, gentlemanly, chivalrous, gallant, ladylike; cordial, genial, pleasant, affable.
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ANTONYMS :religious, military, international, rude.

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civilian

noun
non-military person, non-combatant person, ordinary/private citizen; informal civvy.

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civility

noun
he treated me with civility
courtesy, courteousness, politeness, good manners, graciousness, consideration, respect, politesse, comity.
she didn't waste time on civilities
polite remark, politeness, courtesy; formality.
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ANTONYMS :rudeness.

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civilization

noun
a higher stage of civilization
human development, advancement, progress, enlightenment, culture, refinement, sophistication.
ancient civilizations
culture, society, nation, people.
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civilize

verb
enlighten, edify, improve, educate, instruct, refine, cultivate, polish, socialize, humanize.

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civilized

adjective
polite, courteous, well mannered, civil, gentlemanly, ladylike, mannerly; cultured, cultivated, refined, polished, sophisticated; enlightened, educated, advanced, developed. ANTONYMS :rude, unsophisticated.

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civil servant

noun
public servant, government official; bureaucrat, mandarin, official, administrator, functionary.

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clad

adjective
dressed, clothed, attired, got up, garbed, rigged out, costumed; wearing, sporting; archaic apparelled.

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claim

verb
Davies claimed that she was lying
assert, declare, profess, maintain, state, hold, affirm, avow; argue, contend, allege; formal aver; archaic avouch.
no one claimed the items
lay claim to, assert ownership of, formally request.
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you can claim compensation
request, ask for, apply for; demand, exact.
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the fire claimed four lives
take, cause/result in the loss of.
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noun
her claims that she was raped
assertion, declaration, profession, affirmation, avowal, protestation; contention, allegation.
a claim for damages
request, application; demand, petition.
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we have first claim on their assets
entitlement to, title to, right to.
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claimant

noun
applicant, candidate, supplicant; petitioner, plaintiff, litigant, appellant.

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clairvoyance

noun
second sight, psychic powers, ESP, extrasensory perception, sixth sense; telepathy.

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clairvoyant

noun
psychic, fortune teller, crystal-gazer; medium, spiritualist; telepathist, telepath, mind-reader.
adjective
I'm not clairvoyant
psychic, having second sight, having a sixth sense; telepathic.

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clamber

verb
scramble, climb, scrabble, claw one's way.

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clammy

adjective
his clammy hands
moist, damp, sweaty, sticky; slimy, slippery.
the clammy atmosphere
damp, dank, wet; humid, close, muggy, heavy.
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ANTONYMS :dry.

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clamorous

adjective
noisy, loud, vocal, vociferous, raucous, rowdy; importunate, demanding, insistent, vehement. ANTONYMS :quiet.

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clamour

noun
her voice rose above the clamour
din, racket, rumpus, loud noise, uproar, tumult, shouting, yelling, screaming, baying, roaring; commotion, brouhaha, hue and cry, hubbub; informal hullabaloo; Brit. informal row.
the clamour for her resignation
demand(s), call(s), urging.
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the clamour of protectionists
protests, complaints, outcry.
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verb
clamouring crowds
yell, shout loudly, bay, scream, roar.
scientists are clamouring for a ban
demand, call, press, push, lobby.
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clamp

noun
a clamp was holding the wood
brace, vice, press, clasp; Music capo (tasto); Climbing jumar.
clamps had been fitted to the car
immobilizer, wheel clamp; N. Amer. boot.
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verb
the sander is clamped on to the workbench
fasten, secure, fix, attach; screw, bolt.
a pipe was clamped between his teeth
clench, grip, hold, press, clasp.
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his car was clamped
immobilize, wheel-clamp; N. Amer. boot.
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clamp down on
suppress, prevent, stop, put a stop/end to, stamp out; crack down on, limit, restrict, control, keep in check.

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clampdown

noun
(informal) suppression, prevention, stamping out; crackdown, restriction, restraint, curb, check.

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clan

noun
the Macleod clan
group of families, sept; family, house, dynasty, tribe; Anthropology sib, kinship group.
a clan of art collectors
group, set, circle, clique, coterie; crowd, band; informal gang, bunch.
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clandestine

adjective
secret, covert, furtive, surreptitious, stealthy, cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner, closet, backstairs, hugger-mugger; informal hush-hush.

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clang

noun
the clang of the church bells
reverberation, ringing, ring, ding-dong, bong, peal, chime, toll.
verb
the huge bells clanged
reverberate, resound, ring, bong, peal, chime, toll.

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clanger

noun
(Brit. informal). See blunder noun.

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clank

noun
the clank of rusty chains
jangling, clanging, rattling, clinking, jingling; clang, jangle, rattle, clangour, clink, jingle.
verb
I could hear the chain clanking
jangle, rattle, clink, clang, jingle.

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clannish

adjective
cliquey, cliquish, insular, exclusive; unfriendly, unwelcoming.

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clap

verb
the audience clapped
applaud, clap one's hands, give someone a round of applause, put one's hands together; informal give someone a (big) hand; N. Amer. informal give it up.
he clapped Owen on the back
slap, strike, hit, smack, thump; pat; informal whack, thwack.
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the dove clapped its wings
flap, beat, flutter.
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noun
everybody gave him a clap
round of applause, handclap; informal hand.
a clap on the shoulder
slap, blow, smack, thump; pat; informal whack, thwack.
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a clap of thunder
crack, crash, bang, boom; thunderclap.
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claptrap

noun
sentimental claptrap.
See nonsense sense 1.

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clarify

verb
their report clarified the situation
make clear, shed/throw light on, elucidate, illuminate; explain, explicate, define, spell out, clear up.
clarified butter
purify, refine; filter, fine.
Top
ANTONYMS :confuse.

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clarity

noun
the clarity of his account
lucidity, lucidness, clearness, coherence; formal perspicuity.
the clarity of the image
sharpness, clearness, crispness, definition.
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the crystal clarity of the water
limpidity, limpidness, clearness, transparency, translucence, pellucidity.
Top
ANTONYMS :vagueness, blurriness, opacity.

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clash

noun
clashes between armed gangs
confrontation, skirmish, fight, battle, engagement, encounter, conflict.
an angry clash
argument, altercation, confrontation, shouting match; contretemps, quarrel, disagreement, dispute; informal run-in, slanging match.
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a clash of tweeds and a striped shirt
mismatch, discordance, discord, lack of harmony.
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a clash of dates
coincidence, concurrence; conflict.
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the clash of cymbals
striking, bang, clang, crash.
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verb
protesters clashed with police
fight, skirmish, contend, come to blows, come into conflict; do battle.
the prime minister clashed with union leaders
disagree, differ, wrangle, dispute, cross swords, lock horns, be at loggerheads.
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her red coat clashed with her hair
be incompatible, not match, not go, be discordant.
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the dates clash
conflict, coincide, occur simultaneously.
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she clashed the cymbals together
bang, strike, clang, crash.
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clasp

verb
Ruth clasped his hand
grasp, grip, clutch, hold tightly; take hold of, seize, grab.
he clasped Joanne in his arms
embrace, hug, enfold, fold, envelop; hold, squeeze.
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noun
a gold clasp
fastener, fastening, catch, clip, pin; buckle, hasp.
his tight clasp
embrace, hug, cuddle; grip, grasp.
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class

noun
a hotel of the first class
category, grade, rating, classification, group, grouping.
a new class of heart drug
kind, sort, type, variety, genre, brand; species, genus, breed, strain; N. Amer. stripe.
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the middle class
social division, social stratum, rank, level, echelon, group, grouping; social status; dated estate; archaic condition.
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there are 30 pupils in the class
form, study group, set, stream.
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a Maths class
lesson, period; seminar, tutorial, workshop.
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(informal) a woman of class
style, stylishness, elegance, chic, sophistication, taste, refinement, quality, excellence.
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verb
the 12-seater is classed as a commercial vehicle
classify, categorize, group, grade; order, sort, codify; bracket, designate, label, pigeonhole.
adjective
(informal) a class player.
See excellent.

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classic

adjective
the classic work on the subject
definitive, authoritative; outstanding, first-rate, first-class, best, finest, excellent, superior, masterly.
a classic example of Norman design
typical, archetypal, quintessential, vintage; model, representative, perfect, prime, textbook.
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a classic style
simple, elegant, understated; traditional, timeless, ageless.
Top
ANTONYMS :atypical.

noun
a classic of the genre
definitive example, model, epitome, paradigm, exemplar; great work, masterpiece.

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classical

adjective
classical mythology
ancient Greek, Hellenic, Attic; Latin, ancient Roman.
classical music
traditional, long-established; serious, highbrow, heavyweight.
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a classical style
simple, pure, restrained, plain, austere; well proportioned, harmonious, balanced, symmetrical, elegant.
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ANTONYMS :modern.

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classification

noun
the classification of diseases
categorization, categorizing, classifying, grouping, grading, ranking, organization, sorting, codification, systematization.
a series of classifications
category, class, group, grouping, grade, grading, ranking, bracket.
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classify

verb
we can classify the students into two groups
categorize, group, grade, rank, rate, order, organize, range, sort, type, codify, bracket, systematize, systemize; catalogue, list, file, index; archaic assort.

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classy

adjective
(informal) a classy hotel
stylish, high-class, superior, exclusive, chic, elegant, smart, sophisticated; Brit. upmarket; N. Amer. high-toned; informal posh, ritzy, plush, swanky; Brit. informal swish.

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clatter

verb
the cups clattered on the tray
rattle, clank, clink, clunk, clang.

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clause

noun
a new clause in the treaty
section, paragraph, article, subsection; stipulation, condition, proviso, rider.

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claw

noun
a bird's claw
talon, nail; technical unguis.
a crab's claw
pincer, nipper; technical chela.
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verb
her fingers clawed his shoulders
scratch, lacerate, tear, rip, scrape, graze, dig into.

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clay

noun
the soil is mainly clay
earth, soil, loam.
potter's clay
argil, china clay, kaolin, adobe, ball clay, pug; fireclay.
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clean

adjective
keep the wound clean
washed, scrubbed, cleansed, cleaned; spotless, unsoiled, unstained, unsullied, unblemished, immaculate, pristine, dirt-free, as clean as a whistle; hygienic, sanitary, disinfected, sterilized, sterile, aseptic, decontaminated; laundered; informal squeaky clean.
a clean sheet of paper
blank, empty, clear, plain; unused, new, pristine, fresh, unmarked.
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clean air
pure, clear, fresh, crisp, refreshing; unpolluted, uncontaminated.
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a clean life
virtuous, good, upright, upstanding; honourable, respectable, reputable, decent, righteous, moral, exemplary; innocent, pure, chaste; informal squeaky clean.
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the firm is clean
innocent, guiltless, blameless, guilt-free, crime-free, above suspicion; informal squeaky clean.
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a good clean fight
fair, honest, sporting, sportsmanlike, honourable, according to the rules; informal on the level.
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(informal) they are trying to stay clean
sober, teetotal, dry, non-drinking; drug-free, off drugs; informal on the wagon.
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a clean cut
neat, smooth, crisp, straight, precise.
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a clean break
complete, thorough, total, absolute, conclusive, decisive, final, irrevocable.
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clean lines
simple, elegant, graceful, streamlined, smooth.
Top
ANTONYMS :dirty, polluted.

adverb
(informal) I clean forgot
completely, entirely, totally, fully, quite, utterly, absolutely.
verb
Dad cleaned the windows
wash, cleanse, wipe, sponge, scrub, mop, rinse, scour, swab, hose down, sluice (down), disinfect; shampoo; poetic/literary lave.
I got my clothes cleaned
launder, dry-clean.
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she cleaned the fish
gut, draw, dress; formal eviscerate.
Top
ANTONYMS :dirty.

clean someone out (informal)
bankrupt, ruin, make insolvent, make penniless, wipe out. come clean (informal)
tell the truth, tell all, make a clean breast of it; confess, own up, admit guilt, admit to one's crimes/sins; informal fess up.

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cleanse

verb
the wound was cleansed
clean (up), wash, bathe, rinse, disinfect.
cleansing the environment of traces of lead
rid, clear, free, purify, purge.
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only God can cleanse us from sin
purify, purge, absolve, free; deliver.
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clear

adjective
clear instructions
understandable, comprehensible, intelligible, plain, uncomplicated, explicit, lucid, coherent, simple, straightforward, unambiguous, clear-cut, crystal clear; formal perspicuous.
a clear case of harassment
obvious, evident, plain, crystal clear; sure, definite, unmistakable, manifest, indisputable, patent, incontrovertible, irrefutable, beyond doubt, beyond question; palpable, visible, discernible, conspicuous, overt, blatant, glaring; as plain as a pikestaff, as plain as day; informal as plain as the nose on one's face.
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clear water
transparent, limpid, pellucid, translucent, crystal clear; unclouded.
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a clear blue sky
bright, cloudless, unclouded, without a cloud in the sky.
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her clear complexion
unblemished, spot-free.
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Rosa's clear voice
distinct, bell-like, as clear as a bell.
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the road was clear | a clear view
unobstructed, unblocked, passable, open; unrestricted, unhindered.
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the algae were clear of toxins
free, devoid, without, unaffected by ; rid, relieved.
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a clear conscience
untroubled, undisturbed, unperturbed, unconcerned, having no qualms; peaceful, at peace, tranquil, serene, calm, easy.
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two clear days' notice
whole, full, entire, complete.
Top
ANTONYMS :vague, opaque, cloudy, obstructed.

adverb
stand clear of the doors
away from, apart from, at a (safe) distance from, out of contact with.
Tommy's voice came loud and clear
distinctly, clearly, as clear as a bell, plainly, audibly.
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he has time to get clear away
completely, entirely, fully, wholly, totally, utterly; informal clean.
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verb
the sky cleared briefly
brighten (up), lighten, clear up, become bright/brighter/lighter, become fine/sunny.
the drizzle had cleared
disappear, go away, end; peter out, fade, wear off, decrease, lessen, diminish.
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together they cleared the table
empty, unload, unburden, strip.
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clearing drains
unblock, unstop.
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staff cleared the building
evacuate, empty; leave.
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Karen cleared the dirty plates
remove, take away, carry away, tidy away/up.
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I'm clearing my debts
pay (off), repay, settle, discharge.
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I cleared the bar at my first attempt
go over, pass over, sail over; jump (over), vault (over), leap (over), hurdle.
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he was cleared by an appeal court
acquit, declare innocent, find not guilty; absolve, exonerate; informal let off (the hook); formal exculpate.
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I was cleared to work on the atomic project
authorize, give permission, permit, allow, pass, accept, endorse, license, sanction, give approval/consent to; informal OK, give the OK, give the thumbs up, give the green light, give the go-ahead.
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I cleared £50,000 profit
net, make/realize a profit of, take home, pocket; gain, earn, make, get, bring in, pull in.
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clear off (informal)
go away, get out, leave; be off with you, shoo, on your way; informal beat it, push off, shove off, scram, scoot, buzz off, clear out; Brit. informal hop it, sling your hook; Austral./NZ informal rack off; N. Amer. informal bug off, take a hike; poetic/literary begone. clear out (informal). See leave1 sense 1. clear something out
we cleared out the junk room
empty (out); tidy (up), clear up.

clear out the rubbish
get rid of, throw out/away, discard, dispose of, dump, bin, scrap, jettison; informal chuck (out/away), ditch, get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of; N. Amer. informal trash.
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clear up. See clear verb sense 1. clear something up
clear up the garden
tidy (up), put in order, straighten up, clean up, spruce up.

we've cleared up the problem
solve, resolve, straighten out, find an/the answer to; get to the bottom of, explain; informal crack, figure out, suss out.
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clearance

noun
slum clearance
removal, clearing, demolition.
you must have Home Office clearance
authorization, permission, consent, approval, blessing, leave, sanction, licence, dispensation, assent, agreement, endorsement; informal the green light, the go-ahead, the thumbs up, the OK, the say-so.
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the clearance of a debt
repayment, payment, paying (off), settling, discharge.
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there is plenty of clearance
space, room (to spare), margin, leeway.
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clear-cut

adjective
definite, distinct, clear, well defined, precise, specific, explicit, unambiguous, unequivocal, black and white, cut and dried. ANTONYMS :vague.

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clearing

noun
glade, dell, gap, opening.

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clearly

adverb
write clearly
intelligibly, plainly, distinctly, comprehensibly, with clarity; legibly, audibly; formal perspicuously.
clearly, substantial changes are needed
obviously, evidently, patently, unquestionably, undoubtedly, without doubt, indubitably, plainly, undeniably, incontrovertibly, irrefutably, doubtless, it goes without saying, needless to say.
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cleave 1

verb
cleaving wood for the fire
split (open), cut (up), hew, hack, chop up; poetic/literary sunder; archaic rive.
cleaving a path through the traffic
plough, drive, bulldoze, carve.
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cleave 2

cleave to (poetic/literary)
her tongue clove to the roof of her mouth
stick (fast) to, adhere to, be attached to.

cleaving too closely to Moscow's line
adhere to, hold to, abide by, be loyal/faithful to.
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cleaver

noun
chopper, hatchet, axe, knife; butcher's knife, kitchen knife.

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cleft

noun
a deep cleft in the rocks
split, slit, crack, fissure, crevice, rift, break, fracture, rent, breach.
the cleft in his chin
dimple.
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adjective
a cleft tail
split, divided, cloven.

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clemency

noun
mercy, mercifulness, leniency, lenience, mildness, indulgence, quarter; compassion, humanity, pity, sympathy. ANTONYMS :ruthlessness.

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clench

verb
he stood there clenching his hands
squeeze together, clamp together, close/shut tightly; make into a fist.
he clenched the back of chair
grip, grasp, grab, clutch, clasp, hold tightly, seize, press, squeeze.
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noun
the clench of his fists
contraction, tightening, tensing, constricting.

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clergy

noun
clergymen, clergywomen, churchmen, churchwomen, clerics, priests, ecclesiastics, men/women of God; ministry, priesthood, holy orders, the church, the cloth. clerical. ANTONYMS :laity.

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clergyman clergywoman

noun
priest, churchman, churchwoman, man/woman of the cloth, man/woman of God; cleric, minister, preacher, chaplain, father, ecclesiastic, bishop, pastor, vicar, rector, parson, curate, deacon, deaconess; Scottish kirkman; N. Amer. dominie; informal reverend, padre, Holy Joe, sky pilot; Austral. informal josser.

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clerical

adjective
clerical jobs
office, desk, back-room; administrative, secretarial; white-collar.
a clerical minister
ecclesiastical, church, priestly, religious, spiritual, sacerdotal; holy, divine.
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ANTONYMS :secular.

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clerk

noun
office worker, clerical worker, administrator; bookkeeper; cashier, teller; informal pen-pusher; historical scrivener.

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clever

adjective
a clever young woman
intelligent, bright, smart, astute, quick-witted, shrewd; talented, gifted, brilliant, capable, able, competent, apt; educated, learned, knowledgeable, wise; informal brainy, savvy.
a clever scheme
ingenious, canny, cunning, crafty, artful, slick, neat.
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she was clever with her hands
skilful, dexterous, adroit, adept, deft, nimble, handy; skilled, talented, gifted.
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a clever remark
witty, amusing, droll, humorous, funny.
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ANTONYMS :stupid.

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cliché

noun
platitude, hackneyed phrase, commonplace, banality, truism, stock phrase, trite phrase; informal old chestnut; dated bromide.

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click

noun
clack, snick, snap, pop, tick; clink.
verb
cameras clicked
clack, snap, snick, tick, pop; clink.
(informal) that night it clicked
become clear, fall into place, come home, make sense, dawn, register, get through, sink in.
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(informal) we just clicked
take to each other, get along, be compatible, be like-minded, feel a rapport, see eye to eye; informal hit it off, get on like a house on fire, be on the same wavelength.
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(informal) this issue hasn't clicked with the voters
go down well, prove popular, be a hit, succeed.
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client

noun
customer, buyer, purchaser, shopper, consumer, user; patient; patron, regular; (clients) clientele, patronage, public, market; Brit. informal punter; Law vendee.

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clientele

noun
clients. See client.

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cliff

noun
precipice, rock face, crag, bluff, ridge, escarpment, scar, scarp, overhang.

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climactic

adjective
final, ending, closing, concluding, ultimate; exciting, thrilling, gripping, riveting, dramatic, hair-raising; crucial, decisive, critical.

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climate

noun
a mild climate
weather conditions, weather; atmospheric conditions.
they come from colder climates
region, area, zone, country, place; poetic/literary clime.
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the political climate
atmosphere, mood, feeling, ambience, tenor; tendency, ethos, attitude; milieu; informal vibe(s).
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climax

noun
the climax of his career
peak, pinnacle, height, high(est) point, top; acme, zenith; culmination, crowning point, crown, crest; highlight, high spot, high water mark.
orgasm; ejaculation.
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ANTONYMS :nadir.

verb
the event will climax with a concert
culminate, peak, reach a pinnacle, come to a crescendo, come to a head.
orgasm; ejaculate; informal come, feel the earth move; poetic/literary die.
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climb

verb
we climbed the hill
ascend, mount, scale, scramble up, clamber up, shin up; go up, walk up; conquer, gain.
the plane climbed
rise, ascend, go up, gain altitude.
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the road climbs steeply
slope upwards, rise, go uphill, incline upwards.
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the shares climbed to 550 pence
increase, rise, go up; shoot up, soar, rocket.
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he climbed through the ranks
advance, rise, move up, progress, work one's way.
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he climbed out of his car
clamber, scramble; step.
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ANTONYMS :descend, drop, fall.

noun
a steep climb
ascent, clamber. ANTONYMS :descent.

climb down
Sandy climbed down the ladder
descend, go/come down, move down, shin down.

the Government had to climb down
back down, admit defeat, surrender, capitulate, yield, give in, give way, submit; retreat, backtrack; eat one's words, eat humble pie; do a U-turn; Brit. do an about-turn; N. Amer. informal eat crow.
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clinch

verb
he clinched the deal
secure, settle, conclude, close, pull off, bring off, complete, confirm, seal, finalize; informal sew up, wrap up.
these findings clinched the matter
settle, decide, determine; resolve; informal sort out.
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they clinched the title
win, secure; be victorious, come first, triumph, prevail.
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they clinch every nail
secure, fasten, fix, pinion.
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the boxers clinched
grapple, wrestle, struggle, scuffle.
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ANTONYMS :lose.

noun
a passionate clinch
embrace, hug, cuddle, squeeze, hold, clasp.

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cling

verb
rice grains tend to cling together
stick, adhere, hold, cohere, bond, bind.
cling (on) to
she clung to him
hold on, clutch, grip, grasp, clasp, attach oneself to, hang on; embrace, hug.

they clung to their beliefs
adhere to, hold to, stick to, stand by, abide by, cherish, remain true to, have faith in; informal swear by, stick with.
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clinic

noun
medical centre, health centre, outpatients' department, surgery, doctor's.

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clinical

adjective
he seemed so clinical
detached, impersonal, dispassionate, objective, uninvolved, distant, remote, aloof, removed, cold, indifferent, neutral, unsympathetic, unfeeling, unemotional.
the room was clinical
plain, simple, unadorned, unembellished, stark, austere, spartan, bleak, bare; clean; functional, basic, institutional, impersonal, characterless.
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ANTONYMS :emotional, luxurious.

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clip 1

noun
a briefcase clip
fastener, clasp, hasp, catch, hook, buckle, lock.
a diamanté clip
brooch, pin, badge.
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his clip was empty
magazine, cartridge, cylinder.
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verb
he clipped the pages together
fasten, attach, fix, join; pin, staple, tack.

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clip 2

verb
I clipped the hedge
trim, prune, cut, snip, shorten, crop, shear, pare; lop; neaten, shape.
clip the coupon below
remove, cut out, snip out, tear out, detach.
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his lorry clipped a van
hit, strike, touch, graze, glance off, run into.
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Mum clipped his ear
hit, cuff, strike, smack, slap, box; informal clout, whack, wallop, clobber, biff, sock.
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noun
I gave the dog a clip
trim, cut, crop, haircut; shear.
a film clip
extract, excerpt, snippet, cutting, fragment; trailer.
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(informal) a clip round the ear
smack, cuff, slap, box; informal clout, whack, wallop, biff, sock.
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(informal) the truck went at a good clip
speed, rate, pace, velocity; informal lick.
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clip someone's wings
restrict someone's freedom, impose limits on, keep under control, stand in the way of; obstruct, impede, frustrate, thwart, fetter, hamstring.

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clipping

noun
cutting, snippet, extract, excerpt.

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clique

noun
coterie, set, circle, ring, in-crowd, group; club, society, fraternity, sorority; cabal, caucus; informal gang.

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cloak

noun
the cloak over his shoulders
cape, robe, mantle, shawl, wrap, stole, tippet; poncho, serape, djellaba; cope; historical pelisse.
a cloak of secrecy
cover, veil, mantle, shroud, screen, mask, shield, blanket.
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verb
a peak cloaked in mist
conceal, hide, cover, veil, shroud, mask, obscure, cloud; envelop, swathe, surround.

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clobber 1

noun
(Brit. informal) get your clobber on.
See clothes.

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clobber 2

verb
(informal) I'll clobber him.
See hit verb sense 1.

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clock

noun
a grandfather clock
timepiece, timekeeper, timer; chronometer, chronograph.
(informal) the car had 50,000 miles on the clock
milometer, counter; taximeter.
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verb
(informal) the UK clocked up record exports
register, record, log, notch up; achieve, attain, accomplish, make; informal chalk up, bag.
(Brit.) Liz soon clocked the change.
See notice verb.
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clod

noun
clods of earth
lump, clump, chunk, hunk, wedge.
(informal) an insensitive clod.
See idiot.
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clog

noun
a wooden clog
sabot.
verb
the pipes were clogged
block, obstruct, congest, jam, choke, bung up, plug, stop up, fill up; Brit. informal gunge up.

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cloister

noun
the convent cloisters
walkway, covered walk, arcade, loggia, gallery.
I was educated in the cloister
abbey, monastery, friary, convent, priory, nunnery.
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verb
they were cloistered at home
confine, isolate, shut away, sequester, seclude, closet.

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cloistered

adjective
secluded, sequestered, sheltered, protected, insulated; shut off, isolated, confined; solitary, monastic, reclusive.

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close 1

adjective
the town is close to Leeds
near, adjacent; in the vicinity of, in the neighbourhood of, within reach of; neighbouring, adjoining, abutting, alongside, on the doorstep, a stone's throw away; nearby, at hand, at close quarters; informal within spitting distance; archaic nigh.
flying in close formation
dense, compact, tight, close-packed, packed, solid; crowded, cramped, congested.
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I was close to tears
near, on the verge of, on the brink of, on the point of.
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a very close match
evenly matched, even, with nothing to choose between them, neck and neck; informal fifty-fifty, even-steven(s).
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close relatives
immediate, direct, near.
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close friends
intimate, dear, bosom; close-knit, inseparable, attached, devoted, faithful; special, good, best, fast, firm; informal (as) thick as thieves.
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a close resemblance
strong, marked, distinct, pronounced.
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a close examination
careful, detailed, thorough, minute, searching, painstaking, meticulous, rigorous, scrupulous, conscientious; attentive, focused.
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keep a close eye on them
vigilant, watchful, keen, alert.
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a close translation
strict, faithful, exact, precise, literal; word for word, verbatim.
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he's close about his deals
reticent, secretive, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, tight-lipped, guarded, evasive.
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Sylvie was close with money
mean, miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, penny-pinching; informal tight-fisted, stingy, tight.
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the weather was close
humid, muggy, stuffy, airless, heavy, sticky, sultry, oppressive, stifling.
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ANTONYMS :far, distant, one-sided, slight, loose, generous, fresh.

noun
(Brit.) a small close of houses
cul-de-sac, street, road; courtyard, quadrangle, enclosure.

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close 2

verb
she closed the door
shut, pull to, push to, slam; fasten, secure.
close the hole
block (up/off), stop up, plug, seal (up/off), shut up/off, cork, stopper, bung (up); clog (up), choke, obstruct.
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the enemy were closing fast
catch up, creep up, near, approach, gain on someone.
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the gap is closing
narrow, reduce, shrink, lessen, get smaller, diminish, contract.
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his arms closed around her
meet, join, connect; form a circle.
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he closed the meeting
end, conclude, finish, terminate, wind up, break off, halt, discontinue, dissolve; adjourn, suspend.
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the factory is to close
shut down, close down, cease production, cease trading, be wound up, go out of business, go bankrupt, go into receivership, go into liquidation; informal fold, go to the wall, go bust.
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he closed a deal
clinch, settle, secure, seal, confirm, establish; transact, pull off; complete, conclude, fix, agree, finalize; informal wra p up.
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ANTONYMS :open, widen, begin.

noun
the close of the talks
end, finish, conclusion, termination, cessation, completion, resolution; climax, denouement. ANTONYMS :beginning.

close down. See close2 verb sense 7.

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closet

noun
a clothes closet
cupboard, wardrobe, cabinet, locker.
adjective
a closet gay
secret, covert, private; surreptitious, clandestine, underground, furtive.
verb
David was closeted in his den
shut away, sequester, seclude, cloister, confine, isolate.

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closure

noun
closing down, shutdown, winding up; termination, discontinuation, cessation, finish, conclusion; failure; informal folding.

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clot

noun
blood clots
lump, clump, mass; thrombus, thrombosis, embolus; informal glob; Brit. informal gob.
(Brit. informal) a clumsy clot.
See fool noun sense 1.
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verb
the blood is likely to clot
coagulate, set, congeal, curdle, thicken, solidify.

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cloth

noun
a maker of cloth
fabric, material, textile(s); Brit. soft goods.
a cloth to wipe the table
rag, wipe, duster, sponge; flannel, towel; Austral. washer; UK trademark J-cloth.
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a gentleman of the cloth
the clergy, the church, the priesthood, the ministry; clergymen, clerics, priests.
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clothe

verb
they were clothed in silk
dress, attire, robe, garb, array, costume, swathe, deck (out), turn out, fit out, rig (out); informal get up; archaic apparel, habit, invest.
a valley clothed in conifers
cover, blanket, carpet; envelop, swathe.
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clothes

plural noun
clothing, garments, attire, garb, dress, wear, costume; informal gear, togs, duds, get-up; Brit. informal clobber; N. Amer. informal threads; formal apparel; archaic raiment, habiliments, vestments. sartorial.

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clothing

noun
. See clothes.

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cloud

noun
dark clouds
storm cloud, cloudbank; mackerel sky.
a cloud of exhaust smoke
mass, billow; pall, mantle, blanket.
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a cloud of rooks
flock, swarm, mass, multitude, host, throng, crowd.
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verb
the sky clouded
become cloudy, cloud over, become overcast, lour, blacken, darken.
the sand is churned up, clouding the water
make cloudy, make murky, dirty, darken, blacken.
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anger clouded my judgement
confuse, muddle, obscure, fog, muddy, mar.
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on cloud nine
ecstatic, rapturous, joyful, elated, blissful, euphoric, in seventh heaven, walking on air, transported, in raptures, delighted, thrilled, overjoyed, very happy; informal over the moon, on top of the world; Austral. informal wrapped.

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cloudy

adjective
a cloudy sky
overcast, clouded; dark, grey, black, leaden, murky; sombre, dismal, heavy, gloomy; sunless, starless; hazy, misty, foggy.
cloudy water
murky, muddy, milky, dirty, opaque, turbid.
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his eyes grew cloudy
tearful, teary, weepy, lachrymose; moist, watery; misty, blurred.
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avoid cloudy phrases
vague, imprecise, foggy, hazy, confused, muddled, nebulous, obscure.
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ANTONYMS :clear.

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clout (informal)

noun
a clout on the ear
smack, slap, thump, punch, blow, hit, cuff, box, clip; informal whack, wallop.
his clout in the business world
influence, power, weight, sway, leverage, control, say; dominance, authority; informal teeth, muscle.
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verb
he clouted me
hit, strike, punch, smack, slap, cuff, thump, buffet; informal wallop, belt, whack, clobber, sock, bop, biff.

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cloven

adjective
split, divided, cleft.

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clown

noun
a circus clown
comic entertainer, comedian; historical jester, fool, zany; archaic merry andrew.
the class clown
joker, comedian, comic, humorist, wag, wit, prankster, jester, buffoon; informal laugh, kidder, wisecracker; Austral./NZ informal hard case.
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bureaucratic clowns
fool, idiot, dolt, ass, simpleton, ignoramus; bungler, blunderer; informal moron, jackass, chump, numbskull, nincompoop, halfwit, bonehead, fathead, birdbrain; Brit. informal prat, berk, twit, nitwit, twerp.
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verb
Harvey clowned around
fool around/about, play the fool, play about/around, monkey about/around; joke, jest; informal mess about/around, lark (about/around), horse about/around; Brit. informal muck about/around; dated play the giddy goat.

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cloy

verb
sicken, disgust; become sickening, become nauseating, pall; be excessive.

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cloying

adjective
sickly, syrupy, saccharine, oversweet; sickening, nauseating; mawkish, sentimental; Brit. twee; informal over the top, OTT, mushy, slushy, sloppy, gooey, cheesy, corny; N. Amer. informal cornball, sappy.

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club 1

noun
a canoeing club
society, association, organization, institution, group, circle, band, body, ring, crew; alliance, league, union.
the city has great clubs
nightclub, disco, discotheque, bar; informal niterie.
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the top club in the league
team, squad, side, line-up.
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club together
pool resources, join forces, team up, band together, get together, pull together, collaborate, ally; informal have a whip-round.

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club 2

noun
a wooden club
cudgel, truncheon, bludgeon, baton, stick, mace, bat; N. Amer. blackjack, nightstick; Brit. informal cosh.
verb
he was clubbed with an iron bar
cudgel, bludgeon, bash, beat, hit, strike, batter, belabour; informal clout, clobber; Brit. informal cosh.

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clue

noun
police are searching for clues
hint, indication, sign, signal, pointer, trace, indicator; lead, tip, tip-off; evidence, information.
a crossword clue
question, problem, puzzle, riddle, poser, conundrum.
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clue someone in/up (informal)
inform, notify, make aware, prime; keep up to date, keep posted; informal tip off, give the gen, give the low-down, fill in on, gen up on, put in the picture, put wise, keep up to speed. not have a clue (informal)
have no idea, be ignorant, not have an inkling; be baffled, be mystified, be at a loss; informal be clueless, not have the faintest.

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clump

noun
a clump of trees
cluster, thicket, group, bunch, assemblage.
a clump of earth
lump, clod, mass, gobbet, wad; informal glob; Brit. informal gob.
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verb
galaxies clump together
cluster, group, collect, gather, assemble, congregate, mass.
they were clumping around upstairs
stamp, stomp, clomp, tramp, lumber; thump, thud, bang; informal galumph.
Top

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clumsy

adjective
she was terribly clumsy
awkward, uncoordinated, ungainly, graceless, inelegant; inept, maladroit, unskilful, unhandy, accident-prone, like a bull in a china shop, all fingers and thumbs; informal cack-handed, ham-fisted, butterfingered, having two left feet; N. Amer. informal klutzy.
a clumsy contraption
unwieldy, cumbersome, bulky, awkward.
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a clumsy remark
gauche, awkward, graceless; unsubtle, uncouth, boorish, crass; tactless, insensitive, thoughtless, undiplomatic, indelicate, ill-judged.
Top
ANTONYMS :graceful, elegant, tactful.

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cluster

noun
clusters of berries
bunch, clump, mass, knot, group, clutch, bundle, truss.
a cluster of spectators
crowd, group, knot, huddle, bunch, throng, flock, pack, band; informal gang, gaggle.
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verb
they clustered around the television
congregate, gather, collect, group, assemble; huddle, crowd, flock.

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clutch 1

verb
she clutched his arm
grip, grasp, clasp, cling to, hang on to, clench, hold.
clutch at
reach for, snatch at, make a grab for, catch at, claw at.

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clutch 2

noun
a clutch of eggs
group, batch.
a clutch of awards
group, collection; raft, armful; informal load, bunch.
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clutches

plural noun
power, control, domination, command, rule, tyranny; hands, hold, grip, grasp, claws, jaws; custody.

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clutter

noun
a clutter of toys
mess, jumble, litter, heap, tangle, muddle, hotchpotch.
a desk full of clutter
disorder, chaos, disarray, untidiness, mess, confusion; litter, rubbish.
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verb
the garden was cluttered with tools
litter, mess up, disarrange; be strewn, be scattered; poetic/literary bestrew.

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coach 1

noun
a journey by coach
bus, minibus; dated omnibus, charabanc.
a railway coach
carriage, wagon, compartment, van, Pullman; N. Amer. car.
Top
a coach and horses
horse-drawn carriage, trap, hackney, hansom, gig, landau, brougham.
Top

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coach 2

noun
a football coach
instructor, trainer; teacher, tutor, mentor, guru.
verb
he coached Richard in maths
instruct, teach, tutor, school, educate; drill, cram; train.

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coagulate

verb
congeal, clot, thicken, gel; solidify, harden, set, dry.

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coalesce

verb
merge, unite, join together, combine, fuse, mingle, blend; amalgamate, consolidate, integrate, homogenize, converge.

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coalition

noun
alliance, union, partnership, bloc, caucus; federation, league, association, confederation, consortium, syndicate, combine; amalgamation, merger.

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coarse

adjective
coarse blankets
rough, scratchy, prickly, wiry.
his coarse features
large, rough, rough-hewn, heavy; ugly.
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a coarse boy
oafish, loutish, boorish, uncouth, rude, impolite, ill-mannered, uncivil; vulgar, common, rough, uncultured, crass.
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a coarse innuendo
vulgar, crude, rude, off colour, dirty, filthy, smutty, indelicate, improper, unseemly, crass, tasteless, lewd, prurient; informal blue, farmyard.
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ANTONYMS :soft, delicate, refined.

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coarsen

verb
hands coarsened by work
roughen, toughen, harden.
I had been coarsened by the army
desensitize, dehumanize; dull, deaden.
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ANTONYMS :soften, refine.

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coast

noun
the west coast
seaboard, coastal region, coastline, seashore, shore, foreshore, shoreline, seaside, waterfront, littoral; poetic/literary strand.
verb
the car coasted down a hill
freewheel, cruise, taxi, drift, glide, sail.

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coat

noun
a winter coat
overcoat, jacket.
a dog's coat
fur, hair, wool, fleece; hide, pelt, skin.
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a coat of paint
layer, covering, coating, skin, film, wash; plating, glaze, varnish, veneer, patina; deposit.
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verb
the tube was coated with wax
cover, paint, glaze, varnish, wash; surface, veneer, laminate, plate, face; daub, smear, cake, plaster.

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coating

noun
. See coat noun sense 3.

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coax

verb
persuade, wheedle, cajole, get round; beguile, seduce, inveigle, manoeuvre; informal sweet-talk, soft-soap, butter up, twist someone's arm.

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cobble

cobble something together
prepare roughly/hastily, make roughly/hastily, throw together; improvise, contrive, rig (up), whip up; informal rustle up; Brit. informal knock up.

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cock

noun
rooster, cockerel, capon.
verb
he cocked his head
tilt, tip, angle, incline, dip.
she cocked her little finger
bend, flex, crook, curve.
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the dog cocked its leg
lift, raise, hold up.
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cock-eyed

adjective
(informal) that picture is cock-eyed
crooked, awry, askew, lopsided, tilted, off-centre, skewed, skew, squint, misaligned; Brit. informal skew-whiff, wonky.
a cock-eyed scheme
absurd, preposterous, ridiculous, ludicrous, farcical, laughable, risible, idiotic, stupid, foolish, silly, inane, imbecilic, half-baked, hare-brained; impractical, unfeasible; irrational, illogical, nonsensical; informal crazy; Brit. informal barmy, daft.
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cocksure

adjective
arrogant, conceited, overweening, overconfident, cocky, proud, vain, self-important, swollen-headed, egotistical, presumptuous; smug, patronizing, pompous; informal high and mighty. ANTONYMS :modest.

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cocky

adjective
arrogant, conceited, overweening, overconfident, cocksure, swollen-headed, self-important, egotistical, presumptuous, boastful, self-assertive; bold, forward, insolent, cheeky. ANTONYMS :modest.

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cocoon

verb
he cocooned her in a towel
wrap, swathe, swaddle, muffle, cloak, enfold, envelop, cover, fold.
he was cocooned in the upper classes
protect, shield, shelter, screen, cushion, insulate, isolate, cloister.
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coddle

verb
pamper, cosset, mollycoddle; spoil, indulge, overindulge, pander to; wrap in cotton wool; baby, mother, wait on hand and foot. ANTONYMS :neglect.

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code

noun
a secret code
cipher, key; hieroglyphics; cryptogram.
a strict social code
morality, convention, etiquette, protocol.
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the penal code
law(s), rules, regulations; constitution, system.
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codify

verb
systematize, systemize, organize, arrange, order, structure; tabulate, catalogue, list, sort, index, classify, categorize, file, log.

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coerce

verb
pressure, pressurize, press, push, constrain; force, compel, oblige, browbeat, bludgeon, bully, threaten, intimidate, dragoon, twist someone's arm; informal railroad, squeeze, lean on.

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coercion

noun
force, compulsion, constraint, duress, oppression, enforcement, harassment, intimidation, threats, arm-twisting, pressure.

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coffee

noun
N. Amer. informal joe, java.

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coffer

noun
every church had a coffer
strongbox, money box, cash box, money chest, treasure chest, safe; casket, box.
the Imperial coffers
fund(s), reserves, resources, money, finances, wealth, cash, capital, purse; treasury, exchequer.
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coffin

noun
sarcophagus; N. Amer. casket; informal box; humorous wooden overcoat.

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cogent

adjective
convincing, compelling, strong, forceful, powerful, potent, weighty, effective; valid, sound, plausible, telling; impressive, persuasive, eloquent, credible, influential; conclusive, authoritative; logical, reasoned, rational, reasonable, lucid, coherent, clear.

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cogitate

verb
(formal) think (about), contemplate, consider, mull over, meditate, muse, ponder, reflect, deliberate, ruminate; dwell on, brood on, chew over, weigh up; informal put on one's thinking cap.

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cognate

adjective
(formal) associated, related, connected, allied, linked; similar, like, alike, akin, kindred, comparable, parallel, corresponding, analogous.

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cognition

noun
perception, discernment, apprehension, learning, understanding, comprehension, insight; reasoning, thinking, thought.

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cognizance

noun
(formal). See awareness.

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cognizant

adjective
(formal). See aware sense 1.

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cohabit

verb
live together, live with; informal shack up (with); informal, dated live in sin.

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cohere

verb
the stories cohere into a convincing whole
stick together, hold together, be united, bind, fuse.
this view does not cohere with others
be consistent, hang together.
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coherent

adjective
logical, reasoned, reasonable, rational, sound, cogent, consistent; clear, lucid, articulate; intelligible, comprehensible. ANTONYMS :muddled.

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cohesion

noun
unity, togetherness, solidarity, bond, coherence; connection, linkage.

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cohort

noun
a Roman army cohort
unit, force, corps, division, brigade, battalion, regiment, squadron, company, troop, contingent, legion.
the 1940 4 birth cohort of women
group, grouping, category, class, set, division, batch, list; age group, generation.
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coil

noun
coils of rope
loop, twist, turn, curl, convolution; spiral, helix, corkscrew.
verb
he coiled her hair around his finger
wind, loop, twist, curl, curve, bend, twine, entwine; spiral, corkscrew.

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coin

noun
a gold coin
piece.
large amounts of coin
coinage, coins, specie; (loose) change, small change, silver, copper(s), gold.
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numismatic.
verb
guineas were coined
mint, stamp, strike, cast, punch, die, mould, forge, make.
he coined the term
invent, create, make up, conceive, originate, think up, dream up.
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coincide

verb
the events coincided
occur simultaneously, happen together, be concurrent, concur, coexist.
their interests do not always coincide
tally, correspond, agree, accord, concur, match, fit, be consistent, equate, harmonize, be compatible, dovetail, correlate; informal square.
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ANTONYMS :differ.

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coincidence

noun
too close to be mere coincidence
accident, chance, serendipity, fortuity, providence, happenstance, fate; a fluke.
the coincidence of inflation and unemployment
co-occurrence, coexistence, conjunction, simultaneity, contemporaneity, concomitance.
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a coincidence of interests
correspondence, agreement, accord, concurrence, consistency, conformity, harmony, compatibility.
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coincident

adjective
algae blooms coincident with dolphin deaths
concurrent, coinciding, simultaneous, contemporaneous, concomitant, coexistent.
their aims are coincident
in agreement, in harmony, in accord, consistent, compatible, congruent, in step, in tune; the same.
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coincidental

adjective
a coincidental resemblance
accidental, chance, fluky, random; fortuitous, adventitious, serendipitous; unexpected, unforeseen, unintentional, inadvertent, unplanned.
the coincidental disappearance of the two men
simultaneous, concurrent, coincident, contemporaneous, concomitant.
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coitus

noun
(technical). See sex noun sense 1.

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cold

adjective
a cold day
chilly, chill, cool, freezing, icy, snowy, wintry, frosty, frigid, gelid; bitter, biting, raw; informal nippy, brass monkeys, arctic; Brit. informal parky.
I'm very cold
chilly, chilled, cool, freezing, frozen, shivery, numb, benumbed; hypothermic.
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a cold reception
unfriendly, inhospitable, unwelcoming, forbidding, cool, frigid, frosty, glacial, lukewarm, indifferent, unfeeling, unemotional, formal, stiff.
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ANTONYMS :hot, warm.

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cold-blooded

adjective
cruel, callous, sadistic, inhuman, inhumane, pitiless, merciless, ruthless, unforgiving, unfeeling, uncaring, heartless; savage, brutal, barbaric, barbarous; cold, cold-hearted, unemotional.

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cold-hearted

adjective
unfeeling, unloving, uncaring, unsympathetic, unemotional, unfriendly, uncharitable, unkind, insensitive; hard-hearted, stony-hearted, heartless, hard, cold.

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collaborate

verb
they collaborated on the project
cooperate, join forces, team up, band together, work together, participate, combine, ally; pool resources, club together.
they collaborated with the enemy
fraternize, conspire, collude, cooperate, consort, sympathize.
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collaborator

noun
his collaborator on the book
co-worker, partner, associate, colleague, confederate; assistant.
a wartime collaborator
quisling, fraternizer, collaborationist, colluder, (enemy) sympathizer; traitor, fifth columnist.
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collapse

verb
the roof collapsed
cave in, fall in, subside, fall down, give (way), crumple, sag, slump.
he collapsed last night
faint, pass out, black out, lose consciousness, keel over, swoon; informal flake out, conk out.
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she collapsed in tears
break down, go to pieces, lose control, be overcome, crumble; informal crack up.
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peace talks collapsed
break down, fail, fall through, fold, founder, miscarry, come to grief, be unsuccessful; end; informal flop, fizzle out.
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noun
the collapse of the roof
cave-in, subsidence.
her collapse on stage
fainting fit, faint, blackout, loss of consciousness, swoon; Medicine syncope.
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the collapse of the talks
breakdown, failure, disintegration; end.
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he suffered a collapse
(nervous) breakdown, personal crisis, psychological trauma; informal crack-up.
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collar

noun
a shirt collar
neckband, choker; historical ruff, gorget, bertha.
a collar round the pipe
ring, band, collet, sleeve, flange.
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verb
(informal) he collared a thief
apprehend, arrest, catch, capture, seize; take prisoner, take into custody, detain; informal nab, pinch, bust, pick up, pull in, feel someone's collar; Brit. informal nick.
she collared me in the street
accost, waylay, hail, approach, detain, stop, halt, catch, confront, importune; informal buttonhole; Brit. informal nobble.
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collate

verb
the system is used to collate information
collect, gather, accumulate, assemble; combine, aggregate, put together; arrange, organize.
we must collate these two sources
compare, contrast, set side by side, juxtapose, weigh against.
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collateral

noun
security, surety, guarantee, guaranty, insurance, indemnity, indemnification; backing.

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colleague

noun
co-worker, fellow worker, workmate, teammate, associate, partner, collaborator, ally, confederate; Brit. informal oppo.

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collect

verb
he collected the rubbish
gather, accumulate, assemble; amass, stockpile, pile up, heap up, store (up), hoard, save; mass, accrue.
a crowd soon collected
gather, assemble, meet, muster, congregate, convene, converge, flock together.
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I must collect the children
fetch, go/come to get, call for, meet.
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they collect money for charity
raise, appeal for, ask for, solicit; obtain, acquire, gather.
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he paused to collect himself
recover, regain one's composure, pull oneself together, steady oneself; informal get a grip (on oneself).
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she collected her thoughts
muster, summon (up), gather, get together, marshal.
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ANTONYMS :disperse, distribute.

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collected

adjective
calm, cool, self-possessed, self-controlled, composed, poised; serene, tranquil, relaxed, unruffled, unperturbed, untroubled; placid, quiet, sedate, phlegmatic; informal unfazed, together, laid-back. ANTONYMS :excited, hysterical.

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collection

noun
a collection of stolen items
hoard, pile, heap, stack, stock, store, stockpile; accumulation, reserve, supply, bank, pool, fund, mine, reservoir.
a collection of shoppers
group, crowd, body, assemblage, gathering, throng; knot, cluster; multitude, bevy, party, band, horde, pack, flock, swarm, mob; informal gang, load, gaggle.
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a collection of Victorian dolls
set, series; array, assortment.
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a collection of short stories
anthology, selection, compendium, treasury, compilation, miscellany, pot-pourri.
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a collection for the poor
donations, contributions, gifts, subscription(s); informal whip-round; historical alms.
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a church collection
offering, offertory, tithe.
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collective

adjective
common, shared, joint, combined, mutual, communal, pooled; united, allied, cooperative, collaborative. ANTONYMS :individual.

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college

noun
a college of technology
school, academy, university, polytechnic, institute, seminary, conservatoire, conservatory.
the College of Heralds
association, society, club, institute, body, fellowship, guild, lodge, order, fraternity, league, union, alliance.
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collide

verb
the trains collided with each other
crash, impact; hit, strike, run into, bump into, meet head-on, cannon into, plough into; N. Amer. informal barrel into.
politics and metaphysics collide
conflict, clash; differ, diverge, disagree, be at odds, be incompatible.
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collision

noun
a collision on the ring road
crash, accident, impact, smash, bump, hit; Brit. RTA (road traffic accident); N. Amer. wreck; informal pile-up; Brit. informal prang, shunt.
a collision between two ideas
conflict, clash; disagreement, incompatibility, contradiction.
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colloquial

adjective
informal, conversational, everyday, non-literary; unofficial, idiomatic, slangy, vernacular, popular, demotic. ANTONYMS :formal.

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collude

verb
conspire, connive, collaborate, plot, scheme; informal be in cahoots.

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colonist

noun
settler, colonizer, colonial, pioneer; immigrant, incomer, newcomer; N. Amer. historical homesteader. ANTONYMS :native.

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colonize

verb
settle (in), people, populate; occupy, take over, seize, capture, subjugate.

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colonnade

noun
row of columns; portico, stoa, peristyle.

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colony

noun
a French colony
territory, dependency, protectorate, satellite, settlement, outpost, province.
the British colony in New York
population, community.
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an artists' colony
community, commune; quarter, district, ghetto.
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colossal

adjective
huge, massive, enormous, gigantic, very big, giant, mammoth, vast, immense, monumental, prodigious, mountainous, titanic, towering, king-size(d); informal monster, whopping, humongous, jumbo; Brit. informal ginormous. ANTONYMS :tiny.

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colour

noun
the lights changed colour
hue, shade, tint, tone, coloration.
oil colour
paint, pigment, colourant, dye, stain, tint, wash.
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the colour in her cheeks
redness, pinkness, rosiness, ruddiness, blush, flush, bloom.
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people of every colour
skin colouring, skin tone, colouring; race, ethnic group.
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anecdotes add colour to the text
vividness, life, liveliness, vitality, excitement, interest, richness, zest, spice, piquancy, impact, force; informal oomph, pizzazz, punch, kick; poetic/literary salt.
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the colours of the Oxford City club
strip, kit, uniform, costume, livery, regalia.
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the regimental colours.
See flag1 noun.
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chromatic.
verb
the wood was coloured blue
tint, dye, stain, paint, pigment, wash.
she coloured up
blush, redden, go pink, go red, flush.
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the experience coloured her outlook
influence, affect, taint, warp, skew, distort, bias, prejudice.
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they colour evidence to make a story saleable
exaggerate, overstate, embroider, embellish, dramatize, enhance, varnish; falsify, misreport, manipulate.
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colourful

adjective
a colourful picture
brightly coloured, vivid, vibrant, brilliant, radiant, rich; gaudy, glaring, garish; multicoloured, multicolour, rainbow, varicoloured, harlequin, polychromatic, psychedelic; informal jazzy.
a colourful account
vivid, graphic, lively, animated, dramatic, fascinating, interesting, stimulating, scintillating, evocative.
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colourless

adjective
a colourless liquid
uncoloured, white, bleached; poetic/literary achromatic.
her colourless face
pale, pallid, wan, anaemic, bloodless, ashen, white, waxen, pasty, peaky, sickly, drained, drawn, ghostly, deathly.
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a colourless personality
uninteresting, dull, boring, tedious, dry, dreary; unexciting, bland, weak, insipid, vapid, vacuous, feeble, wishy-washy, lame, lifeless, spiritless, anaemic, bloodless; nondescript, characterless.
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ANTONYMS :colourful, rosy.

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column

noun
arches supported by massive columns
pillar, post, support, upright, baluster, pier, pile, pilaster, stanchion; obelisk, monolith.
a column in the paper
article, piece, item, story, report, account, write-up, feature, review, notice, editorial, leader.
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we walked in a column
line, file, queue, procession, train, cavalcade, convoy; informal crocodile.
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columnist

noun
writer, contributor, journalist, correspondent, newspaperman, newspaperwoman, newsman, newswoman; wordsmith, penman; critic, reviewer, commentator; informal scribbler, pen-pusher, hack(ette), journo.

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coma

noun
state of unconsciousness; Medicine persistent vegetative state, PVS.

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comatose

adjective
he was comatose after the accident
unconscious, in a coma, insensible, insensate.
(informal) she lay comatose in the sun
inert, inactive, lethargic, sluggish, torpid, languid; somnolent, sleeping, dormant.
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comb

verb
she combed her hair
groom, brush, untangle, smooth, straighten, neaten, tidy, arrange; curry.
the wool was combed
separate, dress, card, tease, hackle, heckle.
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police combed the area
search, scour, explore, sweep, probe, hunt through, forage through, poke about/around in, go over, go over with a fine-tooth comb; leave no stone unturned.
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combat

noun
he was killed in combat
battle, fighting, action, hostilities, conflict, war, warfare.
verb
they tried to combat the disease
fight, battle, tackle, attack, counter, resist, withstand; impede, block, thwart, inhibit; stop, halt, prevent, check, curb.

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combatant

noun
a combatant in the war
fighter, soldier, serviceman/woman, warrior, trooper.
combatants in the computer market
contender, adversary, opponent, competitor, challenger, rival.
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adjective
combatant armies
warring, at war, opposing, belligerent, fighting, battling.

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combative

adjective
pugnacious, aggressive, antagonistic, quarrelsome, argumentative, contentious, hostile, truculent, belligerent, bellicose, militant; informal spoiling for a fight. ANTONYMS :conciliatory.

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combination

noun
a combination of ancient and modern
amalgamation, amalgam, merge, blend, mixture, mix, fusion, marriage, coalition, integration, incorporation, synthesis, composite.
he acted in combination with his brother
cooperation, collaboration, association, union, partnership, league.
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combine

verb
he combines comedy with tragedy
amalgamate, integrate, incorporate, merge, mix, fuse, blend; bind, join, marry, unify.
teachers combined to tackle the problem
cooperate, collaborate, join forces, get together, club together, unite, team up, throw in one's lot; informal gang up.
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combustible

adjective
inflammable, flammable, incendiary, ignitable.

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combustion

noun
burning; kindling, ignition.

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come

verb
come and listen
move nearer, move closer, approach, advance, draw close/closer, draw near/nearer; proceed; archaic draw nigh.
they came last night
arrive, get here/there, make it, appear, come on the scene; approach, enter, turn up, come along, materialize; informal show (up), roll in/up, blow in, show one's face.
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they came to a stream
reach, arrive at, get to, make it to, make, gain; come across, run across, happen on, chance on, come upon, stumble on; end up at; informal wind up at.
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the dress comes to her ankles
extend, stretch, reach, come as far as.
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she comes from Belgium
be from, be a native of, hail from, originate in; live in, reside in.
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attacks came without warning
happen, occur, take place, come about, transpire, fall, present itself, crop up, materialize, arise, arrive, appear; ensue, follow; poetic/literary come to pass, befall.
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the car does not come in red
be available, be for sale; be made, be produced.
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(inform al) climax, orgasm.
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ANTONYMS :go, leave.

come about
happen, occur, take place, transpire, fall; crop up, materialize, arise, arrive, appear, surface; ensue, follow; poetic/literary come to pass, befall. come across
they came across his friends
meet/find by chance, meet, run into, run across, come upon, chance on, stumble on, happen on; discover, encounter, find, locate; informal bump into.

the emotion comes across
be communicated, be perceived, get across, be clear, be understood, register, sink in, strike home.
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she came across as cool
seem, appear, look, sound, look to be; Brit. come over; N. Amer. come off.
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(informal) she had come across with more information
hand over, give, deliver, produce, part with; informal come up with, cough up; N. Amer. informal ante up.
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come along
the puppies are coming along nicely
progress, develop, shape up; come on, turn out; improve, get better, pick up, rally, recover.

Come along!
hurry (up), be quick, get a move on, come along, look lively, speed up, move faster; informal get moving, get cracking, step on it, move it, buck up, shake a leg, make it snappy; Brit. informal get your skates on; N. Amer. informal get a wiggle on; dated make haste.
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come apart
break up, fall to bits, fall to pieces, disintegrate, come unstuck, separate, split, tear. come back
return, get back, arrive home, come home; come again. come between
alienate, estrange, separate, divide, split up, break up, disunite, set at odds. come by
obtain, acquire, gain, get, find, pick up, procure, secure; buy, purchase; informal get one's hands on, get hold of, bag, score, swing. come down
decide, conclude, settle; choose, opt, plump. come down on. See reprimand verb. come down to
amount to, add up to, constitute, boil down to, be equivalent to. come down with
fall ill with, fall sick with, be taken ill with, show symptoms of, become infected with, get, catch, develop, contract, fall victim to; Brit. go down with. come forward
volunteer, offer one's services, make oneself available. come in
enter, gain admission, cross the threshold. come into
inherit, be left, be willed, be bequeathed. come in for
receive, experience, sustain, undergo, go through, encounter, face, be subjected to, bear, suffer. come off
this soufflé rarely comes off
succeed, work, turn out well, work out, go as planned, produce the desired result, get results.

she always came off worse
end up, finish up.
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come on
progress, develop, shape up, take shape, come along, turn out; improve. come out
it came out that he'd been to Rome
become known, become apparent, come to light, emerge, transpire; get out, be discovered, be uncovered, be revealed, leak out, be disclosed.

my book is coming out
be published, be issued, be released, be brought out, be printed, go on sale.
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the flowers have come out
bloom, flower, open.
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it will come out all right
end, finish, conclude, work out, turn out; informal pan out.
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the MP came out voluntarily
declare that one is homosexual, come out of the closet.
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(Brit. dated) she came out in 1929
enter society, make one's debut in society.
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come out with
utter, say, let out, blurt out, burst out with. come round
he has just come round from anaesthetic
regain consciousness, come to, come to one's senses, recover, revive, awake, wake up.

I came round to her view
be converted, be won over (by), agree (with), change one's mind, be persuaded (by); give way, yield, relent.
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Friday the 13th comes round every few months
occur, take place, happen, come up, crop up, arise; recur, reoccur, return, reappear.
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come round for a drink
visit, call (in/round), look in, stop by, drop by/in/round/over, come over; informal pop in/round/over.
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come through
survive, get through, ride out, weather, live through, pull through; withstand, stand up to, endure, surmount, overcome; informal stick out. come to
the bill came to £17.50
amount to, add up to, run to, total, equal; Brit. tot up to.

I came to in the hospital
regain consciousness, come round, come to one's senses, recover, revive, awake, wake up.
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come up
arise, occur, happen, come about, transpire, emerge, surface, crop up, turn up, pop up. come up to
she came up to his shoulder
reach, come to, be as tall as, extend to.

he never came up to her expectations
measure up to, match up to, live up to, fulfil, satisfy, meet, equal, compare with; be good enough; informal hold a candle to.
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come up with
produce, devise, think up; propose, put forward, submit, suggest, recommend, advocate, introduce, moot.

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comeback

noun
he made a determined comeback
resurgence, recovery, return, rally, upturn; Brit. fightback.
(informal) one of my best comebacks
retort, riposte, return, rejoinder; answer, reply, response.
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comedian

noun
a famous comedian
comic, comedienne, funny man/woman, humorist, gagster, stand-up; N. Amer. tummler.
Dad was such a comedian
joker, jester, wit, wag, comic, wisecracker, jokester; prankster, clown, fool, buffoon; informal laugh, hoot, case; informal, dated card, caution.
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comedienne

noun
. See comedian sense 1.

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comedown

noun
(informal) a bit of a comedown for a sergeant
loss of status, loss of face, humiliation, belittlement, demotion, degradation, disgrace.
it's such a comedown after Christmas
anticlimax, let-down, disappointment, disillusionment, deflation, decline.
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comedy

noun
he excels in comedy
light entertainment, comic play, comic film, farce, situation comedy, satire, pantomime, comic opera; burlesque, slapstick; informal sitcom.
the comedy in their work
humour, fun, funny side, comical aspect, absurdity, drollness, farce.
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ANTONYMS :tragedy, gravity.

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comely

adjective
(archaic). See attractive sense 2.

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come-on

noun
(informal) inducement, incentive, attraction, lure, pull, draw, enticement, bait, carrot, temptation; fascination, charm, appeal, allure.

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comeuppance

noun
(informal) just deserts, just punishment, due, retribution, requital.

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comfort

noun
travel in comfort
ease, relaxation, repose, serenity, tranquillity, contentment, cosiness; luxury, opulence, prosperity; bed of roses.
words of comfort
consolation, solace, condolence, sympathy, commiseration; support, reassurance, cheer.
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verb
a friend tried to comfort her
console, solace, condole with, commiserate with, sympathize with; support, succour, ease, reassure, soothe, calm; cheer, hearten, uplift; informal buck up. ANTONYMS :distress, depress.

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comfortable

adjective
a comfortable lifestyle
pleasant, free from hardship; affluent, well-to-do, luxurious, opulent.
a comfortable room
cosy, snug, warm, pleasant, agreeable; restful, homelike, homely; informal comfy.
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comfortable clothes
loose, loose-fitting, casual; informal comfy.
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a comfortable pace
leisurely, unhurried, relaxed, easy, gentle, sedate, undemanding, slow; informal laid-back.
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they feel comfortable with each other
at ease, relaxed, secure, safe, unworried, contented, happy.
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ANTONYMS :hard, spartan, tense.

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comforting

adjective
consoling, sympathetic, compassionate, solicitous, tender, warm, caring, loving; supportive, reassuring, soothing, calming; cheering, heartening, encouraging.

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comfortless

adjective
a comfortless house
gloomy, dreary, dismal, bleak, grim, sombre; joyless, cheerless, depressing, disheartening, dispiriting, unwelcoming, uninviting; austere, spartan, institutional.
he left her comfortless
miserable, heartbroken, grief-stricken, unhappy, sad, distressed, desolate, devastated, inconsolable, disconsolate, downcast, downhearted, dejected, cheerless, depressed, melancholy, gloomy, glum; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps.
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ANTONYMS :cosy, happy.

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comic

adjective
a comic play
humorous, funny, droll, amusing, hilarious, uproarious; comical, farcical, silly, slapstick, zany; witty, jocular; informal priceless, side-splitting, rib-tickling; informal, dated killing. ANTONYMS :serious.

noun
a music hall comic
comedian, comedienne, funny man/woman, comedy actor/actress, humorist, wit; joker, clown; informal kidder, wisecracker.
Tony read his comic
cartoon paper, comic paper, comic book, graphic novel; informal funny.
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comical

adjective
he could be quite comical
funny, comic, humorous, droll, witty, jocular, hilarious, amusing, diverting, entertaining; informal jokey, wacky, waggish, side-splitting, rib-tickling, priceless, a scream, a laugh; informal, dated killing, a card, a caution.
they look comical in those suits
silly, absurd, ridiculous, laughable, risible, ludicrous, preposterous, foolish; informal wacky, crazy.
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ANTONYMS :sensible.

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coming

adjective
the coming election
forthcoming, imminent, impending, approaching; future, expected, anticipated; close, at hand, in store, in the offing, in the pipeline, on the horizon, on the way; informal on the cards.
noun
the coming of spring
approach, advance, advent, arrival, appearance, emergence, onset.

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command

verb
he commanded his men to retreat
order, tell, direct, instruct, call on, require; poetic/literary bid.
Jones commanded a tank squadron
be in charge of, be in command of, be the leader of; head, lead, control, direct, manage, supervise, oversee; informal head up.
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they command great respect
receive, get, gain, secure.
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noun
officers shouted commands
order, instruction, directive, direction, commandment, injunction, demand, stipulation, requirement, exhortation, bidding, request.
he had 160 men under his command
authority, control, charge, power, direction, dominion, guidance; leadership, rule, government, management, supervision, jurisdiction.
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a brilliant command of English
knowledge, mastery, grasp, comprehension, understanding.
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commandeer

verb
seize, take, requisition, appropriate, expropriate, sequestrate, sequester, confiscate, annex, take over, claim, pre-empt; hijack, arrogate, help oneself to; informal walk off with; Law distrain; Scottish Law poind.

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commander

noun
leader, head, chief, overseer, controller; commander-in-chief, C in C, commanding officer, CO, officer; informal boss, boss man, skipper, numero uno, number one, top dog, kingpin, head honcho; Brit. informal gaffer, guv'nor.

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commanding

adjective
a commanding position
dominant, dominating, controlling, superior, powerful, prominent, advantageous, favourable.
a commanding voice
authoritative, masterful, assertive, firm, emphatic, insistent, imperative; peremptory, imperious, dictatorial; informal bossy.
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commemorate

verb
celebrate, pay tribute to, pay homage to, honour, salute, toast; remember, recognize, acknowledge, observe, mark.

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commemorative

adjective
memorial, remembrance; celebratory.

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commence

verb
begin, start; get the ball rolling, get going, get under way, get off the ground, set about, embark on, launch into, lead off; open, initiate, inaugurate; informal kick off, get the show on the road. ANTONYMS :conclude.

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commencement

noun
beginning, start, opening, outset, onset, launch, initiation, inception, origin; informal kick-off.

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commend

verb
we should commend him
praise, compliment, congratulate, applaud, salute, honour; sing the praises of, pay tribute to, take one's hat off to, pat on the back; formal laud.
I commend her to you without reservation
recommend, suggest, propose; endorse, advocate, vouch for, speak for, support, back.
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(formal) I commend them to your care
entrust, trust, deliver, commit, hand over, give, turn over, consign, assign.
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ANTONYMS :criticize.

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commendable

adjective
admirable, praiseworthy, creditable, laudable, estimable, meritorious, exemplary, noteworthy, honourable, respectable, fine, excellent. ANTONYMS :reprehensible.

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commendation

noun
letters of commendation
praise, congratulation, appreciation; acclaim, credit, recognition, respect, esteem, admiration, homage, tribute.
a commendation for bravery
award, accolade, prize, honour, (honourable) mention, citation.
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commensurate

adjective
they had privileges but commensurate duties
equivalent, equal, corresponding, correspondent, comparable, proportionate, proportional.
a salary commensurate with your qualifications
appropriate to, in keeping with, in line with, consistent with, corresponding to, according to, relative to; dependent on, based on.
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comment

noun
their comments on her appearance
remark, observation, statement, utterance; pronouncement, judgement, reflection, opinion, view; criticism.
a great deal of comment
discussion, debate; interest.
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a comment in the margin
note, annotation, footnote, gloss, commentary, explanation.
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verb
they commented on the food
remark on, speak about, talk about, discuss, mention.
"It will soon be night," he commented
remark, observe, reflect, say, state, declare, announce; interpose, interject.
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commentary

noun
the test match commentary
narration, description, account, report, review.
textual commentary
explanation, elucidation, interpretation, exegesis, analysis; assessment, appraisal, criticism; notes, comments.
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commentator

noun
a television commentator
narrator, announcer, presenter, anchor, anchorman, anchorwoman; reporter, journalist, newscaster, sportscaster; informal talking head.
a political commentator
analyst, pundit, monitor, observer; writer, speaker.
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commerce

noun
eastern commerce
trade, trading, buying and selling, business, dealing, traffic; (financial) transactions, dealings.
(dated) human commerce
relations, dealings, socializing, communication, association, contact, intercourse.
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commercial

adjective
a vessel built for commercial purposes
trade, trading, business, private enterprise, mercantile, sales.
we turn good ideas into commercial products
lucrative, moneymaking, money-spinning, profitable, remunerative, fruitful, gainful; viable, successful.
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public opinion was commercial
profit-orientated, money-orientated, materialistic, mercenary.
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noun
a TV commercial
advertisement, promotion, display; informal ad, plug; Brit. informal advert.

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commercialized

adjective
profit-orientated, money-orientated, commercial, materialistic, mercenary.

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commiserate

verb
(commiserate with) offer sympathy to, be sympathetic to, offer condolences to, condole with, sympathize with, empathize with, feel pity for, feel sorry for, feel for; comfort, console.

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commiseration

noun
condolence(s), sympathy, pity, comfort, solace, consolation; compassion, understanding.

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commission

noun
the dealer's commission
percentage, brokerage, share, portion, dividend, premium, fee, consideration, bonus; informal cut, take, rake-off, slice; Brit. informal whack, divvy.
the commission of building a palace
task, employment, job, project, mission, assignment, undertaking; duty, charge, responsibility.
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items made under royal commission
warrant, licence, sanction, authority.
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an independent commission
committee, board, council, panel, directorate, delegation.
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the commission of an offence
perpetration, committing, committal, execution.
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verb
he was commissioned to paint a portrait
engage, contract, charge, employ, hire, recruit, retain, appoint, enlist, co-opt, book, sign up.
they commissioned a sculpture
order; authorize; formal bespeak.
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in commission
in service, in use; working, functional, operative, up and running, in operation, in working order. out of commission
not in service, not in use, unserviceable; not working, inoperative, out of order; down.

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commit

verb
he committed a murder
carry out, do, perpetrate, engage in, enact, execute, effect, accomplish; be responsible for; informal pull off.
she was committed to their care
entrust, consign, assign, deliver, give, hand over, relinquish; formal commend.
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they committed themselves to the project
pledge, devote, apply, give, dedicate.
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the judge committed him to prison
consign, send, deliver, confine.
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her husband had her committed
hospitalize, confine, institutionalize, put away; certify.
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commitment

noun
the pressure of his commitments
responsibility, obligation, duty, tie, liability; task; engagement, arrangement.
her commitment to her students
dedication, devotion, allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity.
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he made a commitment
vow, promise, pledge, oath; contract, pact, deal; decision, resolution.
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committed

adjective
devout, devoted, dedicated, loyal, faithful, staunch, firm, steadfast, unwavering, wholehearted, keen, passionate, ardent, fervent, sworn, pledged; dutiful, diligent; informal card-carrying, true blue, deep-dyed. ANTONYMS :apathetic.

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commodious

adjective
(formal) roomy, capacious, spacious, ample, generous, sizeable, large, big, extensive. ANTONYMS :cramped.

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commodity

noun
item, material, product, article, object; import, export.

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common

adjective
the common folk
ordinary, normal, average, unexceptional; simple.
a very common art form
usual, ordinary, familiar, regular, frequent, recurrent, everyday; standard, typical, conventional, stock, commonplace, run-of-the-mill.
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a common belief
widespread, general, universal, popular, mainstream, prevalent, prevailing, rife, established, conventional, traditional, orthodox, accepted.
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the common good
collective, communal, community, public, popular, general; shared, combined.
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they are far too common
uncouth, vulgar, coarse, rough, boorish, unladylike, ungentlemanly, ill-bred, uncivilized, unsophisticated, unrefined; lowly, low-born, low-class, inferior, proletarian, plebeian; informal plebby; Brit. informal common as muck.
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ANTONYMS :unusual, rare, individual, refined.

noun
(Brit. informal) use your common!
See common sense.

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commonly

adverb
often, frequently, regularly, repeatedly, time and (time) again, all the time, routinely, habitually, customarily; N. Amer. oftentimes; informal lots.

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commonplace

adjective
a commonplace writing style
ordinary, run-of-the-mill, unremarkable, unexceptional, average, mediocre, pedestrian, prosaic, lacklustre, dull, bland, uninteresting, mundane; hackneyed, trite, banal, clichéd, predictable, stale, tired, unoriginal; informal (plain) vanilla, bog-standard, a dime a dozen; Brit. informal common or garden; N. Amer. informal ornery, bush-league.
a commonplace occurrence
common, normal, usual, ordinary, familiar, routine, standard, everyday, daily, regular, frequent, habitual, typical.
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ANTONYMS :original, unusual.

noun
early death was a commonplace
everyday event, routine.
a great store of commonplaces
platitude, cliché, truism, hackneyed phrase, trite phrase, old chestnut, banality; dated bromide.
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common sense

noun
sensibleness, (good) sense, (native) wit, judgement, level-headedness, prudence, discernment, canniness, astuteness, shrewdness, wisdom, insight, perception, perspicacity; practicality, capability, resourcefulness, enterprise; informal horse sense, gumption, nous, savvy; Brit. informal common; N. Amer. informal smarts. ANTONYMS :folly.

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commotion

noun
disturbance, uproar, tumult, rumpus, ruckus, brouhaha, furore, hue and cry, fuss, stir, storm; turmoil, disorder, confusion, chaos, mayhem, havoc, pandemonium; unrest, fracas, riot, breach of the peace; Irish, N. Amer., & Austral. donnybrook; informal ruction(s), ballyhoo, kerfuffle, hoo-ha, to-do, hullabaloo; Brit. informal carry-on, row, aggro, argy-bargy; Law, dated affray.

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communal

adjective
the kitchen was communal
shared, joint, common.
they farm on a communal basis
collective, cooperative, community, communalist, combined.
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ANTONYMS :private, individual.

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commune

noun
she lives in a commune
collective, cooperative, communal settlement, kibbutz.
verb
we pray to commune with God
communicate, speak, talk, converse, interface.
she likes to commune with nature
empathize, identify, have a rapport, feel at one; relate to, feel close to.
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communicable

adjective
contagious, infectious, transmittable, transmissible, transferable, spreadable; informal catching; dated infective.

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communicate

verb
he communicated the news to his boss
convey, tell, impart, relay, transmit, pass on, announce, report, recount, relate, present; divulge, disclose, mention; spread, disseminate, promulgate, broadcast.
they communicate daily
liaise, be in touch, be in contact, have dealings, interface, commune, meet; talk, speak, converse; informal have a confab, powwow.
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learn how to communicate better
get one's message across, explain oneself, be understood, get through to someone.
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the disease is communicated easily
transmit, transfer, spread, carry, pass on.
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each bedroom communicates with a bathroom
connect with, join up with, open on to, lead into.
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communication

noun
the communication of news
transmission, conveyance, divulgence, divulgation, disclosure; dissemination, promulgation, broadcasting.
there was no communication between them
contact, dealings, relations, connection, association, socializing, intercourse; correspondence, dialogue, talk, conversation, discussion; dated commerce.
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an official communication
message, statement, announcement, report, dispatch, communiqué, letter, bulletin, correspondence.
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road and rail communications
links, connections; services, routes.
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communicative

adjective
forthcoming, expansive, expressive, unreserved, uninhibited, vocal, outgoing, frank, open, candid; talkative, chatty, loquacious; informal gabby.

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communion

noun
a sense of communion with others
affinity, fellowship, kinship, friendship, fellow feeling, togetherness, closeness, harmony, understanding, rapport, connection, communication, empathy, accord, unity.
Christ's presence at Communion
Eucharist, Holy Communion, Lord's Supper, Mass.
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communiqué

noun
official communication, press release, bulletin, message, missive, dispatch, statement, report, announcement, declaration, proclamation; N. Amer. advisory; informal memo.

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communism

noun
collectivism, state ownership, (radical) socialism; Sovietism, Bolshevism, Marxism, Leninism, Trotskyism, Maoism.

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communist

noun & adjective
collectivist, leftist, (radical) socialist; Soviet, Bolshevik, Bolshevist, Marxist, Leninist, Trotskyist, Trotskyite, Maoist; informal, derogatory Commie, Bolshie, red, lefty.

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community

noun
work done for the community
population, populace, people, citizenry, (general) public, collective; residents, inhabitants, citizens.
a rural community
district, region, zone, area, locality, locale, neighbourhood; informal neck of the woods, turf; Brit. informal manor; N. Amer. informal hood, nabe.
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gays are not one homogenous community
group, body, set, circle, clique, faction; informal gang, bunch.
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a monastic community
brotherhood, sisterhood, fraternity, sorority, sodality; colony, order.
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community of interests
similarity, likeness, comparability, correspondence, agreement, closeness, affinity.
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the community of goods
joint ownership, common ownership, shared possession.
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commute

verb
they commute on a train
travel to and from work, travel to and fro, travel back and forth.
his sentence was commuted
reduce, lessen, lighten, shorten, cut, attenuate, moderate.
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knight service was commuted for a payment
exchange, change, substitute, swap, trade, switch.
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ANTONYMS :increase.

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commuter

noun
(daily) traveller, traveller, passenger; informal straphanger.

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compact 1

adjective
a compact rug
dense, close-packed, tightly packed; thick, tight, firm.
a compact camera
small, little, petite, miniature, mini, small-scale; Scottish wee; informal teeny, teeny-weeny; Brit. informal dinky; N. Amer. little-bitty.
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her tale is compact
concise, succinct, condensed, brief, pithy; short and sweet; informal snappy; formal compendious.
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ANTONYMS :loose, large, rambling.

verb
the snow has been compacted
compress, condense, pack down, press down, tamp (down), flatten.

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compact 2

noun
the warring states signed a compact
treaty, pact, accord, agreement, contract, bargain, deal, settlement, covenant, concordat; pledge, promise, bond.

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companion

noun
Harry and his companion
associate, partner, escort, compatriot, confederate; friend, intimate, confidant(e), comrade; informal pal, chum, crony, sidekick; Brit. informal mate, oppo, china, mucker; N. Amer. informal buddy, amigo, compadre; Austral./NZ informal offsider.
a lady's companion
attendant, aide, helper, assistant, valet, equerry, lady in waiting; chaperone; carer, minder.
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the tape is a companion to the book
complement, counterpart, twin, match; accompaniment, supplement, addition, adjunct, accessory.
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The Gardener's Companion
handbook, manual, guide, reference book, ABC, primer, vade mecum; informal bible.
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companionable

adjective
friendly, affable, cordial, genial, congenial, amiable, easy-going, good-natured, comradely; sociable, convivial, outgoing, gregarious; informal chummy, pally; Brit. informal matey; N. Amer. informal buddy-buddy, clubby.

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companionship

noun
friendship, fellowship, closeness, togetherness, amity, intimacy, rapport, camaraderie, brotherhood, sisterhood; company, society, social contact.

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company

noun
an oil company
firm, business, corporation, establishment, agency, office, bureau, institution, organization, concern, enterprise; conglomerate, consortium, syndicate, multinational; informal outfit.
I enjoy his company
companionship, friendship, fellowship, amity, camaraderie; society, association.
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I'm expecting company
guests, visitors, callers, people; someone.
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a company of poets
group, crowd, party, band, assembly, cluster, flock, herd, troupe, throng, congregation; informal bunch, gang.
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a company of infantry
unit, section, detachment, troop, corps, squad, squadron, platoon, battalion, division.
Top
corporate.

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comparable

adjective
comparable incomes
similar, close, near, approximate, akin, equivalent, commensurate, proportional, proportionate; like, matching.
nobody is comparable with him
equal to, as good as, in the same league as, able to hold a candle to, on a par with, on a level with; a match for.
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comparative

adjective
relative; in/by comparison.

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compare

verb
we compared the data sets
contrast, juxtapose, collate, differentiate, weigh up.
he was compared to Wagner
liken, equate, analogize; class with, bracket with, set side by side with.
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the porcelain compares with Dresden's fine china
be as good as, be comparable to, bear comparison with, be the equal of, match up to, be on a par with, be in the same league as, come close to, hold a candle to, be not unlike; match, resemble, emulate, rival, approach.
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beyond compare
without equal, second to none, in a class of one's own; peerless, matchless, unmatched, incomparable, inimitable, supreme, outstanding, consummate, unique, singular, perfect.

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comparison

noun
a comparison of the results
juxtaposition, collation, differentiation.
there's no comparison between them
resemblance, likeness, similarity, correspondence, correlation, parallel, parity, comparability.
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compartment

noun
a secret compartment
section, part, bay, recess, chamber, cavity; pocket.
they put science and religion in separate compartments
domain, field, sphere, department; category, pigeonhole, bracket, group, set.
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compartmentalize

verb
categorize, pigeonhole, bracket, group, classify, characterize, stereotype, label, brand; sort, rank, rate.

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compass

noun
scope, range, extent, reach, span, breadth, ambit, limits, parameters, bounds.

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compassion

noun
pity, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, care, concern, solicitude, sensitivity, warmth, love, tenderness, mercy, leniency, tolerance, kindness, humanity, charity. ANTONYMS :indifference, cruelty.

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compassionate

adjective
sympathetic, empathetic, understanding, caring, solicitous, sensitive, warm, loving; merciful, lenient, tolerant, considerate, kind, humane, charitable, big-hearted.

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compatibility

noun
like-mindedness, similarity, affinity, closeness, fellow feeling, harmony, rapport, empathy, sympathy.

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compatible

adjective
they were never compatible
(well) suited, well matched, like-minded, in tune, in harmony; reconcilable.
her bruising is compatible with a fall
consistent, congruous, congruent; in keeping.
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compatriot

noun
fellow countryman/woman, countryman, countrywoman, fellow citizen.

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compel

verb
he compelled them to leave their land
force, pressurize, pressure, press, push, urge; dragoon, browbeat, bully, intimidate; oblige, require, make; informal lean on, put the screws on.
they can compel compliance
exact, extort, demand, insist on, force, necessitate.
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compelling

adjective
a compelling performance
enthralling, captivating, gripping, riveting, spellbinding, mesmerizing, absorbing, irresistible.
a compelling argument
convincing, persuasive, cogent, irresistible, powerful, strong, weighty, plausible, credible, sound, valid, telling, conclusive, irrefutable, unanswerable.
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ANTONYMS :boring, weak.

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compendious

adjective
(formal) succinct, pithy, short and to the point, concise, compact, condensed, compressed, abridged, summarized, synoptic; informal snappy. ANTONYMS :expanded.

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compendium

noun
collection, compilation, anthology, treasury, digest; summary, synopsis, precis, outline.

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compensate

verb
you must compensate for what you did
make amends, make up, make reparation, recompense, atone, requite, pay; expiate, make good, rectify.
we agreed to compensate him for his loss
recompense, repay, pay back, reimburse, remunerate, recoup, requite, indemnify.
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his flair compensated for his faults
balance (out), counterbalance, counteract, offset, make up for, cancel out, neutralize, negative.
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compensation

noun
recompense, repayment, reimbursement, remuneration, requital, indemnification, indemnity, redress; damages; N. Amer. informal comp.

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compère

noun
host, presenter, anchor, anchorman/woman, master of ceremonies, MC, announcer; N. Amer. informal emcee.

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compete

verb
they competed in a tennis tournament
take part, participate, play, be a competitor, be involved; enter, go in for.
they had to compete with other firms
contend, vie, battle, wrangle, jockey, go head to head; strive against, pit oneself against; challenge, take on.
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no one can compete with him
rival, challenge, keep up with, keep pace with, compare with, match, be in the same league as, come near to, come close to, touch; informal hold a candle to.
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competence

noun
my technical competence
capability, ability, competency, proficiency, accomplishment, expertise, adeptness, skill, prowess, mastery, talent; informal savvy, know-how.
the competence of the system
adequacy, appropriateness, suitability, fitness; effectiveness; formal efficacy.
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matters within the competence of the courts
authority, power, control, jurisdiction, ambit, scope, remit.
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competent

adjective
a competent carpenter
capable, able, proficient, adept, adroit, accomplished, complete, skilful, skilled, gifted, talented, expert; good, excellent; informal great, mean, wicked, nifty, ace.
she spoke competent French
adequate, acceptable, satisfactory, reasonable, fair, decent, not bad, all right, average, tolerable, passable, moderate, middling; informal OK, okay, so-so.
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the court was not competent to hear the case
fit, suitable, suited, appropriate; qualified, empowered, authorized.
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ANTONYMS :inadequate, unfit.

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competition

noun
Stephanie won the competition
contest, tournament, match, game, heat, fixture, event; trials, stakes.
I'm not interested in competition
rivalry, competitiveness, vying; conflict, feuding, fighting; informal keeping up with the Joneses.
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we must stay ahead of the competition
opposition, other side, field; enemy; challengers, opponents, rivals, adversaries; poetic/literary foe.
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competitive

adjective
a competitive player
ambitious, zealous, keen, pushy, combative, aggressive; informal go-ahead.
a highly competitive industry
ruthless, aggressive, fierce; informal dog-eat-dog, cut-throat.
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competitive prices
reasonable, moderate, keen; low, inexpensive, cheap, budget, bargain, reduced, discount; rock-bottom, bargain-basement.
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ANTONYMS :apathetic, exorbitant.

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competitor

noun
the competitors in the race
contestant, contender, challenger, participant, entrant; runner, player.
our European competitors
rival, challenger, opponent, adversary; competition, opposition.
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ANTONYMS :ally.

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compilation

noun
collection, selection, anthology, treasury, compendium, album, corpus, collectanea; pot-pourri.

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compile

verb
assemble, put together, make up, collate, compose, organize, arrange; gather, collect.

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complacency

noun
smugness, self-satisfaction, self-congratulation, self-regard; gloating, triumph, pride; satisfaction, contentment.

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complacent

adjective
smug, self-satisfied, self-congratulatory, self-regarding; gloating, triumphant, proud; pleased, satisfied, content, contented; informal like the cat that got the cream, I'm-all-right-Jack; N. Amer. informal wisenheimer.

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complain

verb
protest, grumble, whine, bleat, carp, cavil, grouse, make a fuss; object to, speak out against, oppose, criticize, find fault with; informal whinge, kick up a fuss, bellyache, moan, beef, bitch, sound off; Brit. informal gripe, chunter, create; N. Amer. informal kvetch.

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complaint

noun
they lodged a complaint
protest, objection, grievance, grouse, cavil, quibble, grumble; charge, accusation, criticism; informal beef, gripe, whinge; Law, Brit. plaint.
little cause for complaint
protestation, objection, exception, grievance, grumbling; criticism, fault-finding, condemnation, disapproval, dissatisfaction; informal whingeing, grousing, bellyaching, nit-picking.
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a kidney complaint
disorder, disease, infection, affliction, illness, ailment, sickness; condition, problem, upset, trouble; informal bug, virus.
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complaisant

adjective
willing, acquiescent, agreeable, amenable, cooperative, accommodating, obliging; biddable, compliant, docile, obedient.

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complement

noun
the perfect complement to the food
accompaniment, companion, addition, supplement, accessory, trimming.
a full complement of lifeboats
amount, total, contingent, capacity, allowance, quota.
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verb
this sauce complements the dessert
accompany, go with, round off, set off, suit, harmonize with; enhance, complete.

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complementary

adjective
harmonious, compatible, corresponding, matching, twin, complemental; supportive, reciprocal, interdependent. ANTONYMS :incompatible.

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complete

adjective
the complete interview
entire, whole, full, total; uncut, unabridged.
their research was complete
finished, ended, concluded, completed, finalized; accomplished, achieved, discharged, settled, done; informal wrapped up, sewn up, polished off.
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a complete fool
absolute, out-and-out, utter, total, real, downright, thoroughgoing, veritable, prize, perfect, unqualified, unmitigated, sheer, arrant; N. Amer. full-bore; Brit. informal right.
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ANTONYMS :partial, unfinished.

verb
he had to complete his training
finish, end, conclude, finalize, wind up; informal wrap up, sew up, polish off.
the outfit was completed with a veil
finish off, round off, top off, crown, cap, complement.
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complete the application form
fill in/out, answer.
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completely

adverb
totally, entirely, wholly, thoroughly, fully, utterly, absolutely, perfectly, unreservedly, unconditionally, quite, altogether, downright; in every way, in every respect, one hundred per cent, every inch, to the hilt; informal dead, deadly.

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completion

noun
realization, accomplishment, achievement, fulfilment, consummation, finalization, resolution; finish, end, conclusion, close, cessation.

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complex

adjective
a complex situation
complicated, involved, intricate, convoluted, elaborate, impenetrable, Gordian; difficult, knotty, tricky, thorny; Brit. informal fiddly.
a complex structure
compound, composite, multiplex.
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ANTONYMS :simple.

noun
a complex of roads
network, system, nexus, web, tissue; combination, aggregation.
(informal) he had a complex about losing his hair
obsession, fixation, preoccupation; neurosis; informal hang-up, thing, bee in one's bonnet.
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complexion

noun
a pale complexion
skin, skin colour, skin tone; pigmentation.
this puts an entirely new complexion on things
perspective, angle, slant, interpretation; appearance, light, look.
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governments of all complexions
type, kind, sort; nature, character, stamp, ilk, kidney.
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complexity

noun
complication, problem, difficulty; twist, turn, intricacy.

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compliance

noun
compliance with international law
obedience to, observance of, adherence to, conformity to, respect for.
he mistook her silence for compliance
acquiescence, agreement, assent, consent, acceptance; complaisance, pliability, docility, meekness, submission.
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ANTONYMS :violation, defiance.

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compliant

adjective
acquiescent, amenable, biddable, tractable, complaisant, accommodating, cooperative; obedient, docile, malleable, pliable, submissive, tame, yielding, controllable, unresisting, persuadable, persuasible. ANTONYMS :recalcitrant.

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complicate

verb
make (more) difficult, make complicated, mix up, confuse, muddle; informal mess up, screw up, snarl up. ANTONYMS :simplify.

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complicated

adjective
complex, intricate, involved, convoluted, tangled, impenetrable, knotty, tricky, thorny, labyrinthine, tortuous, Gordian; confusing, bewildering, perplexing; Brit. informal fiddly. ANTONYMS :straightforward.

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complication

noun
a complication concerning ownership
difficulty, problem, obstacle, hurdle, stumbling block; drawback, snag, catch, hitch; informal fly in the ointment, prob, headache, facer; Brit. informal spanner in the works.
the complication of life in our society
complexity, complicatedness, intricacy, convolutedness.
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complicity

noun
collusion, involvement, collaboration, connivance; conspiracy; informal being in cahoots.

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compliment

noun
an unexpected compliment
flattering remark, tribute, accolade, commendation, bouquet, pat on the back; (compliments) praise, acclaim, admiration, flattery, blandishments, honeyed words.
my compliments on your cooking
congratulations, commendations, praise.
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Margaret sends her compliments
greetings, regards, respects, good wishes, best wishes, salutations, felicitations.
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ANTONYMS :insult.

verb
they complimented his performance
praise, pay tribute to, speak highly/well of, flatter, wax lyrical about, make much of, commend, acclaim, applaud, salute, honour; congratulate, pat on the back. ANTONYMS :criticize.

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complimentary

adjective
complimentary remarks
flattering, appreciative, congratulatory, admiring, approving, commendatory, favourable, glowing, adulatory; informal rave.
complimentary tickets
free (of charge), gratis, for nothing; courtesy; informal on the house.
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ANTONYMS :derogatory.

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comply

verb
Myra complied with his wishes
abide by, observe, obey, adhere to, conform to, follow, respect; agree to, assent to, go along with, yield to, submit to, defer to; satisfy, fulfil. ANTONYMS :ignore, disobey.

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component

noun
the components of electronic devices
part, piece, bit, element, constituent, ingredient; unit, module, section.
adjective
the molecule's component elements
constituent, integral; basic, essential.

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comport

comport oneself (formal)
behave, conduct oneself, act, acquit oneself; archaic deport oneself.

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compose

verb
a poem composed by Shelley
write, formulate, devise, make up, think up, produce, invent, concoct; pen, author, draft; poetic/literary rhyme.
compose a still life
organize, arrange, set out.
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the congress is composed of ten senators
make up, constitute, form, comprise.
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compose oneself
calm down, control oneself, regain one's composure, pull oneself together, collect oneself, steady oneself, keep one's head; informal get a grip, keep one's cool; N. Amer. informal decompress.

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composed

adjective
calm, collected, cool (as a cucumber), self-controlled, self-possessed; serene, tranquil, relaxed, at ease, unruffled, unperturbed, untroubled; equable, even-tempered, imperturbable; informal unflappable, together, laid-back. ANTONYMS :excited.

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composer

noun
melodist, symphonist, songwriter, songster, writer; informal tunesmith, songsmith.

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composite

adjective
a composite structure
compound, complex; combined, blended, mixed.
noun
a composite of plastic and metal
amalgamation, amalgam, combination, compound, fusion, synthesis, mixture, blend; alloy.

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composition

noun
the composition of the council
make-up, constitution, configuration, structure, formation, form, framework, fabric, anatomy, organization; informal set-up.
a literary composition
work (of art), creation, opus, oeuvre, piece, arrangement.
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the composition of a poem
writing, creation, formulation, invention, concoction, compilation.
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a school composition
essay, paper, study, piece of writing; N. Amer. theme.
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the composition of the painting
arrangement, disposition, layout; proportions, balance, symmetry.
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an adhesive composition
mixture, compound, amalgam, blend, mix.
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compost

noun
fertilizer, mulch, manure, bonemeal, fishmeal, guano; humus, peat; plant food, top-dressing.

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composure

noun
self-control, self-possession, calm, equanimity, equilibrium, serenity, tranquillity; aplomb, poise, presence of mind, sangfroid; imperturbability, placidness, impassivity; informal cool.

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compound

noun
a compound of two elements
amalgam, amalgamation, combination, composite, blend, mixture, mix, fusion, synthesis; alloy.
adjective
a compound substance
composite, complex; blended, fused, combined. ANTONYMS :simple.

verb
a smell compounded of dust and mould
be composed of, be made up of, be formed from.
soap compounded with disinfectant
mix, combine, blend, amalgamate, fuse, synthesize.
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his illness compounds their problems
aggravate, exacerbate, worsen, add to, augment, intensify, heighten, increase, magnify; complicate.
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ANTONYMS :alleviate.

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comprehend

verb
Katie couldn't comprehend his message
understand, grasp, take in, see, apprehend, follow, make sense of, fathom, get to the bottom of; unravel, decipher, interpret; informal work out, figure out, make head or tail of, get one's head around, take on board, get the drift of, catch on to, get; Brit. informal twig, suss (out).
(formal) a divine order comprehending all men
comprise, include, encompass, embrace, involve, contain.
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ANTONYMS :exclude.

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comprehensible

adjective
intelligible, understandable, accessible; lucid, coherent, clear, plain, explicit, unambiguous, straightforward, fathomable. ANTONYMS :opaque.

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comprehension

noun
understanding, grasp, conception, apprehension, cognition, ken, knowledge, awareness, perception; interpretation. ANTONYMS :ignorance.

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comprehensive

adjective
inclusive, all-inclusive, complete; thorough, full, extensive, all-embracing, exhaustive, detailed, in-depth, encyclopedic, universal, catholic; far-reaching, radical, sweeping, across the board, wholesale; broad, wide-ranging; informal wall-to-wall. ANTONYMS :limited.

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compress

verb
the skirt can be compressed into a bag
squeeze, press, squash, crush, cram, jam, stuff; tamp, pack, compact; constrict; informal scrunch.
Polly compressed her lips
purse, press together, pucker.
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the text was compressed
abridge, condense, shorten, cut, abbreviate, truncate; summarize, precis.
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ANTONYMS :expand.

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comprise

verb
the country comprises twenty states
consist of, be made up of, be composed of, contain, encompass, incorporate; include; formal comprehend.
this breed comprises half the herd
make up, constitute, form, compose; account for.
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compromise

noun
they reached a compromise
agreement, understanding, settlement, terms, deal, trade-off, bargain; middle ground, happy medium, balance.
a happy marriage needs compromise
give and take, concession, cooperation.
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ANTONYMS :intransigence.

verb
we compromised
meet each other halfway, come to an understanding, make a deal, make concessions, find a happy medium, strike a balance; give and take.
his actions could compromise his reputation
undermine, weaken, damage, harm; jeopardize, prejudice; discredit, dishonour, shame, embarrass.
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compulsion

noun
he is under no compulsion to go
obligation, constraint, coercion, duress, pressure, intimidation.
a compulsion to tell the truth
urge, impulse, need, desire, drive; obsession, fixation, addiction; temptation.
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compulsive

adjective
a compulsive desire
irresistible, uncontrollable, compelling, overwhelming, urgent; obsessive.
compulsive eating
obsessive, obsessional, addictive, uncontrollable.
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a compulsive liar
inveterate, chronic, incorrigible, incurable, hardened, hopeless, persistent; obsessive, addicted, habitual; informal pathological, hooked.
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it's compulsive viewing
fascinating, compelling, gripping, riveting, engrossing, enthralling, captivating.
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compulsory

adjective
obligatory, mandatory, required, requisite, necessary, essential; imperative, unavoidable, enforced, demanded, prescribed. ANTONYMS :optional.

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compunction

noun
scruples, misgivings, qualms, worries, unease, uneasiness, doubts, reluctance, reservations; guilt, regret, contrition, self-reproach.

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compute

verb
calculate, work out, reckon, determine, evaluate, quantify; add up, count up, tally, total, totalize; Brit. tot up.

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comrade

noun
companion, friend; colleague, associate, partner, co-worker, workmate; informal pal, crony; Brit. informal mate, chum, oppo; N. Amer. informal buddy.

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con (informal)

verb & noun
. See swindle.

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concatenation

noun
series, sequence, succession, chain.

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concave

adjective
incurved, curved inwards, hollow, depressed, sunken; indented, recessed. ANTONYMS :convex.

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conceal

verb
clouds concealed the sun
hide, screen, cover, obscure, block out, blot out, mask, shroud, secrete.
he concealed his true feelings
hide, cover up, disguise, mask, veil; keep secret, keep dark, draw a veil over; suppress, repress, bottle up; informal keep a/the lid on, keep under one's hat.
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ANTONYMS :reveal, confess.

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concealed

adjective
hidden, not visible, out of sight, invisible, covered, disguised, camouflaged, obscured; private, secret.

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concealment

noun
the concealment of his weapon
hiding, secretion.
the concealment of the bushes
cover, shelter, protection, screen; privacy, seclusion; secrecy.
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the deliberate concealment of facts
suppression, hiding, cover-up, hushing up; whitewash.
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concede

verb
I had to concede that I'd overreacted
admit, acknowledge, accept, allow, grant, recognize, own, confess; agree.
he conceded the Auvergne to the king
surrender, yield, give up, relinquish, cede, hand over.
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ANTONYMS :deny, retain.

concede defeat
capitulate, give in, surrender, yield, give up, submit, raise the white flag; back down, climb down, throw in the towel.

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conceit

noun
his extraordinary conceit
vanity, narcissism, conceitedness, egotism, self-admiration, self-regard; pride, arrogance, hubris, self-importance; self-satisfaction, smugness; informal big-headedness, swollen-headedness; poetic/literary vainglory.
the conceits of Shakespeare's verse
image, imagery, metaphor, simile, trope.
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the conceit of time travel
idea, notion, fancy.
Top
ANTONYMS :humility.

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conceited

adjective
vain, narcissistic, self-centred, egotistic, egotistical, egocentric; proud, arrogant, boastful, full of oneself, self-important, immodest, swaggering; self-satisfied, smug; supercilious, haughty, snobbish; informal big-headed, too big for one's boots, stuck-up, high and mighty, uppity, snotty; Brit. informal toffee-nosed; N. Amer. informal chesty; poetic/literary vainglorious.

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conceivable

adjective
imaginable, possible; plausible, tenable, credible, believable, thinkable, feasible; understandable, comprehensible.

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conceive

verb
she was unable to conceive
become pregnant, become impregnated.
the project was conceived in 1977
think up, think of, dream up, devise, formulate, design, originate, create, develop; hatch; informal cook up.
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I could hardly conceive what it must be like
imagine, envisage, visualize, picture, think, envision; grasp, appreciate, apprehend.
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concentrate

verb
the government concentrated its efforts
focus, direct, centre, centralize.
she concentrated on the film
focus on, pay attention to, keep one's mind on, devote oneself to; be absorbed in, be engrossed in, be immersed in; informal get stuck into.
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troops concentrated on the horizon
collect, gather, congregate, converge, mass, cluster, rally.
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the liquid is filtered and concentrated
condense, boil down, reduce, thicken.
Top
ANTONYMS :disperse, dilute.

noun
a fruit concentrate
extract, decoction, distillation.

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concentrated

adjective
a concentrated effort
strenuous, concerted, intensive, intense; informal all-out.
a concentrated solution
condensed, reduced, evaporated, thickened; undiluted, strong.
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ANTONYMS :half-hearted, diluted.

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concentration

noun
a task requiring concentration
close attention, attentiveness, application, single-mindedness, absorption.
the concentration of effort
focusing, centralization.
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concentrations of barnacle geese
gathering, cluster, mass, flock, congregation, assemblage.
Top
ANTONYMS :inattention.

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concept

noun
idea, notion, conception, abstraction; theory, hypothesis; belief, conviction, opinion; image, impression, picture.

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conception

noun
the fertility treatment resulted in conception
inception of pregnancy, conceiving, fertilization, impregnation, insemination.
the product's conception
inception, genesis, origination, creation, invention; beginning, origin.
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his original conception
plan, scheme, project, proposal; intention, aim, idea.
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my conception of democracy
idea, concept, notion, understanding, abstraction; theory, hypothesis; perception, image, impression.
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they had no conception of our problems
understanding, comprehension, appreciation, grasp, knowledge; idea, inkling; informal clue.
Top

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concern

verb
the report concerns the war
be about, deal with, cover; discuss, go into, examine, study, review, analyse; relate to, pertain to.
that doesn't concern you
affect, involve, be relevant to, apply to, have a bearing on, impact on; be important to, interest.
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I won't concern myself with your affairs
involve oneself in, take an interest in, busy oneself with, devote one's time to, bother oneself with.
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one thing still concerns me
worry, disturb, trouble, bother, perturb, unsettle, make anxious.
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noun
a voice full of concern
anxiety, worry, disquiet, apprehensiveness, unease, consternation.
his concern for others
solicitude, solicitousness, consideration, care, sympathy, regard.
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housing is the concern of the council
responsibility, business, affair, charge, duty, job; province, preserve; problem, worry; informal pigeon, bag, bailiwick; Brit. informal lookout.
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issues that are of concern to women
interest, importance, relevance, significance.
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Aboriginal concerns
affair, issue, matter, question, consideration.
Top
a publishing concern
company, business, firm, organization, operation, corporation, establishment, house, office, agency; informal outfit, set-up.
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ANTONYMS :indifference.

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concerned

adjective
her mother looked concerned
worried, anxious, upset, perturbed, troubled, distressed, uneasy, apprehensive, agitated.
he is concerned about your welfare
solicitous, caring; attentive to, considerate of.
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all concerned parties
interested, involved, affected; connected, related, implicated.
Top

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concerning

preposition
about, regarding, relating to, with reference to, referring to, with regard to, as regards, with respect to, respecting, dealing with, on the subject of, in connection with, re, apropos of.

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concert

noun
musical performance, show, production, presentation; recital; informal gig.
in concert
together, jointly, in combination, in collaboration, in cooperation, in league, side by side; in unison.

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concerted

adjective
make a concerted effort
strenuous, vigorous, intensive, intense, concentrated; informal all-out.
concerted action
joint, united, collaborative, collective, combined, cooperative.
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ANTONYMS :half-hearted, individual.

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concession

noun
the government made several concessions
compromise, allowance, exception, sop.
a concession of failure
admission, acknowledgement, acceptance, recognition, confession.
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the concession of territory
surrender, relinquishment, sacrifice, handover.
Top
tax concessions
reduction, cut, discount, deduction, decrease; rebate; informal break.
Top
a logging concession
right, privilege; licence, permit, franchise, warrant, authorization.
Top
ANTONYMS :denial, acquisition.

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conciliate

verb
he tried to conciliate the peasantry
appease, placate, pacify, mollify, assuage, soothe, humour, reconcile, win over, make peace with.
he conciliated in the dispute
mediate, act as peacemaker, arbitrate; pour oil on troubled waters.
Top
ANTONYMS :provoke.

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conciliator

noun
peacemaker, mediator, go-between, middleman, intermediary, intercessor; dove. ANTONYMS :troublemaker.

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conciliatory

adjective
propitiatory, placatory, appeasing, pacifying, pacific, mollifying, peacemaking.

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concise

adjective
succinct, pithy, incisive, brief, short and to the point, short and sweet; abridged, condensed, compressed, abbreviated, compact, potted; informal snappy. ANTONYMS :lengthy, wordy.

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conclave

noun
(private) meeting, gathering, assembly, conference, council, summit; informal parley, powwow, get-together.

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conclude

verb
the meeting concluded at ten
finish, end, draw to a close, be over, stop, cease.
he concluded the press conference
bring to an end, close, wind up, terminate, dissolve; round off; informal wrap up.
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an attempt to conclude a ceasefire
negotiate, broker, agree, come to terms on, settle, clinch, finalize, tie up; bring about, arrange, effect, engineer; informal sew up.
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I concluded that he was rather unpleasant
deduce, infer, gather, judge, decide, conjecture, surmise; N. Amer. figure; informal reckon.
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ANTONYMS :commence.

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conclusion

noun
the conclusion of his speech
end, ending, finish, close, termination, wind-up, cessation; culmination, denouement, coda.
the conclusion of a trade agreement
negotiation, brokering, settlement, completion, arrangement, resolution.
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his conclusions have been verified
deduction, inference, interpretation, reasoning; opinion, judgement, verdict; assumption, presumption, supposition.
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ANTONYMS :beginning.

in conclusion
finally, in closing, to conclude, last but not least; to sum up, in short.

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conclusive

adjective
conclusive proof
incontrovertible, undeniable, indisputable, irrefutable, unquestionable, unassailable, convincing, certain, decisive, definitive, definite, positive, categorical, unequivocal; airtight, watertight.
a conclusive win
emphatic, resounding, convincing.
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ANTONYMS :unconvincing.

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concoct

verb
she began to concoct her dinner
prepare, make, assemble; informal fix, rustle up; Brit. informal knock up.
this story she has concocted
make up, dream up, fabricate, invent, trump up; formulate, hatch, brew; informal cook up.
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concoction

noun
a concoction containing gin and vodka
mixture, brew, preparation, potion.
a strange concoction of styles
blend, mixture, mix, combination, hybrid.
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her story is an improbable concoction
fabrication, invention, falsification; informal fairy story, fairy tale.
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concomitant

adjective
(formal) attendant, accompanying, associated, related, connected; resultant, consequent. ANTONYMS :unrelated.

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concord

noun
(formal) council meetings rarely ended in concord
agreement, harmony, accord, consensus, concurrence, unity.
a concord was to be drawn up
treaty, agreement, accord, pact, compact, settlement.
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ANTONYMS :discord.

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concourse

noun
the station concourse
entrance, foyer, lobby, hall.
(formal) a vast concourse of onlookers
crowd, group, gathering, assembly, body, company, throng, flock, mass.
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concrete

adjective
concrete objects
solid, material, real, physical, tangible, palpable, substantial, visible, existing.
concrete proof
definite, firm, positive, conclusive, definitive; real, genuine, bona fide.
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ANTONYMS :abstract, imaginary.

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concubine

noun
(archaic) mistress, kept woman; lover; informal fancy woman, bit on the side; archaic paramour.

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concupiscence

noun
(formal). See lust noun sense 1.

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concur

verb
we concur with this view
agree, be in agreement, go along, fall in, be in sympathy; see eye to eye, be of the same mind, be of the same opinion.
the two events concurred
coincide, be simultaneous, be concurrent, coexist.
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ANTONYMS :disagree.

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concurrent

adjective
nine concurrent life sentences
simultaneous, coincident, contemporaneous, parallel.
concurrent lines
convergent, converging, meeting, intersecting.
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concussion

noun
he suffered concussion
temporary unconsciousness; brain injury.
the concussion of the blast
force, impact, shock, jolt.
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condemn

verb
he condemned the suspended players
censure, criticize, denounce, revile, blame, chastise, berate, reprimand, rebuke, reprove, take to task, find fault with; informal slam, blast, lay into; Brit. informal slate, slag off, have a go at; formal castigate.
he was condemned to death
sentence; convict, find guilty.
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the house has been condemned
declare unfit, declare unsafe.
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her mistake had condemned her
incriminate, implicate; archaic inculpate.
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his illness condemned him to a lonely life
doom, destine, damn; consign, assign.
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ANTONYMS :praise.

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condemnation

noun
censure, criticism, strictures, denunciation, vilification; reproof, disapproval; informal flak, a bad press; formal castigation.

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condemnatory

adjective
censorious, critical, damning; reproving, reproachful, deprecatory, disapproving, unfavourable; formal castigatory.

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condensation

noun
windows misty with condensation
moisture, water droplets, steam.
the condensation of the vapour
precipitation, liquefaction, deliquescence.
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a condensation of recent literature
abridgement, summary, synopsis, precis, digest.
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the condensation of the report
shortening, abridgement, abbreviation, summarization.
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condense

verb
the water vapour condenses
precipitate, liquefy, become liquid, deliquesce.
he condensed the play
abridge, shorten, cut, abbreviate, compact; summarize, synopsize, precis; truncate, curtail.
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ANTONYMS :vaporize, expand.

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condensed

adjective
a condensed text
abridged, shortened, cut, compressed, abbreviated, reduced, truncated, concise; outline, thumbnail; informal potted.
condensed soup
concentrated, evaporated, reduced; strong, undiluted.
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ANTONYMS :diluted.

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condescend

verb
don't condescend to your reader
patronize, talk down to, look down one's nose at, look down on, put down.
he condescended to see us
deign, stoop, descend, lower oneself, demean oneself; vouchsafe, see fit, consent.
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condescending

adjective
patronizing, supercilious, superior, snobbish, snobby, disdainful, lofty, haughty; informal snooty, stuck-up; Brit. informal toffee-nosed.

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condition

noun
check the condition of your wiring
state, shape, order; Brit. informal nick.
they lived in appalling conditions
circumstances, surroundings, environment, situation, set-up, setting, habitat; informal circs.
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she was in tip-top condition
fitness, health, form, shape, trim, fettle.
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a liver condition
disorder, problem, complaint, illness, disease, ailment, sickness, affliction, infection, upset; informal bug, virus; Brit. informal lurgy.
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a condition of employment
stipulation, constraint, prerequisite, precondition, requirement, rule, term, specification, provision, proviso.
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verb
their choices are conditioned by the economy
constrain, control, govern, determine, decide; affect, touch, impact on; form, shape, guide, sway, bias.
our minds are conditioned by habit
train, teach, educate, guide; accustom, adapt, habituate, mould, inure.
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condition the boards with water
treat, prepare, prime, temper, process, acclimatize, acclimate, season.
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a product to condition your skin
improve, nourish, tone (up), moisturize.
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conditional

adjective
their approval is conditional on success
subject to, dependent on, contingent on, based on, determined by, controlled by, tied to.
a conditional offer
contingent, dependent, qualified, with reservations, limited, provisional, provisory.
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condolences

plural noun
sympathy, commiseration(s), compassion, pity, support, comfort, consolation, understanding.

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condom

noun
contraceptive, sheath; N. Amer. prophylactic; Brit. trademark Durex, Femidom; Brit. informal johnny; N. Amer. informal rubber, safe; Brit. informal, dated French letter; dated protective.

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condone

verb
disregard, accept, allow, let pass, turn a blind eye to, overlook, forget; forgive, pardon, excuse, let go. ANTONYMS :condemn.

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conducive

adjective
favourable, beneficial, advantageous, opportune, propitious, encouraging, promising, convenient, good, helpful, instrumental, productive, useful. ANTONYMS :unfavourable.

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conduct

noun
they complained about her conduct
behaviour, performance, demeanour; actions, activities, deeds, doings, exploits; habits, manners; formal comportment.
the conduct of the elections
management, running, direction, control, supervision, regulation, administration, organization, coordination, orchestration, handling.
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verb
the election was conducted lawfully
manage, direct, run, administer, organize, coordinate, orchestrate, handle, control, oversee, supervise, regulate, carry out/on.
he was conducted through the corridors
escort, guide, lead, usher, show; shepherd, see, bring, take, help.
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aluminium conducts heat
transmit, convey, carry, transfer, impart, channel, relay; disseminate, diffuse, radiate.
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conduct oneself
behave, act, acquit oneself, bear oneself; formal comport oneself; archaic deport oneself.

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conduit

noun
channel, duct, pipe, tube, gutter, trench, culvert, cut, sluice, spillway, flume, chute.

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confectionery

noun
sweets, chocolates, bonbons; N. Amer. candy; informal sweeties; archaic sweetmeats.

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confederacy

noun
federation, confederation, alliance, league, association, coalition, consortium, syndicate, group, circle; bloc, axis.

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confederate

adjective
confederate councils
federal, confederated, federated, allied, associated, united. ANTONYMS :split.

noun
he met his confederate in the street
associate, partner, accomplice, helper, assistant, ally, collaborator, colleague; Brit. informal oppo; Austral./NZ informal offsider.

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confederation

noun
alliance, league, confederacy, federation, association, coalition, consortium, conglomerate, cooperative, syndicate, group, circle; society, union.

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confer

verb
she conferred a knighthood on him
bestow on, present to, grant to, award to, decorate with, honour with, give to, endow with, extend to, vouchsafe to.
she went to confer with her colleagues
consult, talk, speak, converse, have a chat, have a tête-à-tête, parley; informal have a confab, powwow.
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conference

noun
an international conference
congress, meeting, convention, seminar, colloquium, symposium, forum, summit.
he gathered them for a conference
discussion, consultation, debate, talk, conversation, dialogue, chat, tête-à-tête, parley; informal confab; formal confabulation.
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confess

verb
he confessed that he had done it
admit, acknowledge, reveal, disclose, divulge, avow, declare, profess; own up, tell all.
they could not make him confess
own up, plead guilty, accept the blame; tell the truth, tell all, make a clean breast of it; informal come clean, spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, get something off one's chest, let on; Brit. informal cough.
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I confess I don't know
acknowledge, admit, concede, grant, allow, own, declare, affirm.
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ANTONYMS :deny.

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confession

noun
admission, acknowledgement, profession; revelation, disclosure, divulgence, avowal; guilty plea.

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confidant confidante, fem.

noun
close friend, bosom friend, best friend; intimate, familiar; informal chum, pal, crony; Brit. informal mate, oppo, mucker; N. Amer. informal buddy.

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confide

verb
he confided his fears to his mother
reveal, disclose, divulge, lay bare, betray, impart, declare, intimate, uncover, expose, vouchsafe, tell; confess, admit, give away; informal blab, spill.
I need him to confide in
open one's heart to, unburden oneself to, confess to, tell all to.
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confidence

noun
I have little confidence in these figures
trust, belief, faith, credence, conviction.
she's brimming with confidence
self-assurance, self-confidence, self-possession, assertiveness; poise, aplomb, phlegm; courage, boldness, mettle, nerve.
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the girls exchanged confidences
secret, confidentiality, intimacy.
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ANTONYMS :scepticism, doubt.

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confident

adjective
we are confident that business will improve
optimistic, hopeful, sanguine; sure, certain, positive, convinced, in no doubt, satisfied, assured, persuaded.
a confident girl
self-assured, assured, self-confident, positive, assertive, self-possessed, self-reliant, poised; cool-headed, phlegmatic, level-headed, unperturbed, imperturbable, unruffled, at ease; informal together.
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confidential

adjective
a confidential chat
private, personal, intimate, quiet; secret, sensitive, classified, restricted, unofficial, unrevealed, undisclosed, unpublished; informal hush-hush, mum; formal sub rosa; archaic privy.
a confidential friend
trusted, trustworthy, trusty, faithful, reliable, dependable; close, bosom, intimate.
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confidentially

adverb
privately, in private, in confidence, between ourselves/themselves, off the record, quietly, secretly, in secret, behind closed doors; formal sub rosa.

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configuration

noun
arrangement, layout, geography, design, organization, order, grouping, positioning, disposition, alignment; shape, form, appearance, formation, structure, format.

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confine

verb
they were confined in the house
enclose, incarcerate, imprison, intern, impound, hold captive, trap; shut in/up, keep, lock in/up, coop (up); fence in, hedge in, wall in/up.
he confined his remarks to the weather
restrict, limit.
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confined

adjective
cramped, constricted, restricted, limited, small, narrow, compact, tight, poky, uncomfortable, inadequate. ANTONYMS :roomy.

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confinement

noun
solitary confinement
imprisonment, internment, incarceration, custody, captivity, detention, restraint; house arrest.
the confinement of an animal
caging, enclosure; quarantine.
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(dated) she went to hospital for her confinement
labour, delivery, birthing; birth, childbirth; formal parturition; archaic lying-in, childbed.
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confines

plural noun
limits, margins, extremities, edges, borders, boundaries, fringes, marches; periphery, perimeter.

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confirm

verb
records confirm the latest evidence
corroborate, verify, prove, validate, authenticate, substantiate, justify, vindicate; support, uphold, back up.
he confirmed that help was on the way
affirm, reaffirm, assert, assure someone, repeat; promise, guarantee.
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his appointment was confirmed by the President
ratify, validate, sanction, endorse, formalize, authorize, warrant, accredit, approve, accept.
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ANTONYMS :contradict, deny.

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confirmation

noun
independent confirmation of the deaths
corroboration, verification, proof, testimony, endorsement, authentication, substantiation, evidence.
confirmation of your appointment
ratification, approval, authorization, validation, sanction, endorsement, formalization, accreditation, acceptance.
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confirmed

adjective
established, long-standing, committed, dyed-in-the-wool, through and through; staunch, loyal, faithful, devoted, dedicated, steadfast; habitual, compulsive, persistent; unapologetic, unashamed, inveterate, chronic, incurable; informal deep-dyed, card-carrying.

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confiscate

verb
impound, seize, commandeer, requisition, appropriate, expropriate, sequester, sequestrate, take (away); Law distrain; Scottish Law poind. ANTONYMS :return.

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confiscation

noun
seizure, requisition, appropriation, expropriation, sequestration; Law distraint, distrainment; Scottish Law poind.

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conflagration

noun
fire, blaze, flames, inferno, firestorm.

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conflict

noun
industrial conflicts
dispute, quarrel, squabble, disagreement, dissension, clash; discord, friction, strife, antagonism, hostility, disputation, contention; feud, schism.
the Vietnam conflict
war, campaign, battle, fighting, (armed) confrontation, engagement, encounter, struggle, hostilities; warfare, combat.
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a conflict between his business and domestic life
clash, incompatibility, incongruity, friction; mismatch, variance, difference, divergence, contradiction, inconsistency.
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ANTONYMS :agreement, peace, harmony.

verb
their interests sometimes conflict
clash, be incompatible, vary, be at odds, be in conflict, differ, diverge, disagree, contrast, collide.

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conflicting

adjective
contradictory, incompatible, inconsistent, irreconcilable, incongruous, contrary, opposite, opposing, antithetical, clashing, discordant, divergent; at odds.

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confluence

noun
convergence, meeting, junction, conflux, watersmeet.

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conform

verb
visitors have to conform to our rules
comply with, abide by, obey, observe, follow, keep to, stick to, adhere to, uphold, heed, accept, go along with, fall in with, respect, defer to; satisfy, meet, fulfil.
they refuse to conform
follow convention, be conventional, fit in, adapt, adjust, follow the crowd; comply, acquiesce, toe the line, follow the rules; submit, yield; informal play it by the book, play by the rules.
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goods must conform to their description
match, fit, suit, answer, agree with, be like, correspond to, be consistent with, measure up to, tally with, square with.
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ANTONYMS :flout, rebel.

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conformist

noun
conventionalist, traditionalist, conservative, stickler, formalist, diehard, reactionary; informal stick-in-the-mud, stuffed shirt. ANTONYMS :eccentric, rebel.

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confound

verb
the figures confounded analysts
amaze, astonish, dumbfound, stagger, surprise, startle, stun, nonplus; throw, shake, discompose, bewilder, baffle, mystify, bemuse, perplex, puzzle, confuse; take aback, shake up, catch off balance; informal flabbergast, blow someone's mind, blow away, flummox, faze, stump, beat, fox; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.
he has always confounded expectations
contradict, counter, invalidate, negate, go against, drive a coach and horses through; quash, explode, demolish, shoot down, destroy, disprove; informal shoot full of holes.
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confront

verb
Jones confronted the burglar
challenge, square up to, face (up to), come face to face with, meet, accost, waylay; stand up to, brave, beard, tackle; informal collar; Brit. informal nobble.
the problems that confront us
trouble, bother, burden, distress, worry, oppress, annoy, strain, stress, tax, torment, plague, blight, curse; face, beset.
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they must confront their problems
tackle, address, face, get to grips with, grapple with, take on, attend to, see to, deal with, take care of, handle, manage; informal get stuck into.
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she confronted him with the evidence
present, face.
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ANTONYMS :avoid.

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confrontation

noun
conflict, clash, fight, battle, encounter, head-to-head, face-off, engagement, skirmish; hostilities, fighting; informal set-to, run-in, dust-up, showdown.

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confuse

verb
don't confuse students with too much detail
bewilder, baffle, mystify, bemuse, perplex, puzzle, confound, nonplus; informal flummox, faze, stump, fox; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.
the authors have confused the issue
complicate, muddle, jumble, garble, blur, obscure, cloud.
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some confuse strokes with heart attacks
mix up, muddle up, confound; mistake for.
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ANTONYMS :enlighten, simplify.

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confused

adjective
they are confused about what is going on
bewildered, bemused, puzzled, perplexed, baffled, mystified, nonplussed, muddled, dumbfounded, at sea, at a loss, taken aback, disoriented, disconcerted; informal flummoxed, bamboozled, clueless, fazed; N. Amer. informal discombobulated.
her confused elderly mother
demented, bewildered, muddled, addled, befuddled, disoriented, disorientated; unbalanced, unhinged; senile.
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a confused recollection
vague, unclear, indistinct, imprecise, blurred, hazy, woolly, shadowy, dim; imperfect, sketchy.
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a confused mass of bones
disorderly, disordered, disorganized, disarranged, out of order, untidy, muddled, jumbled, mixed up, chaotic, topsy-turvy; informal higgledy-piggledy; Brit. informal shambolic.
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ANTONYMS :lucid, clear, precise, neat.

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confusing

adjective
bewildering, baffling, unclear, perplexing, puzzling, mystifying, disconcerting; ambiguous, misleading, inconsistent, contradictory; unaccountable, inexplicable, impenetrable, unfathomable; complex, complicated.

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confusion

noun
there is confusion about the new system
uncertainty, incertitude, unsureness, doubt, ignorance; formal dubiety.
she stared in confusion
bewilderment, bafflement, perplexity, puzzlement, mystification, befuddlement; shock, daze, wonder, wonderment, astonishment; informal bamboozlement; N. Amer. informal discombobulation.
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her life was in utter confusion
disorder, disarray, disorganization, untidiness, chaos, mayhem; turmoil, tumult, disruption, upheaval, uproar, hurly-burly, muddle, mess; informal shambles.
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a confusion of boxes
jumble, muddle, mess, heap, tangle; informal shambles.
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ANTONYMS :certainty, order.

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confute

verb
(formal) disprove, contradict, controvert, refute, deny, rebut, belie, negate, invalidate, explode, discredit, debunk, quash, drive a coach and horses through; informal shoot full of holes; formal gainsay. ANTONYMS :prove.

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congeal

verb
coagulate, clot, thicken, gel, inspissate, cake, set, curdle.

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congenial

adjective
very congenial people
like-minded, compatible, kindred, well suited; companionable, sociable, sympathetic, comradely, convivial, hospitable, genial, personable, agreeable, friendly, pleasant, likeable, amiable, nice.
a congenial environment
pleasant, pleasing, agreeable, enjoyable, pleasurable, nice, appealing, satisfying, gratifying, delightful, relaxing, welcoming, hospitable; suitable, well suited, favourable.
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ANTONYMS :unpleasant.

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congenital

adjective
congenital defects
inborn, inherited, hereditary, innate, inbred, constitutional, inbuilt, natural, inherent.
a congenital liar
inveterate, compulsive, persistent, chronic, regular, habitual, obsessive, confirmed; incurable, incorrigible, irredeemable, hopeless; unashamed, shameless; informal pathological.
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ANTONYMS :acquired.

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congested

adjective
crowded, overcrowded, full, overflowing, packed, jammed, thronged, teeming, swarming; obstructed, blocked, clogged, choked; informal snarled up, gridlocked, jam-packed; Brit. informal like Piccadilly Circus. ANTONYMS :clear.

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congestion

noun
crowding, overcrowding; obstruction, blockage; traffic jam, bottleneck; informal snarl-up, gridlock.

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conglomerate

noun
the conglomerate was broken up
corporation, combine, group, consortium, partnership; firm, company, business, multinational.
a conglomerate of disparate peoples
mixture, mix, combination, amalgamation, union, marriage, fusion, composite, synthesis; miscellany, hotchpotch.
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adjective
a conglomerate mass
aggregate, agglomerate, amassed, combined.
verb
the debris conglomerated into planets
coalesce, unite, join, combine, merge, fuse, consolidate, amalgamate, integrate, mingle, intermingle.

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congratulate

verb
she congratulated him on his marriage
send one's best wishes, wish someone good luck, wish someone joy; drink someone's health, toast.
they are to be congratulated
praise, commend, applaud, salute, honour; pay tribute to, regard highly, pat on the back, take one's hat off to.
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ANTONYMS :criticize.

congratulate oneself
take pride, feel proud, flatter oneself, preen oneself, pat oneself on the back; feel satisfaction, take pleasure, glory, bask, delight.

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congratulations

plural noun
her congratulations on their wedding
good wishes, best wishes, compliments, felicitations.
you all deserve congratulations
praise, commendation, applause, salutes, honour, acclaim, cheers, bouquets; approval, admiration, compliments, kudos, adulation; a pat on the back.
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congregate

verb
assemble, gather, collect, come together, convene, rally, rendezvous, muster, meet, cluster, group. ANTONYMS :disperse.

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congregation

noun
the chapel congregation
parishioners, parish, churchgoers, flock, faithful, followers, believers, fellowship, communicants, laity, brethren; throng, company, assemblage, audience.
congregations of birds
gathering, assembly, flock, swarm, bevy, pack, group, body, crowd, mass, multitude, horde, host, mob, throng.
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congress

noun
a congress of mathematicians
conference, convention, seminar, colloquium, symposium, forum, meeting, assembly, gathering, rally, summit.
elections for the new Congress
legislature, legislative assembly, parliament, convocation, diet, council, senate, chamber, house.
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congruence

noun
compatibility, consistency, conformity, match, balance, consonance, congruity; agreement, accord, consensus, harmony, unity; formal concord. ANTONYMS :conflict.

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conical

adjective
cone-shaped, tapered, tapering, pointed, funnel-shaped; informal pointy; Zoology conoid.

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conjectural

adjective
speculative, suppositional, suppositious, theoretical, hypothetical, putative, notional; postulated, inferred, presumed, assumed, presupposed, tentative.

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conjecture

noun
the information is merely conjecture
speculation, guesswork, surmise, fancy, presumption, assumption, theory, postulation, supposition; inference, extrapolation; estimate; informal guesstimate, a shot in the dark. ANTONYMS :fact.

verb
I conjectured that the game was over
guess, speculate, surmise, infer, fancy, imagine, believe, think, suspect, presume, assume, hypothesize, suppose. ANTONYMS :know.

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conjugal

adjective
marital, matrimonial, nuptial, marriage, bridal; Law spousal; poetic/literary connubial.

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conjunction

noun
co-occurrence, concurrence, coincidence, coexistence, simultaneity, contemporaneity, concomitance, synchronicity, synchrony.

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conjure

verb
he conjured a cigarette out of the air
produce, make something appear, materialize, magic, summon.
the picture that his words conjured up
bring to mind, call to mind, evoke, summon up, recall, recreate; echo, allude to, suggest, awaken.
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conjuring

noun
magic, illusion, sleight of hand, legerdemain; formal prestidigitation.

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conjuror

noun
magician, illusionist; formal prestidigitator.

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connect

verb
electrodes were connected to the device
attach, join, fasten, fix, affix, couple, link, secure, hitch; stick, adhere, fuse, pin, screw, bolt, clamp, clip, hook (up); add, append.
customs connected with Easter
associate, link, couple; identify, equate, bracket, relate to.
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connection

noun
the connection between commerce and art
link, relationship, relation, interconnection, interdependence, association; bond, tie, tie-in, correspondence, parallel, analogy.
a poor connection in the plug
attachment, joint, fastening, coupling.
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he has the right connections
contact, friend, acquaintance, ally, colleague, associate; relation, relative, kin.
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in connection with
regarding, concerning, with reference to, with regard to, with respect to, respecting, relating to, in relation to, on, connected with, on the subject of, in the matter of, apropos, re, in re.

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connivance

noun
collusion, complicity, collaboration, involvement, assistance; tacit consent, conspiracy, intrigue.

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connive

verb
wardens connived at offences
deliberately ignore, overlook, disregard, pass over, take no notice of, make allowances for, turn a blind eye to, wink at, excuse, condone, let go; look the other way, let something ride.
the government connived with security forces
conspire, collude, collaborate, intrigue, be hand in glove, plot, scheme; informal be in cahoots.
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conniving

adjective
scheming, cunning, crafty, calculating, devious, wily, sly, tricky, artful, guileful; manipulative, Machiavellian, disingenuous, deceitful, underhand, treacherous; informal foxy.

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connoisseur

noun
expert, authority, specialist, pundit, savant; arbiter of taste, aesthete; gourmet, epicure, gastronome; informal buff; N. Amer. informal maven.

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connotation

noun
overtone, undertone, undercurrent, implication, hidden meaning, nuance, hint, echo, vibrations, association, intimation, suggestion, suspicion, insinuation.

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connote

verb
imply, suggest, indicate, signify, hint at, give the impression of, smack of, be associated with, allude to.

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conquer

verb
the Franks conquered the Visigoths
defeat, beat, vanquish, trounce, triumph over, be victorious over, get the better of, worst; overcome, overwhelm, overpower, overthrow, subdue, subjugate, quell, quash, crush, rout; informal lick, best, hammer, clobber, thrash, paste, demolish, annihilate, wipe the floor with, walk all over, make mincemeat of, massacre, slaughter; Brit. informal stuff; N. Amer. informal cream, shellac, skunk.
Peru was conquered by Spain
seize, take (over), appropriate, subjugate, capture, occupy, invade, annex, overrun.
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the first men to conquer Mount Everest
climb, ascend, mount, scale, top, crest.
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the way to conquer fear
overcome, get the better of, control, master, get a grip on, deal with, cope with, surmount, rise above, get over; quell, quash, beat, triumph over; informal lick.
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ANTONYMS :lose.

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conqueror

noun
vanquisher, conquistador; victor, winner, champion, conquering hero.

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conquest

noun
the conquest of the Aztecs
defeat, vanquishment, annihilation, overthrow, subjugation, rout, mastery, crushing; victory over, triumph over.
their conquest of the valley
seizure, takeover, capture, occupation, invasion, acquisition, appropriation, subjugation, subjection.
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the conquest of Everest
ascent.
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she's his latest conquest
catch, acquisition, prize, slave; admirer, fan, worshipper; lover, boyfriend, girlfriend; informal fancy man, fancy woman.
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ANTONYMS :victory, surrender.

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conscience

noun
sense of right and wrong, moral sense, inner voice; morals, standards, values, principles, ethics, beliefs; compunction, scruples, qualms.

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conscience-stricken

adjective
guilt-ridden, remorseful, ashamed, shamefaced, apologetic, sorry; chastened, contrite, guilty, regretful, rueful, repentant, penitent, self-reproachful, abashed, sheepish, compunctious. ANTONYMS :unrepentant.

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conscientious

adjective
diligent, industrious, punctilious, painstaking, sedulous, assiduous, dedicated, careful, meticulous, thorough, attentive, hard-working, studious, rigorous, particular; religious, strict. ANTONYMS :casual.

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conscious

adjective
the patient was conscious
aware, awake, alert, responsive, sentient, compos mentis.
he became conscious of people talking
aware of, alert to, mindful of, sensible of; formal cognizant of; archaic ware of.
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a conscious effort
deliberate, intentional, intended, purposeful, purposive, knowing, considered, calculated, wilful, premeditated, planned, volitional; Law, dated prepense.
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ANTONYMS :unaware.

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conscript

verb
they were conscripted into the army
call up, enlist, recruit; US draft; historical press, impress.
noun
an army conscript
compulsorily enlisted soldier, recruit; US draftee. ANTONYMS :volunteer.

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consecrate

verb
sanctify, bless, make holy, make sacred; dedicate to God, devote, reserve, set apart; anoint, ordain; formal hallow.

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consecutive

adjective
successive, succeeding, following, in succession, running, in a row, one after the other, back-to-back, continuous, straight, uninterrupted; informal on the trot.

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consensus

noun
there was consensus among delegates
agreement, harmony, concurrence, accord, unity, unanimity, solidarity; formal concord.
the consensus was that they should act
general opinion, majority opinion, common view.
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ANTONYMS :disagreement.

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consent

noun
the consent of all members
agreement, assent, acceptance, approval, approbation; permission, authorization, sanction, leave; backing, endorsement, support; informal go-ahead, thumbs up, green light, OK. ANTONYMS :dissent.

verb
she consented to surgery
agree, assent, yield, give in, submit; allow, give permission for, sanction, accept, approve, go along with. ANTONYMS :forbid.

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consequence

noun
a consequence of inflation
result, upshot, outcome, out-turn, effect, repercussion, ramification, corollary, concomitant, aftermath; fruit(s), product, by-product, end result; informal pay-off; Medicine sequela.
the past is of no consequence
importance, import, significance, account, substance, note, mark, prominence, value, concern, interest; formal moment.
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ANTONYMS :cause.

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consequent

adjective
resulting, resultant, ensuing, consequential; following, subsequent, successive; attendant, accompanying, concomitant; collateral, associated, related.

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consequential

adjective
a fire and the consequential smoke damage
resulting, resultant, ensuing, consequent; following, subsequent; attendant, accompanying, concomitant; collateral, associated, related.
one of his more consequential initiatives
important, significant, major, momentous, weighty, material, appreciable, memorable, far-reaching, serious.
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ANTONYMS :insignificant.

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consequently

adverb
as a result, as a consequence, so, thus, therefore, ergo, accordingly, hence, for this/that reason, because of this/that, on this/that account; inevitably, necessarily.

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conservation

noun
preservation, protection, safeguarding, safe keeping; care, guardianship, husbandry, supervision; upkeep, maintenance, repair, restoration; ecology, environmentalism.

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conservative

adjective
the conservative wing of the party
right-wing, reactionary, traditionalist; Brit. Tory, blimpish; US Republican; informal true blue.
the conservative trade-union movement
traditionalist, traditional, conventional, orthodox, old-fashioned, dyed-in-the-wool, hidebound, unadventurous, set in one's ways; moderate, middle-of-the-road; informal stick in the mud.
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a conservative suit
conventional, sober, modest, plain, unobtrusive, restrained, subtle, low-key, demure; informal square, straight.
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a conservative estimate
low, cautious, understated, moderate, reasonable.
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ANTONYMS :socialist, radical, ostentatious.

noun
liberals and conservatives have found common ground
right-winger, reactionary, rightist, diehard; Brit. Tory, blimp; US Republican.

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conservatory

noun
a frost-free conservatory
summer house, belvedere; glasshouse, greenhouse, hothouse.
a teaching job at the conservatory
conservatoire, music school, drama school.
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conserve

verb
fossil fuel should be conserved
preserve, protect, save, safeguard, keep, look after; sustain, prolong, perpetuate; store, reserve, husband. ANTONYMS :squander.

noun
cherry conserve
jam, preserve, jelly, marmalade, confiture.

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consider

verb
Isabel considered her choices
think about, contemplate, reflect on, examine, review; mull over, ponder, deliberate on, chew over, meditate on, ruminate on; assess, evaluate, weigh up, appraise; informal size up.
I consider him irresponsible
deem, think, believe, judge, adjudge, rate, count, find; regard as, hold to be, reckon to be, view as, see as.
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he considered the ceiling
look at, contemplate, observe, regard, survey, view, scrutinize, scan, examine, inspect; informal check out; N. Amer. informal eyeball.
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the inquiry will consider those issues
take into consideration, take account of, make allowances for, bear in mind, be mindful of, remember, mind, mark, respect, heed, note, make provision for.
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ANTONYMS :ignore.

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considerable

adjective
a considerable amount of money
sizeable, substantial, appreciable, significant; goodly, fair, hefty, handsome, decent, worthwhile; ample, plentiful, abundant, great, large, generous; informal tidy, not to be sneezed at.
considerable success
much, great, a lot of, lots of, a great deal of, plenty of, a fair amount of.
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a considerable cricketer
distinguished, noteworthy, important, significant, prominent, eminent, influential, illustrious; renowned, celebrated, acclaimed.
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ANTONYMS :paltry, minor.

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considerably

adverb
greatly, (very) much, a great deal, a lot, lots; significantly, substantially, appreciably, markedly, noticeably; informal plenty, seriously.

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considerate

adjective
attentive, thoughtful, solicitous, mindful, heedful; obliging, accommodating, helpful, cooperative, patient; kind, unselfish, compassionate, sympathetic, caring, charitable, altruistic, generous; polite, sensitive, tactful.

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consideration

noun
your case needs careful consideration
thought, deliberation, reflection, contemplation, rumination, meditation; examination, inspection, scrutiny, analysis, discussion; attention, regard; formal cogitation.
his health is the prime consideration
factor, issue, matter, concern, detail, aspect, feature.
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firms should show more consideration
attentiveness, concern, care, thoughtfulness, solicitude; kindness, understanding, respect, sensitivity, tact, discretion; compassion, charity, benevolence.
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I might do it, for a consideration
payment, fee, premium, remuneration, compensation; commission, percentage, dividend; informal cut, slice, piece of the action; formal emolument.
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take something into consideration
consider, give thought to, take into account, allow for, provide for, plan for, make provision for, accommodate, bargain for, reckon with; foresee, anticipate.

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considering

preposition
considering his size he was speedy
bearing in mind, taking into consideration, taking into account, keeping in mind, in view of, in the light of.
adverb
(informal) he'd been lucky, considering
all things considered, all in all, on the whole, at the end of the day, when all's said and done.

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consign

verb
he was consigned to prison
send, deliver, hand over, turn over, sentence; confine in, imprison in, incarcerate in, lock up in; informal put away, put behind bars; Brit. informal bang up.
the picture was consigned for sale
assign, allocate, place, put, remit, hand down.
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the package was consigned by a local company
send (off), dispatch, transmit, convey, post, mail, ship.
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I consigned her picture to the bin
deposit, commit, banish, relegate.
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consignment

noun
delivery, shipment, load, boatload, truckload, cargo; batch; goods.

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consist

verb
the exhibition consists of 180 drawings
be composed, be made up, be formed; comprise, contain, include, incorporate.
style consists in the choices that writers make
be inherent, lie, reside, be present, be contained; be expressed by.
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consistency

noun
the trend shows a degree of consistency
uniformity, constancy, regularity, evenness, steadiness, stability, equilibrium; dependability, reliability.
cream of pouring consistency
thickness, density, viscosity, heaviness, texture; firmness, solidity.
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consistent

adjective
consistent opinion-poll evidence
constant, regular, uniform, steady, stable, even, unchanging, undeviating, unfluctuating; dependable, reliable, predictable.
her injuries were consistent with a knife attack
compatible, congruous, consonant, in tune, in line, reconcilable; corresponding to, conforming to.
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ANTONYMS :irregular, incompatible.

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consolation

noun
comfort, solace, sympathy, compassion, pity, commiseration; relief, help, (moral) support, encouragement, reassurance.

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console 1

verb
she tried to console him
comfort, solace, condole with, sympathize with, commiserate with, show compassion for; help, support, cheer (up), hearten, encourage, reassure, soothe. ANTONYMS :upset.

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console 2

noun
a digital console
control panel, instrument panel, dashboard, keyboard, keypad; informal dash.

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consolidate

verb
we consolidated our position in the market
strengthen, secure, stabilize, reinforce, fortify; enhance, improve.
consolidate the results into an action plan
combine, unite, merge, integrate, amalgamate, fuse, synthesize, bring together, unify.
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consonance

noun
agreement, accord, harmony, unison; compatibility, congruity, congruence; formal concord.

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consonant

consonant with
in agreement with, consistent with, in accordance with, in harmony with, compatible with, congruous with, in tune with.

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consort

noun
the queen and her consort
partner, companion, mate; spouse, husband, wife.
verb
he consorted with other women
associate, keep company, mix, go around, spend time, socialize, fraternize, have dealings; informal run around, hang around/round, hang out, be thick; Brit. informal hang about.

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conspicuous

adjective
easily seen, clear, visible, noticeable, discernible, perceptible, detectable; obvious, manifest, evident, apparent, marked, pronounced, prominent, patent, crystal clear; striking, eye-catching, overt, blatant, writ large; distinct, recognizable, unmistakable, inescapable; informal as plain as the nose on one's face, standing out like a sore thumb, standing out a mile.

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conspiracy

noun
a conspiracy to manipulate the race results
plot, scheme, plan, machination, ploy, trick, ruse, subterfuge; informal racket.
conspiracy to murder
plotting, collusion, intrigue, connivance, machination, collaboration; treason.
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conspirator

noun
plotter, schemer, intriguer, colluder, collaborator, conniver, machinator.

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conspire

verb
they admitted conspiring to steal cars
plot, scheme, plan, intrigue, machinate, collude, connive, collaborate, work hand in glove; informal be in cahoots.
circumstances conspired against them
act together, work together, combine, unite, join forces; informal gang up.
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constancy

noun
constancy between lovers
fidelity, faithfulness, loyalty, commitment, dedication, devotion; dependability, reliability, trustworthiness.
the constancy of Henry's views
steadfastness, resolution, resolve, firmness, fixedness; determination, perseverance, tenacity, doggedness, staunchness, staying power, obstinacy.
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a constancy of human motive
consistency, permanence, persistence, durability, endurance; uniformity, immutability, regularity, stability, steadiness.
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constant

adjective
the constant background noise
continual, continuous, persistent, sustained, round-the-clock; ceaseless, unceasing, perpetual, incessant, never-ending, eternal, endless, unabating, non-stop, unrelieved; interminable, unremitting, relentless.
a constant speed
consistent, regular, steady, uniform, even, invariable, unvarying, unchanging, undeviating, unfluctuating.
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a constant friend
faithful, loyal, devoted, true, fast, firm, unswerving; steadfast, staunch, dependable, trustworthy, trusty, reliable, dedicated, committed.
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constant vigilance
steadfast, steady, resolute, determined, tenacious, dogged, unwavering, unflagging.
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ANTONYMS :fitful, variable, fickle.

noun
dread of cancer has been a constant
unchanging factor, given.

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constantly

adverb
always, all the time, continually, continuously, persistently; round-the-clock, night and day, (morning, noon, and night); endlessly, non-stop, incessantly, unceasingly, perpetually, eternally, forever; interminably, unremittingly, relentlessly; Scottish aye; informal 24-7. ANTONYMS :occasionally.

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consternation

noun
dismay, perturbation, distress, disquiet, discomposure; surprise, amazement, astonishment; alarm, panic, fear, fright, shock. ANTONYMS :satisfaction.

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constituent

adjective
constituent parts
component, integral; elemental, basic, essential, inherent.
noun
MPs must listen to their constituents
voter, elector, member of a constituency.
the constituents of tobacco
component, ingredient, element; part, piece, bit, unit; section, portion.
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constitute

verb
farmers constituted 10 per cent of the population
amount to, add up to, account for, form, make up, compose, comprise.
this constitutes a breach of copyright
be equivalent to, be, embody, be tantamount to, be regarded as.
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the courts were constituted in 1875
inaugurate, establish, initiate, found, create, set up, start, form, organize, develop; commission, charter, invest, appoint, install, empower.
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constitution

noun
the constitution guarantees our rights
charter, social code, law; bill of rights; rules, regulations, fundamental principles.
the chemical constitution of the dye
composition, make-up, structure, construction, arrangement, configuration, formation, anatomy; informal set-up.
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she has the constitution of an ox
health, physique, physical condition, shape, fettle.
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constitutional

adjective
constitutional powers
legal, lawful, legitimate, authorized, permitted; sanctioned, ratified, warranted, constituted, statutory, chartered, vested, official; by law.
a constitutional weakness
inherent, intrinsic, innate, fundamental, essential, organic; congenital, inborn, inbred.
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noun
(dated) she went out for a constitutional.
See walk noun sense 1.

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constrain

verb
he felt constrained to explain
compel, force, drive, impel, oblige, coerce, prevail on, require; press, push, pressure, pressurize.
prices were constrained by state controls
restrict, limit, curb, check, restrain, contain, rein in, hold back, keep down.
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constrained

adjective
his constrained manner
unnatural, awkward, self-conscious, forced, stilted, strained; restrained, reserved, reticent, guarded. ANTONYMS :relaxed.

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constraint

noun
financial constraints
restriction, limitation, curb, check, restraint, control, damper, rein; hindrance, impediment, obstruction, handicap.
they were able to talk without constraint
inhibition, uneasiness, embarrassment; restraint, reticence, guardedness, formality; self-consciousness, forcedness, awkwardness, stiltedness.
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constrict

verb
fat constricts the blood vessels
narrow, make narrower, tighten, compress, contract, squeeze, strangle, strangulate; archaic straiten.
fear of crime constricts many people's lives
restrict, impede, limit, inhibit, obstruct, interfere with, hinder, hamper.
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ANTONYMS :expand, dilate.

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constriction

noun
tightness, pressure, compression, contraction; obstruction, blockage, impediment; Medicine stricture, stenosis.

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construct

verb
a new motorway was being constructed
build, erect, put up, set up, raise, establish, assemble, manufacture, fabricate, create, make.
he constructed a faultless argument
formulate, form, put together, create, devise, design, compose, work out; fashion, mould, shape, frame.
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ANTONYMS :demolish.

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construction

noun
the construction of a new airport
building, erection, putting up, setting up, establishment; assembly, manufacture, fabrication, creation.
the station was a spectacular construction
structure, building, edifice, pile.
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you could put an honest construction on their conduct
interpretation, reading, meaning, explanation, explication, construal; informal take.
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constructive

adjective
useful, helpful, productive, positive, encouraging; practical, valuable, profitable, worthwhile.

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construe

verb
interpret, understand, read, see, take, take to mean, regard.

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consul

noun
ambassador, diplomat, chargé d'affaires, attaché, envoy, emissary, plenipotentiary; archaic legate.

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consult

verb
you need to consult a solicitor
seek advice from, ask, take counsel from, call on/upon, speak to, turn to, have recourse to; informal pick someone's brains.
the government must consult with interested parties
confer, have discussions, talk things over, exchange views, communicate, parley, deliberate; informal put their heads together.
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she consulted her diary
refer to, turn to, look at.
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consultant

noun
an engineering consultant
adviser, expert, specialist, authority, pundit.
a consultant at Guy's hospital
senior doctor, specialist.
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consultation

noun
the need for further consultation with industry
discussion, dialogue, discourse, debate, negotiation, deliberation.
a 30-minute consultation
meeting, talk, discussion, interview, audience, hearing; appointment, session; formal confabulation, colloquy.
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consume

verb
vast amounts of food and drink were consumed
eat, devour, ingest, swallow, gobble up, wolf down, guzzle, feast on, snack on; drink, gulp down, imbibe, sup; informal tuck into, put away, polish off, dispose of, pig oneself on, down, neck, sink, swill; Brit. informal scoff, gollop, shift; N. Amer. informal scarf (down/up), snarf (down/up).
natural resources are being consumed at an alarming rate
use (up), utilize, expend; deplete, exhaust; waste, squander, drain, dissipate, fritter away.
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the fire consumed fifty houses
destroy, demolish, lay waste, wipe out, annihilate, devastate, gut, ruin, wreck.
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Carolyn was consumed with guilt
eat up, devour, obsess, grip, overwhelm; absorb, preoccupy.
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consumer

noun
purchaser, buyer, customer, shopper; user, end-user; client; (the consumer or consumers) the public, the market.

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consuming

adjective
absorbing, compelling, compulsive, besetting, obsessive, overwhelming; intense, ardent, strong, powerful, burning, raging, fervid, profound, deep-seated.

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consummate

verb
the deal was finally consummated
complete, conclude, finish, accomplish, achieve; execute, carry out, perform; informal sew up, wrap up; formal effectuate.
adjective
his consummate skill | a consummate politician
supreme, superb, superlative, superior, accomplished, expert, proficient, skilful, skilled, masterly, master, first-class, talented, gifted, polished, practised, perfect, ultimate; complete, total, utter, absolute, pure.

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consumption

noun
food unfit for human consumption
eating, drinking, ingestion.
the consumption of fossil fuels
use, using up, utilization, expending, depletion; waste, squandering, dissipation.
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contact

noun
a disease transmitted through direct contact with rats
touch, touching; proximity, exposure.
foreign diplomats were asked to avoid all contact with him
communication, correspondence, touch; association, connection, intercourse, relations, dealings; archaic traffic.
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he had many contacts in Germany
connection, acquaintance, associate, friend.
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verb
anyone with information should contact the police
get in touch with, communicate with, make contact with, approach, notify; telephone, phone, call, ring up, speak to, talk to, write to; informal get hold of.

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contagion

noun
(dated) disease, infection, illness, plague, blight; informal bug, virus; archaic pestilence.

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contagious

adjective
infectious, communicable, transmittable, transmissible, spreadable; informal catching; dated infective.

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contain

verb
the archive contains much unpublished material
include, comprise, take in, incorporate, involve, encompass, embrace; consist of, be made up of, be composed of.
the boat contained four people
hold, carry, accommodate, seat.
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he must contain his anger
restrain, curb, rein in, suppress, repress, stifle, subdue, quell, swallow, bottle up, hold in, keep in check; control, master.
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container

noun
receptacle, vessel, holder, repository.

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contaminate

verb
pollute, adulterate; defile, debase, corrupt, taint, infect, foul, spoil, soil, stain, sully; poison; poetic/literary befoul. ANTONYMS :purify.

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contemplate

verb
she contemplated her image in the mirror
look at, view, regard, examine, inspect, observe, survey, study, scrutinize, scan, stare at, gaze at, eye.
he contemplated his fate
think about, ponder, reflect on, consider, mull over, muse on, dwell on, deliberate over, meditate on, ruminate on, chew over, brood on/about, turn over in one's mind; formal cogitate.
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he was contemplating action for damages
consider, think about, have in mind, intend, plant, propose; envisage, foresee.
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contemplation

noun
the contemplation of beautiful objects
viewing, examination, inspection, observation, survey, study, scrutiny.
the monks sat in quiet contemplation
thought, reflection, meditation, consideration, rumination, deliberation, reverie, introspection, brown study; formal cogitation, cerebration.
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contemplative

adjective
thoughtful, pensive, reflective, meditative, musing, ruminative, introspective, brooding, deep/lost in thought, in a brown study.

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contemporary

adjective
contemporary sources
of the time, of the day, contemporaneous, concurrent, coeval, coexisting, coexistent.
contemporary society
modern, present-day, present, current, present-time.
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a very contemporary design
modern, up to date, up to the minute, fashionable; modish, latest, recent; informal trendy, with it.
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ANTONYMS :old-fashioned, out of date.

noun
Chaucer's contemporaries
peer, fellow; formal compeer.

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contempt

noun
she regarded him with contempt
scorn, disdain, disrespect, scornfulness, contemptuousness, derision; disgust, loathing, hatred, abhorrence; archaic despite.
he is guilty of contempt of court
disrespect, disregard, slighting.
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ANTONYMS :respect.

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contemptible

adjective
despicable, detestable, hateful, reprehensible, deplorable, unspeakable, disgraceful, shameful, ignominious, abject, low, mean, cowardly, unworthy, discreditable, petty, worthless, shabby, cheap, beyond contempt, beyond the pale, sordid; archaic scurvy. ANTONYMS :admirable.

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contemptuous

adjective
scornful, disdainful, disrespectful, insulting, insolent, derisive, mocking, sneering, scoffing, withering, scathing, snide; condescending, supercilious, haughty, proud, superior, arrogant, dismissive, aloof; informal high and mighty, snotty, sniffy; archaic contumelious. ANTONYMS :respectful.

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contend

verb
the pilot had to contend with torrential rain
cope with, face, grapple with, deal with, take on, pit oneself against.
three main groups were contending for power
compete, vie, contest, fight, battle, tussle, go head to head; strive, struggle.
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he contends that the judge was wrong
assert, maintain, hold, claim, argue, insist, state, declare, profess, affirm; allege; formal aver.
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content 1

adjective
she seemed content with life
contented, satisfied, pleased, gratified, fulfilled, happy, cheerful, glad; unworried, untroubled, at ease, at peace, tranquil, serene. ANTONYMS :discontented, dissatisfied.

verb
her reply seemed to content him
satisfy, please; soothe, pacify, placate, appease, mollify.
noun
a time of content.
See contentment.

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content 2

noun
foods with a high fibre content
amount, proportion, quantity.
(contents) the contents of a vegetarian sausage
constituents, ingredients, components, elements.
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(contents) the book's list of contents
chapters, sections, divisions.
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the content of the essay
subject matter, subject, theme, argument, thesis, message, thrust, substance, matter, material, text, ideas.
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contented

adjective
a contented man.
See content1 adjective.

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contention

noun
a point of contention
disagreement, dispute, disputation, argument, discord, conflict, friction, strife, dissension, disharmony.
the Marxist contention that capitalism equals exploitation
argument, claim, plea, submission, allegation, assertion, declaration; opinion, stand, position, view, belief, thesis, case.
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ANTONYMS :agreement.

in contention
in competition, competing, contesting, contending, vying; striving, struggling.

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contentious

adjective
a contentious issue
controversial, disputable, debatable, disputed, open to debate, moot, vexed.
a contentious debate
heated, vehement, fierce, violent, intense, impassioned.
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contentious people.
See quarrelsome.
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contentment

noun
contentedness, content, satisfaction, gratification, fulfilment, happiness, pleasure, cheerfulness; ease, comfort, well-being, peace, equanimity, serenity, tranquillity.

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contest

noun
a boxing contest
competition, match, tournament, game, meet, event, trial, bout, heat, fixture, tie, race.
the contest for the party leadership
fight, battle, tussle, struggle, competition, race.
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verb
he intended to contest the seat
compete for, contend for, vie for, fight for, try to win, go for, throw one's hat in the ring.
we contested the decision
oppose, object to, challenge, take a stand against, take issue with, question, call into question.
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the issues have been hotly contested
debate, argue about, dispute, quarrel over.
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contestant

noun
competitor, participant, player, contender, candidate, aspirant, entrant; rival, opponent, adversary, antagonist.

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context

noun
the wider historical context
circumstances, conditions, factors, state of affairs, situation, background, scene, setting.
a quote taken out of context
frame of reference, contextual relationship; text, subject, theme, topic.
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contiguous

adjective
adjacent, neighbouring, adjoining, bordering, next-door; abutting, connecting, touching, in contact, proximate.

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continent

adjective
self-restrained, self-disciplined, abstemious, abstinent, self-denying, ascetic; chaste, celibate, monkish, monastic, virginal.

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contingency

noun
eventuality, (chance) event, incident, happening, occurrence, juncture, possibility, fortuity, accident, chance, emergency.

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contingent

adjective
the merger is contingent on government approval
dependent on, conditional on, subject to, determined by, hinging on, resting on.
contingent events
chance, accidental, fortuitous, possible, unforeseeable, unpredictable, random, haphazard.
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noun
a contingent of Japanese businessmen
group, party, body, band, company, cohort, deputation, delegation; informal bunch, gang.
a contingent of marines
detachment, unit, group.
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continual

adjective
a service disrupted by continual breakdowns
frequent, repeated, constant, recurrent, recurring, regular.
she was in continual pain
constant, continuous, unending, never-ending, unremitting, unabating, relentless, unrelenting, unrelieved, chronic, uninterrupted, unbroken, round-the-clock.
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ANTONYMS :occasional, temporary.

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continuance

noun
. See continuation.

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continuation

noun
carrying on, continuance, extension, prolongation, protraction, perpetuation. ANTONYMS :end.

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continue

verb
he was unable to continue with his job
carry on, proceed, pursue, go on, keep on, persist, press on, persevere, keep at; informal stick at, soldier on.
discussions continued throughout the year
go on, carry on, last, extend, be prolonged, run on, drag on.
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we are keen to continue this relationship
maintain, keep up, sustain, keep going, keep alive, preserve.
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his willingness to continue in office
remain, stay, carry on, keep going.
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we continued our conversation after supper
resume, pick up, take up, carry on with, return to, recommence.
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ANTONYMS :stop, break off.

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continuing

adjective
ongoing, continuous, sustained, persistent, steady, relentless, uninterrupted, unabating, unremitting, unrelieved, unceasing. ANTONYMS :sporadic.

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continuity

noun
continuousness, uninterruptedness, flow, progression.

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continuous

adjective
continual, uninterrupted, unbroken, constant, ceaseless, incessant, steady, sustained, solid, continuing, ongoing, unceasing, without a break, non-stop, round-the-clock, persistent, unremitting, relentless, unrelenting, unabating, unrelieved, without respite, endless, unending, never-ending, perpetual, everlasting, eternal, interminable; consecutive, running; N. Amer. without surcease. ANTONYMS :intermittent.

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contort

verb
twist, bend out of shape, distort, misshape, warp, buckle, deform.

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contour

noun
outline, shape, form; lines, curves, figure; silhouette, profile.

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contraband

noun
contraband was suspected
smuggling, illegal traffic, black marketeering, bootlegging; the black market.
adjective
contraband goods
smuggled, black-market, bootleg, under the counter, illegal, illicit, unlawful; prohibited, banned, proscribed, forbidden; informal hot.

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contract

noun
a legally binding contract
agreement, commitment, arrangement, settlement, understanding, compact, covenant, bond; deal, bargain; Law indenture.
verb
the market for such goods began to contract
shrink, get smaller, decrease, diminish, reduce, dwindle, decline.
her stomach muscles contracted
tighten, tense, flex, constrict, draw in, narrow.
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she contracted her brow
wrinkle, knit, crease, purse, pucker.
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his name was soon contracted to "Jack"
shorten, abbreviate, cut, reduce; elide.
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the company contracted to rebuild the stadium
undertake, pledge, promise, covenant, commit oneself, engage, agree, enter an agreement, make a deal.
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she contracted German measles
develop, catch, get, pick up, come down with, be struck down by, be stricken with, succumb to; Brit. go down with.
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he contracted a debt of £3,300
incur, run up.
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ANTONYMS :expand, relax, lengthen.

contract something out
subcontract, outsource, farm out.

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contraction

noun
the contraction of the industry
shrinking, shrinkage, decline, decrease, diminution, dwindling.
the contraction of muscles
tightening, tensing, flexing.
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my contractions started at midnight
labour pains, labour; cramps; poetic/literary travail.
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"goodbye" is a contraction of "God be with you"
abbreviation, short form, shortened form, elision, diminutive.
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contradict

verb
he contradicted the government's account of the affair
deny, refute, rebut, dispute, challenge, counter, controvert; formal gainsay.
nobody dared to contradict him
argue against, go against, challenge, oppose; formal gainsay.
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this research contradicts previous computer models
conflict with, be at odds with, be at variance with, be inconsistent with, run counter to, disagree with.
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ANTONYMS :confirm, agree with.

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contradiction

noun
the contradiction between his faith and his lifestyle
conflict, clash, disagreement, opposition, inconsistency, mismatch, variance.
a contradiction of his statement
denial, refutation, rebuttal, countering, counterstatement.
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ANTONYMS :confirmation, agreement.

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contradictory

adjective
opposed, in opposition, opposite, antithetical, contrary, contrasting, conflicting, at variance, at odds, opposing, clashing, divergent, discrepant, different; inconsistent, incompatible, irreconcilable.

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contraption

noun
device, gadget, apparatus, machine, appliance, mechanism, invention, contrivance; informal gizmo, widget; Brit. informal gubbins; Austral. informal bitzer.

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contrary

adjective
contrary views
opposite, opposing, opposed, contradictory, clashing, conflicting, antithetical, incompatible, irreconcilable.
she was sulky and contrary
perverse, awkward, difficult, uncooperative, unhelpful, obstructive, disobliging, recalcitrant, wilful, self-willed, stubborn, obstinate, mulish, pig-headed, intractable; informal cussed; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie, stroppy; N. Amer. informal balky; formal refractory; archaic froward.
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ANTONYMS :compatible, accommodating.

noun
in fact, the contrary is true
opposite, reverse, converse, antithesis.
contrary to
in conflict with, against, at variance with, at odds with, in opposition to, counter to, incompatible with.

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contrast

noun
the contrast between rural and urban trends
difference, dissimilarity, disparity, distinction, contradistinction, divergence, variance, variation, differentiation; contradiction, incongruity, opposition, polarity; formal dissimilitude.
Jane was a complete contrast to Sarah
opposite, antithesis; foil, complement.
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ANTONYMS :similarity.

verb
a view which contrasts with his earlier opinion
differ from, be at variance with, be contrary to, conflict with, go against, be at odds with, be in opposition to, disagree with, clash with.
people contrasted her with her sister
compare, set side by side, juxtapose; measure against; distinguish from, differentiate from.
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ANTONYMS :resemble, liken.

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contravene

verb
he contravened the Official Secrets Act
break, breach, violate, infringe; defy, disobey, flout.
the prosecution contravened the rights of the individual
conflict with, be in conflict with, be at odds with, be at variance with, run counter to.
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ANTONYMS :comply with.

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contravention

noun
breach, violation, infringement, neglect, dereliction.

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contretemps

noun
argument, quarrel, squabble, disagreement, difference of opinion, dispute; informal tiff, set-to, run-in, spat; Brit. informal row, barney; Scottish informal rammy.

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contribute

verb
the government contributed a million pounds
give, donate, put up, subscribe, hand out, grant, bestow, present, provide, supply, furnish; informal chip in, pitch in, fork out, shell out, cough up; Brit. informal stump up; N. Amer. informal kick in, ante up, pony up.
an article contributed by Dr Clouson
supply, provide, submit.
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numerous factors contribute to job satisfaction
play a part in, be instrumental in, be a factor in, have a hand in, be conducive to, make for, lead to, cause; formal conduce to.
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contribution

noun
voluntary financial contributions
donation, gift, offering, present, handout, grant, subsidy, allowance, endowment, subscription; formal benefaction; historical alms.
contributions from local authors
article, piece, story, item, chapter, paper, essay.
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contributor

noun
the magazine's regular contributors
writer, columnist, correspondent.
campaign contributors
donor, benefactor, subscriber, supporter, backer, subsidizer, patron, sponsor.
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contrite

adjective
remorseful, repentant, penitent, regretful, sorry, apologetic, rueful, sheepish, hangdog, ashamed, chastened, shamefaced, conscience-stricken, guilt-ridden, in sackcloth and ashes.

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contrition

noun
remorse, remorsefulness, repentance, penitence, sorrow, sorrowfulness, regret, ruefulness, pangs of conscience; shame, guilt, compunction; archaic rue.

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contrivance

noun
a mechanical contrivance
device, gadget, machine, appliance, contraption, apparatus, mechanism, implement, tool, invention; informal gizmo, widget; Austral. informal bitzer.
her matchmaking contrivances
scheme, stratagem, tactic, manoeuvre, move, plan, ploy, gambit, wile, trick, ruse, plot, machination.
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contrive

verb
bring about, engineer, manufacture, orchestrate, stage-manage, create, devise, concoct, construct, plan, fabricate, plot, hatch; informal wangle, set up.

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contrived

adjective
forced, strained, studied, artificial, affected, put-on, pretended, false, feigned, manufactured, unnatural; laboured, overdone, elaborate. ANTONYMS :natural.

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control

noun
China retained control over the region
jurisdiction, sway, power, authority, command, dominance, government, mastery, leadership, rule, sovereignty, supremacy, ascendancy; charge, management, direction, supervision, superintendence.
strict import controls
restraint, constraint, limitation, restriction, check, curb, brake, rein; regulation.
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her control deserted her
self-control, self-restraint, self-possession, composure, calmness; informal cool.
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easy-to-use controls
switch, knob, button, dial, handle, lever.
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mission control
headquarters, HQ, base, centre of operations, command post.
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verb
one family had controlled the company since its formation
be in charge of, run, manage, direct, administer, head, preside over, supervise, superintend, steer; command, rule, govern, lead, dominate, hold sway over, be at the helm; informal head up, be in the driving seat, run the show.
she struggled to control her temper
restrain, keep in check, curb, check, contain, hold back, bridle, rein in, suppress, repress, master.
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public spending was controlled
limit, restrict, curb, cap, constrain; informal put the brakes on.
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controversial

adjective
contentious, disputed, at issue, moot, disputable, debatable, arguable, vexed, tendentious.

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controversy

noun
disagreement, dispute, argument, debate, dissension, contention, disputation, altercation, wrangle, wrangling, quarrel, quarrelling, war of words, storm; cause célèbre; Brit. informal row.

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contusion

noun
bruise, discoloration, black-and-blue mark, injury; Medicine ecchymosis.

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conundrum

noun
the conundrums facing policy-makers in the 1980s
problem, difficult question, vexed question, difficulty, quandary, dilemma; informal poser, facer.
Roderick enjoyed conundrums and crosswords
riddle, puzzle, wordgame; informal brain-teaser.
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convalesce

verb
recuperate, get better, recover, get well, get back on one's feet.

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convalescence

noun
recuperation, recovery, return to health, rehabilitation, improvement.

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convalescent

adjective
recuperating, recovering, getting better, on the road to recovery, improving; informal on the mend.

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convene

verb
he convened a secret meeting
summon, call, call together, order; formal convoke.
the committee convened for its final session
assemble, gather, meet, come together, congregate; formal foregather.
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convenience

noun
the convenience of the arrangement
expedience, advantageousness, advantage, opportuneness, propitiousness, timeliness; suitability, appropriateness.
for convenience, the handset is wall-mounted
ease of use, usability, usefulness, utility, serviceability, practicality.
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the kitchen has all the modern conveniences
appliance, (labour-saving) device, gadget; amenity, facility; informal gizmo, mod con.
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convenient

adjective
a convenient time
suitable, appropriate, fitting, fit, suited, opportune, timely, well timed, favourable, advantageous, seasonable, expedient.
a hotel that's convenient for the beach
near (to), close to, within easy reach of, well situated for, handy for, not far from, just round the corner from; informal a stone's throw from, within spitting distance of.
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convent

noun
nunnery, priory, abbey, religious community.

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convention

noun
social conventions
custom, usage, practice, tradition, way, habit, norm; rule, code, canon, punctilio; propriety, etiquette, protocol; formal praxis; (conventions) mores.
a convention signed by 74 countries
agreement, accord, protocol, compact, pact, treaty, concordat, entente; contract, bargain, deal.
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the party's biennial convention
conference, meeting, congress, assembly, gathering, summit, convocation, synod, conclave.
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conventional

adjective
the conventional wisdom of the day
orthodox, traditional, established, accepted, received, mainstream, prevailing, prevalent, accustomed, customary.
a conventional railway
normal, standard, regular, ordinary, usual, traditional, typical, common.
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a very conventional woman
conservative, traditional, traditionalist, conformist, bourgeois, old-fashioned, of the old school, small-town, suburban; informal straight, square, stick-in-the-mud, fuddy-duddy.
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a conventional piece of work
unoriginal, formulaic, predictable, stock, unadventurous, unremarkable.
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ANTONYMS :unorthodox, original.

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converge

verb
Oxford Circus, a station where three lines converge
meet, intersect, cross, connect, link up, coincide, join, unite, merge.
90,000 fans converged on Wembley
close in on, bear down on, approach, move towards.
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ANTONYMS :diverge, leave.

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conversant

adjective
familiar, acquainted, au fait, au courant, at home, well versed, well informed, knowledgeable, informed, abreast, up to date; informal up to speed, clued up, genned up; formal cognizant.

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conversation

noun
discussion, talk, chat, gossip, tête-à-tête, heart-to-heart, head-to-head, exchange, dialogue; informal confab, jaw, chit-chat; Brit. informal chinwag, natter; N. Amer. informal gabfest, schmooze; Austral./NZ informal yarn; formal confabulation, colloquy.

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conversational

adjective
conversational English
informal, chatty, relaxed, friendly; colloquial, idiomatic.
a conversational man
talkative, chatty, communicative, forthcoming, expansive, loquacious, garrulous.
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converse 1

verb
they conversed in low voices
talk, speak, chat, have a conversation, discourse, communicate; informal chew the fat/rag, jaw; Brit. informal natter; N. Amer. informal visit, shoot the breeze/bull; Austral./NZ informal mag; formal confabulate.

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converse 2

noun
the converse is also true
opposite, reverse, obverse, contrary, antithesis, other side of the coin; informal flip side.

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conversion

noun
the conversion of waste into energy
change, changing, transformation, metamorphosis, transfiguration, transmutation, sea change; humorous transmogrification.
the conversion of the building
adaptation, alteration, modification, reconstruction, rebuilding, redevelopment, redesign, renovation, rehabilitation.
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his religious conversion
rebirth, regeneration, reformation.
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convert

verb
plants convert the sun's energy into chemical energy
change, turn, transform, metamorphose, transfigure, transmute; humorous transmogrify; technical permute.
the factory was converted into flats
adapt, turn, change, alter, modify, rebuild, reconstruct, redevelop, refashion, redesign, restyle, revamp, renovate, rehabilitate; N. Amer. bring up to code; informal do up; N. Amer. informal rehab.
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they sought to convert sinners
proselytize, evangelize, bring to God, redeem, save, reform, re-educate, cause to see the light.
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noun
Christian converts
proselyte, neophyte, new believer; Christianity catechumen.

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convey

verb
taxis conveyed guests to the station
transport, carry, bring, take, fetch, bear, move, ferry, shuttle, shift, transfer.
he conveyed the information to me
communicate, pass on, make known, impart, relay, transmit, send, hand on, relate, tell, reveal, disclose.
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it's impossible to convey how I felt
express, communicate, get across/over, put across/over, indicate, say.
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he conveys an air of competence
project, exude, emit, emanate.
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conveyance

noun
the conveyance of agricultural produce
transportation, transport, carriage, carrying, transfer, movement, delivery; haulage, portage, cartage, shipment, freightage.
(formal) three-wheeled conveyances
vehicle, means/method of transport; car, bus, coach, van, lorry, truck, bicycle, motorbike, motorcycle.
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convict

verb
he was convicted of indecent assault
find guilty, sentence; Brit. informal be done for. ANTONYMS :acquit.

noun
two escaped convicts
prisoner, inmate; trusty; criminal, offender, lawbreaker, felon; informal jailbird, con, (old) lag, crook; N. Amer. informal yardbird.

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conviction

noun
his conviction for murder
declaration of guilt, sentence, judgement.
his political convictions
belief, opinion, view, thought, persuasion, idea, position, stance, article of faith.
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she spoke with conviction
certainty, certitude, assurance, confidence, sureness, no shadow of a doubt.
Top
ANTONYMS :acquittal, uncertainty.

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convince

verb
he convinced me that I was wrong
make certain, persuade, satisfy, prove to; assure, put/set someone's mind at rest.
I convinced her to marry me
persuade, induce, prevail on, get, talk into, win over, cajole, inveigle.
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convincing

adjective
a convincing argument
cogent, persuasive, plausible, powerful, potent, strong, forceful, compelling, irresistible, telling, conclusive.
a convincing 5 0 win
resounding, emphatic, decisive, conclusive.
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convivial

adjective
friendly, genial, affable, amiable, congenial, agreeable, good-humoured, cordial, warm, sociable, outgoing, gregarious, clubbable, companionable, hail-fellow-well-met, cheerful, jolly, jovial, lively; enjoyable, festive; Scottish couthy.

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conviviality

noun
friendliness, geniality, affability, amiability, bonhomie, congeniality, cordiality, warmth, good nature, sociability, gregariousness, cheerfulness, good cheer, joviality, jollity, gaiety, liveliness.

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convocation

noun
assembly, gathering, meeting, conference, convention, congress, council, symposium, colloquium, conclave, synod.

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convoke

verb
(formal) convene, summon, call together, call.

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convoluted

adjective
complicated, complex, involved, elaborate, serpentine, labyrinthine, tortuous, tangled, Byzantine; confused, confusing, bewildering, baffling. ANTONYMS :straightforward.

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convolution

noun
crosses adorned with elaborate convolutions
twist, turn, coil, spiral, twirl, curl, helix, whorl, loop, curlicue; Architecture volute.
the convolutions of the plot
complexity, intricacy, complication, twist, turn, entanglement.
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convoy

noun
a convoy of vehicles
group, fleet, cavalcade, motorcade, cortège, caravan, line, train.
verb
the ship was convoyed by army gunboats
escort, accompany, attend, flank; protect, defend, guard.

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convulse

verb
shake uncontrollably, go into spasms, shudder, jerk, thrash about.

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convulsion

noun
she had convulsions
fit, seizure, paroxysm, spasm, attack; throes; Medicine ictus.
(convulsions) the audience collapsed in convulsions
fits of laughter, paroxysms of laughter, uncontrollable laughter; informal hysterics.
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the political convulsions of the period
upheaval, eruption, cataclysm, turmoil, turbulence, tumult, disruption, agitation, disturbance, unrest, disorder.
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convulsive

adjective
spasmodic, jerky, paroxysmal, violent, uncontrollable.

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cook

verb
Iris had cooked dinner
prepare, make, put together; informal fix, rustle up; Brit. informal knock up.
(informal) he'd been cooking the books
falsify, alter, doctor, tamper with, interfere with, massage, manipulate; Brit. informal fiddle.
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(informal) what's cooking?
See happen sense 1.
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cook something up (informal)
concoct, devise, contrive, fabricate, trump up, hatch, plot, plan, invent, make up, think up, dream up.

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cooking

noun
cuisine, cookery, baking; food. culinary.

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cool

adjective
a cool breeze
chilly, chill, cold, bracing, brisk, crisp, fresh, refreshing, invigorating; draughty; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky.
a cool response
unenthusiastic, lukewarm, tepid, indifferent, uninterested, apathetic, half-hearted; unfriendly, distant, remote, aloof, cold, chilly, frosty, unwelcoming, unresponsive, offhand, uncommunicative, undemonstrative; informal stand-offish.
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his ability to keep cool in a crisis
calm, (cool, calm, and collected), composed, as cool as a cucumber, collected, cool-headed, level-headed, self-possessed, controlled, self-controlled, poised, serene, tranquil, unruffled, unperturbed, unmoved, untroubled, imperturbable, placid, phlegmatic; informal unflappable, together, laid-back.
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a cool lack of morality
bold, audacious, nerveless; brazen, shameless, unabashed.
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(informal) she thinks she's so cool
fashionable, stylish, chic, up to the minute, sophisticated; informal trendy, funky, with it, hip, big , happening, groovy; N. Amer. informal kicky, tony, fly.
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(informal) a cool song.
See excellent.
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ANTONYMS :warm, enthusiastic, agitated.

noun
the cool of the evening
chill, chilliness, coldness, coolness.
Ken lost his cool
self-control, control, composure, self-possession, calmness, equilibrium, calm; aplomb, poise, sangfroid, presence of mind.
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ANTONYMS :warmth.

verb
cool the sauce in the fridge
chill, refrigerate.
her reluctance did nothing to cool his interest
lessen, moderate, diminish, reduce, dampen.
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Simpson's ardour had cooled
subside, lessen, diminish, decrease, abate, moderate, die down, fade, dwindle, wane.
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after a while, she cooled off
calm down, recover/regain one's composure, compose oneself, control oneself, pull oneself together, simmer down.
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ANTONYMS :heat, inflame, intensify.

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coop

noun
a hen coop
pen, run, cage, hutch, enclosure.
verb
he hates being cooped up at home
confine, shut in/up, cage (in), pen up/in, keep, detain, trap, incarcerate, immure.

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cooperate

verb
police and social services cooperated in the operation
collaborate, work together, work side by side, pull together, band together, join forces, team up, unite, combine, pool resources, make common cause, liaise.
he was happy to cooperate
be of assistance, assist, help, lend a hand, be of service, do one's bit; informal play ball.
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cooperation

noun
cooperation between management and workers
collaboration, joint action, combined effort, teamwork, partnership, coordination, liaison, association, synergy, give and take, compromise.
thank you for your cooperation
assistance, helpfulness, help, helping hand, aid.
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cooperative

adjective
a cooperative effort
collaborative, collective, combined, common, joint, shared, mutual, united, concerted, coordinated.
pleasant and cooperative staff
helpful, eager to help, glad to be of assistance, obliging, accommodating, willing, amenable, adaptable.
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coordinate

verb
exhibitions coordinated by a team of international scholars
organize, arrange, order, systematize, harmonize, correlate, synchronize, bring together, fit together, dovetail.
care workers coordinate at a local level
cooperate, liaise, collaborate, work together, negotiate, communicate, be in contact.
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floral designs coordinate with the decor
match, complement, set off; harmonize, blend, fit in, go.
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cop (informal)

noun
a traffic cop.
See police officer.
verb
he tried to cop out of his responsibilities.
See avoid sense 2.

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cope

verb
she couldn't cope on her own
manage, survive, subsist, look after oneself, fend for oneself, shift for oneself, carry on, get by/through, bear up, hold one's own, keep one's end up, keep one's head above water; informal make it, hack it.
his inability to cope with the situation
deal with, handle, manage, address, face (up to), confront, tackle, get to grips with, get through, weather, come to terms with.
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copious

adjective
abundant, superabundant, plentiful, ample, profuse, full, extensive, generous, bumper, lavish, fulsome, liberal, overflowing, in abundance, many, numerous; informal a gogo, galore; poetic/literary plenteous. ANTONYMS :sparse.

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copse

noun
thicket, grove, wood, coppice, stand, clump, brake; Brit. spinney; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ brush; archaic hurst, holt, boscage.

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copulate

verb
. See have sex at sex.

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copulation

noun
. See sex sense 1.

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copy

noun
a copy of the report
duplicate, facsimile, photocopy, carbon (copy), mimeograph, mimeo; transcript; reprint; trademark Xerox, photostat.
a copy of a sketch by Leonardo da Vinci
replica, reproduction, replication, print, imitation, likeness; counterfeit, forgery, fake; informal knock-off.
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verb
each form had to be copied
duplicate, photocopy, xerox, photostat, mimeograph, run off, reproduce.
portraits copied from original paintings by Reynolds
reproduce, replicate; forge, fake, counterfeit.
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their sound was copied by a lot of jazz players
imitate, reproduce, emulate, follow, echo, mirror, parrot, mimic, ape; plagiarize, steal; informal rip off.
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coquettish

adjective
flirtatious, flirty, provocative, seductive, inviting, kittenish, coy, arch, teasing, playful; informal come-hither, vampish.

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cord

noun
string, thread, thong, lace, ribbon, strap, tape, tie, line, rope, cable, wire, ligature; twine, yarn, elastic, braid, braiding.

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cordial

adjective
a cordial welcome
friendly, warm, genial, affable, amiable, pleasant, fond, affectionate, warm-hearted, good-natured, gracious, hospitable, welcoming, hearty.
noun
fruit cordial
squash, crush, concentrate.

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cordon

noun
a cordon of 500 police
barrier, line, row, chain, ring, circle; picket line.
verb
troops cordoned off the area
close off, shut off, seal off, fence off, separate off, isolate, enclose, surround.

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core

noun
the earth's core
centre, interior, middle, nucleus; recesses, bowels, depths; informal innards; poetic/literary midst.
the core of the argument
heart, heart of the matter, nucleus, nub, kernel, marrow, meat, essence, quintessence, crux, gist, pith, substance, basis, fundamentals; informal nitty-gritty, brass tacks, nuts and bolts.
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adjective
the core issue
central, key, basic, fundamental, principal, primary, main, chief, crucial, vital, essential; informal number-one. ANTONYMS :peripheral.

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cork

noun
stopper, stop, plug, bung, peg, spigot, spile; N. Amer. stopple.

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corn

noun
grain, cereal (crop); wheat, barley, oats, rye.

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corner

noun
the cart lurched round the corner
bend, curve, crook, dog-leg; turn, turning, junction, fork, intersection; Brit. hairpin bend.
a charming corner of Italy
district, region, area, section, quarter, part; informal neck of the woods.
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he found himself in a tight corner
predicament, plight, tight spot, mess, muddle, difficulty, problem, dilemma, quandary; informal pickle, jam, stew, fix, hole, hot water, bind.
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verb
he was eventually cornered by police dogs
drive into a corner, run to earth, bring to bay, cut off, block off, trap, hem in, pen in, surround, enclose; capture, catch.
crime syndicates have cornered the stolen car market
gain control of, take over, control, dominate, monopolize; capture; informal sew up.
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cornerstone

noun
foundation, basis, keystone, mainspring, mainstay, linchpin, bedrock, base, backbone, key, centrepiece, core, heart, centre, crux.

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corny

adjective
(informal) banal, trite, hackneyed, commonplace, clichéd, predictable, stereotyped, platitudinous, tired, stale, overworked, overused, well worn; mawkish, sentimental, cloying, syrupy, sugary, saccharine; Brit. twee; informal cheesy, schmaltzy, mushy, slushy, sloppy, cutesy, toe-curling; Brit. informal soppy; N. Amer. informal cornball, hokey.

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corollary

noun
consequence, (end) result, upshot, effect, repercussion, product, by-product; Brit. knock-on effect.

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coronet

noun
. See crown noun sense 1.

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corporal

adjective
bodily, fleshly, corporeal, somatic, carnal, physical, material. ANTONYMS :spiritual.

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corporation

noun
the chairman of the corporation
company, firm, business, concern, operation, house, organization, agency, trust, partnership; conglomerate, group, chain, multinational; informal outfit, set-up.
(Brit.) the corporation refused two planning applications
council, town council, municipal authority.
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corporeal

adjective
bodily, fleshly, carnal, corporal, human, mortal, earthly, physical, material, tangible, concrete, real, actual.

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corps

noun
an army corps
unit, division, detachment, section, company, contingent, squad, squadron, regiment, battalion, brigade, platoon.
a corps of trained engineers
group, body, band, cohort, party, gang, pack; team, crew.
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corpse

noun
dead body, body, carcass, skeleton, remains; informal stiff; Medicine cadaver; archaic corse. necro-.

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corpulent

adjective
fat, obese, overweight, plump, portly, stout, chubby, paunchy, beer-bellied, heavy, bulky, chunky, well upholstered, well padded, well covered, meaty, fleshy, rotund, broad in the beam; informal tubby, pudgy, beefy, porky, roly-poly, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy, fubsy; N. Amer. informal corn-fed; rare abdominous. ANTONYMS :thin.

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correct

adjective
the correct answer
right, accurate, true, exact, precise, unerring, faithful, strict, faultless, flawless, error-free, perfect, word-perfect; informal on the mark, on the beam, on the nail; Brit. informal spot on, bang on; N. Amer. informal on the money, on the button.
correct behaviour
proper, seemly, decorous, decent, respectable, right, suitable, fit, fitting, befitting, appropriate, apt; approved, accepted, conventional, customary, traditional, orthodox, comme il faut.
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ANTONYMS :wrong, improper.

verb
proof-read your work and correct any mistakes
rectify, put right, set right, right, amend, emend, remedy, repair.
an attempt to correct the trade imbalance
counteract, offset, counterbalance, compensate for, make up for, neutralize.
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the brakes need correcting
adjust, regulate, fix, set, standardize, normalize, calibrate, fine-tune.
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correction

noun
rectification, rectifying, righting, amendment, emendation, repair, remedy; archaic reparation.

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corrective

adjective
remedial, therapeutic, restorative, curative, reparatory, reparative, rehabilitative.

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correctly

adverb
the questions were answered correctly
accurately, right, unerringly, precisely, faultlessly, flawlessly, perfectly, without error; dated aright.
she behaved correctly at all times
properly, decorously, with decorum, decently, suitably, fittingly, appropriately, well.
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correlate

verb
socio-economic status often correlates with educational achievement
correspond, match, parallel, agree, tally, tie in, be consistent, be compatible, be consonant, coordinate, dovetail, relate, conform; informal square; N. Amer. informal jibe.
consumption of such foods was correlated with a decreased risk for certain cancers
connect, establish a relationship/connection between, associate, relate.
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ANTONYMS :contrast.

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correlation

noun
connection, association, link, tie-in, tie-up, relation, relationship, interrelationship, interdependence, interconnection, interaction; correspondence, parallel.

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correspond

verb
their policies do not correspond with their statements
correlate, agree, be in agreement, be consistent, be compatible, be consonant, accord, be in tune, concur, coincide, tally, tie in, dovetail, fit in; match, parallel; informal square; N. Amer. informal jibe.
a rank corresponding to the British rank of sergeant
be equivalent, be analogous, be comparable, equate.
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Debbie and I corresponded for years
exchange letters, write, communicate, keep in touch/contact.
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correspondence

noun
there is some correspondence between the two variables
correlation, agreement, consistency, compatibility, consonance, conformity, similarity, resemblance, parallel, comparability, accord, concurrence, coincidence.
his private correspondence
letters, messages, missives, mail, post; communication.
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correspondent

noun
the paper's foreign correspondent
reporter, journalist, columnist, writer, contributor, newspaperman, newspaperwoman, commentator; Brit. pressman; informal stringer, news hound, journo.
adjective
a correspondent improvement in quality
corresponding, parallel, matching, equivalent, comparable, similar, analogous, commensurate.

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corresponding

adjective
commensurate, parallel, correspondent, matching, correlated, relative, proportional, proportionate, comparable, equivalent, analogous.

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corridor

noun
passage, passageway, aisle, gangway, hall, hallway, gallery, arcade.

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corroborate

verb
confirm, verify, endorse, ratify, authenticate, validate, certify; support, back up, uphold, bear out, bear witness to, attest to, testify to, vouch for, give credence to, substantiate, sustain. ANTONYMS :contradict.

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corrode

verb
the iron had corroded
rust, become rusty, tarnish; wear away, disintegrate, crumble, perish, spoil; oxidize.
acid rain corrodes buildings
wear away, eat away (at), gnaw away (at), erode, abrade, consume, destroy.
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corrosive

adjective
caustic, corroding, erosive, abrasive, burning, stinging; destructive, damaging, harmful, harsh.

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corrugated

adjective
ridged, fluted, grooved, furrowed, crinkled, crinkly, puckered, creased, wrinkled, wrinkly, crumpled; technical striate, striated.

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corrupt

adjective
a corrupt official | corrupt practices
dishonest, unscrupulous, dishonourable, unprincipled, unethical, amoral, untrustworthy, venal, underhand, double-dealing, fraudulent, bribable, buyable; criminal, illegal, unlawful, nefarious; informal crooked, shady, dirty, mucky, sleazy; Brit. informal bent, dodgy.
the earth was corrupt in God's sight
immoral, depraved, degenerate, reprobate, vice-ridden, perverted, debauched, dissolute, dissipated, bad, wicked, evil, base, sinful, ungodly, unholy, irreligious, profane, impious, impure; informal warped.
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a corrupt text
impure, bastardized, debased, adulterated.
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ANTONYMS :honest, ethical, pure.

verb
the fear of firms corrupting politicians in the search for contracts
bribe, suborn, buy (off), pay off; informal grease someone's palm, give someone a backhander/sweetener, get at, square; Brit. informal nobble.
a book that might corrupt its readers
deprave, pervert, debauch, degrade, warp, lead astray, defile, pollute, sully; archaic demoralize.
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the apostolic writings had been corrupted
alter, tamper with, interfere with, bastardize, debase, adulterate.
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corruption

noun
political corruption
dishonesty, unscrupulousness, double-dealing, fraud, fraudulence, misconduct, crime, criminality, wrongdoing; bribery, subornation, venality, extortion, profiteering, jobbery; N. Amer. payola; informal graft, crookedness, sleaze; formal malversation.
his fall into corruption
immorality, depravity, vice, degeneracy, perversion, pervertedness, debauchery, dissoluteness, decadence, wickedness, evil, sin, sinfulness, ungodliness; formal turpitude.
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these figures have been subject to corruption
alteration, bastardization, debasement, adulteration.
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ANTONYMS :honesty, morality, purity.

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corsair

noun
(archaic). See pirate noun sense 1.

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corset

noun
girdle, panty girdle, foundation (garment), corselette; Brit. roll-on; informal, dated waspie; historical stays.

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cortège

noun
the funeral cortège
procession, parade, cavalcade, motorcade, convoy, caravan, train, column, file, line.
the prince's cortège
entourage, retinue, train, suite; attendants, companions, followers, retainers.
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cosmetic

adjective
most of the changes were merely cosmetic
superficial, surface, skin-deep, outward, exterior, external. ANTONYMS :fundamental.

noun
(cosmetics) a new range of cosmetics
make-up, beauty products, maquillage, face paint; informal warpaint, paint, slap.

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cosmic

adjective
cosmic bodies
extraterrestrial, in space, from space.
an epic of cosmic dimensions
vast, huge, immense, enormous, massive, colossal, prodigious, immeasurable, incalculable, unfathomable, fathomless, measureless, infinite, limitless, boundless.
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cosmonaut

noun
astronaut, spaceman/woman, space traveller, space cadet; N. Amer. informal jock.

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cosmopolitan

adjective
the student body has a cosmopolitan character
multicultural, multiracial, international, worldwide, global.
a cosmopolitan audience
worldly, worldly-wise, well travelled, experienced, unprovincial, cultivated, cultured, sophisticated, suave, urbane, glamorous, fashionable; informal jet-setting, cool.
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cosset

verb
pamper, indulge, overindulge, mollycoddle, coddle, baby, pet, mother, nanny, nursemaid, pander to, feather-bed, spoil; wrap in cotton wool, wait on someone hand and foot.

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cost

noun
the cost of the equipment
price, asking price, market price, selling price, fee, tariff, fare, toll, levy, charge, rental; value, valuation, quotation, rate, worth; informal, humorous damage.
the human cost of the conflict
sacrifice, loss, expense, penalty, toll, price.
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(costs) we need to make £10,000 to cover our costs
expenses, outgoings, disbursements, overheads, running costs, operating costs, fixed costs; expenditure, spending, outlay.
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verb
the chair costs £186
be priced at, sell for, be valued at, fetch, come to, amount to; informal set someone back, go for; Brit. informal knock someone back.
the proposal has not yet been costed
put a price on, price, value, put a value on, put a figure on.
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costly

adjective
costly machinery
expensive, dear, high-cost, highly priced, overpriced; Brit. over the odds; informal steep, pricey.
a costly mistake
catastrophic, disastrous, calamitous, ruinous; damaging, harmful, injurious, deleterious, woeful, awful, terrible, dreadful; formal grievous.
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ANTONYMS :cheap.

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costume

noun
Elizabethan costumes
(set of) clothes, garments, robes, outfit, ensemble; dress, clothing, attire, garb, uniform, livery; informal get-up, gear, togs; Brit. informal clobber, kit; N. Amer. informal threads; formal apparel; archaic habit, habiliments, raiment.
(Brit.) if you'd like a dip, we can lend you a costume.
See swimsuit.
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cosy

adjective
a cosy country cottage
snug, comfortable, warm, homelike, homey, homely, welcoming; safe, sheltered, secure; N. Amer. down-home, homestyle; informal comfy, snug as a bug (in a rug).
a cosy chat
intimate, relaxed, informal, friendly.
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coterie

noun
clique, set, circle, inner circle, crowd, in-crowd, band, community; informal gang.

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cottage

noun
small house, lodge, chalet, cabin; shack, shanty; (in Russia) dacha; Scottish bothy, but and ben; Austral. informal weekender; poetic/literary bower; archaic cot.

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couch

noun
she seated herself on the couch
settee, sofa, divan, chaise longue, chesterfield, love seat, settle, ottoman; Brit. put-you-up; N. Amer. daybed, davenport, studio couch.
verb
his reply was couched in deferential terms
express, phrase, word, frame, put, formulate, style, convey, say, state, utter.

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cough

verb
he coughed loudly
hack, hawk, bark, clear one's throat, hem.
noun
a loud cough
hack, bark; informal frog in one's throat. tussive.
cough something up
pay (up), come up with, hand over, dish out, part with; informal fork out, shell out, lay out; Brit. informal stump up; N. Amer. informal ante up, pony up.

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council

noun
the town council
local authority, local government, municipal authority, administration, executive, chamber, assembly; Brit. corporation.
the Schools Council
advisory body, board, committee, commission, assembly, panel; synod, convocation.
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that evening, she held a family council
meeting, gathering, conference, conclave, assembly.
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counsel

noun
his wise counsel
advice, guidance, counselling, direction, information; recommendations, suggestions, guidelines, hints, tips, pointers, warnings.
the counsel for the defence
barrister, lawyer; Scottish advocate; N. Amer. attorney, counselor(-at-law); informal brief.
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verb
he counselled the team to withdraw from the deal
advise, recommend, direct, advocate, encourage, urge, warn, caution; guide, give guidance.

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counsellor

noun
adviser, consultant, guide, mentor; expert, specialist.

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count

verb
she counted the money again
add up, add together, reckon up, figure up, total, tally, calculate, compute; Brit. tot up; formal enumerate; dated cast up.
a company with 250 employees, not counting overseas staff
include, take into account, take account of, take into consideration, allow for.
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I count it a privilege to be asked
consider, think, feel, regard, look on as, view as, hold to be, judge, deem, account.
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it's your mother's feelings that count
matter, be of consequence, be of account, be significant, signify, be important, carry weight; informal cut any ice.
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noun
at the last count, the committee had 579 members
calculation, computation, reckoning, tally; formal enumeration.
her white blood cell count
amount, number, total.
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count on/upon
you can count on me
rely on, depend on, bank on, trust (in), be sure of, have (every) confidence in, believe in, put one's faith in, take for granted, take as read.

they hadn't counted on Rangers' indomitable spirit
expect, reckon on, anticipate, envisage, allow for, be prepared for, bargain for/on; N. Amer. informal figure on.
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out for the count (informal). See unconscious adjective sense 1.

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countenance

noun
his strikingly handsome countenance
face, features, physiognomy, profile; (facial) expression, look, appearance, aspect, mien; informal mug; Brit. informal mush, phizog, phiz, clock, boat race; N. Amer. informal puss; poetic/literary visage, lineaments.
verb
he would not countenance the use of force
tolerate, permit, allow, agree to, consent to, give one's blessing to, go along with, hold with, put up with, endure, stomach, swallow; Scottish thole; informal stand for; formal brook.

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counter 1

noun
a pile of counters
token, chip, disc, jetton, plaque; piece, man, marker; N. Amer. check.

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counter 2

verb
workers countered accusations of dishonesty with claims of oppression
respond to, parry, hit back at, answer, retort to.
the second argument is more difficult to counter
oppose, dispute, argue against/with, contradict, controvert, negate, counteract; challenge, contest; formal gainsay, confute.
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ANTONYMS :support.

adjective
a counter bid
opposing, opposed, opposite.
counter to
against, in opposition to, contrary to, at variance with, in defiance of, in contravention of, in conflict with, at odds with, against.

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counteract

verb
new measures to counteract drug trafficking
prevent, thwart, frustrate, foil, impede, curb, hinder, hamper, check, put a stop/end to, defeat.
a drug to counteract the possible effect on her heart
offset, counterbalance, balance (out), cancel out, even out, counterpoise, countervail, compensate for, make up for, remedy; neutralize, nullify, negate, invalidate.
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ANTONYMS :encourage, exacerbate.

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counterbalance

verb
compensate for, make up for, offset, balance (out), even out, counterpoise, counteract, equalize, neutralize; nullify, negate, undo.

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counterfeit

adjective
counterfeit cassettes
fake, faked, bogus, forged, imitation, spurious, substitute, ersatz; informal phoney. ANTONYMS :genuine.

noun
the notes were counterfeits
fake, forgery, copy, reproduction, imitation; fraud, sham; informal phoney, knock-off. ANTONYMS :original.

verb
his signature was hard to counterfeit
fake, forge, copy, reproduce, imitate.
he grew tired of counterfeiting interest
feign, simulate, pretend, fake, sham.
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countermand

verb
revoke, rescind, reverse, undo, repeal, retract, withdraw, quash, overturn, overrule, cancel, annul, invalidate, nullify, negate; Law disaffirm, discharge, vacate; formal abrogate; archaic recall. ANTONYMS :uphold.

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counterpane

noun
(dated). See bedspread.

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counterpart

noun
equivalent, opposite number, peer, equal, coequal, parallel, complement, analogue, match, twin, mate, fellow, brother, sister; formal compeer.

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countless

adjective
innumerable, numerous, untold, legion, without number, numberless, unnumbered, limitless, multitudinous, incalculable; informal umpteen, no end of, a slew of, loads of, stacks of, heaps of, masses of, oodles of, zillions of; N. Amer. informal gazillions of; poetic/literary myriad. ANTONYMS :few.

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countrified

adjective
rural, rustic, pastoral, bucolic, country; idyllic, unspoilt; poetic/literary Arcadian, sylvan, georgic. ANTONYMS :urban.

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country

noun
foreign countries
nation, (sovereign) state, kingdom, realm, territory, province, principality, palatinate, duchy.
he risked his life for his country
homeland, native land, fatherland, motherland, the land of one's fathers.
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the whole country took to the streets
people, public, population, populace, citizenry, nation, body politic; electors, voters, taxpayers, grass roots; Brit. informal Joe Public.
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thickly forested country
terrain, land, territory, parts; landscape, scenery, setting, surroundings, environment.
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she hated living in the country
countryside, green belt, great outdoors; provinces, rural areas, backwoods, back of beyond, hinterland; Austral./NZ outback, bush, back country, backblocks, booay; informal sticks, middle of nowhere; N. Amer. informal boondocks, boonies, tall timbers; Austral. informal beyond the black stump.
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adjective
country pursuits
rural, countryside, outdoor, rustic, pastoral, bucolic; poetic/literary sylvan, Arcadian, ge orgic. ANTONYMS :urban.

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countryman countrywoman

noun
the traditions of his countrymen
compatriot, fellow citizen.
the countryman takes a great interest in the weather
country dweller, country cousin, son/daughter of the soil, farmer; rustic, yokel, bumpkin, peasant, provincial; Irish informal culchie; N. Amer. informal hayseed, hick, hillbilly, rube; Austral. informal bushy; archaic swain, hind, kern, carl, cottier.
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countryside

noun
beautiful unspoilt countryside
landscape, scenery, surroundings, setting, environment; country, terrain, land.
I was brought up in the countryside.
See country noun sense 5.
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county

noun
the northern counties
shire, province, territory, administrative unit, region, district, area.
adjective
(Brit.) a county lady
upper-class, aristocratic, landed, landowning; informal upper-crust, top-drawer, (huntin', shootin', and fishin'), tweedy.

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coup

noun
a violent military coup
seizure of power, coup d'état, putsch, overthrow, takeover, deposition; (palace) revolution, rebellion, revolt, insurrection, mutiny, insurgence, uprising.
a major publishing coup
success, triumph, feat, accomplishment, achievement, scoop, master stroke, stroke of genius.
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coup de grâce

noun
death blow, finishing blow, kiss of death; informal KO, kayo.

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coup d'état

noun
. See coup sense 1.

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couple

noun
a couple of girls
pair, duo, twosome, two, brace, span, yoke; archaic twain.
a honeymoon couple
husband and wife, twosome, partners, lovers; informal item.
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verb
a sense of hope is coupled with a sense of loss
combine, accompany, mix, incorporate, link, associate, connect, ally; add to, join to; formal conjoin.
a cable is coupled to one of the wheels
connect, attach, join, fasten, fix, link, secure, tie, bind, strap, rope, tether, truss, lash, hitch, yoke, chain, hook (up).
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ANTONYMS :detach.

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coupon

noun
money-off coupons
voucher, token, ticket, slip; N. Amer. informal ducat, comp, rain check.
fill in the coupon below
form, tear-off slip.
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courage

noun
bravery, courageousness, pluck, pluckiness, valour, fearlessness, intrepidity, nerve, daring, audacity, boldness, grit, hardihood, heroism, gallantry; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie, cojones, sand. ANTONYMS :cowardice.

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courageous

adjective
brave, plucky, fearless, valiant, valorous, intrepid, heroic, lionhearted, bold, daring, daredevil, audacious, undaunted, unflinching, unshrinking, unafraid, dauntless, indomitable, doughty, mettlesome, venturesome, stout-hearted, gallant, death-or-glory; N. Amer. rock-ribbed; informal game, gutsy, spunky, ballsy, have-a-go. ANTONYMS :cowardly.

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courier

noun
the documents were sent by courier
messenger, dispatch rider, runner.
a courier for a package holiday company
representative, (tour) guide; dragoman; N. Amer. tour director; informal rep.
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course

noun
the island was not far off our course
route, way, track, direction, tack, path, line, trail, trajectory, bearing, heading, orbit.
the course of history
progression, development, progress, advance, evolution, flow, movement, sequence, order, succession, rise, march, passage, passing.
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what is the best course to adopt?
procedure, plan (of action), course/line of action, MO, modus operandi, practice, approach, technique, way, means, policy, strategy, programme; formal praxis.
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a waterlogged course
racecourse, racetrack, track, ground.
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a French course
programme/course of study, curriculum, syllabus; classes, lectures, studies.
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a course of antibiotics
programme, series, sequence, system, schedule, regimen.
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verb
tears coursed down her cheeks
flow, pour, stream, run, rush, gush, cascade, flood, roll.
in due course
at the appropriate time, when the time is ripe, in time, in the fullness of tim e, in the course of time, at a later date, by and by, sooner or later, in the end, eventually. of course
naturally, as might be expected, as you/one would expect, needless to say, certainly, to be sure, as a matter of course, obviously, it goes without saying; informal natch.

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court

noun
the court found him guilty
court of law, law court, bench, bar, judicature, tribunal, chancery, assizes.
walking in the castle court
courtyard, quadrangle, square, close, enclosure, plaza, piazza, cloister; informal quad.
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the King's's court
royal household, retinue, entourage, train, suite, courtiers, attendants.
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she made her way to the queen's court
royal residence, palace, castle, chateau.
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verb
a newspaper editor who was courted by senior politicians
curry favour with, cultivate, try to win over, make up to, ingratiate oneself with; informal suck up to, butter up; N. Amer. informal shine up to; archaic blandish.
he was busily courting public attention
seek, pursue, go after, strive for, solicit.
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he's often courted controversy
risk, invite, attract, bring on oneself.
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(dated) he's courting her sister
woo, go out with, pursue, run after, chase, pay court to; informal date, see, go steady with; Austral. informal track (square) with; da ted set one's cap at, romance, seek the hand of, make love to.
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courteous

adjective
polite, well mannered, civil, respectful, well behaved, well bred, well spoken, mannerly; gentlemanly, chivalrous, gallant; gracious, obliging, considerate, pleasant, cordial, urbane, polished, refined, courtly, civilized; archaic fair-spoken. ANTONYMS :rude.

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courtesan

noun
(archaic). See prostitute noun.

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courtesy

noun
politeness, courteousness, good manners, civility, respect, respectfulness; chivalry, gallantry; graciousness, consideration, thought, thoughtfulness, cordiality, urbanity, courtliness.

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courtier

noun
attendant, lord, lady, lady-in-waiting, steward, equerry, page, squire; historical liegeman.

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courtly

adjective
refined, polished, suave, cultivated, civilized, elegant, urbane, debonair; polite, civil, courteous, gracious, well mannered, well bred, chivalrous, gallant, gentlemanly, ladylike, aristocratic, dignified, decorous, formal, ceremonious, stately. ANTONYMS :uncouth.

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courtship

noun
a whirlwind courtship
romance, (love) affair; engagement.
his courtship of Emma
wooing, courting, suit, pursuit; archaic addresses.
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courtyard

noun
quadrangle, cloister, square, plaza, piazza, close, enclosure, yard; informal quad.

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cove 1

noun
a small sandy cove
bay, inlet, fjord, anchorage; Scottish (sea) loch; Irish lough.

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cove 2

noun
(informal, dated) he's a funny cove.
See fellow sense 1.

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covenant

noun
a breach of the covenant
contract, agreement, undertaking, commitment, guarantee, warrant, pledge, promise, bond, indenture; pact, deal, settlement, arrangement, understanding.
verb
the landlord covenants to repair the property
undertake, contract, guarantee, pledge, promise, agree, engage, warrant, commit oneself, bind oneself.

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cover

verb
she covered face with a towel
protect, shield, shelter; hide, conceal, veil.
his car was covered in mud
cake, coat, encrust, plaster, smother, daub, bedaub.
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snow covered the fields
blanket, overlay, overspread, carpet, coat; poetic/literary mantle.
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a course covering all aspects of the business
deal with, consider, take in, include, involve, comprise, incorporate, embrace.
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the trial was covered by a range of newspapers
report on, write about, describe, commentate on, publish/broadcast details of.
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he turned on the radio to cover their conversation
mask, disguise, hide, camouflage, muffle, stifle, smother.
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I'm covering for Jill
stand in for, fill in for, deputize for, take over from, relieve, take the place of, sit in for, understudy, hold the fort; informal sub for; N. Amer. informal pinch-hit for.
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can you make enough to cover your costs?
pay (for), be enough for, fund, finance; pay back, make up for, offset.
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your home is covered against damage and loss
insure, protect, secure, underwrite, assure, indemnify.
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we covered ten miles each day
travel, journey, go, do, traverse.
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ANTONYMS :expose.

noun
a protective cover
covering, sleeve, wrapping, wrapper, envelope, sheath, housing, jacket, casing, cowling; awning, canopy, tarpaulin.
a manhole cover
lid, top, cap.
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a book cover
binding, jacket, dust jacket, dust cover, wrapper.
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(covers) she pulled the covers over her head
bedclothes, bedding, sheets, blankets.
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a thick cover of snow
coating, coat, covering, layer, carpet, blanket, overlay, dusting, film, sheet, veneer, crust, skin, cloak, mantle, veil, pall, shroud.
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panicking onlookers ran for cover
shelter, protection, refuge, sanctuary, haven, hiding place.
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there is considerable game cover around the lake
undergrowth, vegetation, greenery, woodland, trees, bushes, brush, scrub, plants; covert, thicket, copse, coppice.
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the company was a cover for an international swindle
front, facade, smokescreen, screen, blind, camouflage, disguise, mask, cloak.
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(Brit.) your policy provides cover against damage by subsidence
insurance, protection, security, assurance, indemnification, indemnity, compensation.
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cover something up
conceal, hide, keep secret/dark, hush up, draw a veil over, suppress, sweep under the carpet, gloss over; informal whitewash, keep a/the lid on.

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coverage

noun
reportage, reporting, description, treatment, handling, presentation, investigation, commentary; reports, articles, pieces, stories.

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covering

noun
a canvas covering
awning, canopy, tarpaulin, cowling, casing, housing; wrapping, wrapper, cover, envelope, sheath, sleeve, jacket, lid, top, cap.
a covering of snow
layer, coating, coat, carpet, blanket, overlay, topping, dusting, film, sheet, veneer, crust, skin, cloak, mantle, veil.
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adjective
a covering letter
accompanying, explanatory, introductory, prefatory.

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coverlet

noun
bedspread, bedcover, cover, throw, duvet, quilt; Brit. eiderdown; N. Amer. spread, comforter; dated counterpane.

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covert

adjective
secret, furtive, clandestine, surreptitious, stealthy, cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner, backstairs, hidden, under-the-table, hugger-mugger, concealed, private, undercover, underground; informal hush-hush. ANTONYMS :overt.

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cover-up

noun
whitewash, concealment, false front, facade, camouflage, disguise, mask. ANTONYMS :exposé.

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covet

verb
desire, yearn for, crave, have one's heart set on, want, wish for, long for, hanker after/for, hunger after/for, thirst for.

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covetous

adjective
grasping, greedy, acquisitive, desirous, possessive, envious, green with envy, green-eyed.

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covey

noun
group, gang, troop, troupe, party, company, band, bevy, flock; knot, cluster; informal bunch, gaggle, posse, crew.

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cow

verb
intimidate, daunt, browbeat, bully, tyrannize, scare, terrorize, frighten, dishearten, unnerve, subdue; informal psych out, bulldoze.

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coward

noun
weakling, milksop, namby-pamby, mouse; informal chicken, scaredy-cat, yellow-belly, sissy, baby; Brit. informal big girl's blouse; N. Amer. informal candy-ass, pussy; Austral./NZ informal dingo, sook; archaic poltroon, caitiff. ANTONYMS :hero.

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cowardly

adjective
faint-hearted, lily-livered, spineless, chicken-hearted, craven, timid, timorous, fearful, pusillanimous; informal yellow, chicken, weak-kneed, gutless, yellow-bellied, wimpish, wimpy; Brit. informal wet; archaic recreant. ANTONYMS :brave.

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cowboy

noun
cowboys on horseback
cattleman, cowhand, cowman, cowherd, herder, herdsman, drover, stockman, rancher, gaucho, vaquero; N. Amer. informal cowpuncher, cowpoke, broncobuster; N. Amer. dated buckaroo.
(informal) the builders were complete cowboys
rogue, rascal, scoundrel, cheat, swindler, fraudster, fly-by-night.
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cower

verb
cringe, shrink, crouch, recoil, flinch, pull back, draw back, tremble, shake, quake, blench, quail, grovel.

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coy

adjective
arch, simpering, coquettish, flirtatious, kittenish, skittish; demure, shy, modest, bashful, reticent, diffident, self-effacing, shrinking, timid. ANTONYMS :brazen.

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cozen

verb
(poetic/literary). See trick verb.

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crabbed

adjective
her crabbed handwriting
cramped, ill-formed, bad, illegible, unreadable, indecipherable; shaky, spidery.
a crabbed old man.
See crabby.
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crabby

adjective
irritable, cantankerous, irascible, bad-tempered, grumpy, grouchy, crotchety, tetchy, testy, crusty, curmudgeonly, ill-tempered, ill-humoured, peevish, cross, fractious, pettish, crabbed, prickly, waspish; informal snappish, snappy, chippy; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, narky, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery; Austral./NZ informal snaky. ANTONYMS :affable.

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crack

noun
a crack in the glass
split, break, chip, fracture, rupture; crazing.
a crack between two rocks
space, gap, crevice, fissure, cleft, breach, rift, cranny, chink, interstice.
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the crack of a rifle
bang, report, explosion, detonation, pop; clap, crash.
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a crack on the head
blow, bang, hit, knock, rap, punch, thump, bump, smack, slap; informal bash, whack, thwack, clout, wallop, clip, biff, bop.
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(informal) we'll have a crack at it
attempt, try; informal go, shot, stab, whack; formal essay.
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(informal) cheap cracks about her clothes
joke, witticism, quip; jibe, barb, taunt, sneer, insult; informal gag, wisecrack, funny, dig.
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verb
the glass cracked in the heat
break, split, fracture, rupture, snap.
she cracked him across the forehead
hit, strike, smack, slap, beat, thump, knock, rap, punch; informal bash, whack, thwack, clobber, clout, clip, wallop, belt, biff, bop, sock; Brit. informal slosh; N. Amer. informal boff, bust, slug.
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the witnesses cracked
break down, give way, cave in, go to pieces, crumble, lose control, yield, succumb.
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(informal) the naval code proved harder to crack
decipher, interpret, decode, break, solve, resolve, work out, find the key to; informal figure out, suss out.
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adjective
a crack shot
expert, skilled, skilful, formidable, virtuoso, masterly, consummate, excellent, first-rate, first-class, marvellous, wonderful, magnificent, outstanding, superlative; deadly; informal great, superb, fantastic, ace, hotshot, mean, demon; Brit. informal brilliant; N. Amer. informal crackerjack. ANTONYMS :incompetent.

crack down on
suppress, prevent, stop, put a stop to, put an end to, stamp out, eliminate, eradicate; clamp down on, get tough on, come down hard on, limit, restrain, restrict, check, keep in check, control, keep under control. crack up (informal)
break down, have a breakdown, lose control, go to pieces, go out of one's mind, go mad; informal lose it, fall/come apart at the seams, go crazy, freak out.

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cracked

adjective
a cracked cup
chipped, broken, crazed, fractured, splintered, split; damaged, defective, flawed, imperfect.
(informal) you're cracked!
See mad sense 1.
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crackle

verb
sizzle, fizz, hiss, crack, snap, sputter, crepitate; technical decrepitate.

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cradle

noun
the baby's cradle
crib, bassinet, Moses basket, cot, carrycot.
the cradle of democracy
birthplace, fount, fountainhead, source, spring, fountain, origin, place of origin, seat; poetic/literary wellspring.
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verb
she cradled his head in her arms
hold, support, pillow, cushion, shelter, protect; rest, prop (up).

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craft

noun
a player with plenty of craft
skill, skilfulness, ability, capability, competence, art, talent, flair, artistry, dexterity, craftsmanship, expertise, proficiency, adroitness, adeptness, deftness, virtuosity.
the historian's craft
activity, occupation, profession, work, line of work, pursuit.
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she used craft and diplomacy
cunning, craftiness, guile, wiliness, artfulness, deviousness, slyness, trickery, duplicity, dishonesty, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, intrigue, subterfuge; wiles, ploys, ruses, schemes, stratagems, tricks.
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a sailing craft
vessel, ship, boat; poetic/literary barque.
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craftsman craftswoman

noun
artisan, artist, skilled worker; expert, master; archaic artificer, mechanic.

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craftsmanship

noun
workmanship, artistry, craft, art, handiwork, work; skill, skilfulness, expertise, technique.

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crafty

adjective
cunning, wily, guileful, artful, devious, sly, tricky, scheming, calculating, designing, sharp, shrewd, astute, canny; duplicitous, dishonest, deceitful; informal foxy; archaic subtle. ANTONYMS :honest.

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crag

noun
cliff, bluff, ridge, precipice, height, peak, tor, escarpment, scarp.

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craggy

adjective
the craggy cliffs
steep, precipitous, sheer, perpendicular; rocky, rugged, ragged.
his craggy face
rugged, rough-hewn, strong, manly; weather-beaten, weathered.
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cram

verb
wardrobes crammed with clothes
fill, stuff, pack, jam, fill to overflowing, fill to the brim, overload; crowd, throng, overcrowd.
they all crammed into the car
crowd, pack, pile, squash, wedge oneself, force one's way.
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he crammed his clothes into a suitcase
thrust, push, shove, force, ram, jam, stuff, pack, pile, squash, compress, squeeze, wedge.
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most of the students are cramming for exams
revise; informal swot, mug up, bone up.
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cramp

noun
stomach cramps
muscle/muscular spasm, pain, shooting pain, pang, stitch; Medicine clonus, hyperkinesis.
verb
tighter rules will cramp economic growth
hinder, impede, inhibit, hamper, constrain, hamstring, interfere with, restrict, limit, shackle; slow down, check, arrest, curb, retard.

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cramped

adjective
cramped accommodation
poky, uncomfortable, confined, restricted, constricted, small, tiny, narrow; crowded, packed, congested; archaic strait.
cramped handwriting
small, crabbed, illegible, unreadable, indecipherable.
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ANTONYMS :spacious.

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crane

noun
derrick, winch, hoist, davit, windlass; block and tackle.

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cranium

noun
skull, head; N. Amer. informal brainpan.

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crank 1

verb
you crank the engine by hand
start, turn (over), get going.
crank something up (informal)
increase, intensify, amplify, heighten, escalate, add to, augment, build up, expand, extend, raise; speed up, accelerate; informal up, jack up, hike up, step up, bump up, pump up.

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crank 2

noun
they're nothing but a bunch of cranks
eccentric, oddity, madman/madwoman, lunatic; informal oddball, freak, weirdo, crackpot, loony, nut, nutcase, head case, maniac; Brit. informal nutter; N. Amer. informal screwball, kook.

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cranky

adjective
(informal) a cranky diet
eccentric, bizarre, weird, peculiar, odd, strange, unconventional, left-field, unorthodox, outlandish; silly, stupid, mad, crazy, idiotic; informal wacky, crackpot, nutty; Brit. informal daft, potty; N. Amer. informal wacko.
(N. Amer. informal) the children were tired and cranky.
See irritable.
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cranny

noun
chink, crack, crevice, slit, split, fissure, rift, cleft, opening, gap, aperture, cavity, hole, hollow, niche, corner, nook, interstice.

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crash

verb
the car crashed into a tree
smash into, collide with, be in collision with, hit, strike, ram, cannon into, plough into, meet head-on, run into; N. Amer. impact.
he crashed his car
smash, wreck; Brit. write off; Brit. informal prang; N. Amer. informal total.
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waves crashed against the shore
dash, batter, pound, lash, slam, be hurled.
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thunder crashed overhead
boom, crack, roll, clap, explode, bang, blast, blare, resound, reverberate, rumble, thunder, echo.
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(informal) his clothing company crashed
collapse, fold, fail, go under, go bankrupt, become insolvent, cease trading, go into receivership, go into liquidation, be wound up; informal go broke, go bust, go to the wall, go belly up.
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noun
a crash on the motorway
accident, collision, smash, road traffic accident, RTA; derailment; N. Amer. wreck; informal pile-up; Brit. informal prang, shunt.
a loud crash
bang, smash, smack, cra ck, bump, thud, clatter, clunk, clonk, clang; report, detonation, explosion; noise, racket, clangour, din.
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the crash of her company
collapse, failure, bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation.
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adjective
a crash course
intensive, concentrated, rapid, short; accelerated-learning, total-immersion.

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crass

adjective
stupid, insensitive, mindless, thoughtless, witless, oafish, boorish, asinine, coarse, gross, graceless, tasteless, tactless, clumsy, heavy-handed, blundering; informal ignorant, pig-ignorant. ANTONYMS :intelligent.

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crate

noun
case, packing case, chest, tea chest, box; container, receptacle.

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crater

noun
hollow, bowl, basin, hole, cavity, depression; Geology caldera, maar, solfatara.

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crave

verb
long for, yearn for, desire, want, wish for, hunger for, thirst for, sigh for, pine for, hanker after, covet, lust after, ache for, set one's heart on, dream of, be bent on; informal have a yen for, itch for, be dying for; archaic desiderate.

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craven

adjective
cowardly, lily-livered, faint-hearted, chicken-hearted, spineless, timid, timorous, fearful, pusillanimous, weak, feeble; informal yellow, chicken, weak-kneed, gutless, yellow-bellied, wimpish; contemptible, abject, ignominious; Brit. informal wet; archaic recreant. ANTONYMS :brave.

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craving

noun
longing, yearning, desire, want, wish, hankering, hunger, thirst, appetite, greed, lust, ache, need, urge; informal yen, itch.

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crawl

verb
they crawled under the table
creep, worm one's way, go on all fours, go on hands and knees, wriggle, slither, squirm, scrabble.
(informal) I'm not going to go crawling to him
grovel to, ingratiate oneself with, be obsequious to, kowtow to, pander to, toady to, truckle to, bow and scrape to, dance attendance on, curry favour with, make up to, fawn on/over; informal suck up to, lick someone's boots, butter up.
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the place was crawling with soldiers
be full of, overflow with, teem with, be packed with, be crowded with, be alive with, be overrun with, swarm with, be bristling with, be infested with, be thick with; informal be lousy with, be stuffed with, be jam-packed with, be chock-a-block with, be chock-full of.
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craze

noun
fad, fashion, trend, vogue, enthusiasm, mania, passion, rage, obsession, compulsion, fixation, fetish, fancy, taste, fascination, preoccupation; informal thing.

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crazed

adjective
mad, insane, out of one's mind, deranged, demented, certifiable, lunatic, psychopathic; wild, raving, berserk, manic, maniac, frenzied; informal crazy, mental, off one's head, out of one's head, raving mad. See also crazy sense 1. ANTONYMS :sane.

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crazy

adjective
(informal) a crazy old man
mad, insane, out of one's mind, deranged, demented, not in one's right mind, crazed, lunatic, non compos mentis, unhinged, mad as a hatter, mad as a March hare; informal mental, off one's head, nutty (as a fruitcake), off one's rocker, not right in the head, round the bend, raving mad, bats, batty, bonkers, cuckoo, loopy, loony, bananas, loco, with a screw loose, touched, gaga, doolally, not all there, out to lunch, away with the fairies; Brit. informal barmy, crackers, barking, potty, round the twist, off one's trolley, not the full shilling; N. Amer. informal nutso, out of one's tree, meshuga, wacko, gonzo; Austral./NZ informal bushed.
a crazy idea
stupid, foolish, idiotic, silly, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, preposterous, farcical, laughable, risible, nonsensical, imbecilic, hare-brained, half-baked, impracticable, unworkable, ill-conceived, senseless; informal cock-eyed; Brit. informal barmy, daft.
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he's crazy about her
passionate about , very keen on, enamoured of, infatuated with, smitten with, devoted to; very enthusiastic about, fanatical about; informal wild/mad/nuts about, gone on; Brit. informal potty about.
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ANTONYMS :sane, sensible, apathetic.

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creak

verb
squeak, grate, rasp; groan, complain.

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cream

noun
skin creams
lotion, ointment, moisturizer, emollient, unguent, cosmetic; salve, rub, embrocation, balm, liniment.
the cream of the world's photographers
best, finest, pick, flower, crème de la crème, elite.
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ANTONYMS :dregs.

adjective
a cream dress
off-white, whitish, cream-coloured, creamy, ivory, yellowish-white.

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creamy

adjective
a creamy paste
smooth, thick, velvety, whipped; rich, buttery.
creamy flowers
off-white, whitish, cream-coloured, cream, ivory, yellowish-white.
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ANTONYMS :lumpy.

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crease

noun
trousers with knife-edge creases
fold, line, ridge; pleat, tuck; furrow, groove, corrugation.
the creases at the corners of her eyes
wrinkle, line, crinkle, pucker; (creases) crow's feet.
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verb
her skirt was creased and stained
crumple, wrinkle, crinkle, line, scrunch up, rumple, ruck up.

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create

verb
she has created a work of stunning originality
produce, generate, bring into being, make, fabricate, fashion, build, construct; design, devise, originate, frame, develop, shape, form, forge.
regular socializing creates a good team spirit
bring about, give rise to, lead to, result in, cause, breed, generate, engender, produce, make for, promote, foster, sow the seeds of, contribute to.
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the governments planned to create a free-trade zone
establish, found, initiate, institute, constitute, inaugurate, launch, set up, form, organize, develop.
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she was created a life peer in 1990
appoint, make; invest as, install as.
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ANTONYMS :destroy.

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creation

noun
the creation of a coalition government
establishment, formation, foundation, initiation, institution, inauguration, constitution; production, generation, fabrication, fashioning, building, construction, origination, development.
the whole of creation
the world, the universe, the cosmos; the living world, the natural world, nature, life, living things.
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Dickens's literary creations
work, work of art, production, opus, oeuvre; achievement.
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ANTONYMS :destruction.

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creative

adjective
inventive, imaginative, innovative, innovatory, experimental, original; artistic, expressive, inspired, visionary; enterprising, resourceful.

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creativity

noun
inventiveness, imagination, imaginativeness, innovation, innovativeness, originality, individuality; artistry, inspiration, vision; enterprise, initiative, resourcefulness.

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creator

noun
the creator of the series
author, writer, designer, deviser, maker, producer; originator, inventor, architect, mastermind, prime mover; poetic/literary begetter.
the Sabbath is kept to honour the Creator.
See god sense 1.
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creature

noun
the earth and its creatures
animal, beast, brute; living thing, living being; N. Amer. informal critter.
you're such a lazy creature!
person, individual, human being, character, soul, wretch, customer; informal devil, beggar, sort, type; Brit. informal bod; archaic wight.
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she was denounced as a creature of the liberals
lackey, minion, hireling, servant, puppet, tool, cat's paw, pawn; informal stooge, yes-man; Brit. informal poodle.
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credence

noun
the government placed little credence in the scheme
belief, faith, trust, confidence, reliance.
later reports lent credence to this view
credibility, plausibility; archaic credit.
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credentials

plural noun
documents, documentation, papers, identity papers, bona fides, ID, ID card, identity card, passport, proof of identity; certificates, diplomas, certification.

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credibility

noun
the whole tale lacks credibility
plausibility, believability, tenability, probability, feasibility, likelihood, credence; authority, cogency; archaic credit.
the party lacked moral credibility
trustworthiness, reliability, dependability, integrity.
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credible

adjective
believable, plausible, tenable, able to hold water, conceivable, likely, probable, possible, feasible, reasonable, with a ring of truth, persuasive.

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credit

noun
he never got much credit for the show's success
praise, commendation, acclaim, acknowledgement, recognition, kudos, glory, esteem, respect, admiration, tributes, thanks, gratitude, appreciation; informal bouquets, brownie points.
the speech did his credit no good in the House of Commons
reputation, repute, image, (good) name, character, prestige, standing, status, estimation, credibility.
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(archaic) his theory has been given very little credit
credence, belief, faith, trust, reliance, confidence.
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verb
the wise will seldom credit all they hear
believe, accept, give credence to, trust, have faith in; informal buy, swallow, fall for, take something as gospel.
the scheme's success can be credited to the team's frugality
ascribe, attribute, assign, accredit, chalk up, put down.
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on credit
on hire purchase, on (the) HP, by instalments, on account; informal on tick, on the slate; Brit. informal on the never-never.

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creditable

adjective
commendable, praiseworthy, laudable, admirable, honourable, estimable, meritorious, worthy, deserving, respectable. ANTONYMS :deplorable.

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credulous

adjective
gullible, naive, over-trusting, over-trustful, easily taken in, impressionable, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, unquestioning; innocent, ingenuous, inexperienced, unsophisticated, unworldly, wide-eyed; informal born yesterday, wet behind the ears. ANTONYMS :suspicious.

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creed

noun
people of many creeds and cultures
faith, religion, religious belief, religious persuasion, Church, denomination, sect.
his political creed
system of belief, (set of) beliefs, principles, articles of faith, ideology, credo, doctrine, teaching, dogma, tenets, canons.
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creek

noun
inlet, arm of the sea, bay, estuary, bight, fjord, sound; Scottish firth, frith; (in Orkney & Shetland) voe.

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creep

verb
Tim crept out of the house
tiptoe, steal, sneak, slip, slink, sidle, pad, edge, inch; skulk, prowl.
(informal) they're always creeping to the boss
grovel to, ingratiate oneself with, curry favour with, toady to, truckle to, kowtow to, bow and scrape to, pander to, fawn on/over, make up to; informal crawl to, suck up to, lick someone's boots, butter up.
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creeper

noun
climbing plant, trailing plant; vine, climber, rambler.

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creeps

give someone the creeps (informal)
repel, repulse, revolt, disgust, sicken, nauseate, make someone's flesh creep, make someone's skin crawl; scare, frighten, terrify, horrify; N. Amer. informal gross out.

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creepy

adjective
(informal) frightening, eerie, disturbing, sinister, weird, hair-raising, menacing, threatening; Scottish eldritch; informal spooky, scary.

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crescent

noun
half-moon, sickle-shape, demilune, lunula, lunette; arc, curve, bow.

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crest

noun
the bird's crest
comb, plume, tuft of feathers.
the crest of the hill
summit, peak, top, tip, pinnacle, brow, crown, apex.
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the Duke of Wellington's crest
insignia, regalia, badge, emblem, heraldic device, coat of arms, arms; Heraldry bearing, charge.
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crestfallen

adjective
downhearted, downcast, despondent, disappointed, disconsolate, disheartened, discouraged, dispirited, dejected, depressed, desolate, in the doldrums, sad, glum, gloomy, dismayed, doleful, miserable, unhappy, woebegone, forlorn; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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crevasse

noun
chasm, abyss, fissure, cleft, crack, split, breach, rift, hole, cavity.

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crevice

noun
crack, fissure, cleft, chink, interstice, cranny, nook, slit, split, rift, fracture, breach; opening, gap, hole.

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crew

noun
the ship's crew
sailors, mariners, hands, ship's company, ship's complement.
a crew of cameramen and sound engineers
team, group, company, unit, corps, party, gang.
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(informal) a crew of inebriated locals
crowd, group, band, gang, mob, pack, troop, swarm, herd, posse; informal bunch, gaggle.
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crib

noun
the baby's crib
cot, cradle, bassinet, Moses basket, carrycot.
the oxen's cribs
manger, stall, feeding trough, fodder rack.
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verb
(informal) she cribbed the plot from a Shakespeare play
copy, plagiarize, poach, appropriate, steal, "borrow"; informal rip off, lift; Brit. informal nick, pinch.

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crick

verb
strain, twist, rick, sprain, pull, wrench; injure, hurt, damage.

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crime

noun
kidnapping is a very serious crime
offence, unlawful act, illegal act, felony, misdemeanour, misdeed, wrong; Law tort.
the increase in crime
lawbreaking, delinquency, wrongdoing, criminality, misconduct, illegality, villainy; informal crookedness; Law malfeasance.
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a crime against humanity
sin, evil, immoral act, wrong, atrocity, abomination, disgrace, outrage.
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criminal

noun
a convicted criminal
lawbreaker, offender, villain, delinquent, felon, convict, malefactor, wrongdoer, culprit, miscreant; thief, burglar, robber, armed robber, gunman, gangster, terrorist; informal crook, con, jailbird, (old) lag; N. Amer. informal hood, yardbird; Austral./NZ informal crim; Law malfeasant.
adjective
criminal conduct
unlawful, illegal, illicit, lawless, felonious, delinquent, fraudulent, actionable, culpable; villainous, nefarious, corrupt, wrong, bad, evil, wicked, iniquitous; informal crooked; Brit. informal bent; Law malfeasant.
(informal) a criminal waste of taxpayer's money
deplorable, shameful, reprehensible, disgraceful, inexcusable, unforgivable, unpardonable, outrageous, monstrous, shocking, scandalous, wicked.
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ANTONYMS :lawful.

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crimp

verb
pleat, flute, corrugate, ruffle, fold, crease, crinkle, pucker, gather; pinch, compress, press together, squeeze together.

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crimped

adjective
crimped blonde hair
curly, wavy, curled, frizzy, ringlety.

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cringe

verb
she cringed as he bellowed in her ear
cower, shrink, recoil, shy away, flinch, blench, draw back; shake, tremble, quiver, quail, quake.
it makes me cringe when I think of it
wince, shudder, squirm, feel embarrassed/mortified.
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crinkle

verb
wrinkle, crease, pucker, furrow, corrugate, line; rumple, scrunch up, ruck up.

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crinkly

adjective
wrinkled, wrinkly, crinkled, creased, crumpled, rumpled, crimped, corrugated, fluted, puckered, furrowed; wavy.

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cripple

verb
the accident crippled her
disable, paralyse, immobilize, lame, incapacitate, handicap.
the company had been crippled by the recession
devastate, ruin, destroy, wipe out; paralyse, hamstring, bring to a standstill, put out of action, put out of business, bankrupt, break, bring someone to their knees.
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crippled

adjective
disabled, paralysed, incapacitated, physically handicapped, lame, immobilized, bedridden, confined to a wheelchair; euphemistic physically challenged; archaic halt.

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crisis

noun
the situation had reached a crisis
critical point, turning point, crossroads, climacteric, head, moment of truth, zero hour, point of no return, Rubicon, doomsday; informal crunch.
the current economic crisis
emergency, disaster, catastrophe, calamity; predicament, plight, mess, trouble, dire straits, difficulty, extremity.
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crisp

adjective
crisp bacon
crunchy, crispy, brittle, crumbly, friable, breakable; firm, dry.
a crisp autumn day
invigorating, bracing, brisk, fresh, refreshing, exhilarating, tonic, energizing; cool, chill, chilly, cold; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky.
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her answer was crisp
brisk, decisive, businesslike, no-nonsense, incisive, to the point, matter of fact, brusque; terse, succinct, concise, brief, short, short and sweet, laconic; informal snappy.
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crisp white bedlinen
smooth, uncreased, ironed; starched.
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ANTONYMS :soft, sultry, rambling.

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criterion

noun
standard, specification, measure, gauge, test, scale, benchmark, yardstick, touchstone, barometer; principle, rule, law, canon.

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critic

noun
a literary critic
reviewer, commentator, evaluator, analyst, judge, pundit.
critics of the government
detractor, attacker, fault-finder.
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critical

adjective
a highly critical report
censorious, condemnatory, condemning, denunciatory, disparaging, disapproving, scathing, fault-finding, judgemental, negative, unfavourable; informal nit-picking, picky.
a critical essay
evaluative, analytical, interpretative, expository, explanatory.
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the situation is critical
grave, serious, dangerous, risky, perilous, hazardous, precarious, touch-and-go, in the balance, uncertain, parlous, desperate, dire, acute, life-and-death.
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the choice of materials is critical for product safety
crucial, vital, essential, of the essence, all-important, paramount, fundamental, key, pivotal, decisive, deciding, climacteric.
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ANTONYMS :complimentary, unimportant.

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criticism

noun
she was stung by his criticism
censure, condemnation, denunciation, disapproval, disparagement, opprobrium, fault-finding, attack, broadside, brickbats, stricture, recrimination; informal flak, a bad press, panning; Brit. informal stick, slating; formal excoriation.
literary criticism
evaluation, assessment, appraisal, analysis, judgement; commentary, interpretation, explanation, explication, elucidation.
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criticize

verb
find fault with, censure, denounce, condemn, attack, lambaste, pillory, rail against, inveigh against, arraign, cast aspersions on, pour scorn on, disparage, denigrate, give a bad press to, run down; informal knock, pan, slam, hammer, lay into, pull to pieces, pick holes in; Brit. informal slag off, slate, rubbish; N. Amer. informal pummel, trash; Austral./NZ informal bag, monster; formal excoriate. ANTONYMS :praise.

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critique

noun
analysis, evaluation, assessment, appraisal, appreciation, criticism, review, study, commentary, exposition, exegesis.

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crock

noun
a crock of honey
pot, jar; jug, pitcher, ewer; container, receptacle, vessel.
(crocks) a pile of dirty crocks.
See crockery.
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(informal) he's a bit of an old crock
invalid, valetudinarian; geriatric, dotard; informal crumbly, wrinkly.
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crockery

noun
dishes, crocks, china, tableware; plates, bowls, cups, saucers.

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crony

noun
(informal) friend, companion, bosom friend, intimate, confidant(e), familiar, associate, comrade; informal pal, chum, sidekick; Brit. informal mate; N. Amer. informal buddy, amigo, compadre; archaic compeer.

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crook

noun
(informal) a small-time crook
criminal, lawbreaker, offender, villain, delinquent, felon, convict, malefactor, culprit, wrongdoer; rogue, scoundrel, cheat, swindler, racketeer, confidence trickster; thief, robber, burglar; informal (old) lag, shark, con man, con, jailbird; N. Amer. informal hood, yardbird; Austral./NZ informal crim; Law malfeasant.
the crook of a tree branch
bend, fork, curve, angle.
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verb
he crooked his finger and called the waiter
cock, flex, bend, curve, curl.

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crooked

adjective
narrow, crooked streets
winding, twisting, zigzag, meandering, tortuous, serpentine.
a crooked spine
bent, twisted, misshapen, deformed, malformed, contorted, out of shape, wry, warped, bowed, distorted; Scottish thrawn.
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the picture over the bed looked crooked
lopsided, askew, awry, off-centre, uneven, out of true, out of line, asymmetrical, tilted, at an angle, aslant, slanting, squint; Scottish agley; informal cock-eyed; Brit. informal skew-whiff, wonky.
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(informal) a crooked cop | crooked deals
dishonest, unscrupulous, unprincipled, untrustworthy, corrupt, corruptible, buyable, venal; criminal, illegal, unlawful, nefarious, fraudulent; Brit. informal bent, dodgy.
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ANTONYMS :straight, honest.

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croon

verb
sing softly, hum, warble, trill.

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crop

noun
some farmers lost their entire crop
harvest, year's growth, yield; fruits, produce.
a bumper crop of mail
batch, lot, assortment, selection, collection, supply, intake.
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the bird's crop
craw; gullet, throat.
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a rider's crop
whip, switch, cane, stick.
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verb
she's had her hair cropped
cut short, cut, clip, shear, shave, lop off, chop off, hack off; dock.
a flock of sheep were cropping the turf
graze on, browse on, feed on, nibble, eat.
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the hay was cropped several times this summer
harvest, reap, mow; gather (in), collect, pick, bring home.
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crop up
happen, occur, arise, turn up, spring up, pop up, emerge, materialize, surface, appear, come to light, present itself; poetic/literary come to pass, befall; archaic hap.

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cross

noun
a bronze cross
crucifix, rood.
we all have our crosses to bear
burden, trouble, worry, trial, tribulation, affliction, curse, bane, misfortune, adversity, hardship, vicissitude; millstone, albatross, thorn in one's flesh/side; misery, woe, pain, sorrow, suffering; informal hassle, headache.
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a cross between a yak and a cow
hybrid, hybridization, cross-breed, half-breed, mongrel; mixture, amalgam, blend, combination.
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verb
they crossed the hills on foot
travel across, traverse, range over; negotiate, navigate, cover.
a lake crossed by a fine stone bridge
span, bridge; extend/stretch across, pass over.
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the point where the two roads cross
intersect, meet, join, connect, criss-cross.
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no one dared cross him
oppose, resist, defy, obstruct, impede, hinder, hamper; contradict, argue with, quarrel with, stand up to, take a stand against, take issue with; formal gainsay.
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the breed was crossed with the similarly coloured Friesian
hybridize, cross -breed, interbreed, cross-fertilize, cross-pollinate.
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adjective
Jane was getting cross
angry, annoyed, irate, irritated, in a bad mood, vexed, irked, piqued, out of humour, put out, displeased; irritable, short-tempered, bad-tempered, snappish, crotchety, grouchy, grumpy, fractious, testy, tetchy, crabby; informal mad, hot under the collar, peeved, riled, snappy, on the warpath, up in arms, steamed up, in a paddy; Brit. informal aerated, shirty, stroppy, ratty; N. Amer. informal sore, bent out of shape, teed off, ticked off; Austral./NZ informal ropeable, snaky, crook. ANTONYMS :pleased.

cross something out
delete, strike out, ink out, score out, edit out, blue-pencil, cancel, obliterate; Printing dele.

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cross-examine

verb
interrogate, question, cross-question, quiz, catechize, give someone the third degree; informal grill, pump, put someone through the wringer/mangle.

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cross-grained

adjective
bad-tempered, cantankerous, irascible, grumpy, grouchy; awkward, perverse, contrary, uncooperative, unhelpful, obstructive, disobliging, recalcitrant, stubborn, obstinate, mulish, pig-headed, intractable; informal cussed; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie, stroppy; N. Amer. informal balky; formal refractory. ANTONYMS :good-humoured.

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crossing

noun
a busy road crossing
junction, crossroads, intersection, interchange; level crossing.
a short ferry crossing
journey, passage, voyage.
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crosswise crossways

adverb
diagonally, obliquely, transversely, aslant, cornerwise, at an angle, on the bias; N. Amer. cater-cornered, kitty-corner.

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crotch

noun
groin, crutch; lap.

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crotchet

noun
whim, whimsy, fancy, notion, vagary, caprice; foible, quirk, eccentricity; archaic megrim.

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crotchety

adjective
bad-tempered, irascible, irritable, grumpy, grouchy, cantankerous, short-tempered, tetchy, testy, curmudgeonly, ill-tempered, ill-humoured, peevish, cross, fractious, pettish, waspish, crabbed, crabby, crusty, prickly, touchy; informal snappish, snappy, chippy; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, narky, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery; Austral./NZ informal snaky. ANTONYMS :good-humoured.

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crouch

verb
squat, bend (down), hunker down, hunch over, stoop, kneel (down); duck, cower.

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crow

verb
a cock crowed
cry, squawk, screech, caw.
try to avoid crowing about your success
boast, brag, trumpet, swagger, swank, gloat, show off, preen oneself, sing one's own praises; informal talk big, blow one's own trumpet, lay it on thick; Austral./NZ informal skite.
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crowd

noun
a crowd of people
throng, horde, mass, multitude, host, army, herd, flock, drove, swarm, sea, troupe, pack, press, crush, mob, rabble; collection, company, gathering, assembly, assemblage, congregation; informal gaggle, bunch, gang, posse; archaic rout.
she wanted to stand out from the crowd
majority, multitude, common people, populace, general public, masses, rank and file; Brit. informal Joe Public.
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he's been hanging round with Hurley's crowd
set, group, circle, clique, coterie; camp; informal gang, crew, lot.
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the final attracted a capacity crowd
audience, spectators, listeners, viewers; house, turnout, attendance, gate; congregation; Brit. informal punters.
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verb
reporters crowded round her
cluster, flock, swarm, mill, throng, huddle, gather, assemble, congregate, converge.
the guests all crowded into the dining room
surge, push one's way, jostle, elbow one's way; squeeze, p ile, cram.
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the quayside was crowded with holidaymakers
throng, pack, jam, cram, fill.
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stop crowding me
pressurize, pressure; harass, hound, pester, harry, badger, nag; informal hassle, lean on.
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crowded

adjective
packed, full, filled to capacity, full to bursting, congested, overcrowded, overflowing, teeming, swarming, thronged, populous, overpopulated; busy; informal jam-packed, stuffed, chock-a-block, chock-full, bursting at the seams, full to the gunwales, wall-to-wall; Austral./NZ informal chocker. ANTONYMS :deserted.

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crown

noun
a jewelled crown
coronet, diadem, circlet; poetic/literary coronal; historical taj.
the world heavyweight crown
title, award, accolade, distinction; trophy, cup, medal, plate, shield, belt, prize; laurels, bays, palm.
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his family were loyal servants of the Crown
monarch, sovereign, king, queen, emperor, empress; monarchy, royalty; informal royals.
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the crown of the hill
top, crest, summit, peak, pinnacle, tip, head, brow, apex.
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verb
David II was crowned in 1331
enthrone, install; invest, induct.
a teaching post at Harvard crowned his career
round off, cap, be the climax of, be the culmination of, top off, consummate, perfect, complete, put the finishing touch(es) to.
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a steeple crowned by a gilded weathercock
top, cap, tip, head, surmount.
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(informal) someone crowned him with a poker.
See hit verb sense 1.
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crucial

adjective
negotiations were at a crucial stage
pivotal, critical, key, climacteric, decisive, deciding; life-and-death.
confidentiality is crucial in this case
all-important, of the utmost importance, of the essence, critical, pre-eminent, paramount, essential, vital.
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ANTONYMS :unimportant.

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crucify

verb
two thieves were crucified with Jesus
nail to a cross; execute, put to death, kill.
she had been crucified by his departure
devastate, crush, shatter, cut to the quick, wound, pain, harrow, torture, torment, agonize.
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(informal) the fans would crucify us if we lost.
See criticize.
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crude

adjective
crude oil
unrefined, unpurified, unprocessed, untreated; unmilled, unpolished; coarse, raw, natural.
a crude barricade
primitive, simple, basic, homespun, rudimentary, rough, rough and ready, rough-hewn, make-do, makeshift, improvised, unfinished; dated rude.
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crude jokes
vulgar, rude, naughty, suggestive, bawdy, off colour, indecent, obscene, offensive, lewd, salacious, licentious, ribald, coarse, uncouth, indelicate, tasteless, crass, smutty, dirty, filthy, scatological; informal blue.
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ANTONYMS :refined, sophisticated.

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cruel

adjective
a cruel man
brutal, savage, inhuman, barbaric, barbarous, brutish, bloodthirsty, murderous, vicious, sadistic, wicked, evil, fiendish, diabolical, monstrous, abominable; callous, ruthless, merciless, pitiless, remorseless, uncaring, heartless, stony-hearted, hard-hearted, cold-blooded, cold-hearted, unfeeling, unkind, inhumane; dated dastardly; poetic/literary fell.
her death was a cruel blow
harsh, severe, bitter, harrowing, heartbreaking, heart-rending, painful, agonizing, traumatic; formal grievous.
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ANTONYMS :compassionate.

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cruelty

noun
brutality, savagery, inhumanity, barbarity, barbarousness, brutishness, bloodthirstiness, viciousness, sadism, wickedness; callousness, ruthlessness, lack of compassion.

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cruise

noun
a cruise down the Nile
boat trip, sea trip; voyage, journey.
verb
she cruised across the Atlantic
sail, voyage, journey.
a taxi cruised past
drive slowly, drift; informal mosey, tootle; Brit. informal pootle.
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crumb

noun
fragment, bit, morsel, particle, speck, scrap, shred, sliver, atom, grain, trace, tinge, mite, iota, jot, whit, ounce, scintilla, soupçon; informal smidgen, tad.

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crumble

verb
disintegrate, fall apart, fall to pieces, fall down, break up, collapse, fragment; decay, fall into decay, deteriorate, degenerate, go to rack and ruin, decompose, rot, moulder, perish.

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crumbly

adjective
brittle, breakable, friable, powdery, granular; short; crisp, crispy.

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crumple

verb
she crumpled the note in her fist
crush, scrunch up, screw up, squash, squeeze; Brit. scrumple.
his trousers were dirty and crumpled
crease, wrinkle, crinkle, rumple, ruck up.
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her resistance crumpled
collapse, give way, cave in, go to pieces, break down, crumble, be overcome.
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crunch

verb
she crunched the biscuit with relish
munch, chomp, champ, scrunch, bite into.
noun
(informal) when the crunch comes, she'll be forced to choose
moment of truth, critical point, crux, crisis, decision time, zero hour, point of no return; showdown.

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crusade

noun
the medieval crusades
holy war; Islam jihad.
a crusade against crime
campaign, drive, push, movement, effort, struggle; battle, war, offensive.
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verb
she likes crusading for the cause of the underdog
campaign, fight, do battle, battle, take up arms, take up the cudgels, work, strive, struggle, agitate, lobby, champion, promote.

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crusader

noun
campaigner, fighter, champion, advocate; reformer.

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crush

verb
essential oils are released when the herbs are crushed
squash, squeeze, press, compress; pulp, mash, macerate, mangle; flatten, trample on, tread on; informal squidge, splat; N. Amer. informal smush.
your dress will get crushed
crease, crumple, rumple, wrinkle, crinkle, scrunch up, ruck up; Brit. scrumple up.
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crush the biscuits with a rolling pin
pulverize, pound, grind, break up, smash, crumble; mill; technical triturate, comminute; archaic bray, levigate.
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he crushed her in his arms
hug, squeeze, hold tight, embrace, enfold.
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the new regime crushed all popular uprisings
suppress, put down, quell, quash, stamp out, put an end to, overcome, overpower, defeat, triumph over, break, repress, subdue, extinguish.
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Alan was crushed by her words
mortify, humiliate, abash, chagrin, deflate, demoralize, flatten, squash; devastate, shatter, put someone in their place; informal shoot down in flames, cut down to size, knock the stuffing out of.
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noun
the crush of people
crowd, throng, horde, swarm, sea, mass, pack, press, mob; archaic rout.
(informal) a teenage crush
infatuation, obsession, love, passion; informal pash, puppy love, calf love.
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lemon crush
squash, fruit juice, cordial, drink.
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crust

noun
a crust of ice
covering, layer, coating, cover, coat, sheet, thickness, film, skin, topping; incrustation, scab.
(informal) I'm just trying to earn an honest crust
living, livelihood, income, daily bread, means of subsistence; informal bread and butter.
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crusty

adjective
crusty French bread
crisp, crispy, well baked; crumbly, brittle, friable.
a crusty old man
irritable, cantankerous, irascible, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, grumpy, grouchy, crotchety, short-tempered, tetchy, testy, crabby, curmudgeonly, peevish, cross, fractious, pettish, crabbed, prickly, waspish, peppery, cross-grained; informal snappish, snappy, chippy; Brit. informal stroppy, narky, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery; Austral./NZ informal snaky.
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ANTONYMS :soft, good-natured.

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crux

noun
nub, heart, essence, central point, main point, core, centre, nucleus, kernel; informal the bottom line.

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cry

verb
Mandy started to cry
weep, shed tears, sob, wail, cry one's eyes out, bawl, howl, snivel, whimper, squall, mewl, bleat; lament, grieve, mourn, keen; Scottish greet; informal boohoo, blub, blubber, turn on the waterworks; Brit. informal grizzle; poetic/literary pule.
"Wait!" he cried
call, shout, exclaim, sing out, yell, shriek, scream, screech, bawl, bellow, roar, vociferate, squeal, yelp; informal holler; dated ejaculate.
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ANTONYMS :laugh, whisper.

noun
Leonora had a good cry
sob, weep, crying fit.
a cry of despair
call, shout, exclamation, yell, shriek, scream, screech, bawl, bellow, roar, howl, yowl, squeal, yelp, interjection; informal holler; dated ejaculation.
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fund-raisers have issued a cry for help
appeal, plea, entreaty, cry from the heart, cri de cœur.
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cry someone/something down (dated)
disparage, run down, belittle, make ligh t of, denigrate, decry, deprecate, depreciate, play down, trivialize, minimize; archaic hold cheap. cry off (informal)
back out, pull out, cancel, withdraw, beg off, excuse oneself, change one's mind; informal get cold feet, cop out.

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crypt

noun
tomb, vault, mausoleum, burial chamber, sepulchre, catacomb, ossuary, undercroft.

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cryptic

adjective
enigmatic, mysterious, confusing, mystifying, perplexing, puzzling, obscure, abstruse, arcane, oracular, Delphic, ambiguous, elliptical, oblique; informal as clear as mud. ANTONYMS :clear.

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cub

noun
a lioness and her cubs
(cubs) young, offspring, pups; archaic whelps.
a cub reporter
trainee, apprentice, probationer, novice, tyro, learner, beginner; N. Amer. tenderfoot; informal rookie, newbie; N. Amer. informal greenhorn, probie.
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ANTONYMS :veteran.

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cubbyhole

noun
small room, booth, cubicle; den, snug; N. Amer. cubby.

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cube

noun
a shape that was neither a cube nor a sphere
hexahedron, cuboid, parallelepiped.
a cube of soap
block, lump, chunk, brick.
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cuddle

verb
she picked up the baby and cuddled her
hug, embrace, clasp, hold tight, hold/fold in one's arms.
the pair were kissing and cuddling
embrace, hug, caress, pet, fondle; informal canoodle, smooch; informal, dated spoon, bill and coo.
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I cuddled up to him
snuggle, nestle, curl, nuzzle, burrow against.
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cuddly

adjective
huggable, cuddlesome; plump, curvaceous, rounded, buxom, soft, warm; attractive, endearing, lovable; N. Amer. informal zaftig.

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cudgel

noun
a thick wooden cudgel
club, bludgeon, stick, truncheon, baton, blackthorn, shillelagh, mace; N. Amer. blackjack, billy, nightstick; Brit. life preserver; Brit. informal cosh.
verb
she was cudgelled to death
bludgeon, club, beat, batter, bash; Brit. informal cosh.

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cue

noun
signal, sign, indication, prompt, reminder; nod, word, gesture.

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cuff

verb
Cullam cuffed him on the head
hit, strike, slap, smack, thump, beat, punch; informal clout, wallop, belt, whack, thwack, bash, clobber, bop, biff, sock; Brit. informal slosh; N. Amer. informal boff, slug; archaic smite.
off the cuff (informal)
an off-the-cuff remark
impromptu, extempore, ad lib; unrehearsed, unscripted, unprepared, improvised, spontaneous, unplanned.

I spoke off the cuff
without preparation, without rehearsal, impromptu, ad lib; informal off the top of one's head.
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cuisine

noun
cooking, cookery; haute cuisine, cordon bleu, nouvelle cuisine.

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cul-de-sac

noun
no through road, blind alley, dead end.

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cull

verb
anecdotes culled from Greek history
select, choose, pick, take, obtain, glean.
he sees culling deer as a necessity
slaughter, kill, destroy.
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culminate

verb
the festival culminated in a dramatic fire-walking ceremony
come to a climax, come to a head, peak, climax, reach a pinnacle; build up to, lead up to; end with, finish with, conclude with.

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culmination

noun
climax, pinnacle, peak, high point, highest point, height, high water mark, top, summit, crest, zenith, crowning moment, apotheosis, apex, apogee; consummation, completion, finish, conclusion. ANTONYMS :nadir.

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culpable

adjective
to blame, guilty, at fault, in the wrong, answerable, accountable, responsible, blameworthy, censurable. ANTONYMS :innocent.

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culprit

noun
guilty party, offender, wrongdoer, miscreant; criminal, malefactor, lawbreaker, felon, delinquent; informal baddy, crook.

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cult

noun
a religious cult
sect, denomination, group, movement, church, persuasion, body, faction.
the cult of youth in Hollywood
obsession with, fixation on, mania for, passion for, idolization of, devotion to, worship of, veneration of.
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cultivate

verb
the peasants cultivated the land
till, plough, dig, hoe, farm, work, fertilize, mulch.
they were encouraged to cultivate basic food crops
grow, raise, rear, plant, sow.
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Tessa tried to cultivate her
win someone's friendship, woo, court, pay court to, keep sweet, curry favour with, ingratiate oneself with; informal get in someone's good books, butter up, suck up to; N. Amer. informal shine up to.
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he wants to cultivate his mind
improve, better, refine, elevate; educate, train, develop, enrich.
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cultivated

adjective
cultured, educated, well read, civilized, enlightened, discerning, discriminating, refined, polished; sophisticated, urbane, cosmopolitan.

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cultural

adjective
cultural differences
ethnic, racial, folk; societal, lifestyle.
cultural achievements
aesthetic, artistic, intellectual; educational, edifying, civilizing.
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culture

noun
20th century popular culture
the arts, the humanities, intellectual achievement; literature, music, painting, philosophy.
a man of culture
intellectual/artistic awareness, education, cultivation, enlightenment, discernment, discrimination, good taste, taste, refinement, polish, sophistication.
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Afro-Caribbean culture
civilization, society, way of life, lifestyle; customs, traditions, heritage, habits, ways, mores, values.
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the culture of crops
cultivation, farming; agriculture, husbandry, agronomy.
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cultured

adjective
cultivated, intellectually/artistically aware, artistic, enlightened, civilized, educated, well educated, well read, well informed, learned, knowledgeable, discerning, discriminating, refined, polished, sophisticated; informal arty. ANTONYMS :ignorant.

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culvert

noun
channel, conduit, watercourse, trough; drain, gutter.

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cumbersome

adjective
a cumbersome diving suit
unwieldy, unmanageable, awkward, clumsy, inconvenient, incommodious; bulky, large, heavy, hefty, weighty, burdensome; informal hulking, clunky.
cumbersome procedures
complicated, complex, involved, inefficient, unwieldy, slow.
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ANTONYMS :manageable, straightforward.

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cumulative

adjective
increasing, accumulative, growing, mounting; collective, aggregate, amassed; Brit. knock-on.

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cunning

adjective
a cunning scheme
crafty, wily, artful, guileful, devious, sly, scheming, designing, calculating, Machiavellian; shrewd, astute, clever, canny; deceitful, deceptive, duplicitous; informal foxy; archaic subtle. ANTONYMS :honest.

noun
his political cunning
guile, craftiness, deviousness, slyness, trickery, duplicity; shrewdness, astuteness.

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cup

noun
a cup and saucer
teacup, coffee cup, demitasse; mug, beaker; historical chalice.
the winner was presented with a silver cup
trophy, award, prize.
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cupboard

noun
cabinet, sideboard, dresser, armoire, credenza, buffet; Brit. chiffonier; informal glory hole.

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Cupid

noun
Eros, the god of love; amoretto.

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cupidity

noun
greed, avarice, avariciousness, acquisitiveness, covetousness, rapacity, materialism, mercenariness, Mammonism; informal money-grubbing, an itching palm. ANTONYMS :generosity.

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cur

noun
a mangy cur
mongrel, tyke; N. Amer. yellow dog; NZ kuri; informal mutt; Austral. informal mong, bitzer.
(informal) Neil was beginning to feel like a cur.
See scoundrel.
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curable

adjective
remediable, treatable, medicable, operable.

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curative

adjective
healing, therapeutic, medicinal, remedial, corrective, restorative, tonic, health-giving; archaic sanative.

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curator

noun
custodian, keeper, conservator, guardian, caretaker, steward.

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curb

noun
a curb on public spending
restraint, restriction, check, brake, rein, control, limitation, limit, constraint; informal crackdown; poetic/literary trammel.
verb
he tried to curb his temper
restrain, hold back/in, keep back, repress, suppress, fight back, bite back, keep in check, check, control, rein in, contain, bridle, subdue; informal keep a/the lid on.

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curdle

verb
clot, coagulate, congeal, solidify, thicken; turn, sour, ferment.

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cure

verb
he was cured of the disease
heal, restore to health, make well/better; archaic cleanse.
economic equality cannot cure all social ills
rectify, remedy, put/set right, right, fix, mend, repair, heal, make better; solve, sort out, be the answer/solution to; eliminate, end, put an end to.
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some farmers cured their own bacon
preserve, smoke, salt, dry, pickle.
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noun
a cure for cancer
remedy, medicine, medication, medicament, antidote, antiserum; treatment, therapy; archaic physic.
interest rate cuts are not the cure for the problem
solution, answer, antidote, nostrum, panacea, cure-all; informal quick fix, magic bullet.
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cure-all

noun
panacea, cure for all ills, sovereign remedy, heal-all, nostrum; informal magic bullet.

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curio

noun
trinket, knick-knack, bibelot, ornament, bauble; objet d'art, collector's item, object of virtu, rarity, curiosity; N. Amer. kickshaw.

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curiosity

noun
his evasiveness roused my curiosity
interest, spirit of inquiry, inquisitiveness.
the shop is a treasure trove of curiosities
oddity, curio, conversation piece, object of virtu, collector's item.
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curious

adjective
she was curious to know what had happened
intrigued, interested, eager/dying to know, agog; inquisitive.
her curious behaviour
strange, odd, peculiar, funny, unusual, bizarre, weird, eccentric, queer, unexpected, unfamiliar, extraordinary, abnormal, out of the ordinary, anomalous, surprising, incongruous, unconventional, unorthodox; informal offbeat; Brit. out of the common; Scottish unco; Brit. informal rum.
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ANTONYMS :uninterested, ordinary.

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curl

verb
smoke curled up from his cigarette
spiral, coil, wreathe, twirl, swirl; wind, curve, bend, twist (and turn), loop, meander, snake, corkscrew, zigzag.
Ruth curled her arms around his neck
wind, twine, entwine, wrap.
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she washed and curled my hair
crimp, perm, tong.
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they curled up together on the sofa
nestle, snuggle, cuddle; N. Amer. snug down.
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noun
the tangled curls of her hair
ringlet, corkscrew, kink; kiss-curl.
a curl of smoke
spiral, coil, twirl, swirl, twist, corkscrew, curlicue, helix.
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curly

adjective
wavy, curling, curled, ringlety, crimped, permed, frizzy, kinky, corkscrew. ANTONYMS :straight.

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currency

noun
foreign currency
money, legal tender, cash, banknotes, notes, coins, coinage, specie; N. Amer. bills.
a term which has gained new currency
prevalence, circulation, exposure; acceptance, popularity.
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current

adjective
current events
contemporary, present-day, modern, present, contemporaneous; topical, in the news, live, burning.
the idea is still current
prevalent, prevailing, common, accepted, in circulation, circulating, on everyone's lips, popular, widespread.
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a current driving licence
valid, usable, up to date.
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the current prime minister
incumbent, present, in office, in power; reigning.
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ANTONYMS :past, out of date, former.

noun
a current of air
flow, stream, backdraught, slipstream; airstream, thermal, updraught, draught; undercurrent, undertow, tide.
the current of human life
course, progress, progression, flow, tide, movement.
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the current of opinion
trend, drift, direction, tendency.
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curriculum

noun
syllabus, course/programme of study, subjects, modules.

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curse

noun
she put a curse on him
malediction, the evil eye; N. Amer. hex; Irish cess; informal jinx; formal imprecation; poetic/literary anathema.
the curse of racism
evil, blight, scourge, plague, cancer, canker, poison.
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the curse of unemployment
affliction, burden, cross to bear, bane.
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muffled curses
swear word, expletive, oath, profanity, four-letter word, dirty word, obscenity, blasphemy; informal cuss, cuss word; formal imprecation.
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verb
it seemed as if the family had been cursed
put a curse on, put the evil eye on, hoodoo, anathematize, damn; N. Amer. hex; informal jinx; archaic imprecate.
she was cursed with feelings of inadequacy
afflict, trouble, plague, bedevil.
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drivers cursed and sounded their horns
swear, blaspheme, take the Lord's name in vain; informal cuss, turn the air blue, eff and blind; archaic execrate.
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cursed

adjective
a cursed city
under a curse, damned, doomed, ill-fated, ill-starred; informal jinxed; poetic/literary accursed, star-crossed.
(informal, dated) those cursed children.
See annoying.
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cursory

adjective
perfunctory, desultory, casual, superficial, token; hasty, quick, hurried, rapid, brief, passing, fleeting. ANTONYMS :thorough.

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curt

adjective
terse, brusque, abrupt, clipped, blunt, short, monosyllabic, summary; snappish, sharp, tart; gruff, offhand, unceremonious, ungracious, rude, impolite, discourteous, uncivil; informal snappy. ANTONYMS :expansive.

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curtail

verb
economic policies designed to curtail spending
reduce, cut, cut down, decrease, lessen, pare down, trim, retrench; restrict, limit, curb, rein in/back; informal slash.
his visit was curtailed
shorten, cut short, truncate.
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ANTONYMS :increase, lengthen.

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curtain

noun
he drew the curtains
window hanging, screen, blind; N. Amer. drape.
verb
the bed was curtained off from the rest of the room
conceal, hide, screen, shield; separate, isolate.

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curtsy

verb
she curtsied to the king
bend one's knee, drop/bob a curtsy, genuflect.
noun
she made a curtsy
bob, genuflection, obeisance.

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curvaceous

adjective
shapely, voluptuous, sexy, full-figured, buxom, full-bosomed, bosomy, Junoesque; cuddly; informal curvy, well endowed, pneumatic, busty; archaic comely. ANTONYMS :skinny.

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curve

noun
the serpentine curves of the river
bend, turn, loop, curl, twist, hook; arc, arch, bow, half-moon, undulation, curvature. sinuous.
verb
the road curved back on itself
bend, turn, loop, wind, meander, undulate, snake, spiral, twist, coil, curl; arc, arch.

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curved

adjective
bent, arched, bowed, crescent, curving, wavy, sinuous, serpentine, meandering, undulating, curvilinear, curvy. ANTONYMS :straight.

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cushion

noun
a cushion against inflation
protection, buffer, shield, defence, bulwark.
verb
she cushioned her head on her arms
support, cradle, prop (up), rest.
to cushion the blow, wages and pensions were increased
soften, lessen, diminish, decrease, mitigate, temper, allay, alleviate, take the edge off, dull, deaden.
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residents are cushioned from the outside world
protect, shield, shelter, cocoon.
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cushy

adjective
(informal) a cushy job
easy, undemanding; comfortable, secure; Brit. informal jammy. ANTONYMS :difficult.

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custodian

noun
curator, keeper, conservator, guardian, overseer, superintendent; caretaker, steward, protector.

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custody

noun
the parent who has custody of the child
care, guardianship, charge, keeping, safe keeping, wardship, responsibility, protection, tutelage; custodianship, trusteeship; archaic ward.
in custody
in prison, in jail, imprisoned, incarcerated, locked up, under lock and key, interned, detained; on remand; informal behind bars, doing time, inside; Brit. informal banged up.

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custom

noun
his unfamiliarity with the local customs
tradition, practice, usage, observance, way, convention, formality, ceremony, ritual; shibboleth, sacred cow, unwritten rule; mores; formal praxis.
it is our custom to visit the Lake District in October
habit, practice, routine, way, wont; policy, rule.
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(Brit.) if you keep me waiting I will take my custom elsewhere
business, patronage, trade.
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customarily

adverb
usually, traditionally, normally, as a rule, generally, ordinarily, commonly; habitually, routinely. ANTONYMS :occasionally.

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customary

adjective
customary social practices
usual, traditional, normal, conventional, familiar, accepted, routine, established, time-honoured, regular, prevailing.
her customary good sense
usual, accustomed, habitual, wonted.
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ANTONYMS :unusual.

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customer

noun
consumer, buyer, purchaser, patron, client; shopper; Brit. informal punter.

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customs

plural noun
. See tax noun sense 1.

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cut

verb
the knife slipped and cut his finger
gash, slash, lacerate, sever, slit, pierce, penetrate, wound, injure; scratch, graze, nick, snick, incise, score; lance.
cut the pepper into small pieces
chop, cut up, slice, dice, cube, mince; carve; N. Amer. hash.
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cut back the new growth to about half its length
trim, snip, clip, crop, barber, shear, shave; pare; prune, pollard, poll, lop, dock; mow.
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I went to cut some flowers
pick, pluck, gather; poetic/literary cull.
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lettering had been cut into the stonework
carve, engrave, incise, etch, score; chisel, whittle.
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the government cut public expenditure
reduce, cut back/down on, decrease, lessen, retrench, trim, slim down; rationalize, downsize, slenderize; mark down, discount, lower; informal slash.
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the text has been substantially cut
shorten, abridge, condense, abbreviate, truncate; edit; bowdlerize, expurgate.
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you need to cut at least ten lines per page
delete, remove, take out, excise, blue-pencil.
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oil supplies to the area had been cut
discontinue, break off, suspend, interrupt; stop, end, put an end to.
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the point where the line cuts the vertical axis
cross, intersect, bisect; meet, join.
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(dated) the banker's wife cut her at church
snub, ignore, shun, give someone the cold shoulder, cold-shoulder, cut dead, look right through, rebuff, turn one's back on; informal freeze out.
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noun
a cut on his jaw
gash, slash, laceration, incision, wound, injury; scratch, graze, nick, snick.
a cut of beef
joint, piece, section.
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(informal) the directors are demanding their cut
share, portion, bit, quota, percentage; informal slice of the cake, rake-off, piece of the action; Brit. informal whack.
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his hair was in need of a cut
haircut, trim, clip, crop.
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a smart cut of the whip
blow, slash, stroke.
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he followed this with the unkindest cut of all
insult, slight, affront, slap in the face, ji be, barb, cutting remark; informal put-down, dig.
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a cut in interest rates
reduction, cutback, decrease, lessening; N. Amer. rollback.
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the elegant cut of his jacket
style, design; tailoring, lines, fit.
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cut back companies cut back on foreign investment

reduce, cut, cut down on, decrease, lessen, retrench, economize on, trim, slim down, scale down; rationalize, downsize, pull/draw in one's horns, tighten one's belt; informal slash. cut someone/something down
24 hectares of trees were cut down
fell, chop down, hack down, saw down, hew.

he was cut down in his prime
kill, slaughter, shoot down, mow down, gun down; informal take out, blow away; poetic/literary slay.
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cut and dried
definite, decided, settled, explicit, specific, precise, unambiguous, clear-cut, unequivocal, black and white, hard and fast. cut in
interrupt, butt in, break in, interject, interpose, chime in; Brit. informal chip in. cut someone/something off
they cut off his finger
sever, chop off, hack off; amputate.

oil and gas supplies were cut off
discontinue, break off, disconnect, suspend; stop, end, bring to an end.
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a community cut off from the mainland by the flood waters
isolate, separate, keep apart; seclude, closet, cloister, sequester.
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cut out
stop working, stop, fail, give out, break down; informal die, give up the ghost, conk out; Brit. informal pack up. cut someone/something out
cut out all the diseased wood
remove, take out, excise, extract; snip out, clip out.

it's best to cut out alcohol altogether
give up, refrain from, abstain from, go without; informal quit, leave off, pack in, lay off, knock off.
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his mother cut him out of her will
exclude, leave out, omit, eliminate.
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cut something short
break off, shorten, truncate, curtail, terminate, end, stop, abort, bring to an untimely end. cut someone short
interrupt, cut off, butt in on, break in on.

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cutback

noun
reduction, cut, decrease; economy, saving; N. Amer. rollback. ANTONYMS :increase.

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cute

adjective
endearing, adorable, lovable, sweet, lovely, appealing, engaging, delightful, dear, darling, winning, winsome, attractive, pretty; informal cutesy, twee; Brit. informal dinky.

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cut-price

adjective
cheap, marked down, reduced, on (special) offer, discount; N. Amer. cut-rate.

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cut-throat

noun
(dated) a band of robbers and cut-throats
murderer, killer, assassin; informal hit-man; dated homicide.
adjective
cut-throat competition between rival firms
ruthless, merciless, fierce, intense, aggressive, dog-eat-dog.

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cutting

noun
a newspaper cutting
clipping, clip, snippet; article, piece, column, paragraph.
plant cuttings
scion, slip; graft.
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fabric cuttings
piece, bit, fragment; trimming.
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adjective
a cutting remark
hurtful, wounding, barbed, pointed, scathing, acerbic, mordant, caustic, acid, sarcastic, sardonic, snide, spiteful, malicious, mean, nasty, cruel, unkind; informal bitchy, catty; Brit. informal sarky; N. Amer. informal snarky.
cutting winter winds
icy, icy-cold, freezing, arctic, Siberian, glacial, bitter, chilling, chilly, chill; biting, piercing, penetrating, raw, keen, sharp.
Top
ANTONYMS :friendly, warm.

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cut up

adjective
(informal) he's pretty cut up about it.
See upset adjective sense 1.

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cycle

noun
the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth
round, rotation; pattern, rhythm.
the painting is one of a cycle of seven
series, sequence, succession, run; set.
Top
cycles may be hired from the station.
See bicycle.
Top

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cyclical

adjective
recurrent, recurring, regular, repeated; periodic, seasonal, circular.

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cyclone

noun
hurricane, typhoon, tropical storm, storm, tornado, windstorm, whirlwind, tempest; Austral. willy-willy; N. Amer. informal twister.

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cynic

noun
sceptic, doubter, doubting Thomas; pessimist, prophet of doom, doomsayer, Cassandra; informal doom (and gloom) merchant. ANTONYMS :idealist.

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cynical

adjective
sceptical, doubtful, distrustful, suspicious, disbelieving; pessimistic, negative, world-weary, disillusioned, disenchanted, jaundiced, sardonic. ANTONYMS :idealistic.

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cynicism

noun
scepticism, doubt, distrust, mistrust, suspicion, disbelief; pessimism, negativity, world-weariness, disenchantment. ANTONYMS :idealism.

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cyst

noun
growth, lump; abscess, wen, boil, carbuncle.

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D

dab

verb
she dabbed disinfectant on the cut
pat, press, touch, blot, mop, swab; daub, apply, wipe, stroke.
noun
a dab of glue
drop, spot, smear, splash, speck, taste, trace, touch, hint, bit; informal smidgen, tad, lick.
apply concealer with light dabs
pat, touch, blot, wipe.
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dabble

verb
they dabbled their feet in rock pools
splash, dip, paddle, trail; immerse.
he dabbled in politics
toy with, dip into, flirt with, tinker with, trifle with, play with, dally with.
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dabbler

noun
amateur, dilettante, layman, layperson; tinkerer, trifler. ANTONYMS :professional.

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daemon

noun
numen, genius (loci), attendant spirit, tutelary spirit.

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daft

adjective
(Brit. informal) a daft idea
absurd, preposterous, ridiculous, ludicrous, farcical, laughable; idiotic, stupid, foolish, silly, inane, fatuous, hare-brained, half-baked; informal crazy, cock-eyed; Brit. informal barmy.
are you daft?
simple-minded, stupid, idiotic, slow, witless, feeble-minded, empty-headed, vacuous, vapid; unhinged, insane, mad; informal thick, dim, dopey, dumb, dim-witted, half-witted, birdbrained, pea-brained, slow on the uptake, soft in the head, brain-dead, not all there, touched, crazy, mental, nuts, batty, bonkers; Brit. informal potty, not the full shilling, barmy, crackers; N. Amer. informal dumb-ass.
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she's daft about him
infatuated with, enamoured of, smitten with, besotted by, very fond of; informal crazy, mad, nuts; Brit. informal potty; informal, dated sweet on.
Top
ANTONYMS :sensible.

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daily

adjective
a daily event
everyday, day-to-day, quotidian, diurnal, circadian.
adverb
the museum is open daily
every day, once a day, day after day, diurnally.

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dainty

adjective
a dainty china cup
delicate, fine, neat, elegant, exquisite; Brit. informal dinky.
a dainty morsel
tasty, delicious, choice, palatable, luscious, mouth-watering, delectable, toothsome; appetizing, inviting, tempting; informal scrumptious, yummy, scrummy, finger-licking, moreish.
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a dainty eater
fastidious, fussy, finicky, finical, faddish; particular, discriminating; informal choosy, pernickety, picky; Brit. informal faddy.
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ANTONYMS :unwieldy, unpalatable, undiscriminating.

noun
home-made dainties
delicacy, titbit, fancy, luxury, treat; nibble, savoury, appetizer, confection, bonbon; informal goody; archaic sweetmeat.

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dais

noun
platform, stage, podium, rostrum, stand, apron; soapbox, stump.

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dale

noun
valley, vale; hollow, basin, gully, gorge, ravine; Brit. dene, combe; N. English clough; Scottish glen, strath; poetic/literary dell.

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dally

verb
don't dally on the way to work
dawdle, delay, loiter, linger, waste time; lag, trail, straggle, fall behind; amble, meander, drift; informal dilly-dally; archaic tarry.
he likes dallying with film stars
trifle, toy, amuse oneself, flirt, play fast and loose, philander, carry on; informal play around.
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ANTONYMS :hurry.

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dam

noun
the dam burst
barrage, barrier, wall, embankment, barricade, obstruction.
verb
the river was dammed
block (up), obstruct, bung up, close; technical occlude.

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damage

noun
did the thieves do any damage?
harm, destruction, vandalism; injury, impairment, desecration, vitiation, detriment; ruin, havoc, devastation.
(informal, humorous) what's the damage?
cost, price, expense, charge, total.
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she won £4,300 damages
compensation, recompense, restitution, redress, reparation(s); indemnification, indemnity; N. Amer. informal comp.
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verb
the parcel had been damaged
harm, deface, mutilate, mangle, impair, injure, disfigure, vandalize; tamper with, sabotage; ruin, destroy, wreck; N. Amer. informal trash; formal vitiate. ANTONYMS :repair.

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damaging

adjective
harmful, detrimental, injurious, hurtful, inimical, dangerous, destructive, ruinous, deleterious; bad, malign, adverse, undesirable, prejudicial, unfavourable; unhealthy, unwholesome. ANTONYMS :beneficial.

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damn

verb
they were all were damning him
curse, put the evil eye on, hoodoo; anathematize; N. Amer. hex; informal jinx; archaic imprecate.
we are not going to damn the new product
condemn, censure, criticize, attack, denounce, revile; find fault with, give something a bad press, deprecate, disparage; informal slam, lay into, blast; Brit. informal slate, slag off, have a go at.
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ANTONYMS :bless, praise.

noun
(informal) I don't care a damn
jot, whit, iota, rap, scrap, bit; informal hoot, two hoots.

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damnable

adjective
a damnable nuisance
unpleasant, disagreeable, objectionable, horrible, horrid, awful, nasty, dreadful, terrible; annoying, irritating, maddening, exasperating; hateful, detestable, loathsome, abominable; Brit. informal beastly.
suicide was thought damnable
sinful, wicked, evil, iniquitous, heinous, base, execrable.
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damnation

noun
condemnation to hell, eternal punishment, perdition, doom, hellfire; curse, anathema; N. Amer. hex; formal imprecation; archaic execration.

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damned

adjective
damned souls
cursed, doomed, lost, condemned to hell; anathematized; poetic/literary accursed.
(informal) this damned car won't start
blasted, damn, damnable, flaming, confounded, rotten, wretched; Brit. informal blessed, flipping, blinking, blooming, bloody, bleeding, ruddy; dated accursed.
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damning

adjective
incriminating, condemnatory, damnatory; damaging, derogatory; conclusive, strong.

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damp

adjective
her hair was damp
moist, moistened, wettish, dampened, dampish; humid, steamy, muggy, clammy, sweaty, sticky, dank, moisture-laden, wet, wetted, rainy, drizzly, showery, misty, foggy, vaporous, dewy. ANTONYMS :dry.

noun
the damp in the air
moisture, dampness, humidity, wetness, wet, water, condensation, steam, vapour; clamminess, dankness; rain, dew, drizzle, precipitation, spray; perspiration, sweat. ANTONYMS :dryness.

verb
sweat damped his hair.
See dampen sense 1.
nothing damped my enthusiasm.
See dampen sense 2.
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dampen

verb
the rain dampened her face
moisten, damp, wet, dew, water; poetic/literary bedew.
nothing could dampen her enthusiasm
lessen, decrease, diminish, reduce, moderate, damp, put a damper on, throw cold water on, cool, discourage; suppress, extinguish, quench, stifle, curb, limit, check, restrain, inhibit, deter.
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ANTONYMS :dry, heighten.

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damper

noun
curb, check, restraint, restriction, limit, limitation, constraint, rein, brake, control, impediment; chill, pall, gloom.

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dampness

noun
. See damp noun.

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damsel

noun
(poetic/literary). See girl sense 2.

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dance

verb
he danced with her
sway, trip, twirl, whirl, pirouette, gyrate; informal bop, disco, shake a leg, hoof it, cut a rug, trip the light fantastic; N. Amer. informal get down.
little girls danced round me
caper, cavort, frisk, frolic, skip, prance, gambol, jig; leap, jump, hop, bounce.
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flames danced in the fireplace
flicker, leap, dart, play, flit, quiver; twinkle, shimmer.
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noun
the school dance
ball, discotheque; masquerade; N. Amer. prom, hoedown; informal disco, hop, bop.

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dancer

noun
danseur, danseuse; informal bopper, hoofer.

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dandle

verb
bounce, jiggle, dance, rock.

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dandy

noun
he became something of a dandy
fop, man about town, bright young thing, glamour boy, rake; informal sharp dresser, snappy dresser, trendy, dude, pretty boy; informal, dated swell; dated beau; archaic buck, coxcomb, popinjay.
adjective
(N. Amer. informal) our trip was dandy.
See excellent.

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danger

noun
an element of danger
peril, hazard, risk, jeopardy; perilousness, riskiness, precariousness, uncertainty, instability, insecurity.
he is a danger to society
menace, hazard, threat, risk.
Top
a serious danger of fire
possibility, chance, risk, probability, likelihood, fear, prospect.
Top
ANTONYMS :safety.

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dangerous

adjective
a dangerous animal
menacing, threatening, treacherous; savage, wild, vicious, murderous, desperate; rare minacious.
dangerous wiring
hazardous, perilous, risky, high-risk, unsafe, unpredictable, precarious, insecure, touch-and-go, chancy, treacherous; informal dicey, hairy; Brit. informal dodgy.
Top
ANTONYMS :harmless, safe.

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dangle

verb
a chain dangled from his belt
hang (down), droop, swing, sway, wave, trail, stream.
he dangled the keys
wave, swing, jiggle, brandish, flourish.
Top
he dangled money in front of the locals
offer, hold out; entice someone with, tempt someone with.
Top

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dangling

adjective
hanging, drooping, droopy, suspended, pendulous, pendent, trailing, flowing, tumbling.

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dank

adjective
damp, musty, chilly, clammy, moist, wet, unaired, humid. ANTONYMS :dry.

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dapper

adjective
smart, spruce, trim, debonair, neat, well dressed, well groomed, well turned out, elegant, chic, dashing; informal snazzy, snappy, natty, sharp; N. Amer. informal spiffy, fly. ANTONYMS :scruffy.

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dapple

verb
dot, spot, fleck, streak, speck, speckle, mottle, marble.

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dappled

adjective
speckled, blotched, blotchy, spotted, spotty, dotted, mottled, marbled, flecked, freckled; piebald, pied, brindle, pinto, tabby; patchy, variegated; informal splotchy, splodgy.

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dare

verb
nobody dared to say a word
be brave enough, have the courage; venture, have the nerve, have the temerity, be so bold as, have the audacity; risk, hazard, take the liberty of; N. Amer. take a flyer; informal stick one's neck out, go out on a limb.
she dared him to go
challenge, defy, invite, bid, provoke, goad; throw down the gauntlet.
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noun
she accepted the dare
challenge, provocation, goad; gauntlet, invitation.

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daredevil

noun
a young daredevil crashed his car
madcap, hothead, adventurer, exhibitionist, swashbuckler; stuntman; Brit. tearaway; informal show-off.
adjective
a daredevil skydiver
daring, bold, audacious, intrepid, fearless, madcap, death-or-glory, dauntless; heedless, reckless, rash, impulsive, impetuous, foolhardy, incautious, imprudent; Brit. tearaway, harum-scarum. ANTONYMS :cowardly, cautious.

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daring

adjective
a daring attack
bold, audacious, intrepid, venturesome, fearless, brave, unafraid, undaunted, dauntless, valiant, valorous, heroic, dashing; madcap, rash, reckless, heedless; informal gutsy, spunky.
noun
his sheer daring
boldness, audacity, temerity, fearlessness, intrepidity, bravery, courage, valour, heroism, pluck, spirit, mettle; recklessness, rashness, foolhardiness; informal nerve, guts, spunk, grit; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie, sand.

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dark

adjective
a dark night
black, pitch-black, jet-black, inky; unlit, unilluminated; starless, moonless; dingy, gloomy, dusky, shadowy, shady; poetic/literary Stygian.
a dark secret
mysterious, secret, hidden, concealed, veiled, covert, clandestine; enigmatic, arcane, esoteric, obscure, abstruse, impenetrable, incomprehensible, cryptic.
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dark hair
brunette, dark brown, chestnut, sable, jet-black, ebony.
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dark skin
swarthy, dusky, olive, black, ebony; tanned, bronzed.
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dark days
tragic, disastrous, calamitous, catastrophic, cataclysmic; dire, awful, terrible, dreadful, horrible, horrendous, atrocious, nightmarish, harrowing; wretched, woeful.
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dark thoughts
gloomy, dismal, pessimistic, negative, downbeat, bleak, grim, fatalistic, black, sombre; despairing, despondent, hopeless, cheerless, melancholy, glum, grave, morose, mournful, doleful.
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a dark look
moody, brooding, sullen, dour, scowling, glowering, angry, forbidding, threatening, ominous.
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dark deeds
evil, wicked, sinful, immoral, bad, iniquitous, ungodly, unholy, base; vile, unspeakable, foul, monstrous, shocking, atrocious, abominable, hateful, despicable, odious, horrible, heinous, execrable, diabolical, fiendish, murderous, barbarous, black; sordid, degenerate, depraved; dishonourable, dishonest, unscrupulous; informal low-down, dirty, crooked, shady.
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ANTONYMS :bright, blonde, pale, happy, good.

noun
he's afraid of the dark
darkness, blackness, gloom, murkiness, shadow, shade; dusk, twilight, gloaming.
she went out after dark
night, night-time, darkness; nightfall, evening, twilight, sunset.
Top
ANTONYMS :light, day.

in the dark (informal)
unaware, ignorant, oblivious, uninformed, unenlightened, unacquainted, unconversant.

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darken

verb
the sky darkened
grow dark, blacken, dim, cloud over, lour; shade, fog.
his mood darkened
blacken, become angry, become annoyed; sadden, become gloomy, become unhappy, become depressed, become dejected, become dispirited, become troubled.
Top

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darkness

noun
lights shone in the darkness
dark, blackness, gloom, dimness, murkiness, shadow, shade; dusk, twilight, gloaming.
darkness fell
night, night-time, dark.
Top
the forces of darkness
evil, wickedness, sin, iniquity, immorality; devilry, the Devil.
Top

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darling

noun
good night, darling
dear, dearest, love, lover, sweetheart, sweet, beloved; informal honey, angel, pet, sweetie, sugar, babe, baby, poppet, treasure.
the darling of the media
favourite, pet, idol, hero, heroine; informal blue-eyed boy/girl.
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adjective
his darling wife
dear, dearest, precious, adored, loved, beloved, cherished, treasured, esteemed, worshipped.
a darling little hat
adorable, appealing, charming, cute, sweet, enchanting, bewitching, endearing, dear, delightful, lovely, beautiful, attractive, gorgeous, fetching; Scottish & N. English bonny.
Top

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darn

verb
he was darning his socks
mend, repair, reinforce; sew up, stitch, patch.
noun
a sweater with darns in the elbows
patch, repair, reinforcement, stitch.

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dart

noun
a poisoned dart
small arrow, flechette, bolt; missile, projectile.
she made a dart for the door
dash, rush, run, bolt, break, start, charge, sprint, bound, leap, dive; scurry, scamper, scramble.
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verb
Karl darted across the road
dash, rush, tear, run, bolt, fly, shoot, charge, race, sprint, bound, leap, dive, gallop, scurry, scamper, scramble; informal scoot.
he darted a glance at her
direct, cast, throw, shoot, send, flash.
Top

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dash

verb
he dashed home
rush, race, run, sprint, bolt, dart, gallop, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, fly, speed, zoom, scurry, scuttle, scamper; informal tear, belt, pelt, scoot, zip, whip, hotfoot it, leg it; Brit. informal bomb, go like the clappers; N. Amer. informal barrel.
he dashed the glass to the ground
hurl, smash, crash, slam, throw, toss, fling, pitch, cast, project, propel, send; informal chuck, heave, sling, bung; N. Amer. informal peg; dated shy.
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rain dashed against the walls
be hurled, crash, smash; batter, strike, beat, pound, lash.
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her hopes were dashed
shatter, destroy, wreck, ruin, crush, devastate, demolish, blight, overturn, scotch, spoil, frustrate, thwart, check; informal banjax, do for, blow a hole in, put paid to; Brit. informal scupper.
Top
ANTONYMS :dawdle, raise.

noun
a dash for the door
rush, race, run, sprint, bolt, dart, leap, charge, bound, break; scramble.
a dash of salt
pinch, touch, sprinkle, taste, spot, drop, dab, speck, smattering, sprinkling, splash, bit, modicum, little; informal smidgen, tad, lick.
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he led off with such dash
verve, style, flamboyance, gusto, zest, confidence, self-assurance, elan, flair, vigour, vivacity, sparkle, brio, panache, éclat, vitality, dynamism; informal pizzazz, pep, oomph.
Top

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dashing

adjective
a dashing pilot
debonair, devil-may-care, raffish, sporty, spirited, lively, dazzling, energetic, animated, exuberant, flamboyant, dynamic, bold, intrepid, daring, adventurous, plucky, swashbuckling; romantic, attractive, gallant.
he looked exceptionally dashing
stylish, smart, elegant, chic, dapper, spruce, trim, debonair; fashionable, modish, voguish; informal trendy, with it, hip, sharp, snazzy, classy, natty, swish; N. Amer. informal fly, spiffy.
Top

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dastardly

adjective
(dated) wicked, evil, heinous, villainous, diabolical, fiendish, barbarous, cruel, black, dark, rotten, vile, monstrous, abominable, despicable, degenerate, sordid; bad, base, mean, low, dishonourable, dishonest, unscrupulous, unprincipled; informal low-down, dirty, shady, rascally, scoundrelly, crooked; Brit. informal beastly. ANTONYMS :noble.

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data

noun
facts, figures, statistics, details, particulars, specifics; information, intelligence, material, input; informal info, gen.

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date

noun
the only date he has to remember
day (of the month), occasion, time; year; anniversary.
a later date is suggested for this bridge
age, time, period, era, epoch, century, decade, year.
Top
a lunch date
appointment, meeting, engagement, rendezvous, assignation; commitment.
Top
(informal) a date for tonight
partner, escort, girlfriend, boyfriend; informal steady, bird, fella.
Top

verb
the sculpture can be dated accurately
assign a date to, ascertain the date of, put a date on.
the building dates from the 16th century
was made in, was built in, originates in, comes from, belongs to, goes back to.
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the best films don't date
become old-fashioned, become outmoded, become dated, show its age.
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(informal) he's dating Jill
go out with, take out, go around with, be involved with, see, woo; informal go steady with; dated court.
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to date
so far, thus far, yet, as yet, up to now, till now, until now, up to the present (time), hitherto.

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dated

adjective
old-fashioned, outdated, outmoded, passé, behind the times, archaic, obsolete, antiquated; unfashionable, unstylish; crusty, olde worlde, prehistoric, antediluvian; informal old hat, out, out of the ark. ANTONYMS :modern.

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daub

verb
he daubed a rock with paint
smear, bedaub, plaster, splash, spatter, splatter, cake, cover, smother, coat.
noun
daubs of paint
smear, smudge, splash, blot, spot, patch, blotch; informal splodge, splotch.

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daughter

noun
female child, girl.

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daunt

verb
discourage, deter, demoralize, put off, dishearten, dispirit; intimidate, abash, take aback, throw, cow, overawe, awe, frighten, scare, unman, dismay, disconcert, discompose, perturb, unsettle, unnerve; throw off balance; informal rattle, faze, shake up. ANTONYMS :hearten.

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dauntless

adjective
fearless, determined, resolute, indomitable, intrepid, doughty, plucky, spirited, mettlesome; undaunted, undismayed, unflinching, unshrinking, bold, audacious, valiant, brave, courageous, daring; informal gutsy, spunky, feisty.

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dawdle

verb
they dawdled over breakfast
linger, dally, take one's time, be slow, waste time, idle; delay, procrastinate, stall; informal dilly-dally; archaic tarry.
Ruth dawdled home
amble, stroll, trail, walk slowly, move at a snail's pace; informal mosey, tootle; Brit. informal pootle, mooch.
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ANTONYMS :hurry.

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dawn

noun
we got up at dawn
daybreak, sunrise, first light, daylight, cockcrow; first thing in the morning; N. Amer. sunup.
the dawn of civilization
beginning, start, birth, inception, origination, genesis, emergence, advent, appearance, arrival, dawning, rise, origin, onset; unfolding, development, infancy; informal kick-off.
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ANTONYMS :dusk, end.

verb
Thursday dawned crisp and sunny
begin, break, arrive, emerge.
a bright new future has dawned
begin, start, commence, be born, appear, arrive, emerge; arise, rise, break, unfold, develop.
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the reality dawned on him
occur to, come to, strike, hit, enter someone's mind, register with, enter someone's consciousness, cross someone's mind, suggest itself.
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ANTONYMS :end.

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day

noun
I stayed for a day
twenty-four-hour period, twenty-four hours.
enjoy the beach during the day
daytime, daylight; waking hours.
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the leading architect of the day
period, time, age, era, generation.
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in his day he had great influence
heyday, prime, time; peak, height, zenith, ascendancy; youth, springtime, salad days.
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diurnal. ANTONYMS :night, decline.

day after day
repeatedly, again and again, over and over (again), time and (time) again, frequently, often, time after time; (day in, day out), night and day, all the time; persistently, recurrently, constantly, continuously, continually, relentlessly, regularly, habitually, unfailingly, always; N. Amer. oftentimes; informal 24-7; poetic/literary oft, oft-times. day by day
day by day they were forced to retreat
gradually, slowly, progressively; bit by bit, inch by inch, little by little, inchmeal.

they follow the news day by day
daily, every day, day after day; diurnally.
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day in, day out. See d ay after day.

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daybreak

noun
dawn, crack of dawn, sunrise, first light, first thing in the morning, cockcrow; daylight; N. Amer. sunup. ANTONYMS :nightfall.

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daydream

noun
she was lost in a daydream
reverie, trance, fantasy, vision, fancy, brown study; inattentiveness, wool-gathering, preoccupation, absorption, self-absorption, absent-mindedness, abstraction.
a big house was one of her daydreams
dream, pipe dream, fantasy, castle in the air, castle in Spain, fond hope; wishful thinking; informal pie in the sky.
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verb
stop daydreaming!
dream, muse, stare into space; fantasize, be in cloud cuckoo land, build castles in the air, build castles in Spain.

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daydreamer

noun
dreamer, fantasist, fantasizer, romantic, wishful thinker, idealist; visionary, theorizer, utopian, Walter Mitty.

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daylight

noun
do the test in daylight
natural light, sunlight.
she only went there in daylight
daytime, day; broad daylight.
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police moved in at daylight
dawn, daybreak, break of day, crack of dawn, sunrise, first light, first thing in the morning, early morning, cockcrow; N. Amer. sunup.
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ANTONYMS :darkness, night-time, nightfall.

see daylight
Sam finally saw daylight
understand, comprehend, realize, see the light; informal cotton on, catch on, latch on, get the picture, get the message, get it; Brit. informal twig.

his project never saw daylight
be completed, be accomplished, see (the) light of day.
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day-to-day

adjective
regular, everyday, daily, routine, habitual, frequent, normal, standard, usual, typical.

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daze

verb
he was dazed by his fall
stun, stupefy; knock unconscious, knock out; informal knock the stuffing out of.
she was dazed by the revelations
astound, amaze, astonish, startle, dumbfound, stupefy, overwhelm, stagger, shock, confound, bewilder, take aback, nonplus, shake up; informal flabbergast, knock sideways, bowl over, blow away; Brit. informal knock for six.
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noun
she is in a daze
stupor, trance, haze; spin, whirl, muddle, jumble.

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dazzle

verb
she was dazzled by the headlights
blind temporarily, deprive of sight.
I was dazzled by the exhibition
overwhelm, overcome, impress, move, stir, affect, touch, awe, overawe, leave speechless, take someone's breath away; spellbind, hypnotize; informal bowl over, blow away, knock out.
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noun
dazzle can be a problem to sensitive eyes
glare, brightness, brilliance, shimmer, radiance, shine.
the dazzle of the limelight
sparkle, glitter, brilliance, glory, splendour, magnificence, glamour; attraction, lure, allure, draw, appeal; informal razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz.
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dazzling

adjective
the sunlight was dazzling
bright, blinding, glaring, brilliant.
a dazzling performance
impressive, remarkable, extraordinary, outstanding, exceptional; incredible, amazing, astonishing, phenomenal, breathtaking, thrilling; excellent, wonderful, magnificent, marvellous, superb, first-rate, superlative, matchless; informal mind-blowing, out of this world, fabulous, fab, super, sensational, ace, A1, cool, awesome; Brit. informal smashing, brill.
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dead

adjective
my parents are dead
passed on/away, expired, departed, gone, no more; late, lost, lamented; perished, fallen, slain, slaughtered, killed, murdered; lifeless, extinct; informal (as) dead as a doornail, six feet under, pushing up daisies; formal deceased; euphemistic with God, asleep.
patches of dead ground
barren, lifeless, bare, desolate, sterile.
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a dead language
obsolete, extinct, defunct, disused, abandoned, discarded, superseded, vanished, forgotten; archaic, antiquated, ancient; poetic/literary of yore.
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the phone was dead
not working, out of order, inoperative, inactive, in disrepair, broken, malfunctioning, defective; informal kaput, conked out, on the blink, bust; Brit. informal knackered.
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a dead leg
numb, numbed, deadened, desensitized, unfeeling; paralysed, crippled, incapacitated, immobilized, frozen.
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she has dead eyes
emotionless, unemotional, unfeeling, impassive, unresponsive, indifferent, dispass ionate, inexpressive, wooden, stony, cold; deadpan, flat; blank, vacant.
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his affection for her was dead
extinguished, quashed, stifled; finished, over, gone, no more; ancient history.
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a dead town
uneventful, uninteresting, unexciting, uninspiring, dull, boring, flat, quiet, sleepy, slow, lacklustre, lifeless; informal one-horse, dead-and-alive; N. Amer. informal dullsville.
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dead silence
complete, absolute, total, utter, out-and-out, thorough, unmitigated.
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a dead shot
unerring, unfailing, impeccable, sure, true, accurate, precise; deadly, lethal; Brit. informal spot on, bang on.
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ANTONYMS :alive, fertile, modern, lively, poor.

adverb
he was dead serious
completely, absolutely, totally, utterly, deadly, perfectly, entirely, quite, thoroughly; definitely, certainly, positively, categorically, unquestionably, undoubtedly, surely; in every way, one hundred per cent.
flares were seen dead ahead
directly, exactly, precisely, immediately, right, straight, due, squarely; informal bang, slap bang.
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(Brit. informal) it's dead easy.
See very.
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deadbeat

noun
(informal) layabout, loafer, idler, good-for-nothing; informal waster; Brit. informal skiver; N. Amer. informal bum; poetic/literary wastrel.

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deaden

verb
surgeons tried to deaden the pain
numb, dull, blunt, suppress; alleviate, mitigate, diminish, reduce, lessen, ease, soothe, relieve, assuage.
the wood panelling deadened any noise
muffle, mute, smother, stifle, dull, damp (down); silence, quieten, soften; cushion, buffer, absorb.
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laughing might deaden us to the moral issue
desensitize, numb, anaesthetize; harden (one's heart), toughen.
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ANTONYMS :intensify, amplify, sensitize.

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deadline

noun
time limit, limit, finishing date, target date, cut-off point.

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deadlock

noun
the strike reached a deadlock
stalemate, impasse, checkmate, stand-off; standstill, halt, (full) stop, dead end.
(Brit.) the deadlock is opened with a key
bolt, lock, latch, catch; Scottish sneck, snib.
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deadly

adjective
these drugs can be deadly
fatal, lethal, mortal, death-dealing, life-threatening; dangerous, injurious, harmful, detrimental, deleterious, unhealthy; noxious, toxic, poisonous; poetic/literary deathly.
deadly enemies
mortal, irreconcilable, implacable, unappeasable, unforgiving, remorseless, merciless, pitiless; bitter, hostile, antagonistic.
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deadly seriousness
intense, great, marked, extreme.
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he was deadly pale
deathly, ghostly, ashen, white, pallid, wan, pale; ghastly.
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his aim is deadly
unerring, unfailing, impeccable, perfect, flawless, faultless; sure, true, precise, accurate, exact; Brit. informal spot on, bang on.
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(informal) life here can be deadly.
See boring.
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ANTONYMS :harmless, mild, inaccurate, exciting.

adverb
deadly calm
completely, absolutely, totally, utterly, perfectly, entirely, wholly, quite, dead, thoroughly; in every way, one hundred per cent, to the hilt.

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deadpan

adjective
blank, expressionless, unexpressive, impassive, inscrutable, poker-faced, straight-faced; stony, wooden, vacant, fixed, lifeless. ANTONYMS :expressive.

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deaf

adjective
she is deaf and blind
hard of hearing, having impaired hearing; informal deaf as a post.
she was deaf to their pleading
unmoved by, untouched by, unaffected by, indifferent to, unresponsive to, unconcerned by; unaware of, oblivious to, impervious to.
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deafen

verb
make deaf, deprive of hearing, impair someone's hearing.

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deafening

adjective
very loud, very noisy, ear-splitting, ear-shattering, overwhelming, almighty, mighty, tremendous; booming, thunderous, roaring, resounding, resonant, reverberating. ANTONYMS :quiet.

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deal

noun
completion of the deal
agreement, understanding, pact, bargain, covenant, contract, treaty; arrangement, compromise, settlement; terms; transaction, sale, account; Law indenture.
verb
how to deal with difficult children
cope with, handle, manage, treat, take care of, take charge of, take in hand, sort out, tackle, take on; control; act towards, behave towards.
the article deals with advances in chemistry
concern, be about, have to do with, discuss, consider, cover, pertain to; tackle, study, explore, investigate, examine, review, analyse.
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the company deals in high-tech goods
trade in, buy and sell; sell, purvey, supply, stock, market, merchandise; traffic, smuggle; informal push; Brit. informal flog.
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the cards were dealt
distribute, give out, share out, divide out, hand out, pass out, pass round, dole out, dispense, allocate; informal divvy up.
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the court dealt a blow to government reforms
deliver, administer, dispense, inflict, give, impose; aim.
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a great deal/a good deal
a lot, a large amount, a fair amount, much, plenty; informal lots, loads, heaps, bags, masses, tons; Brit. informal a shedload.

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dealer

noun
an antique dealer
trader, tradesman, tradesperson, merchant, salesman/woman, seller, vendor, purveyor, pedlar, hawker; buyer, merchandiser, distributor, supplier, shopkeeper, retailer, wholesaler; Brit. stockist.
a dealer in a bank
stockbroker, broker-dealer, broker, agent.
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dealing

noun
dishonest dealing
business methods, business practices, business, commerce, trading, transactions; behaviour, conduct, actions.
the UK's dealings with China
relations, relationship, association, connections, contact, intercourse; negotiations, bargaining, transactions; trade, trading, business, commerce, traffic; informal truck, doings.
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dean

noun
student must have the consent of the dean
faculty head, department head, college head, provost, university official; chief, director, principal, president, governor.
the dean of St Patrick's Cathedral
chapter head, supervisor.
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dear

adjective
a dear friend
beloved, loved, adored, cherished, precious; esteemed, respected, worshipped; close, intimate, bosom, boon, best.
her pictures were too dear to part with
precious, treasured, valued, prized, cherished, special.
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such a dear man
endearing, adorable, lovable, appealing, engaging, charming, captivating, winsome, lovely, nice, pleasant, delightful, sweet, darling.
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rather dear meals
expensive, costly, high-priced, overpriced, exorbitant, extortionate; Brit. over the odds; informal pricey, steep, stiff.
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ANTONYMS :hated, disagreeable, cheap.

noun
don't worry, my dear
darling, dearest, love, beloved, sweetheart, sweet, precious, treasure; informal sweetie, sugar, honey, baby, pet, sunshine, poppet.
he's such a dear
lovable person; darling, sweetheart, pet, angel, gem, treasure; informal star.
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adverb
they buy cheaply and sell dear
at a high price, at an exorbitant price, at high cost.

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dearly

adverb
I love my son dearly
very much, a great deal, greatly, deeply, profoundly, extremely; fondly, devotedly, tenderly.
our freedom has been bought dearly
at great cost, at a high price, with much suffering, with much sacrifice.
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dearth

noun
lack, scarcity, shortage, shortfall, want, deficiency, insufficiency, inadequacy, paucity, sparseness, scantiness, rareness; absence. ANTONYMS :surfeit.

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death

noun
her father's death
demise, dying, end, passing, loss of life; eternal rest, quietus; murder, assassination, execution, slaughter, massacre; informal curtains; formal decease; archaic expiry.
the death of their dream
end, finish, termination, extinction, extinguishing, collapse, destruction, eradication, obliteration.
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Death gestured towards a grave
the Grim Reaper, the Dark Angel, the Angel of Death.
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ANTONYMS :life, birth.

put someone to death
execute, hang, behead, guillotine, decapitate, electrocute, shoot, gas, crucify, stone; kill, murder, assassinate, eliminate, terminate, exterminate, destroy; informal bump off, polish off, do away with, do in, knock off, top, string up, take out, croak, stiff, blow away; N. Amer. informal ice, rub out, waste, whack, smoke; poetic/literary slay.

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deathless

adjective
immortal, undying, imperishable, indestructible; enduring, everlasting, eternal; timeless, ageless. ANTONYMS :mortal, ephemeral.

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deathly

adjective
a deathly pallor
deathlike, deadly, ghostly, ghastly; ashen, chalky, white, pale, pallid, bloodless, wan, anaemic, pasty.
(poetic/literary) the eagle's deathly grasp
deadly, fatal, lethal, mortal, death-dealing; terrible, baleful, dangerous, perilous.
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debacle

noun
fiasco, failure, catastrophe, disaster, mess, ruin; downfall, collapse, defeat; informal foul-up, screw-up, hash, botch, washout; Brit. informal cock-up, pig's ear, bodge; N. Amer. informal snafu.

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debar

verb
women were debarred from the club
exclude, ban, bar, disqualify, declare ineligible, preclude, shut out, lock out, keep out, reject, blackball; N. Amer. disfellowship.
the unions were debarred from striking
prevent, prohibit, proscribe, disallow, ban, interdict, block, stop; forbid to; Law enjoin, estop.
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ANTONYMS :admit, allow.

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debase

verb
the moral code has been debased
degrade, devalue, demean, cheapen, prostitute, discredit, drag down, tarnish, blacken, blemish; disgrace, dishonour, shame; damage, harm, undermine.
the added copper debases the silver
reduce in value, reduce in quality, depreciate; contaminate, adulterate, pollute, taint, sully, corrupt; dilute, alloy.
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ANTONYMS :enhance.

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debased

adjective
their debased amusements
immoral, debauched, dissolute, perverted, degenerate, wicked, sinful, vile, base, iniquitous, corrupt; lewd, lascivious, lecherous, prurient, indecent.
the myth lives on in a debased form
corrupt, corrupted, bastardized, adulterated, diluted, tainted, sullied.
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ANTONYMS :honourable, original.

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debatable

adjective
arguable, disputable, questionable, open to question, controversial, contentious; doubtful, dubious, uncertain, unsure, unclear; borderline, inconclusive, moot, unsettled, unresolved, unconfirmed, undetermined, undecided, up in the air; informal iffy.

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debate

noun
a debate on the reforms
discussion, discourse, parley, dialogue; argument, dispute, wrangle, war of words; argumentation, disputation, dissension, disagreement, contention, conflict; negotiations, talks; informal confab, powwow.
verb
MPs will debate our future
discuss, talk over/through, talk about, thrash out, argue, dispute; informal kick around/about, bat around/about.
he debated whether to call her
consider, think over/about, chew over, mull over, weigh up, ponder, deliberate, contemplate, muse, meditate; formal cogitate.
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debauch

verb
public morals have been debauched
corrupt, debase, deprave, warp, pervert, lead astray, ruin.
(dated) he debauched six schoolgirls
seduce, deflower, defile, violate; poetic/literary ravish.
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debauched

adjective
dissolute, dissipated, degenerate, corrupt, depraved, sinful, unprincipled, immoral; lascivious, lecherous, lewd, lustful, libidinous, licentious, promiscuous, loose, wanton, abandoned; decadent, profligate, intemperate, sybaritic. ANTONYMS :wholesome.

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debauchery

noun
dissipation, degeneracy, corruption, vice, depravity; immodesty, indecency, perversion, iniquity, wickedness, sinfulness, impropriety, immorality; lasciviousness, salaciousness, lechery, lewdness, lust, promiscuity, wantonness, profligacy; decadence, intemperance, sybaritism; formal turpitude.

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debilitate

verb
weaken, enfeeble, enervate, devitalize, sap, drain, exhaust, weary, fatigue, prostrate; undermine, impair, indispose, incapacitate, cripple, disable, paralyse, immobilize, lay low; informal knock out, do in. ANTONYMS :invigorate.

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debility

noun
frailty, weakness, enfeeblement, enervation, devitalization, lassitude, exhaustion, weariness, fatigue, prostration; incapacity, indisposition, infirmity, illness, sickness, sickliness; informal weediness; Medicine asthenia.

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debonair

adjective
suave, urbane, sophisticated, cultured, self-possessed, self-assured, confident, charming, gracious, courteous, gallant, chivalrous, gentlemanly, refined, polished, well bred, genteel, dignified, courtly; well groomed, elegant, stylish, smart, dashing; informal smooth, swish, sharp, cool. ANTONYMS :unsophisticated.

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debrief

verb
question, quiz, interview, examine, cross-examine, interrogate, probe, sound out; informal grill, pump.

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debris

noun
detritus, refuse, rubbish, waste, litter, scrap, dross, chaff, flotsam and jetsam; lumber, rubble, wreckage; remains, scraps, dregs; N. Amer. trash, garbage; Austral./NZ mullock; informal dreck, junk.

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debt

noun
he couldn't pay his debts
bill, account, dues, arrears, charges; financial obligation, outstanding payment, money owing; N. Amer. check; informal tab.
his debt to the author
indebtedness, obligation; gratitude, appreciation, thanks.
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in debt
owing money, in arrears, behind with payments, overdrawn; insolvent, bankrupt, ruined; Brit. in liquidation; informal in the red, in Queer Street, on the rocks. in someone's debt
indebted to, beholden to, obliged to, duty-bound to, honour-bound to, obligated to; grateful, thankful, appreciative.

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debtor

noun
borrower, mortgagor; bankrupt, insolvent, defaulter. ANTONYMS :creditor.

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debunk

verb
explode, deflate, quash, drive a coach and horses through, discredit, disprove, contradict, controvert, invalidate, negate; challenge, call into question; informal shoot full of holes, blow sky-high; formal confute. ANTONYMS :confirm.

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debut

noun
first appearance, first performance, launch, coming out, entrance, premiere, introduction, inception, inauguration; informal kick-off.

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decadence

noun
the decadence of modern society
dissipation, degeneracy, debauchery, corruption, depravity, vice, sin, moral decay, immorality; immoderateness, intemperance, licentiousness, self-indulgence, hedonism.
the decadence of nations
decline, fall, decay, degeneration, deterioration, degradation, retrogression.
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ANTONYMS :morality, rise.

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decadent

adjective
decadent city life
dissolute, dissipated, degenerate, corrupt, depraved, sinful, unprincipled, immoral; licentious, abandoned, profligate, intemperate; sybaritic, hedonistic, pleasure-seeking, self-indulgent.
the decadent empire
declining, decaying, ebbing, degenerating, deteriorating.
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decamp

verb
he decamped with the profits
abscond, make off, run off/away, flee, bolt, take flight, disappear, vanish, steal away, sneak away, escape, make a run for it, leave, depart; informal split, scram, vamoose, cut and run, do a disappearing act, head for the hills, go AWOL; Brit. informal do a bunk, do a runner, scarper; N. Amer. informal take a powder, go on the lam.
(archaic) the armies decamped
strike one's tents, break camp, move on.
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decant

verb
pour out/off, draw off, siphon off, drain, tap; transfer.

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decapitate

verb
behead, guillotine; archaic decollate.

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decay

verb
the corpses had decayed
decompose, rot, putrefy, go bad, go off, spoil, fester, perish, deteriorate; degrade, break down, moulder, mortify, shrivel, wither.
the cities continue to decay
deteriorate, degenerate, decline, go downhill, slump, slide, go to rack and ruin, go to seed; disintegrate, fall to pieces, fall into disrepair; fail, collapse; informal go to pot, go to the dogs, go down the toilet; Austral./NZ informal go to the pack.
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noun
signs of decay
decomposition, putrefaction, festering; rot, mould, mildew, fungus.
tooth decay
rot, corrosion, decomposition; caries, cavities, holes.
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the decay of American values
deterioration, degeneration, debasement, degradation, decline, weakening, atrophy; crumbling, disintegration, collapse.
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decayed

adjective
decomposed, decomposing, rotten, putrescent, putrid, bad, off, spoiled, perished; mouldy, festering, fetid, rancid, rank; maggoty, wormy, flyblown.

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decaying

adjective
decaying fish
decomposing, decomposed, rotting, rotten, putrescent, putrid, bad, off, perished; mouldy, festering, fetid, rancid, rank; maggoty, wormy, flyblown.
a decaying city
declining, degenerating, dying, crumbling; run down, tumbledown, ramshackle, shabby, decrepit; in decline, in ruins; informal on the way out.
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decease

noun
(formal) her decease was imminent
death, dying, demise, end, passing, loss of life, quietus; informal curtains, croaking, snuffing; archaic expiry.
verb
(archaic) he deceased at his palace.
See die sense 1.

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deceased

adjective
(formal) dead, expired, departed, gone, no more, passed on/away; late, lost, lamented; perished, fallen, slain, slaughtered, killed, murdered; lifeless, extinct; informal (as) dead as a doornail, six feet under, pushing up daisies; euphemistic with God, asleep.

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deceit

noun
her endless deceit
deception, deceitfulness, duplicity, double-dealing, fraud, cheating, trickery, chicanery, deviousness, slyness, wiliness, guile, bluff, lying, pretence, treachery; informal crookedness, monkey business, jiggery-pokery; N. Amer. informal monkeyshines.
their life is a deceit
sham, fraud, pretence, hoax, fake, blind, artifice; trick, stratagem, device, ruse, scheme, dodge, machination, deception, subterfuge; cheat, swindle; informal con, set-up, scam, flimflam; N. Amer. informal bunco.
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ANTONYMS :honesty.

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deceitful

adjective
a deceitful woman
dishonest, untruthful, mendacious, insincere, false, disingenuous, untrustworthy, unscrupulous, unprincipled, two-faced, duplicitous, double-dealing, underhand, crafty, cunning, sly, scheming, calculating, treacherous, Machiavellian; informal sneaky, tricky, foxy, crooked; Brit. informal bent.
a deceitful allegation
fraudulent, counterfeit, fabricated, invented, concocted, made up, trumped up, untrue, false, bogus, fake, spurious, fallacious, deceptive, misleading; euphemistic economical with the truth.
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deceive

verb
she was deceived by a con man
swindle, defraud, cheat, trick, hoodwink, hoax, dupe, take in, mislead, delude, fool, outwit, lead on, inveigle, beguile, double-cross, gull; informal con, bamboozle, do, gyp, diddle, swizzle, rip off, shaft, pull a fast one on, take for a ride, pull the wool over someone's eyes, sell a pup to; N. Amer. informal sucker, snooker, stiff.
he deceived her with another woman
be unfaithful to, cheat on, betray, play someone false; informal two-time.
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decelerate

verb
slow down/up, ease up, slack up, reduce speed, brake.

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decency

noun
standards of taste and decency
propriety, decorum, good taste, respectability, dignity, correctness, good form, etiquette; morality, virtue, modesty, delicacy.
he didn't have the decency to tell me
courtesy, politeness, good manners, civility, respect; consideration, thoughtfulness, tact, diplomacy.
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decent

adjective
a decent Christian burial
proper, correct, appropriate, apt, fitting, suitable; respectable, dignified, decorous, seemly; nice, tasteful; conventional, accepted, standard, traditional, orthodox; comme il faut; informal pukka.
(Brit. informal) a very decent chap
honourable, honest, trustworthy, dependable; respectable, upright, clean-living, virtuous, good; obliging, helpful, accommodating, unselfish, generous, kind, thoughtful, considerate; neighbourly, hospitable, pleasant, agreeable, amiable.
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a job with decent pay
satisfactory, reasonable, fair, acceptable, adequate, sufficient, ample; not bad, all right, tolerable, passable, suitable; informal OK, okay, up to snuff.
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ANTONYMS :unpleasant, unsatisfactory.

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deception

noun
they obtained money by deception
deceit, deceitfulness, duplicity, double-dealing, fraud, cheating, trickery, chicanery, deviousness, slyness, wiliness, guile, bluff, lying, pretence, treachery; informal crookedness, monkey business, jiggery-pokery; N. Amer. informal monkeyshines.
it was all a deception
trick, deceit, sham, fraud, pretence, hoax, fake, blind, artifice; stratagem, device, ruse, scheme, dodge, machination, subterfuge; cheat, swindle; informal con, set-up, scam, flimflam; N. Amer. informal bunco.
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deceptive

adjective
distances are very deceptive
misleading, illusory, illusionary, specious; ambiguous; distorted; poetic/literary illusive.
deceptive practices
deceitful, duplicitous, fraudulent, counterfeit, underhand, cunning, crafty, sly, guileful, scheming, treacherous, Machiavellian; disingenuous, untrustworthy, unscrupulous, unprincipled, dishonest, insincere, false; informal crooked, sharp, shady, sneaky, tricky, foxy; Brit. informal bent.
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decide

verb
she decided to become a writer
resolve, determine, make up one's mind, make a decision; elect, choose, opt, plan, aim, have the intention, have in mind, set one's sights on.
research to decide a variety of questions
settle, resolve, determine, work out, answer; informal sort out, figure out.
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the court is to decide the case
adjudicate, arbitrate, adjudge, judge; hear, try, examine; sit in judgement on, pronounce on, give a verdict on, rule on.
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decided

adjective
they have a decided advantage
distinct, clear, marked, pronounced, obvious, striking, noticeable, unmistakable, patent, manifest; definite, certain, positive, emphatic, undeniable, indisputable, unquestionable; assured, guaranteed.
he was very decided
determined, resolute, firm, strong-minded, strong-willed, emphatic, dead set, unwavering, unyielding, unbending, inflexible, unshakeable, unrelenting, obstinate, stubborn; N. Amer. rock-ribbed.
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our future is decided
settled, established, resolved, determined, agreed, designated, chosen, ordained, prescribed; set, fixed; informal sewn up, wrapped up.
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decidedly

adverb
distinctly, clearly, markedly, obviously, noticeably, unmistakably, patently, manifestly; definitely, certainly, positively, absolutely, downright, undeniably, unquestionably; extremely, exceedingly, exceptionally, particularly, especially, very; N. English right; informal terrifically, devilishly, ultra, mega, majorly; Brit. informal jolly, ever so, dead, well; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful; archaic exceeding.

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deciding

adjective
determining, decisive, conclusive, key, pivotal, crucial, critical, significant, major, chief, principal, prime.

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decipher

verb
he deciphered the code
decode, decrypt, break, work out, solve, interpret, translate; make sense of, get to the bottom of, unravel; informal crack, figure out; Brit. informal twig, suss (out).
the writing was hard to decipher
make out, discern, perceive, read, follow, fathom, make sense of, interpret, understand, comprehend, grasp.
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ANTONYMS :encode.

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decision

noun
they came to a decision
resolution, conclusion, settlement, commitment, resolve, determination; choice, option, selection.
the judge's decision
verdict, finding, ruling, recommendation, judgement, pronouncement, adjudication, arbitrament; order, rule; findings, results; Law determination; N. Amer. resolve.
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his order had a ring of decision
decisiveness, determination, resolution, resolve, firmness; strong-mindedness, purpose, purposefulness.
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decisive

adjective
a decisive man
resolute, firm, strong-minded, strong-willed, determined; purposeful, forceful, dead set, unwavering, unyielding, unbending, inflexible, unshakeable, obstinate, stubborn; N. Amer. rock-ribbed.
the decisive factor
deciding, conclusive, determining; key, pivotal, critical, crucial, significant, influential, major, chief, principal, prime.
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deck

verb
the street was decked with bunting
decorate, bedeck, adorn, ornament, trim, trick out, garnish, cover, hang, festoon, garland, swathe, wreathe; embellish, beautify, prettify, enhance, grace, set off; informal get up, do up, do out, tart up; poetic/literary bejewel, bedizen, caparison, furbelow.
Ingrid was decked out in blue
dress (up), clothe, attire, garb, robe, drape, turn out, fit out, rig out, outfit, costume; informal doll up, get up, do up.
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declaim

verb
a preacher declaiming from the pulpit
make a speech, give an address, give a lecture, deliver a sermon; speak, hold forth, orate, preach, lecture, sermonize, moralize; informal sound off, spout, speechify, preachify.
they loved to hear him declaim poetry
recite, read aloud, read out loud, read out; deliver; informal spout.
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he declaimed against the evils of society
speak out, rail, inveigh, fulminate, rage, thunder; rant, expostulate; condemn, criticize, attack, decry, disparage.
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declamation

noun
speech, address, lecture, sermon, homily, discourse, oration, recitation, disquisition, monologue.

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declaration

noun
they issued a declaration
announcement, statement, communication, pronouncement, proclamation, communiqué, edict; N. Amer. advisory.
the declaration of war
proclamation, notification, announcement, revelation, disclosure, broadcasting.
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a declaration of faith
assertion, profession, affirmation, acknowledgement, revelation, disclosure, manifestation, confirmation, testimony, validation, certification, attestation; pledge, avowal, vow, oath, protestation.
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declare

verb
she declared her political principles
proclaim, announce, state, reveal, air, voice, articulate, express, vent, set forth, publicize, broadcast; informal come out with, shout from the rooftops.
he declared that they were guilty
assert, maintain, state, affirm, contend, argue, insist, hold, profess, claim, avow, swear; formal aver.
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his speech declared him a gentleman
show to be, reveal as, confirm as, prove to be, attest to someone's being.
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decline

verb
she declined all invitations
turn down, reject, brush aside, refuse, rebuff, spurn, repulse, dismiss; forgo, deny oneself, pass up; abstain from, say no; informal give the thumbs down to, give something a miss, give someone the brush-off; Brit. informal knock back.
the number of traders has declined
decrease, reduce, lessen, diminish, dwindle, contract, shrink, fall off, tail off; drop, fall, go down, slump, plummet; informal nosedive, take a header, crash.
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standards steadily declined
deteriorate, degenerate, decay, crumble, collapse, slump, slip, slide, go downhill, worsen; weaken, wane, ebb; informal go to pot, go to the dogs, go down the toilet; Austral./NZ informal go to the pack.
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ANTONYMS :accept, increase, rise.

noun
a decline in profits
reduction, decrease, downturn, downswing, devaluation, depreciation, diminution, ebb, drop, slump, plunge; informal nosedive, crash.
forest decline
deterioration, degeneration, degradation, shrinkage; death, decay.
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in decline
declining, decaying, crumbling, collapsing, failing; disappearing, dying, moribund; informal on its last legs, on the way out.

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decode

verb
decipher, decrypt, work out, solve, interpret, translate; make sense of, get to the bottom of, unravel, find the key to; informal crack, figure out; Brit. informal twig, suss (out).

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decompose

verb
the chemical prevents corpses decomposing
decay, rot, putrefy, go bad, go off, spoil, fester, perish, deteriorate; degrade, break down, moulder, mortify, shrivel, wither.
some minerals decompose rapidly
break up, fragment, disintegrate, crumble, dissolve; break down, decay.
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decompose words into simpler elements
separate, divide, break down, dissect, resolve, reduce.
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decomposition

noun
an advanced state of decomposition
decay, putrefaction, putrescence, putridity.
the decomposition of granite
disintegration, dissolution; breaking down, decay.
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the decomposition of a sentence
separation, division, breakdown; dissection, dissolution, resolution, analysis, reduction.
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decontaminate

verb
sanitize, sterilize, disinfect, clean, cleanse, purify; fumigate.

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decor

noun
decoration, furnishing, ornamentation; colour scheme.

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decorate

verb
the door was decorated with a wreath
ornament, adorn, trim, embellish, garnish, furnish, enhance, grace, prettify; festoon, garland, bedeck.
he started to decorate his home
paint, wallpaper, paper; refurbish, furbish, renovate, redecorate; informal do up, spruce up, do over, fix up, give something a facelift.
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he was decorated for courage
give a medal to, honour, cite, reward.
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decoration

noun
a ceiling with rich decoration
ornamentation, adornment, trimming, embellishment, garnishing, gilding; beautification, prettification; enhancements, enrichments, frills, accessories, trimmings, finery, frippery.
internal decoration.
See decor.
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a Christmas tree decoration
ornament, bauble, trinket, knick-knack, spangle; trimming, tinsel.
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a decoration won on the battlefield
medal, award, star, ribbon; laurel, trophy, prize; Military slang fruit salad; Brit. informal gong.
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decorative

adjective
ornamental, embellishing, garnishing; fancy, ornate, attractive, pretty, showy. ANTONYMS :functional.

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decorous

adjective
proper, seemly, decent, becoming, befitting, tasteful; correct, appropriate, suitable, fitting; tactful, polite, well mannered, genteel, respectable; formal, restrained, modest, demure, gentlemanly, ladylike. ANTONYMS :unseemly.

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decorum

noun
he had acted with decorum
propriety, seemliness, decency, good taste, correctness; politeness, courtesy, good manners; dignity, respectability, modesty, demureness.
a breach of decorum
etiquette, protocol, good form, custom, convention; formalities, niceties, punctilios, politeness.
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ANTONYMS :impropriety.

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decoy

noun
a decoy to distract their attention
lure, bait, red herring; enticement, inducement, temptation, attraction, carrot; snare, trap.
verb
he was decoyed to the mainland
lure, entice, tempt; entrap, snare, trap.

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decrease

verb
pollution levels decreased
lessen, reduce, drop, diminish, decline, dwindle, fall off; die down, abate, subside, tail off, ebb, wane; plummet, plunge.
decrease the amount of fat in your body
reduce, lessen, lower, cut, curtail; slim down, tone down, deplete, minimize; informal slash.
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ANTONYMS :increase.

noun
a decrease in crime
reduction, drop, decline, downturn, cut, cutback, diminution, ebb, wane. ANTONYMS :increase.

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decree

noun
a presidential decree
order, edict, command, commandment, mandate, proclamation, dictum, fiat; law, statute, act; formal ordinance.
a court decree
judgement, verdict, adjudication, ruling, resolution, decision.
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verb
he decreed that a stadium should be built
order, command, rule, dictate, pronounce, proclaim, ordain; direct, decide, determine.

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decrepit

adjective
a decrepit old man
feeble, infirm, weak, weakly, frail; disabled, incapacitated, crippled, doddering, tottering; old, elderly, aged, ancient, senile; informal past it, over the hill, no spring chicken.
a decrepit house
dilapidated, rickety, run down, tumbledown, ramshackle, derelict, ruined, in (a state of) disrepair, gone to rack and ruin; battered, decayed, crumbling, deteriorating.
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ANTONYMS :strong, sound.

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decry

verb
denounce, condemn, criticize, censure, attack, rail against, run down, pillory, lambaste, vilify, revile; disparage, deprecate, cast aspersions on; informal slam, blast, knock; Brit. informal slate. ANTONYMS :praise.

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dedicate

verb
she dedicated her life to the sick
devote, commit, pledge, give, surrender, sacrifice; set aside, allocate, consign.
a book dedicated to a noblewoman
inscribe, address; assign.
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the chapel was dedicated to the Virgin Mary
devote, assign; bless, consecrate, sanctify; formal hallow.
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dedicated

adjective
a dedicated socialist
committed, devoted, staunch, firm, steadfast, resolute, unwavering, loyal, faithful, true, dyed-in-the-wool; wholehearted, single-minded, enthusiastic, keen, earnest, zealous, ardent, passionate, fervent; informal card-carrying, deep-dyed.
data is accessed by a dedicated machine
exclusive, custom built, customized.
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ANTONYMS :indifferent.

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dedication

noun
sport requires dedication
commitment, application, diligence, industry, resolve, enthusiasm, zeal, conscientiousness, perseverance, persistence, tenacity, drive, staying power; hard work, effort.
her dedication to the job
devotion, commitment, loyalty, adherence, allegiance.
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the book has a dedication to his wife
inscription, address, message.
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the dedication of the church
blessing, consecration, sanctification, benediction.
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ANTONYMS :apathy.

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deduce

verb
conclude, reason, work out, infer; glean, divine, intuit, understand, assume, presume, conjecture, surmise, reckon; informal figure out; Brit. informal suss out.

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deduct

verb
subtract, take away, take off, debit, dock, discount; abstract, remove; informal knock off. ANTONYMS :add.

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deduction

noun
the deduction of tax
subtraction, removal, debit, abstraction.
gross pay, before deductions
stoppage, subtraction.
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she was right in her deduction
conclusion, inference, supposition, hypothesis, assumption, presumption; suspicion, conviction, belief, reasoning.
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deed

noun
knightly deeds
act, action; feat, exploit, achievement, accomplishment, endeavour, undertaking, enterprise.
unity must be established in deed and word
fact, reality, actuality.
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mortgage deeds
legal document, contract, indenture, instrument.
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deem

verb
consider, regard as, judge, adjudge, hold to be, view as, see as, take for, class as, count, find, esteem, suppose, reckon; think, believe, feel.

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deep

adjective
a deep ravine
cavernous, yawning, gaping, huge, extensive; bottomless, fathomless, unfathomable; archaic profound.
two inches deep
in depth, downwards, inwards, in vertical extent.
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deep affection
intense, heartfelt, wholehearted, deep-seated, deep-rooted; sincere, genuine, earnest, enthusiastic, great.
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a deep sleep
sound, heavy, intense.
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a deep thinker
profound, serious, philosophical, complex, weighty; abstruse, esoteric, recondite, mysterious, obscure; intelligent, intellectual, learned, wise, scholarly; discerning, penetrating, perceptive, insightful.
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he was deep in concentration
rapt, absorbed, engrossed, preoccupied, immersed, lost, gripped, intent, engaged.
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a deep mystery
obscure, mysterious, secret, unfathomable, opaque, abstruse, recondite, esoteric, enigmatic, arcane; puzzling, baffling, mystifying, inexplicable.
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his deep voice
low-pitched, low, bass, rich, po werful, resonant, booming, sonorous.
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a deep red
dark, intense, rich, strong, bold, warm.
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ANTONYMS :shallow, superficial, high, light.

noun
(poetic/literary) creatures of the deep
the sea, the ocean; informal the drink; Brit. informal the briny; poetic/literary the profound.
the deep of night
the middle, the midst; the depths, the dead, the thick.
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adverb
I dug deep
far down, way down, to a great depth.
he brought them deep into woodland
far, a long way, a great distance.
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deepen

verb
his love for her had deepened
grow, increase, intensify, strengthen, heighten, amplify, augment; informal step up; Brit. informal hot up.
they deepened the hole
dig out, dig deeper, excavate.
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deeply

adverb
profoundly, greatly, enormously, extremely, very much; strongly, powerfully, intensely, keenly, acutely; thoroughly, completely, entirely; informal well, seriously, majorly.

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deep-rooted

adjective
deep-seated, deep, profound, fundamental, basic; established, ingrained, entrenched, unshakeable, inveterate, inbuilt; secure; persistent, abiding, lingering. ANTONYMS :superficial.

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deep-seated

adjective
. See deep-rooted.

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deface

verb
vandalize, disfigure, mar, spoil, ruin, sully, damage, blight, impair; N. Amer. informal trash.

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de facto

adverb
the republic is de facto two states
in practice, in effect, in fact, in reality, really, actually. ANTONYMS :de jure.

adjective
de facto control
actual, real, effective. ANTONYMS :de jure.

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defamation

noun
libel, slander, calumny, character assassination, vilification; scandalmongering, malicious gossip, aspersions, muckraking, abuse; disparagement, denigration; smear, slur; informal mud-slinging.

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defamatory

adjective
libellous, slanderous, calumnious, calumniatory, scandalmongering, malicious, vicious, backbiting, muckraking; abusive, disparaging, denigratory, insulting; informal mud-slinging, bitchy, catty.

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defame

verb
libel, slander, malign, cast aspersions on, smear, traduce, give someone a bad name, run down, speak ill of, vilify, besmirch, stigmatize, disparage, denigrate, discredit, decry; informal do a hatchet job on, drag through the mud; N. Amer. slur; informal bad-mouth; Brit. informal slag off; formal calumniate. ANTONYMS :compliment.

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default

noun
the incidence of defaults on loans
non-payment, failure to pay, non-remittance.
I became a teacher by default
inaction, omission, lapse, neglect, negligence, disregard; absence, non-appearance.
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verb
the customer defaulted
fail to pay, not pay, renege, back out; go back on one's word; informal welsh, bilk.
the program will default to its own style
revert, select automatically.
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defaulter

noun
a mortgage defaulter
non-payer, debt-dodger; tax-dodger; N. Amer. delinquent.
(Brit. Military) the defaulters' room
offender, wrongdoer, felon, delinquent.
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defeat

verb
the army which defeated the Scots
beat, conquer, win against, triumph over, get the better of, vanquish; rout, trounce, overcome, overpower, crush, subdue; informal lick, thrash, whip, wipe the floor with, make mincemeat of, clobber, slaughter, demolish, cane; Brit. informal stuff; N. Amer. informal cream, skunk.
these complex plans defeat their purpose
thwart, frustrate, foil, ruin, scotch, debar, snooker, derail; obstruct, impede, hinder, hamper; informal put the kibosh on, put paid to, stymie; Brit. informal scupper, nobble.
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the motion was defeated
reject, overthrow, throw out, dismiss, outvote, turn down; informal give the thumbs down.
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how to make it work defeats me
baffle, perplex, bewilder, mystify, bemuse, confuse, confound, throw; informal beat, flummox, faze, stump, fox.
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noun
a crippling defeat
loss, conquest, vanquishment; rout, trouncing; downfall; informal thrashing, hiding, drubbing, licking, pasting, massacre, slaughter.
the defeat of his plans
failure, downfall, collapse, ruin; rejection, frustration, abortion, miscarriage; undoing, reverse.
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ANTONYMS :victory, success.

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defeatist

adjective
a defeatist attitude
pessimistic, fatalistic, negative, cynical, despondent, despairing, hopeless, bleak, gloomy. ANTONYMS :optimistic.

noun
pessimist, fatalist, cynic, prophet of doom, doomster; misery, killjoy, worrier; informal quitter, wet blanket. ANTONYMS :optimist.

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defecate

verb
excrete (faeces), have a bowel movement, evacuate one's bowels, void excrement, relieve oneself, go to the lavatory; informal do number two, do a pooh.

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defect 1

noun
he spotted a defect in my work
fault, flaw, imperfection, deficiency, weakness, weak spot, inadequacy, shortcoming, limitation, failing; kink, deformity, blemish; mistake, error; informal glitch, gremlin; Computing bug.

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defect 2

verb
his chief intelligence officer defected
desert, change sides, turn traitor, rebel, renege; abscond, quit, escape; break faith; secede from, revolt against; informal rat on; Military go AWOL; poetic/literary forsake; rare tergiversate.

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defection

noun
desertion, absconding, decamping, flight; apostasy, secession; treason, betrayal, disloyalty; poetic/literary perfidy; rare tergiversation.

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defective

adjective
a defective seat belt
faulty, flawed, imperfect, shoddy, inoperative, malfunctioning, out of order, unsound; in disrepair, broken; informal on the blink; Brit. informal knackered, duff.
these methods are defective
lacking, wanting, deficient, inadequate, insufficient.
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(dated) a mentally defective child
impaired, slow, simple, backward, retarded; dated deficient, subnormal, educationally subnormal, ESN.
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ANTONYMS :perfect.

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defector

noun
deserter, turncoat, traitor, renegade, Judas, quisling; informal rat; rare tergiversator.

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defence

noun
the defence of the fortress
protection, guarding, security, fortification; resistance, deterrent.
the enemy's defences
barricade, fortification; fortress, keep, rampart, bulwark, bastion.
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he spoke in defence of his boss
vindication, justification, support, advocacy, endorsement; apology, explanation, exoneration.
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more spending on defence
armaments, weapons, weaponry, arms; the military, the armed forces.
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the prisoner's defence
vindication, explanation, mitigation, justification, rationalization, excuse, alibi, reason; plea, pleading; testimony, declaration, case.
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defenceless

adjective
defenceless animals
vulnerable, helpless, powerless, impotent, weak, susceptible.
the country is wholly defenceless
undefended, unprotected, unguarded, unshielded, unarmed; vulnerable, assailable, exposed, insecure, pregnable.
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ANTONYMS :resilient.

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defend

verb
a fort built to defend Ireland
protect, guard, safeguard, secure, shield; fortify, garrison, barricade; uphold, support, watch over.
he defended his policy
justify, vindicate, argue for, support, make a case for, plead for; excuse, explain.
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the manager defended his players
support, back, stand by, stick up for, stand up for, argue for, champion, endorse; informal throw one's weight behind.
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ANTONYMS :attack, criticize.

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defendant

noun
accused, prisoner (at the bar); appellant, litigant, respondent; suspect. ANTONYMS :plaintiff.

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defender

noun
defenders of the environment
protector, guard, guardian, preserver; custodian, watchdog, keeper, overseer, superintendent, caretaker.
a defender of colonialism
supporter, upholder, backer, champion, advocate, apologist, proponent, exponent, promoter; adherent, believer.
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he passed two defenders and scored
fullback, back, sweeper; (defenders) back four.
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defensible

adjective
a defensible attitude
justifiable, arguable, tenable, defendable, supportable; plausible, sound, sensible, reasonable, rational, logical; acceptable, valid, legitimate; excusable, pardonable, understandable.
a defensible territory
secure, safe, fortified; invulnerable, impregnable, impenetrable, unassailable.
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ANTONYMS :untenable, vulnerable.

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defensive

adjective
troops in defensive positions
defending, protective; wary, watchful.
a defensive response
self-justifying, oversensitive, prickly, paranoid, neurotic; informal uptight, twitchy.
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defer 1

verb
the committee will defer their decision
postpone, put off, delay, hold over/off, put back; shelve, suspend, stay, mothball; N. Amer. put over, table, take a rain check on; informal put on ice, put on the back burner, put in cold storage.

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defer 2

verb
they deferred to Joseph's judgement
yield, submit, give way, give in, surrender, capitulate, acquiesce; respect, honour.

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deference

noun
respect, respectfulness, dutifulness; submissiveness, submission, obedience, surrender, accession, capitulation, acquiescence, complaisance, obeisance. ANTONYMS :disrespect.

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deferential

adjective
respectful, humble, obsequious; dutiful, obedient, submissive, subservient, yielding, acquiescent, complaisant, compliant, tractable, biddable, docile.

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deferment

noun
postponement, deferral, suspension, delay, adjournment, interruption, pause; respite, stay, moratorium, reprieve, grace.

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defiance

noun
resistance, opposition, non-compliance, disobedience, insubordination, dissent, recalcitrance, subversion, rebellion; contempt, disregard, scorn, insolence, truculence. ANTONYMS :obedience.

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defiant

adjective
intransigent, resistant, obstinate, uncooperative, non-compliant, recalcitrant; obstreperous, truculent, dissenting, disobedient, insubordinate, subversive, rebellious, mutinous; informal feisty; Brit. informal stroppy, bolshie. ANTONYMS :cooperative.

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deficiency

noun
a vitamin deficiency
insufficiency, lack, shortage, want, dearth, inadequacy, deficit, shortfall; scarcity, paucity, absence, undersupply, deprivation, shortness.
the team's big deficiency
defect, fault, flaw, imperfection, weakness, weak point, inadequacy, shortcoming, limitation, failing.
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ANTONYMS :surplus, strength.

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deficient

adjective
a diet deficient in vitamin A
lacking, wanting, inadequate, insufficient, limited, poor, scant; short of/on, low on.
deficient leadership
defective, faulty, flawed, inadequate, imperfect, shoddy, weak, inferior, unsound, substandard, second-rate, poor; Brit. informal duff.
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deficit

noun
shortfall, deficiency, shortage, undersupply; debt, arrears; negative amount, loss. ANTONYMS :surplus.

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defile

verb
her capacity for love had been defiled
spoil, sully, mar, impair, debase, degrade; poison, taint, tarnish; destroy, ruin.
the sacred bones were defiled
desecrate, profane, violate; contaminate, pollute, debase, degrade, dishonour.
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(archaic) she was defiled by a married man
rape, violate; poetic/literary ravish; dated deflower.
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ANTONYMS :sanctify.

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definable

adjective
determinable, ascertainable, known, definite, clear-cut, precise, exact, specific.

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define

verb
the dictionary defines it succinctly
explain, expound, interpret, elucidate, describe, clarify; give the meaning of, put into words.
he defined the limits of the middle class
determine, establish, fix, specify, designate, decide, stipulate, set out; demarcate, delineate.
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the farm buildings defined against the fields
outline, delineate, silhouette.
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definite

adjective
a definite answer
explicit, specific, express, precise, exact, clear-cut, direct, plain, outright; fixed, established, confirmed, concrete.
definite evidence
certain, sure, positive, conclusive, decisive, firm, concrete, unambiguous, unequivocal, clear, unmistakable, proven; guaranteed, assured, cut and dried.
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she had a definite dislike for Robert
unmistakable, unequivocal, unambiguous, certain, undisputed, decided, marked, distinct.
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a definite geographical area
fixed, marked, demarcated, delimited, stipulated, particular.
Top
ANTONYMS :vague, ambiguous, indeterminate.

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definitely

adverb
certainly, surely, for sure, unquestionably, without doubt, without question, undoubtedly, indubitably, positively, absolutely; undeniably, unmistakably, plainly, clearly, obviously, patently, palpably, transparently, unequivocally, as sure as eggs is eggs.

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definition

noun
the definition of "intelligence"
meaning, denotation, sense; interpretation, explanation, elucidation, description, clarification, illustration.
the definition of the picture
clarity, visibility, sharpness, crispness, acuteness; resolution, focus, contrast.
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definitive

adjective
a definitive decision
conclusive, final, ultimate; unconditional, unqualified, absolute, categorical, positive, definite.
the definitive guide
authoritative, exhaustive, best, finest, consummate; classic, standard, recognized, accepted, official.
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deflate

verb
he deflated the tyres
let down, flatten, void; puncture.
the balloon deflated
go down, collapse, shrink, contract.
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the news had deflated him
subdue, humble, cow, chasten; dispirit, dismay, discourage, dishearten; squash, crush, bring down, take the wind out of someone's sails; informal knock the stuffing out of.
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the budget deflated the economy
reduce, slow down, diminish; devalue, depreciate, depress.
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ANTONYMS :inflate.

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deflect

verb
she wanted to deflect attention from herself
turn aside/away, divert, avert, sidetrack; distract, draw away; block, parry, fend off, stave off.
the ball deflected off the wall
bounce, glance, ricochet; diverge, deviate, veer, swerve, slew.
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deform

verb
disfigure, bend out of shape, contort, buckle, warp; damage, impair.

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deformed

adjective
misshapen, distorted, malformed, contorted, out of shape; twisted, crooked, warped, buckled, gnarled; crippled, humpbacked, hunchbacked, disfigured, grotesque; injured, damaged, mutilated, mangled.

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deformity

noun
malformation, misshapenness, distortion, crookedness; imperfection, abnormality, irregularity; disfigurement; defect, flaw, blemish.

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defraud

verb
swindle, cheat, rob; deceive, dupe, hoodwink, double-cross, trick; informal con, do, sting, diddle, rip off, shaft, bilk, rook, gyp, pull a fast one on, put one over on, sell a pup to; N. Amer. informal sucker, snooker, stiff; Austral. informal pull a swifty on.

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defray

verb
pay (for), cover, meet, square, settle, clear, discharge; foot the bill for; N. Amer. informal pick up the tab for.

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deft

adjective
skilful, adept, adroit, dexterous, agile, nimble, handy; able, capable, skilled, proficient, accomplished, expert, polished, slick, professional, masterly; clever, shrewd, astute, canny, sharp; informal nifty, nippy. ANTONYMS :clumsy.

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defunct

adjective
disused, unused, inoperative, non-functioning, unusable, obsolete; no longer existing, discontinued; extinct. ANTONYMS :working, extant.

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defuse

verb
he tried to defuse the grenade
deactivate, disarm, disable, make safe.
an attempt to defuse the tension
reduce, lessen, diminish, lighten, relieve, ease, alleviate, moderate, mitigate.
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ANTONYMS :activate, intensify.

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defy

verb
he defied European law
disobey, go against, flout, fly in the face of, disregard, ignore; break, violate, contravene, breach, infringe; informal cock a snook at.
his actions defy belief
elude, escape, defeat; frustrate, thwart, baffle.
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he glowered, defying her to mock him
challenge, dare.
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ANTONYMS :obey.

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degeneracy

noun
corruption, decadence, moral decay, dissipation, dissolution, profligacy, vice, immorality, sin, sinfulness, ungodliness; debauchery; formal turpitude.

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degenerate

adjective
a degenerate form of classicism
debased, degraded, corrupt, impure; formal vitiated.
her degenerate brother
corrupt, decadent, dissolute, dissipated, debauched, reprobate, profligate; sinful, ungodly, immoral, unprincipled, amoral, dishonourable, disreputable, unsavoury, sordid, low, ignoble.
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ANTONYMS :pure, moral.

noun
a group of degenerates
reprobate, debauchee, profligate, libertine, roué, loose-liver.
verb
their quality of life had degenerated
deteriorate, decline, slip, slide, worsen, lapse, slump, go downhill, regress, retrogress; go to rack and ruin; informal go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, go down the toilet.
the muscles started to degenerate
waste (away), atrophy, weaken.
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ANTONYMS :improve.

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degradation

noun
poverty brings with it degradation
humiliation, shame, loss of self-respect, abasement, indignity, ignominy.
the degradation of women
demeaning, debasement, discrediting.
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the degradation of the tissues
deterioration, degeneration, atrophy, decay; breakdown.
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degrade

verb
prisons should not degrade prisoners
demean, debase, cheapen, devalue; shame, humiliate, humble, mortify, abase, dishonour; dehumanize, brutalize.
the polymer will not degrade
break down, deteriorate, degenerate, decay.
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ANTONYMS :dignify.

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degraded

adjective
I feel so degraded
humiliated, demeaned, cheapened, cheap, ashamed.
his degraded sensibilities
degenerate, corrupt, depraved, dissolute, dissipated, debauched, immoral, base, sordid.
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ANTONYMS :proud, moral.

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degrading

adjective
humiliating, demeaning, shameful, mortifying, ignominious, undignified, inglorious, wretched; informal infra dig.

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degree

noun
level, standard, grade, mark; amount, extent, measure; magnitude, intensity, strength; proportion, ratio.
by degrees
gradually, little by little, bit by bit, inch by inch, step by step, slowly; piecemeal. to a degree
to some extent, to a certain extent, up to a point.

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dehydrate

verb
alcohol dehydrates the skin
dry (out), desiccate, dehumidify, effloresce.
frogs can dehydrate quickly
dry up/out, lose water.
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ANTONYMS :hydrate.

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deify

verb
she was deified by the early Romans
worship, revere, venerate, reverence, hold sacred; immortalize.
he was deified by the press
idolize, lionize, hero-worship, extol; idealize, glorify, aggrandize; informal put on a pedestal.
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ANTONYMS :demonize.

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deign

verb
condescend, stoop, lower oneself, demean oneself, humble oneself; consent, vouchsafe; informal come down from one's high horse.

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deity

noun
god, goddess, divine being, supreme being, divinity, immortal; creator, demiurge; godhead.

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dejected

adjective
downcast, downhearted, despondent, disconsolate, dispirited, crestfallen, disheartened; depressed, crushed, desolate, heartbroken, in the doldrums, sad, unhappy, doleful, melancholy, miserable, woebegone, forlorn, fed up, wretched, glum, gloomy; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps; Brit. informal brassed off, cheesed off. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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de jure

adverb & adjective
by right, rightfully, legally, according to the law; rightful, legal. ANTONYMS :de facto.

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delay

verb
we were delayed by the traffic
detain, hold up, make late, slow up/down, bog down; hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct.
they delayed no longer
linger, dally, drag one's feet, be slow, hold back, dawdle, waste time; procrastinate, stall, hang fire, mark time, temporize, hesitate, dither, shilly-shally; informal dilly-dally; archaic tarry.
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he may delay the cut in interest rates
postpone, put off, defer, hold over, shelve, suspend, stay; reschedule; N. Amer. put over, table; informal put on ice, put on the back burner, put in cold storage.
Top
ANTONYMS :hurry, advance.

noun
drivers will face lengthy delays
hold-up, wait, detainment; hindrance, impediment, obstruction, setback.
the delay of his trial
postponement, deferral, deferment, stay, respite; adjournment.
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I set off without delay
procrastination, stalling, hesitation, dithering, dallying, dawdling.
Top

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delectable

adjective
a delectable meal
delicious, mouth-watering, appetizing, flavoursome, flavourful, toothsome, palatable; succulent, luscious, tasty; informal scrumptious, delish, scrummy, yummy; Brit. informal moreish; N. Amer. informal finger-licking, nummy.
the delectable Ms Davis
delightful, lovely, captivating, charming, enchanting, appealing, beguiling; beautiful, attractive, ravishing, gorgeous, stunning, alluring, sexy, seductive, desirable, luscious; informal divine, heavenly, dreamy; Brit. informal tasty.
Top
ANTONYMS :unpalatable, unattractive.

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delectation

noun
(humorous) enjoyment, gratification, delight, pleasure, satisfaction, relish; entertainment, amusement, titillation.

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delegate

noun
trade union delegates
representative, envoy, emissary, commissioner, agent, deputy, commissary; spokesperson, spokesman/woman; ambassador, plenipotentiary.
verb
she must delegate routine tasks
assign, entrust, pass on, hand on/over, turn over, devolve, depute, transfer.
they were delegated to negotiate with the States
authorize, commission, depute, appoint, nominate, mandate, empower, charge, choose, designate, elect.
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delegation

noun
the delegation from South Africa
deputation, delegacy, legation, (diplomatic) mission, commission; delegates, representatives, envoys, emissaries, deputies.
the delegation of tasks to others
assignment, entrusting, giving, devolution, deputation, transference.
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delete

verb
remove, cut out, take out, edit out, expunge, excise, eradicate, cancel; cross out, strike out, blue-pencil, ink out, scratch out, obliterate, white out; rub out, erase, efface, wipe out, blot out; Printing dele. ANTONYMS :add.

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deleterious

adjective
harmful, damaging, detrimental, injurious; bad, adverse, disadvantageous, unfavourable, unfortunate, undesirable. ANTONYMS :beneficial.

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deliberate

adjective
a deliberate attempt to provoke him
intentional, calculated, conscious, intended, planned, studied, knowing, wilful, wanton, purposeful, purposive, premeditated, pre-planned; voluntary, volitional; Law, dated prepense.
small, deliberate steps
careful, cautious; measured, regular, even, steady.
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a deliberate worker
methodical, systematic, careful, painstaking, meticulous, thorough.
Top
ANTONYMS :accidental, hasty, careless.

verb
she deliberated on his words
think about/over, ponder, consider, contemplate, reflect on, muse on, meditate on, ruminate on, mull over, give thought to, weigh up; brood over, dwell on; N. Amer. think on.

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deliberately

adverb
he deliberately hurt me
intentionally, on purpose, purposely, by design, knowingly, wittingly, consciously, purposefully; wilfully, wantonly; Law with malice aforethought.
he walked deliberately down the aisle
carefully, cautiously, slowly, steadily, evenly.
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deliberation

noun
after much deliberation, I accepted
thought, consideration, reflection, contemplation, meditation, rumination; formal cogitation.
he replaced the glass with deliberation
care, carefulness, caution, steadiness.
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delicacy

noun
the fabric's delicacy
fineness, exquisiteness, delicateness, daintiness, airiness; flimsiness, gauziness, floatiness, silkiness.
the children's delicacy
sickliness, ill health, frailty, fragility, weakness, debility; infirmity, valetudinarianism.
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the delicacy of the situation
difficulty, trickiness; sensitivity, ticklishness, awkwardness.
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treat this matter with delicacy
care, sensitivity, tact, discretion, diplomacy, subtlety, sensibility.
Top
an Australian delicacy
choice food, gourmet food, dainty, treat, luxury, bonne bouche; speciality.
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delicate

adjective
delicate embroidery
fine, exquisite, intricate, dainty; flimsy, gauzy, filmy, floaty, diaphanous, wispy, insubstantial.
a delicate shade of blue
subtle, soft, muted; pastel, pale, light.
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delicate china cups
fragile, breakable, frail; formal frangible.
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his wife is delicate
sickly, unhealthy, frail, feeble, weak, debilitated; unwell, infirm; formal valetudinarian.
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a delicate issue
difficult, tricky, sensitive, ticklish, awkward, problematical, touchy, prickly; embarrassing; informal sticky, dicey.
Top
the matter required delicate handling
careful, sensitive, tactful, diplomatic, discreet, kid-glove, softly-softly.
Top
his delicate palate
discriminating, discerning; fastidious, fussy, finicky, dainty; informal picky, choosy, pernickety.
Top
a delicate mechanism
sensitive, precision, precise.
Top
ANTONYMS :coarse, lurid, strong, robust, clumsy.

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delicious

adjective
a delicious meal
delectable, mouth-watering, appetizing, tasty, flavoursome, flavourful, toothsome, palatable; succulent, luscious; informal scrumptious, delish, scrummy, yummy; Brit. informal moreish; N. Amer. informal finger-licking, nummy.
a delicious languor stole over her
delightful, exquisite, lovely, pleasurable, pleasant; informal heavenly, divine.
Top
ANTONYMS :unpalatable, unpleasant.

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delight

verb
her manners delighted him
please greatly, charm, enchant, captivate, entrance, thrill; gladden, gratify, appeal to; entertain, amuse, divert; informal send, tickle pink, bowl over.
Fabia delighted in his touch
take pleasure, revel, luxuriate, wallow, glory; adore, love, relish, savour, lap up; informal get a kick out of, get a buzz out of, get a thrill out of, dig; N. Amer. informal get a charge out of.
Top
ANTONYMS :dismay, disgust, dislike.

noun
she squealed with delight
pleasure, happiness, joy, glee, gladness; excitement, amusement; bliss, rapture, elation, euphoria. ANTONYMS :displeasure.

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delighted

adjective
pleased, glad, happy, thrilled, overjoyed, ecstatic, elated; on cloud nine, walking on air, in seventh heaven, jumping for joy; enchanted, charmed; amused, diverted; gleeful, cock-a-hoop; informal over the moon, tickled pink, as pleased as Punch, on top of the world, as happy as Larry, blissed out; Brit. informal chuffed; N. English informal made up; Austral. informal wrapped.

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delightful

adjective
a delightful evening
pleasant, lovely, pleasurable, enjoyable; amusing, entertaining, diverting; gratifying, satisfying; marvellous, wonderful, splendid, sublime, thrilling; informal great, super, fabulous, fab, terrific, heavenly, divine, grand; Brit. informal brilliant, brill, smashing; N. Amer. informal peachy, ducky; Austral./NZ informal beaut, bonzer.
the delightful Sally
charming, enchanting, captivating, bewitching, appealing; sweet, endearing, cute, lovely, adorable, delectable, delicious, gorgeous, ravishing, beautiful, pretty; Scottish & N. English bonny; informal dreamy, divine.
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delimit

verb
determine, establish, set, fix, demarcate, define, delineate.

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delineate

verb
the aims of the study as delineated by the boss
describe, set forth/out, present, outline, depict, represent; map out, define, specify, identify.
a section delineated in red marker pen
outline, trace, block in, mark (out/off), delimit.
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delinquency

noun
teenage delinquency
crime, wrongdoing, lawbreaking, lawlessness, misconduct, misbehaviour; misdemeanours, offences, misdeeds.
(formal) grave delinquency on the host's part
negligence, dereliction of duty, irresponsibility.
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delinquent

adjective
delinquent teenagers
lawless, lawbreaking, criminal; errant, badly behaved, troublesome, difficult, unruly, disobedient, uncontrollable.
(formal) delinquent parents face tough penalties
negligent, neglectful, remiss, irresponsible, lax, slack; N. Amer. derelict.
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ANTONYMS :dutiful.

noun
teenage delinquents
offender, wrongdoer, malefactor, lawbreaker, culprit, criminal; hooligan, vandal, ruffian, hoodlum; young offender; informal tearaway.

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delirious

adjective
she was delirious but had lucid intervals
incoherent, raving, babbling, irrational; feverish, frenzied; deranged, demented, unhinged, mad, insane, out of one's mind.
the delirious crowd
ecstatic, euphoric, elated, thrilled, overjoyed, beside oneself, walking on air, on cloud nine, in seventh heaven, carried away, transported, rapturous; hysterical, wild, frenzied; informal blissed out, over the moon, on a high.
Top

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delirium

noun
she had fits of delirium
derangement, dementia, madness, insanity; incoherence, irrationality, hysteria, feverishness, hallucination.
the delirium of desire
ecstasy, rapture, transports, wild emotion, passion, wildness, excitement, frenzy, feverishness, fever; euphoria, elation.
Top
ANTONYMS :lucidity.

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deliver

verb
the parcel was delivered to his house
bring, take, convey, carry, transport; send, dispatch, remit.
the money was delivered up to the official
hand over, turn over, make over, sign over; surrender, give up, yield, cede; consign, commit, entrust, trust.
Top
he was delivered from his enemies
save, rescue, free, liberate, release, extricate, emancipate, redeem.
Top
the court delivered its verdict
utter, give, make, read, broadcast; pronounce, announce, declare, proclaim, hand down, return, set forth.
Top
she delivered a blow to his head
administer, deal, inflict, give; informal land.
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he delivered the first ball
bowl, pitch, hurl, throw, cast, lob.
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the trip delivered everything she wanted
provide, supply, furnish.
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we must deliver on our commitments
fulfil, live up to, carry out, carry through, make good; informal deliver the goods, come across.
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she returned home to deliver her child
give birth to, bear, be delivered of, have, bring into the world; N. Amer. birth; informal drop.
Top

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deliverance

noun
their deliverance from prison
liberation, release, delivery, discharge, rescue, emancipation; salvation.
the tone he adopted for such deliverances
utterance, statement, announcement, pronouncement, declaration, proclamation; lecture, speech.
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delivery

noun
the delivery of the goods
conveyance, carriage, transportation, transport, distribution; dispatch, remittance; freightage, haulage, shipment.
we get several deliveries a day
consignment, load, shipment.
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the deliveries take place in hospital
birth, childbirth; formal parturition.
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her delivery was stilted
speech, pronunciation, enunciation, articulation, elocution; utterance, recitation, recital, execution.
Top

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delude

verb
mislead, deceive, fool, take in, trick, dupe, hoodwink, gull, lead on; informal con, pull the wool over someone's eyes, lead up the garden path, take for a ride; N. Amer. informal sucker, snooker; Austral. informal pull a swifty on.

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deluge

noun
homes were swept away by the deluge
flood, torrent; Brit. spate.
the deluge turned the pitch into a swamp
downpour, torrential rain; thunderstorm, rainstorm, cloudburst.
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a deluge of complaints
barrage, volley; flood, torrent, avalanche, stream, spate, rush, outpouring.
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verb
homes were deluged by the rains
flood, inundate, submerge, swamp, drown.
we have been deluged with calls
inundate, overwhelm, overrun, flood, swamp, snow under, engulf, bombard.
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delusion

noun
a common male delusion
misapprehension, misconception, misunderstanding, mistake, error, misinterpretation, misconstruction, misbelief; fallacy, illusion, fantasy.
a web of delusion
deception, trickery.
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de luxe

adjective
luxurious, luxury, sumptuous, palatial, opulent, lavish; grand, high-class, quality, exclusive, choice, fancy; expensive, costly; Brit. upmarket; informal plush, posh, classy, ritzy, swanky, pricey; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal swank. ANTONYMS :basic, cheap.

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delve

verb
she delved in her pocket
rummage, search, hunt, scrabble about/around, root about/around, ferret, fish about/around in, dig; go through, rifle through; Brit. informal rootle around in.
we must delve deeper into the matter
investigate, enquire, probe, explore, research, look into, go into.
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demagogue

noun
rabble-rouser, political agitator, soapbox orator, firebrand; informal tub-thumper.

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demand

noun
I gave in to her demands
request, call, command, order, dictate, ultimatum, stipulation.
the demands of a young family
requirement, need, desire, wish, want; claim, imposition.
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the big demand for such toys
market, call, appetite, desire; run on, rush on.
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verb
workers demanded wage increases
call for, ask for, request, push for, hold out for; insist on, claim.
Harvey demanded that I tell him the truth
order, command, enjoin, urge; poetic/literary bid.
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"Where is she?" he demanded
ask, inquire, question, interrogate; challenge.
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an activity demanding detailed knowledge
require, need, necessitate, call for, involve, entail.
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they demanded complete anonymity
insist on, stipulate, make a condition of; expect, look for.
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in demand
sought-after, desired, coveted, wanted, requested; marketable, desirable, popular, all the rage, at a premium, like gold dust; informal big, trendy, hot.

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demanding

adjective
a demanding task
difficult, challenging, taxing, exacting, tough, hard, onerous, burdensome, formidable; arduous, uphill, rigorous, gruelling, back-breaking, punishing.
a demanding child
nagging, clamorous, importunate, insistent; trying, tiresome, hard to please.
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ANTONYMS :easy.

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demarcate

verb
separate, divide, mark (out/off), delimit, delineate; bound.

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demarcation

noun
clear demarcation of function
separation, distinction, differentiation, division, delimitation, definition.
territorial demarcations
boundary, border, borderline, frontier; dividing line, divide.
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demean

verb
discredit, lower, degrade, debase, devalue; cheapen, abase, humble, humiliate, disgrace, dishonour. ANTONYMS :dignify.

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demeaning

adjective
degrading, humiliating, shameful, mortifying, abject, ignominious, undignified, inglorious; informal infra dig.

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demeanour

noun
manner, air, attitude, appearance, look; bearing, carriage; behaviour, conduct; formal comportment.

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demented

adjective
mad, insane, deranged, out of one's mind, crazed, lunatic, unbalanced, unhinged, disturbed, non compos mentis; informal crazy, mental, off one's head, off one's rocker, nutty, round the bend, raving mad, batty, cuckoo, loopy, loony, bananas, screwy, touched, gaga, not all there, out to lunch; Brit. informal barmy, bonkers, crackers, barking, round the twist, off one's trolley, not the full shilling; N. Amer. informal buggy, nutso, squirrelly, wacko. ANTONYMS :sane.

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dementia

noun
mental illness, madness, insanity, derangement, lunacy; Alzheimer's (disease).

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demise

noun
her tragic demise
death, dying, passing, loss of life, end, quietus; formal decease; archaic expiry.
the demise of the Ottoman empire
end, break-up, disintegration, fall, downfall, collapse.
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ANTONYMS :birth.

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demobilize

verb
disband, decommission, discharge; Brit. informal demob.

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democracy

noun
representative government, elective government, constitutional government; self-government, autonomy; republic, commonwealth. ANTONYMS :dictatorship.

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democratic

adjective
elected, representative, parliamentary, popular; egalitarian, classless; self-governing, autonomous, republican.

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demolish

verb
they demolished a block of flats
knock down, pull down, tear down, bring down, destroy, flatten, raze (to the ground), level, bulldoze, topple; blow up; dismantle, disassemble.
he demolished her credibility
destroy, ruin, wreck; refute, disprove, discredit, overturn, explode, drive a coach and horses through; informal shoot full of holes, do for.
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(informal) our team were demolished.
See trounce.
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(informal) she demolished a sausage roll.
See devour sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :construct, strengthen.

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demolition

noun
the demolition of the building
destruction, levelling, bulldozing, clearance; obliteration.
the demolition of his theory
destruction, refutation.
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(informal) New Zealand's demolition of England.
See defeat noun sense 1.
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demon

noun
the demons from hell
devil, fiend, evil spirit, cacodemon; incubus, succubus; hellhound.
the man was a demon
monster, ogre, fiend, devil, brute, savage, beast, barbarian, animal.
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Surrey's fast-bowling demon
genius, expert, master, virtuoso, maestro, past master, marvel; star; informal hotshot, whizz, buff, pro, ace.
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the demon of creativity.
See daemon.
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ANTONYMS :angel, saint.

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demonic demoniacdemoniacal

adjective
demonic powers
devilish, fiendish, diabolical, satanic, Mephistophelean, hellish, infernal; evil, wicked.
the demonic intensity of his playing
frenzied, wild, feverish, frenetic, frantic, furious, manic, like one possessed.
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demonstrable

adjective
verifiable, provable, attestable; verified, proven, confirmed; obvious, clear, clear-cut, evident, apparent, manifest, patent, distinct, noticeable; unmistakable, undeniable.

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demonstrate

verb
his findings demonstrate that boys commit more crimes
show, indicate, determine, establish, prove, confirm, verify, corroborate, substantiate.
she was asked to demonstrate quilting
give a demonstration of, show how something is done; display, show, illustrate, exemplify.
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his work demonstrated an analytical ability
reveal, bespeak, indicate, signify, signal, denote, show, display, exhibit; bear witness to, testify to; imply, intimate, give away.
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they demonstrated against the Government
protest, rally, march; stage a sit-in, picket, strike, walk out; mutiny, rebel.
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demonstration

noun
there is no demonstration of God's existence
proof, substantiation, confirmation, affirmation, corroboration, verification, validation; evidence, indication, witness, testament.
a demonstration of woodcarving
exhibition, presentation, display, exposition, teach-in; informal demo, expo, taster.
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his paintings are a demonstration of his talent
manifestation, indication, sign, mark, token, embodiment; expression.
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an anti-racism demonstration
protest, march, rally, lobby, sit-in; stoppage, strike, walkout, picket (line); informal demo.
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demonstrative

adjective
a very demonstrative family
expressive, open, forthcoming, communicative, unreserved, emotional, effusive, gushing; affectionate, cuddly, loving, warm, friendly, approachable; informal touchy-feely, lovey-dovey.
the successes are demonstrative of their skill
indicative, indicatory, suggestive, illustrative.
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demonstrative evidence of his theorem
convincing, definite, positive, telling, conclusive, certain, decisive; incontrovertible, irrefutable, undeniable, indisputable, unassailable.
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ANTONYMS :reserved, inconclusive.

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demoralize

verb
dishearten, dispirit, deject, cast down, depress, dismay, daunt, discourage, unman, unnerve, crush, shake, throw, cow, subdue; break someone's spirit; informal knock the stuffing out of, knock sideways; Brit. informal knock for six. ANTONYMS :hearten.

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demoralized

adjective
dispirited, disheartened, downhearted, dejected, downcast, low, depressed, despairing; disconsolate, crestfallen, disappointed, dismayed, daunted, discouraged; crushed, humbled, subdued.

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demote

verb
downgrade, relegate, declass, reduce in rank; depose, unseat, displace, oust; Military cashier, disrate. ANTONYMS :promote.

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demotic

adjective
popular, vernacular, colloquial, idiomatic, vulgar, common; informal, everyday, slangy. ANTONYMS :formal.

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demur

verb
Steed demurred when the suggestion was made
object, take exception, take issue, protest, cavil, dissent; voice reservations, be unwilling, be reluctant, baulk, think twice; drag one's heels, refuse; informal boggle, kick up a fuss.
noun
they accepted without demur
objection, protest, protestation, complaint, dispute, dissent, opposition, resistance; reservation, hesitation, reluctance, disinclination; doubts, qualms, misgivings, second thoughts; a murmur, a word.

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demure

adjective
modest, unassuming, meek, mild, reserved, retiring, quiet, shy, bashful, diffident, reticent, timid, shrinking, coy; decorous, decent, seemly, ladylike, respectable, proper, virtuous, pure, innocent, chaste; sober, sedate, staid, prim, goody-goody, strait-laced; informal butter-wouldn't-melt. ANTONYMS :brazen.

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den

noun
the mink left its den
lair, sett, earth, drey, burrow, hole, dugout, covert, shelter, hiding place, hideout.
a notorious drinking den
haunt, site, hotbed, nest, pit, hole; informal joint, dive.
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the poet scribbled in his den
study, studio, library; sanctum, retreat, sanctuary, hideaway, snug, cubbyhole; informal hidey-hole.
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denial

noun
the reports met with a denial
contradiction, refutation, rebuttal, repudiation, disclaimer; negation, dissent; Law disaffirmation.
the denial of insurance to certain people
refusal, withholding; rejection, rebuff, repulse, veto, turndown; informal knock-back; N. Amer. formal declination.
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the denial of worldly values
renunciation, eschewal, repudiation, disavowal, rejection, abandonment, surrender, relinquishment.
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denigrate

verb
disparage, belittle, deprecate, decry, cast aspersions on, criticize, attack; speak ill of, give someone a bad name, defame, slander, libel; run down, abuse, insult, revile, malign, vilify; N. Amer. slur; informal bad-mouth, pull to pieces; Brit. informal rubbish, slate, slag off; formal calumniate. ANTONYMS :extol.

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denizen

noun
(formal) inhabitant, resident, townsman/woman, native, local; occupier, occupant, dweller; archaic burgher.

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denominate

verb
(formal) call, name, term, designate, style, dub, label, entitle.

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denomination

noun
a Christian denomination
religious group, sect, cult, movement, body, branch, persuasion, order, school; Church.
banknotes in a number of denominations
value, unit, size.
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(formal) the invention's denomination still stands today
name, title, term, designation, epithet, label, tag; informal handle, moniker; formal appellation.
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denote

verb
the headdresses denoted warriors
designate, indicate, be a mark of, signify, signal, symbolize, represent, mean; typify, characterize, distinguish, mark, identify.
his manner denoted an inner strength
suggest, point to, smack of, indicate, show, reveal, intimate, imply, convey, betray, bespeak; informal spell.
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denouement

noun
the film's denouement
finale, final scene, epilogue, coda, end, ending, finish, close; culmination, climax, conclusion, resolution, solution.
the debate had an unexpected denouement
outcome, upshot, consequence, result, end; informal pay-off.
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ANTONYMS :beginning, origin.

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denounce

verb
the pope denounced abortion
condemn, criticize, attack, censure, decry, revile, vilify, discredit, damn, reject; proscribe; malign, rail against, run down; N. Amer. slur; informal knock, slam, hit out at, lay into; Brit. informal slate, slag off; formal castigate.
he was denounced as a traitor
expose, betray, inform on; incriminate, implicate, cite, name, accuse; archaic inculpate.
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ANTONYMS :praise.

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dense

adjective
a dense forest
thick, close-packed, tightly packed, closely set, crowded, compact, solid, tight; overgrown, jungly, impenetrable, impassable.
dense smoke
thick, heavy, opaque, soupy, murky, smoggy; concentrated, condensed.
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(informal) they were dense enough to believe me
stupid, unintelligent, ignorant, brainless, mindless, foolish, slow, witless, simple-minded, empty-headed, vacuous, vapid, idiotic, imbecilic; informal thick, dim, moronic, dumb, dopey, dozy, wooden-headed, lamebrained, birdbrained, pea-brained; Brit. informal daft.
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ANTONYMS :sparse, thin, clever.

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density

noun
solidity, solidness, denseness, thickness, substance, mass; compactness, tightness, hardness.

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dent

noun
I made a dent in his car
indentation, dint, dimple, dip, depression, hollow, crater, pit, trough.
a nasty dent in their finances
reduction, depletion, deduction, cut.
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ANTONYMS :increase.

verb
Jamie dented his bike
dint, indent, mark.
the experience dented her confidence
diminish, reduce, lessen, shrink, weaken, erode, undermine, sap, shake, damage, impair.
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dentist

noun
dental surgeon, orthodontist, periodontist, paedodontist.

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denude

verb
strip, clear, deprive, bereave, rob; lay bare, uncover, expose; deforest, defoliate; dated divest. ANTONYMS :cover.

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deny

verb
the report was denied by witnesses
contradict, repudiate, challenge, contest, oppose; disprove, debunk, explode, discredit, refute, rebut, invalidate, negate, nullify, quash; informal shoot full of holes; formal gainsay; Law disaffirm.
he denied the request
refuse, turn down, reject, rebuff, repulse, decline, veto, dismiss; informal knock back, give the thumbs down to, give the red light to.
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she had to deny her parents
renounce, eschew, repudiate, disavow, disown, wash one's hands of, reject, discard, cast aside, abandon, give up; formal forswear; poetic/literary forsake.
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ANTONYMS :confirm, accept.

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deodorant

noun
an underarm deodorant
antiperspirant, body spray, perfume, scent.

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deodorize

verb
freshen, sweeten, purify, disinfect, sanitize, sterilize; fumigate, aerate, air, ventilate.

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depart

verb
James departed after lunch
leave, go (away), withdraw, absent oneself, abstract oneself, quit, exit, decamp, retreat, retire; make off, run off/away; set off/out, get under way, be on one's way; informal make tracks, up sticks, clear off/out, take off, split; Brit. informal sling one's hook.
the budget departed from the norm
deviate, diverge, digress, drift, stray, veer; differ, vary; contrast with.
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ANTONYMS :arrive.

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departed

adjective
dead, expired, gone, no more, passed on/away; perished, fallen; informal six feet under, pushing up daisies; formal deceased; euphemistic with God, asleep.

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department

noun
the public health department
division, section, sector, unit, branch, arm, wing; office, bureau, agency, ministry.
rural departments
district, canton, province, territory, state, county, shire, parish; region, area.
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the food is Kay's department
domain, territory, province, area, line; responsibility, duty, function, business, affair, charge, task, concern; informal pigeon, baby, bag, bailiwick.
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departure

noun
he tried to delay her departure
leaving, going, leave-taking, withdrawal, exit, egress, retreat.
a departure from normality
deviation, divergence, digression, shift; variation, change.
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an exciting departure for film-makers
change, innovation, novelty, rarity.
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depend

verb
her career depends on a good reference
be contingent on, be conditional on, be dependent on, hinge on, hang on, rest on, rely on; be decided by.
my family depends on me
rely on, lean on; count on, bank on, trust (in), have faith in, believe in; pin one's hopes on.
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dependable

adjective
reliable, trustworthy, trusty, faithful, loyal, unfailing, sure, steadfast, stable; honourable, sensible, responsible.

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dependant

noun
child, minor; ward, charge, protégé; relative; (dependants) offspring, progeny.

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dependence

noun
. See dependency senses 1, 2, 3.

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dependency

noun
her dependency on her husband
dependence, reliance; need for.
the association of retirement with dependency
helplessness, dependence, weakness, defencelessness, vulnerability.
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drug dependency
addiction, dependence, reliance; craving, compulsion, fixation, obsession; abuse.
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a British dependency
colony, protectorate, province, outpost, satellite state; holding, possession.
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a dependency of the firm
subsidiary, adjunct, offshoot, auxiliary, attachment, satellite, derivative.
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ANTONYMS :independence.

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dependent

adjective
your placement is dependent on her decision
conditional, contingent, based; subject to, determined by, influenced by.
the army is dependent on volunteers
reliant on, relying on, counting on; sustained by.
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she is dependent on drugs
addicted to, reliant on; informal hooked on.
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he is ill and dependent
reliant, needy; helpless, weak, infirm, invalid, incapable; debilitated, disabled.
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a UK dependent territory
subsidiary, subject; satellite, ancillary; puppet.
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depict

verb
the painting depicts the Last Supper
portray, represent, picture, illustrate, delineate, reproduce, render; draw, paint.
the process depicted by Darwin's theory
describe, detail, relate; present, set forth, set out, outline, delineate; represent, portray, characterize.
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depiction

noun
a depiction of Aphrodite
picture, painting, portrait, drawing, sketch, study, illustration; image, likeness.
the film's depiction of women
portrayal, representation, presentation, characterization.
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deplete

verb
exhaust, use up, consume, expend, drain, empty, milk; reduce, decrease, diminish; slim down, cut back. ANTONYMS :augment.

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depletion

noun
exhaustion, use, consumption, expenditure; reduction, decrease, diminution; impoverishment.

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deplorable

adjective
your conduct is deplorable
disgraceful, shameful, dishonourable, unworthy, inexcusable, unpardonable, unforgivable; reprehensible, despicable, abominable, contemptible, execrable, heinous, beyond the pale.
the garden is in a deplorable state
lamentable, regrettable, unfortunate, wretched, atrocious, awful, terrible, dreadful, diabolical; sorry, poor, inadequate; informal appalling, dire, abysmal, woeful, lousy; formal grievous.
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ANTONYMS :admirable.

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deplore

verb
we deplore violence
abhor, find unacceptable, frown on, disapprove of, take a dim view of, take exception to; detest, despise; condemn, denounce.
he deplored their lack of flair
regret, lament, mourn, rue, bemoan, bewail, complain about, grieve over, sigh over.
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ANTONYMS :applaud.

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deploy

verb
forces were deployed at strategic points
position, station, post, place, install, locate, situate, site, establish; base; distribute, dispose.
she deployed all her skills
use, utilize, employ, take advantage of, exploit; bring into service, call on, turn to, resort to.
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deport

verb
they were fined and deported
expel, banish, exile, transport, expatriate, extradite, repatriate; evict, oust, throw out; informal kick out, boot out, send packing; Brit. informal turf out.
(archaic) he deported himself with dignity.
See behave sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :admit.

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deportment

noun
(Brit.) poise is concerned with good deportment
posture, carriage, bearing, stance, gait; formal comportment.
(N. Amer.) unprofessional deportment
behaviour, conduct, performance; manners, practices, actions.
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depose

verb
the president was deposed
overthrow, unseat, dethrone, topple, remove, supplant, displace; dismiss, oust, drum out, throw out, expel, eject; informal chuck out, boot out, get rid of, show someone the door; Brit. informal turf out.
(Law) a witness deposed that he had seen me
swear, testify, attest, assert, declare, claim; rare asseverate.
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deposit

noun
a thick deposit of ash
accumulation, sediment; layer, covering, coating, blanket.
a copper deposit
seam, vein, lode, layer, stratum, bed.
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they paid a deposit
down payment, advance payment, prepayment, instalment, retainer, stake.
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verb
she deposited her books on the table
put (down), place, set (down), unload, rest; drop; informal dump, park, plonk; N. Amer. informal plunk.
the silt deposited by flood water
leave (behind), precipitate, dump; wash up, cast up.
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the gold was deposited at the bank
lodge, bank, house, store, stow, put away; informal stash, squirrel away.
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deposition

noun
the King's deposition
overthrow, downfall, removal, dethronement, displacement, dismissal, expulsion, ejection; N. Amer. ouster.
(Law) depositions from witnesses
statement, affidavit, attestation, affirmation, assertion; allegation, declaration; testimony, evidence; rare asseveration.
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the deposition of calcium
depositing, accumulation, build-up, precipitation.
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depository

noun
repository, cache, store, storeroom, storehouse, warehouse; vault, strongroom, safe, treasury; container, receptacle; informal lock-up.

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depot

noun
the bus depot
terminal, terminus, station, garage; headquarters, base.
an arms depot
storehouse, warehouse, store, repository, depository, cache; arsenal, magazine, armoury, ammunition dump.
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deprave

verb
corrupt, lead astray, warp, subvert, pervert, debauch, debase, degrade, defile, sully, pollute.

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depraved

adjective
corrupt, perverted, deviant, degenerate, debased, immoral, unprincipled; debauched, dissolute, licentious, lecherous, prurient, indecent, sordid; wicked, sinful, vile, iniquitous, nefarious; informal warped, twisted, pervy, sick.

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depravity

noun
corruption, vice, perversion, deviance, degeneracy, immorality, debauchery, dissipation, profligacy, licentiousness, lechery, prurience, obscenity, indecency; wickedness, sin, iniquity; informal perviness; formal turpitude.

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deprecate

verb
the school deprecates this behaviour
deplore, abhor, disapprove of, frown on, take a dim view of, take exception to, detest, despise; criticize, censure.
he deprecates the value of television
belittle, disparage, denigrate, run down, discredit, decry, play down, trivialize, underrate, undervalue, underestimate, depreciate; scoff at, sneer at, scorn, disdain; informal pooh-pooh.
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ANTONYMS :praise, overrate.

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deprecatory

adjective
deprecatory remarks
disapproving, censorious, critical, scathing, damning, condemnatory, denunciatory, disparaging, denigratory, derogatory, negative, unflattering; disdainful, derisive, snide.
a deprecatory smile
apologetic, rueful, regretful, sorry, remorseful, contrite, penitent, repentant; shamefaced, sheepish.
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depreciate

verb
these cars will depreciate
decrease in value, lose value, fall in price.
the decision to depreciate property
devalue, cheapen, reduce, lower in price, mark down, cut, discount; informal slash.
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they depreciate the importance of art
belittle, disparage, denigrate, decry, deprecate, underrate, undervalue, underestimate, diminish, trivialize; disdain, sneer at, scoff at, scorn; informal knock, bad-mouth, sell short, pooh-pooh, do down; Brit. informal rubbish.
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depredation

noun
plundering, plunder, looting, pillaging, robbery; devastation, destruction, damage, rape; ravages, raids.

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depress

verb
the news depressed him
sadden, dispirit, cast down, get down, dishearten, demoralize, crush, shake, desolate, weigh down, oppress; upset, distress, grieve, haunt, harrow; informal give someone the blues, make someone fed up.
new economic policies depressed sales
slow down, reduce, lower, weaken, impair; limit, check, inhibit, restrict.
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imports will depress farm prices
reduce, lower, cut, cheapen, keep down, discount, deflate, depreciate, devalue, diminish, axe; informal slash.
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depress each key in turn
press, push, hold down; thumb, tap; operate, activate.
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ANTONYMS :encourage, raise.

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depressant

noun
sedative, tranquillizer, calmative, sleeping pill, soporific, opiate, hypnotic; informal downer, trank, sleeper, dope; Medicine neuroleptic. ANTONYMS :stimulant.

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depressed

adjective
he felt lonely and depressed
sad, unhappy, miserable, gloomy, glum, melancholy, dejected, disconsolate, downhearted, downcast, down, despondent, dispirited, low, heavy-hearted, morose, dismal, desolate; tearful, upset; informal blue, down in the dumps, down in the mouth, fed up.
a depressed economy
weak, enervated, devitalized, impaired; inactive, flat, slow, slack, sluggish, stagnant.
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depressed prices
reduced, low, cut, cheap, marked down, discounted, discount; informal slashed.
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a depressed town
poverty-stricken, poor, disadvantaged, deprived, needy, distressed; run down; informal slummy.
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a depressed fracture
sunken, hollow, concave, indented, recessed.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful, strong, inflated, prosperous, raised.

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depressing

adjective
depressing thoughts
upsetting, distressing, painful, heartbreaking; dismal, bleak, black, sombre, gloomy, grave, unhappy, melancholy, sad; wretched, doleful; informal morbid, blue.
a depressing room
gloomy, bleak, dreary, grim, drab, sombre, dark, dingy, funereal, cheerless, joyless, comfortless, uninviting.
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depression

noun
she ate to ease her depression
unhappiness, sadness, melancholy, melancholia, misery, sorrow, woe, gloom, despondency, low spirits, heavy heart, despair, desolation, hopelessness; upset, tearfulness; informal the dumps, the doldrums, the blues, one's black dog, a (blue) funk; Psychiatry dysthymia.
an economic depression
recession, slump, decline, downturn, standstill; stagnation; Economics stagflation.
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a depression in the ground
hollow, indentation, dent, dint, cavity, concavity, dip, pit, hole, sinkhole, trough, crater; basin, bowl.
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deprivation

noun
unemployment and deprivation
poverty, impoverishment, penury, privation, hardship, destitution; need, want, distress, indigence, beggary, ruin; straitened circumstances; rare pauperdom.
deprivation of political rights
dispossession, withholding, withdrawal, removal, divestment, expropriation, seizure, confiscation; denial, forfeiture, loss; absence, lack.
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ANTONYMS :wealth.

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deprive

verb
dispossess, strip, divest, relieve, bereave, deny, rob; cheat out of; informal do out of.

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deprived

adjective
disadvantaged, underprivileged, poverty-stricken, impoverished, poor, destitute, needy, unable to make ends meet; Brit. on the bread line.

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depth

noun
the depth of the caves
deepness, distance downwards, distance inwards; drop, vertical extent; archaic profundity.
the depth of his knowledge
extent, range, scope, breadth, width; magnitude, scale, degree.
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her lack of depth
profundity, deepness, wisdom, understanding, intelligence, sagacity, discernment, penetration, insight, astuteness, acumen, shrewdness; formal perspicuity.
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a work of great depth
complexity, intricacy; profundity, gravity, weight.
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depth of colour
intensity, richness, deepness, vividness, strength, brilliance.
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the depths of the sea
deepest part, bottom, floor, bed; abyss.
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ANTONYMS :shallowness, triviality, surface.

in depth
thoroughly, extensively, comprehensively, rigorously, exhaustively, completely, fully; meticulously, scrupulously, painstakingly.

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deputation

noun
delegation, delegacy, legation, commission, committee, (diplomatic) mission; contingent, group, party.

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depute

verb
he was deputed to handle negotiations
appoint, designate, nominate, assign, commission, charge, choose, select, elect; empower, authorize.
the judge deputed smaller cases to others
delegate, transfer, hand over, pass on, consign, assign, entrust, give.
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deputize

verb
stand in, sit in, fill in, cover, substitute, replace, take someone's place, understudy, be a locum, relieve, take over; hold the fort, step into the breach; act for, act on behalf of; informal sub.

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deputy

noun
he handed over to his deputy
second (in command), number two, subordinate, junior, assistant, personal assistant, PA, aide, helper, right-hand man/woman, underling, man/girl Friday; substitute, stand-in, fill-in, relief, understudy, locum tenens; representative, proxy, agent, spokesperson; Scottish depute; informal sidekick, locum, temp.
adjective
her deputy editor
assistant, substitute, stand-in, acting, reserve, fill-in, caretaker, temporary, provisional, stopgap, surrogate; pro tempore, ad interim; informal second-string.

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deranged

adjective
insane, mad, disturbed, unbalanced, unhinged, unstable, irrational; crazed, demented, berserk, frenzied, lunatic, certifiable; non compos mentis; informal touched, crazy, mental; Brit. informal barmy, barking (mad), round the twist. ANTONYMS :rational.

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derelict

adjective
a derelict building
dilapidated, ramshackle, run down, tumbledown, in ruins, falling apart; rickety, creaky, deteriorating, crumbling; neglected, untended, gone to rack and ruin.
a derelict airfield
disused, abandoned, deserted, discarded, rejected, neglected, untended.
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(N. Amer.) he was derelict in his duty
negligent, neglectful, remiss, lax, careless, sloppy, slipshod, slack, irresponsible, delinquent.
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noun
the derelicts who survive on the streets
tramp, vagrant, vagabond, down and out, homeless person, drifter; beggar, mendicant; outcast; informal dosser, bag lady; N. Amer. informal hobo, bum.

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dereliction

noun
buildings were reclaimed from dereliction
dilapidation, disrepair, deterioration, ruin, rack and ruin; abandonment, neglect, disuse.
dereliction of duty
negligence, neglect, delinquency, failure; carelessness, laxity, sloppiness, slackness, irresponsibility; oversight, omission.
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deride

verb
ridicule, mock, scoff at, jibe at, make fun of, poke fun at, laugh at, hold up to ridicule, pillory; disdain, disparage, denigrate, dismiss, slight; sneer at, scorn, insult; informal knock, pooh-pooh, take the mickey out of. ANTONYMS :praise.

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de rigueur

adjective
straight hair was de rigueur
fashionable, in fashion, in vogue, modish, up to date, up to the minute, all the rage; informal trendy, with it.
an address is de rigueur for business cards
customary, standard, conventional, normal, orthodox, usual, comme il faut; compulsory; informal done.
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derision

noun
mockery, ridicule, jeers, sneers, taunts; disdain, disparagement, denigration, disrespect, insults; scorn, contempt; lampooning, satire.

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derisive

adjective
mocking, jeering, scoffing, teasing, derisory, snide, sneering; disdainful, scornful, contemptuous, taunting, insulting; scathing, sarcastic; informal snidey; Brit. informal sarky.

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derisory

adjective
a derisory sum
inadequate, insufficient, tiny, small; trifling, paltry, pitiful, miserly, miserable; negligible, token, nominal; ridiculous, laughable, ludicrous, preposterous, insulting; informal measly, stingy, lousy, pathetic, piddling, piffling, mingy, poxy.
derisory calls from the crowd.
See derisive.
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derivation

noun
the derivation of theories from empirical observation
deriving, induction, deduction, inference; extraction, eliciting.
the derivation of a word
origin, etymology, root, etymon, provenance, source; origination, beginning, foundation, basis, cause; development, evolution.
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derivative

adjective
her poetry was derivative
imitative, unoriginal, uninventive, unimaginative, uninspired; copied, plagiarized, plagiaristic, second-hand; trite, hackneyed, clichéd, stale, stock, banal; informal copycat, cribbed, old hat. ANTONYMS :original.

noun
a derivative of opium
by-product, subsidiary product; spin-off.
a derivative of a verb
derived word.
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derive

verb
he derives consolation from his poetry
obtain, get, take, gain, acquire, procure, extract, attain, glean.
"coffee" derives from the Turkish "kahveh"
originate in, stem from, descend from, spring from, be taken from.
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his fortune derives from property
originate in, be rooted in; stem from, come from, spring from, proceed from, issue from.
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derogate

verb
(formal) his contribution was derogated by critics
disparage, denigrate, belittle, deprecate, deflate; decry, discredit, cast aspersions on, run down, criticize; defame, vilify, abuse, insult, attack, pour scorn on; informal pull apart, drag through the mud, knock, slam, bash, bad-mouth; Brit. informal rubbish, slate, slag off.
the act would derogate from the king's majesty
detract from, devalue, diminish, reduce, lessen, depreciate; demean, cheapen.
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rules which derogate from an Act of Parliament
deviate, diverge, depart, digress, stray; differ, vary; conflict with, be incompatible with.
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ANTONYMS :praise, increase.

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derogatory

adjective
disparaging, denigratory, deprecatory, disrespectful, demeaning; critical, pejorative, negative, unfavourable, uncomplimentary, unflattering, insulting; offensive, personal, abusive, rude, nasty, mean, hurtful; defamatory, slanderous, libellous; informal bitchy, catty. ANTONYMS :complimentary.

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descend

verb
the plane started descending
go down, come down; drop, fall, sink, dive, plummet, plunge, nosedive.
she descended the stairs
climb down, go down, come down; shin down.
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the road descends to a village
slope, dip, slant, go down, fall away.
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she saw Leo descend from the bus
alight, disembark, get down, get off, dismount.
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they would not to descend to such mean tricks
stoop, lower oneself, demean oneself, debase oneself; resort, be reduced, go as far as.
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the army descended into chaos
degenerate, deteriorate, decline, sink, slide, fall.
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they descended on the pub
come in force, arrive in hordes; attack, assail, assault, storm, invade, swoop on, charge.
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he is descended from a Flemish family
be a descendant of, originate from, issue from, spring from, derive from.
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his estates descended to his son
be handed down, be passed down; be inherited by.
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ANTONYMS :ascend, climb, board.

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descendant

noun
successor, scion; heir; (descendants) offspring, progeny, family, lineage; Law issue; archaic seed, fruit of one's loins. ANTONYMS :ancestor.

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descent

noun
the plane began its descent
dive, drop; fall, pitch.
their descent of the mountain
downward climb.
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a steep descent
slope, incline, dip, drop, gradient, declivity, slant; hill.
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his descent into alcoholism
decline, slide, fall, degeneration, deterioration, regression.
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she is of Italian descent
ancestry, parentage, ancestors, family, antecedents; extraction, origin, derivation, birth; lineage, line, genealogy, heredity, stock, pedigree, blood, bloodline; roots, origins.
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the descent of property
inheritance, succession.
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the sudden descent of the cavalry
attack, assault, raid, onslaught, charge, thrust, push, drive, incursion, foray.
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describe

verb
he described his experiences
report, recount, relate, tell of, set out, chronicle; detail, catalogue, give a rundown of; explain, illustrate, discuss, comment on.
she described him as a pathetic figure
designate, pronounce, call, label, style, dub; characterize, class; portray, depict, brand, paint.
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the pen described a circle
delineate, mark out, outline, trace, draw.
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description

noun
a description of my travels
account, report, rendition, explanation, illustration; chronicle, narration, narrative, story, commentary; portrayal, portrait; details.
the description of coal as "bottled sunshine"
designation, labelling, naming, dubbing, pronouncement; characterization, classification, branding; portrayal, depiction.
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vehicles of every description
sort, variety, kind, type, category, order, breed, class, designation, specification, genre, genus, brand, make, character, ilk; N. Amer. stripe.
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descriptive

adjective
illustrative, expressive, graphic, detailed, lively, vivid, striking; explanatory, elucidatory, explicative.

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descry

verb
(poetic/literary). See notice verb.

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desecrate

verb
violate, profane, defile, debase, degrade, dishonour; vandalize, damage, destroy, deface.

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desert 1

verb
his wife deserted him
abandon, leave, turn one's back on; throw over, jilt, break up with; leave high and dry, leave in the lurch, leave behind, strand, maroon; informal walk out on, run out on, drop, dump, ditch; poetic/literary forsake.
his allies were deserting the cause
renounce, repudiate, relinquish, wash one's hands of, abandon, turn one's back on, betray, disavow; formal abjure; poetic/literary forsake.
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soldiers deserted in droves
abscond, defect, run away, make off, decamp, flee, turn tail, take French leave, depart, quit; Military go AWOL.
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desert 2

noun
an African desert
wasteland, wastes, wilderness, wilds, barren land; dust bowl.
adjective
desert conditions
arid, dry, moistureless, parched, scorched, hot; barren, bare, stark, infertile, unfruitful, dehydrated, sterile.
a desert island
uninhabited, empty, lonely, desolate, bleak; wild, uncultivated.
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ANTONYMS :fertile.

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deserted

adjective
a deserted wife
abandoned, thrown over, jilted, cast aside; neglected, stranded, marooned; forlorn, bereft; informal dumped, ditched, dropped; poetic/literary forsaken.
a deserted village
empty, uninhabited, unoccupied, unpeopled, abandoned, evacuated, vacant; untenanted, tenantless, neglected; desolate, lonely, godforsaken.
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ANTONYMS :populous.

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deserter

noun
absconder, runaway, fugitive, truant, escapee; renegade, defector, turncoat, traitor.

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desertion

noun
his wife's desertion of him
abandonment, leaving, jilting.
the desertion of the president's colleagues
defection; betrayal, renunciation, repudiation, apostasy; formal abjuration.
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soldiers were executed for desertion
absconding, running away, truancy, going absent without leave, taking French leave, escape; defection, treason; Military going AWOL.
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deserve

verb
merit, earn, warrant, rate, justify, be worthy of, be entitled to, have a right to, be qualified for.

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deserved

adjective
well earned, merited, warranted, justified, justifiable; rightful, due, right, just, fair, fitting, appropriate, suitable, proper, apt; archaic meet.

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deserving

adjective
the deserving poor
worthy, meritorious, commendable, praiseworthy, admirable, estimable, creditable; respectable, decent, honourable, righteous.
a lapse deserving of punishment
meriting, warranting, justifying, suitable for, worthy of.
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desiccated

adjective
dried, dry, dehydrated, powdered. ANTONYMS :moist.

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desideratum

noun
requirement, prerequisite, need, indispensable thing, sine qua non, essential, requisite, necessary.

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design

noun
a design for the offices
plan, blueprint, drawing, sketch, outline, map, plot, diagram, draft, representation, scheme, model.
tableware with a gold design
pattern, motif, device; style, composition, make-up, layout, construction, shape, form.
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his design of reaching the top
intention, aim, purpose, plan, intent, objective, object, goal, end, target; hope, desire, wish, dream, aspiration, ambition.
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verb
the church was designed by Hicks
plan, outline, map out, draft, draw.
they designed a new engine
invent, originate, create, think up, come up with, devise, formulate, conceive; make, produce, develop, fashion; informal dream up.
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this paper is designed to provoke discussion
intend, aim; devise, contrive, purpose, plan; tailor, fashion, adapt, gear; mean, destine.
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by design
deliberately, intentionally, on purpose, purposefully; knowingly, wittingly, co nsciously, calculatedly.

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designate

verb
some firms designate a press officer
appoint, nominate, depute, delegate; select, choose, pick, elect, name, identify, assign.
the rivers are designated "Sites of Special Scientific Interest"
classify, class, label, tag; name, call, entitle, term, dub; formal denominate.
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designation

noun
the designation of a leader
appointment, nomination, naming, selection, election.
the designation of nature reserves
classification, specification, definition, earmarking, pinpointing.
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the designation "Generalissimo"
title, name, epithet, tag; nickname, byname, sobriquet; informal moniker, handle; formal denomination, appellation.
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designer

noun
a designer of farmhouses
creator, planner, deviser, inventor, originator; maker; architect, builder.
young designers made the dress
couturier, tailor, costumier, dressmaker.
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designing

adjective
scheming, calculating, conniving; cunning, crafty, artful, wily, devious, guileful, manipulative; treacherous, sly, underhand, deceitful, double-dealing; informal crooked, foxy.

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desirability

noun
the desirability of the property
appeal, attractiveness, allure; agreeableness, worth, excellence.
the desirability of a different economy
advisability, advantage, expedience, benefit, merit, value, profit, profitability.
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her obvious desirability
attractiveness, sexual attraction, beauty, good looks; charm, seductiveness; informal sexiness.
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desirable

adjective
a desirable location
attractive, sought-after, in demand, popular, desired, covetable, enviable; appealing, agreeable, pleasant; valuable, good, excellent; informal to die for.
it is desirable that they should meet
advantageous, advisable, wise, sensible, recommendable; helpful, useful, beneficial, worthwhile, profitable, preferable.
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a very desirable woman
(sexually) attractive, beautiful, pretty, appealing; seductive, alluring, enchanting, beguiling, captivating, bewitching, irresistible; informal sexy, beddable.
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ANTONYMS :unattractive, unwise, ugly.

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desire

noun
a desire to see the world
wish, want, aspiration, fancy, inclination, impulse; yearning, longing, craving, hankering, hunger; eagerness, enthusiasm, determination; informal yen, itch.
his eyes glittered with desire
lust, sexual attraction, passion, sensuality, sexuality; lasciviousness, lechery, salaciousness, libidinousness; informal the hots, raunchiness, horniness; Brit. informal randiness.
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verb
they desired peace
want, wish for, long for, yearn for, crave, hanker after, be desperate for, be bent on, covet, aspire to; fancy; informal have a yen for, yen for.
she desired him
be attracted to, lust after, burn for, be infatuated by; informal fancy, have the hots for, have a crush on, be mad about.
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desired

adjective
cut the cloth to the desired length
required, necessary, proper, right, correct; appropriate, suitable; preferred, chosen, selected.
the desired results
wished for, wanted, coveted; sought-after, longed for, yearned for.
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desirous

adjective
eager, desiring, anxious, keen, craving, yearning, longing, hungry; ambitious, aspiring; covetous, envious; informal dying, itching.

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desist

verb
abstain, refrain, forbear, hold back, keep; stop, cease, discontinue, suspend, give up, break off, drop, dispense with, eschew; informal lay off, give over, quit, pack in. ANTONYMS :continue.

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desk

noun
writing table, bureau, escritoire, secretaire; Brit. davenport.

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desolate

adjective
desolate moorlands
bleak, stark, bare, dismal, grim; wild, inhospitable; deserted, uninhabited, godforsaken, abandoned, unpeopled, untenanted, empty; unfrequented, unvisited, isolated, remote.
she is desolate
miserable, despondent, depressed, disconsolate, devastated, despairing, inconsolable, broken-hearted, grief-stricken, crushed, bereft; sad, unhappy, downcast, down, dejected, forlorn, upset, distressed; informal blue, cut up.
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ANTONYMS :populous, joyful.

verb
droughts desolated the plains
devastate, ravage, ruin, lay waste to; level, raze, demolish, wipe out, obliterate.
she was desolated by the loss of her husband
dishearten, depress, sadden, cast down, make miserable, weigh down, crush, upset, distress; informal shatter.
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desolation

noun
the desolation of the Gobi desert
bleakness, starkness, barrenness, sterility; wildness; isolation, loneliness, remoteness.
a feeling of utter desolation
misery, sadness, unhappiness, despondency, sorrow, depression, grief, woe; broken-heartedness, wretchedness, dejection, devastation, despair, anguish, distress.
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despair

noun
hopelessness, disheartenment, discouragement, desperation, distress, anguish, unhappiness; despondency, depression, disconsolateness, melancholy, misery, wretchedness; defeatism, pessimism. ANTONYMS :hope, joy.

verb
lose hope, abandon hope, give up, lose heart, be discouraged, be despondent, be demoralized, resign oneself; be pessimistic, look on the black side.
be the despair of
be the bane of, be the scourge of, be a burden on, be a trial to, be a thorn in the flesh/side of.

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despairing

adjective
hopeless, in despair, dejected, depressed, despondent, disconsolate, gloomy, miserable, wretched, desolate, inconsolable; disheartened, discouraged, demoralized, devastated; defeatist, pessimistic.

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despatch

verb & noun
. See dispatch.

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desperado

noun
(dated) bandit, criminal, outlaw, lawbreaker, villain, renegade; robber, cut-throat, gangster, pirate.

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desperate

adjective
a desperate look
despairing, hopeless; anguished, distressed, wretched, desolate, forlorn, distraught, fraught; out of one's mind, at one's wits' end, beside oneself, at the end of one's tether.
a desperate attempt to escape
last-ditch, last-gasp, eleventh-hour, do-or-die, final; frantic, frenzied, wild; futile, hopeless, doomed.
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a desperate shortage of teachers
grave, serious, critical, acute, risky, precarious; dire, awful, terrible, dreadful; urgent, pressing, crucial, vital, drastic, extreme; informal chronic.
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they were desperate for food
in great need of, urgently requiring, in want of; eager, longing, yearning, hungry, crying out; informal dying.
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a desperate act
violent, dangerous, lawless; reckless, rash, hasty, impetuous, foolhardy, incautious, hazardous, risky; death-or-glory, do-or-die.
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desperately

adverb
he screamed desperately for help
in desperation, in despair, despairingly, in anguish, in distress; wretchedly, hopelessly, desolately, forlornly.
they are desperately ill
seriously, critically, gravely, severely, acutely, dangerously, perilously; very, extremely, dreadfully; hopelessly, irretrievably; informal terribly.
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he desperately wanted to talk
urgently, pressingly; intensely, eagerly.
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desperation

noun
hopelessness, despair, distress; anguish, agony, torment, misery, wretchedness; disheartenment, discouragement.

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despicable

adjective
contemptible, loathsome, hateful, detestable, reprehensible, abhorrent, abominable, awful, heinous; odious, vile, low, mean, abject, shameful, ignominious, shabby, ignoble, disreputable, discreditable, unworthy; informal dirty, rotten, low-down; Brit. informal beastly; archaic scurvy. ANTONYMS :admirable.

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despise

verb
detest, hate, loathe, abhor, execrate, deplore, dislike; scorn, disdain, look down on, deride, sneer at, revile; spurn, shun; formal abominate. ANTONYMS :adore.

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despite

preposition
in spite of, notwithstanding, regardless of, in the face of, for all, even with.

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despoil

verb
a village despoiled by invaders
plunder, pillage, rob, ravage, raid, ransack, rape, loot, sack; devastate, lay waste, ruin.
the robbers despoiled him of all he had
rob, strip, deprive, dispossess, denude, divest, relieve, clean out.
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despondency

noun
hopelessness, despair, disheartenment, discouragement, low spirits, wretchedness; melancholy, gloom, misery, desolation, disappointment, dejection, sadness, unhappiness; informal the blues, heartache.

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despondent

adjective
disheartened, discouraged, dispirited, downhearted, downcast, crestfallen, down, low, disconsolate, despairing, wretched; melancholy, gloomy, morose, dismal, woebegone, miserable, depressed, dejected, sad; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps. ANTONYMS :hopeful, cheerful.

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despot

noun
tyrant, oppressor, dictator, absolute ruler, totalitarian, autocrat.

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despotic

adjective
autocratic, dictatorial, totalitarian, absolutist, undemocratic, unaccountable; one-party, autarchic, monocratic; tyrannical, tyrannous, oppressive, repressive, draconian, illiberal. ANTONYMS :democratic.

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despotism

noun
tyranny, dictatorship, totalitarianism, absolute rule, absolutism; oppression, repression; autocracy, monocracy, autarchy.

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dessert

noun
pudding, sweet, second course, last course; Brit. informal afters, pud.

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destabilize

verb
undermine, weaken, damage, subvert, sabotage, unsettle, upset, disrupt. ANTONYMS :strengthen.

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destination

noun
journey's end, end of the line; terminus, stop, stopping place, port of call; goal, target, end.

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destined

adjective
he is destined to lead a troubled life
fated, ordained, predestined, meant; certain, sure, bound, assured, likely; doomed.
computers destined for Pakistan
heading, bound, en route, scheduled; intended, meant, designed, designated, allotted, reserved.
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destiny

noun
master of his own destiny
future, fate, fortune, doom; lot; archaic portion.
she was sent by destiny
fate, providence; predestination; divine decree, God's will, kismet, the stars; luck, fortune, chance; karma.
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destitute

adjective
she was left destitute
penniless, poor, impoverished, poverty-stricken, impecunious, without a penny to one's name; needy, in straitened circumstances, distressed, badly off; Brit. on the breadline; informal hard up, (flat) broke, strapped (for cash), without a brass farthing, without two pennies to rub together, without a bean; Brit. informal stony broke, skint; N. Amer. informal stone broke, without a red cent.
we were destitute of clothing
devoid, bereft, deprived, in need; lacking, without, deficient in, wanting.
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ANTONYMS :rich.

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destitution

noun
poverty, impoverishment, penury, pennilessness, privation, pauperism; hardship, need, want, straitened circumstances, dire straits, deprivation, (financial) distress.

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destroy

verb
their offices were destroyed by bombing
demolish, knock down, level, raze (to the ground), fell; wreck, ruin, shatter; blast, blow up, dynamite, explode, bomb.
traffic would destroy the conservation area
spoil, ruin, wreck, disfigure, blight, mar, impair, deface, scar, injure, harm, devastate, damage, wreak havoc on.
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illness destroyed his career chances
wreck, ruin, spoil, disrupt, undo, upset, put an end to, put a stop to, terminate, frustrate, blight, crush, quash, dash, scotch; devastate, demolish, sabotage; informal mess up, muck up, foul up, put paid to, put the kibosh on, do for, queer, blow a hole in; Brit. informal scupper, throw a spanner in the works of; archaic bring to naught.
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the horse had to be destroyed
kill, put down, put to sleep, slaughter, terminate, exterminate.
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we had to destroy the enemy
annihilate, wipe out, obliterate, wipe off the face of the earth, eliminate, eradicate, liquidate, finish off, erase; kill, slaughter, massacre, exterminate; informal take out, rub out, snuff out; N. Amer. informal waste.
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ANTONYMS :build, preserve, raise, spare.

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destruction

noun
the destruction by allied bombers
demolition, wrecking, ruination, blasting, bombing; wreckage, ruins.
the destruction of the countryside
spoliation, devastation, ruination, blighting, disfigurement, impairment, scarring, harm, desolation.
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the destruction of cattle
slaughter, killing, putting down, extermination, termination.
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the destruction of the enemies' forces
annihilation, obliteration, elimination, eradication, liquidation; killing, slaughter, massacre, extermination.
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destructive

adjective
the most destructive war
devastating, ruinous, disastrous, catastrophic, calamitous, cataclysmic; harmful, damaging, detrimental, deleterious, injurious, crippling; violent, savage, fierce, brutal, deadly, lethal.
destructive criticism
negative, hostile, vicious, unfriendly; unhelpful, obstructive, discouraging.
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desultory

adjective
casual, cursory, superficial, token, perfunctory, half-hearted, lukewarm; random, aimless, erratic, unmethodical, unsystematic, chaotic, inconsistent, irregular, intermittent, sporadic, fitful. ANTONYMS :keen.

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detach

verb
he detached the lamp from its bracket
unfasten, disconnect, disengage, separate, uncouple, remove, loose, unhitch, unhook, free, disunite; pull off, cut off, break off.
he detached himself from the crowd
free, separate, segregate; move away, split off; leave, abandon.
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he has detached himself from his family
dissociate, divorce, alienate, separate, segregate, isolate, cut off; break away, disaffiliate, defect; leave, quit, withdraw from, break with.
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ANTONYMS :attach, join.

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detached

adjective
a detached collar
unfastened, disconnected, separated, separate, loosened; untied, unhitched, undone, unhooked, unbuttoned; free, severed, cut off.
a detached observer
dispassionate, disinterested, objective, uninvolved, outside, neutral, unbiased, unprejudiced, impartial, non-partisan; indifferent, aloof, remote, distant, impersonal.
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a detached house
standing alone, separate.
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detachment

noun
she looked on everything with detachment
objectivity, dispassion, disinterest, open-mindedness, neutrality, impartiality; indifference, aloofness.
a detachment of soldiers
unit, detail, squad, troop, contingent, outfit, task force, patrol, crew; platoon, company, corps, regiment, brigade, battalion.
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the detachment of the wallpaper
loosening, disconnection, disengagement, separation; removal.
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detail

noun
the picture is correct in every detail
particular, respect, feature, characteristic, attribute, specific, aspect, facet, part, unit, component, constituent; fact, piece of information, point, element, circumstance, consideration.
that's just a detail
unimportant point, trivial fact, triviality, technicality, nicety, subtlety, trifle, fine point, incidental, inessential, nothing.
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records with a considerable degree of detail
precision, exactness, accuracy, thoroughness, carefulness, scrupulousness, particularity.
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a guard detail
unit, detachment, squad, troop, contingent, outfit, task force, patrol.
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I got the toilet detail
duty, task, job, chore, charge, responsibility, assignment, function, mission, engagement, occupation, undertaking, errand.
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verb
the report details our objections
describe, explain, expound, relate, catalogue, list, spell out, itemize, particularize, identify, specify; state, declare, present, set out, frame; cite, quote, instance, mention, name.
troops were detailed to prevent the escape
assign, allocate, appoint, delegate, commission, charge; send, post; nominate, vote, elect, co-opt.
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in detail
thoroughly, in depth, exhaustively, minutely, closely, meticulously, rigorously, scrupulously, painstakingly, carefully; completely, comprehensively, fully, extensively.

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detailed

adjective
comprehensive, full, complete, thorough, exhaustive, all-inclusive; elaborate, minute, intricate; explicit, specific, precise, exact, accurate, meticulous, painstaking; itemized, blow-by-blow. ANTONYMS :general.

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detain

verb
they were detained for questioning
hold, take into custody, take (in), confine, imprison, lock up, put in jail, intern; arrest, apprehend, seize; informal pick up, run in, haul in, nab, collar; Brit. informal nick.
don't let me detain you
delay, hold up, make late, keep, slow up/down; hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct.
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ANTONYMS :release.

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detect

verb
no one detected the smell of diesel
notice, perceive, discern, be aware of, note, make out, spot, recognize, distinguish, remark, identify, diagnose; catch, sense, see, smell, scent, taste; Brit. informal clock.
they are responsible for detecting fraud
discover, uncover, find out, turn up, unearth, dig up, root out, expose, reveal.
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help the police to detect crime
solve, clear up, get to the bottom of, find the person behind; informal crack.
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the hackers were detected
catch, hunt down, track down, find, expose, reveal, unmask, smoke out; apprehend, arrest; informal nail.
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detection

noun
the detection of methane
discernment, perception, awareness, recognition, identification, diagnosis; sensing, sight, smelling, tasting.
the detection of insider dealing
discovery, uncovering, unearthing, exposure, revelation.
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the detection rate for burglary
solving, clear-up.
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he managed to escape detection
capture, identification, exposure; apprehension, arrest.
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detective

noun
investigator, private investigator, private detective, operative; Brit. enquiry agent; informal private eye, PI, sleuth, snoop; N. Amer. informal shamus, gumshoe; informal, dated dick.

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detention

noun
custody, imprisonment, confinement, incarceration, internment, detainment, captivity; arrest, house arrest; quarantine.

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deter

verb
the high cost deterred many
discourage, dissuade, put off, scare off; dishearten, demoralize, daunt, intimidate.
the presence of a caretaker deters crime
prevent, stop, avert, fend off, stave off, ward off, block, halt, check; hinder, impede, hamper, obstruct, foil, forestall, counteract, inhibit, curb.
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ANTONYMS :encourage.

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detergent

noun
washing detergent
cleaner, cleanser; washing powder, washing-up liquid; soap.
adjective
detergent action
cleaning, cleansing; surface-active.

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deteriorate

verb
his health deteriorated
worsen, decline, degenerate; fail, slump, slip, go downhill, go backwards, wane, ebb; informal go to pot.
these materials deteriorate if stored wrongly
decay, degrade, degenerate, break down, decompose, rot, go off, spoil, perish; break up, disintegrate, crumble, fall apart.
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ANTONYMS :improve.

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deterioration

noun
a deterioration in law and order
decline, collapse, failure, drop, downturn, slump, slip, retrogression.
deterioration of the roof structure
decay, degradation, degeneration, breakdown, decomposition, rot; atrophy, weakening; break-up, disintegration, dilapidation.
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determinate

adjective
fixed, settled, specified, established, defined, explicit, known, determined, definitive, conclusive, express, precise, categorical, positive, definite.

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determination

noun
it took great determination to win
resolution, resolve, will power, strength of character, single-mindedness, purposefulness, intentness; staunchness, perseverance, persistence, tenacity, staying power; strong-mindedness, backbone; stubbornness, doggedness, obstinacy; spirit, courage, pluck, grit, stout-heartedness; informal guts, spunk; formal pertinacity.
the determination of the rent
setting, specification, settlement, designation, arrangement, establishment, prescription.
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the determination of the speed of light
calculation, discovery, ascertainment, establishment, deduction, divination, diagnosis, discernment, verification, confirmation.
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determine

verb
chromosomes determine the sex of the embryo
control, decide, regulate, direct, dictate, govern; affect, influence, mould.
he determined to sell up
resolve, decide, make up one's mind, choose, elect, opt; formal purpose.
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the rent shall be determined by an accountant
specify, set, fix, decide on, settle, assign, designate, arrange, choose, establish, ordain, prescribe, decree.
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determine the composition of the fibres
ascertain, find out, discover, learn, establish, calculate, work out, make out, deduce, diagnose, discern; check, verify, confirm; informal figure out.
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determined

adjective
he was determined to have his way
intent on, bent on, set on, insistent on, resolved to, firm about, committed to; single-minded about, obsessive about.
a very determined man
resolute, purposeful, purposive, adamant, single-minded, unswerving, unwavering, undaunted, intent, insistent; steadfast, staunch, stalwart; persevering, persistent, indefatigable, tenacious; strong-minded, strong-willed, unshakeable, steely, four-square, dedicated, committed; stubborn, dogged, obstinate, inflexible, intransigent, unyielding, immovable; N. Amer. rock-ribbed; formal pertinacious.
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determining

adjective
deciding, decisive, conclusive, final, definitive, key, pivotal, crucial, critical, major, chief, prime.

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deterrent

noun
disincentive, discouragement, damper, curb, check, restraint; obstacle, hindrance, impediment, obstruction, block, barrier, inhibition. ANTONYMS :incentive.

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detest

verb
abhor, hate, loathe, despise, shrink from, be unable to bear, find intolerable, dislike, disdain, have an aversion to; formal abominate. ANTONYMS :love.

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detestable

adjective
abhorrent, hateful, loathsome, despicable, abominable, execrable, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, disgusting, distasteful, horrible, horrid, awful; heinous, reprehensible, obnoxious, odious, offensive, contemptible.

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dethrone

verb
depose, unseat, uncrown, oust, topple, overthrow, bring down, dislodge, displace, supplant, usurp, eject, drum out. ANTONYMS :crown.

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detonate

verb
the charge detonated under the engine
explode, go off, blow up, shatter, erupt; ignite; bang, blast, boom.
they detonated the bomb
set off, explode, discharge, let off, touch off, trigger; ignite, kindle.
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detonation

noun
explosion, discharge, blowing up, ignition; blast, bang, report.

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detour

noun
diversion, roundabout route, indirect route, scenic route; bypass, ring road; digression, deviation; Brit. relief road.

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detract

verb
my reservations should not detract from the book's excellence
belittle, take away from, diminish, reduce, lessen, minimize, play down, trivialize, decry, depreciate, devalue, deprecate.
the patterns will detract attention from each other
divert, distract, draw away, deflect, avert, shift one's attention.
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detractor

noun
critic, disparager, denigrator, deprecator, belittler, attacker, fault-finder, backbiter; slanderer, libeller; informal knocker.

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detriment

noun
harm, damage, injury, hurt, impairment, loss, disadvantage, disservice, mischief. ANTONYMS :benefit.

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detrimental

adjective
harmful, damaging, injurious, hurtful, inimical, deleterious, destructive, ruinous, disastrous, bad, malign, adverse, undesirable, unfavourable, unfortunate; unhealthy, unwholesome. ANTONYMS :benign.

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detritus

noun
debris, waste, refuse, rubbish, litter, scrap, flotsam and jetsam, lumber, rubble; remains, remnants, fragments, scraps, dregs, leavings, sweepings, dross, scum; N. Amer. trash, garbage; Austral./NZ mullock; informal dreck.

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devalue

verb
belittle, depreciate, disparage, denigrate, decry, deprecate, treat lightly, discredit, underrate, undervalue, underestimate, deflate, diminish, trivialize, run down; informal knock, sell short, put down, pooh-pooh, do down, pick holes in; Brit. informal rubbish.

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devastate

verb
the city was devastated by an earthquake
destroy, ruin, wreck, lay waste, ravage, demolish, raze (to the ground), level, flatten.
he was devastated by the news
shatter, shock, stun, daze, dumbfound, traumatize, crush, overwhelm, overcome, distress; informal knock sideways; Brit. informal knock for six.
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devastating

adjective
a devastating cyclone
destructive, ruinous, disastrous, catastrophic, calamitous, cataclysmic; harmful, damaging, injurious, detrimental; crippling, violent, savage, fierce, dangerous, fatal, deadly, lethal.
devastating news
shattering, shocking, traumatic, overwhelming, crushing, distressing, terrible.
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(informal) he presented devastating arguments
incisive, highly effective, penetrating, cutting; withering, blistering, searing, scathing, fierce, savage, stinging, biting, caustic, harsh, unsparing.
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devastation

noun
the hurricane left a trail of devastation
destruction, ruin, desolation, havoc, wreckage; ruins, ravages.
the devastation of Prussia
destruction, wrecking, ruination, despoliation; demolition, annihilation.
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the devastation you have caused the family
shock, trauma, distress, stress, strain, pain, anguish, suffering, upset, agony, misery, heartache.
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develop

verb
the industry developed rapidly
grow, expand, spread; advance, progress, evolve, mature; prosper, thrive, flourish, blossom.
a plan was developed
initiate, instigate, set in motion; originate, invent, form, establish, generate.
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children should develop their talents
expand, augment, broaden, supplement, reinforce; enhance, refine, improve, polish, perfect.
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a row developed
start, begin, emerge, erupt, break out, burst out, arise, break, unfold, happen.
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he developed the disease last week
fall ill with, be stricken with, succumb to; contract, catch, get, pick up, come down with, become infected with.
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development

noun
the development of the firm
evolution, growth, maturation, expansion, enlargement, spread, progress; success.
the development of an idea
forming, establishment, initiation, instigation, origination, invention, generation.
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keep abreast of developments
event, occurrence, happening, circumstance, incident, situation, issue.
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a housing development
estate, complex, site.
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deviant

adjective
deviant behaviour
aberrant, abnormal, atypical, anomalous, irregular, non-standard; nonconformist, perverse, uncommon, unusual; freakish, strange, odd, peculiar, bizarre, eccentric, idiosyncratic, unorthodox, exceptional; warped, perverted; informal kinky, quirky. ANTONYMS :normal.

noun
we were seen as deviants
nonconformist, eccentric, maverick, individualist; outsider, misfit; informal oddball, weirdo, freak; N. Amer. informal screwball, kook.

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deviate

verb
diverge, digress, drift, stray, slew, veer, swerve; get sidetracked, branch off; differ, vary, run counter to, contrast with.

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deviation

noun
divergence, digression, departure; difference, variation, variance; aberration, abnormality, irregularity, anomaly, inconsistency, discrepancy.

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device

noun
a device for measuring pressure
implement, gadget, utensil, tool, appliance, apparatus, instrument, machine, mechanism, contrivance, contraption; informal gizmo, widget.
an ingenious legal device
ploy, tactic, move, stratagem, scheme, plot, trick, ruse, manoeuvre, machination, contrivance, expedient, dodge, wile; Brit. informal wheeze.
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their shields bear his device
emblem, symbol, logo, badge, crest, insignia, coat of arms, escutcheon, seal, mark, design, motif; monogram, hallmark, trademark.
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devil

noun
God and the Devil
Satan, Beelzebub, Lucifer, the Lord of the Flies, the Prince of Darkness; informal Old Nick.
they drove out the devils from their bodies
evil spirit, demon, cacodemon, fiend, bogie; informal spook.
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look what the cruel devil has done
brute, beast, monster, fiend; villain, sadist, barbarian, ogre.
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he's a naughty little devil
rascal, rogue, imp, fiend, monkey, wretch; informal monster, horror, scamp, tyke; Brit. informal perisher; N. Amer. informal varmint.
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(informal) the poor devils looked ill
wretch, unfortunate, creature, soul, person, fellow; informal thing, beggar.
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devilish

adjective
a devilish grin
diabolical, fiendish, demonic, satanic, demoniac, demoniacal; hellish, infernal.
a devilish torture
wicked, evil, iniquitous, vile, foul, abominable, unspeakable, loathsome, monstrous, atrocious, heinous, hideous, odious, horrible, appalling, dreadful, awful, terrible, ghastly, abhorrent, despicable, depraved, dark, black, immoral; vicious, cruel, savage, barbaric.
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a devilish job
difficult, tricky, ticklish, troublesome, thorny, awkward, problematic.
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devil-may-care

adjective
reckless, rash, incautious, heedless, impetuous, impulsive, daredevil, hot-headed, wild, foolhardy, audacious, death-or-glory; nonchalant, casual, breezy, flippant, insouciant, happy-go-lucky, easy-going, unworried, untroubled, unconcerned, harum-scarum; Brit. tearaway.

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devilment

noun
. See devilry sense 2.

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devilry deviltry

noun
some devilry was afoot
wickedness, evil, sin, iniquity, vileness, badness, wrongdoing, dishonesty, unscrupulousness, villainy, delinquency, devilishness, fiendishness; informal crookedness, shadiness.
she had a perverse sense of devilry
mischief, mischievousness, naughtiness, badness, perversity, impishness; misbehaviour, troublemaking, misconduct; pranks, tricks, roguery, devilment; informal monkey business, shenanigans.
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they dabbled in devilry
black magic, sorcery, witchcraft, wizardry, necromancy, enchantment, spell-working, incantation; the supernatural, occultism, the occult, the black arts, divination, voodoo, witchery; N. Amer. mojo, orenda.
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devious

adjective
the devious ways in which they bent the rules
underhand, deceitful, dishonest, dishonourable, unethical, unprincipled, immoral, unscrupulous, fraudulent, dubious, unfair, treacherous, duplicitous; crafty, cunning, calculating, artful, conniving, scheming, sly, wily; sneaky, furtive, secret, clandestine, surreptitious, covert; N. Amer. snide, snidey; informal crooked, shady, dirty, low-down; Brit. informal dodgy.
a devious route around the coast
circuitous, roundabout, indirect, meandering, tortuous.
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devise

verb
conceive, think up, dream up, work out, formulate, concoct; design, invent, coin, originate; compose, construct, fabricate, create, produce, develop; discover, hit on; hatch, contrive; informal cook up.

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devitalize

verb
weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, enervate, sap, drain, tax, exhaust, weary, tire (out), fatigue, wear out, prostrate; indispose, incapacitate, lay low; informal knock out, do in, shatter, whack, bush, frazzle, poop; Brit. informal knacker. ANTONYMS :strengthen.

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devoid

adjective
free, empty, vacant, bereft, denuded, deprived, destitute, bankrupt; (devoid of) lacking, without, wanting; informal minus.

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devolution

noun
decentralization, delegation; redistribution, transfer; surrender, relinquishment.

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devolve

verb
delegate, depute, pass (down/on), hand down/over/on, transfer, transmit, assign, consign, convey, entrust, turn over, give, cede, surrender, relinquish, deliver; bestow, grant.

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devote

verb
allocate, assign, allot, commit, give (over), apportion, consign, pledge; dedicate, consecrate; set aside, earmark, reserve, designate.

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devoted

adjective
loyal, faithful, true (blue), staunch, steadfast, constant, committed, dedicated, devout; fond, loving, affectionate, caring, admiring.

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devotee

noun
a devotee of rock music
enthusiast, fan, lover, aficionado, admirer; informal buff, freak, nut, fiend, fanatic, addict, maniac.
devotees thronged the temple
follower, adherent, supporter, advocate, disciple, votary, member, stalwart, fanatic, zealot; believer, worshipper.
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devotion

noun
her devotion to her husband
loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity, constancy, commitment, adherence, allegiance, dedication; fondness, love, admiration, affection, care.
a life of devotion
devoutness, piety, religiousness, spirituality, godliness, holiness, sanctity.
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morning devotions
(religious) worship, religious observance; prayers, vespers, matins; prayer meeting, church service.
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devotional

adjective
religious, sacred, spiritual, divine, church, ecclesiastical. ANTONYMS :secular.

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devour

verb
he devoured his meal
eat hungrily, eat greedily, gobble (up/down), guzzle, gulp (down), bolt (down), cram down, gorge oneself on, wolf (down), feast on, consume, eat up; informal pack away, demolish, dispose of, make short work of, polish off, shovel down, stuff oneself with, pig oneself on, put away, get outside of; Brit. informal scoff.
flames devoured the house
consume, engulf, envelop; destroy, demolish, lay waste, devastate; gut, ravage, ruin, wreck.
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he was devoured by remorse
afflict, plague, bedevil, trouble, harrow, rack; consume, swallow up, overcome, overwhelm.
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devout

adjective
a devout Christian
pious, religious, devoted, dedicated, reverent, God-fearing; holy, godly, saintly, faithful, dutiful, righteous, churchgoing, orthodox.
a devout soccer fan
dedicated, devoted, committed, loyal, faithful, staunch, genuine, firm, steadfast, unwavering, sincere, wholehearted, keen, enthusiastic, zealous, passionate, ardent, fervent, active, sworn, pledged; informal card-carrying, true blue, deep-dyed.
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dexterity

noun
painting china demanded dexterity
deftness, adeptness, adroitness, agility, nimbleness, handiness, ability, talent, skill, proficiency, expertise, experience, efficiency, mastery, delicacy, knack, artistry, finesse.
his political dexterity
shrewdness, astuteness, sharp-wittedness, acumen, acuity, intelligence; ingenuity, inventiveness, cleverness, smartness; canniness, sense, discernment, insight, understanding, penetration, perception, perspicacity, discrimination; cunning, artfulness, craftiness; informal nous, horse sense, savvy.
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dexterous

adjective
a dexterous flick of the wrist
deft, adept, adroit, agile, nimble, neat, handy, able, capable, skilful, skilled, proficient, expert, practised, polished; efficient, effortless, slick, professional, masterly; informal nifty, mean, ace.
his dexterous accounting abilities
shrewd, ingenious, inventive, clever, intelligent, brilliant, smart, sharp, acute, astute, canny, intuitive, discerning, perceptive, insightful, incisive, judicious; cunning, artful, crafty, wily; informal on the ball, quick off the mark, quick on the uptake, brainy, savvy; Brit. informal suss.
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ANTONYMS :clumsy, stupid.

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diabolical diabolic

adjective
his diabolical skill
devilish, fiendish, satanic, demonic, demoniacal, hellish, infernal, evil, wicked, ungodly, unholy.
(informal) a diabolical performance
very bad, dreadful, awful, terrible, disgraceful, shameful, lamentable, deplorable, appalling, atrocious; inferior, substandard, unsatisfactory, inadequate, second-rate, third-rate, shoddy, inept; informal crummy, dire, dismal, God-awful, abysmal, rotten, pathetic, pitiful, lousy; Brit. informal duff, rubbish, ropy.
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(informal) a diabolical liberty
extreme, excessive, undue, inordinate, immoderate, unconscionable, outrageous; intolerable, unacceptable, unreasonable, unjustifiable, unwarrantable, inexcusable, unpardonable.
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diadem

noun
crown, coronet, tiara, circlet, chaplet; poetic/literary coronal; historical taj.

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diagnose

verb
identify, determine, distinguish, recognize, detect, pinpoint.

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diagnosis

noun
the diagnosis of coeliac disease
identification, detection, recognition, determination, discovery, pinpointing.
the results confirmed his diagnosis
opinion, judgement, verdict, conclusion.
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diagonal

adjective
crosswise, crossways, slanting, slanted, aslant, squint, oblique, angled, at an angle, cornerways, cornerwise; N. Amer. cater-cornered, kitty-cornered.

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diagram

noun
drawing, line drawing, sketch, representation, draft, illustration, picture, plan, outline, delineation, figure; Computing graphic.

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diagrammatic

adjective
graphic, graphical, representational, representative, schematic, simplified.

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dial

verb
phone, telephone, call, ring, make/place a call (to); informal buzz; Brit. informal get on the blower; N. Amer. informal get someone on the horn.

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dialect

noun
regional language, local language, local speech, vernacular, patois, idiom; regionalisms, localisms; informal lingo.

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dialectic

noun
discussion, debate, dialogue, logical argument, reasoning, argumentation, polemics; formal ratiocination.

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dialogue

noun
a book consisting of a series of dialogues
conversation, talk, discussion, interchange, discourse; chat, tête à tête; informal confab; formal colloquy, confabulation; archaic converse.
they called for a serious political dialogue
discussion, exchange, debate, exchange of views, talk, head-to-head, consultation, conference, parley; talks, negotiations; informal powwow; N. Amer. informal skull session.
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diameter

noun
breadth, width, thickness; calibre, bore, gauge.

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diametrical diametric

adjective
direct, absolute, complete, exact, extreme, polar, antipodal.

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diaphanous

adjective
sheer, fine, delicate, light, thin, insubstantial, floaty, flimsy, filmy, silken, chiffony, gossamer, gossamer-thin, gauzy; translucent, transparent, see-through. ANTONYMS :thick, opaque.

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diarrhoea

noun
loose motions; informal the runs, the trots, gippy tummy, holiday tummy, Delhi belly, Montezuma's revenge; Brit. informal the squits; N. Amer. informal turista; archaic the flux. ANTONYMS :constipation.

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diary

noun
he put the date in his diary
appointment book, engagement book, personal organizer; trademark Filofax.
her World War II diaries
journal, memoir, chronicle, log, logbook, history, annal, record; N. Amer. daybook.
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diatribe

noun
tirade, harangue, onslaught, attack, polemic, denunciation, broadside, fulmination, condemnation, censure, criticism; informal blast; poetic/literary philippic.

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dicey

adjective
(informal) risky, uncertain, unpredictable, touch-and-go, precarious, unsafe, dangerous, fraught with danger, hazardous, perilous, high-risk, difficult; informal chancy, hairy, iffy; Brit. informal dodgy; N. Amer. informal gnarly. ANTONYMS :safe.

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dichotomy

noun
contrast, difference, polarity, conflict; gulf, chasm, division, separation, split; rare contrariety.

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dicky

adjective
(Brit. informal) weak, unhealthy, ailing, poorly, sickly, frail; unsound, unreliable, unsteady. ANTONYMS :robust.

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dictate

verb
the tsar's attempts to dictate policy
prescribe, lay down, impose, set down, order, command, decree, ordain, direct, determine, decide, control, govern.
you are in no position to dictate to me
give orders to, order about/around, lord it over; lay down the law; informal boss about/around, push around/about, throw one's weight about/around.
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choice is often dictated by availability
determine, control, govern, decide, influence, affect.
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noun
the dictates of his superior
order, command, commandment, decree, edict, ruling, dictum, diktat, directive, direction, instruction, pronouncement, mandate, requirement, stipulation, injunction, demand; formal ordinance; poetic/literary behest.

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dictator

noun
autocrat, absolute ruler, despot, tyrant, oppressor, autarch.

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dictatorial

adjective
a dictatorial regime
autocratic, undemocratic, totalitarian, authoritarian, autarchic, despotic, tyrannical, tyrannous, absolute, unrestricted, unlimited, unaccountable, arbitrary.
his dictatorial manner
domineering, autocratic, authoritarian, oppressive, imperious, officious, overweening, overbearing, peremptory, dogmatic, high and mighty; severe, strict; informal bossy, high-handed.
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ANTONYMS :democratic, meek.

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dictatorship

noun
absolute rule, undemocratic rule, despotism, tyranny, autocracy, autarchy, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, Fascism; oppression, repression. ANTONYMS :democracy.

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diction

noun
his careful diction
enunciation, articulation, elocution, locution, pronunciation, speech, intonation, inflection; delivery.
the need for contemporary diction in poetry
phraseology, phrasing, turn of phrase, wording, language, usage, vocabulary, terminology, expressions, idioms.
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dictionary

noun
lexicon, wordbook, word list, glossary. lexicographic.

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dictum

noun
he received the head's dictum with evident reluctance
pronouncement, proclamation, direction, injunction, dictate, command, commandment, order, decree, edict, mandate, diktat.
the old dictum "might is right"
saying, maxim, axiom, proverb, adage, aphorism, saw, precept, epigram, motto, truism, commonplace; expression, phrase, tag.
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didactic

adjective
instructive, instructional, educational, educative, informative, informational, edifying, improving, preceptive, pedagogic, moralistic.

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die

verb
her father died last year
pass away, pass on, lose one's life, expire, breathe one's last, meet one's end, meet one's death, lay down one's life, perish, go the way of all flesh, go to one's last resting place, go to meet one's maker, cross the great divide; informal give up the ghost, kick the bucket, croak, buy it, turn up one's toes, cash in one's chips, shuffle off this mortal coil; Brit. informal snuff it, peg out, pop one's clogs; N. Amer. informal bite the big one, buy the farm; archaic decease, depart this life.
the wind had died down
abate, subside, drop, lessen, ease (off), let up, moderate, fade, dwindle, peter out, wane, ebb, relent, weaken; melt away, dissolve, vanish, disappear; archaic remit.
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(informal) the engine died
fail, cut out, give out, stop, break down, stop working; informal conk out, go kaput, give up the ghost; Brit. informal pack up.
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(informal) she's dying to meet you
long, yearn, burn, ache; informal itch.
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ANTONYMS :live, intensify.

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diehard

adjective
hard-line, reactionary, ultra-conservative, conservative, traditionalist, dyed-in-the-wool, deep-dyed, intransigent, inflexible, uncompromising, rigid, entrenched, set in one's ways; staunch, steadfast; informal blimpish.

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diet 1

noun
health problems related to your diet
selection of food, food, foodstuffs; informal grub, nosh.
verb
she dieted for most of her life
be on a diet, eat sparingly; slim, lose weight, watch one's weight; N. Amer. reduce; informal weight-watch; N. Amer. informal slenderize.

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diet 2

noun
the diet's lower house
legislative assembly, legislature, parliament, congress, senate, council, assembly.

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differ

verb
the second set of data differed from the first
contrast with, be different/dissimilar to, be unlike, vary from, diverge from, deviate from, conflict with, run counter to, be incompatible with, be at odds with, go against, contradict.
the two sides differed over this issue
disagree, conflict, be at variance/odds, be in dispute, not see eye to eye.
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ANTONYMS :resemble, agree.

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difference

noun
the difference between the two sets of data
dissimilarity, contrast, distinction, differentiation, variance, variation, divergence, disparity, deviation, polarity, gulf, gap, imbalance, contradiction, contradistinction; formal dissimilitude.
we've had our differences in the past
disagreement, difference of opinion, dispute, argument, quarrel, wrangle, contretemps, altercation; informal tiff, set-to, run-in, spat; Brit. informal row.
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I am willing to pay the difference
balance, remainder, rest, remaining amount, residue.
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ANTONYMS :similarity.

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different

adjective
people with different lifestyles
dissimilar, unalike, unlike, contrasting, contrastive, divergent, differing, varying, disparate; poles apart, incompatible, mismatched, conflicting, clashing; informal like chalk and cheese.
suddenly everything in her life was different
changed, altered, transformed, new, unfamiliar, unknown, strange.
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two different occasions
distinct, separate, individual, discrete, independent.
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(informal) he wanted to try something different
unusual, out of the ordinary, unfamiliar, unusual, novel, new, fresh, original, unconventional, exotic, uncommon.
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ANTONYMS :similar, related, ordinary.

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differential

adjective
(technical) the differential achievements of boys and girls
different, dissimilar, contrasting, unalike, divergent, disparate, contrastive.
the differential features between benign and malignant tumours
distinctive, distinguishing.
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ANTONYMS :similar.

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differentiate

verb
he unable to differentiate between fantasy and reality
distinguish, discriminate, make/draw a distinction, tell the difference, tell apart.
this differentiates their business from all other booksellers
make different, distinguish, set apart, single out, separate, mark off.
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differentiation

noun
distinction, distinctness, difference; separation, demarcation, delimitation.

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difficult

adjective
a very difficult job
hard, strenuous, arduous, laborious, tough, onerous, burdensome, demanding, punishing, gruelling, back-breaking, exhausting, tiring, fatiguing, wearisome; informal hellish, killing, no picnic; archaic toilsome.
she found maths very difficult
hard, complicated, complex, involved, impenetrable, unfathomable, over/above one's head, beyond one, puzzling, baffling, perplexing, confusing, mystifying; problematic, intricate, knotty, thorny, ticklish.
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a difficult child
troublesome, tiresome, trying, exasperating, awkward, demanding, perverse, contrary, recalcitrant, unmanageable, obstreperous, unaccommodating, unhelpful, uncooperative, disobliging; hard to please, fussy, finicky; formal refractory.
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you've come at a difficult time
inconvenient, awkward, inopportune, unfavourable, unfortunate, inappropriate, unsuitable, untimely, ill-timed.
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the family have been through very difficult times
bad, tough, grim, dark, black, hard, adverse, distr essing; straitened, hard-pressed.
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ANTONYMS :easy, simple, accommodating.

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difficulty

noun
the difficulty of balancing motherhood with a career
strain, trouble, problems, toil, struggle, laboriousness, arduousness; informal hassle, stress.
practical difficulties
problem, complication, snag, hitch, pitfall, handicap, impediment, hindrance, obstacle, hurdle, stumbling block, obstruction, barrier; informal fly in the ointment, headache, hiccup; Brit. informal spanner in the works.
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Charles got into difficulties
trouble, predicament, plight, hard times, dire straits; quandary, dilemma; informal deep water, a fix, a jam, a spot, a scrape, a stew, a hole, a pickle.
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ANTONYMS :ease.

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diffidence

noun
shyness, bashfulness, modesty, self-effacement, meekness, unassertiveness, timidity, humility, hesitancy, reticence, insecurity, self-doubt, uncertainty, self-consciousness.

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diffident

adjective
shy, bashful, modest, self-effacing, unassuming, meek, unconfident, unassertive, timid, timorous, humble, shrinking, reticent, hesitant, insecure, self-doubting, doubtful, uncertain, unsure, self-conscious; informal mousy. ANTONYMS :confident.

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diffuse

verb
such ideas were diffused widely in the 1970s
spread, spread around, send out, disseminate, scatter, disperse, distribute, put about, circulate, communicate, purvey, propagate, transmit, broadcast, promulgate.
adjective
a diffuse community centred on the church
spread out, scattered.
a diffuse narrative
verbose, wordy, prolix, long-winded, long-drawn-out, discursive, rambling, wandering, meandering, maundering, digressive, circuitous, roundabout, circumlocutory, periphrastic; Brit. informal waffly.
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diffusion

noun
spread, dissemination, scattering, dispersal, distribution, circulation, propagation, transmission, broadcasting, promulgation.

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dig

verb
she began to dig the heavy clay soil
turn over, work, break up; till, harrow, plough.
he took a spade and dug a hole
excavate, dig out, quarry, hollow out, scoop out, gouge out; cut, bore, tunnel, burrow, mine.
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the bodies were hastily dug up
exhume, disinter, unearth.
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Winnie dug her elbow into his ribs
poke, prod, jab, stab, shove, ram, push, thrust, drive.
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he'd been digging into my past
delve, probe, search, inquire, look, investigate, research, examine, scrutinize, check up on; informal check out.
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I dug up some disturbing information
uncover, discover, find (out), unearth, dredge up, root out, ferret out, turn up, reveal, bring to light, expose.
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(informal, dated) I dig talking with him.
See enjoy verb sense 1.
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noun
a dig in the ribs
poke, prod, jab, stab, shove, push.
(informal) they're always making digs at each other
snide remark, cutting remark, jibe, jeer, taunt, sneer, insult, barb, insinuation; informal wisecrack, crack, put-down.
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digest

verb
Liz digested this information
assimilate, absorb, take in, understand, comprehend, grasp; consider, think about, reflect on, ponder, contemplate, mull over.
noun
a digest of their findings
summary, synopsis, abstract, precis, résumé, summation; compilation; N. Amer. informal wrap-up.

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digit

noun
the door code has ten digits
numeral, number, figure, integer.
our frozen digits
finger, thumb, toe; extremity.
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dignified

adjective
stately, noble, courtly, majestic, distinguished, proud, august, lofty, exalted, regal, lordly, imposing, impressive, grand; solemn, serious, grave, formal, proper, ceremonious, decorous, reserved, composed, sedate.

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dignify

verb
ennoble, enhance, distinguish, add distinction to, honour, grace, exalt, magnify, glorify, elevate.

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dignitary

noun
worthy, personage, VIP, grandee, notable, notability, pillar of society, luminary, leading light, big name; informal heavyweight, bigwig, top brass, top dog, big gun, big shot, big noise, big cheese, big chief, supremo; N. Amer. informal big wheel, big kahuna, big enchilada, top banana.

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dignity

noun
the dignity of the Crown
stateliness, nobility, majesty, regality, courtliness, augustness, loftiness, lordliness, grandeur; solemnity, gravity, gravitas, formality, decorum, propriety, sedateness.
he had lost his dignity
self-respect, pride, self-esteem, self-worth, amour propre.
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Cnut promised dignities to the noblemen
high rank, high standing, high station, status, elevation, eminence, honour, glory, greatness.
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digress

verb
deviate, go off at a tangent, get off the subject, get sidetracked, lose the thread, diverge, turn aside/away, depart, drift, stray, wander.

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digression

noun
deviation, detour, diversion, departure, divergence, excursus; aside, incidental remark.

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digs

plural noun
(informal) lodgings, rooms, accommodation, living quarters; bedsit, flat, house, home; informal pad, place; formal abode, dwelling, dwelling place, residence, domicile, habitation.

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dilapidated

adjective
run down, tumbledown, ramshackle, broken-down, in disrepair, shabby, battered, rickety, shaky, unsound, crumbling, in ruins, ruined, decayed, decaying, decrepit; neglected, uncared-for, untended, the worse for wear, falling to pieces, falling apart, gone to rack and ruin, gone to seed.

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dilate

verb
her nostrils dilated
enlarge, widen, expand, distend.
Diane dilated on the joys of her married life
expatiate, expound, enlarge, elaborate, speak/write at length.
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ANTONYMS :contract.

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dilatory

adjective
he had been dilatory in appointing a solicitor
slow, tardy, unhurried, sluggish, sluggardly, snail-like, tortoise-like, lazy.
dilatory procedural tactics
delaying, stalling, temporizing, procrastinating, time-wasting, Fabian.
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ANTONYMS :fast.

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dilemma

noun
quandary, predicament, catch-22, vicious circle, plight, mess, muddle; difficulty, problem, trouble, perplexity, confusion, conflict; informal no-win situation, fix, tight spot/corner; Brit. informal sticky wicket.
on the horns of a dilemma
between the devil and the deep blue sea, between Scylla and Charybdis; informal between a rock and a hard place.

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dilettante

noun
dabbler, amateur, non-professional, non-specialist, layman, layperson. ANTONYMS :professional.

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diligence

noun
conscientiousness, assiduousness, assiduity, hard work, application, concentration, effort, care, industriousness, rigour, meticulousness, thoroughness; perseverance, persistence, tenacity, dedication, commitment, tirelessness, indefatigability, doggedness.

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diligent

adjective
industrious, hard-working, assiduous, conscientious, particular, punctilious, meticulous, painstaking, rigorous, careful, thorough, sedulous, earnest; persevering, persistent, tenacious, zealous, dedicated, committed, unflagging, untiring, tireless, indefatigable, dogged; archaic laborious. ANTONYMS :lazy.

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dilly-dally

verb
(informal) waste time, dally, dawdle, loiter, linger, take one's time, delay, temporize, stall, procrastinate, pussyfoot around, drag one's feet; dither, hesitate, falter, vacillate, waver; Brit. haver, hum and haw; informal shilly-shally, let the grass grow under one's feet; archaic tarry. ANTONYMS :hurry.

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dilute

verb
strong bleach can be diluted with water
make weaker, weaken, water down; thin out, thin; doctor, adulterate; informal cut.
the original plans have been diluted
weaken, moderate, tone down, water down.
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adjective
a dilute acid.
See diluted.

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diluted

adjective
weak, dilute, thin, watered down, watery; adulterated. ANTONYMS :concentrated.

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dim

adjective
the dim light
faint, weak, feeble, soft, pale, dull, subdued, muted, wishy-washy.
long dim corridors
dark, badly lit, ill-lit, dingy, dismal, gloomy, murky; poetic/literary tenebrous.
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a dim figure
indistinct, ill-defined, unclear, vague, shadowy, nebulous, obscured, blurred, blurry, fuzzy.
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dim memories
vague, imprecise, imperfect, unclear, indistinct, sketchy, hazy, blurred, shadowy.
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(informal) I'm awfully dim.
See stupid sense 1.
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their prospects for the future looked dim
gloomy, unpromising, unfavourable, discouraging, disheartening, depressing, dispiriting, hopeless.
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ANTONYMS :bright, distinct, encouraging.

verb
the lights were dimmed
turn down, lower, dip, soften, subdue, mute; poetic/literary bedim.
my memories have not dimmed with time
fade, become vague, dwindle, blur.
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the fighting dimmed hopes of peace
diminish, reduce, lessen, weaken, undermine.
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ANTONYMS :brighten, sharpen, intensify.

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dimension

noun
the dimensions of the room
size, measurements, proportions, extent; length, width, breadth, depth, area, volume, capacity; footage, acreage.
the dimension of the problem
size, scale, extent, scope, magnitude; importance, significance.
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the cultural dimensions of the problem
aspect, feature, element, facet, side.
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diminish

verb
the pain will gradually diminish
decrease, lessen, decline, reduce, subside, die down, abate, dwindle, fade, slacken off, moderate, let up, ebb, wane, recede, die away/out, peter out; archaic remit.
new legislation diminished the courts' authority
reduce, decrease, lessen, curtail, cut, cut down/back, constrict, restrict, limit, curb, check; weaken, blunt, erode, undermine, sap.
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she lost no opportunity to diminish him
belittle, disparage, denigrate, defame, deprecate, run down; decry, demean, cheapen, devalue; formal derogate.
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ANTONYMS :increase.

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diminution

noun
reduction, decrease, lessening, decline, dwindling, moderation, fading, weakening, ebb.

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diminutive

adjective
tiny, small, little, petite, elfin, minute, miniature, mini, minuscule, compact, pocket, toy, midget, undersized, short; Scottish wee; informal teeny, weeny, teeny-weeny, teensy-weensy, itty-bitty, itsy-bitsy, tiddly, dinky, baby, pint-sized, knee-high to a grasshopper; Brit. informal titchy; N. Amer. informal little-bitty. ANTONYMS :enormous.

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dimple

noun
indentation, hollow, cleft, dint.

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dimwit

noun
(informal). See fool noun sense 1.

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dim-witted

adjective
(informal). See stupid senses 1, 2.

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din

noun
he shouted above the din
noise, racket, rumpus, cacophony, babel, hubbub, tumult, uproar, commotion, clangour, clatter; shouting, yelling, screaming, caterwauling, clamour, outcry; Scottish & N. English stramash; informal hullabaloo; Brit. informal row. ANTONYMS :silence.

verb
she had had the evils of drink dinned into her
instil, inculcate, drive, drum, hammer, drill, ingrain; indoctrinate, brainwash.
the sound dinning in my ears
blare, blast, clang, clatter, crash, clamour.
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dine

verb
we dined at a restaurant
have dinner, have supper, eat; dated sup, break bread.
they dined on lobster
eat, feed on, feast on, banquet on, partake of; informal tuck into.
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dingle

noun
(poetic/literary) valley, dale, vale, hollow; Brit. dene; Scottish glen, strath; poetic/literary dell.

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dingy

adjective
gloomy, dark, dull, badly/poorly lit, murky, dim, dismal, dreary, drab, sombre, grim, cheerless; dirty, grimy, shabby, faded, worn, dowdy, seedy, run down. ANTONYMS :bright.

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dinky

adjective
(Brit. informal) small, little, petite, dainty, neat, diminutive, mini, miniature; sweet, cute, dear, adorable; Scottish wee; informal teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy-weensy; N. Amer. informal little-bitty.

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dinner

noun
evening meal, supper, main meal; lunch; feast, banquet, dinner party; Brit. tea; informal spread, blowout; Brit. informal nosh-up, slap-up meal; formal repast. prandial.

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dint

noun
dent, indentation, hollow, depression, dip, dimple, cleft, pit.
by dint of
by means of, by virtue of, on account of, as a result of, as a consequence of, owing to, on the strength of, due to, thanks to, by; formal by reason of.

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diocese

noun
bishopric, see.

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dip

verb
he dipped a rag in the water
immerse, submerge, plunge, duck, dunk, lower, sink.
the sun dipped below the horizon
sink, set, drop, go/drop down, fall, descend; disappear, vanish.
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the president's popularity has dipped
decrease, fall, drop, fall off, decline, diminish, dwindle, slump, plummet, plunge; informal hit the floor.
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the road dipped
slope down, descend, go down; drop away, fall, sink.
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he dipped his headlights
dim, lower, turn down.
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you might have to dip into your savings
draw on, use, make use of, have recourse to, spend.
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an interesting book to dip into
browse through, skim through, look through, flick through, glance at, peruse, run one's eye over.
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ANTONYMS :rise, increase.

noun
a relaxing dip in the pool
swim, bathe; paddle.
give the fish a ten-minute dip in a salt bath
immersion, plunge, ducking, dunking.
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chicken satay with peanut dip
sauce, relish, dressing.
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the hedge at the bo ttom of the dip
slope, incline, decline, descent; hollow, concavity, depression, basin, indentation.
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a dip in sales
decrease, fall, drop, downturn, decline, falling-off, slump, reduction, diminution, ebb.
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diplomacy

noun
diplomacy failed to win them independence
statesmanship, statecraft, negotiation(s), discussion(s), talks, dialogue; international relations, foreign affairs.
Jack's quiet diplomacy
tact, tactfulness, sensitivity, discretion, subtlety, finesse, delicacy, savoir faire, politeness, thoughtfulness, care, judiciousness, prudence.
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diplomat

noun
ambassador, attaché, consul, chargé d'affaires, envoy, emissary, plenipotentiary; archaic legate.

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diplomatic

adjective
diplomatic activity
ambassadorial, consular, foreign-office.
he tried to be diplomatic
tactful, sensitive, subtle, delicate, polite, discreet, thoughtful, careful, judicious, prudent, politic, clever, skilful.
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ANTONYMS :tactless.

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dire

adjective
the dire economic situation
terrible, dreadful, appalling, frightful, awful, atrocious, grim, alarming; grave, serious, disastrous, ruinous, hopeless, irretrievable, wretched, desperate, parlous; formal grievous.
he was in dire need of help
urgent, desperate, pressing, crying, sore, grave, serious, extreme, acute, drastic.
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dire warnings of fuel shortages
ominous, gloomy, grim, dismal, unpropitious, inauspicious, unfavourable, pessimistic.
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(informal) the concert was dire.
See awful sense 2.
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direct

adjective
the most direct route
straight, undeviating, unswerving; shortest, quickest.
a direct flight
non-stop, unbroken, uninterrupted, through.
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he is very direct
frank, candid, straightforward, honest, open, blunt, plain-spoken, outspoken, forthright, downright, no-nonsense, matter-of-fact, not afraid to call a spade a spade; informal upfront.
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direct contact with the president
face to face, personal, head-on, immediate, first-hand, tête-à-tête.
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a direct quotation
verbatim, word for word, to the letter, faithful, exact, precise, accurate, correct.
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the direct opposite
exact, absolute, complete, diametrical.
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verb
an economic elite directed the nation's affairs
manage, govern, run, administer, control, conduct, handle, be in charge/control of, preside over, lead, head, rule, be at the helm of; supervise, superintend, oversee, regulate, orchestrate, coordinate; informal run the show, call the shots/tune, be in the driving seat.
was that re mark directed at me?
aim at, target at, address to, intend for, mean for, design for.
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a man in uniform directed them to the hall
give directions, show the way, guide, lead, conduct, accompany, usher, escort.
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the judge directed the jury to return a not guilty verdict
instruct, tell, command, order, charge, require; poetic/literary bid.
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direction

noun
a northerly direction
way, route, course, line, run, bearing, orientation.
the newspaper's political direction
orientation, inclination, leaning, tendency, bent, bias, preference; drift, tack, attitude, tone, tenor, mood, current, trend.
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his direction of the project
administration, management, conduct, handling, running, supervision, superintendence, regulation, orchestration; control, command, rule, leadership, guidance.
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explicit directions about nursing care
instruction, order, command, prescription, rule, regulation, requirement.
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directive

noun
instruction, direction, command, order, charge, injunction, prescription, rule, ruling, regulation, law, dictate, decree, dictum, edict, mandate, fiat; formal ordinance.

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directly

adverb
they flew directly to New York
straight, right, as the crow flies, by a direct route.
I went directly after breakfast
immediately, at once, instantly, right away, straight away, post-haste, without delay, without hesitation, forthwith; quickly, speedily, promptly; informal pronto.
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the houses directly opposite
exactly, right, immediately; diametrically; informal bang.
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she spoke simply and directly
frankly, candidly, openly, bluntly, forthrightly, without beating around the bush.
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director

noun
administrator, manager, chairman, chairwoman, chairperson, chair, head, chief, principal, leader, governor, president; managing director, MD, chief executive, CEO; supervisor, controller, overseer; informal boss, kingpin, top dog, gaffer, head honcho, numero uno; N. Amer. informal Mister Big.

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directory

noun
index, list, listing, register, catalogue, record, archive, inventory.

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dirge

noun
elegy, lament, threnody, requiem, dead march; Irish keen; Irish & Scottish coronach.

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dirt

noun
his face was streaked with dirt
grime, filth; dust, soot, smut; muck, mud, mire, sludge, slime, ooze, dross; smudges, stains; informal crud, yuck, grunge; Brit. informal grot, gunge.
the packed dirt of the road
earth, soil, loam, clay, silt; ground.
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(informal) dog dirt.
See excrement.
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(informal) they tried to dig up dirt on the President
scandal, gossip, revelations, rumour(s); information.
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dirty

adjective
a dirty sweatshirt | dirty water
soiled, grimy, grubby, filthy, mucky, stained, unwashed, greasy, smeared, smeary, spotted, smudged, cloudy, muddy, dusty, sooty; unclean, sullied, impure, tarnished, polluted, contaminated, defiled, foul, unhygienic, insanitary, unsanitary; informal cruddy, yucky, icky; Brit. informal manky, gungy, grotty; poetic/literary befouled, besmirched, begrimed.
a dirty joke
indecent, obscene, rude, naughty, vulgar, smutty, coarse, crude, filthy, bawdy, suggestive, ribald, racy, salacious, risqué, offensive, off colour, lewd, pornographic, explicit, X-rated; informal blue; euphemistic adult.
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dirty tricks
dishonest, deceitful, unscrupulous, dishonourable, unsporting, ungentlemanly, below the belt, unfair, unethical, unprincipled; crooked, double-dealing, underhand, sly, crafty, devious, sneaky; Brit. informal out of order, not cricket.
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(informal) a dirty cheat
despicable, contemptible, hateful, vile, low, mean, unworthy, worthless, beyond contempt, sordid; informal rotten; archaic scurvy.
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a dirty look
malevolent, resentful, hostile, black, dark; angry, cross, indignant, annoyed, disapproving; informal peeved.
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dirty weather
unpleasant, nasty, foul, inclement, bad; rough, stormy, squally, gusty, windy, blowy, rainy; murky, overcast, louring.
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ANTONYMS :clean, innocent, honourable, pleasant.

verb
the dog had dirtied her dress
soil, stain, muddy, blacken, mess up, mark, spatter, bespatter, smudge, smear, splatter; sully, pollute, foul, defile; poetic/literary befoul, besmirch, begrime. ANTONYMS :clean.

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disability

noun
handicap, disablement, incapacity, impairment, infirmity, defect, abnormality; condition, disorder, affliction.

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disable

verb
an injury that could disable somebody for life
incapacitate, put out of action, debilitate; handicap, cripple, lame, maim, immobilize, paralyse.
the bomb squad disabled the device
deactivate, defuse, disarm.
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he was disabled from holding public office
disqualify, prevent, preclude.
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disabled

adjective
handicapped, incapacitated; debilitated, infirm, out of action; crippled, lame, paralysed, immobilized, bedridden; euphemistic physically challenged, differently abled. ANTONYMS :able-bodied.

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disabuse

verb
disillusion, set straight, open someone's eyes, correct, enlighten, disenchant, shatter someone's illusions.

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disadvantage

noun
drawback, snag, downside, stumbling block, fly in the ointment, catch, hindrance, obstacle, impediment; flaw, defect, weakness, fault, handicap, con, trouble, difficulty, problem, complication, nuisance; Brit. disbenefit; informal minus, spanner in the works. ANTONYMS :benefit.

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disadvantaged

adjective
deprived, underprivileged, depressed, in need, needy, poor, impoverished, indigent, hard up; Brit. on the breadline.

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disadvantageous

adjective
unfavourable, adverse, unfortunate, unlucky, bad; detrimental, prejudicial, deleterious, harmful, damaging, injurious, hurtful; inconvenient, inopportune, ill-timed, untimely, inexpedient.

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disaffected

adjective
dissatisfied, disgruntled, discontented, malcontent, frustrated, alienated; disloyal, rebellious, mutinous, seditious, dissident, up in arms; hostile, antagonistic, unfriendly. ANTONYMS :contented.

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disagree

verb
no one was willing to disagree with him
take issue, challenge, contradict, oppose; be at variance/odds, not see eye to eye, differ, dissent, be in dispute, debate, argue, quarrel, wrangle, clash, be at loggerheads, cross swords, lock horns; formal gainsay.
their accounts disagree on details
differ, be dissimilar, be different, vary, diverge; contradict each other, conflict, clash, contrast.
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the spicy food disagreed with her
make ill, make unwell, nauseate, sicken, upset.
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disagreeable

adjective
a disagreeable smell
unpleasant, displeasing, nasty, offensive, off-putting, obnoxious, objectionable, horrible, horrid, dreadful, frightful, abominable, odious, repugnant, repulsive, repellent, revolting, disgusting, foul, vile, nauseating, sickening, unpalatable.
a disagreeable man
bad-tempered, ill-tempered, curmudgeonly, cross, crabbed, irritable, grumpy, peevish, sullen, prickly; unfriendly, unpleasant, nasty, mean, mean-spirited, rude, surly, discourteous, impolite, brusque, abrupt, churlish, disobliging.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant.

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disagreement

noun
there was some disagreement over possible solutions
dissent, dispute, difference of opinion, variance, controversy, disaccord, discord, contention, division.
a heated disagreement
argument, debate, quarrel, wrangle, squabble, falling-out, altercation, dispute, disputation, war of words, contretemps; informal tiff, barney, set-to, spat, ding-dong; Brit. informal row; Scottish informal rammy.
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the disagreement between the results of the two assessments
difference, dissimilarity, variation, variance, discrepancy, disparity, divergence, deviation, nonconformity; incompatibility, contradiction, conflict, clash, contrast; formal dissimilitude.
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disallow

verb
reject, refuse, dismiss, say no to; ban, bar, block, debar, forbid, prohibit; cancel, invalidate, overrule, quash, overturn, countermand, reverse, throw out, set aside; informal give the thumbs down to.

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disappear

verb
by 4 o'clock the mist had disappeared
vanish, pass from sight, be lost to view/sight, recede from view; fade (away), melt away, clear, dissolve, disperse, evaporate, dematerialize; poetic/literary evanesce.
this way of life has disappeared
die out, die, cease to exist, come to an end, end, pass away, pass into oblivion, perish, vanish.
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ANTONYMS :materialize.

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disappoint

verb
I'm sorry to have disappointed you
let down, fail, dissatisfy, dash someone's hopes; upset, dismay, sadden, disenchant, disillusion, shatter someone's illusions, disabuse.
his hopes were disappointed
thwart, frustrate, foil, dash, put a/the damper on; informal throw cold water on.
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ANTONYMS :fulfil.

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disappointed

adjective
upset, saddened, let down, cast down, disheartened, downhearted, downcast, depressed, dispirited, discouraged, despondent, dismayed, crestfallen, distressed, chagrined; disenchanted, disillusioned; displeased, discontented, dissatisfied, frustrated, disgruntled; informal choked, miffed, cut up; Brit. informal gutted, as sick as a parrot. ANTONYMS :pleased.

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disappointing

adjective
regrettable, unfortunate, sorry, discouraging, disheartening, dispiriting, depressing, dismaying, upsetting, saddening; dissatisfactory, unsatisfactory; informal not all it's cracked up to be.

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disappointment

noun
she tried to hide her disappointment
sadness, regret, dismay, sorrow; dispiritedness, despondency, distress, chagrin; disenchantment, disillusionment; displeasure, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement.
the trip was a bit of a disappointment
let-down, non-event, anticlimax; Brit. damp squib; informal washout, lead balloon.
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ANTONYMS :satisfaction.

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disapprobation

noun
. See disapproval.

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disapproval

noun
disapprobation, objection, dislike; dissatisfaction, disfavour, displeasure, distaste, exception; criticism, censure, condemnation, denunciation, deprecation; informal the thumbs down.

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disapprove

verb
he disapproved of gamblers
object to, have a poor opinion of, look down one's nose at, take exception to, dislike, take a dim view of, look askance at, frown on, be against, not believe in; deplore, criticize, censure, condemn, denounce, decry, deprecate.
the board disapproved the plan
reject, veto, refuse, turn down, disallow, throw out, dismiss, rule against; informal give the thumbs down to.
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disapproving

adjective
reproachful, reproving, critical, censorious, condemnatory, disparaging, denigratory, deprecatory, unfavourable; dissatisfied, displeased, hostile.

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disarm

verb
the UN must disarm the country
demilitarize, demobilize.
the militia refused to disarm
lay down one's arms, demilitarize; poetic/literary turn swords into ploughshares.
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police disarmed the bomb
defuse, disable, deactivate, put out of action, make harmless.
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the warmth in his voice disarmed her
win over, charm, persuade, thaw; mollify, appease, placate, pacify, conciliate, propitiate.
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disarmament

noun
demilitarization, demobilization, decommissioning; arms reduction, arms limitation, arms control; the zero option.

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disarming

adjective
winning, charming, irresistible, persuasive, beguiling; conciliatory, mollifying.

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disarrange

verb
disorder, throw into disarray/disorder, put out of place, disorganize, disturb, displace; mess up, make untidy, make a mess of, jumble, mix up, muddle, turn upside-down, scatter; dishevel, tousle, rumple; informal turn topsy-turvy, make a shambles of; N. Amer. informal muss up.

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disarray

noun
the room was in disarray
disorder, confusion, chaos, untidiness, disorganization, dishevelment, mess, muddle, clutter, jumble, tangle, hotchpotch, shambles. ANTONYMS :tidiness.

verb
her clothes were disarrayed.
See disarrange.

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disassemble

verb
dismantle, take apart, take to pieces, take to bits, deconstruct, break up, strip down.

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disaster

noun
a railway disaster
catastrophe, calamity, cataclysm, tragedy, act of God, holocaust; accident.
a string of personal disasters
misfortune, mishap, misadventure, mischance, setback, reversal, stroke of bad luck, blow.
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(informal) the film was a disaster
failure, fiasco, catastrophe, debacle; informal flop, dud, washout, dead loss.
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ANTONYMS :success.

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disastrous

adjective
catastrophic, calamitous, cataclysmic, tragic; devastating, ruinous, harmful, dire, terrible, awful, shocking, appalling, dreadful; black, dark, unfortunate, unlucky, ill-fated, ill-starred, inauspicious; formal grievous.

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disavow

verb
deny, disclaim, disown, wash one's hands of, repudiate, reject, renounce.

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disavowal

noun
denial, rejection, repudiation, renunciation, disclaimer.

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disband

verb
break up, disperse, demobilize, dissolve, scatter, separate, go separate ways, part company. ANTONYMS :assemble.

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disbelief

noun
she stared at him in disbelief
incredulity, incredulousness, scepticism, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiousness; cynicism, suspicion, distrust, mistrust; formal dubiety.
I'll burn in hell for disbelief
atheism, unbelief, godlessness, irreligion, agnosticism, nihilism.
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disbelieve

verb
not believe, give no credence to, discredit, discount, doubt, distrust, mistrust, be incredulous, be unconvinced; reject, repudiate, question, challenge; informal take with a pinch of salt.

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disbeliever

noun
unbeliever, non-believer, atheist, irreligionist, nihilist; sceptic, doubter, agnostic, doubting Thomas, cynic; rare nullifidian.

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disbelieving

adjective
incredulous, doubtful, dubious, unconvinced; distrustful, mistrustful, suspicious, cynical, sceptical.

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disburden

verb
relieve, free, liberate, unburden, disencumber, discharge, excuse, absolve.

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disburse

verb
pay out, spend, expend, dole out, dish out, hand out, part with, donate, give; informal fork out, shell out, lay out; Brit. informal stump up; N. Amer. informal ante up, pony up.

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disc disk

noun
the sun was a huge scarlet disc
circle, round, saucer, discus, ring.
computer disks
diskette, floppy disk, floppy; hard disk; CD-ROM.
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(dated) an old T-Rex disc
record, gramophone record, album, LP, vinyl.
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discard

verb
dispose of, throw away/out, get rid of, toss out, jettison, scrap, dispense with, cast aside/off, throw on the scrap heap; reject, repudiate, abandon, drop, have done with, shed; informal chuck (away/out), dump, ditch, bin, junk, get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of; N. Amer. informal trash. ANTONYMS :keep.

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discern

verb
perceive, make out, pick out, detect, recognize, notice, observe, see, spot; identify, determine, distinguish; poetic/literary descry, espy.

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discernible

adjective
visible, detectable, noticeable, perceptible, observable, distinguishable, recognizable, identifiable; apparent, evident, distinct, appreciable, clear, obvious, manifest, conspicuous.

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discerning

adjective
discriminating, judicious, shrewd, clever, astute, intelligent, sharp, selective, sophisticated, tasteful, sensitive, perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, wise, aware, knowing.

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discharge

verb
he was discharged from the RAF
dismiss, eject, expel, throw out, give someone notice, make redundant; release, let go; Military cashier; informal sack, give someone the sack, fire, boot out, give someone the boot, turf out, give someone their cards, give someone their marching orders, give someone the push.
he was discharged from prison
release, free, set free, let go, liberate, let out.
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oil is routinely discharged from ships
send out, release, eject, let out, pour out, void, give off.
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the swelling will burst and discharge pus
emit, exude, ooze, leak.
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he accidentally discharged a pistol
fire, shoot, let off; set off, loose off, trigger, explode, detonate.
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the ferry was discharging passengers
unload, offload, put off; remove; archaic unlade.
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they discharged their duties efficiently
carry out, perform, execute, conduct, do; fulfil, accomplish, achieve, complete.
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the executor must discharge the funeral expenses
pay, pay off, settle, clear, honour, meet , liquidate, defray, make good; informal square.
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ANTONYMS :recruit, imprison, absorb.

noun
his discharge from the service
dismissal, release, removal, ejection, expulsion, congé; Military cashiering; informal the sack, the boot.
her discharge from prison
release, liberation.
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a discharge of diesel oil into the river
leak, leakage, emission, release, flow.
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a watery discharge from the eyes
emission, secretion, excretion, seepage, suppuration; pus, matter; Medicine exudate.
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a single discharge of his gun
shot, firing, blast; explosion, detonation.
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the discharge of their duties
carrying out, performance, performing, execution, conduct; fulfilment, accomplishment, completion.
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the discharge of all debts
payment, repayment, settlement, clearance, meeting, liquidation, defrayal.
Top

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disciple

noun
the disciples of Jesus
apostle, follower.
a disciple of Rousseau
follower, adherent, believer, admirer, devotee, acolyte, votary; pupil, student, learner; upholder, supporter, advocate, proponent, apologist.
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disciplinarian

noun
martinet, hard taskmaster, authoritarian, stickler for discipline; tyrant, despot; N. Amer. ramrod; informal slave-driver.

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discipline

noun
a lack of proper parental discipline
control, training, teaching, instruction, regulation, direction, order, authority, rule, strictness, a firm hand; routine, regimen, drill, drilling.
he was able to maintain discipline among his men
good behaviour, orderliness, control, obedience; self-control, self-discipline, self-government, self-restraint.
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sociology is a fairly new discipline
field (of study), branch of knowledge, subject, area; speciality, specialty.
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verb
she had disciplined herself to ignore the pain
train, drill, teach, school, coach; regiment.
she learned to discipline her emotions
control, restrain, regulate, govern, keep in check, check, curb, keep a tight rein on, rein in, bridle, tame, bring into line.
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he was disciplined by the management
punish, penalize, bring to book; reprimand, rebuke, reprove, chastise, upbraid; informal dress down, give someone a dressing-down, rap over the knuckles, give someone a roasting; Brit. informal carpet; formal castigate.
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disclaim

verb
the school disclaimed responsibility for his death
deny, refuse to accept/acknowledge, reject, wash one's hands of.
(Law) the earl disclaimed his title
renounce, relinquish, resign, give up, abandon.
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ANTONYMS :accept.

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disclose

verb
the information must not be disclosed to anyone
reveal, make known, divulge, tell, impart, communicate, pass on, vouchsafe; release, make public, broadcast, publish, report, unveil; leak, betray, let slip, let drop, give away; informal let on, blab, spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag; Brit. informal blow the gaff; archaic discover, unbosom.
exploratory surgery disclosed an aneurysm
uncover, reveal, show, bring to light.
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ANTONYMS :conceal.

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disclosure

noun
she was embarrassed by this unexpected disclosure
revelation, declaration, announcement, news, report; exposé, leak.
the disclosure of official information
publishing, broadcasting; revelation, communication, release, uncovering, unveiling, exposure; leakage.
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discoloration

noun
stain, mark, patch, soiling, streak, spot, blotch, tarnishing; blemish, flaw, defect, bruise, contusion; birthmark, naevus; liver spot, age spot; informal splodge, splotch; Medicine ecchymosis.

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discolour

verb
stain, mark, soil, dirty, streak, smear, spot, tarnish, sully, spoil, mar, blemish; blacken, char; fade, bleach.

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discoloured

adjective
stained, marked, spotted, dirty, soiled, tarnished, blackened; bleached, faded, yellowed.

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discomfit

verb
embarrass, abash, disconcert, nonplus, discompose, discomfort, take aback, set someone back on their heels, unsettle, unnerve, put someone off their stroke, ruffle, confuse, fluster, agitate, disorientate, upset, disturb, perturb, distress; chagrin, mortify; informal faze, rattle; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.

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discomfiture

noun
embarrassment, unease, uneasiness, awkwardness, discomfort, discomposure, abashment, confusion, agitation, nervousness, disorientation, perturbation, distress; chagrin, mortification, shame, humiliation; N. Amer. informal discombobulation.

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discomfort

noun
abdominal discomfort
pain, aches and pains, soreness, tenderness, irritation, stiffness; ache, twinge, pang, throb, cramp; Brit. informal gyp.
the discomforts of life at sea
inconvenience, difficulty, bother, nuisance, vexation, drawback, disadvantage, trouble, problem, trial, tribulation, hardship; informal hassle.
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Ruth flushed and Thomas noticed her discomfort
embarrassment, discomfiture, unease, uneasiness, awkwardness, discomposure, confusion, nervousness, flusteredness, perturbation, distress, anxiety; chagrin, mortification, shame, humiliation.
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verb
his purpose was to discomfort the Prime Minister.
See discomfit.

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discomposure

noun
agitation, discomfiture, discomfort, uneasiness, unease, confusion, disorientation, perturbation, distress, nervousness; anxiety, worry, consternation, disquiet, disquietude; embarrassment, abashment, chagrin, loss of face; N. Amer. informal discombobulation.

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disconcert

verb
unsettle, nonplus, discomfit, throw/catch off balance, take aback, rattle, set someone back on their heels, unnerve, disorient, perturb, disturb, perplex, confuse, bewilder, baffle, fluster, ruffle, shake, upset, agitate, worry, dismay, discountenance; surprise, take by surprise, startle, put someone off (their stroke/stride), distract; informal throw, faze; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.

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disconcerting

adjective
unsettling, unnerving, discomfiting, disturbing, perturbing, troubling, upsetting, worrying, alarming, distracting, off-putting; confusing, bewildering, perplexing.

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disconnect

verb
the trucks were disconnected from the train
detach, disengage, uncouple, decouple, unhook, unhitch, undo, unfasten, unyoke.
she felt as if she had been disconnected from the real world
separate, cut off, divorce, sever, isolate, divide, part, disengage, dissociate, remove.
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an engineer disconnected the appliance
deactivate, shut off, turn off, switch off, unplug.
Top
ANTONYMS :attach.

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disconnected

adjective
a world that seemed disconnected from reality
detached, separate, separated, divorced, cut off, isolated, dissociated, disengaged; apart.
a disconnected narrative
disjointed, incoherent, garbled, confused, jumbled, mixed up, rambling, wandering, disorganized, uncoordinated, ill-thought-out.
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disconsolate

adjective
sad, unhappy, doleful, woebegone, dejected, downcast, downhearted, despondent, dispirited, crestfallen, cast down, depressed, down, fed up, disappointed, disheartened, discouraged, demoralized, low-spirited, forlorn, in the doldrums, melancholy, miserable, long-faced, glum, gloomy; informal blue, choked, down in the mouth, down in the dumps; poetic/literary dolorous. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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discontent

noun
dissatisfaction, disaffection, discontentment, discontentedness, disgruntlement, grievances, unhappiness, displeasure, bad feelings, resentment, envy; restlessness, unrest, uneasiness, unease, frustration, irritation, annoyance; informal a chip on one's shoulder. ANTONYMS :satisfaction.

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discontented

adjective
dissatisfied, disgruntled, fed up, disaffected, discontent, malcontent, unhappy, aggrieved, displeased, resentful, envious; restless, frustrated, irritated, annoyed; informal fed up to the (back) teeth, browned off, hacked off; Brit. informal cheesed off, brassed off; N. Amer. informal teed off, ticked off. ANTONYMS :satisfied.

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discontinue

verb
stop, end, terminate, put an end to, put a stop to, wind up, finish, call a halt to, cancel, drop, abandon, dispense with, do away with, get rid of, axe, abolish; suspend, interrupt, break off, withdraw; informal cut, pull the plug on, scrap, knock something on the head.

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discontinuity

noun
disconnectedness, disconnection, break, disruption, interruption, disjointedness.

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discontinuous

adjective
intermittent, sporadic, broken, fitful, interrupted, on and off, disrupted, erratic, disconnected.

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discord

noun
stress resulting from family discord
strife, conflict, friction, hostility, antagonism, antipathy, enmity, bad feeling, ill feeling, bad blood, argument, quarrelling, squabbling, bickering, wrangling, feuding, contention, disagreement, dissension, dispute, difference of opinion, disunity, division, opposition.
the music faded in discord
dissonance, discordance, disharmony, cacophony, jangling.
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ANTONYMS :accord, harmony.

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discordant

adjective
the messages from Washington and London were discordant
different, in disagreement, at variance, at odds, divergent, discrepant, contradictory, contrary, in conflict, conflicting, opposite, opposed, opposing, clashing; incompatible, inconsistent, irreconcilable.
discordant sounds
inharmonious, tuneless, off-key, dissonant, harsh, jarring, grating, jangling, jangly, strident, shrill, screeching, screechy, cacophonous; sharp, flat.
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ANTONYMS :harmonious.

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discount

noun
students get a 10 per cent discount
reduction, deduction, markdown, price cut, cut, concession; rebate.
verb
I'd heard rumours, but discounted them
disregard, pay no attention to, take no notice of, take no account of, dismiss, ignore, overlook, disbelieve, reject; informal take with a pinch of salt, pooh-pooh.
the RRP is discounted in many stores
reduce, mark down, cut, lower; informal knock down.
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top Paris hotels discounted 20 per cent off published room rates
deduct, take off, rebate; informal knock off, slash.
Top
ANTONYMS :believe, increase.

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discountenance

verb
she was not discountenanced by the accusation
disconcert, discomfit, unsettle, nonplus, throw/catch off balance, take aback, unnerve, disorient, perturb, disturb, perplex, fluster, ruffle, shake, upset, agitate, worry, dismay, discompose, abash; informal throw, faze, rattle; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.
a family environment in which alcohol consumption is discountenanced
disapprove of, frown on, take a dim view of, object to.
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discourage

verb
we want to discourage children from smoking
deter, dissuade, disincline, put off, talk out of; advise against, urge against.
she was discouraged by his hostile tone
dishearten, dispirit, demoralize, cast down, depress, disappoint, dash someone's hopes; put off, unnerve, daunt, intimidate, cow, crush.
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he sought to discourage further conversation
prevent, stop, put a stop to, avert, fend off, stave off, ward off; inhibit, hinder, check, curb, put a damper on, throw cold water on.
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ANTONYMS :encourage.

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discouraged

adjective
disheartened, dispirited, demoralized, deflated, disappointed, let down, disconsolate, despondent, fed up, dejected, cast down, downcast, depressed, crestfallen, dismayed, low-spirited, gloomy, glum, pessimistic, unenthusiastic; put off, daunted, intimidated, cowed, crushed; informal down in the mouth, down in the dumps, unenthused; archaic chap-fallen.

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discouraging

adjective
depressing, demoralizing, disheartening, dispiriting, disappointing, gloomy, off-putting; unfavourable, unpromising, inauspicious. ANTONYMS :encouraging.

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discourse

noun
they prolonged their discourse outside the door
discussion, conversation, talk, dialogue, conference, debate, consultation; parley, powwow, chat; informal confab; formal confabulation, colloquy; archaic converse.
a discourse on critical theory
essay, treatise, dissertation, paper, study, critique, monograph, disquisition, tract; lecture, address, speech, oration; sermon, homily.
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verb
he discoursed at length on his favourite topic
hold forth, expatiate, pontificate; talk, give a talk, give a speech, lecture, sermonize, preach; informal spout, sound off; formal perorate.
Edward was discoursing with his friends
converse, talk, speak, debate, confer, consult, parley, chat; formal confabulate.
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discourteous

adjective
rude, impolite, ill-mannered, bad-mannered, disrespectful, uncivil, unmannerly, unchivalrous, ungentlemanly, unladylike, ill-bred, churlish, boorish, crass, ungracious, graceless, uncouth; insolent, impudent, cheeky, audacious, presumptuous; curt, brusque, blunt, offhand, unceremonious, short, sharp; informal ignorant; archaic malapert. ANTONYMS :polite.

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discourtesy

noun
rudeness, impoliteness, ill manners, bad manners, incivility, disrespect, ungraciousness, churlishness, boorishness, ill breeding, uncouthness, crassness; insolence, impudence, impertinence; curtness, brusqueness, abruptness.

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discover

verb
firemen discovered a body in the debris
find, locate, come across/upon, stumble on, chance on, light on, bring to light, uncover, unearth, turn up; track down, run to earth, run to ground.
eventually, I discovered the truth
find out, learn, realize, recognize, see, ascertain, work out, fathom out, dig up/out, ferret out, root out; informal figure out, tumble to; Brit. informal twig, rumble, suss out; N. Amer. informal dope out.
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scientists discovered a new way of dating fossil crustaceans
hit on, come up with, invent, originate, devise, design, contrive, conceive of; pioneer, develop.
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discoverer

noun
originator, inventor, creator, deviser, designer; pioneer.

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discovery

noun
the discovery of the body
finding, location, uncovering, unearthing.
the discovery that she was pregnant
realization, recognition; revelation, disclosure.
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the discovery of new drugs
invention, origination, devising; pioneering.
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he failed to take out a patent on his discoveries
find, finding; invention, breakthrough, innovation.
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discredit

verb
an attempt to discredit him and his company
bring into disrepute, disgrace, dishonour, damage the reputation of, blacken the name of, put/show in a bad light, reflect badly on, compromise, stigmatize, smear, tarnish, taint; N. Amer. slur.
that theory has been discredited
disprove, invalidate, explode, drive a coach and horses through, refute; informal debunk, shoot full of holes, blow sky-high; formal confute.
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noun
crimes which brought discredit on the administration
dishonour, disrepute, disgrace, shame, humiliation, ignominy, infamy, notoriety; censure, blame, reproach, opprobrium; stigma; dated disesteem.
the ships were a discredit to the country
disgrace, source of shame, reproach, blot on the escutcheon.
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ANTONYMS :honour, glory.

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discreditable

adjective
dishonourable, reprehensible, shameful, deplorable, disgraceful, disreputable, blameworthy, ignoble, shabby, objectionable, regrettable, unacceptable, unworthy. ANTONYMS :praiseworthy.

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discreet

adjective
discreet enquiries
careful, circumspect, cautious, wary, chary, guarded; tactful, diplomatic, prudent, judicious, strategic, politic, delicate, sensitive, kid-glove; informal softly-softly.
discreet lighting
unobtrusive, inconspicuous, subtle, low-key, understated, subdued, muted, soft, restrained.
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discrepancy

noun
difference, disparity, variance, variation, deviation, divergence, disagreement, inconsistency, dissimilarity, mismatch, discordance, incompatibility, conflict; formal dissimilitude. ANTONYMS :correspondence.

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discrete

adjective
separate, distinct, individual, detached, unattached, disconnected, discontinuous, disjunct, disjoined. ANTONYMS :connected.

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discretion

noun
you can rely on his discretion
circumspection, carefulness, caution, wariness, chariness, guardedness; tact, tactfulness, diplomacy, delicacy, sensitivity, prudence, judiciousness.
honorary fellowships awarded at the discretion of the council
choice, option, preference, disposition, volition; pleasure, liking, wish, will, inclination, desire.
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discretionary

adjective
optional, voluntary, at one's discretion, elective; Law permissive. ANTONYMS :compulsory.

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discriminate

verb
he cannot discriminate between fact and opinion
differentiate, distinguish, draw a distinction, tell the difference, tell apart; separate, separate the sheep from the goats, separate the wheat from the chaff.
existing employment policies discriminate against women
be biased, be prejudiced; treat differently, treat unfairly, put at a disadvantage, disfavour; victimize.
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discriminating

adjective
discerning, perceptive, astute, shrewd, judicious, perspicacious, insightful, keen; selective, fastidious, tasteful, refined, sensitive, cultivated, cultured, artistic, aesthetic. ANTONYMS :indiscriminate.

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discrimination

noun
racial discrimination
prejudice, bias, bigotry, intolerance, narrow-mindedness, unfairness, inequity, favouritism, one-sidedness, partisanship; sexism, chauvinism, racism, racialism, anti-Semitism, heterosexism, ageism, classism; positive discrimination; (in S. Africa, historical) apartheid.
a man with no discrimination
discernment, judgement, perception, perceptiveness, perspicacity, acumen, astuteness, shrewdness, judiciousness, insight; selectivity, (good) taste, fastidiousness, refinement, sensitivity, cultivation, culture.
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ANTONYMS :impartiality.

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discriminatory

adjective
prejudicial, biased, prejudiced, preferential, unfair, unjust, invidious, inequitable, weighted, one-sided, partisan; sexist, chauvinistic, chauvinist, racist, racialist, anti-Semitic, ageist, classist. ANTONYMS :impartial.

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discursive

adjective
dull, discursive prose
rambling, digressive, meandering, wandering, maundering, diffuse, long, lengthy, wordy, verbose, long-winded, prolix; circuitous, roundabout, circumlocutory; Brit. informal waffly.
an elegant discursive style
fluent, flowing, fluid, eloquent, expansive.
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ANTONYMS :concise, terse.

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discuss

verb
I discussed the matter with my wife
talk over, talk about, talk through, converse about, debate, confer about, deliberate about, chew over, consider, weigh up, consider the pros and cons of, thrash out; informal kick around/about, bat around/about.
chapter three discusses this topic in detail
examine, explore, study, analyse, go into, deal with, treat, consider, concern itself with, tackle.
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discussion

noun
a long discussion with her husband
conversation, talk, dialogue, discourse, conference, debate, exchange of views, consultation, deliberation; powwow, chat, tête-à-tête, heart-to-heart; negotiations, parley; informal confab, chit-chat, rap; N. Amer. informal skull session, bull session; formal confabulation, colloquy; archaic converse.
the book's candid discussion of sexual matters
examination, exploration, analysis, study; treatment, consideration.
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disdain

noun
she looked at him with disdain
contempt, scorn, scornfulness, contemptuousness, derision, disrespect; disparagement, condescension, superciliousness, hauteur, haughtiness, arrogance, snobbishness, indifference, dismissiveness; distaste, dislike, disgust; archaic despite. ANTONYMS :respect.

verb
she disdained such vulgar exhibitionism
scorn, deride, pour scorn on, regard with contempt, sneer at, sniff at, curl one's lip at, look down one's nose at, look down on; despise; informal turn up one's nose at, pooh-pooh; archaic contemn.
she disdained his invitation
spurn, reject, refuse, rebuff, disregard, ignore, snub; decline, turn down, brush aside.
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disdainful

adjective
contemptuous, scornful, derisive, sneering, withering, slighting, disparaging, disrespectful, condescending, patronizing, supercilious, haughty, superior, arrogant, proud, snobbish, lordly, aloof, indifferent, dismissive; informal high and mighty, hoity-toity, sniffy, snotty; archaic contumelious. ANTONYMS :respectful.

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disease

noun
illness, sickness, ill health; infection, ailment, malady, disorder, complaint, affliction, condition, indisposition, upset, problem, trouble, infirmity, disability, defect, abnormality; pestilence, plague, cancer, canker, blight; informal bug, virus; Brit. informal lurgy; dated contagion. pathological.

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diseased

adjective
unhealthy, ill, sick, unwell, ailing, sickly, unsound; infected, septic, contaminated, blighted, rotten, bad, abnormal.

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disembark

verb
get off, step off, leave, pile out; go ashore, debark, detrain; land, arrive; Brit. alight; N. Amer. deplane.

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disembodied

adjective
bodiless, incorporeal, discarnate, spiritual; intangible, insubstantial, impalpable; ghostly, spectral, phantom, wraithlike.

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disembowel

verb
gut, draw, remove the guts from; formal eviscerate.

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disenchanted

adjective
disillusioned, disappointed, disabused, let down, fed up, dissatisfied, discontented; cynical, soured, jaundiced, sick, out of love, indifferent.

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disenchantment

noun
disillusionment, disappointment, dissatisfaction, discontent, discontentedness, rude awakening; cynicism.

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disengage

verb
I disengaged his hand from mine
remove, detach, disentangle, extricate, separate, release, free, loosen, loose, disconnect, unfasten, unclasp, uncouple, undo, unhook, unhitch, untie, unyoke, disentwine.
American forces disengaged from the country
withdraw, leave, pull out of, quit, retreat from.
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ANTONYMS :attach, enter.

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disentangle

verb
Allen was disentangling a coil of rope
untangle, unravel, untwist, unwind, undo, untie, straighten out, smooth out; comb, card.
he disentangled his fingers from her hair
extricate, extract, free, remove, disengage, untwine, disentwine, release, loosen, detach, unfasten, unclasp, disconnect.
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disfavour

noun
disapproval, disapprobation; dislike, displeasure, distaste, dissatisfaction, low opinion; dated disesteem; archaic disrelish.

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disfigure

verb
mar, spoil, deface, scar, blemish, uglify; damage, injure, impair, blight, mutilate, deform, maim, ruin; vandalize. ANTONYMS :adorn.

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disfigurement

noun
the disfigurement of Victorian buildings
defacement, spoiling, scarring, uglification, mutilation, damage, vandalizing, ruin.
a permanent facial disfigurement
blemish, flaw, defect, imperfection, discoloration, blotch; scar, pockmark; deformity, malformation, abnormality, injury, wound.
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disgorge

verb
the combine disgorged a stream of grain
pour out, discharge, eject, throw out, emit, expel, spit out, spew out, belch forth, spout; vomit, regurgitate.
they were made to disgorge all the profits
surrender, relinquish, hand over, give up, turn over, yield.
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disgrace

noun
he brought disgrace on the family
dishonour, shame, discredit, ignominy, degradation, disrepute, ill-repute, infamy, scandal, stigma, opprobrium, obloquy, condemnation, vilification, contempt, disrespect; humiliation, embarrassment, loss of face; Austral. strife; dated disesteem.
the unemployment figures are a disgrace
scandal, outrage; discredit, reproach, affront, insult; stain, blemish, blot, blot on the escutcheon, black mark; informal crime, sin.
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ANTONYMS :honour.

verb
you have disgraced the family name
bring shame on, shame, dishonour, discredit, bring into disrepute, degrade, debase, defame, stigmatize, taint, sully, tarnish, besmirch, stain, blacken, drag through the mud/mire.
he was publicly disgraced
discredit, dishonour, stigmatize; humiliate, cause to lose face, chasten, humble, demean, put someone in their place, take down a peg or two, cut down to size.
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ANTONYMS :honour.

in disgrace
out of favour, unpopular, in bad odour, under a cloud, disgraced; informal in someone's bad/black books, in the doghouse; NZ informal in the dogbox.

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disgraceful

adjective
shameful, shocking, scandalous, deplorable, despicable, contemptible, beyond contempt, beyond the pale, dishonourable, discreditable, reprehensible, base, mean, low, blameworthy, unworthy, ignoble, shabby, inglorious, outrageous, abominable, atrocious, appalling, dreadful, terrible, disgusting, shameless, vile, odious, monstrous, heinous, iniquitous, unspeakable, loathsome, sordid, nefarious; archaic scurvy. ANTONYMS :admirable.

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disgruntled

adjective
dissatisfied, discontented, aggrieved, resentful, fed up, displeased, unhappy, disappointed, disaffected; angry, irate, annoyed, cross, exasperated, indignant, vexed, irritated, piqued, irked, put out; informal peeved, miffed, aggravated, hacked off, browned off, riled, peed off, hot under the collar, in a huff; Brit. informal cheesed off, shirty, narked; N. Amer. informal sore, teed off, ticked off.

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disguise

verb
his controlled voice disguised his true feelings
camouflage, conceal, hide, cover up, dissemble, mask, screen, shroud, veil, cloak; paper over, gloss over, put up a smokescreen. ANTONYMS :expose.

disguise oneself as
dress up as, pretend to be, pass oneself of as, impersonate, pose as; formal personate.

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disguised

adjective
in disguise, camouflaged; incognito, under cover.

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disgust

noun
a look of disgust
revulsion, repugnance, aversion, distaste, nausea, abhorrence, loathing, detestation, odium, horror; contempt, outrage; archaic disrelish. ANTONYMS :delight.

verb
the hospital food disgusted me
revolt, repel, repulse, sicken, nauseate, turn someone's stomach, make someone's gorge rise; informal turn off; N. Amer. informal gross out.
Toby's behaviour disgusted her
outrage, shock, horrify, appal, scandalize, offend.
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disgusting

adjective
the food was disgusting
revolting, repellent, repulsive, sickening, nauseating, stomach-churning, stomach-turning, off-putting, unpalatable, distasteful, foul, nasty; N. Amer. vomitous; informal yucky, icky, gross, sick-making.
I find racism disgusting
abhorrent, loathsome, offensive, appalling, outrageous, objectionable, shocking, horrifying, scandalous, monstrous, unspeakable, shameful, vile, odious, obnoxious, detestable, hateful, sickening, contemptible, despicable, deplorable, abominable, beyond the pale; informal gross, ghastly, sick.
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ANTONYMS :delicious, appealing.

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dish

noun
a china dish
bowl, plate, platter, salver, paten; container, receptacle; archaic trencher, charger; historical porringer.
vegetarian dishes
recipe, meal, course; (dishes) food, fare.
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(informal) she's quite a dish.
See beauty sense 2.
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dish something out
distribute, dispense, issue, hand out/round, give out, pass out/round; deal out, dole out, share out, allocate, allot, apportion. dish something up
serve (up), spoon out, ladle out, scoop out.

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disharmony

noun
discord, friction, strife, conflict, hostility, acrimony, bad blood, bad feeling, enmity, dissension, disagreement, feuding, quarrelling; disunity, division, divisiveness.

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dishearten

verb
discourage, dispirit, demoralize, cast down, depress, disappoint, dismay, dash someone's hopes; put off, deter, unnerve, daunt, intimidate, cow, crush. ANTONYMS :encourage.

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disheartened

adjective
discouraged, dispirited, demoralized, deflated, disappointed, let down, disconsolate, despondent, fed up, dejected, cast down, downcast, depressed, crestfallen, dismayed, low-spirited, gloomy, glum, pessimistic, unenthusiastic; daunted, intimidated, cowed, crushed; informal down in the mouth, down in the dumps, unenthused; archaic chap-fallen.

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dishevelled

adjective
untidy, unkempt, scruffy, messy, in a mess, disordered, disarranged, rumpled, bedraggled; uncombed, tousled, tangled, tangly, knotted, knotty, shaggy, straggly, windswept, wind-blown, wild; slovenly, slatternly, blowsy, frowzy; informal ratty; N. Amer. informal mussed (up); archaic draggle-tailed. ANTONYMS :tidy.

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dishonest

adjective
fraudulent, corrupt, swindling, cheating, double-dealing; underhand, crafty, cunning, devious, treacherous, unfair, unjust, dirty, unethical, immoral, dishonourable, untrustworthy, unscrupulous, unprincipled, amoral; criminal, illegal, unlawful; false, untruthful, deceitful, deceiving, lying, mendacious; informal crooked, shady, tricky, sharp, shifty; Brit. informal bent, dodgy; Austral./NZ informal shonky; poetic/literary perfidious.

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dishonesty

noun
fraud, fraudulence, sharp practice, corruption, cheating, chicanery, double-dealing, deceit, deception, duplicity, lying, falseness, falsity, falsehood, untruthfulness; craft, cunning, trickery, artifice, underhandedness, subterfuge, skulduggery, treachery, untrustworthiness, unscrupulousness, criminality, misconduct; informal crookedness, dirty tricks, shenanigans; Brit. informal jiggery-pokery; poetic/literary perfidy. ANTONYMS :probity.

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dishonour

noun
the incident brought dishonour upon the police profession
disgrace, shame, discredit, humiliation, degradation, ignominy, scandal, infamy, disrepute, ill repute, loss of face, disfavour, ill favour, debasement, opprobrium, obloquy; stigma; dated disesteem.
verb
his family name has been dishonoured
disgrace, shame, discredit, bring into disrepute, humiliate, degrade, debase, lower, cheapen, drag down, drag through the mud, blacken the name of, give a bad name to; sully, stain, taint, besmirch, smear, mar, blot, stigmatize.

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dishonourable

adjective
disgraceful, shameful, disreputable, discreditable, degrading, ignominious, ignoble, blameworthy, contemptible, despicable, reprehensible, shabby, shoddy, sordid, sorry, base, low, improper, unseemly, unworthy; unprincipled, unscrupulous, corrupt, untrustworthy, treacherous, traitorous; informal shady, dirty; poetic/literary perfidious; archaic scurvy.

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disillusion

verb
disabuse, enlighten, set straight, open someone's eyes; disenchant, shatter someone's illusions, disappoint, make sadder and wiser. ANTONYMS :deceive.

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disillusioned

adjective
disenchanted, disabused, disappointed, let down, discouraged; cynical, sour, negative, world-weary.

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disincentive

noun
deterrent, discouragement, damper, brake, curb, check, restraint, inhibitor; obstacle, impediment, hindrance, obstruction, block, barrier.

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disinclination

noun
reluctance, unwillingness, lack of enthusiasm, indisposition, hesitancy; aversion, dislike, distaste; objection, demur, resistance, opposition; archaic disrelish. ANTONYMS :enthusiasm.

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disinclined

adjective
reluctant, unwilling, unenthusiastic, unprepared, indisposed, ill-disposed, not in the mood, hesitant; loath, averse, antipathetic, resistant, opposed. ANTONYMS :willing.

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disinfect

verb
sterilize, sanitize, clean, cleanse, purify, decontaminate; fumigate. ANTONYMS :contaminate.

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disinfectant

noun
antiseptic, bactericide, germicide, sterilizer, cleanser, decontaminant; fumigant.

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disingenuous

adjective
insincere, dishonest, untruthful, false, deceitful, duplicitous, lying, mendacious; hypocritical; archaic hollow-hearted.

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disinherit

verb
cut someone out of one's will, cut off, dispossess; disown, repudiate, reject, cast off/aside, wash one's hands of, have nothing more to do with, turn one's back on; informal cut off without a penny.

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disintegrate

verb
break up, break apart, fall apart, fall to pieces, fragment, fracture, shatter, splinter; explode, blow up, blow apart, fly apart; crumble, deteriorate, decay, decompose, rot, moulder, perish, dissolve, collapse, go to rack and ruin, degenerate; informal bust, be smashed to smithereens.

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disinter

verb
exhume, unearth, dig up, disentomb.

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disinterest

noun
scholarly disinterest
impartiality, neutrality, objectivity, detachment, disinterestedness, lack of bias, lack of prejudice; open-mindedness, fairness, fair-mindedeness, equity, balance, even-handedness.
he looked at us with complete disinterest
indifference, lack of interest, unconcern, impassivity; boredom, apathy.
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ANTONYMS :bias.

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disinterested

adjective
disinterested advice
unbiased, unprejudiced, impartial, neutral, non-partisan, detached, uninvolved, objective, dispassionate, impersonal, clinical; open-minded, fair, just, equitable, balanced, even-handed, with no axe to grind, without fear or favour.
he looked at her with disinterested eyes
uninterested, indifferent, incurious, unconcerned, unmoved, unresponsive, impassive, passive, detached, unenthusiastic, lukewarm, bored, apathetic; informal couldn't-care-less.
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disjointed

adjective
unconnected, disconnected, disunited, discontinuous, fragmented, disorganized, disordered, muddled, mixed up, jumbled, garbled, incoherent, confused; rambling, wandering.

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dislike

verb
a man she had always disliked
find distasteful, regard with distaste, be averse to, have an aversion to, have no liking/taste for, disapprove of, object to, take exception to; hate, detest, loathe, abhor, despise, be unable to bear/stand, shrink from, shudder at, find repellent; informal be unable to stomach; formal abominate; archaic disrelish.
noun
she viewed the other woman with dislike
distaste, aversion, disfavour, disapproval, disapprobation, enmity, animosity, hostility, antipathy, antagonism; hate, hatred, detestation, loathing, disgust, repugnance, abhorrence, disdain, contempt; archaic disrelish.

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dislocate

verb
she dislocated her hip
put out of joint; informal put out; Medicine luxate.
trade was dislocated by a famine
disrupt, disturb, throw into disarray, throw into confusion, play havoc with, interfere with, disorganize, upset; informal mess up.
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dislodge

verb
replace any stones you dislodge
displace, knock out of place/position, move, shift; knock over, upset.
economic sanctions failed to dislodge the dictator
remove, force out, drive out, oust, eject, get rid of, evict, unseat, depose, topple, drum out; informal kick out, boot out; Brit. informal turf out.
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disloyal

adjective
unfaithful, faithless, false, false-hearted, untrue, inconstant, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, fickle; treacherous, traitorous, subversive, seditious, unpatriotic, two-faced, double-dealing, double-crossing, deceitful; dissident, renegade; adulterous; informal back-stabbing, two-timing; poetic/literary perfidious; archaic hollow-hearted.

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disloyalty

noun
unfaithfulness, infidelity, inconstancy, faithlessness, fickleness, unreliability, untrustworthiness, betrayal, falseness; duplicity, double-dealing, treachery, treason, subversion, sedition, dissidence; adultery; informal back-stabbing, two-timing; poetic/literary perfidy, perfidiousness.

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dismal

adjective
a dismal look
gloomy, glum, melancholy, morose, doleful, woebegone, forlorn, dejected, depressed, dispirited, downcast, despondent, disconsolate, miserable, sad, unhappy, sorrowful, desolate, wretched; informal blue, fed up, down in the dumps/mouth; poetic/literary dolorous.
a dismal hall
dingy, dim, dark, gloomy, dreary, drab, dull, bleak, cheerless, depressing, uninviting, unwelcoming.
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(informal) a dismal performance.
See poor sense 2.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful, bright.

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dismantle

verb
take apart, take to pieces/bits, pull apart, pull to pieces, disassemble, break up, strip (down); knock down, pull down, demolish. ANTONYMS :assemble, build.

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dismay

verb
he was dismayed by the change in his friend
appal, horrify, shock, shake (up); disconcert, take aback, alarm, unnerve, unsettle, throw off balance, discompose; disturb, upset, distress; informal rattle, faze, knock sideways; Brit. informal knock for six. ANTONYMS :encourage, please.

noun
they greeted his decision with dismay
alarm, shock, surprise, consternation, concern, perturbation, disquiet, discomposure, distress. ANTONYMS :pleasure, relief.

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dismember

verb
disjoint, joint; pull apart, cut up, chop up, butcher.

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dismiss

verb
the president dismissed five ministers
give someone their notice, get rid of, discharge; lay off, make redundant; informal sack, give someone the sack, fire, boot out, give someone the boot/elbow/push, give someone their marching orders, show someone the door; Brit. informal give someone their cards; Military cashier.
the guards were dismissed
send away, let go; disband, dissolve, discharge.
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he dismissed all morbid thoughts
banish, set aside, disregard, brush off, shrug off, put out of one's mind; reject, deny, repudiate, spurn.
Top
ANTONYMS :engage.

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dismissal

noun
the threat of dismissal
one's notice, discharge; redundancy, laying off; informal the sack, sacking, firing, the push, the boot, the axe, the elbow, one's marching orders; Brit. informal one's cards, the chop; Military cashiering.
a condescending dismissal
rejection, repudiation, repulse, non-acceptance.
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ANTONYMS :recruitment.

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dismissive

adjective
contemptuous, disdainful, scornful, sneering, snide, disparaging, negative; informal sniffy. ANTONYMS :admiring.

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dismount

verb
the cyclist dismounted
alight, get off/down.
the horse dismounted the trooper
unseat, dislodge, throw, unhorse.
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disobedient

adjective
insubordinate, unruly, wayward, badly behaved, naughty, delinquent, disruptive, troublesome, rebellious, defiant, mutinous, recalcitrant, uncooperative, wilful, intractable, obstreperous; Brit. informal bolshie; archaic contumacious.

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disobey

verb
defy, go against, flout, contravene, infringe, transgress, violate; disregard, ignore, pay no heed to.

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disobliging

adjective
unhelpful, uncooperative, unaccommodating, unamenable, unreasonable, awkward, difficult; discourteous, uncivil, unfriendly. ANTONYMS :helpful.

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disorder

noun
he hates disorder
untidiness, disorderliness, mess, disarray, chaos, confusion; clutter, jumble; a muddle, a shambles.
incidents of public disorder
unrest, disturbance, disruption, upheaval, turmoil, mayhem, pandemonium; violence, fighting, rioting, lawlessness, anarchy; breach of the peace, fracas, rumpus, melee; Law, dated affray; informal aggro.
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a blood disorder
disease, infection, complaint, condition, affliction, malady, sickness, illness, ailment, infirmity, irregularity.
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ANTONYMS :tidiness, peace.

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disordered

adjective
her grey hair was disordered
untidy, unkempt, messy, in a mess; disorganized, chaotic, confused, jumbled, muddled; N. Amer. informal mussed (up); Brit. informal shambolic.
a disordered digestive system
dysfunctional, disturbed, unsettled, unbalanced, upset, poorly.
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disorderly

adjective
a disorderly desk
untidy, disorganized, messy, cluttered; in disarray, in a mess, in a jumble, in a muddle, at sixes and sevens; informal like a bomb's hit it, higgledy-piggledy; Brit. informal shambolic.
disorderly behaviour
unruly, boisterous, rough, rowdy, wild, riotous; disruptive, troublesome, undisciplined, lawless, unmanageable, uncontrollable, out of hand, out of control.
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ANTONYMS :tidy, peaceful.

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disorganized

adjective
a disorganized tool box
disorderly, disordered, unorganized, jumbled, muddled, untidy, messy, chaotic, topsy-turvy, haphazard; in disorder, in disarray, in a mess, in a muddle, in a shambles; informal higgledy-piggledy; Brit. informal shambolic.
muddled and disorganized
unmethodical, unsystematic, undisciplined, badly organized, inefficient; haphazard, careless, slapdash; informal sloppy, hit-or-miss.
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ANTONYMS :orderly.

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disorientated disoriented

adjective
confused, bewildered, (all) at sea; lost, adrift, off-course, having lost one's bearings; informal not knowing whether one is coming or going; archaic mazed.

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disown

verb
reject, cast off/aside, abandon, renounce, deny; turn one's back on, wash one's hands of, have nothing more to do with; poetic/literary forsake.

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disparage

verb
belittle, denigrate, deprecate, play down, trivialize, make light of, undervalue, underrate; ridicule, deride, mock, scorn, scoff at, sneer at; run down, defame, discredit, speak badly of, cast aspersions on, impugn, vilify, traduce, criticize; N. Amer. slur; informal do down, pick holes in, knock, slam, pan, bad-mouth, pooh-pooh; Brit. informal rubbish, slate; formal calumniate, derogate. ANTONYMS :praise, overrate.

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disparaging

adjective
derogatory, deprecatory, denigratory, belittling; critical, scathing, negative, unfavourable, uncomplimentary, uncharitable; contemptuous, scornful, snide, disdainful; informal bitchy, catty; archaic contumelious. ANTONYMS :complimentary.

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disparate

adjective
contrasting, different, differing, dissimilar, unalike, poles apart; varying, various, diverse, diversified, heterogeneous, distinct, separate, divergent; poetic/literary divers. ANTONYMS :homogen(e)ous.

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disparity

noun
discrepancy, inconsistency, imbalance; variance, variation, divergence, gap, gulf; difference, dissimilarity, contrast; formal dissimilitude. ANTONYMS :similarity.

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dispassionate

adjective
a calm, dispassionate manner
unemotional, emotionless, impassive, cool, calm, (cool, calm, and collected), unruffled, unperturbed, composed, self-possessed, self-controlled, unexcitable; informal laid-back.
a dispassionate analysis
objective, detached, neutral, disinterested, impartial, non-partisan, unbiased, unprejudiced; scientific, analytical.
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ANTONYMS :emotional, biased.

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dispatch

verb
all the messages were dispatched
send (off), post, mail, forward, transmit.
the business was dispatched in the morning
deal with, finish, conclude, settle, discharge, perform; expedite, push through; informal make short work of.
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the good guy dispatched a host of villains
kill, put to death, take/end the life of; slaughter, butcher, massacre, wipe out, exterminate, eliminate; murder, assassinate, execute; informal bump off, do in, do away with, top, take out, blow away; N. Amer. informal ice, rub out, waste; poetic/literary slay.
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noun
goods ready for dispatch
sending, posting, mailing.
efficiency and dispatch
promptness, speed, speediness, swiftness, rapidity, briskness, haste, hastiness; poetic/literary fleetness, celerity; formal expedition.
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the latest dispatch from the front
communication, communiqué, bulletin, report, statement, letter, message; news, intelligence; informal memo, info, low-down; poetic/literary tidings.
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the capture and dispatch of the wolf
killing, slaughter, massacre, extermination, elimination; murder, assassination, execution; poetic/literary slaying.
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dispel

verb
banish, eliminate, drive away/off, get rid of; relieve, allay, ease, quell.

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dispensable

adjective
expendable, disposable, replaceable, inessential, non-essential; unnecessary, redundant, superfluous, surplus to requirements.

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dispensation

noun
the dispensation of supplies
distribution, supply, supplying, issue, issuing, handing out, doling out, dishing out, sharing out, dividing out; division, allocation, allotment, apportionment.
the dispensation of justice
administration, administering, delivery, discharge, dealing out, meting out.
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dispensation from National Insurance contributions
exemption, immunity, exception, exoneration, reprieve, remission; informal a let-off.
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the new constitutional dispensation
system, order, arrangement, organization.
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dispense

verb
servants dispensed the drinks
distribute, pass round, hand out, dole out, dish out, share out; allocate, supply, allot, apportion.
the soldiers dispensed summary justice
administer, deliver, issue, discharge, deal out, mete out.
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dispensing medicines
prepare, make up; supply, provide, sell.
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the pope dispensed him from his impediment
exempt, excuse, except, release, let off, reprieve, absolve.
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dispense with
let's dispense with the formalities
waive, omit, drop, leave out, forgo; do away with; informal give something a miss.

he dispensed with his crutches
get rid of, throw away/out, dispose of, discard; manage without, cope without; informal ditch, scrap, dump, chuck out/away, get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of.
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disperse

verb
the crowd began to disperse | police dispersed the demonstrators
break up, split up, disband, scatter, leave, go their separate ways; drive away/off, chase away.
the fog finally dispersed
dissipate, dissolve, melt away, fade away, clear, lift.
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seeds dispersed by birds
scatter, disseminate, distribute, spread, broadcast.
Top
ANTONYMS :assemble, gather.

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dispirited

adjective
disheartened, discouraged, demoralized, downcast, low, low-spirited, dejected, downhearted, depressed, disconsolate; informal fed up; Brit. informal cheesed off. ANTONYMS :heartened.

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dispiriting

adjective
disheartening, depressing, discouraging, daunting, demoralizing.

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displace

verb
roof tiles displaced by gales
dislodge, dislocate, move, shift, reposition; move out of place, knock out of place/position.
the minister was displaced
depose, dislodge, unseat, remove (from office), dismiss, eject, oust, expel, force out, drive out; overthrow, topple, bring down; informal boot out, give someone the boot, show someone the door; Brit. informal turf out; dated out.
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English displaced the local language
replace, take the place of, supplant, supersede.
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ANTONYMS :replace, reinstate.

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display

noun
a display of dolls and puppets | a motorcycle display
exhibition, exposition, array, arrangement, presentation, demonstration; spectacle, show, parade, pageant.
they vied to outdo each other in display
ostentation, ostentatiousness, showiness, extravagance, flamboyance, lavishness, splendour; informal swank, flashiness, glitziness.
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his display of concern
manifestation, expression, show.
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verb
the Crown Jewels are displayed in London
exhibit, show, put on show/view; arrange, array, present, lay out, set out.
the play displays his many theatrical talents
show off, parade, flaunt, reveal; publicize, make known, call/draw attention to; informal hype.
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she displayed a vein of sharp humour
manifest, show evidence of, reveal; demonstrate, show; formal evince.
Top
ANTONYMS :conceal.

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displease

verb
annoy, irritate, anger, irk, vex, pique, gall, nettle; put out, upset; informal aggravate, peeve, needle, bug, rile, miff, hack off; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off.

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displeasure

noun
annoyance, irritation, crossness, anger, vexation, pique, rancour; dissatisfaction, discontent, discontentedness, disgruntlement, disapproval; informal aggravation. ANTONYMS :satisfaction.

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disposable

adjective
disposable plates
throwaway, expendable, one-use.
disposable income
available, usable, spendable.
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disposal

noun
rubbish ready for disposal
throwing away, discarding, jettisoning, scrapping; informal dumping, ditching, chucking (out/away).
we have twenty copies for disposal
distribution, handing out, giving out/away, allotment, allocation.
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the disposal of the troops in two lines
arrangement, arranging, positioning, placement, lining up, disposition, grouping; Military dressing.
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at someone's disposal
for use by, in reserve for, in the hands of, in the possession of.

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dispose

verb
he disposed his attendants in a circle
arrange, place, put, position, array, set up, form; marshal, gather, group; Military dress.
the experience disposed him to be kind
incline, encourage, persuade, predispose, make willing, prompt, lead, motivate; sway, influence.
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dispose of
the waste was disposed of
throw away/out, get rid of, discard, jettison, scrap; informal dump, ditch, chuck (out/away), get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of; N. Amer. informal trash.

he had disposed of all his assets
part with, give away, hand over, deliver up, transfer; sell, auction; informal get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of.
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(informal) she disposed of a fourth cake.
See consume sense 1.
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(informal) he robbed her and then disposed of her.
See kill verb sense 1.
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disposed

adjective
they are philanthropically disposed
inclined, predisposed, minded.
we are not disposed to argue
willing, inclined, prepared, ready, minded, in the mood.
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he was disposed to be cruel
liable, apt, inclined, likely, predisposed, prone, tending; capable of.
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disposition

noun
a nervous disposition
temperament, nature, character, constitution, make-up, mentality.
his disposition to clemency
inclination, tendency, proneness, propensity, proclivity.
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the disposition of the armed forces
arrangement, positioning, placement, configuration; set-up, line-up, layout, array; marshalling, mustering, grouping; Military dressing.
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(Law) the disposition of the company's property
distribution, disposal, allocation, transfer; sale, auction.
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at someone's disposition
at the disposal of, for use by, in reserve for, in the hands of, in the possession of.

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dispossess

verb
divest, strip, rob, cheat out of, deprive; informal do out of; archaic reave.

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disproportionate

adjective
out of proportion to, not appropriate to, not commensurate with, relatively too large/small for; inordinate, unreasonable, excessive, undue.

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disprove

verb
refute, prove false, rebut, falsify, debunk, negate, invalidate, contradict, confound, controvert, negative, discredit; informal shoot full of holes, blow out of the water; formal confute, gainsay.

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disputable

adjective
debatable, open to debate/question, arguable, contestable, moot, questionable, doubtful, controvertible; informal iffy.

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disputation

noun
debate, discussion, dispute, argument, arguing, altercation, dissension, disagreement, controversy; polemics.

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dispute

noun
a subject of dispute
debate, discussion, disputation, argument, controversy, disagreement, quarrelling, dissension, conflict, friction, strife, discord.
they have settled their dispute
quarrel, argument, altercation, squabble, falling-out, disagreement, difference of opinion, clash, wrangle; informal tiff, spat, scrap; Brit. informal row, barney, ding-dong; N. Amer. informal rhubarb; archaic broil.
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ANTONYMS :agreement.

verb
George disputed with him
debate, discuss, exchange views; quarrel, argue, disagree, clash, fall out, wrangle, bicker, squabble; informal have words, have a tiff/spat; archaic altercate.
they disputed his proposals
challenge, contest, question, call into question, impugn, quibble over, contradict, controvert, argue about, disagree with, take issue with; formal gainsay.
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ANTONYMS :accept.

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disqualified

adjective
banned, barred, debarred; ineligible. ANTONYMS :allowed.

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disquiet

noun
grave public disquiet
unease, uneasiness, worry, anxiety, anxiousness, concern, disquietude; perturbation, consternation, upset, malaise, angst; agitation, restlessness, fretfulness; informal jitteriness. ANTONYMS :calm.

verb
I was disquieted by the news
perturb, agitate, upset, disturb, unnerve, unsettle, discompose, disconcert; make uneasy, worry, make anxious; trouble, concern, make fretful, make restless.

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disquisition

noun
essay, dissertation, treatise, paper, tract, article; discussion, lecture, address, presentation, speech, talk.

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disregard

verb
Annie disregarded the remark
ignore, take no notice of, pay no attention/heed to; overlook, turn a blind eye to, turn a deaf ear to, shut one's eyes to, gloss over, brush off/aside, shrug off. ANTONYMS :heed.

noun
blithe disregard for the rules
indifference, non-observance, inattention, heedlessness, neglect. ANTONYMS :attention.

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disrepair

noun
dilapidation, decrepitude, shabbiness, ricketiness, collapse, ruin; abandonment, neglect, disuse.

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disreputable

adjective
he fell into disreputable company
of bad reputation, infamous, notorious, louche; dishonourable, dishonest, untrustworthy, unwholesome, villainous, corrupt, immoral; unsavoury, slippery, seedy, sleazy; informal crooked, shady, shifty; Brit. informal dodgy.
filthy and disreputable
scruffy, shabby, down at heel, seedy, untidy, unkempt, dishevelled.
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ANTONYMS :respectable, smart.

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disrepute

noun
disgrace, shame, dishonour, infamy, notoriety, ignominy, bad reputation; humiliation, discredit, ill repute, low esteem, opprobrium, obloquy. ANTONYMS :honour.

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disrespect

noun
disrespect for authority
contempt, lack of respect, scorn, disregard, disdain.
he meant no disrespect to anybody
discourtesy, rudeness, impoliteness, incivility, ill/bad manners; insolence, impudence, impertinence.
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ANTONYMS :esteem.

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disrespectful

adjective
discourteous, rude, impolite, uncivil, ill-mannered, bad-mannered; insolent, impudent, impertinent, cheeky, flippant, insubordinate. ANTONYMS :polite.

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disrobe

verb
undress, strip, take off one's clothes, remove one's clothes; Brit. informal peel off.

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disrupt

verb
the strike disrupted public transport
throw into confusion/disorder/disarray, cause confusion/turmoil in, play havoc with; disturb, interfere with, upset, unsettle; obstruct, impede, hold up, delay, interrupt, suspend; Brit. informal throw a spanner in the works of; N. Amer. informal throw a monkey wrench in the works of.
the explosion disrupted the walls of the crater
distort, damage, buckle, warp; shatter; poetic/literary sunder.
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disruptive

adjective
troublesome, unruly, badly behaved, rowdy, disorderly, undisciplined, wild; unmanageable, uncontrollable, uncooperative, out of control/hand, obstreperous, truculent; formal refractory. ANTONYMS :well behaved.

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dissatisfaction

noun
discontent, discontentment, disaffection, disquiet, unhappiness, malaise, disgruntlement, vexation, annoyance, irritation, anger; disapproval, disapprobation, disfavour, displeasure.

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dissatisfied

adjective
discontented, malcontent, unsatisfied, disappointed, disaffected, unhappy, displeased; disgruntled, aggrieved, vexed, annoyed, irritated, angry, exasperated, fed up; informal cheesed off; Brit. informal brassed off. ANTONYMS :contented.

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dissect

verb
the body was dissected
anatomize, cut up/open, dismember; vivisect.
the text of the gospels was dissected
analyse, examine, study, scrutinize, pore over, investigate, go over with a fine-tooth comb.
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dissection

noun
the dissection of corpses
cutting up/open, dismemberment; autopsy, post-mortem, necropsy, anatomy, vivisection.
a thorough dissection of their policies
analysis, examination, study, scrutiny, scrutinization, investigation; evaluation, assessment.
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dissemble

verb
dissimulate, pretend, feign, act, masquerade, sham, fake, bluff, posture, hide one's feelings, put on a false front.

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dissembler

noun
liar, dissimulator; humbug, bluffer, fraud, impostor, actor, hoaxer, charlatan.

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disseminate

verb
spread, circulate, distribute, disperse, promulgate, propagate, publicize, communicate, pass on, put about, make known.

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dissension

noun
disagreement, difference of opinion, dispute, dissent, conflict, friction, strife, discord, antagonism; argument, debate, controversy, disputation, contention.

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dissent

verb
two members dissented
differ, disagree, demur, fail to agree, be at variance/odds, take issue; decline/refuse to support, protest, object, dispute, challenge, quibble. ANTONYMS :agree, accept.

noun
murmurs of dissent
disagreement, difference of opinion, argument, dispute; disapproval, objection, protest, opposition, defiance; conflict, friction, strife. ANTONYMS :agreement.

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dissenter

noun
dissident, dissentient, objector, protester, disputant; rebel, renegade, maverick, independent; apostate, heretic.

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dissentient

adjective
dissentient voices
dissenting, dissident, disagreeing, differing, discordant, contradicting, contrary, anti-; opposing, objecting, protesting, complaining, rebellious, revolutionary; nonconformist, recusant, unorthodox, heterodox, heretical.
noun
a dissentient spoke up.
See dissenter.

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dissertation

noun
essay, thesis, treatise, paper, study, discourse, disquisition, tract, monograph.

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disservice

noun
unkindness, bad/ill turn, disfavour; injury, harm, hurt, damage, wrong, injustice. ANTONYMS :favour.

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dissidence

noun
disagreement, dissent, discord, discontent; opposition, resistance, protest, sedition.

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dissident

noun
a jailed dissident
dissenter, objector, protester; rebel, revolutionary, recusant, subversive, agitator, insurgent, insurrectionist, refusenik. ANTONYMS :conformist.

adjective
dissident intellectuals
dissentient, dissenting, disagreeing; opposing, objecting, protesting, rebellious, rebelling, revolutionary, recusant, nonconformist. ANTONYMS :conforming.

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dissimilar

adjective
different, differing, unalike, variant, diverse, divergent, heterogeneous, disparate, unrelated, distinct, contrasting; poetic/literary divers.

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dissimilarity

noun
difference(s), variance, diversity, heterogeneity, disparateness, disparity, distinctness, contrast, non-uniformity, divergence; formal dissimilitude.

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dissimilitude

noun
(formal). See dissimilarity.

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dissimulate

verb
pretend, deceive, feign, act, dissemble, masquerade, pose, posture, sham, fake, bluff, hide one's feelings, be dishonest, put on a false front, lie.

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dissimulation

noun
pretence, dissembling, deceit, dishonesty, duplicity, lying, guile, subterfuge, feigning, shamming, faking, bluff, bluffing, posturing, hypocrisy.

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dissipate

verb
his anger dissipated
disappear, vanish, evaporate, dissolve, melt away, melt into thin air, be dispelled; disperse, scatter; poetic/literary evanesce.
he dissipated his fortune
squander, fritter (away), misspend, waste, be prodigal with, spend recklessly/freely, spend like water; expend, use up, consume, run through, go through; informal blow, splurge.
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dissipated

adjective
dissolute, debauched, decadent, intemperate, profligate, self-indulgent, wild, depraved; licentious, promiscuous; drunken. ANTONYMS :ascetic.

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dissipation

noun
drunken dissipation
debauchery, decadence, dissoluteness, dissolution, intemperance, excess, profligacy, self-indulgence, wildness; depravity, degeneracy; licentiousness, promiscuity; drunkenness.
the dissipation of our mineral wealth
squandering, frittering (away), waste, misspending; expenditure, draining, depletion.
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ANTONYMS :asceticism.

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dissociate

verb
the word "spiritual" has become dissociated from religion
separate, detach, disconnect, sever, cut off, divorce; isolate, alienate. ANTONYMS :relate.

dissociate oneself from
he dissociated himself from the Church of England
break away from, end relations with, sever connections with; withdraw from, quit, leave, disaffiliate from, resign from, pull out of, drop out of, defect from.

he dissociated himself from the statement
disown, reject, disagree with, distance oneself from.
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dissociation

noun
separation, disconnection, detachment, severance, divorce, split; segregation, division; poetic/literary sundering. ANTONYMS :union.

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dissolute

adjective
dissipated, debauched, decadent, intemperate, profligate, self-indulgent, wild, depraved; licentious, promiscuous; drunken. ANTONYMS :ascetic.

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dissolution

noun
the dissolution of parliament
cessation, conclusion, end, ending, termination, winding up/down, discontinuation, suspension, disbanding; prorogation, recess.
(technical) the dissolution of a polymer in a solvent
dissolving, liquefaction, melting, deliquescence; breaking up, decomposition, disintegration.
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the dissolution of the empire
disintegration, breaking up; decay, collapse, demise, extinction.
Top
a life of dissolution.
See dissipation sense 1.
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dissolve

verb
sugar dissolves in water
go into solution, break down; liquefy, deliquesce, disintegrate.
his hopes dissolved
disappear, vanish, melt away, evaporate, disperse, dissipate, disintegrate; dwindle, fade (away), wither; poetic/literary evanesce.
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the crowd dissolved
disperse, disband, break up, scatter, go in different directions.
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the assembly was dissolved
disband, disestablish, bring to an end, end, terminate, discontinue, close down, wind up/down, suspend; prorogue, adjourn.
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their marriage was dissolved
annul, nullify, void, invalidate, overturn, revoke.
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dissolve into/in
burst into, break (down) into, be overcome with.

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dissonant

adjective
dissonant sounds
inharmonious, discordant, unmelodious, atonal, off-key, cacophonous.
harmonious and dissonant colours
incongruous, anomalous, clashing; disparate, different, dissimilar.
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ANTONYMS :harmonious.

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dissuade

verb
discourage, deter, prevent, divert, stop; talk out of, persuade against, advise against, argue out of. ANTONYMS :encourage.

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distance

noun
they measured the distance
interval, space, span, gap, extent; length, width, breadth, depth; range, reach.
our perception of distance
remoteness; closeness.
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a mix of warmth and distance
aloofness, remoteness, detachment, unfriendliness; reserve, reticence, restraint, formality; informal stand-offishness.
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verb
he distanced himself from her
withdraw, detach, separate, dissociate, isolate, put at a distance.
in the distance
far away/off, afar, just in view; on the horizon; archaic yonder.

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distant

adjective
distant parts of the world
faraway, far-off, far-flung, remote, out of the way, outlying.
the distant past
long ago, bygone, olden; ancient, prehistoric; poetic/literary of yore.
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half a mile distant
away, off, apart.
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a distant memory
vague, faint, dim, indistinct, unclear, indefinite, sketchy, hazy.
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a distant family connection
remote, indirect, slight.
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father was always distant
aloof, reserved, remote, detached, unapproachable; withdrawn, reticent, taciturn, uncommunicative, undemonstrative, unforthcoming, unresponsive, unfriendly; informal stand-offish.
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a distant look in his eyes
distracted, absent-minded, faraway, detached, distrait, vague.
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ANTONYMS :near, close, recent.

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distaste

noun
dislike, aversion, disinclination, disapproval, disapprobation, disdain, repugnance, hatred, loathing; archaic disrelish. ANTONYMS :liking.

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distasteful

adjective
distasteful behaviour
unpleasant, disagreeable, displeasing, undesirable; objectionable, offensive, unsavoury, unpalatable, obnoxious; disgusting, repellent, repulsive, revolting, repugnant, abhorrent, loathsome, vile.
their eggs are distasteful to predators
unpalatable, unsavoury, unappetizing, inedible, disgusting.
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ANTONYMS :agreeable, tasty.

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distended

adjective
swollen, bloated, dilated, engorged, enlarged, inflated, expanded, extended, bulging, protuberant.

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distil

verb
the water was distilled
purify, refine, filter, treat, process; evaporate and condense.
oil distilled from marjoram
extract, press out, squeeze out, express.
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whisky is distilled from barley
brew, ferment.
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the solvent is distilled to leave the oil
boil down, reduce, concentrate, condense; purify, refine.
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distinct

adjective
two distinct categories
discrete, separate, different, unconnected; precise, specific, distinctive, contrasting.
the tail has distinct black tips
clear, well defined, unmistakable, easily distinguishable; recognizable, visible, obvious, pronounced, prominent, striking.
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ANTONYMS :overlapping, indefinite.

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distinction

noun
class distinctions
difference, contrast, dissimilarity, variance, variation; division, differentiation, dividing line, gulf, gap; formal dissimilitude.
a painter of distinction
importance, significance, note, consequence; renown, fame, celebrity, prominence, eminence, pre-eminence, repute, reputation; merit, worth, greatness, excellence, quality.
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he had served with distinction
honour, credit, excellence, merit.
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ANTONYMS :similarity, mediocrity.

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distinctive

adjective
distinguishing, characteristic, typical, individual, particular, peculiar, unique, exclusive, special. ANTONYMS :common.

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distinctly

adverb
there's something distinctly odd about him
decidedly, markedly, definitely; clearly, noticeably, obviously, plainly, evidently, unmistakably, manifestly, patently; Brit. informal dead.
Laura spoke quite distinctly
clearly, plainly, intelligibly, audibly, unambiguously.
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distinguish

verb
distinguishing reality from fantasy
differentiate, tell apart, discriminate between, tell the difference between.
he could distinguish shapes in the dark
discern, see, perceive, make out; detect, recognize, identify; poetic/literary descry, espy.
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this is what distinguishes history from other disciplines
separate, set apart, make distinctive, make different; single out, mark off, characterize.
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distinguish oneself
attain distinction, be successful, bring fame/honour to oneself, become famous.

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distinguishable

adjective
discernible, recognizable, identifiable, detectable.

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distinguished

adjective
eminent, famous, renowned, prominent, well known; esteemed, respected, illustrious, acclaimed, celebrated, great; notable, important, influential. ANTONYMS :unknown, obscure.

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distinguishing

adjective
distinctive, differentiating, characteristic, typical, peculiar, singular, unique.

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distorted

adjective
a distorted face
twisted, warped, contorted, buckled, deformed, malformed, misshapen, disfigured, crooked, awry, out of shape.
a distorted version
misrepresented, perverted, twisted, falsified, misreported, misstated, garbled, inaccurate; biased, prejudiced, slanted, coloured, loaded, weighted, altered, changed.
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distract

verb
divert, sidetrack, draw away, disturb, put off.

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distracted

adjective
preoccupied, inattentive, vague, abstracted, distrait, absent-minded, faraway, in a world of one's own; bemused, confused, bewildered; troubled, harassed, worried; informal miles away, not with it. ANTONYMS :attentive.

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distracting

adjective
disturbing, unsettling, intrusive, disconcerting, bothersome, off-putting.

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distraction

noun
a distraction from the real issues
diversion, interruption, disturbance, interference, hindrance.
frivolous distractions
amusement, entertainment, diversion, recreation, leisure pursuit, divertissement.
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he was driven to distraction
frenzy, hysteria, mental distress, madness, insanity, mania; agitation, perturbation.
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distrait distraite, fem.

adjective
distracted, preoccupied, absorbed, abstracted, distant, faraway; absent-minded, vague, inattentive, in a brown study, wool-gathering, with one's head in the clouds, in a world of one's own; informal miles away, not with it. ANTONYMS :alert.

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distraught

adjective
worried, upset, distressed, fraught; overcome, overwrought, beside oneself, out of one's mind, desperate, hysterical, worked up, at one's wits' end; informal in a state.

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distress

noun
she concealed her distress
anguish, suffering, pain, agony, torment, heartache, heartbreak; misery, wretchedness, sorrow, grief, woe, sadness, unhappiness, desolation, despair.
a ship in distress
danger, peril, difficulty, trouble, jeopardy, risk.
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the poor in distress
hardship, adversity, poverty, deprivation, privation, destitution, indigence, impoverishment, penury, need, dire straits.
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ANTONYMS :happiness, safety, prosperity.

verb
he was distressed by the trial
cause anguish/suffering to, pain, upset, make miserable; trouble, worry, bother, perturb, disturb, disquiet, agitate, harrow, torment; informal cut up. ANTONYMS :calm, please.

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distressing

adjective
upsetting, worrying, disturbing, disquieting, painful, traumatic, agonizing, harrowing; sad, saddening, heartbreaking, heart-rending. ANTONYMS :comforting.

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distribute

verb
the were proceeds distributed among his creditors
give out, deal out, dole out, dish out, hand out/round; allocate, allot, apportion, share out, divide out/up, parcel out.
the newsletter is distributed free
circulate, issue, hand out, deliver.
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a hundred and thirty different species are distributed worldwide
disperse, scatter, spread.
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ANTONYMS :collect.

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distribution

noun
the distribution of charity
giving out, dealing out, doling out, handing out/round, issue, issuing, dispensation; allocation, allotment, apportioning, sharing out, dividing up/out, parcelling out.
the geographical distribution of plants
dispersal, dissemination, spread; placement, position, location, disposition.
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centres of food distribution
supply, supplying, delivery, transport, transportation.
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the statistical distribution of the problem
frequency, prevalence, incidence, commonness.
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district

noun
neighbourhood, area, region, locality, locale, community, quarter, sector, zone, territory; administrative division, ward, parish; informal neck of the woods.

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distrust

noun
the general distrust of authority
mistrust, suspicion, wariness, chariness, leeriness, lack of trust, lack of confidence; scepticism, doubt, doubtfulness, cynicism; misgivings, qualms, disbelief; formal dubiety.
verb
Louise distrusted him
mistrust, be suspicious of, be wary/chary of, be leery of, regard with suspicion, suspect; be sceptical of, have doubts about, doubt, be unsure of/about, have misgivings about, wonder about, disbelieve (in).

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disturb

verb
somewhere where we won't be disturbed
interrupt, intrude on, butt in on, barge in on; distract, disrupt, bother, trouble, pester, harass; informal hassle.
don't disturb his papers
disarrange, muddle, rearrange, disorganize, disorder, mix up, interfere with, throw into disorder/confusion, turn upside down.
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waters disturbed by winds
agitate, churn up, stir up; poetic/literary roil.
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he wasn't disturbed by the allegations
perturb, trouble, concern, worry, upset; agitate, fluster, discomfit, disconcert, dismay, distress, discompose, unsettle, ruffle.
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disturbance

noun
a disturbance to local residents
disruption, distraction, interference; bother, trouble, inconvenience, upset, annoyance, irritation, intrusion, harassment; informal hassle.
disturbances among the peasantry
riot, fracas, upheaval, brawl, street fight, melee, free-for-all, ruckus, rumpus; Law, dated affray; informal ruction.
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emotional disturbance
trouble, perturbation, distress, worry, upset, agitation, discomposure, discomfiture; neurosis, illness, sickness, disorder, complaint.
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disturbed

adjective
disturbed sleep
disrupted, interrupted, fitful, intermittent, broken.
disturbed children
troubled, distressed, upset, distraught; unbalanced, unstable, disordered, dysfunctional, maladjusted, neurotic, unhinged; informal screwed up, mixed up.
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disturbing

adjective
worrying, perturbing, troubling, upsetting; distressing, discomfiting, disconcerting, disquieting, unsettling, dismaying, alarming, frightening.

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disunion

noun
breaking up, separation, dissolution, partition. ANTONYMS :federation.

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disunite

verb
break up, separate, divide, split up, partition, dismantle; poetic/literary sunder. ANTONYMS :unify.

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disunity

noun
disagreement, dissent, dissension, argument, arguing, quarrelling, feuding; conflict, strife, friction, discord.

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disuse

noun
non-use, non-employment, lack of use; neglect, abandonment, desertion, obsolescence; formal desuetude.

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disused

adjective
unused, no longer in use, unemployed, idle; abandoned, deserted, vacated, unoccupied, uninhabited.

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ditch

noun
she rescued an animal from a ditch
trench, trough, channel, dyke, drain, gutter, gully, watercourse, conduit; Archaeology fosse.
verb
they started ditching the coastal areas
dig a ditch in, trench, excavate, drain.
(informal) she ditched her old curtains.
See throw something away sense 1 at throw.
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(informal) she ditched her husband.
See throw someone over at throw.
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dither

verb
hesitate, falter, waver, vacillate, change one's mind, be in two minds, be indecisive, be undecided; Brit. haver; informal shilly-shally, dilly-dally.

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diurnal

adjective
daily, everyday, quotidian, occurring every/each day.

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divan

noun
settee, sofa, couch; sofa bed; Brit. put-you-up; N. Amer. studio couch.

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dive

verb
they dived into the clear water | the plane was diving towards the ground
plunge, nosedive, jump head first, bellyflop; plummet, fall, drop, pitch.
the islanders dive for oysters
swim under water; snorkel, scuba dive.
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they dived for cover
leap, jump, lunge, launch oneself, throw oneself, go headlong, duck.
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noun
a dive into the pool
plunge, nosedive, jump, bellyflop; plummet, fall, drop, swoop, pitch.
a sideways dive
lunge, spring, jump, leap.
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(informal) John got into a fight in some dive
sleazy bar/nightclub, seedy bar/nightclub, drinking den; informal drinking joint.
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diverge

verb
the two roads diverged
separate, part, fork, divide, split, bifurcate, go in different directions.
areas where our views diverge
differ, be different, be dissimilar; disagree, be at variance/odds, conflict, clash.
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he diverged from his text
deviate, digress, depart, veer, stray; stray from the point, get off the subject.
Top
ANTONYMS :converge, agree.

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divergence

noun
the divergence of the human and ape lineages
separation, dividing, parting, forking, bifurcation.
a marked political divergence
difference, dissimilarity, variance, disparity; disagreement, incompatibility, mismatch; formal dissimilitude.
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divergence from standard behaviour
deviation, digression, departure, shift, straying; variation, change, alteration.
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divergent

adjective
differing, varying, different, dissimilar, unalike, disparate, contrasting, contrastive; conflicting, incompatible, contradictory, at odds, at variance. ANTONYMS :similar.

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divers

adjective
(poetic/literary) several, many, numerous, multiple, manifold, multifarious, multitudinous; sundry, miscellaneous, assorted, various; poetic/literary myriad.

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diverse

adjective
various, sundry, manifold, multiple; varied, varying, miscellaneous, assorted, mixed, diversified, divergent, heterogeneous, a mixed bag of; different, differing, distinct, unlike, dissimilar; poetic/literary divers, myriad.

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diversify

verb
farmers looking for ways to diversify
branch out, expand, extend operations.
a plan aimed at diversifying the economy
vary, bring variety to; modify, alter, change, transform; expand, enlarge.
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diversion

noun
the diversion of 19 rivers
re-routing, redirection, deflection, deviation, divergence.
traffic diversions
detour, deviation, alternative route.
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the noise created a diversion
distraction, disturbance, smokescreen.
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a city full of diversions
entertainment, amusement, pastime, delight, divertissement; fun, recreation, rest and relaxation, pleasure; informal R and R; dated sport.
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diversity

noun
variety, miscellany, assortment, mixture, mix, melange, range, array, multiplicity; variation, variance, diverseness, diversification, heterogeneity, difference, contrast; formal dissimilitude. ANTONYMS :uniformity.

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divert

verb
a plan to divert Siberia's rivers
re-route, redirect, change the course of, deflect, channel.
he diverted her from her studies
distract, sidetrack, disturb, draw away, be a distraction, put off.
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the story diverted them
amuse, entertain, distract, delight, enchant, interest, fascinate, absorb, engross, rivet, grip, hold the attention of.
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diverting

adjective
entertaining, amusing, enjoyable, pleasing, agreeable, delightful, appealing; interesting, fascinating, intriguing, absorbing, riveting, compelling; humorous, funny, witty, comical. ANTONYMS :boring.

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divest

verb
deprive, strip, dispossess, rob, cheat/trick out of; archaic reave.

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divide

verb
he divided his kingdom into four
split (up), cut up, carve up; dissect, bisect, halve, quarter; poetic/literary sunder.
a curtain divided her cabin from the galley
separate, segregate, partition, screen off, section off, split off.
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the stairs divide at the mezzanine
diverge, separate, part, branch (off), fork, split (in two), bifurcate.
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Jack divided up the cash
share out, allocate, allot, apportion, portion out, ration out, parcel out, deal out, dole out, dish out, distribute, dispense; informal divvy up.
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he aimed to divide his opponents
disunite, drive apart, break up, split up, set at variance/odds; separate, isolate, estrange, alienate; poetic/literary tear asunder.
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living things are divided into three categories
classify, sort (out), categorize, order, group, grade, rank.
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schizo-. ANTONYMS :unify, join, converge.

noun
the sectarian divide
breach, gulf, gap, split; borderline, boundary, dividing line.

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dividend

noun
an annual dividend
share, portion, premium, return, gain, profit; informal cut, rake-off; Brit. informal divvy.
the research will produce dividends in the future
benefit, advantage, gain; bonus, extra, plus.
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divination

noun
fortune telling, divining, prophecy, prediction, soothsaying, augury; clairvoyance, second sight. mantic, -mancy.

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divine 1

adjective
a divine being
godly, angelic, seraphic, saintly, beatific; heavenly, celestial, holy.
divine worship
religious, holy, sacred, sanctified, consecrated, blessed, devotional.
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(informal) divine food.
See lovely sense 3.
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ANTONYMS :mortal.

noun
(dated) puritan divines
theologian, clergyman, clergywoman, member of the clergy, churchman, churchwoman, cleric, minister, man/woman of the cloth, preacher, priest; informal reverend.

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divine 2

verb
Fergus divined how afraid she was
guess, surmise, conjecture, deduce, infer; discern, intuit, perceive, recognize, see, realize, appreciate, understand, grasp, comprehend; informal figure (out), savvy; Brit. informal twig, suss.
they divined that this was an auspicious day
foretell, predict, prophesy, forecast, foresee, prognosticate; rare vaticinate.
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he divined water supplies
dowse, find by dowsing.
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diviner

noun
fortune teller, clairvoyant, crystal-gazer, psychic, seer, soothsayer, prognosticator, prophesier, oracle, sibyl; rare vaticinator.

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divinity

noun
they denied Christ's divinity
divine nature, divineness, godliness, deity, godhead, holiness.
the study of divinity
theology, religious studies, religion, scripture.
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a female divinity
deity, god, goddess, divine/supreme being.
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division

noun
the division of the island | cell division
dividing (up), breaking up, break-up, carving up, splitting, dissection, bisection; partitioning, separation, segregation.
the division of his estates
sharing out, dividing up, parcelling out, dishing out, allocation, allotment, apportionment; splitting up, carving up; informal divvying up.
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the division between nomadic and urban cultures
dividing line, divide, boundary, borderline, border, demarcation line.
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each class is divided into nine divisions
section, subsection, subdivision, category, class, group, grouping, set, family.
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an independent division of the executive
department, branch, arm, wing, sector, section, subsection, subdivision, subsidiary.
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the causes of social division
disunity, disunion, conflict, discord, disagreement, dissension, disaffection, estrangement, alienation, isolation.
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divisive

adjective
alienating, estranging, isolating, schismatic. ANTONYMS :unifying.

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divorce

noun
she wants a divorce
dissolution, annulment, (official/judicial) separation.
a growing divorce between the church and people
separation, division, split, disunity, estrangement, alienation; schism, gulf, chasm.
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ANTONYMS :marriage, unity.

verb
her parents have divorced
dissolve one's marriage, annul one's marriage, end one's marriage, get a divorce.
religion cannot be divorced from morality
separate, disconnect, divide, dissociate, detach, isolate, alienate, set apart, cut off.
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divulge

verb
disclose, reveal, tell, communicate, pass on, publish, broadcast, proclaim; expose, uncover, make public, give away, let slip; informal spill the beans about, let on about. ANTONYMS :conceal.

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dizzy

adjective
she felt dizzy
giddy, light-headed, faint, unsteady, shaky, muzzy, wobbly; informal woozy.
dizzy heights
causing dizziness, causing giddiness, vertiginous.
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(informal) a dizzy blond.
See empty-headed.
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do

verb
she does most of the manual work
carry out, undertake, discharge, execute, perform, accomplish, achieve; bring about, engineer; informal pull off; formal effectuate.
they can do as they please
act, behave, conduct oneself, acquit oneself; formal comport oneself.
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regular coffee will do
suffice, be adequate, be satisfactory, fill/fit the bill, serve one's purpose, meet one's needs.
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the boys will do the dinner
prepare, make, get ready, see to, arrange, organize, be responsible for, be in charge of; informal fix.
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the company are doing a new range | a portrait I am doing
make, create, produce, turn out, design, manufacture; paint, draw, sketch; informal knock up/off.
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each room was done in a different colour
decorate, furnish, ornament, deck out, trick out; informal do up.
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her maid did her hair
style, arrange, adjust; brush, comb, wash, dry, cut; informal fix.
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I am doing a show to raise money
put on, present, produce; perform in, act in, take part in, participate in.
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you've done me a favour
grant, pay, render, give.
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show me how to do these equations
work out, figure out, calculate; solve, resolve.
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she's doing archaeology
study, read, learn, take a course in.
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what does he do?
have as a job, have as a profession, be employed at, earn a living at.
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he is doing well at college
get on/along, progress, fare, manage, cope; succeed, prosper.
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he was doing 80mph
drive at, travel at, move at.
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the cyclists do 30 miles per day
travel (over), journey, cover, traverse, achieve, notch up, log; informal chalk up.
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(informal) we're doing Scotland this summer
visit, tour, sightsee in.
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noun
(Brit. informal) he invited us to a grand do
party, reception, gathering, celebration, function, social event/occasion, social, soirée; informal bash, shindig; Brit. informal knees-up, beanfeast, bunfight; Austral./NZ informal rage, jollo.
do away with
they want to do away with t he old customs
abolish, get rid of, discard, remove, eliminate, discontinue, stop, end, terminate, put an end/stop to, dispense with, drop, abandon, give up; informal scrap, ditch, dump.

(informal) she tried to do away with her husband.
See kill verb sense 1.
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do someone/something down (informal)
belittle, disparage, denigrate, run down, deprecate, cast aspersions on, discredit, vilify, defame, criticize, malign; N. Amer. slur; informal have a go at, hit out at, knock, slam, pan, bad-mouth; Brit. informal rubbish, slag off. do someone/something in (informal)
the poor devil's been done in.
See kill verb sense 1.

the long walk home did me in
wear out, tire out, exhaust, fatigue, weary, overtire, drain; informal shatter, take it out of; Brit. informal knacker.
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I did my back in
injure, hurt, damage.
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do something out (Brit. informal)
decorate, furnish, ornament, deck out, trick out; informal do up. do someone out of something (informal)
swindle out of, cheat out of, trick out of, deprive of; informal con out of, diddle out of. do something up
she did her bootlace up
fasten, tie (up), lace, knot; make fast, secure.

(informal) he's had his house done up
renovate, refurbish, refit, redecorate, decorate, revamp, make over, modernize, improve, spruce up, smarten up; informal give something a facelift; N. Amer. informal rehab.
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do without
forgo, dispense with, abstain from, refrain from, eschew, give up, cut out, renounce, manage without; formal forswear.

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docile

adjective
compliant, obedient, pliant, dutiful, submissive, deferential, unassertive, cooperative, amenable, accommodating, biddable, malleable. ANTONYMS :disobedient, wilful.

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dock 1

noun
his boat was moored at the dock
harbour, marina, port, anchorage; wharf, quay, pier, jetty, landing stage.
verb
the ship docked
moor, berth, put in, tie up, anchor.

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dock 2

verb
they docked the money from his salary
deduct, subtract, remove, debit, take off/away; informal knock off.
workers had their pay docked
reduce, cut, decrease.
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the dog's tail was docked
cut off, cut short, shorten, crop, lop; remove, amputate, detach, sever, chop off, take off.
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docket (Brit.)

noun
a docket for every transaction
document, chit, coupon, voucher, certificate, counterfoil, bill, receipt; Brit. informal chitty.
verb
docket the package
document, record, register; label, tag, tab, mark.

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doctor

noun
Tim went to see a doctor
physician, medical practitioner, clinician; general practitioner, GP, consultant, registrar, medical officer, MO; Brit. house officer, houseman; N. Amer. intern, extern; informal doc, medic, medico; Brit. informal quack.
verb
(informal) he doctored their wounds
treat, medicate, cure, heal; tend, attend to, minister to, care for, nurse.
he doctored Stephen's drinks
adulterate, contaminate, tamper with, lace; informal spike, dope.
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the reports have been doctored
falsify, tamper with, interfere with, alter, change; forge, fake; informal cook; Brit. informal fiddle (with).
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doctrinaire

adjective
dogmatic, rigid, inflexible, uncompromising; authoritarian, intolerant, fanatical, zealous, extreme.

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doctrine

noun
creed, credo, dogma, belief, teaching, ideology; tenet, maxim, canon, principle, precept.

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document

noun
their solicitor drew up a document
(official/legal) paper, certificate, deed, contract, legal agreement; Law instrument, indenture.
verb
many aspects of school life have been documented
record, register, report, log, chronicle, archive, put on record, write down; detail, note, describe.

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documentary

adjective
documentary evidence
recorded, documented, registered, written, chronicled, archived, on record/paper, in writing.
a documentary film
factual, non-fictional.
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noun
a documentary about rural England
factual programme/film; programme, film, broadcast.

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dodder

verb
totter, teeter, toddle, hobble, shuffle, shamble, falter.

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doddery

adjective
tottering, tottery, staggering, shuffling, shambling, faltering, shaky, unsteady, wobbly; feeble, frail, weak.

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dodge

verb
she dodged into a telephone booth
dart, bolt, dive, lunge, leap, spring.
he could easily dodge the two coppers
elude, evade, avoid, escape, run away from, lose, shake (off); informal give someone the slip.
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the minister tried to dodge the debate
avoid, evade, get out of, back out of, sidestep; N. Amer. end-run; informal duck, wriggle out of; Austral./NZ informal duck-shove.
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noun
a dodge to the right
dart, bolt, dive, lunge, leap, spring.
a clever dodge | a tax dodge
ruse, ploy, scheme, tactic, stratagem, subterfuge, trick, hoax, wile, cheat, deception, blind; swindle, fraud; informal scam, con (trick); Brit. informal wheeze; N. Amer. informal bunco, grift; Austral. informal lurk, rort.
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dodgy

adjective
(Brit. informal) a dodgy second-hand car salesman.
See dishonest.
the champagne was dodgy
second-rate, third-rate, substandard, low-quality; awful, terrible, dreadful, dire; N. Amer. cheapjack; informal not up to much, woeful; Brit. informal ropy, grotty.
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doer

noun
the doer of unspeakable deeds
performer, perpetrator, executor, accomplisher, agent.
Daniel is a thinker more than a doer
worker, organizer, man/woman of action; informal mover and shaker, busy bee.
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doff

verb
(dated) take off, remove, strip off, pull off; raise, lift, tip; dated divest oneself of. ANTONYMS :don.

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dog

noun
she went for a walk with her dog
hound, canine, mongrel; pup, puppy; informal doggy, pooch; Austral. informal bitzer.
(informal) you black-hearted dog!
See scoundrel.
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(informal, dated) you're a lucky dog!
See fellow sense 1.
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verb
they dogged him the length of the country
pursue, follow, track, trail, shadow, hound; informal tail.
the scheme was dogged by bad weather
plague, beset, bedevil, beleaguer, blight, trouble.
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dogged

adjective
tenacious, determined, resolute, resolved, purposeful, persistent, persevering, single-minded, tireless; strong-willed, steadfast, staunch; formal pertinacious. ANTONYMS :half-hearted.

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dogma

noun
teaching, belief, tenet, principle, precept, maxim, article of faith, canon; creed, credo, set of beliefs, doctrine, ideology.

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dogmatic

adjective
opinionated, peremptory, assertive, insistent, emphatic, adamant, doctrinaire, authoritarian, imperious, dictatorial, uncompromising, unyielding, inflexible, rigid.

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dogsbody

noun
(Brit. informal) drudge, menial (worker), factotum, servant, slave, lackey, minion, man/girl Friday; informal gofer; Brit. informal skivvy; N. Amer. informal peon; archaic scullion.

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doing

noun
the doing of the act constitutes the offence
performance, performing, carrying out, execution, implementation, implementing, achievement, accomplishment, realization, completion; formal effectuation.
an account of his doings in Paris
exploit, activity, act, action, deed, feat, achievement, accomplishment; informal caper.
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that would take some doing
effort, exertion, (hard) work, application, labour, toil, struggle.
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(Brit. informal) the drawer where he kept the doings
thing, so-and so; informal whatsit, whatnot, doodah, thingummy, thingamajig, thingamabob, what's-its-name, what-d'you-call-it, oojamaflip, oojah; Brit. informal gubbins; N. Amer. informal doohickey, doojigger, dingus.
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doldrums

plural noun
winter doldrums
depression, melancholy, gloom, gloominess, downheartedness, dejection, despondency, low spirits, despair; inertia, apathy, listlessness; N. Amer. blahs; informal blues.
in the doldrums
inactive, quiet, slow, slack, sluggish, stagnant.

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dole

noun
(dated) the customary dole was a tumblerful of rice
handout, charity; gift, donation; historical alms.
(Brit. informal) he was on the dole
(unemployment/state) benefit, benefit payments, social security, welfare.
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dole something out
deal out, share out, divide up, allocate, allot, distribute, dispense, hand out, give out, dish out/up; informal divvy up.

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doleful

adjective
mournful, woeful, sorrowful, sad, unhappy, depressed, gloomy, morose, melancholy, miserable, forlorn, wretched, woebegone, despondent, dejected, disconsolate, downcast, crestfallen, downhearted; informal blue, down in the mouth/dumps; poetic/literary dolorous, heartsick. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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doll

noun
the child was hugging a doll
figure, figurine, model; toy, plaything; informal dolly.
(informal) she was quite a doll.
See beauty sense 2.
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doll oneself up (informal)
dress up; informal get/do oneself up, dress up to the nines, put on one's glad rags; Brit. informal tart oneself up.

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dollop (informal)

noun
blob, gobbet, lump, ball; informal glob; Brit. informal gob, wodge.

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dolorous

adjective
(poetic/literary). See doleful.

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dolour

noun
(poetic/literary). See misery sense 1.

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dolt

noun
. See idiot.

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doltish

adjective
. See stupid sense 1.

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domain

noun
they extended their domain
realm, kingdom, empire, dominion, province, territory, land.
the domain of art
field, area, sphere, discipline, province, world.
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dome

noun
cupola, vault, arched roof.

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domestic

adjective
domestic commitments
family, home, household.
she was not at all domestic
housewifely, domesticated, homely.
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small domestic animals
domesticated, tame, pet, household.
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the domestic car industry
national, state, home, internal.
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domestic plants
native, indigenous.
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noun
they worked as domestics
servant, domestic worker/help, home help, maid, housemaid, cleaner, housekeeper; Brit. dated charwoman, charlady, char; Brit. informal daily (help).

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domesticated

adjective
domesticated animals
tame, tamed, pet, domestic, trained.
domesticated crops
cultivated, naturalized.
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I'm quite domesticated really
housewifely, home-loving, homely.
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ANTONYMS :wild.

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domicile (formal)

noun
changes of domicile
residence, home, house, address, residency, lodging, accommodation; informal digs; formal dwelling (place), abode, habitation.
verb
he is now domiciled in Australia
settle, live, make one's home, take up residence; move to, emigrate to.

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dominance

noun
supremacy, superiority, ascendancy, pre-eminence, predominance, domination, dominion, mastery, power, authority, rule, command, control, sway; poetic/literary puissance.

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dominant

adjective
the dominant classes
presiding, ruling, governing, controlling, commanding, ascendant, supreme, authoritative.
he has a dominant personality
assertive, authoritative, forceful, domineering, commanding, controlling, pushy; dated pushful.
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the dominant issues in psychology
main, principal, prime, premier, chief, foremost, primary, predominant, paramount, prominent; central, key, crucial, core; informal number-one.
Top
ANTONYMS :subservient.

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dominate

verb
the Russians dominated Iran in the nineteenth century
control, influence, exercise control over, command, be in command of, be in charge of, rule, govern, direct, have ascendancy over, have mastery over; informal head up, be in the driver's seat, be at the helm, rule the roost; Brit. informal wear the trousers; N. Amer. informal have someone in one's hip pocket; poetic/literary sway.
the Puritan work ethic still dominates
predominate, prevail, reign, be prevalent, be paramount, be pre-eminent.
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the village is dominated by the viaduct
overlook, command, tower above/over, loom over.
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domination

noun
rule, government, sovereignty, control, command, authority, power, dominion, dominance, mastery, supremacy, superiority, ascendancy, sway.

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domineer

verb
browbeat, bully, intimidate, push around/about, order about/around, lord it over; dictate to, be overbearing, have under one's thumb, rule with a rod of iron; informal boss about/around, walk all over.

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domineering

adjective
overbearing, authoritarian, imperious, high-handed, autocratic; masterful, dictatorial, despotic, oppressive, iron-fisted, strict, harsh; informal bossy.

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dominion

noun
France had dominion over Laos
supremacy, ascendancy, dominance, domination, superiority, predominance, pre-eminence, hegemony, authority, mastery, control, command, power, sway, rule, government, jurisdiction, sovereignty, suzerainty.
a British dominion
dependency, colony, protectorate, territory, province, possession; historical tributary.
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don 1

noun
an Oxford don
university teacher, (university) lecturer, fellow, professor, reader, academic, scholar.

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don 2

verb
he donned an overcoat
put on, get dressed in, dress (oneself) in, get into, slip into/on.

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donate

verb
give, give/make a donation of, contribute, make a contribution of, gift, subscribe, grant, bestow; informal chip in, pitch in; Brit. informal stump up; N. Amer. informal kick in.

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donation

noun
gift, contribution, subscription, present, handout, grant, offering; charity; formal benefaction; historical alms.

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done

adjective
the job is done
finished, ended, concluded, complete, completed, accomplished, achieved, fulfilled, discharged, executed; informal wrapped up, sewn up, polished off.
is the meat done?
cooked (through), ready.
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those days are done
over (and done with), at an end, finished, ended, concluded, terminated, no more, dead, gone, in the past.
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(informal) that's just not done
proper, seemly, decent, respectable, right, correct, in order, fitting, appropriate, acceptable, the done thing.
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ANTONYMS :incomplete, underdone, ongoing.

exclamation
Done!
agreed, all right, very well; informal you're on, OK, okey-dokey; Brit. informal righto, righty-ho.
be/have done with
be/have finished with, be through with, want no more to do with. done for (informal)
ruined, finished, destroyed, undone, doomed, lost; informal washed-up. done in (informal). See exhausted sense 1.

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Don Juan

noun
womanizer, philanderer, Casanova, Lothario, flirt, ladies' man, playboy, seducer, rake, roué, libertine; informal skirt-chaser, ladykiller, wolf.

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donkey

noun
the cart was drawn by a donkey
ass, jackass, jenny; mule, hinny; Brit. informal moke.
(informal) you silly donkey!
See fool noun sense 1.
Top
asinine.

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donnish

adjective
scholarly, studious, academic, bookish, intellectual, learned, highbrow; informal egghead; dated lettered.

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donor

noun
giver, contributor, benefactor, benefactress, subscriber; supporter, backer, patron, sponsor; informal angel.

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doom

noun
his impending doom
destruction, downfall, ruin, ruination; extinction, annihilation, death.
(archaic) the day of doom
Judgement Day, the Last Judgement, doomsday, Armageddon.
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verb
we were doomed to fail
destine, fate, predestine, preordain, foredoom, mean; condemn, sentence.

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doomed

adjective
ill-fated, ill-starred, cursed, jinxed, foredoomed, damned; poetic/literary star-crossed.

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door

noun
doorway, portal, opening, entrance, entry, exit.
out of doors
outside, outdoors, in/into the open air, alfresco.

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doorkeeper

noun
doorman, commissionaire, concierge.

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dope

noun
(informal) he was caught smuggling dope
(illegal) drugs, narcotics; cannabis, heroin.
what a dope!
See fool noun sense 1.
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they had plenty of dope on Mr Dixon.
See intelligence sense 2.
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verb
the horse was doped
drug, administer drugs/narcotics to, tamper with, interfere with; sedate; Brit. informal nobble.
they doped his drink
add drugs to, tamper with, adulterate, contaminate, lace; informal spike, doctor.
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dopey

adjective
(informal) stupefied, confused, muddled, befuddled, disorientated, groggy, muzzy; informal woozy, not with it. ANTONYMS :alert.

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dormant

adjective
asleep, sleeping, resting; inactive, passive, inert, latent, quiescent. ANTONYMS :awake, active.

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dose

noun
measure, portion, dosage, drench; informal hit.

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dossier

noun
file, report, case history; account, notes, document(s), documentation, data, information, evidence.

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dot

noun
a pattern of tiny dots
spot, speck, fleck, speckle; full stop, decimal point.
verb
spots of rain dotted his shirt
spot, fleck, mark, stipple, freckle, sprinkle; poetic/literary bestrew, besprinkle.
restaurants are dotted around the site
scatter, pepper, sprinkle, strew; spread, disperse, distribute.
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on the dot (informal)
precisely, exactly, sharp, prompt, dead on, on the stroke of ; informal bang on; N. Amer. informal on the button, on the nose.

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dotage

noun
declining years, winter/autumn of one's life; advanced years, old age; poetic/literary eld.

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dote

dote on
adore, love dearly, be devoted to, idolize, treasure, cherish, worship, hold dear; indulge, spoil, pamper.

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doting

adjective
adoring, loving, besotted, infatuated; affectionate, fond, devoted, caring.

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dotty

adjective
(informal). See mad sense 1.

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double

adjective
a double garage | double yellow lines
dual, duplex, twin, binary, duplicate, in pairs, coupled, twofold.
a double helping
doubled, twofold.
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a double meaning
ambiguous, equivocal, dual, two-edged, double-edged, ambivalent, cryptic, enigmatic.
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a double life
deceitful, double-dealing, two-faced, dual; hypocritical, false, duplicitous, insincere, deceiving, dissembling, dishonest.
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di-, diplo-. ANTONYMS :single, unambiguous.

adverb
we had to pay double
twice (over), twice the amount, doubly.
noun
if it's not her, it's her double
lookalike, twin, clone, duplicate, exact likeness, replica, copy, facsimile, Doppelgänger; informal spitting image, dead ringer, dead spit.
she used a double for the stunts
stand-in, substitute.
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verb
they doubled his salary
multiply by two, increase twofold.
the bottom sheet had been doubled up
fold (back/up/down/over/under), turn back/up/down/over/under, tuck back/up/down/under.
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the kitchen dou bles as a dining room
function, do, (also) serve.
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at/on the double
very quickly, as fast as one's legs can carry one, at a run, at a gallop, fast, swiftly, rapidly, speedily, at (full) speed, at full tilt, as fast as possible; informal double quick, like (greased) lightning, like the wind, like a scalded cat, like a bat out of hell; Brit. informal like the clappers, at a rate of knots; N. Amer. informal lickety-split.

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double-cross

verb
betray, cheat, defraud, trick, hoodwink, mislead, deceive, swindle, be disloyal to, be unfaithful to, play false; informal do the dirty on, sell down the river.

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double-dealing

noun
duplicity, treachery, betrayal, double-crossing, unfaithfulness, untrustworthiness, infidelity, bad faith, disloyalty, breach of trust, fraud, underhandedness, cheating, dishonesty, deceit, deceitfulness, deception, falseness; informal crookedness. ANTONYMS :honesty.

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double entendre

noun
ambiguity, double meaning, innuendo, play on words.

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doubly

adverb
twice as, in double measure, even more, especially, extra.

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doubt

noun
there was some doubt as to the caller's identity
uncertainty, unsureness, indecision, hesitation, dubiousness, suspicion, confusion; queries, questions; formal dubiety.
a weak leader racked by doubt
indecision, hesitation, uncertainty, insecurity, unease, uneasiness, apprehension; hesitancy, vacillation, irresolution.
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there is doubt about their motives
scepticism, distrust, mistrust, doubtfulness, suspicion, cynicism, uneasiness, apprehension, wariness, chariness, leeriness; reservations, misgivings, suspicions; formal dubiety.
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ANTONYMS :certainty, conviction.

verb
they doubted my story
disbelieve, distrust, mistrust, suspect, have doubts about, be suspicious of, have misgivings about, feel uneasy about, feel apprehensive about, query, question, challenge.
I doubt whether he will come
think something unlikely, have (one's) doubts about, question, query, be dubious.
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stop doubting and believe!
be undecided, have doubts, be irresolute, be ambivalent, be doubtful, be unsure, be uncertain, be in two minds, hesitate, shilly-shally, waver, vacillate.
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ANTONYMS :trust.

in doubt
the issue was in doubt
doubtful, uncertain, open to question, unconfirmed, unknown, undecided, unresolved, in the balance, up in the air; informal iffy.

if you are in doubt, ask for advice
irresolute, hesitant, vacillating, dithering, wavering, ambivalent; doubtful, unsure, uncertain, in two minds, shilly-shallying, undecided, in a quandary/dilemma; informal sitting on the fence.
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no doubt
doubtless, undoubtedly, indubitably, doubtlessly, without (a) doubt; unquestionably, undeniably, incontrovertibly, irrefutably; unequivocally, clearly, plainly, obviously, patently.

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doubter

noun
sceptic, doubting Thomas, non-believer, unbeliever, disbeliever, cynic, scoffer, questioner, challenger, dissenter. ANTONYMS :believer.

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doubtful

adjective
I was doubtful about going
irresolute, hesitant, vacillating, dithering, wavering, in doubt, unsure, uncertain, in two minds, shilly-shallying, undecided, in a quandary/dilemma, blowing hot and cold.
it is doubtful whether he will come
in doubt, uncertain, open to question, unsure, unconfirmed, not definite, unknown, undecided, unresolved, debatable, in the balance, up in the air; informal iffy.
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the whole trip is looking rather doubtful
unlikely, improbable, dubious, impossible.
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they are doubtful of the methods used
distrustful, mistrustful, suspicious, wary, chary, leery, apprehensive; sceptical, unsure, ambivalent, dubious, cynical.
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this decision is of doubtful validity
questionable, arguable, debatable, controversial, contentious; informal iffy; Brit. informal dodgy.
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ANTONYMS :confident, certain, probable, trusting.

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doubtless

adverb
undoubtedly, indubitably, doubtlessly, no doubt; unquestionably, indisputably, undeniably, incontrovertibly, irrefutably; certainly, surely, of course, indeed.

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doughty

adjective
fearless, dauntless, determined, resolute, indomitable, intrepid, plucky, spirited, bold, valiant, brave, stout-hearted, courageous; informal gutsy, spunky, feisty.

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dour

adjective
stern, unsmiling, unfriendly, severe, forbidding, gruff, surly, grim, sullen, solemn, austere, stony. ANTONYMS :cheerful, friendly.

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douse

verb
a mob doused the thieves with petrol
drench, soak, saturate, wet, splash, slosh.
a guard doused the flames
extinguish, put out, quench, smother, dampen down.
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dovetail

verb
the ends of the logs were dovetailed
joint, join, fit together, splice, mortise, tenon.
this will dovetail well with the division's existing activities
fit in, go together, be consistent, match, conform, harmonize, be in tune, correspond; informal square; N. Amer. informal jibe.
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dowdy

adjective
unfashionable, frumpy, old-fashioned, inelegant, shabby, scruffy, frowzy; Brit. informal mumsy; Austral./NZ informal daggy. ANTONYMS :fashionable.

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down 1

adverb
they went down in the lift
towards a lower position, downwards, downstairs.
she fell down
to the ground/floor, over.
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ANTONYMS :up.

preposition
the lift plunged down the shaft
to a lower position in, to the bottom of.
I walked down the street
along, to the other end of, from one end of to the other.
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down the years
throughout, through, during.
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adjective
I'm feeling a bit down
depressed, sad, unhappy, melancholy, miserable, wretched, sorrowful, gloomy, dejected, downhearted, despondent, dispirited, low; informal blue, down in the dumps/mouth, fed up.
the computer is down
not working, inoperative, malfunctioning, out of order, broken; not in service, out of action, out of commission; informal conked out, bust, (gone) kaput; N. Amer. informal on the fritz.
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ANTONYMS :elated, working.

verb
(informal) he struck Slater, downing him
knock down/over, knock to the ground, bring down, topple; informal deck, floor, flatten.
he downed his beer
drink (up/down), gulp (down), guzzle, quaff, drain, toss off, slug, finish off; informal sink, knock back, put away; N. Amer. informal scarf (down/up), snarf (down/up).
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noun
the ups and downs of running a business
setbacks, upsets, reverses, reversals, mishaps, vicissitudes; informal glitches.
(informal) he's having a bit of a down
fit of depression; informal the blues, the dumps, a low; N. Amer. informal the blahs.
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have a down on (informal)
disapprove of, be against, feel antagonism to, be hostile to, feel ill will towards; informal have it in for, be down on.

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down 2

noun
goose down
soft feathers, fine hair; fluff, fuzz, floss, lint.

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down and out

adjective
destitute, poverty-stricken, impoverished, penniless, insolvent, impecunious; needy, in straitened circumstances, distressed, badly off; homeless, on the streets, vagrant, sleeping rough; informal hard up, (flat) broke, strapped (for cash), without a brass farthing, without two pennies to rub together; Brit. informal stony broke, skint; N. Amer. informal without a red cent, on skid row. ANTONYMS :wealthy.

noun
(down-and-out) poor person, pauper, indigent; beggar, homeless person, vagrant, tramp, drifter, derelict, vagabond; N. Amer. hobo; Austral. bagman; informal have-not, dosser, bag lady; N. Amer. informal bum.

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down at heel

adjective
the resort looks down at heel
run down, dilapidated, neglected, uncared-for; seedy, insalubrious, squalid, slummy, wretched; informal scruffy, scuzzy; Brit. informal grotty; N. Amer. informal shacky.
a down-at-heel labourer
scruffy, shabby, ragged, tattered, mangy, sorry; unkempt, bedraggled, dishevelled, ungroomed, seedy, untidy, slovenly; informal tatty, scuzzy, grungy; Brit. informal grotty; N. Amer. informal raggedy.
Top
ANTONYMS :smart.

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downbeat

adjective
the mood is decidedly downbeat
pessimistic, gloomy, negative, defeatist, cynical, bleak, fatalistic, dark, black; despairing, despondent, depressed, dejected, demoralized, hopeless, melancholy, glum.
his downbeat joviality
relaxed, easy-going, easy, casual, informal, nonchalant, insouciant; low-key, subtle, unostentatious, cool; informal laid-back.
Top

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downcast

adjective
despondent, disheartened, discouraged, dispirited, downhearted, crestfallen, down, low, disconsolate, despairing; sad, melancholy, gloomy, glum, morose, doleful, dismal, woebegone, miserable, depressed, dejected; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps. ANTONYMS :elated.

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downfall

noun
undoing, ruin, ruination; defeat, conquest, deposition, overthrow; nemesis, destruction, annihilation, elimination; end, collapse, fall, crash, failure; debasement, degradation, disgrace; Waterloo. ANTONYMS :rise.

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downgrade

verb
plans to downgrade three workers
demote, lower, reduce/lower in rank; relegate.
I won't downgrade their achievement
disparage, denigrate, detract from, run down, belittle; informal bad-mouth.
Top
ANTONYMS :promote, praise.

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downhearted

adjective
despondent, disheartened, discouraged, dispirited, downcast, crestfallen, down, low, disconsolate, wretched; melancholy, gloomy, glum, morose, doleful, dismal, woebegone, miserable, depressed, dejected, sorrowful, sad; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps. ANTONYMS :elated.

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downmarket

adjective
(Brit.) cheap, cheap and nasty, inferior; low-class, lowbrow, unsophisticated, rough, insalubrious; informal tacky, rubbishy, dumbed down.

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downpour

noun
rainstorm, cloudburst, deluge; thunderstorm; torrential/pouring rain.

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downright

adjective
downright lies
complete, total, absolute, utter, thorough, out-and-out, outright, sheer, arrant, pure, real, veritable, categorical, unmitigated, unadulterated, unalloyed, unequivocal; Brit. informal proper.
her downright attitude
frank, straightforward, direct, blunt, plain-spoken, forthright, uninhibited, unreserved; no-nonsense, matter-of-fact, bluff, undiplomatic; explicit, clear, plain, unequivocal, unambiguous; honest, candid, open, sincere; informal upfront.
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adverb
that's downright dangerous
thoroughly, utterly, positively, profoundly, really, completely, totally, entirely; unquestionably, undeniably, in every respect, through and through; informal plain.

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downside

noun
drawback, disadvantage, snag, stumbling block, catch, pitfall, fly in the ointment; handicap, limitation, trouble, difficulty, problem, complication, nuisance; hindrance; weak spot/point; informal minus, flip side. ANTONYMS :advantage.

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down-to-earth

adjective
practical, sensible, realistic, matter-of-fact, responsible, reasonable, rational, logical, balanced, sober, pragmatic, level-headed, commonsensical, sane. ANTONYMS :idealistic.

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downtrodden

adjective
oppressed, subjugated, persecuted, repressed, tyrannized, crushed, enslaved, exploited, victimized, bullied; disadvantaged, underprivileged, powerless, helpless; abused, maltreated.

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downward

adjective
descending, downhill, falling, sinking, dipping; earthbound, earthward.

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downy

adjective
soft, velvety, smooth, fleecy, fluffy, fuzzy, feathery, furry, woolly, silky.

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dowry

noun
marriage settlement, (marriage) portion; archaic dot.

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doze

verb
catnap, nap, drowse, sleep lightly, rest; informal snooze, snatch forty winks, get some shut-eye; Brit. informal kip; N. Amer. informal catch some Zs; poetic/literary slumber.
noun
catnap, nap, siesta, light sleep, drowse, rest; informal snooze, forty winks; Brit. informal kip, zizz; poetic/literary slumber.
doze off
fall asleep, go to sleep, drop off; informal nod off, drift off; N. Amer. informal sack out, zone out.

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dozy

adjective
drowsy, sleepy, half asleep, heavy-eyed, somnolent; lethargic, listless, enervated, inactive, languid, weary, tired, fatigued; N. Amer. logy; informal dopey, yawny.

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drab

adjective
a drab interior
colourless, grey, dull, washed out, muted, lacklustre; dingy, dreary, dismal, cheerless, gloomy, sombre.
a drab existence
uninteresting, dull, boring, tedious, monotonous, dry, dreary; unexciting, unimaginative, uninspiring, insipid, lacklustre, flat, stale, wishy-washy, colourless; lame, tired, sterile, anaemic, barren, tame; middle-of-the-road, run-of-the-mill, mediocre, nondescript, characterless, mundane, unremarkable, humdrum.
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ANTONYMS :bright, cheerful, interesting.

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draconian

adjective
harsh, severe, strict, extreme, drastic, stringent, tough; cruel, oppressive, ruthless, relentless, punitive; authoritarian, despotic, tyrannical, repressive; Brit. swingeing. ANTONYMS :lenient.

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draft

noun
the draft of his speech
preliminary version, rough outline, plan, skeleton, abstract; main points, bare bones.
a draft of the building
plan, blueprint, design, diagram, drawing, sketch, map, layout, representation.
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a banker's draft
cheque, order, money order, bill of exchange, postal order.
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drag

verb
she dragged the chair backwards
haul, pull, tug, heave, lug, draw; trail, trawl, tow; informal yank.
the day dragged
become tedious, pass slowly, creep along, hang heavy, wear on, go on too long, go on and on.
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noun
the drag of the air brakes
pull, resistance, tug.
(informal) work can be a drag
bore, nuisance, bother, trouble, pest, annoyance, trial, vexation; informal pain (in the neck), bind, headache, hassle.
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drag on
persist, continue, go on, carry on, extend, run on, be protracted, endure, prevail. drag something out
prolong, protract, draw out, spin out, string out, extend, lengthen, carry on, keep going, continue.

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dragoon

noun
(historical) the dragoons charged
cavalryman, mounted soldier; historical knight, chevalier, hussar; archaic cavalier.
verb
he dragooned his friends into participating
coerce, pressure, pressurize, press, push; force, compel, impel; hound, harass, nag, harry, badger, goad, pester; browbeat, bludgeon, bully, twist someone's arm, strong-arm; informal railroad.

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drain

verb
a valve for draining the tank
empty (out), void, clear (out), evacuate, unload.
drain off any surplus liquid
draw off, extract, withdraw, remove, siphon off, pour out, pour off; milk, bleed, tap, void, filter, discharge.
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the water drained away to the sea
flow, pour, trickle, stream, run, rush, gush, flood, surge; leak, ooze, seep, dribble, issue, filter, bleed, leach.
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more people would just drain our resources
use up, exhaust, deplete, consume, expend, get through, sap, strain, tax; milk, bleed.
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he drained his drink
drink (up/down), gulp (down), guzzle, quaff, down, imbibe, sup, swallow, finish off, toss off, slug; informal sink, swig, swill (down), polish off, knock back, put away.
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ANTONYMS :fill.

noun
the drain filled with water
sewer, channel, conduit, ditch, culvert, duct, pipe, gutter, trough; sluice, spillway, race, flume, chute.
a drain on the battery
strain, pressure, burden, load, tax, demand.
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dram

noun
drink, nip, tot, sip, drop, finger, splash, little, spot, taste.

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drama

noun
a television drama
play, show, piece, theatrical work, dramatization.
he is studying drama
acting, the theatre, the stage, the performing arts, dramatic art, stagecraft.
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she liked to create a drama
incident, scene, spectacle, crisis; excitement, thrill, sensation; disturbance, row, commotion, turmoil; dramatics, theatrics.
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dramatic

adjective
dramatic art
theatrical, theatric, thespian, stage, dramaturgical; formal histrionic.
a dramatic increase
considerable, substantial, sizeable, goodly, fair, marked, noticeable, measurable, perceptible, obvious, appreciable; significant, notable, noteworthy, remarkable, extraordinary, exceptional, phenomenal; informal tidy.
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there were dramatic scenes in the city
exciting, stirring, action-packed, sensational, spectacular; startling, unexpected, tense, gripping, riveting, fascinating, thrilling, hair-raising; rousing, lively, electrifying, impassioned, moving.
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dramatic headlands
striking, impressive, imposing, spectacular, breathtaking, dazzling, sensational, awesome, awe-inspiring, remarkable, outstanding, incredible, phenomenal.
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a dramatic gesture
exaggerated, theatrical, ostentatious, actressy, stagy, showy, melodramatic, overdone, histrionic, affected, mannered, artificial; informal hammy, ham, campy.
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ANTONYMS :insignificant, boring.

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dramatist

noun
playwright, writer, scriptwriter, screenwriter, scenarist, dramaturge.

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dramatize

verb
the novel was dramatized for television
turn into a play/film, adapt for the stage/screen.
the tabloids dramatized the event
exaggerate, overdo, overstate, hyperbolize, magnify, amplify, inflate; sensationalize, embroider, colour, aggrandize, embellish, elaborate; informal blow up (out of all proportion).
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drape

verb
she draped a shawl round her
wrap, wind, swathe, sling, hang.
the chair was draped with blankets
cover, envelop, swathe, shroud, deck, festoon, overlay, cloak, wind, enfold, sheathe.
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he draped one leg over the arm of his chair
dangle, hang, suspend, droop, drop.
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drastic

adjective
extreme, serious, desperate, radical, far-reaching, momentous, substantial; heavy, severe, harsh, rigorous; oppressive, draconian. ANTONYMS :moderate.

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draught

noun
the draught made Robyn shiver
current of air, rush of air; waft, wind, breeze, gust, puff, blast; informal blow.
a deep draught of beer
gulp, drink, swallow, mouthful, slug; informal swig, swill.
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draw

verb
he drew the house
sketch, make a drawing (of), delineate, outline, draft, rough out, illustrate, render, represent, trace; portray, depict.
she drew her chair in to the table
pull, haul, drag, tug, heave, lug, trail, tow; informal yank.
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the train drew into the station
move, go, come, proceed, progress, travel, advance, pass, drive; inch, roll, glide, cruise; forge, sweep; back.
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she drew the curtains
close, shut, pull to, lower; open, part, pull back, pull open, fling open, raise.
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he drew some fluid off the knee joint
drain, extract, withdraw, remove, suck, pump, siphon, milk, bleed, tap.
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he drew his gun
pull out, take out, produce, fish out, extract, withdraw; unsheathe.
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I drew £50 out of the bank
withdraw, take out.
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while I draw breath
breathe in, inhale, inspire, respire.
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she was drawing huge audiences
attract, interest, win, capture, catch, engage, lure, entice; absorb, occupy, rivet, engross, fascinate, mesmerize, spellbind, captivate, enthral, grip.
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what conclusion can we draw?
deduce, infer, conclude, derive, gather, glean.
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noun
she won the Christmas draw
raffle, lottery, sweepstake, sweep, tombola, ballot; N. Amer. lotto.
the match ended in a draw
tie, dead heat, stalemate.
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the draw of central London
attraction, lure, allure, pull, appeal, glamour, enticement, temptation, charm, seduction, fascination, magnetism.
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draw on
call on, have recourse to, avail oneself of, turn to, look to, fall back on, rely on, exploit, use, employ, utilize, bring into play. draw something out
he drew out a gun.
See draw verb sense 6.

they always drew their parting out
prolong, protract, drag out, spin out, string out, extend, lengthen.
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draw someone out
encourage to talk, put at ease. draw up
stop, pull up, halt, come to a standstill, brake, park; arrive. draw something up
we drew up a list
compose, formulate, frame, write down, draft, prepare, think up, devise, work out; create, invent, design.

he drew up his forces in battle array
arrange, marshal, muster, assemble, group, order, range, rank, line up, dispose, position, array.
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drawback

noun
disadvantage, snag, downside, stumbling block, catch, hitch, pitfall, fly in the ointment; weak spot/point, weakness, imperfection; handicap, limitation, trouble, difficulty, problem, complication; hindrance, obstacle, impediment, obstruction, inconvenience, discouragement, deterrent; informal minus, hiccup; Brit. informal spanner in the works. ANTONYMS :benefit.

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drawing

noun
sketch, picture, illustration, representation, portrayal, delineation, depiction, composition, study; diagram, outline, design, plan. graphic.

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drawl

verb
say slowly, speak slowly; drone.

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drawn

adjective
she looked pale and drawn
pinched, haggard, drained, wan, hollow-cheeked; fatigued, tired, exhausted; tense, stressed, strained, worried, anxious, harassed, fraught; informal hassled.

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dread

verb
I used to dread going to school
fear, be afraid of, worry about, be anxious about, have forebodings about; be terrified by, tremble/shudder at, shrink from, quail from, flinch from; informal get cold feet about.
noun
she was filled with dread
fear, apprehension, trepidation, anxiety, worry, concern, foreboding, disquiet, unease, angst; fright, panic, alarm; terror, horror; informal the jitters, the heebie-jeebies. ANTONYMS :confidence.

adjective
a dread secret
awful, frightful, terrible, horrible, dreadful; feared, frightening, alarming, terrifying, dire, dreaded.

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dreadful

adjective
a dreadful accident
terrible, frightful, horrible, grim, awful, dire; horrifying, alarming, shocking, distressing, appalling, harrowing; ghastly, fearful, horrendous; tragic, calamitous; formal grievous.
a dreadful meal
unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty; frightful, shocking, awful, abysmal, atrocious, disgraceful, deplorable, very bad, repugnant; poor, inadequate, inferior, unsatisfactory, distasteful; informal pathetic, woeful, crummy, rotten, sorry, third-rate, lousy, ropy, God-awful; Brit. informal duff, chronic, rubbish.
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you're a dreadful flirt
outrageous, shocking; inordinate, immoderate, unrestrained.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant, agreeable.

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dreadfully

adverb
I'm dreadfully hungry
extremely, very, really, exceedingly, tremendously, exceptionally, extraordinarily; decidedly, most, particularly; N. English right; informal terrifically, terribly, desperately, awfully, devilishly, mega, seriously, majorly; Brit. informal jolly, ever so, dead, well; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful; informal, dated frightfully.
she missed James dreadfully
very much, much, lots, a lot, a great deal, intensely, desperately.
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the company performed dreadfully
terribly, awfully, very badly, atrociously, appallingly, abominably, poorly; informal abysmally, pitifully, diabolically.
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dream

noun
I awoke from my dreams
REM sleep; nightmare; vision, fantasy, hallucination.
she went around in a dream
daydream, reverie, trance, daze, stupor, haze; Scottish dwam.
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he realized his childhood dream
ambition, aspiration, hope; goal, aim, objective, grail, intention, intent, target; desire, wish, yearning; daydream, fantasy, pipe dream.
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he's an absolute dream
delight, joy, marvel, wonder, gem, treasure; beauty, vision.
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verb
she dreamed of her own funeral
have a dream, have a nightmare.
I dreamt of making the Olympic team
fantasize about, daydream about; wish for, hope for, long for, yearn for, hanker after, set one's heart on; aspire to, aim for, set one's sights on.
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she's always dreaming
daydream, be in a trance, be lost in thought, be preoccupied, be abstracted, stare into space, be in cloud cuckoo land; muse.
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I wouldn't dream of being late
think, consider, contemplate, conceive.
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adjective
his dream home
ideal, perfect, fantasy.
dream something up
think up, invent, concoct, devise, hatch, contrive, create, work out, come up with; informal cook up.

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dreamer

noun
fantasist, daydreamer; romantic, sentimentalist, idealist, wishful thinker, Don Quixote; Utopian, visionary. ANTONYMS :realist.

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dreamland

noun
I drift off to dreamland
sleep; humorous the land of Nod.
they must be living in dreamland
the land of make-believe, fairyland, cloud cuckoo land; paradise, Utopia, heaven, Shangri-La.
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dreamlike

adjective
unreal, illusory, imaginary, unsubstantial, chimerical, ethereal, phantasmagorical, trance-like; surreal; nightmarish, Kafkaesque; hazy, shadowy, faint, indistinct, unclear; poetic/literary illusive.

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dreamy

adjective
a dreamy expression
daydreaming, dreaming; pensive, thoughtful, reflective, meditative, ruminative; lost in thought, preoccupied, distracted, rapt, inattentive, wool-gathering, vague, absorbed, absent-minded, with one's head in the clouds, in a world of one's own; informal miles away.
he was dreamy as a child
idealistic, romantic, starry-eyed, impractical, unrealistic, Utopian, quixotic; Brit. informal airy-fairy.
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a dreamy recollection
dreamlike, vague, dim, hazy, shadowy, faint, indistinct, unclear.
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(informal) the prince was really dreamy
attractive, handsome, good-looking; appealing, lovely, delightful; informal heavenly, divine, gorgeous, hot, cute.
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ANTONYMS :alert, practical, clear, ugly.

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dreary

adjective
a dreary day at school
dull, drab, uninteresting, flat, tedious, wearisome, boring, unexciting, unstimulating, uninspiring, soul-destroying; humdrum, monotonous, uneventful, unremarkable, featureless.
she thought of dreary things
sad, miserable, depressing, gloomy, sombre, grave, mournful, melancholic, joyless, cheerless.
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a dreary day
gloomy, dismal, dull, dark, dingy, murky, overcast; depressing, sombre.
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ANTONYMS :exciting, cheerful, bright.

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dregs

plural noun
the dregs from a bottle of wine
sediment, deposit, residue, accumulation, sludge, lees, grounds, settlings; remains; technical residuum; archaic grouts.
the dregs of humanity
scum, refuse, riff-raff, outcasts, deadbeats; the underclass, the untouchables, the lowest of the low, the great unwashed, the hoi polloi; informal trash, dossers.
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drench

verb
soak, saturate, wet through, permeate, douse, souse; drown, swamp, inundate, flood; steep, bathe.

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dress

verb
he dressed quickly
put on clothes, clothe oneself, get dressed.
she was dressed in a suit
clothe, attire, garb, deck out, trick out/up, costume, array, robe; informal get up, doll up; archaic apparel.
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they dress for dinner every day
wear formal clothes, wear evening dress, dress up.
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she enjoyed dressing the tree
decorate, trim, deck, adorn, ornament, embellish, beautify, prettify; festoon, garland, garnish.
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they dressed his wounds
bandage, cover, bind, wrap, swathe.
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she had to dress the chickens
prepare, get ready; clean.
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the field was dressed with manure
fertilize, enrich, manure, mulch, compost, top-dress.
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he dressed Michelle's hair
style, groom, arrange, do; comb, brush; preen, primp; informal fix.
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(Military) the battalion dressed its ranks
line up, align, straighten, arrange, order, dispose; fall in.
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noun
a long blue dress
frock, gown, robe, shift.
full evening dress
clothes, clothing, garments, attire; costume, outfit, ensemble, garb, turnout; informal gear, get-up, togs, duds, glad rags; Brit. informal clobber; N. Amer. informal threads; formal apparel; archaic raiment.
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sartorial.
dress down
dress informally, dress casually; informal slob around. dress someone down (informal). See reprimand verb. dress up
Angela loved dressing up
dress smartly, dress formally, wear evening dress; informal doll oneself up, put on one's glad rags.

Hugh dressed up as Santa Claus
disguise oneself, dress; put on fancy dress, put on a costume.
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dress something up
present, represent, portray, depict, characterize; embellish, enhance, touch up, embroider.

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dressing

noun
salad dressing
sauce, relish, condiment, dip.
they put fresh dressings on her burns
bandage, covering, plaster, gauze, lint, compress.
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a soil dressing
fertilizer, mulch; manure, compost, dung, bonemeal, fishmeal, guano; top-dressing.
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dressmaker

noun
tailor, seamstress, needlewoman; outfitter, costumier, clothier; couturier, designer; dated modiste. sartorial.

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dressy

adjective
smart, formal; elaborate, ornate; stylish, elegant, chic, fashionable; informal snappy, snazzy, natty, trendy. ANTONYMS :casual.

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dribble

verb
the baby started to dribble
drool, slaver, slobber, salivate, drivel, water at the mouth; Scottish & Irish slabber.
rainwater dribbled down her face
trickle, drip, fall, drizzle; ooze, seep.
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noun
there was dribble on his chin
saliva, spittle, spit, slaver, slobber, drool.
a dribble of sweat
trickle, drip, driblet, stream, drizzle; drop, splash.
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dried

adjective
dehydrated, desiccated, dry, dried up, moistureless.

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drift

verb
his raft drifted down the river
be carried, be borne; float, bob, waft, meander.
the guests drifted away
wander, meander, stray, potter, dawdle; Brit. informal mooch.
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don't allow your attention to drift
stray, digress, deviate, diverge, veer, get sidetracked.
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snow drifted over the path
pile up, bank up, heap up, accumulate, gather, amass.
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noun
a drift from the country to urban areas
movement, shift, flow, transfer, relocation, gravitation.
the pilot had not noticed any drift
deviation, digression.
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he caught the drift of her thoughts
gist, essence, meaning, sense, substance, significance; thrust, import, tenor; implication, intention; direction, course.
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a drift of deep snow
pile, heap, bank, mound, mass, accumulation.
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drifter

noun
wanderer, traveller, transient, roamer, tramp, vagabond, vagrant; N. Amer. hobo.

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drill

noun
a hydraulic drill
drilling tool, boring tool, auger, (brace and) bit, gimlet, awl, bradawl.
they learned military discipline and drill
training, instruction, coaching, teaching; (physical) exercises, workout; informal square-bashing.
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Estelle knew the drill
procedure, routine, practice, regimen, programme, schedule; method, system.
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verb
drill the piece of wood
bore a hole in, make a hole in; bore, pierce, puncture, perforate.
a sergeant drilling new recruits
train, instruct, coach, teach, discipline; exercise, put someone through their paces.
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his mother had drilled politeness into him
instil, hammer, drive, drum, din, implant, ingrain; teach, indoctrinate, brainwash.
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drink

verb
she drank her coffee
swallow, gulp down, quaff, guzzle, sup; imbibe, sip, consume; drain, toss off, slug; informal swig, down, knock back, put away, neck, sink, swill.
he never drank
drink alcohol, tipple, indulge; carouse; informal hit the bottle, booze, knock a few back, have one over the eight, get tanked up, go on a bender; Brit. informal bevvy; N. Amer. informal bend one's elbow.
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let's drink to success
toast, salute.
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noun
he took a sip of his drink
beverage, liquid refreshment; dram, bracer, nightcap, nip, tot; pint; Brit. informal bevvy; humorous libation; archaic potation.
she turned to drink
alcohol, (intoxicating) liquor, alcoholic drink; informal booze, hooch, the hard stuff, firewater, rotgut, moonshine, the bottle, the sauce, grog, Dutch courage.
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she took a drink of her wine
swallow, gulp, sip, draught, slug; informal swig, swill.
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a drink of orange juice
glass, cup, mug.
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(informal) he fell into the drink
the sea, the ocean, the water; informal the briny, Davy Jones's locker; poetic/literary the deep.
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drink something in
absorb, assimilate, digest, ingest, take in; be rapt in, be lost in, be fascinated by, pay close attention to.

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drinkable

adjective
fit to drink, palatable; pure, clean, safe, unpolluted, untainted, uncontaminated; formal potable.

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drinker

noun
drunkard, drunk, inebriate, imbiber, tippler, sot; alcoholic, dipsomaniac, alcohol-abuser; informal boozer, soak, lush, wino, alky, sponge, barfly; Austral./NZ informal hophead; archaic toper. ANTONYMS :teetotaller.

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drip

verb
there was a tap dripping
dribble, drop, leak.
sweat dripped from his chin
drop, dribble, trickle, drizzle, run, splash, plop; leak, emanate, issue.
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noun
a bucket to catch the drips
drop, dribble, spot, trickle, splash.
(informal) that drip who fancies you
weakling, ninny, milksop, namby-pamby, crybaby, softie, doormat; informal wimp, weed, sissy, wuss; Brit. informal wet, big girl's blouse; N. Amer. informal candy-ass, pantywaist, pussy.
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drive

verb
I can't drive a car
operate, handle, manage; pilot, steer.
he drove to the police station
travel by car, motor.
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I'll drive you to the airport
chauffeur, run, give someone a lift, take, ferry, transport, convey, carry.
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the engine drives the front wheels
power, propel, move, push.
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he drove a nail into the boot
hammer, screw, ram, sink, plunge, thrust, propel, knock.
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she drove her cattle to market
impel, urge; herd, round-up, shepherd.
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a desperate mother driven to crime
force, compel, prompt, precipitate; oblige, coerce, pressure, goad, spur, prod.
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he drove his staff extremely hard
work, push, tax, exert.
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noun
an afternoon drive
excursion, outing, trip, jaunt, tour; ride, run, journey; informal spin.
the house has a long drive
driveway, approach, access road.
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sexual drive
urge, appetite, desire, need; impulse, instinct.
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she lacked the drive to succeed
motivation, ambition, single-mindedness, will power, dedication, doggedness, tenacity; enthusiasm, zeal, commitment, aggression, spirit; energy, vigour, verve, vitality, pep; informal get-up-and-go.
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an anti-corruption drive
campaign, crusade, movement, effort, push, appeal.
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(Brit.) a whist drive
tournament, competition, contest, event, match.
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drive at
suggest, imply, hint at, allude to, intimate, insinuate, indicate; refer to, mean, intend; informal get at.

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drivel

noun
he was talking complete drivel
nonsense, twaddle, claptrap, balderdash, gibberish, rubbish, mumbo-jumbo; N. Amer. garbage; informal rot, poppycock, phooey, piffle, tripe, bosh, bull, hogwash, baloney; Brit. informal cobblers, codswallop, waffle, tosh, double Dutch; N. Amer. informal flapdoodle, bushwa; informal, dated tommyrot, bunkum.
verb
you always drivel on
talk nonsense, talk rubbish, babble, ramble, gibber, blather, blether, prattle, gabble; Brit. informal waffle, witter.

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driver

verb
motorist, chauffeur; pilot, operator.

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drizzle

noun
they shivered in the drizzle
fine rain, light shower, spray; N. English mizzle.
a drizzle of sour cream
trickle, dribble, drip, stream, rivulet; sprinkle, sprinkling.
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verb
it's beginning to drizzle
rain lightly, shower, spot; Brit. spit; N. English mizzle; N. Amer. sprinkle.
drizzle the cream over the jelly
trickle, drip, dribble, pour, splash, sprinkle.
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droll

adjective
funny, humorous, amusing, comic, comical, mirthful, hilarious; clownish, farcical, zany, quirky; jocular, light-hearted, facetious, witty, whimsical, wry, tongue-in-cheek; informal waggish, wacky, side-splitting, rib-tickling. ANTONYMS :serious.

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drone

verb
a plane droned overhead
hum, buzz, whirr, vibrate, murmur, rumble, purr.
he droned on about right and wrong
speak boringly, go on and on, talk at length; intone, pontificate; informal spout, sound off, jaw, spiel, speechify.
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noun
the drone of aircraft taking off
hum, buzz, whirr, vibration, murmur, purr.
drones supported by tax-payers' money
hanger-on, parasite, leech, passenger; idler, loafer, layabout, good-for-nothing, do-nothing; informal lazybones, scrounger, sponger, cadger, freeloader, bloodsucker, waster, slacker.
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drool

verb
his mouth was drooling
salivate, dribble, slaver, slobber; Scottish & Irish slabber.
noun
a fine trickle of drool
saliva, spit, spittle, dribble, slaver, slobber.

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droop

verb
the dog's tail is drooping
hang (down), dangle, sag, flop; wilt, sink, slump, drop, drape.
his eyelids were drooping
close, shut, fall.
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the news made her droop
be despondent, lose heart, give up hope, become dispirited, become dejected; flag, languish, wilt.
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droopy

adjective
hanging (down), dangling, falling, dropping, draped; bent, bowed, stooping; sagging, flopping, wilting.

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drop

verb
Eric dropped the box
let fall, let go of, lose one's grip on; release, unhand, relinquish.
water drops from the cave roof
drip, fall, dribble, trickle, run, plop, leak.
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a plane dropped out of the sky
fall, descend, plunge, plummet, dive, nosedive, tumble, pitch.
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she dropped to her knees
fall, sink, collapse, slump, tumble.
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(informal) I was dropping with exhaustion
collapse, faint, pass out, black out, swoon, keel over; informal flake out, conk out.
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the track dropped from the ridge
slope downwards, slant downwards, descend, go down, fall away, sink, dip.
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the exchange rate dropped
decrease, lessen, reduce, diminish, depreciate; fall, decline, dwindle, sink, slump, plunge, plummet.
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pupils can drop history if they wish
give up, finish with, withdraw from; discontinue, end, stop, cease, halt; abandon, forgo, relinquish, dispense with, have done with; informal pack in, quit.
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he was d ropped from the team
exclude, discard, expel, oust, throw out, leave out; dismiss, discharge, let go; informal boot out, kick out, turf out.
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he dropped his unsuitable friends
abandon, desert, throw over; renounce, disown, turn one's back on, wash one's hands of; reject, give up, cast off; neglect, shun; poetic/literary forsake.
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he dropped all reference to compensation
omit, leave out, eliminate, take out, miss out, delete, cut, erase.
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the taxi dropped her off
deliver, bring, take, convey, carry, transport; leave, unload.
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drop the gun on the ground
put, place, deposit, set, lay, leave; informal pop, plonk.
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she dropped names
mention, refer to, hint at; bring up, raise, broach, introduce; show off.
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the team has yet to drop a point
lose, concede, give away.
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ANTONYMS :lift, rise, increase, keep, win.

noun
a drop of water
droplet, blob, globule, bead, bubble, tear, dot; informal glob.
it needs a drop of oil
small amount, little, bit, dash, spot; dribble, driblet, sprinkle, trickle, splash; dab, speck, smattering, sprinkling, modicum; informal smidgen, tad.
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an acid drop
sweet, lozenge, pastille, bonbon; N. Amer. candy.
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a small drop in profits
decrease, reduction, decline, fall-off, downturn, slump; cut, cutback, curtailment; depreciation.
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I walked to the edge of the drop
cliff, abyss, chasm, gorge, gully, precipice; slope, descent, incline.
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the hangman measured her for the drop
hanging, gibbeting; execution; informal stringing up.
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ANTONYMS :increase.

drop back/behind
fall back/behind, get left behind, lag behind; straggle, linger, dawdle, dally, hang back, loiter, bring/take up the rear; informal dilly-dally. drop off
trade dropped off sharply.
See drop verb sense 7.

she kept dropping off
fall asleep, doze (off), nap, catnap, drowse; informal nod off, drift off, snooze, take forty winks.
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drop out of he dropped out of his studies.
See drop verb sense 8.

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dropout

noun
nonconformist, hippy, beatnik, bohemian, free spirit, rebel; idler, layabout, loafer; informal oddball, deadbeat, waster.

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droppings

plural noun
excrement, excreta, faeces, stools, dung, ordure, manure; informal pooh.

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dross

noun
rubbish, junk; debris, chaff, detritus, flotsam and jetsam; N. Amer. garbage, trash; informal dreck.

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drought

noun
dry spell, lack of rain, shortage of water.

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drove

noun
a drove of cattle
herd, flock, pack.
they came in droves
crowd, swarm, horde, multitude, mob, throng, host, mass, army, herd.
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drown

verb
he nearly drowned
suffocate in water, inhale water; go to a watery grave.
the valleys were drowned
flood, submerge, immerse, inundate, deluge, swamp, engulf.
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his voice was drowned out by the footsteps
make inaudible, overpower, overwhelm, override; muffle, deaden, stifle, extinguish.
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drowse

verb
they like to drowse in the sun
doze, nap, catnap, rest; informal snooze, get forty winks, get some shut-eye; Brit. informal kip; N. Amer. informal catch some Zs.
noun
she had been woken from her drowse
doze, light sleep, nap, catnap, rest; informal snooze, forty winks, shut-eye; Brit. informal kip.

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drowsy

adjective
the tablet made her drowsy
sleepy, dozy, heavy-eyed, groggy, somnolent; tired, weary, fatigued, exhausted, yawning, nodding; lethargic, sluggish, torpid, listless, languid; informal snoozy, dopey, yawny, dead beat, all in, dog-tired; Brit. informal knackered.
a drowsy afternoon
soporific, sleep-inducing, sleepy, somniferous; narcotic, sedative, tranquillizing; lulling, soothing.
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ANTONYMS :alert, invigorating.

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drubbing

noun
I gave him a good drubbing
beating, thrashing, walloping, thumping, battering, pounding, pummelling, slapping, punching, pelting; informal hammering, licking, clobbering, belting, bashing, pasting, tanning, hiding, kicking.
(informal) Scotland's 3-0 drubbing by France.
See defeat noun sense 1.
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drudge

noun
a household drudge
menial worker, slave, lackey, servant, labourer, worker, maid/man of all work; informal dogsbody, gofer, runner; Brit. informal skivvy; Brit. dated charwoman, charlady, char.
verb
(archaic) he drudged in the fields.
See toil verb sense 1.

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drudgery

noun
hard work, menial work, donkey work, toil, labour; chores; informal skivvying; Brit. informal graft; Austral./NZ informal (hard) yakka.

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drug

noun
drugs prescribed by doctors
medicine, medication, medicament; remedy, cure, antidote.
she was under the influence of drugs
narcotic, stimulant, hallucinogen; informal dope, gear, downer, upper.
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verb
he was drugged
anaesthetize, narcotize; poison; knock out, stupefy; informal dope.
she drugged his coffee
add drugs to, tamper with, adulterate, contaminate, lace, poison; informal dope, spike, doctor.
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drugged

adjective
stupefied, insensible, befuddled; delirious, hallucinating, narcotized; anaesthetized, knocked out; informal stoned, high (as a kite), doped, tripping, spaced out, wasted, wrecked, off one's head. ANTONYMS :sober.

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drum

noun
the beat of a drum
percussion instrument; bongo, tom-tom, snare drum, kettledrum; historical tambour.
the steady drum of raindrops
beat, rhythm, patter, tap, pounding, thump, thud, rattle, pitter-patter, pit-a-pat, rat-a-tat, thrum.
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a drum of radioactive waste
canister, barrel, cylinder, tank, bin, can; container.
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verb
she drummed her fingers on the desk
tap, beat, rap, thud, thump; tattoo, thrum.
the rules were drummed into us at school
instil, drive, din, hammer, drill, drub, implant, ingrain, inculcate.
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drum someone out
expel, dismiss, throw out, oust; drive out, get rid of; exclude, banish; informal give someone the boot, boot out, kick out, give someone their marching orders, give someone the push, show someone the door, send packing; Military cashier. drum something up
round up, gather, collect; summon, attract; canvass, solicit, petition.

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drunk

adjective
intoxicated, inebriated, drunken, incapable, tipsy, the worse for drink, under the influence; informal tight, merry, in one's cups, three sheets to the wind, pie-eyed, plastered, smashed, wrecked, wasted, sloshed, soused, sozzled, blotto, stewed, pickled, tanked (up), off one's face, out of one's head, ratted; Brit. informal legless, bevvied, paralytic, Brahms and Liszt, half cut, out of it, bladdered, trolleyed, squiffy, tiddly; N. Amer. informal loaded, trashed, juiced, sauced, out of one's gourd, in the bag, zoned; euphemistic tired and emotional; informal, dated lit up. ANTONYMS :sober.

noun
drunkard, inebriate, drinker, tippler, imbiber, sot; heavy drinker, problem drinker, alcoholic, dipsomaniac; informal boozer, soak, lush, wino, alky, sponge, barfly, tosspot; Austral./NZ informal hophead, metho; archaic toper. ANTONYMS :teetotaller.

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drunken

adjective
a drunken driver.
See drunk adjective.
a drunken all-night party
debauched, dissipated, carousing, roistering, intemperate, unrestrained, uninhibited, abandoned; bacchanalian, bacchic; informal boozy.
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drunkenness

noun
intoxication, inebriation, insobriety, tipsiness; intemperance, overindulgence, debauchery; heavy drinking, alcoholism, alcohol abuse, dipsomania.

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dry

adjective
the dry desert
arid, parched, droughty, scorched, baked; waterless, moistureless, rainless; dehydrated, desiccated, thirsty, bone dry.
dry leaves
parched, dried, withered, shrivelled, wilted, wizened; crisp, crispy, brittle; dehydrated, desiccated.
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the hamburgers were dry
hard, stale, old, past its best; off.
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a dry well
waterless, empty.
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I'm really dry
thirsty, dehydrated; informal parched, gasping.
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it was dry work
thirsty, thirst-making; hot; strenuous, arduous.
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dry toast
unbuttered, butterless, plain.
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the dry facts
bare, simple, basic, fundamental, stark, bald, hard, straightforward.
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a dry debate
dull, uninteresting, boring, unexciting, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, dreary, monotonous; unimaginative, sterile, flat, bland, lacklustre, stodgy, prosaic, humdrum, mundane; informal deadly.
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a dry sense of humour
wry , subtle, laconic, sharp; ironic, sardonic, sarcastic, cynical; satirical, mocking, droll; informal waggish; Brit. informal sarky.
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a dry response to his cordial advance
unemotional, indifferent, impassive, cool, cold, emotionless; reserved, restrained, impersonal, formal, stiff, wooden.
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this is a dry state
teetotal, prohibitionist, alcohol-free, non-drinking, abstinent, sober; informal on the wagon.
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dry white wine
crisp, sharp, piquant, tart, bitter.
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ANTONYMS :wet, moist, fresh, lively, emotional, sweet.

verb
the sun dried the ground
parch, scorch, bake; dehydrate, desiccate, dehumidify.
dry the leaves completely
dehydrate, desiccate; wither, shrivel.
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he dried the dishes
towel, rub; mop up, blot up, soak up, absorb.
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she dried her eyes
wipe, rub, dab.
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methods of drying meat
desiccate, dehydrate; preserve, cure, smoke.
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ANTONYMS :moisten.

dry out
give up drinking, give up alcohol, become teetotal, take the pledge; informal go on the wagon. dry up
(informal) he dried up and didn't say another thing
stop speaking, stop talking, fall silent, shut up; forget one's words.

investment may dry up
dwindle, subside, peter out, wane, taper off, ebb, come to a halt/end, run out, give out, disappear, vanish.
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dual

adjective
double, twofold, binary; duplicate, twin, matching, paired, coupled. ANTONYMS :single.

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dub

verb
he was dubbed "the world's sexiest man"
nickname, call, name, label, christen, term, tag, entitle, style; designate, characterize, nominate; formal denominate.
she dubbed a new knight
knight, invest.
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dubiety

noun
(formal) doubtfulness, uncertainty, unsureness, incertitude; ambiguity, ambivalence, confusion; hesitancy, doubt.

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dubious

adjective
I was rather dubious about the idea
doubtful, uncertain, unsure, hesitant; undecided, indefinite, unresolved, up in the air; vacillating, irresolute; sceptical, suspicious; informal iffy.
a dubious businessman
suspicious, suspect, untrustworthy, unreliable, questionable; informal shady, fishy; Brit. informal dodgy.
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ANTONYMS :certain, trustworthy.

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duck

verb
he ducked behind the wall
bob down, bend (down), stoop (down), crouch (down), squat (down), hunch down, hunker down; cower, cringe.
she was ducked in the river
dip, dunk, plunge, immerse, submerge, lower, sink.
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(informal) they cannot duck the issue forever
shirk, dodge, evade, avoid, elude, escape, back out of, shun, eschew, sidestep, bypass, circumvent; informal cop out of, get out of, wriggle out of, funk; Austral./NZ informal duck-shove.
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duct

noun
tube, channel, canal, vessel; conduit, culvert; pipe, pipeline, outlet, inlet, flue, shaft, vent; Anatomy ductus, ductule.

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ductile

adjective
ductile metals
pliable, pliant, flexible, supple, plastic, tensile; soft, malleable, workable, bendable; informal bendy.
a way to make people ductile
docile, obedient, submissive, meek, mild, lamblike; willing, accommodating, amenable, cooperative, compliant, malleable, tractable, biddable, persuadable.
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ANTONYMS :brittle, intransigent.

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dud (informal)

noun
their new product is a dud
failure, flop, let-down, disappointment; Brit. damp squib; informal washout, lemon, no-hoper, non-starter, dead loss, lead balloon; N. Amer. informal clinker. ANTONYMS :success.

adjective
a dud typewriter
defective, faulty, unsound, inoperative, broken, malfunctioning; informal bust, busted, kaput, conked out; Brit. informal duff, knackered.
a dud £50 note
counterfeit, fraudulent, forged, fake, faked, false, bogus; invalid, worthless; informal phoney.
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ANTONYMS :sound, genuine.

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dudgeon

in high dudgeon
indignantly, resentfully, angrily, furiously; in a temper, in anger, with displeasure; informal in a huff, in a paddy, as cross as two sticks, seeing red; Brit. informal, dated in a bate, in a wax.

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due

adjective
their fees were due
owing, owed, payable; outstanding, overdue, unpaid, unsettled, undischarged; N. Amer. delinquent.
the chancellor's statement is due today
expected, anticipated, scheduled for, awaited; required.
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the respect due to a great artist
deserved by, merited by, warranted by; appropriate to, fit for, fitting for, right for, proper to.
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he drove without due care
proper, correct, rightful, suitable, appropriate, apt; adequate, sufficient, enough, satisfactory, requisite.
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noun
he attracts more criticism than is his due
rightful treatment, fair treatment, just punishment; right, entitlement; just deserts; informal comeuppance.
members have paid their dues
fee, subscription, charge; payment, contribution.
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adverb
he hiked due north
directly, straight, exactly, precisely, dead.
due to
her death was due to an infection
attributable to, caused by, ascribed to, because of, put down to.

the train was cancelled due to staff shortages
becau se of, owing to, on account of, as a consequence of, as a result of, thanks to, in view of; formal by reason of.
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duel

noun
he was killed in a duel
mano-a-mano, single combat; fight, confrontation, head-to-head; informal face-off, shoot-out; archaic rencounter.
a snooker duel
contest, match, game, meet, encounter.
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verb
they duelled with swords
fight a duel, fight, battle, combat, contend.

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duff

adjective
(Brit. informal). See bad sense 1.

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duffer

noun
(informal). See dunce.

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dulcet

adjective
sweet, soothing, mellow, honeyed, mellifluous, euphonious, pleasant, agreeable; melodious, melodic, lilting, lyrical, silvery, golden. ANTONYMS :harsh.

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dull

adjective
a dull novel
uninteresting, boring, tedious, monotonous, unrelieved, unvaried, unimaginative, uneventful; characterless, featureless, colourless, lifeless, insipid, unexciting, uninspiring, unstimulating, jejune, flat, bland, dry, stale, tired, banal, lacklustre, stodgy, dreary, humdrum, mundane; mind-numbing, soul-destroying, wearisome, tiring, tiresome, irksome; informal deadly, not up to much; Brit. informal samey; N. Amer. informal dullsville.
a dull morning
overcast, cloudy, gloomy, dark, dismal, dreary, sombre, grey, murky, sunless.
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dull colours
drab, dreary, sombre, dark, subdued, muted, lacklustre, faded, washed out, muddy.
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a dull sound
muffled, muted, quiet, soft, faint, indistinct; stifled, suppressed.
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the chisel became dull
blunt, unsharpened, edgeless, worn down.
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a rather dull child
unintelligent, stupid, slow, witless, vacuous, empty-headed, brainless, mindless, foolish, idiotic; informal dense, dim, moronic, cretinous, half-witted, thick, dumb, dopey, dozy, bovine, slow on the uptake, wooden-headed, fat-headed.
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her cold made her feel dull
sluggish, lethargic, enervated, listless, languid, torpid, slow, sleepy, drowsy, weary, tired, fatigued; apathetic; informal dozy, dopey, yawny.
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ANTONYMS :interesting, bright, loud, resonant, sharp, clever.

verb
the pain was dulled by drugs
lessen, decrease, diminish, reduce, dampen, blunt, deaden, allay, ease, soothe, assuage, alleviate.
sleep dulled her mind
numb, benumb, deaden, desensitize, stupefy, daze.
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the leaves are dulled by mildew
fade, bleach, decolorize, decolour, etiolate.
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rain dulled the sky
darken, blacken, dim, veil, obscure, shadow, fog.
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the sombre atmosphere dulled her spirit
dampen, lower, depress, crush, sap, extinguish, smother, stifle.
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ANTONYMS :intensify, enliven, enhanc e, brighten.

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dullard

noun
idiot, fool, stupid person, simpleton, ignoramus, oaf, dunce, dolt; informal duffer, moron, cretin, imbecile, nincompoop, dope, chump, nitwit, dimwit, birdbrain, pea-brain, numbskull, fathead, dumbo, dum-dum, donkey; Brit. informal wally, berk, divvy; N. Amer. informal doofus, goof, bozo, dummy; Austral./NZ informal galah.

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duly

adverb
the document was duly signed
properly, correctly, appropriately, suitably, fittingly.
he duly arrived to collect Alice
at the right time, on time, punctually.
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dumb

adjective
she stood dumb while he shouted
mute, speechless, tongue-tied, silent, at a loss for words; taciturn, uncommunicative, untalkative, tight-lipped, close-mouthed; informal mum.
(informal) he is not as dumb as you'd think
stupid, unintelligent, ignorant, dense, brainless, mindless, foolish, slow, dull, simple, empty-headed, vacuous, vapid, idiotic, half-baked, imbecilic, bovine; informal thick, dim, moronic, cretinous, dopey, dozy, thickheaded, wooden-headed, fat-headed, birdbrained, pea-brained; Brit. informal daft.
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ANTONYMS :clever.

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dumbfound

verb
astonish, astound, amaze, stagger, surprise, startle, stun, confound, stupefy, daze, nonplus, take aback, stop someone in their tracks, strike dumb, leave open-mouthed, leave aghast; informal flabbergast, floor, knock sideways, bowl over; Brit. informal knock for six.

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dumbfounded

adjective
astonished, astounded, amazed, staggered, surprised, startled, stunned, confounded, nonplussed, stupefied, dazed, dumbstruck, open-mouthed, speechless, thunderstruck; taken aback, disconcerted; informal flabbergasted, flummoxed; Brit. informal gobsmacked.

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dummy

noun
a shop-window dummy
mannequin, model, figure.
the book is just a dummy
mock-up, imitation, likeness, lookalike, representation, substitute, sample; replica, reproduction; counterfeit, sham, fake, forgery; informal dupe.
Top
(informal) you're a dummy.
See idiot.
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adjective
a dummy attack on the airfield
simulated, feigned, pretended, practice, trial, mock, make-believe; informal pretend, phoney. ANTONYMS :real.

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dump

noun
take the rubbish to the dump
tip, rubbish dump, rubbish heap, dumping ground; dustheap, slag heap.
(informal) the house is a dump
hovel, shack, slum; mess; informal hole, pigsty.
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verb
he dumped his bag on the table
put down, set down, deposit, place, shove, unload; drop, throw down; informal stick, park, plonk; Brit. informal bung; N. Amer. informal plunk.
they will dump asbestos at the site
dispose of, get rid of, throw away/out, discard, bin, jettison; informal ditch, junk.
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(informal) he dumped her
abandon, desert, leave, jilt, break up with, finish with, throw over; informal walk out on, rat on, drop, ditch, chuck, give someone the elbow; Brit. informal give someone the big E.
Top

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dumps

down in the dumps (informal)
unhappy, sad, depressed, gloomy, glum, melancholy, miserable, dejected, despondent, dispirited, downhearted, downcast, down, low, heavy-hearted, dismal, desolate; tearful, upset; informal blue, down in the mouth, fed up.

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dumpy

adjective
short, squat, stubby; plump, stout, chubby, chunky, portly, fat, bulky; informal tubby, roly-poly, pudgy, porky; Brit. informal podgy. ANTONYMS :tall, slender.

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dun 1

adjective
a dun cow
greyish-brown, brownish, mousy, muddy, khaki, umber.

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dun 2

verb
you can't dun me for her debts
importune, press, plague, pester, nag, harass, hound, badger; informal hassle, bug; N. English informal mither.

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dunce

noun
fool, idiot, stupid person, simpleton, ignoramus, dullard; informal dummy, dumbo, clot, thickhead, nitwit, dimwit, halfwit, moron, cretin, imbecile, dope, duffer, booby, chump, numbskull, nincompoop, fathead, airhead, birdbrain, pea-brain, ninny, ass; Brit. informal wally, berk, divvy; N. Amer. informal doofus, goof, schmuck, bozo, lummox; Austral./NZ informal galah. ANTONYMS :genius.

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dune

noun
bank, mound, hillock, hummock, knoll, ridge, heap, drift.

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dung

noun
manure, muck; excrement, faeces, droppings, ordure, cowpats.

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dungeon

noun
underground prison, oubliette; cell, jail, lock-up.

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dupe

verb
they were duped by a con man
deceive, trick, hoodwink, hoax, swindle, defraud, cheat, double-cross; gull, mislead, take in, fool, inveigle; informal con, do, rip off, diddle, shaft, bilk, rook, pull the wool over someone's eyes, pull a fast one on, sell a pup to; N. Amer. informal sucker, snooker; Austral. informal pull a swifty on.
noun
an innocent dupe in her game
victim, gull, pawn, puppet, instrument; fool, innocent; informal sucker, stooge, sitting duck, muggins, fall guy; Brit. informal mug; N. Amer. informal pigeon, patsy, sap.

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duplicate

noun
a duplicate of the invoice
copy, carbon copy, photocopy, facsimile, mimeograph, reprint; replica, reproduction, clone; informal dupe; trademark Xerox, photostat.
adjective
duplicate keys
matching, identical, twin, corresponding, equivalent.
verb
she will duplicate the newsletter
copy, photocopy, photostat, xerox, mimeograph, reproduce, replicate, reprint, run off.
a feat difficult to duplicate
repeat, do again, redo, replicate.
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duplicity

noun
deceitfulness, deceit, deception, double-dealing, underhandedness, dishonesty, fraud, fraudulence, sharp practice, chicanery, trickery, subterfuge, skulduggery, treachery; informal crookedness, shadiness, dirty tricks, shenanigans, monkey business; poetic/literary perfidy. ANTONYMS :honesty.

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durability

noun
imperishability, durableness, longevity; resilience, strength, sturdiness, toughness, robustness. ANTONYMS :fragility.

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durable

adjective
durable carpets
hard-wearing, long-lasting, heavy-duty, tough, resistant, imperishable, indestructible, strong, sturdy.
a durable peace
lasting, long-lasting, long-term, enduring, persistent, abiding; stable, secure, firm, deep-rooted, permanent, undying, everlasting.
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ANTONYMS :delicate, short-lived.

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duration

noun
full length, time, time span, time scale, period, term, span, fullness, length, extent, continuation.

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duress

noun
coercion, compulsion, force, pressure, intimidation, constraint; threats; informal arm-twisting.

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during

conjunction
throughout, through, in, in the course of, for the time of.

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dusk

noun
twilight, nightfall, sunset, sundown, evening, close of day; semi-darkness, gloom, murkiness; poetic/literary gloaming, eventide. ANTONYMS :dawn.

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dusky

adjective
the dusky countryside
shadowy, dark, dim, gloomy, murky, shady; unlit, unilluminated; sunless, moonless.
(dated) a dusky maiden
dark-skinned, dark, olive-skinned, swarthy, ebony, black; tanned, bronzed, brown.
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ANTONYMS :bright, fair.

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dust

noun
the desk was covered in dust
dirt, grime, filth, smut, soot; fine powder.
they fought in the dust
earth, soil, dirt; ground.
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verb
she dusted her mantelpiece
wipe, clean, brush, sweep, mop.
dust the cake with icing sugar
sprinkle, scatter, powder, dredge, sift, cover, strew.
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dust-up

noun
(informal). See scrap2 noun.

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dusty

adjective
the floor was dusty
dirty, grimy, grubby, unclean, soiled, mucky, sooty; undusted; informal grungy, cruddy; Brit. informal grotty.
dusty sandstone
powdery, crumbly, chalky, friable; granular, gritty, sandy.
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a dusty pink
muted, dull, faded, pale, pastel, subtle; greyish, darkish, dirty.
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(Brit.) a dusty answer
curt, abrupt, terse, brusque, blunt, short, sharp, tart, gruff, offhand; informal snippy, snappy.
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ANTONYMS :clean, bright.

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dutiful

adjective
conscientious, responsible, dedicated, devoted, attentive; obedient, compliant, submissive, biddable; deferential, reverent, reverential, respectful, good. ANTONYMS :remiss.

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duty

noun
she was free of any duty
responsibility, obligation, commitment; allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity, homage.
it was his duty to attend the king
job, task, assignment, mission, function, charge, place, role, responsibility, obligation; dated office.
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the duty was raised on alcohol
tax, levy, tariff, excise, toll, fee, payment, rate; dues.
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off duty
not working, at leisure, on holiday, on leave, off (work), free. on duty
working, at work, busy, occupied, engaged; informal on the job, tied up.

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dwarf

noun
person of restricted growth, small person, short person; midget, pygmy, manikin, homunculus.
the wizard captured the dwarf
gnome, goblin, hobgoblin, troll, imp, elf, brownie, leprechaun.
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adjective
dwarf conifers
miniature, small, little, tiny, toy, pocket, diminutive, baby, pygmy, stunted, undersized, undersize; Scottish wee; informal mini, teeny, teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy, tiddly, pint-sized; Brit. informal titchy; N. Amer. informal little-bitty. ANTONYMS :giant.

verb
the buildings dwarf the trees
dominate, tower over, loom over, overshadow, overtop.
her progress was dwarfed by her sister's success
overshadow, outshine, surpass, exceed, outclass, outstrip, outdo, top, trump, transcend; diminish, minimize.
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dwell

verb
(formal) gypsies dwell in these caves
reside, live, be settled, be housed, lodge, stay; informal put up; formal abide, be domiciled.
dwell on
linger over, mull over, muse on, brood about/over, think about; be preoccupied by, be obsessed by, eat one's heart out over; harp on about, discuss at length.

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dwelling

noun
(formal) residence, home, house, accommodation, lodging place; lodgings, quarters, rooms; informal place, pad, digs; formal abode, domicile, habitation.

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dwindle

verb
the population dwindled
diminish, decrease, reduce, lessen, shrink; fall off, tail off, drop, fall, slump, plummet; disappear, vanish, die out; informal nosedive.
her career dwindled
decline, deteriorate, fail, slip, slide, fade, go downhill, go to rack and ruin; informal go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, go down the toilet; Austral./NZ informal go to the pack.
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ANTONYMS :increase, flourish.

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dye

noun
a blue dye
colourant, colouring, colour, dyestuff, pigment, tint, stain, wash.
verb
the gloves were dyed
colour, tint, pigment, stain, wash.

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dyed-in-the-wool

adjective
inveterate, confirmed, entrenched, established, long-standing, deep-rooted, diehard; complete, absolute, thorough, thoroughgoing, out-and-out, true blue; firm, unshakeable, staunch, steadfast, committed, devoted, dedicated, loyal, unswerving; N. Amer. full-bore; informal deep-dyed, card-carrying.

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dying

adjective
his dying aunt
terminally ill, at death's door, on one's deathbed, near death, fading fast, expiring, moribund, not long for this world, in extremis; informal on one's last legs, having one foot in the grave.
a dying art form
declining, vanishing, fading, ebbing, waning; informal on the way out.
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her dying words
final, last; deathbed.
Top
ANTONYMS :thriving, first.

noun
he took her dying very hard
death, demise, passing, loss of life, quietus; formal decease; archaic expiry.

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dynamic

adjective
energetic, spirited, active, lively, zestful, vital, vigorous, forceful, powerful, positive; high-powered, aggressive, bold, enterprising; magnetic, passionate, fiery, high-octane; informal go-getting, peppy, full of get-up-and-go, full of vim and vigour, gutsy, spunky, feisty, go-ahead. ANTONYMS :half-hearted.

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dynamism

noun
energy, spirit, liveliness, zestfulness, vitality, vigour, forcefulness, power, potency, positivity; aggression, drive, ambition, enterprise; magnetism, passion, fire; informal pep, get-up-and-go, vim and vigour, guts, feistiness.

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dynasty

noun
bloodline, line, ancestral line, lineage, house, family, ancestry, descent, succession, genealogy, family tree; regime, rule, reign, empire, sovereignty.

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dyspeptic

adjective
bad-tempered, short-tempered, irritable, snappish, testy, tetchy, touchy, crabby, crotchety, grouchy, cantankerous, peevish, cross, disagreeable, waspish, prickly; informal snappy, on a short fuse; Brit. informal stroppy, ratty, eggy, like a bear with a sore head; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery.

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E

each

pronoun
there are 5000 books and each must be cleaned
every one, each one, each and every one, all, the whole lot.
determiner
he visited each month
every, each and every, every single.
adverb
they gave a tenner each
apiece, per person, per capita, from each, individually, respectively, severally.

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eager

adjective
small eager faces
keen, enthusiastic, avid, fervent, ardent, motivated, wholehearted, dedicated, committed, earnest; informal mad keen, (as) keen as mustard.
we were eager for news
anxious, impatient, longing, yearning, wishing, hoping, hopeful; desirous of, hankering after; on the edge of one's seat, on tenterhooks, on pins and needles; informal itching, gagging, dying.
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ANTONYMS :apathetic.

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eagerness

noun
keenness, enthusiasm, avidity, fervour, zeal, wholeheartedness, earnestness, commitment, dedication; impatience, desire, longing, yearning, hunger, appetite, ambition; informal yen.

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ear

noun
an infection of the ear
inner ear, middle ear, outer ear.
he had the ear of the president
attention, notice, heed, regard, consideration.
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he has an ear for a good song
appreciation, discrimination, perception.
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aural, auricular.
play it by ear
improvise, extemporize, ad lib; make it up as one goes along, think on one's feet; informal busk it, wing it.

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early

adjective
early copies of the book
advance, forward; initial, preliminary, first; pilot, trial.
an early death
untimely, premature, unseasonable, before time.
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early man
primitive, ancient, prehistoric, primeval; poetic/literary of yore.
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an early official statement
prompt, timely, quick, speedy, rapid, fast.
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ANTONYMS :late, modern, overdue.

adverb
Rachel has to get up early
in the early morning; at dawn, at daybreak, at cockcrow, with the lark.
they hoped to leave school early
before the usual time; prematurely, too soon, ahead of time, ahead of schedule.
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ANTONYMS :late.

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earmark

verb
the cash had been earmarked for the firm
set aside, keep (back), reserve; designate, assign, mark; allocate, allot, devote, pledge, give over.
noun
he has all the earmarks of a leader
characteristics, attribute, feature, hallmark, quality.

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earn

verb
they earned £20,000
be paid, take home, gross; receive, get, make, obtain, collect, bring in; informal pocket, bank, rake in, net, bag.
he has earned their trust
deserve, merit, warrant, justify, be worthy of; gain, win, secure, establish, obtain, procure, get, acquire; informal clinch.
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ANTONYMS :lose.

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earnest 1

adjective
he is dreadfully earnest
serious, solemn, grave, sober, humourless, staid, intense; committed, dedicated, keen, diligent, zealous; thoughtful, cerebral, deep, profound.
earnest prayer
devout, heartfelt, wholehearted, sincere, impassioned, fervent, ardent, intense, urgent.
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ANTONYMS :frivolous, half-hearted.

in earnest
we are in earnest about stopping burglaries
serious, sincere, wholehearted, genuine; committed, firm, resolute, determined.

he started writing in earnest
zealously, purposefully, determinedly, resolutely; passionately, wholeheartedly.
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earnest 2

noun
an earnest of a good harvest
sign, token, promise, guarantee, pledge, assurance; security, surety, deposit.

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earnestly

adverb
seriously, solemnly, gravely, intently; sincerely, resolutely, firmly, ardently, fervently, eagerly.

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earnings

plural noun
income, wages, salary, stipend, pay, payment, fees; revenue, yield, profit, takings, proceeds, dividends, return, remuneration.

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earth

noun
the moon orbits the earth
world, globe, planet.
a trembling of the earth
land, ground, terra firma; floor.
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he ploughed the earth
soil, clay, loam; dirt, sod, turf; ground.
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the fox's earth
den, lair, sett, burrow, warren, hole; retreat, shelter, hideout, hideaway; informal hidey-hole.
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terrestrial, telluric.

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earthenware

noun
pottery, crockery, stoneware; china, porcelain; pots.

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earthly

adjective
the earthly environment
terrestrial, telluric.
the promise of earthly delights
worldly, temporal, mortal, human; material; carnal, fleshly, bodily, physical, corporeal, sensual.
Top
(informal) there is no earthly explanation for this
feasible, possible, likely, conceivable, imaginable.
Top
ANTONYMS :extraterrestrial, heavenly.

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earthquake

noun
(earth) tremor, shock, foreshock, aftershock, convulsion; informal quake, shake, trembler. seismic.

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earthy

adjective
an earthy smell
soil-like, dirt-like.
the earthy Calvinistic tradition
down-to-earth, unsophisticated, unrefined, simple, plain, unpretentious, natural.
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Emma's earthy language
bawdy, ribald, off colour, racy, rude, vulgar, lewd, crude, foul, coarse, uncouth, unseemly, indelicate, indecent, obscene; informal blue, locker-room, X-rated; Brit. informal fruity, near the knuckle.
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ease

noun
he defeated them all with ease
effortlessness, no trouble, simplicity; deftness, adroitness, proficiency, mastery.
his ease of manner
naturalness, casualness, informality, amiability, affability; unconcern, composure, nonchalance, insouciance.
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he couldn't find any ease
peace, calm, tranquillity, serenity; repose, restfulness, quiet, security, comfort.
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a life of ease
affluence, wealth, prosperity, luxury, plenty; comfort, contentment, enjoyment, well-being.
Top
ANTONYMS :difficulty, formality, trouble, hardship.

verb
the alcohol eased his pain
relieve, alleviate, mitigate, soothe, palliate, moderate, dull, deaden, numb; reduce, lighten, diminish.
the rain eased off
abate, subside, die down, let up, slacken off, diminish, lessen, peter out, relent, come to an end.
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work helped to ease her mind
calm, quieten, pacify, soothe, comfort, console; hearten, gladden, uplift, encourage.
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we want to ease their adj ustment
facilitate, expedite, assist, help, aid, advance, further, forward, simplify.
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he eased out the cork
guide, manoeuvre, inch, edge; slide, slip, squeeze.
Top
ANTONYMS :aggravate, worsen, hinder.

at ease/at one's ease
relaxed, calm, serene, tranquil, unworried, contented, content, happy; comfortable.

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easily

adverb
I overcame this problem easily
effortlessly, comfortably, simply; with ease, without difficulty, without a hitch, smoothly; skilfully, deftly, smartly; informal no sweat.
he's easily the best
undoubtedly, without doubt, without question, indisputably, undeniably, definitely, certainly, clearly, obviously, patently; by far, far and away, by a mile.
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east

adjective
eastern, easterly, oriental.

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easy

adjective
the task was very easy
uncomplicated, undemanding, unchallenging, effortless, painless, trouble-free, facile, simple, straightforward, elementary, plain sailing; informal easy as pie, a piece of cake, child's play, kids' stuff, a cinch, no sweat, a doddle, a breeze; Brit. informal easy-peasy; N. Amer. informal duck soup, a snap; dated a snip.
easy babies
docile, manageable, amenable, tractable, compliant, pliant, acquiescent, obliging, cooperative, easy-going.
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an easy target
vulnerable, susceptible, defenceless; naive, gullible, trusting.
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Vic's easy manner
natural, casual, informal, unceremonious, unreserved, uninhibited, unaffected, easy-going, amiable, affable, genial, good-humoured; carefree, nonchalant, unconcerned; informal laid-back.
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an easy life
calm, tranquil, serene, quiet, peaceful, untroubled, contented, relaxed, comfortable, secure, safe; informal cushy.
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an easy pace
leisurely, unhurried, comfortable, undemanding, easy-going, gentle, sedate, moderate, steady.
Top
(informal) people think she's easy
promiscuous, free with one's favours, unchaste, loose, wanton, abandoned, licentious, debauched; informal sluttish, whorish, tarty; N. Amer. informal roundheeled.
Top
ANTONYMS :difficult, demanding, formal, chaste.

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easy-going

adjective
relaxed, even-tempered, placid, mellow, mild, happy-go-lucky, carefree, free and easy, nonchalant, insouciant, imperturbable; amiable, considerate, undemanding, patient, tolerant, lenient, broad-minded, understanding; good-natured, pleasant, agreeable; informal laid-back, unflappable. ANTONYMS :intolerant.

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eat

verb
we ate a hearty breakfast
consume, devour, ingest, partake of; gobble (up/down), bolt (down), wolf (down); swallow, chew, munch, chomp; informal guzzle, nosh, put away, tuck into, demolish, dispose of, polish off, get stuck into, pig out on, get outside of; Brit. informal scoff, gollop; N. Amer. informal scarf, snarf.
we ate at a local restaurant
have a meal, consume food, feed, snack; breakfast, lunch, dine; feast, banquet; informal graze, nosh.
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acidic water can eat away at pipes
erode, corrode, wear away/down/through, burn through, consume, dissolve, disintegrate, crumble, decay; damage, destroy.
Top

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eatable

adjective
edible, palatable, digestible; fit to eat, fit for consumption.

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eats

plural noun
(informal) food, sustenance, nourishment, fare; eatables, snacks, titbits; informal nosh, grub, chow; Brit. informal scoff, tuck; N. Amer. informal chuck.

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eavesdrop

verb
listen in, spy; monitor, tap, wiretap, record, overhear; informal snoop, bug.

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ebb

verb
the tide ebbed
recede, go out, retreat, flow back, fall back/away, subside.
his courage began to ebb
diminish, dwindle, wane, fade away, peter out, decline, flag, let up, decrease, weaken, disappear.
Top
ANTONYMS :increase.

noun
the ebb of the tide
receding, retreat, subsiding.
the ebb of the fighting
abatement, subsiding, easing, dying down, de-escalation, decrease, decline, diminution.
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ebony

adjective
black, jet black, pitch black, coal black, sable, inky, sooty, raven, dark.

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ebullience

noun
exuberance, buoyancy, cheerfulness, cheeriness, merriment, jollity, sunniness, jauntiness, light-heartedness, high spirits, elation, euphoria, jubilation; animation, sparkle, vivacity, enthusiasm, perkiness; informal bubbliness, chirpiness, bounciness, pep.

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ebullient

adjective
exuberant, buoyant, cheerful, joyful, cheery, merry, jolly, sunny, jaunty, light-hearted, elated; animated, sparkling, vivacious, irrepressible; informal bubbly, bouncy, peppy, upbeat, chirpy, smiley, full of beans; dated gay. ANTONYMS :depressed.

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eccentric

adjective
eccentric behaviour
unconventional, uncommon, abnormal, irregular, aberrant, anomalous, odd, queer, strange, peculiar, weird, bizarre, outlandish, freakish, extraordinary; idiosyncratic, quirky, nonconformist, outré; informal way out, offbeat, freaky, oddball, wacky, cranky; Brit. informal rum; N. Amer. informal kooky, wacko. ANTONYMS :conventional.

noun
he was something of an eccentric
oddity, odd fellow, character, individualist, individual, free spirit; misfit; informal oddball, queer fish, weirdo, freak, nut, head case, crank; Brit. informal one-off, odd bod, nutter; N. Amer. informal wacko, screwball.

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eccentricity

noun
unconventionality, singularity, oddness, strangeness, weirdness, quirkiness, freakishness; peculiarity, foible, idiosyncrasy, caprice, whimsy, quirk; informal nuttiness, screwiness, freakiness; N. Amer. informal kookiness.

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ecclesiastic

noun
a high ecclesiastic
clergyman, clergywoman, priest, churchman/woman, man/woman of the cloth, man/woman of God, cleric, minister, preacher, chaplain, father; bishop, vicar, rector, parson, curate, deacon; Scottish kirkman; N. Amer. dominie; informal reverend, padre, Holy Joe, Bible-basher.
adjective
ecclesiastic embroidery.
See ecclesiastical.

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ecclesiastical

adjective
priestly, ministerial, clerical, ecclesiastic, canonical, sacerdotal; church, churchly, religious, spiritual, holy, divine; informal churchy.

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echelon

noun
level, rank, grade, step, rung, tier, position, order.

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echo

noun
a faint echo of my shout
reverberation, reflection, ringing, repetition, repeat.
the scene she described was an echo of the photograph
duplicate, copy, replica, imitation, mirror image, double, match, parallel; informal lookalike, spitting image, dead ringer.
Top
an echo of their love
trace, vestige, remnant, ghost, memory, recollection, remembrance; reminder, sign, mark, token, indication, suggestion, hint; evidence.
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verb
his laughter echoed round the room
reverberate, resonate, resound, reflect, ring, vibrate.
Bill echoed Rex's words
repeat, restate, reiterate; copy, imitate, parrot, mimic; reproduce, recite, quote, regurgitate; informal recap.
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éclat

noun
style, flamboyance, confidence, elan, dash, flair, vigour, gusto, verve, zest, sparkle, brio, panache, dynamism, spirit; informal pizzazz, pep, oomph.

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eclectic

adjective
wide-ranging, broad-based, extensive, comprehensive, encyclopedic; varied, diverse, catholic, all-embracing, multifaceted, multifarious, heterogeneous, miscellaneous, assorted.

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eclipse

noun
the eclipse of the sun
blotting out, blocking, covering, obscuring, concealing, darkening; Astronomy occultation.
the eclipse of the empire
decline, fall, failure, decay, deterioration, degeneration, weakening, collapse.
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verb
the sun was eclipsed by the moon
blot out, block, cover, obscure, hide, conceal, obliterate, darken; shade; Astronomy occult.
the system was eclipsed by new methods
outshine, overshadow, surpass, exceed, outclass, outstrip, outdo, top, trump, transcend, upstage.
Top

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economic

adjective
economic reform
financial, monetary, budgetary, fiscal; commercial.
the firm cannot remain economic
profitable, moneymaking, lucrative, remunerative, fruitful, productive; solvent, viable, cost-effective.
Top
an economic alternative to carpeting
cheap, inexpensive, low-cost, budget, economy, economical, cut-price, discount, bargain.
Top
ANTONYMS :unprofitable, expensive.

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economical

adjective
an economical car
cheap, inexpensive, low-cost, budget, economy, economic; cut-price, discount, bargain.
a very economical shopper
thrifty, provident, prudent, sensible, frugal, sparing, abstemious; mean, parsimonious, penny-pinching, miserly; N. Amer. forehanded; informal stingy.
Top
ANTONYMS :expensive, spendthrift.

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economize

verb
save (money), cut costs; cut back, make cutbacks, retrench, budget, make economies, be thrifty, be frugal, scrimp, cut corners, tighten one's belt, draw in one's horns, watch the/your pennies.

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economy

noun
the nation's economy
wealth, (financial) resources; financial system, financial management.
one can combine good living with economy
thrift, thriftiness, providence, prudence, careful budgeting, economizing, saving, scrimping, restraint, frugality, abstemiousness; N. Amer. forehandedness.
Top
ANTONYMS :extravagance.

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ecstasy

noun
rapture, bliss, elation, euphoria, transports, rhapsodies; joy, jubilation, exultation. ANTONYMS :misery.

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ecstatic

adjective
enraptured, elated, in raptures, euphoric, rapturous, joyful, overjoyed, blissful; on cloud nine, in seventh heaven, beside oneself with joy, jumping for joy, delighted, thrilled, exultant; informal over the moon, on top of the world, blissed out.

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ecumenical

adjective
non-denominational, universal, catholic, all-embracing, all-inclusive. ANTONYMS :denominational.

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eddy

noun
small eddies at the river's edge
swirl, whirlpool, vortex, maelstrom.
verb
cold air eddied around her
swirl, whirl, spiral, wind, circulate, twist; flow, ripple, stream, surge, billow.

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edge

noun
the edge of the lake
border, boundary, extremity, fringe, margin, side; lip, rim, brim, brink, verge; perimeter, circumference, periphery, limits, bounds.
she had an edge in her voice
sharpness, severity, bite, sting, asperity, acerbity, acidity, trenchancy; sarcasm, acrimony, malice, spite, venom.
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they have an edge over their rivals
advantage, lead, head start, the whip hand, the upper hand; superiority, dominance, ascendancy, supremacy, primacy.
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ANTONYMS :middle, disadvantage.

verb
poplars edged the orchard
border, fringe, verge, skirt; surround, enclose, encircle, circle, encompass, bound.
a frock edged with lace
trim, pipe, band, decorate, finish; border, fringe; bind, hem.
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he edged closer to the fire
creep, inch, work one's way, pick one's way, ease oneself; sidle, steal, slink.
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on edge
tense, nervous, edgy, anxious, apprehensive, uneasy, unsettled; twitchy, jumpy, nervy, keyed up, restive, skittish, neurotic, insecure; informal uptight, wired; Brit. informal strung up.

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edgy

adjective
tense, nervous, on edge, anxious, apprehensive, uneasy, unsettled; twitchy, jumpy, nervy, keyed up, restive, skittish, neurotic, insecure; irritable, touchy, tetchy, testy, crotchety, prickly; informal uptight, wired, snappy; Brit. informal strung up. ANTONYMS :calm.

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edible

adjective
safe to eat, fit for human consumption, wholesome, good to eat; consumable, digestible, palatable; formal comestible.

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edict

noun
decree, order, command, commandment, mandate, proclamation, pronouncement, dictate, fiat, promulgation; law, statute, act, bill, ruling, injunction; formal ordinance.

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edification

noun
(formal) education, instruction, tuition, teaching, training, tutelage, guidance; enlightenment, cultivation, information; improvement, development.

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edifice

noun
building, structure, construction, erection, pile, complex; property, development, premises.

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edify

verb
(formal) educate, instruct, teach, school, tutor, train, guide; enlighten, inform, cultivate, develop, improve, better.

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edit

verb
she edited the text
correct, check, copy-edit, improve, emend, polish; modify, adapt, revise, rewrite, reword, rework, redraft; shorten, condense, cut, abridge; informal clean up.
this volume was edited by a consultant
select, choose, assemble, organize, put together.
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he edited The Times
be the editor of, direct, run, manage, head, lead, supervise, oversee, preside over; informal be the boss of.
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edition

noun
issue, number, volume, impression, publication; version, revision.

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educate

verb
teach, school, tutor, instruct, coach, train, drill; guide, inform, enlighten; inculcate, indoctrinate; formal edify.

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educated

adjective
informed, literate, schooled, tutored, well read, learned, knowledgeable, enlightened; intellectual, academic, erudite, scholarly, cultivated, cultured; dated lettered.

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education

noun
the education of young children
teaching, schooling, tuition, tutoring, instruction, coaching, training, tutelage, guidance; indoctrination, inculcation, enlightenment; formal edification.
a woman of some education
learning, knowledge, literacy, scholarship, enlightenment.
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pedagogic.

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educational

adjective
an educational establishment
academic, scholastic, school, learning, teaching, pedagogic, tuitional, instructional.
an educational experience
instructive, instructional, educative, informative, illuminating, pedagogic, enlightening, didactic, heuristic; formal edifying.
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educative

adjective
. See educational sense 2.

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educator

noun
teacher, tutor, instructor, schoolteacher, schoolmaster, schoolmistress; educationalist, educationist; lecturer, professor; guide, mentor, guru; N. Amer. informal schoolmarm; Brit. informal beak; formal pedagogue; archaic schoolman.

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eerie

adjective
uncanny, sinister, ghostly, unnatural, unearthly, supernatural, other-worldly; strange, abnormal, odd, weird, freakish; frightening, spine-chilling, hair-raising, blood-curdling, terrifying; informal creepy, scary, spooky, freaky.

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efface

verb
the words were effaced by the rain
erase, eradicate, expunge, blot out, rub out, wipe out, remove, eliminate; delete, cancel, obliterate, blank out.
he attempted to efface himself
make oneself inconspicuous, keep out of sight, keep out of the limelight, lie low, keep a low profile, withdraw.
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effect

noun
the effect of these changes
result, consequence, upshot, outcome, out-turn, repercussions, ramifications; end result, conclusion, culmination, corollary, concomitant, aftermath; fruit(s), product, by-product; informal pay-off; Medicine sequela.
the effect of the drug
impact, action, effectiveness, influence; power, potency, strength; success; formal efficacy.
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with effect from tomorrow
force, operation, enforcement, implementation, effectiveness; validity, lawfulness, legality, legitimacy.
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some words to that effect
sense, meaning, theme, drift, import, intent, intention, tenor, significance, message; gist, essence, spirit.
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the dead man's effects
belongings, possessions, (worldly) goods, chattels; property, paraphernalia; informal gear, tackle, things, stuff, bits and pieces; Brit. informal clobber.
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ANTONYMS :cause.

verb
they effected many changes
achieve, accomplish, carry out, realize, manage, bring off, execute, conduct, engineer, perform, do, perpetrate, discharge, complete, consummate; cause, bring about, create, produce, make; provoke, occasion, generate, engender, actuate, initiate; formal effectuate.
in effect
really, in reality, in truth, in (actual) fact, effectively, essentially, in essence, practically, to all intents and purposes, all but, as good as, more or less, almost, nearly, just about; informal pretty much; poetic/literary well nigh, nigh on. take effect
these measures will take effect in May
come into force, come into operation, begin, become valid, become law, apply, be applied.

the drug started to take effect
work, act, be effective, produce results.
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effective

adjective
an effective treatment
successful, effectual, potent, powerful; helpful, beneficial, advantageous, valuable, useful; formal efficacious.
a more effective argument
convincing, compelling, strong, forceful, potent, weighty, sound, valid; impressive, persuasive, plausible, credible, authoritative; logical, reasonable, lucid, coherent, cogent, eloquent; formal efficacious.
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the new law will be effective next week
operative, in force, in effect; valid, official, lawful, legal, binding; Law effectual.
Top
Korea was under effective Japanese control
virtual, practical, essential, actual, implicit, tacit.
Top
ANTONYMS :weak, invalid, theoretical.

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effectiveness

noun
success, productiveness, potency, power; benefit, advantage, value, virtue, usefulness; formal efficacy.

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effectual

adjective
effectual political action
effective, successful, productive, constructive; worthwhile, helpful, beneficial, advantageous, valuable, useful; formal efficacious.
(Law) an effectual document
valid, authentic, bona fide, genuine, official; lawful, legal, legitimate, (legally) binding, contractual.
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effeminate

adjective
womanish, effete, foppish, mincing; informal camp, campy, limp-wristed. ANTONYMS :manly.

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effervesce

verb
heat the mixture until it effervesces
fizz, sparkle, bubble; froth, foam.
managers must effervesce with praise
sparkle, be vivacious, be animated, be ebullient, be exuberant, be bubbly, be effervescent.
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effervescence

noun
wines of uniform effervescence
fizz, fizziness, sparkle, gassiness, carbonation, aeration, bubbliness.
his cheeky effervescence
vivacity, liveliness, animation, high spirits, ebullience, exuberance, buoyancy, sparkle, gaiety, jollity, cheerfulness, perkiness, breeziness, enthusiasm, irrepressibility, vitality, zest, energy, dynamism; informal pep, bounce.
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effervescent

adjective
an effervescent drink
fizzy, sparkling, carbonated, aerated, gassy, bubbly; mousseux, pétillant, spumante.
effervescent young people
vivacious, lively, animated, high-spirited, bubbly, ebullient, buoyant, sparkling, scintillating, light-hearted, jaunty, happy, jolly, cheery, cheerful, perky, sunny, enthusiastic, irrepressible, vital, zestful, energetic, dynamic; informal bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, peppy, bouncy, upbeat, chirpy, full of beans.
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ANTONYMS :still, depressed.

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effete

adjective
effete trendies
affected, pretentious, precious, mannered, over-refined; ineffectual; informal la-di-da, pseud; Brit. informal poncey.
an effete young man
effeminate, unmanly, girlish, feminine; soft, timid, cowardly, lily-livered, spineless, pusillanimous; informal sissy, wimpish, wimpy.
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the fabric of society is effete
weak, enfeebled, enervated, worn out, exhausted, finished, drained, spent, powerless, ineffectual.
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ANTONYMS :manly, powerful.

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efficacious

adjective
(formal) effective, effectual, successful, productive, constructive, potent; helpful, beneficial, advantageous, valuable, useful.

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efficacy

noun
(formal) effectiveness, success, productiveness, potency, power; benefit, advantage, value, virtue, usefulness.

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efficiency

noun
we need reforms to bring efficiency
organization, order, orderliness, regulation, coherence; productivity, effectiveness.
I compliment you on your efficiency
competence, capability, ability, proficiency, adeptness, expertise, professionalism, skill, effectiveness.
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efficient

adjective
efficient techniques
organized, methodical, systematic, logical, orderly, businesslike, streamlined, productive, effective, cost-effective.
an efficient secretary
competent, capable, able, proficient, adept, skilful, skilled, effective, productive, organized, businesslike.
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ANTONYMS :disorganized, incompetent.

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effigy

noun
statue, statuette, sculpture, model, dummy, figurine; guy; likeness, image; bust.

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effluent

noun
(liquid) waste, sewage, effluvium, outflow, discharge, emission.

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effort

noun
they made an effort to work together
attempt, try, endeavour; informal crack, shot, stab, bash; formal essay.
his score was a fine effort
achievement, accomplishment, attainment, result, feat; undertaking, enterprise, work; triumph, success, coup.
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the job requires little effort
exertion, energy, work, endeavour, application, labour, power, muscle, toil, strain; informal sweat, elbow grease; Brit. informal graft; Austral./NZ informal (hard) yakka.
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effortless

adjective
easy, undemanding, unchallenging, painless, simple, uncomplicated, straightforward, elementary; fluent, natural; informal as easy as pie, child's play, kids' stuff, a cinch, no sweat, a doddle, a breeze; Brit. informal easy-peasy; N. Amer. informal duck soup, a snap. ANTONYMS :difficult.

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effrontery

noun
impudence, impertinence, cheek, insolence, cockiness, audacity, temerity, presumption, nerve, gall, shamelessness, impoliteness, disrespect, bad manners; informal brass (neck), face, chutzpah; Brit. informal sauce; N. Amer. informal sass.

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effusion

noun
an effusion of poisonous gas
outflow, outpouring, rush, current, flood, deluge, emission, discharge, emanation; spurt, surge, jet, stream, torrent, gush, flow.
reporters' flamboyant effusions
outburst, outpouring, gushing; wordiness, verbiage.
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effusive

adjective
gushing, gushy, unrestrained, extravagant, fulsome, demonstrative, lavish, enthusiastic, lyrical; expansive, wordy, verbose; informal over the top, OTT. ANTONYMS :restrained.

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egg

noun
ovum; gamete, germ cell; (eggs) roe, spawn, seed. ovoid.
egg someone on
urge, goad, incite, provoke, push, drive, prod, prompt, induce, impel, spur on; encourage, exhort, motivate, galvanize.

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egghead

noun
(informal) intellectual, thinker, academic, scholar, sage; bookworm, highbrow; expert, genius, Einstein, mastermind; informal brain, whizz; Brit. informal brainbox, boffin; N. Amer. informal brainiac, rocket scientist. ANTONYMS :dunce.

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ego

noun
self-esteem, self-importance, self-worth, self-respect, self-image, self-confidence.

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egocentric

adjective
self-centred, egomaniacal, self-interested, selfish, self-seeking, self-absorbed, self-obsessed; narcissistic, vain, self-important. ANTONYMS :altruistic.

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egotism egoism

noun
self-centredness, egomania, egocentricity, self-interest, selfishness, self-seeking, self-serving, self-regard, self-obsession; self-love, narcissism, self-admiration, vanity, conceit, self-importance; boastfulness.

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egotist egoist

noun
self-seeker, egocentric, egomaniac, narcissist; boaster, brag, braggart; informal swank, show-off, big-head; N. Amer. informal showboat.

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egotistic egoistic

adjective
self-centred, selfish, egocentric, egomaniacal, self-interested, self-seeking, self-absorbed, self-obsessed; narcissistic, vain, conceited, self-important; boastful.

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egregious

adjective
shocking, appalling, terrible, awful, horrendous, frightful, atrocious, abominable, abhorrent, outrageous; monstrous, heinous, dire, unspeakable, shameful, unforgivable, intolerable, dreadful; formal grievous. ANTONYMS :marvellous.

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egress

noun
the egress from the gallery was blocked
exit, way out, escape route.
a means of egress
departure, exit, withdrawal, retreat, exodus; escape; vacation.
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ANTONYMS :entrance.

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eight

cardinal number
octet, eightsome, octuplets; technical octad. octo-.

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ejaculate

verb
emit semen, climax, orgasm; informal come.
the sperm is ejaculated
emit, eject, discharge, release, expel, disgorge; shoot out, squirt out, spurt out.
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(dated) "What?" he ejaculated
exclaim, cry out, call out, yell, blurt out, come out with.
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ejaculation

noun
the ejaculation of fluid
emission, ejection, discharge, release, expulsion.
premature ejaculation
emission of semen, climax, orgasm.
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(dated) the conversation consisted of ejaculations
exclamation, interjection; call, shout, yell.
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eject

verb
the volcano ejected ash
emit, spew out, discharge, give off, send out, belch, vent; expel, release, disgorge, spout, vomit, throw up.
the pilot had time to eject
bail out, escape, get out.
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they were ejected from the hall
expel, throw out, turn out, cast out, remove, oust; evict, banish; informal chuck out, kick out, turf out, boot out; N. Amer. informal give someone the bum's rush.
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he was ejected from the job
dismiss, remove, discharge, oust, expel, axe, throw out, force out, drive out; informal sack, fire, send packing, boot out, chuck out, kick out, give someone their marching orders, give someone the push, show someone the door; Brit. informal give someone their cards, turf out; Military cashier.
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ANTONYMS :admit, appoint.

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ejection

noun
the ejection of electrons
emission, discharge, expulsion, release; elimination.
their ejection from the ground
expulsion, removal; eviction, banishment, exile.
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his ejection from office
dismissal, removal, discharge, expulsion; informal the sack, the boot, the push, the (old) heave-ho, the bullet; Brit. informal the chop.
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eke

verb
I had to eke out my remaining funds
husband, use sparingly, be thrifty with, be frugal with, be sparing with, use economically; informal go easy on. ANTONYMS :squander.

eke out a living
subsist, survive, get by, scrape by, make ends meet, keep body and soul together, keep the wolf from the door, keep one's head above water.

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elaborate

adjective
an elaborate plan
complicated, complex, intricate, involved; detailed, painstaking, careful; tortuous, convoluted, serpentine, Byzantine.
an elaborate plasterwork ceiling
ornate, decorated, embellished, adorned, ornamented, fancy, fussy, busy, ostentatious, extravagant, showy, baroque, rococo, florid, wedding-cake.
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ANTONYMS :simple, plain.

verb
both sides refused to elaborate on their reasons
expand on, enlarge on, add to, flesh out, put flesh on the bones of, add detail to, expatiate on; develop, fill out, embellish, embroider, enhance, amplify.

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elan

noun
flair, style, panache, confidence, dash, éclat; energy, vigour, vitality, liveliness, brio, esprit, animation, vivacity, zest, verve, spirit, pep, sparkle, enthusiasm, gusto, eagerness, feeling, fire; informal pizzazz, zing, zip, vim, oomph.

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elapse

verb
pass, go by/past, wear on, slip by/away/past, roll by/past, slide by/past, steal by/past, tick by/past.

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elastic

adjective
elastic material
stretchy, elasticated, stretchable, springy, flexible, pliant, pliable, supple, yielding, plastic, resilient.
an elastic concept of nationality
adaptable, flexible, adjustable, accommodating, variable, fluid, versatile.
Top
ANTONYMS :rigid.

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elasticity

noun
the skin's natural elasticity
stretchiness, flexibility, pliancy, suppleness, plasticity, resilience, springiness; informal give.
the elasticity of the term
adaptability, flexibility, adjustability, fluidity, versatility.
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elated

adjective
thrilled, delighted, overjoyed, ecstatic, euphoric, very happy, joyous, gleeful, jubilant, beside oneself, exultant, rapturous, in raptures, walking on air, on cloud nine/seven, in seventh heaven, jumping for joy, in transports of delight; informal on top of the world, over the moon, on a high, tickled pink; Austral. informal wrapped. ANTONYMS :miserable.

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elation

noun
euphoria, ecstasy, happiness, delight, transports of delight, joy, joyousness, glee, jubilation, exultation, bliss, rapture.

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elbow

verb
he elbowed his way through the crowd
push, shove, force, shoulder, jostle, barge, muscle, bulldoze.

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elbow room

noun
room to manoeuvre, room, space, Lebensraum, breathing space, scope, freedom, play, free rein, licence, latitude, leeway.

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elder

adjective
his elder brother
older, senior, big.
noun
the church elders
leader, senior figure, patriarch, father.

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elderly

adjective
her elderly mother
aged, old, advanced in years, ageing, long in the tooth, past one's prime; grey-haired, grey-bearded, grizzled, hoary; in one's dotage, decrepit, doddering, doddery, senescent; informal getting on, past it, over the hill, no spring chicken. ANTONYMS :youthful.

noun
(the elderly) old people, senior citizens, (old-age) pensioners, OAPs, retired people; geriatrics; N. Amer. seniors, retirees, golden agers; informal (golden) oldies, wrinklies; N. Amer. informal oldsters, woopies.

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elect

verb
a new president was elected
vote for, vote in, return, cast one's vote for; choose, pick, select.
she elected to stay behind
choose, decide, opt, vote.
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adjective
the president elect
future, -to-be, designate, chosen, elected, coming, next, appointed, presumptive.
noun
(the elect) the chosen, the elite, the favoured; the crème de la crème.

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election

noun
ballot, vote, popular vote; poll; Brit. by-election; US primary. psephology.

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electioneer

verb
campaign, canvass, go on the hustings, doorstep; Brit. informal go out on the knocker.

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elector

noun
voter, member of the electorate, constituent; selector.

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electric

adjective
an electric kettle
electric-powered, electrically operated, mains-operated, battery-operated.
the atmosphere was electric
exciting, charged, electrifying, thrilling, heady, dramatic, intoxicating, dynamic, stimulating, galvanizing, rousing, stirring, moving; tense, knife-edge, explosive, volatile.
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electricity

noun
power, electric power, energy, current, static; Brit. mains; Canadian hydro; Brit. informal leccy; historical galvanism.

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electrify

verb
excite, thrill, stimulate, arouse, rouse, inspire, stir (up), exhilarate, intoxicate, galvanize, move, fire (with enthusiasm), fire someone's imagination, invigorate, animate; startle, jolt, shock; N. Amer. light a fire under; informal give someone a buzz, give someone a kick; N. Amer. informal give someone a charge.

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elegance

noun
he was attracted by her elegance
style, stylishness, grace, gracefulness, taste, tastefulness, sophistication; refinement, dignity, beauty, poise, charm, culture; suaveness, urbanity, panache.
the elegance of the idea
neatness, simplicity; ingenuity, cleverness, inventiveness.
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elegant

adjective
an elegant black outfit
stylish, graceful, tasteful, sophisticated, classic, chic, smart, fashionable, modish; refined, dignified, poised, beautiful, lovely, charming, artistic, aesthetic; cultivated, polished, cultured; dashing, debonair, suave, urbane.
an elegant solution
neat, simple, effective; ingenious, clever, deft, intelligent, inventive.
Top
ANTONYMS :gauche.

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elegiac

adjective
mournful, melancholic, melancholy, plaintive, sorrowful, sad, lamenting, doleful; funereal, dirgelike; nostalgic, valedictory, poignant; poetic/literary dolorous. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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elegy

noun
lament, requiem, funeral poem/song, threnody, dirge, plaint; Irish keen; Irish & Scottish coronach.

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element

noun
an essential element of the local community
component, constituent, part, section, portion, piece, segment, bit; aspect, factor, feature, facet, ingredient, strand, detail, point; member, unit, module, item.
there is an element of truth in this stereotype
trace, touch, hint, smattering, soupçon.
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(elements) the elements of political science
basics, essentials, principles, first principles; foundations, fundamentals, rudiments; informal nuts and bolts, ABC.
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I braved the elements
the weather, the climate, meteorological conditions, atmospheric conditions; the wind, the rain.
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elemental

adjective
the elemental principles of accountancy
basic, primary, fundamental, essential, root, underlying; rudimentary.
elemental forces
natural, atmospheric, meteorological, environmental.
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elementary

adjective
an elementary astronomy course
basic, rudimentary, fundamental; preparatory, introductory, initiatory.
a lot of the work is elementary
easy, simple, straightforward, uncomplicated, undemanding, painless, child's play, plain sailing; informal as easy as falling off a log, as easy as pie, as easy as ABC, a piece of cake, no sweat, kids' stuff; Brit. informal easy-peasy.
Top
ANTONYMS :advanced, difficult.

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elephantine

adjective
enormous, huge, gigantic, very big, massive, giant, immense, tremendous, colossal, mammoth, gargantuan, vast, prodigious, monumental, titanic; hulking, bulky, heavy, weighty, ponderous, lumbering; informal jumbo, whopping, humongous, monster; Brit. informal whacking, ginormous. ANTONYMS :tiny.

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elevate

verb
we need a breeze to elevate the kite
raise, lift (up), raise up/aloft, upraise; hoist, hike up, haul up.
he was elevated to Secretary of State
promote, upgrade, advance, move up, raise, prefer; ennoble, exalt, aggrandize; informal kick upstairs, move up the ladder.
Top
ANTONYMS :lower, demote.

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elevated

adjective
an elevated motorway
raised, upraised, high up, aloft; overhead.
elevated language
lofty, grand, exalted, fine, sublime; inflated, pompous, bombastic, orotund.
Top
the gentry's elevated status
high, higher, high-ranking, of high standing, lofty, superior, exalted, eminent; grand, noble.
Top
ANTONYMS :lowly.

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elevation

noun
his elevation to the peerage
promotion, upgrading, advancement, advance, preferment, aggrandizement; ennoblement; informal step up the ladder, kick upstairs.
1500 to 3,00 metres in elevation
altitude, height.
Top
elevations in excess of 3000 metres
height, hill, mountain, mount; formal eminence.
Top
elevation of thought
grandeur, greatness, nobility, loftiness, majesty, sublimity.
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elf

noun
pixie, fairy, sprite, imp, brownie; dwarf, gnome, goblin, hobgoblin; leprechaun, puck, troll.

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elfin

adjective
elflike, elfish, elvish, pixie-like; puckish, impish, playful, mischievous; dainty, delicate, small, petite, slight, little, tiny, diminutive.

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elicit

verb
obtain, draw out, extract, bring out, evoke, call forth, bring forth, induce, prompt, generate, engender, trigger, provoke; formal educe.

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eligible

adjective
those people eligible to vote
entitled, permitted, allowed, qualified, able.
an eligible bachelor
desirable, suitable; available, single, unmarried, unattached, unwed.
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eliminate

verb
a policy that would eliminate inflation
remove, get rid of, put an end to, do away with, end, stop, terminate, eradicate, destroy, annihilate, stamp out, wipe out, extinguish; informal knock something on the head.
he was eliminated from the title race
knock out, beat; exclude, rule out, disqualify.
Top

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elite

noun
best, pick, cream, crème de la crème, flower, nonpareil, elect; high society, jet set, beautiful people, beau monde, haut monde; aristocracy, nobility, upper class; N. Amer. four hundred. ANTONYMS :dregs.

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elixir

noun
potion, concoction, brew, philtre, decoction, mixture; medicine, tincture; extract, essence, concentrate, distillate, distillation; poetic/literary draught; archaic potation.

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elliptical

adjective
an elliptical shape
oval, egg-shaped, elliptic, ovate, ovoid, oviform, ellipsoidal; Botany obovate.
elliptical phraseology
cryptic, abstruse, ambiguous, obscure, oblique, Delphic; terse, concise, succinct, compact, economic, laconic, sparing.
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elocution

noun
pronunciation, enunciation, articulation, diction, speech, intonation, vocalization, modulation; phrasing, delivery, public speaking.

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elongate

verb
an exercise that elongates the muscles
lengthen, extend, stretch (out).
the high notes were elongated
prolong, protract, draw out, sustain.
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ANTONYMS :shorten.

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eloquence

noun
fluency, articulacy, articulateness, expressiveness, silver tongue, persuasiveness, forcefulness, power, potency, effectiveness; oratory, rhetoric, grandiloquence, magniloquence; informal gift of the gab, way with words, blarney.

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eloquent

adjective
an eloquent speaker
fluent, articulate, expressive, silver-tongued; persuasive, strong, forceful, powerful, potent, well expressed, effective, lucid, vivid, graphic; smooth-tongued, glib.
her glance was more eloquent than words
expressive, meaningful, suggestive, revealing, telling, significant, indicative.
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ANTONYMS :inarticulate.

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elsewhere

adverb
somewhere else, in/at/to another place, in/at/to a different place, hence; not here, not present, absent, away, abroad, out. ANTONYMS :here.

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elucidate

verb
explain, make clear, illuminate, throw/shed light on, clarify, clear up, sort out, unravel, spell out; interpret, explicate; gloss. ANTONYMS :confuse.

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elucidation

noun
explanation, clarification, illumination; interpretation, explication; gloss.

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elude

verb
evade, avoid, get away from, dodge, escape from, run (away) from; lose, shake off, give the slip to, slip away from, throw off the scent; informal slip through someone's fingers, slip through the net; archaic bilk.

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elusive

adjective
her elusive husband
difficult to find; evasive, slippery; informal always on the move.
an elusive quality
indefinable, intangible, impalpable, unanalysable; fugitive; ambiguous.
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Elysian

adjective
heavenly, paradisal, paradisiacal, celestial, superlunary, divine; poetic/literary empyrean.

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Elysium

noun
(Greek Mythology) heaven, paradise, the Elysian fields; eternity, the afterlife, the next world, the hereafter; Scandinavian Mythology Valhalla; Classical Mythology the Islands of the Blessed; Arthurian Legend Avalon.

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emaciated

adjective
thin, skeletal, bony, gaunt, wasted, thin as a rake; scrawny, skinny, scraggy, skin and bones, raw-boned, stick-like; starved, underfed, undernourished, underweight, half-starved; cadaverous, shrivelled, shrunken, withered; informal anorexic, like a bag of bones. ANTONYMS :fat.

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emanate

verb
warmth emanated from the fireplace
issue, spread, radiate, be sent forth/out.
the proposals emanated from a committee
originate, stem, derive, proceed, spring, issue, emerge, flow, come.
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he emanated an air of power
exude, emit, radiate, give off/out, send out/forth.
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emanation

noun
an emanation of his tortured personality
product, consequence, result, fruit.
radon gas emanation
discharge, emission, radiation, effusion, outflow, outpouring, flow, leak; technical efflux.
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emancipate

verb
free, liberate, set free, release, deliver, discharge; unchain, unfetter, unshackle, untie, unyoke; historical manumit; rare disenthral. ANTONYMS :enslave.

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emancipated

adjective
liberated, independent, unconstrained, uninhibited; free.

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emasculate

verb
an Act which emasculated the House of Lords
weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, erode, undermine, cripple; remove the sting from, pull the teeth of; informal water down.
(archaic) young cocks should be emasculated at three months.
See castrate.
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embalm

verb
his body had been embalmed
preserve, mummify, lay out.
the poem ought to embalm his memory
preserve, conserve, enshrine, immortalize.
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embankment

noun
bank, mound, ridge, earthwork, causeway, barrier, levee, dam, dyke.

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embargo

noun
an embargo on oil sales
ban, bar, prohibition, stoppage, interdict, proscription, veto, moratorium; restriction, restraint, block, barrier, impediment, obstruction; boycott.
verb
arms sales were embargoed
ban, bar, prohibit, stop, interdict, debar, proscribe, outlaw; restrict, restrain, block, obstruct; boycott. ANTONYMS :allow.

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embark

verb
he embarked at Dover
board ship, go on board, go aboard, take ship; emplane; informal hop on, jump on; dated ship.
he embarked on a new career
begin, start, commence, undertake, set about, take up, turn one's hand to, get down to; enter into, venture into, launch into, plunge into, engage in, settle down to; informal get cracking on, get going on, have a go/crack/shot at.
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embarrass

verb
mortify, shame, put someone to shame, humiliate, abash, chagrin, make uncomfortable, make self-conscious; discomfit, disconcert, discompose, upset, discountenance, distress; informal show up.

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embarrassed

adjective
mortified, red-faced, blushing, abashed, shamed, ashamed, shamefaced, humiliated, chagrined, awkward, self-conscious, uncomfortable, not knowing where to look, sheepish; discomfited, disconcerted, upset, discomposed, flustered, agitated, discountenanced, distressed; shy, bashful, tongue-tied; informal with egg on one's face, wishing the earth would swallow one up.

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embarrassing

adjective
humiliating, shaming, shameful, mortifying, ignominious; awkward, uncomfortable, compromising; disconcerting, discomfiting, upsetting, distressing; informal blush-making, cringeworthy, cringe-making, toe-curling.

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embarrassment

noun
he was scarlet with embarrassment
mortification, humiliation, shame, shamefacedness, chagrin, awkwardness, self-consciousness, sheepishness, discomfort, discomfiture, discomposure, agitation, distress; ignominy; shyness, bashfulness.
his current financial embarrassment
difficulty, predicament, plight, problem, mess; informal bind, jam, pickle, fix, scrape.
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an embarrassment of riches
surplus, excess, overabundance, superabundance, glut, surfeit, superfluity; abundance, profusion, plethora.
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embassy

noun
the Italian embassy
consulate, legation, ministry.
(historical) Charles sent an embassy to the Lombards
envoy, representative, delegate, emissary; delegation, deputation, legation, (diplomatic) mission; archaic embassage, legate.
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embed imbed

verb
implant, plant, set, fix, lodge, root, insert, place; sink, drive in, hammer in, ram in.

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embellish

verb
weapons embellished with precious metal
decorate, adorn, ornament; beautify, enhance, grace; trim, garnish, gild; deck, bedeck, festoon, emblazon; poetic/literary bejewel, bedizen.
the legend was embellished by an American academic
elaborate, embroider, expand on, exaggerate.
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embellishment

noun
architectural embellishments
decoration, ornamentation, adornment; beautification, enhancement, trimming, trim, garnishing, gilding.
we wanted the truth, not romantic embellishments
elaboration, addition, exaggeration.
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ember

noun
glowing coal, live coal; cinder; (embers) ashes, residue.

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embezzle

verb
misappropriate, steal, thieve, pilfer, purloin, appropriate, abstract, defraud someone of, siphon off, pocket, help oneself to; put one's hand in the till; informal rob, rip off, skim, line one's pockets; Brit. informal pinch, nick, half-inch; formal peculate.

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embezzlement

noun
misappropriation, theft, stealing, robbery, thieving, pilfering, purloining, pilferage, appropriation, swindling; fraud, larceny; formal peculation.

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embittered

adjective
bitter, resentful, grudge-bearing, rancorous, jaundiced, aggrieved, sour, frustrated, dissatisfied, alienated, disaffected.

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emblazon

verb
shirts emblazoned with the company name
adorn, decorate, ornament, embellish; inscribe.
a flag with a hammer and sickle emblazoned on it
display, depict, show.
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emblem

noun
symbol, representation, token, image, figure, mark, sign; crest, badge, device, insignia, stamp, seal, heraldic device, coat of arms, shield; logo, trademark.

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emblematic emblematical

adjective
a situation emblematic of the industrialized twentieth century
symbolic, representative, demonstrative, suggestive, indicative.
emblematic works of art
allegorical, symbolic, metaphorical, parabolic, figurative.
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embodiment

noun
personification, incarnation, realization, manifestation, expression, representation, actualization, symbol, symbolization; paradigm, epitome, paragon, soul, model; type, essence, quintessence, exemplification, example, exemplar, ideal; formal reification.

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embody

verb
Gradgrind embodies the spirit of industrial capitalism
personify, realize, manifest, symbolize, represent, express, concretize, incarnate, epitomize, stand for, typify, exemplify; formal reify.
the changes in law embodied in the Children Act
incorporate, include, contain, encompass; assimilate, consolidate, integrate, organize, systematize; combine.
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embolden

verb
fortify, make brave/braver, encourage, hearten, strengthen, brace, stiffen the resolve of, lift the morale of; rouse, stir, stimulate, cheer, rally, fire, animate, inspirit, invigorate; informal buck up. ANTONYMS :dishearten.

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embrace

verb
he embraced her warmly
hug, take/hold in one's arms, hold, cuddle, clasp to one's bosom, clasp, squeeze, clutch; caress; enfold, enclasp, encircle, envelop, entwine oneself around; informal canoodle, smooch; poetic/literary embosom.
most western European countries have embraced the concept
welcome, welcome with open arms, accept, take up, take to one's heart, adopt; espouse, support, back, champion.
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the faculty embraces a wide range of departments
include, take in, comprise, contain, incorporate, encompass, cover, involve, embody, subsume, comprehend.
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noun
a fond embrace
hug, cuddle, squeeze, clinch, caress; bear hug.

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embrocation

noun
ointment, lotion, cream, rub, salve, emollient, liniment, balm, unguent.

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embroider

verb
a cushion embroidered with a pattern of golden keys
sew, stitch; decorate, adorn, ornament, embellish.
she embroidered her stories with colourful detail
elaborate, embellish, enlarge on, exaggerate, touch up, dress up, gild, colour; informal jazz up.
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embroidery

noun
the girls were taught embroidery
needlework, needlepoint, needlecraft, sewing, tatting, crewel work, tapestry.
fanciful embroidery of the facts
elaboration, embellishment, adornment, ornamentation, colouring, enhancement; exaggeration, overstatement, hyperbole.
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embroil

verb
involve, entangle, ensnare, enmesh, catch up, mix up, bog down, mire.

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embryo

noun
a human embryo
fetus, fertilized egg, unborn child/baby.
the embryo of a capitalist economy
germ, nucleus, seed; rudimentary version, rudiments, basics, beginning, start.
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embryonic

adjective
an embryonic chick
fetal, unborn, unhatched.
an embryonic pro-democracy movement
rudimentary, undeveloped, unformed, immature, incomplete, incipient, inchoate; fledgling, budding, nascent, emerging, developing, early, germinal.
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ANTONYMS :mature.

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emend

verb
correct, rectify, repair, fix; improve, enhance, polish, refine, amend; edit, rewrite, revise, copy-edit, subedit, redraft, recast, rephrase, reword, rework, alter, change, modify; rare redact.

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emerge

verb
a policeman emerged from the alley
come out, appear, come into view, become visible, surface, materialize, manifest oneself, issue, come forth.
several unexpected facts emerged
become known, become apparent, be revealed, come to light, come out, turn up, transpire, unfold, turn out, prove to be the case.
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emergence

noun
appearance, arrival, coming, materialization; advent, inception, dawn, birth, origination, start, development, rise.

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emergency

noun
a military emergency
crisis, urgent situation, extremity, exigency; accident, disaster, catastrophe, calamity; difficulty, plight, predicament, danger; informal panic stations.
adjective
an emergency meeting
urgent, crisis; impromptu, extraordinary.
emergency supplies
reserve, standby, back-up, fallback, in reserve.
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emergent

adjective
emerging, developing, rising, dawning, budding, embryonic, infant, fledgling, nascent, incipient.

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emigrate

verb
move abroad, move overseas, leave one's country, migrate; relocate, resettle; defect. ANTONYMS :immigrate.

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emigration

noun
moving abroad, moving overseas, expatriation, migration; exodus, diaspora; relocation, resettling; defection.

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eminence

noun
his eminence as a scientist
fame, celebrity, illustriousness, distinction, renown, pre-eminence, notability, greatness, prestige, importance, reputation, repute, note; prominence, superiority, stature, standing.
various legal eminences
important person, dignitary, luminary, worthy, grandee, notable, notability, personage, leading light, VIP; informal somebody, someone, big shot, big noise, big gun, heavyweight.
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(formal) the hotel's eminence above the sea
elevation, height, rise.
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eminent

adjective
an eminent man of letters
illustrious, distinguished, renowned, esteemed, pre-eminent, notable, noteworthy, great, prestigious, important, influential, outstanding, noted, of note; famous, celebrated, prominent, well known, lionized, acclaimed, exalted, revered, august, venerable.
the eminent reasonableness of their claims
obvious, clear, conspicuous, marked, singular, signal; total, complete, utter, absolute, thorough, perfect, downright, sheer.
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ANTONYMS :unknown.

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eminently

adverb
very, greatly, highly, exceedingly, extremely, particularly, exceptionally, supremely, uniquely; obviously, clearly, conspicuously, markedly, singularly, signally, outstandingly, strikingly, notably, surpassingly; totally, completely, utterly, absolutely, thoroughly, perfectly, downright.

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emissary

noun
envoy, ambassador, delegate, attaché, consul, plenipotentiary; agent, representative, deputy; messenger, courier; nuncio; archaic legate.

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emission

noun
discharge, release, outpouring, outflow, outrush, leak, excretion, secretion, ejection; emanation, radiation, effusion, ejaculation, disgorgement, issuance.

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emit

verb
the hydrocarbons emitted from vehicle exhausts
discharge, release, give out/off, pour out, send forth, throw out, void, vent, issue; leak, ooze, excrete, disgorge, secrete, eject, ejaculate; spout, belch, spew out; emanate, radiate, exude.
he emitted a loud cry
utter, voice, let out, produce, give vent to, come out with, vocalize.
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ANTONYMS :absorb.

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emollient

adjective
a rich emollient shampoo
moisturizing, soothing, softening.
an emollient response
conciliatory, conciliating, appeasing, soothing, calming, pacifying, assuaging, placating, mollifying, propitiatory.
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noun
she applied an emollient
moisturizer, cream, lotion, oil, rub, salve, unguent, balm; technical humectant.

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emolument

noun
(formal) salary, pay, payment, wage(s), earnings, allowance, stipend, honorarium, reward, premium; fee, charge, consideration; income, profit, gain, return.

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emotion

noun
she was good at hiding her emotions
feeling, sentiment; reaction, response.
overcome by emotion, she turned away
passion, strength of feeling, warmth of feeling.
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responses based purely on emotion
instinct, intuition, gut feeling; sentiment, the heart.
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emotional

adjective
an emotional young man
passionate, hot-blooded, ardent, fervent, excitable, temperamental, melodramatic, tempestuous; demonstrative, responsive, tender, loving, feeling, sentimental, sensitive.
he paid an emotional tribute to his wife
poignant, moving, touching, affecting, powerful, stirring, emotive, heart-rending, heart-warming, impassioned, dramatic; haunting, pathetic, sentimental; informal tear-jerking.
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ANTONYMS :unfeeling.

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emotionless

adjective
unemotional, unfeeling, dispassionate, passionless, unexpressive, cool, cold, cold-blooded, impassive, indifferent, detached, remote, aloof; toneless, flat, dead, expressionless, blank, wooden, stony, deadpan, vacant.

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emotive

adjective
controversial, contentious, inflammatory; sensitive, delicate, difficult, problematic, touchy, awkward, prickly, ticklish.

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empathize

verb
identify, sympathize, be in sympathy, understand, share someone's feelings, be in tune; be on the same wavelength as, talk the same language as; relate to, feel for, have insight into; informal put oneself in someone else's shoes.

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emperor

noun
ruler, sovereign, king, monarch, potentate; historical tsar, kaiser, mikado. imperial.

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emphasis

noun
the curriculum gave more emphasis to reading and writing
prominence, importance, significance, value; stress, weight, accent, attention, priority, pre-eminence, urgency, force.
the emphasis is on the word "little"
stress, accent, accentuation, weight, prominence; beat; Prosody ictus.
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emphasize

verb
stress, underline, highlight, focus attention on, point up, lay stress on, draw attention to, spotlight, foreground, play up, make a point of; bring to the fore, insist on, belabour; accent, accentuate, underscore; informal press home, rub it in. ANTONYMS :understate.

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emphatic

adjective
an emphatic denial
vehement, firm, wholehearted, forceful, forcible, energetic, vigorous, direct, assertive, insistent; certain, definite, out-and-out, one hundred per cent; decided, determined, categorical, unqualified, unconditional, unequivocal, unambiguous, absolute, explicit, downright, outright, clear.
an emphatic victory
conclusive, decisive, decided, unmistakable; resounding, telling; informal thumping, thundering.
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ANTONYMS :hesitant, narrow.

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empire

noun
the Ottoman Empire
kingdom, realm, domain, territory; commonwealth; power, world power, superpower.
a worldwide shipping empire
organization, corporation, multinational, conglomerate, consortium, company, business, firm, operation.
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his dream of empire
power, rule, ascendancy, supremacy, command, control, authority, sway, dominance, domination, dominion.
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imperial.

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empirical

adjective
experiential, practical, heuristic, first-hand, hands-on; observed, seen. ANTONYMS :theoretical.

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employ

verb
she employed a chauffeur
hire, engage, recruit, take on, secure the services of, sign up, sign, put on the payroll, enrol, appoint; retain; indenture, apprentice.
Sam was employed in carving a stone figure
occupy, engage, involve, keep busy, tie up; absorb, engross, immerse.
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the team employed subtle psychological tactics
use, utilize, make use of, avail oneself of; apply, exercise, practise, put into practice, exert, bring into play, bring to bear; draw on, resort to, turn to, have recourse to.
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ANTONYMS :dismiss.

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employed

adjective
working, in work, in employment, holding down a job; earning, waged, breadwinning.

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employee

noun
worker, member of staff; blue-collar worker, white-collar worker, workman, labourer, (hired) hand; wage-earner, breadwinner; (employees) personnel, staff, workforce; informal liveware.

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employer

noun
his employer gave him a glowing reference
manager, manageress, proprietor, director, head man, head woman; informal boss, boss man, skipper; Brit. informal gaffer, governor, guv'nor; N. Amer. informal padrone, sachem.
the largest private sector employer in Sheffield
firm, company, business, organization, manufacturer.
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employment

noun
she found employment as a clerk
work, labour, service; job, post, position, situation, occupation, profession, trade, métier, business, line, line of work, calling, vocation, craft, pursuit; archaic employ.
the employment of children
hiring, hire, engagement, taking on; apprenticing.
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the employment of nuclear weapons
use, utilization, application, exercise.
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emporium

noun
shop, store, outlet, retail outlet; department store, chain store, supermarket, hypermarket, superstore, megastore; establishment.

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empower

verb
the act empowered Henry to punish heretics
authorize, entitle, permit, allow, license, sanction, warrant, commission, delegate, qualify, enable, equip.
movements to empower the poor
emancipate, unshackle, set free, liberate.
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ANTONYMS :forbid.

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empress

noun
ruler, sovereign, queen, monarch, potentate; historical tsarina.

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emptiness

noun
she had filled an emptiness in his life
void, vacuum, empty space, vacuity, gap, vacancy, hole.

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empty

adjective
an empty house
vacant, unoccupied, uninhabited, untenanted, bare, desolate, deserted, abandoned; clear, free.
an empty threat
meaningless, hollow, idle, vain, futile, worthless, useless, insubstantial, ineffective, ineffectual.
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without her my life is empty
futile, pointless, purposeless, worthless, meaningless, valueless, of no value, useless, of no use, aimless, senseless, hollow, barren, insignificant, inconsequential, trivial.
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his eyes were empty
blank, expressionless, vacant, deadpan, wooden, stony, impassive, absent, glazed, fixed, lifeless, emotionless, unresponsive.
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ANTONYMS :full, serious, worthwhile.

verb
I emptied the dishwasher
unload, unpack, void; clear, evacuate; archaic unlade.
he emptied out the contents of the case
remove, take out, extract, tip out, pour out.
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ANTONYMS :fill.

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empty-headed

adjective
stupid, foolish, silly, unintelligent, idiotic, brainless, witless, vacuous, vapid, feather-brained, birdbrained, scatterbrained, scatty, thoughtless; informal half-witted, dumb, dim, airheaded, brain-dead, dippy, dizzy, dopey, dozy, soft in the head, slow on the uptake; Brit. informal daft; N. Amer. informal ditsy, dumb-ass. ANTONYMS :intelligent.

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empyrean (poetic/literary)

adjective
the empyrean regions
heavenly, celestial, ethereal; upper.
noun
(the empyrean) heaven, the heavens, the sky, the upper regions, the stratosphere; poetic/literary the ether, the wide blue yonder, the firmament, the welkin.

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emulate

verb
imitate, copy, mirror, echo, follow, model oneself on, take a leaf out of someone's book; match, equal, parallel, be on a par with, be in the same league as, come close to; compete with, contend with, rival, surpass.

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enable

verb
allow, permit, let, give the means to, equip, empower, make able, fit; authorize, entitle, qualify; formal capacitate. ANTONYMS :prevent.

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enact

verb
the Bill was enacted in 1963
pass, make law, legislate; approve, ratify, sanction, authorize; impose, lay down.
members of the church enacted a nativity play
act out, act, perform, appear in, stage, mount, put on, present.
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ANTONYMS :repeal.

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enactment

noun
the enactment of a Bill of Rights
passing; ratification, sanction, approval, authorization; imposition.
parliamentary enactments
act, law, by-law, ruling, rule, regulation, statute, measure; N. Amer. formal ordinance; (enactments) legislation.
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the enactment of the play
acting, performing, performance, staging, presentation.
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enamoured

adjective
in love, infatuated, besotted, smitten, captivated, enchanted, fascinated, bewitched, beguiled; keen on, taken with; informal mad about, crazy about, wild about, bowled over by, struck on, sweet on, carrying a torch for; poetic/literary ensorcelled by.

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encampment

noun
camp, military camp, bivouac, cantonment; campsite, camping ground; tents.

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encapsulate

verb
their conclusions are encapsulated in one sentence
summarize, sum up, give the gist of, put in a nutshell; capture, express.
seeds encapsulated in resin
enclose, encase, contain, envelop, enfold, sheath, cocoon, surround.
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enchant

verb
captivate, charm, delight, enrapture, entrance, enthral, beguile, bewitch, spellbind, fascinate, hypnotize, mesmerize, rivet, grip, transfix; informal bowl someone over. ANTONYMS :bore.

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enchanter

noun
wizard, witch, sorcerer, warlock, magician, necromancer, magus; witch doctor, medicine man, shaman; archaic mage; rare thaumaturge.

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enchanting

adjective
captivating, charming, delightful, bewitching, beguiling, adorable, lovely, attractive, appealing, engaging, winning, fetching, winsome, alluring, disarming, irresistible, fascinating; dated taking.

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enchantment

noun
a race of giants skilled in enchantment
magic, witchcraft, sorcery, wizardry, necromancy; charms, spells, incantations; N. Amer. mojo; rare thaumaturgy.
the enchantment of the garden by moonlight
allure, delight, charm, beauty, attractiveness, appeal, fascination, irresistibility, magnetism, pull, draw, lure.
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being with him was sheer enchantment
bliss, ecstasy, heaven, rapture, joy.
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enchantress

noun
witch, sorceress, magician, fairy; Circe, siren.

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encircle

verb
surround, enclose, circle, girdle, ring, encompass; close in, shut in, fence in, wall in, hem in, confine; poetic/literary gird, engirdle.

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enclose

verb
tall trees enclosed the garden
surround, circle, ring, girdle, encompass, encircle; confine, close in, shut in, fence in, wall in, hedge in, hem in; poetic/literary gird, engirdle.
please enclose a stamped addressed envelope
include, insert, put in; send.
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enclosure

noun
paddock, fold, pen, compound, stockade, ring, yard; sty, coop; N. Amer. corral.

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encomium

noun
(formal) eulogy, panegyric, paean, accolade, tribute, testimonial; praise, acclaim, acclamation, homage; formal laudation.

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encompass

verb
the monument is encompassed by Hunsbury Park
contain, have within; surround, enclose, encircle.
debates encompassing a vast range of subjects
cover, embrace, include, incorporate, take in, contain, comprise, involve, deal with; formal comprehend.
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encounter

verb
I encountered a girl I used to know
meet, meet by chance, run into, come across/upon, stumble across/on, chance on, happen on; informal bump into; archaic run against, rencounter.
we encountered a slight problem
experience, run into, come up against, face, be faced with, confront.
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noun
an unexpected encounter
meeting, chance meeting; archaic rencounter.
a violent encounter between police and demonstrators
battle, fight, clash, confrontation, struggle, skirmish, engagement; informal run-in, set-to, dust-up, scrap.
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encourage

verb
the players were encouraged by the crowd's response
hearten, cheer, buoy up, uplift, inspire, motivate, spur on, stir, stir up, fire up, stimulate, invigorate, vitalize, revitalize, embolden, fortify, rally; informal buck up, pep up, give a shot in the arm to.
she had encouraged him to go
persuade, coax, urge, press, push, pressure, pressurize, prod, goad, egg on, prompt, influence, sway.
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the Government was keen to encourage local businesses
support, back, champion, promote, further, foster, nurture, cultivate, strengthen, stimulate; help, assist, aid, boost, fuel.
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ANTONYMS :discourage, dissuade, hinder.

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encouragement

noun
she needed a bit of encouragement
heartening, cheering up, inspiration, motivation, stimulation, fortification; morale-boosting; informal a shot in the arm.
they required no encouragement to get back to work
persuasion, coaxing, urging, pressure, pressurization, prodding, prompting; spur, goad, inducement, incentive, bait, motive; informal carrot.
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the encouragement of foreign investment
support, backing, championship, championing, sponsoring, promotion, furtherance, furthering, fostering, nurture, cultivation; help, assistance; N. Amer. boosterism.
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encouraging

adjective
an encouraging start
promising, hopeful, auspicious, propitious, favourable, bright, rosy; heartening, reassuring, cheering, comforting, welcome, pleasing, gratifying.
my parents were very encouraging
supportive, understanding, helpful; positive, responsive, enthusiastic.
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encroach

verb
intrude, trespass, impinge, obtrude, impose oneself, invade, infiltrate, interrupt, infringe, violate, interfere with, disturb; tread/step on someone's toes; informal horn in on, muscle in on; archaic entrench on.

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encroachment

noun
intrusion, trespass, invasion, infiltration, incursion, obtrusion, infringement, impingement.

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encumber

verb
her movements were encumbered by her heavy skirts
hamper, hinder, obstruct, impede, cramp, inhibit, restrict, limit, constrain, restrain, bog down, retard, slow (down); inconvenience, disadvantage, handicap.
they are encumbered with debt
burden, load, weigh down, saddle; overwhelm, tax, stress, strain, overload, overburden; Brit. informal lumber.
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encumbrance

noun
he soon found the old equipment a great encumbrance
hindrance, obstruction, obstacle, impediment, constraint, handicap, inconvenience, nuisance, disadvantage, drawback; poetic/literary trammel; archaic cumber.
she knew she was an encumbrance to him
burden, responsibility, obligation, liability, weight, load, stress, strain, pressure, trouble, worry; millstone, albatross, cross to bear.
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encyclopedic

adjective
comprehensive, complete, thorough, thoroughgoing, full, exhaustive, in-depth, wide-ranging, all-inclusive, all-embracing, all-encompassing, universal, vast; formal compendious.

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end

noun
the end of the road
extremity, furthermost part, limit; margin, edge, border, boundary, periphery; point, tip, tail end; N. Amer. tag end.
the end of the novel
conclusion, termination, ending, finish, close, resolution, climax, finale, culmination, denouement; epilogue, coda, peroration.
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a cigarette end
butt, stub, stump, remnant; informal fag end, dog end.
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wealth is a means and not an end in itself
aim, goal, purpose, objective, object, holy grail, target; intention, intent, design, motive; aspiration, wish, desire, ambition.
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the commercial end of the business
aspect, side, section, area, field, part, share, portion, segment, province.
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his end might come at any time
death, dying, demise, passing, expiry, quietus; doom, extinction, annihilation, extermination, destruction; downfall, ruin, ruination, Waterloo; informal curtains; formal decease.
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ANTONYMS :beginning.

verb
the show ended with a wedding scene
finish, conclude, terminate, come to an end, draw to a close, close, stop, cease; culminate, climax. build up to, lead up to, come to a head.
she ended their relationship
break off, call off, bring to an end, put an end to, stop, finish, terminate, discontinue; dissolve, cancel, annul.
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ANTONYMS :begin.

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endanger

verb
imperil, jeopardize, risk, put at risk, put in danger; threaten, pose a threat to, be a danger to, be detrimental to, damage, injure, harm; archaic peril.

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endearing

adjective
lovable, adorable, cute, sweet, dear, delightful, lovely, charming, appealing, attractive, engaging, winning, captivating, enchanting, beguiling, winsome; dated taking.

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endearment

noun
his murmured endearments
term of affection, term of endearment, pet name; (endearments) sweet nothings, sweet talk.
he spoke to her without endearment
affection, fondness, tenderness, feeling, sentiment, warmth, love, liking, care.
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endeavour

verb
the company endeavoured to expand its activities
try, attempt, seek, undertake, aspire, aim, set out; strive, struggle, labour, toil, work, exert oneself, apply oneself, do one's best, do one's utmost, give one's all, be at pains; informal have a go/shot/stab, give something one's best shot, do one's damnedest, go all out, bend over backwards; formal essay.
noun
an endeavour to build a more buoyant economy
attempt, try, bid, effort, venture; informal go, crack, shot, stab, bash; formal essay.
several days of endeavour
effort, exertion, striving, struggling, labouring, struggle, labour, hard work, application, industry; pains; informal sweat, (blood, sweat, and tears), elbow grease; Brit. informal graft; Austral./NZ informal (hard) yakka; poetic/literary travail.
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an extremely unwise endeavour
undertaking, enterprise, venture, exercise, activity, exploit, deed, act, action, move; scheme, plan, project; informal caper.
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ending

noun
end, finish, close, closing, conclusion, resolution, summing-up, denouement, finale; cessation, stopping, termination, discontinuation. ANTONYMS :beginning.

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endless

adjective
a woman with endless energy
unlimited, limitless, infinite, inexhaustible, boundless, unbounded, untold, immeasurable, measureless, incalculable; abundant, abounding, great; ceaseless, unceasing, unending, without end, everlasting, constant, continuous, continual, interminable, unfading, unfailing, perpetual, eternal, enduring, lasting.
as children we played endless games
countless, innumerable, untold, legion, numberless, unnumbered, numerous, very many, manifold, multitudinous, multifarious; a great number of, infinite numbers of, a multitude of; informal umpteen, no end of, loads of, stacks of, heaps of, masses of, oodles of, scads of, zillions of; N. Amer. informal gazillions of; poetic/literary myriad, divers.
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ANTONYMS :limited, few.

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endorse

verb
support, back, agree with, approve (of), favour, subscribe to, recommend, champion, stick up for, uphold, affirm, sanction; informal throw one's weight behind. ANTONYMS :oppose.

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endorsement

noun
support, backing, approval, seal of approval, agreement, recommendation, championship, patronage, affirmation, sanction.

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endow

verb
Henry II endowed a hospital for poor pilgrims
finance, fund, pay for, subsidize, support financially, settle money on; establish, found, set up, institute.
nature endowed the human race with intelligence
provide, supply, furnish, equip, invest, favour, bless, grace, gift; give, bestow; poetic/literary endue.
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endowment

noun
the endowment of a Chair of Botany
funding, financing, subsidizing; establishment, foundation, institution.
a generous endowment
bequest, legacy, inheritance; gift, present, grant, award, donation, contribution, subsidy, settlement; formal benefaction.
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his natural endowments
quality, characteristic, feature, attribute, facility, faculty, ability, talent, gift, strength, aptitude, capability, capacity.
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endurable

adjective
bearable, tolerable, supportable, manageable, sustainable. ANTONYMS :unbearable.

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endurance

noun
she pushed him beyond the limit of his endurance
toleration, tolerance, sufferance, forbearance, patience, acceptance, resignation, stoicism.
the race is a test of endurance
stamina, staying power, fortitude, perseverance, persistence, tenacity, doggedness, grit, indefatigability, resolution, determination; informal stickability; formal pertinacity.
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endure

verb
he endured years of pain
undergo, go through, live through, experience, meet, encounter; cope with, deal with, face, suffer, tolerate, put up with, brave, bear, withstand, sustain, weather; Scottish thole.
I cannot endure such behaviour
tolerate, bear, put up with, suffer, take; informal hack, stand for, stomach, swallow, abide, hold with; Brit. informal stick, wear, be doing with; formal brook.
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God's love will endure for ever
last, live, live on, go on, survive, abide, continue, persist, remain, stay.
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ANTONYMS :fade.

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enduring

adjective
lasting, long-lasting, abiding, durable, continuing, persisting, eternal, perennial, permanent, unending, everlasting; constant, stable, steady, steadfast, fixed, firm, unwavering, unfaltering, unchanging. ANTONYMS :short-lived.

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enemy

noun
opponent, adversary, rival, antagonist, combatant, challenger, competitor, opposer, opposition, competition, other side; poetic/literary foe. ANTONYMS :ally.

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energetic

adjective
an energetic woman
active, lively, dynamic, zestful, spirited, animated, vital, vibrant, bouncy, bubbly, exuberant, perky, frisky, sprightly, tireless, indefatigable, enthusiastic; informal peppy, sparky, feisty, full of beans, full of the joys of spring, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
energetic exercises
vigorous, strenuous, brisk; hard, arduous, demanding, taxing, tough, rigorous.
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an energetic advertising campaign
forceful, vigorous, high-powered, all-out, determined, bold, powerful, potent; intensive, hard-hitting, pulling no punches, aggressive, high-octane; informal punchy, in-your-face.
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ANTONYMS :lethargic, gentle, half-hearted.

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energize

verb
people are energized by his ideas
enliven, liven up, animate, vitalize, invigorate, perk up, excite, electrify, stimulate, stir up, fire up, rouse, motivate, move, drive, spur on, encourage, galvanize; informal pep up, buck up, give a shot in the arm to.
floor sensors energized by standing passengers
activate, trigger, trip, operate, actuate, switch on, turn on, start, start up, power.
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energy

noun
vitality, vigour, life, liveliness, animation, vivacity, spirit, spiritedness, verve, enthusiasm, zest, vibrancy, spark, sparkle, effervescence, exuberance, buoyancy, sprightliness; strength, stamina, forcefulness, power, dynamism, drive; fire, passion, ardour, zeal; informal zip, zing, pep, pizzazz, punch, bounce, oomph, go, get-up-and-go, vim and vigour; N. Amer. informal feistiness.

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enervate

verb
exhaust, tire, fatigue, weary, wear out, devitalize, drain, sap, weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, incapacitate, prostrate; informal knock out, do in, shatter, fag out; Brit. informal knacker. ANTONYMS :invigorate.

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enervation

noun
fatigue, exhaustion, tiredness, weariness, lassitude, weakness, feebleness, debilitation, indisposition, prostration.

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enfeeble

verb
weaken, debilitate, incapacitate, indispose, lay low; drain, sap, exhaust, tire, fatigue, devitalize. ANTONYMS :strengthen.

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enfold

verb
the summit was enfolded in white cloud
envelop, engulf, sheathe, swathe, swaddle, cocoon, shroud, veil, cloak, drape, cover; surround, enclose, encase, encircle; poetic/literary enshroud, mantle.
he enfolded her in his arms
clasp, hold, fold, wrap, squeeze, clutch, gather; embrace, hug, cuddle; poetic/literary embosom.
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enforce

verb
the sheriff enforced the law
impose, apply, administer, implement, bring to bear, discharge, execute, prosecute.
they cannot enforce cooperation between the parties
force, compel, coerce, exact, extort; archaic constrain.
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enforced

adjective
compulsory, obligatory, mandatory, involuntary, forced, imposed, required, requisite, stipulated, prescribed, contractual, binding, necessary, unavoidable, inescapable. ANTONYMS :voluntary.

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enfranchise

verb
women over thirty were enfranchised in 1918
give the vote to, give/grant suffrage to.
(historical) he enfranchised his slaves
emancipate, liberate, free, set free, release; unchain, unyoke, unfetter, unshackle; historical manumit.
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engage

verb
tasks which engage children's interest
capture, catch, arrest, grab, draw, attract, gain, win, hold, grip, captivate, engross, absorb, occupy.
he engaged a nursemaid
employ, hire, recruit, take on, secure the services of, put on the payroll, enrol, appoint.
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(dated) she engaged a room in the boarding house
book, reserve; rent, hire; formal bespeak.
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he engaged to pay them £10,000
contract, promise, agree, pledge, vow, covenant, commit oneself, bind oneself, undertake, enter into an agreement.
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the chance to engage in many social activities
participate in, take part in, join in, become involved in, go in for, partake in/of, share in, play a part/role in; have a hand in, be a party to, enter into.
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infantry units engaged the enemy
fight, do battle with, wage war on/against, attack, take on, set upon, clash with, skirmish with; encounter, meet.
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ANTONYMS :lose, dismiss.

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engaged

adjective
he's otherwise engaged
busy, occupied, unavailable; informal tied up.
she's engaged to an American guy
promised/pledged in marriage; attached; informal spoken for; dated betrothed; poetic/literary affianced; archaic plighted, espoused.
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ANTONYMS :free, unattached.

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engagement

noun
they broke off their engagement
marriage contract; dated betrothal; archaic espousal.
a business engagement
appointment, meeting, arrangement, commitment; date, assignation, rendezvous; poetic/literary tryst.
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Britain's continued engagement in open trading
participation, involvement, association.
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his engagement as a curate
employment, appointment; work, job, post, situation.
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the first engagement of the war
battle, fight, clash, confrontation, encounter, conflict, skirmish; warfare, action, combat, hostilities; informal dogfight.
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engaging

adjective
charming, appealing, attractive, pretty, delightful, lovely, pleasing, pleasant, agreeable, likeable, lovable, sweet, winning, winsome, fetching, captivating, enchanting, bewitching; Scottish & N. English bonny; dated taking; archaic comely, fair. ANTONYMS :unappealing.

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engender

verb
his works engendered considerable controversy
cause, be the cause of, give rise to, bring about, occasion, lead to, result in, produce, create, generate, arouse, rouse, inspire, provoke, kindle, trigger, spark, stir up, whip up, induce, incite, instigate, foment; poetic/literary beget, enkindle.
(archaic) he engendered six children
father, sire, bring into the world, spawn, breed; poetic/literary beget.
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engine

noun
a car engine
motor, machine, mechanism.
the main engine of change
cause, agent, instrument, originator, initiator, generator.
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(historical) engines of war
device, contraption, apparatus, machine, appliance, mechanism, implement, instrument, tool.
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engineer

noun
a structural engineer
designer, planner, builder.
the ship's engineer
operator, driver, controller.
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the prime engineer of the approach
originator, deviser, designer, architect, inventor, developer, creator; mastermind.
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verb
he engineered a takeover deal
bring about, arrange, pull off, bring off, contrive, manoeuvre, manipulate, negotiate, organize, orchestrate, choreograph, mount, stage, mastermind, originate, manage, stage-manage, coordinate, control, superintend, direct, conduct; informal wangle.

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England

noun
Brit. informal Blighty; Austral./NZ informal Old Dart; poetic/literary Albion.

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engrained

adjective
. See ingrained.

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engrave

verb
my name was engraved on the ring
carve, inscribe, cut (in), incise, chisel, chase, score, notch, etch, imprint, impress.
the image was engraved in his memory
fix, set, imprint, stamp, brand, impress, embed, etch.
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engraving

noun
etching, print, impression, lithograph; plate, dry point, woodcut, linocut.

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engross

verb
absorb, engage, rivet, grip, hold, interest, involve, occupy, preoccupy; fascinate, captivate, enthral, intrigue.

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engrossed

adjective
absorbed, involved, interested, occupied, preoccupied, immersed, caught up, riveted, gripped, rapt, fascinated, intent, captivated, enthralled, intrigued.

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engrossing

adjective
absorbing, interesting, riveting, gripping, captivating, compelling, compulsive, fascinating, intriguing, enthralling; informal unputdownable.

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engulf

verb
inundate, flood, deluge, immerse, swamp, swallow up, submerge; bury, envelop, overwhelm.

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enhance

verb
increase, add to, intensify, heighten, magnify, amplify, inflate, strengthen, build up, supplement, augment, boost, raise, lift, elevate, exalt; improve, enrich, complement. ANTONYMS :diminish.

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enigma

noun
mystery, puzzle, riddle, conundrum, paradox, problem; a closed book; informal poser.

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enigmatic

adjective
mysterious, inscrutable, puzzling, mystifying, baffling, perplexing, impenetrable, unfathomable, sphinx-like, Delphic, oracular; cryptic, elliptical, ambiguous, equivocal, paradoxical, obscure, oblique, secret.

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enjoin

verb
urge, encourage, admonish, press; instruct, direct, require, order, command, tell, call on, demand, charge; formal adjure; poetic/literary bid.

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enjoy

verb
he enjoys playing the piano
like, love, be fond of, be entertained by, take pleasure in, be keen on, delight in, appreciate, relish, revel in, adore, lap up, savour, luxuriate in, bask in; informal get a kick out of, get a thrill out of, get a buzz out of, go a bundle on.
she had always enjoyed good health
benefit from, have the benefit of; be blessed with, be favoured with, be endowed with, be possessed of, possess, own, boast.
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ANTONYMS :dislike, lack.

enjoy oneself
have fun, have a good time, have the time of one's life; make merry, celebrate, revel; informal party, have a ball, have a whale of a time, whoop it up, let one's hair down.

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enjoyable

adjective
entertaining, amusing, diverting, delightful, to one's liking, pleasant, congenial, convivial, lovely, fine, good, great, agreeable, pleasurable, delicious, delectable, satisfying, gratifying; marvellous, wonderful, magnificent, splendid; informal super, fantastic, fabulous, fab, terrific, grand, magic; Brit. informal brilliant, brill, smashing.

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enjoyment

noun
pleasure, fun, entertainment, amusement, diversion, recreation, relaxation; delight, happiness, merriment, joy, gaiety, jollity; satisfaction, gratification, liking, relish, gusto; humorous delectation; dated sport.

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enlarge

verb
they enlarged the scope of their research
extend, expand, grow, add to, amplify, augment, magnify, build up, supplement; widen, broaden, stretch, lengthen; elongate, deepen, thicken.
the lymph glands had enlarged
swell, distend, bloat, bulge, dilate, tumefy, blow up, puff up, balloon.
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he enlarged on this subject
elaborate on, expand on, add to, build on, flesh out, put flesh on the bones of, add detail to, expatiate on; develop, fill out, embellish, embroider.
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ANTONYMS :reduce, shrink.

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enlargement

noun
expansion, extension, growth, amplification, augmentation, addition, magnification, widening, broadening, lengthening; elongation, deepening, thickening; swelling, distension, dilation, tumefaction.

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enlighten

verb
inform, tell, make aware, open someone's eyes, notify, illuminate, apprise, brief, update, bring up to date; disabuse, set straight; informal put in the picture, clue in, fill in, put wise, bring up to speed.

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enlightened

adjective
informed, well informed, aware, sophisticated, advanced, developed, liberal, open-minded, broad-minded, educated, knowledgeable, wise; civilized, refined, cultured, cultivated. ANTONYMS :benighted.

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enlightenment

noun
insight, understanding, awareness, wisdom, education, learning, knowledge; illumination, awakening, instruction, teaching; sophistication, advancement, development, open-mindedness, broad-mindedness; culture, refinement, cultivation, civilization.

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enlist

verb
he enlisted in the Royal Engineers
join up, join, enrol in, sign up for, volunteer for; Brit. archaic take the King's shilling.
he was enlisted in the army
recruit, call up, enrol, sign up; conscript; US draft, induct; archaic levy.
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he enlisted the help of a friend
obtain, engage, secure, win, get, procure.
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enliven

verb
a meeting enlivened by her wit and vivacity
liven up, spice up, add spice to, ginger up, vitalize, leaven; informal perk up, pep up.
the visit had enlivened my mother
cheer up, brighten up, liven up, raise someone's spirits, uplift, gladden, buoy up, animate, vivify, vitalize, invigorate, restore, revive, refresh, stimulate, rouse, boost, exhilarate; N. Amer. light a fire under; informal perk up, buck up, pep up.
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en masse

adverb
(all) together, as a group, as one, en bloc, as a whole, in a body, wholesale.

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enmesh

verb
embroil, entangle, ensnare, snare, trap, entrap, ensnarl, involve, catch up, mix up, bog down, mire.

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enmity

noun
hostility, animosity, antagonism, friction, antipathy, animus, acrimony, bitterness, rancour, resentment, aversion, ill feeling, bad feeling, ill will, bad blood, hatred, hate, loathing, odium; malice, spite, spitefulness, venom, malevolence; Brit. informal needle. ANTONYMS :friendship.

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ennoble

verb
dignify, honour, exalt, elevate, raise, enhance, add dignity to, distinguish; magnify, glorify, aggrandize. ANTONYMS :demean.

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ennui

noun
boredom, tedium, listlessness, lethargy, lassitude, languor, weariness, enervation; malaise, dissatisfaction, melancholy, world-weariness, depression, Weltschmerz.

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enormity

noun
the enormity of the task
immensity, hugeness; size, extent, magnitude, greatness.
the enormity of his crimes
wickedness, evil, vileness, baseness, depravity; outrageousness, monstrousness, hideousness, heinousness, horror, atrocity; villainy, cruelty, inhumanity, mercilessness, brutality, savagery, viciousness.
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the enormities of the regime
outrage, horror, evil, atrocity, barbarity, abomination, monstrosity, obscenity, iniquity; crime, sin, violation, wrong, offence, disgrace, injustice, abuse.
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enormous

adjective
huge, vast, immense, gigantic, very big, great, giant, massive, colossal, mammoth, tremendous, mighty, monumental, epic, prodigious, mountainous, king-size(d), titanic, towering, elephantine, gargantuan; informal mega, monster, whopping (great), humongous, jumbo, astronomical; Brit. informal whacking (great), ginormous. ANTONYMS :tiny.

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enormously

adverb
an enormously important factor
very, extremely, really, exceedingly, exceptionally, tremendously, immensely, hugely; singularly, particularly, eminently; informal terrifically, awfully, terribly, seriously, desperately, ultra, damn, damned; Brit. informal ever so, well, dead, jolly; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, darned; informal, dated frightfully.
prices vary enormously
considerably, greatly, very much, a great deal, a lot.
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ANTONYMS :slightly.

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enough

determiner
they had enough food
sufficient, adequate, ample, the necessary; informal plenty of. ANTONYMS :insufficient.

pronoun
there's enough for everyone
sufficient, plenty, a sufficient amount, an adequate amount, as much as necessary; a sufficiency, an ample supply; one's fill.

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en passant

adverb
in passing, incidentally, by the way, parenthetically, while on the subject, apropos.

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enquire inquire

verb
I enquired about part-time training courses
ask, make enquiries, question someone, request information.
the commission is to enquire into alleged illegal payments
investigate, conduct an enquiry, probe, look into; research, examine, explore, delve into; informal check out.
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enquiring inquiring

adjective
inquisitive, curious, interested, questioning, probing, searching; investigative.

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enquiry inquiry

noun
telephone enquiries
question, query.
an enquiry into alleged security leaks
investigation, probe, examination, exploration; inquest, hearing.
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enrage

verb
anger, infuriate, incense, madden, inflame; antagonize, provoke, exasperate; informal drive mad/crazy, drive up the wall, make someone see red, make someone's blood boil, make someone's hackles rise, get someone's back up, get someone's dander up; N. Amer. informal burn up. ANTONYMS :placate.

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enraged

adjective
furious, infuriated, very angry, irate, incensed, raging, incandescent, fuming, ranting, raving, seething, beside oneself; informal mad, hopping mad, wild, livid, boiling, apoplectic, hot under the collar, on the warpath, foaming at the mouth, steamed up, in a paddy, fit to be tied; poetic/literary wrathful. ANTONYMS :calm.

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enrapture

verb
delight, enchant, captivate, charm, enthral, entrance, bewitch, beguile, transport, thrill, excite, exhilarate, intoxicate, take someone's breath away; informal bowl someone over, blow someone's mind; poetic/literary ravish.

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enrich

verb
enhance, improve, better, add to, augment; supplement, complement; boost, elevate, raise, lift, refine. ANTONYMS :spoil.

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enrol

verb
they both enrolled for the course
register, sign on/up, put one's name down, apply, volunteer; matriculate; enter, join.
280 new members were enrolled
accept, admit, take on, register, sign on/up, recruit, engage; matriculate; impanel.
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en route

adverb
on the way, in transit, during the journey, along/on the road, on the move; coming, going, proceeding, travelling.

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ensconce

verb
settle, install, plant, position, seat, sit, sit down; establish; informal park, plonk.

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ensemble

noun
a Bulgarian folk ensemble
group, band; company, troupe, cast, chorus, corps; informal combo.
the buildings present a charming provincial ensemble
whole, entity, unit, body, set, combination, composite, package; sum, total, totality, entirety, aggregate.
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a pink and black ensemble
outfit, costume, suit; separates, coordinates; informal get-up.
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enshrine

verb
set down, set out, spell out, express, lay down, set in stone, embody, realize, manifest, incorporate, represent, contain, include, preserve, treasure, immortalize, cherish.

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enshroud

verb
(poetic/literary) envelop, veil, shroud, swathe, cloak, cloud, enfold, surround, bury; cover, conceal, obscure, blot out, hide, mask; poetic/literary mantle.

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ensign

noun
flag, standard, colour(s), banner, pennant, pennon, streamer, banderole.

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enslavement

noun
slavery, servitude, bondage, forced labour; exploitation, oppression, bonds, chains, fetters, shackles, yoke; historical thraldom. ANTONYMS :liberation.

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ensnare

verb
capture, catch, trap, entrap, snare, net; entangle, embroil, enmesh.

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ensue

verb
result, follow, be consequent on, develop, proceed, succeed, emerge, stem, arise, derive, issue; occur, happen, take place, come next/after, transpire, supervene; formal eventuate; poetic/literary come to pass, befall.

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ensure

verb
ensure that the surface is completely clean
make sure, make certain, see to it; check, confirm, establish, verify.
legislation to ensure equal opportunities for all
secure, guarantee, assure, certify, set the seal on, clinch.
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entail

verb
involve, necessitate, require, need, demand, call for; mean, imply; cause, produce, result in, lead to, give rise to, occasion.

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entangle

verb
their parachutes became entangled
twist, intertwine, entwine, tangle, ravel, snarl, knot, coil, mat.
the fish are easily entangled in fine nets
catch, capture, trap, snare, ensnare, entrap, enmesh.
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he was entangled in a lawsuit
involve, implicate, embroil, mix up, catch up, bog down, mire.
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entanglement

noun
their entanglement in the war
involvement, embroilment.
romantic entanglements
affair, relationship, love affair, romance, amour, fling, dalliance, liaison, involvement, intrigue; complication.
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entente

noun
understanding, agreement, arrangement, entente cordiale, settlement, deal; alliance, treaty, pact, accord, convention, concordat.

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enter

verb
police entered the house
go in/into, come in/into, get in/into, set foot in, cross the threshold of, gain access to.
a bullet entered his chest
penetrate, pierce, puncture, perforate; poetic/literary transpierce.
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he entered politics in 1979
get involved in, join, throw oneself into, engage in, embark on, take up; participate in, take part in, play a part/role in, contribute to.
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the planning entered a new phase
reach, move into, get to, begin, start, commence.
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they entered the Army at eighteen
join, become a member of, enrol in/for, enlist in, volunteer for, sign up for; take up.
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she entered a cookery competition
go in for, put one's name down for, register for, enrol for, sign on/up for; compete in, take part in, participate in.
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the cashier entered the details in a ledger
record, write, set down, put down, take down, note, jot down; put on record, minute, register, log.
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please enter your password
key (in), type (in), tap in.
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(Law) he entered a plea of guilty
submit, register, lodge, record, file, put forward, present.
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ANTONYMS :leave.

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enterprise

noun
a joint enterprise
undertaking, endeavour, venture, exercise, activity, operation, task, business, proceeding; project, scheme, plan, programme, campaign.
a woman with enterprise
initiative, resourcefulness, entrepreneurialism, imagination, ingenuity, inventiveness, originality, creativity; quick-wittedness, native wit, cleverness; enthusiasm, dynamism, drive, ambition, energy; boldness, daring, courage; informal gumption, get-up-and-go, oomph.
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a profit-making enterprise
business, company, firm, venture, organization, operation, concern, corporation, establishment, partnership; informal outfit, set-up.
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enterprising

adjective
resourceful, entrepreneurial, imaginative, ingenious, inventive, creative; quick-witted, clever, bright, sharp, sharp-witted; enthusiastic, dynamic, ambitious, energetic; bold, daring, courageous, adventurous; informal go-ahead. ANTONYMS :unimaginative.

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entertain

verb
he wrote stories to entertain them
amuse, divert, delight, please, charm, cheer, interest; engage, occupy, absorb, engross.
he entertains foreign visitors
receive, play host/hostess to, invite (round/over), throw a party for; wine and dine, feast, cater for, feed, treat, welcome, fête.
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we don't entertain much
receive guests, have people round/over, have company, hold/throw a party.
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I would never entertain such an idea
consider, give consideration to, contemplate, think about, give thought to; countenance, tolerate, support; formal brook.
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ANTONYMS :bore, reject.

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entertainer

noun
performer, artiste, artist.

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entertaining

adjective
delightful, enjoyable, diverting, amusing, pleasing, agreeable, appealing, engaging, interesting, fascinating, absorbing, compelling; humorous, funny, comical; informal fun.

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entertainment

noun
he read for entertainment
amusement, pleasure, leisure, recreation, relaxation, fun, enjoyment, interest, diversion; N. Amer. informal rec.
an entertainment for the emperor
show, performance, presentation, production, extravaganza, spectacle.
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enthral

verb
captivate, charm, enchant, bewitch, fascinate, beguile, entrance, delight; win, ensnare, absorb, engross, rivet, grip, transfix, hypnotize, mesmerize, spellbind. ANTONYMS :bore.

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enthralling

adjective
fascinating, entrancing, enchanting, bewitching, captivating, charming, beguiling, delightful; absorbing, engrossing, compelling, riveting, gripping, exciting, spellbinding; informal unputdownable.

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enthuse

verb
I enthused about the idea
rave, be enthusiastic, gush, wax lyrical, be effusive, get all worked up, rhapsodize; praise to the skies; informal go wild/mad/crazy; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo.
he enthuses people
motivate, inspire, stimulate, encourage, spur (on), galvanize, rouse, excite, stir (up), fire, inspirit.
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enthusiasm

noun
she worked with enthusiasm
eagerness, keenness, ardour, fervour, passion, zeal, zest, gusto, energy, verve, vigour, vehemence, fire, spirit, avidity; wholeheartedness, commitment, willingness, devotion, earnestness; informal get-up-and-go.
they put their enthusiasms to good use
interest, passion, obsession, mania; inclination, preference, penchant, predilection, fancy; pastime, hobby, recreation, pursuit.
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ANTONYMS :apathy.

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enthusiast

noun
fan, devotee, aficionado, lover, admirer, follower; expert, connoisseur, authority, pundit; informal buff, freak, fanatic, nut, fiend, addict, maniac.

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enthusiastic

adjective
eager, keen, avid, ardent, fervent, passionate, zealous, vehement; excited, wholehearted, committed, devoted, fanatical, earnest.

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entice

verb
tempt, lure, attract, appeal to; invite, persuade, convince, beguile, coax, woo; seduce, lead on; informal sweet-talk.

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enticement

noun
lure, temptation, allure, attraction, appeal, draw, pull, bait; charm, seduction, fascination; informal come-on.

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enticing

adjective
tempting, alluring, attractive, appealing, inviting, seductive, beguiling, charming; magnetic, irresistible.

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entire

adjective
I devoted my entire life to him
whole, complete, total, full; undivided.
only one of the gates is entire
intact, unbroken, undamaged, unimpaired, unscathed, unspoiled, perfect, in one piece.
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they are in entire agreement
absolute, total, utter, out-and-out, thorough, wholehearted; unqualified, unreserved, outright.
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ANTONYMS :partial, broken.

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entirely

adverb
that's entirely out of the question
absolutely, completely, totally, wholly, utterly, quite; altogether, in every respect, thoroughly, downright, one hundred per cent.
a gift entirely for charitable purposes
solely, only, exclusively, purely, merely, just, alone.
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entirety

noun
whole, total, aggregate, totality, sum total. ANTONYMS :part.

in its entirety
completely, entirely, totally, fully, wholly; in every respect, in every way, one hundred per cent, all the way, every inch, to the hilt, to the core.

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entitle

verb
this pass entitles you to visit the museum
qualify, make eligible, authorize, allow, permit; enable, empower.
a chapter entitled "Comedy and Tragedy"
title, name, call, label, designate, dub; formal denominate.
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entitlement

noun
their entitlement to benefits
right, prerogative, claim; permission, dispensation, privilege.
your holiday entitlement
allowance, allocation, quota, ration, limit.
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entity

noun
a single entity
being, creature, individual, organism, life form; person; body, object, article, thing.
the distinction between entity and nonentity
existence, being; life, living, animation; substance, essence, reality, actuality.
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entomb

verb
inter, lay to rest, bury; informal plant; poetic/literary inhume, sepulchre.

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entourage

noun
retinue, escort, cortège, train, suite; court, staff, bodyguard; attendants, companions, retainers.

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entrails

plural noun
intestines, bowels, guts, viscera, internal organs, vital organs; offal; informal insides, innards.

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entrance 1

noun
the main entrance
entry, way in, access, ingress, approach; door, portal, gate; opening, mouth; entrance hall, foyer, lobby, porch; N. Amer. entryway.
the entrance of Mrs Knight
appearance, arrival, entry, ingress, coming.
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he was refused entrance
admission, admittance, (right of) entry, access, ingress.
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ANTONYMS :exit, departure.

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entrance 2

verb
I was entranced by her beauty
enchant, bewitch, beguile, captivate, mesmerize, hypnotize, spellbind; enthral, engross, absorb, fascinate; stun, overpower, electrify; charm, delight; informal bowl over, knock out.
Orpheus entranced the wild beasts
cast a spell on, bewitch, hex, spellbind, hypnotize, mesmerize.
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entrant

noun
university entrants
new member, new arrival, beginner, newcomer, fresher, freshman, recruit; novice, neophyte; N. Amer. tenderfoot, greenhorn; informal rookie.
a prize will be awarded to the best entrant
competitor, contestant, contender, participant; candidate, applicant.
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entrap

verb
fishing lines can entrap wildlife
trap, snare, ensnare, entangle, enmesh; catch, capture.
he was entrapped by an undercover policeman
entice, lure, inveigle; bait, decoy, trap; lead on, trick, deceive, dupe, hoodwink; informal set up, frame; Brit. informal fit up.
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entreat

verb
implore, beg, plead with, pray, ask, request; bid, enjoin, appeal to, call on, petition, solicit; poetic/literary beseech.

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entreaty

noun
plea, appeal, request, petition; suit, application, claim; solicitation, supplication; prayer.

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entrée

noun
there are a dozen entrées on the menu
main course, main dish.
an excellent entrée into the profession
(means of) entry, entrance, ingress; route, path, avenue, way, key, passport.
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entrench intrench

verb
establish, settle, lodge, set, root, install, plant, embed, seat; informal dig in.

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entrenched intrenched

adjective
ingrained, established, confirmed, fixed, firm, deep-seated, deep-rooted; unshakeable, indelible, ineradicable, inexorable.

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entre nous

adverb
between ourselves, between us, between you and me, in confidence, confidentially, privately, off the record; informal between you and me and the gatepost.

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entrepreneur

noun
businessman/woman, enterpriser, speculator, tycoon, magnate, mogul; dealer, trader; promoter, impresario; informal wheeler-dealer, whizz-kid, mover and shaker, go-getter, high-flyer.

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entrust

verb
he was entrusted with the task
charge, invest, endow; burden, encumber, saddle.
the powers entrusted to the Home Secretary
assign, confer on, bestow on, vest in, consign; delegate, depute, devolve; give, grant, vouchsafe.
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she entrusted them to the hospital
hand over, give custody of, turn over, commit, consign, deliver; formal commend.
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entry

noun
my moment of entry
appearance, arrival, entrance, ingress, coming.
the entry to the flats
entrance, way in, access, ingress, approach; door, portal, gate; entrance hall, foyer, lobby; N. Amer. entryway.
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he was refused entry
admission, admittance, entrance, access, ingress.
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entries in the cash book
item, record, note, listing; memo, memorandum; account.
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data entry
recording, archiving, logging, documentation, capture.
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we must pick a winner from the entries
contestant, competitor, contender, entrant, participant; candidate, applicant; submission, entry form, application.
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ANTONYMS :departure, exit.

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entwine

verb
wind round, twist round, coil round; weave, intertwine, interlace, interweave; entangle, tangle; twine, braid, plait, knit.

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enumerate

verb
he enumerated four objectives
list, itemize, set out, give; cite, name, specify, identify, spell out, detail, particularize.
(formal) they enumerated hospital readmission rates
calculate, compute, count, add up, tally, total, number, quantify; reckon, work out; Brit. tot up.
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enunciate

verb
she enunciated each word slowly
pronounce, articulate; say, speak, utter, voice, vocalize, sound, mouth.
a document enunciating the policy
express, state, put into words, declare, profess, set forth, assert, affirm; put forward, air, proclaim.
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envelop

verb
surround, cover, enfold, engulf, encircle, encompass, cocoon, sheathe, swathe, enclose; cloak, screen, shield, veil, shroud.

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envelope

noun
wrapper, wrapping, sleeve, cover, covering, casing.

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envenom

verb
(archaic) the arrows are envenomed
poison.
incidents which envenom international relations
embitter, sour, poison, jaundice, taint; antagonize.
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enviable

adjective
desirable, desired, favoured, sought-after, admirable, covetable, attractive; fortunate, lucky; informal to die for.

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envious

adjective
jealous, covetous, desirous; grudging, begrudging, resentful; bitter, green-eyed.

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environ

verb
(formal) surround, encircle, enclose, ring, envelop.

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environment

noun
birds from many environments
habitat, territory, domain; surroundings, conditions.
the hospital environment
situation, setting, milieu, background, backdrop, scene, location; context, framework; sphere, world, realm; ambience, atmosphere.
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the impact of pesticides on the environment
the natural world, nature, the earth, the ecosystem, the biosphere, Mother Nature; wildlife, flora and fauna, the countryside.
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environmentalist

noun
conservationist, preservationist, ecologist, nature-lover; informal ecofreak, tree hugger.

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environs

plural noun
surroundings, surrounding area, vicinity; locality, neighbourhood, district, region; precincts; N. Amer. vicinage.

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envisage

verb
it was envisaged that the hospital would open soon
foresee, predict, forecast, anticipate, expect, think likely.
I cannot envisage what the future holds
imagine, contemplate, visualize, envision, picture; conceive of, think of.
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envision

verb
visualize, imagine, envisage, picture; conceive of, think of, see; intend, mean.

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envoy

noun
ambassador, emissary, diplomat, consul, attaché, chargé d'affaires, plenipotentiary; nuncio; representative, delegate, proxy, surrogate, liaison, spokesperson; agent, intermediary, mediator; informal go-between; historical legate.

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envy

noun
a pang of envy
jealousy, covetousness; resentment, bitterness, discontent; the green-eyed monster.
the firm is the envy of Europe
finest, best, pride, top, cream, jewel, flower, leading light, the crème de la crème.
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verb
I admired and envied her
be envious of, be jealous of; begrudge, be resentful of.
we envied her lifestyle
covet, desire, aspire to, wish for, want, long for, yearn for, hanker after, crave.
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ephemeral

adjective
transitory, transient, fleeting, passing, short-lived, momentary, brief, short; temporary, impermanent, short-term; fly-by-night. ANTONYMS :permanent.

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epic

noun
the epics of Homer
heroic poem; story, saga, legend, romance, chronicle, myth, fable, tale.
a big Hollywood epic
long film; informal blockbuster.
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adjective
a traditional epic poem
heroic, long, grand, monumental, Homeric, Miltonian.
their epic journey
ambitious, heroic, grand, great, Herculean; very long, monumental.
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epicene

adjective
a sort of epicene beauty
sexless, asexual, neuter; androgynous.
he gave an epicene titter
effeminate, unmanly, unmasculine, girly, girlish; informal camp, campy.
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ANTONYMS :macho.

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epicure

noun
gourmet, gastronome, gourmand, connoisseur; informal foodie.

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epicurean

noun
hedonist, sensualist, pleasure-seeker, sybarite, voluptuary, bon viveur; epicure, gourmet, gastronome, connoisseur, gourmand.
adjective
hedonistic, sensualist, pleasure-seeking, self-indulgent, sybaritic, voluptuary, lotus-eating; decadent, unrestrained, extravagant, intemperate, immoderate; gluttonous, gourmandizing.

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epidemic

noun
an epidemic of typhoid
outbreak, plague, pandemic, epizootic.
a joyriding epidemic
spate, rash, wave, eruption, outbreak, craze; flood, torrent; upsurge, upturn, increase, growth, rise.
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adjective
the craze is now epidemic
rife, rampant, widespread, wide-ranging, extensive, pervasive; global, universal, ubiquitous; endemic, pandemic, epizootic.

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epigram

noun
witticism, quip, jest, pun, bon mot; saying, maxim, adage, aphorism, apophthegm, epigraph; informal one-liner, wisecrack, (old) chestnut.

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epigrammatic

adjective
concise, succinct, pithy, aphoristic; incisive, short and sweet; witty, clever, quick-witted, piquant, sharp; informal snappy. ANTONYMS :expansive.

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epilogue

noun
afterword, postscript, PS, coda, codicil, appendix, tailpiece, supplement, addendum, postlude, rider, back matter; conclusion. ANTONYMS :prologue.

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episode

noun
the best episode of his career
incident, event, occurrence, happening; occasion, interlude, chapter, experience, adventure, exploit; matter, affair, thing.
the final episode of the series
instalment, chapter, passage; part, portion, section, component; programme, show.
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an episode of illness
period, spell, bout, attack, phase; informal dose.
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episodic

adjective
episodic wheezing
intermittent, sporadic, periodic, fitful, irregular, spasmodic, occasional.
an episodic account of the war
in episodes, in instalments, in sections, in parts.
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ANTONYMS :continuous.

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epistle

noun
(formal) letter, missive, communication, dispatch, note, line; correspondence, news.

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epitaph

noun
elegy, commemoration, obituary; inscription, legend.

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epithet

noun
sobriquet, nickname, byname, title, name, label, tag; description, designation; informal moniker, handle; formal appellation, denomination.

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epitome

noun
he was the epitome of respectability
personification, embodiment, incarnation, paragon; essence, quintessence, archetype, paradigm, typification; exemplar, model, soul, example; height.
an epitome of a larger work
summary, abstract, synopsis, precis, résumé, outline, digest, summation; abridgement, abbreviation, condensation.
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epitomize

verb
the town epitomizes the pioneer spirit
embody, encapsulate, typify, exemplify, represent, manifest, symbolize, illustrate, sum up; personify; formal reify.
(archaic) we will epitomize the pamphlet.
See summarize.
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epoch

noun
era, age, period, time, span, stage; aeon.

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equable

adjective
an equable man
even-tempered, calm, composed, collected, self-possessed, relaxed, easy-going; nonchalant, insouciant, mellow, mild, tranquil, placid, stable, level-headed; imperturbable, unexcitable, untroubled, well balanced; informal unflappable, together, laid-back.
an equable climate
stable, constant, uniform, unvarying, consistent, unchanging, changeless; moderate, temperate.
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ANTONYMS :temperamental, extreme.

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equal

adjective
lines of equal length
identical, uniform, alike, like, the same, equivalent; matching, comparable, similar, corresponding.
fares equal to a fortnight's wages
equivalent, identical, amounting; proportionate to, commensurate with, on a par with.
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equal treatment before the law
unbiased, impartial, non-partisan, fair, just, equitable; unprejudiced, non-discriminatory, egalitarian; neutral, objective, disinterested.
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an equal contest
evenly matched, even, balanced, level; on a par, on an equal footing; informal fifty-fifty, level pegging, neck and neck.
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ANTONYMS :different, discriminatory.

noun
they did not treat him as their equal
equivalent, peer, fellow, coequal, like; counterpart, match, parallel.
verb
two plus two equals four
be equal to, be equivalent to, be the same as; come to, amount to, make, total, add up to.
he equalled the world record
match, reach, parallel, be level with, measure up to.
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the fable equals that of any other poet
be as good as, be a match for, measure up to, equate with; be in the same league as, rival, compete with.
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equal to
capable of, fit for, up to, good/strong enough for; suitable for, suited to, appropriate for; informal having what it takes.

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equality

noun
we promote equality for women
fairness, equal rights, equal opportunities, equitability, egalitarianism; impartiality, even-handedness; justice.
equality between supply and demand
parity, similarity, comparability, correspondence; likeness, resemblance; uniformity, evenness, balance, equilibrium, consistency, agreement, congruence, symmetry.
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equalize

verb
attempts to equalize their earnings
make equal, make even, even out/up, level, regularize, standardize, balance, square, match; bring into line.
Villa equalized in the second half
level the score, draw.
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equanimity

noun
composure, calm, level-headedness, self-possession, cool-headedness, presence of mind; serenity, tranquillity, phlegm, imperturbability, equilibrium; poise, assurance, self-confidence, aplomb, sangfroid, nerve; informal cool. ANTONYMS :anxiety.

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equate

verb
he equates criticism with treachery
identify, compare, bracket, class, associate, connect, link, relate, ally.
the rent equates to £24 per square foot
correspond, be equivalent, amount; equal.
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moves to equate supply and demand
equalize, balance, even out/up, level, square, tally, match; make equal, make even, make equivalent.
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equation

noun
a quadratic equation
mathematical problem, sum, calculation, question.
the equation of success with riches
identification, association, connection, matching; equivalence, correspondence, agreement, comparison.
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other factors came into the equation
situation, problem, case, question; quandary, predicament.
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equatorial

adjective
tropical, hot, humid, sultry. ANTONYMS :polar.

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equestrian

adjective
an equestrian statue
on horseback, mounted, riding.
noun
tracks for equestrians
(horse) rider, horseman, horsewoman, jockey.

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equilibrium

noun
the equilibrium of the economy
balance, symmetry, equipoise, parity, equality; stability.
his equilibrium was never shaken
composure, calm, equanimity, sangfroid; level-headedness, cool-headedness, imperturbability, poise, presence of mind; self-possession, self-command; impassivity, placidity, tranquillity, serenity; informal cool.
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ANTONYMS :imbalance, agitation.

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equip

verb
the boat was equipped with a flare gun
provide, furnish, supply, issue, kit out, stock, provision, arm, endow.
the course will equip them for the workplace
prepare, qualify, suit.
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equipment

noun
apparatus, paraphernalia, articles, appliances, impedimenta; tools, utensils, implements, instruments, hardware, gadgets, gadgetry; stuff, things; kit, tackle; resources, supplies; trappings, appurtenances, accoutrements; informal gear; Military materiel, baggage.

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equipoise

noun
an equipoise of power
equilibrium, balance, evenness, symmetry, parity, equality, equity; stability.
an equipoise to imbalances in savings
counterweight, counterbalance, counterpoise, balance; stabilizer.
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ANTONYMS :imbalance.

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equitable

adjective
fair, just, impartial, even-handed, unbiased, unprejudiced, egalitarian; disinterested, objective, neutral, non-partisan, open-minded; informal fair and square. ANTONYMS :unfair.

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equity

noun
the equity of Finnish society
fairness, justness, impartiality, egalitarianism; objectivity, balance, open-mindedness.
he owns 25% of the equity in the property
value, worth; ownership, rights, proprietorship.
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equivalence

noun
equality, sameness, interchangeability, comparability, correspondence; uniformity, similarity, likeness, nearness.

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equivalent

adjective
a degree or equivalent qualification
equal, identical; similar, parallel, analogous, comparable, corresponding, commensurate; approximate, near.
noun
Denmark's equivalent of the Daily Mirror
counterpart, parallel, alternative, match, analogue, twin, opposite number; equal, peer.

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equivocal

adjective
ambiguous, indefinite, non-committal, vague, imprecise, inexact, inexplicit, hazy; unclear, cryptic, enigmatic; ambivalent, uncertain, unsure, indecisive. ANTONYMS :definite.

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equivocate

verb
prevaricate, be evasive, be non-committal, be vague, be ambiguous, dodge the issue, beat about the bush, hedge one's bets, pussyfoot around; vacillate, shilly-shally, waver; temporize, hesitate, stall; Brit. hum and haw; informal sit on the fence, duck the issue; rare tergiversate.

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era

noun
epoch, age, period, time, span, aeon; generation.

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eradicate

verb
eliminate, get rid of, remove, obliterate; exterminate, destroy, annihilate, kill, wipe out; abolish, stamp out, extinguish, quash; erase, efface, excise, expunge.

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erase

verb
they erased his name from all lists
delete, rub out, wipe off, blot out, blank out, cancel; efface, expunge, excise, remove, obliterate, eliminate.
the old differences in style were erased
destroy, wipe out, obliterate, eradicate, abolish, stamp out, quash.
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erect

adjective
she held her body erect
upright, straight, vertical, perpendicular; standing.
an erect penis
engorged, enlarged, swollen, tumescent; hard, stiff.
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the dog's fur was erect
bristling, standing on end, upright.
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ANTONYMS :bent, flaccid, flat.

verb
the bridge was erected in 1973
build, construct, put up; assemble, put together, fabricate.
the party that erected the welfare state
establish, form, set up, found, institute, initiate, create, organize.
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ANTONYMS :demolish, dismantle, lower.

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erection

noun
the erection of a house
construction, building, assembly, fabrication, elevation.
a bleak concrete erection
building, structure, edifice, construction, pile.
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erect penis, phallus; tumescence, tumidity.
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eremite

noun
(archaic) hermit, recluse, solitary, ascetic; historical anchorite, anchoress.

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ergo

adverb
therefore, consequently, so, as a result, hence, thus, accordingly, for that reason, that being the case, on that account; formal whence; archaic wherefore.

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erode

verb
wear away/down, abrade, grind down, crumble; weather; eat away at, dissolve, corrode, rot, decay; undermine, weaken, deteriorate, destroy.

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erosion

noun
wearing away, abrasion, attrition; weathering; dissolution, corrosion, decay; deterioration, disintegration, destruction; rare detrition.

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erotic

adjective
sexually arousing, sexually stimulating, titillating, suggestive; pornographic, sexually explicit, lewd, smutty, hard-core, soft-core, dirty, racy, risqué, ribald, naughty; sexual, sexy, sensual, amatory; seductive, alluring, tantalizing; informal blue, X-rated, steamy, raunchy; euphemistic adult.

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err

verb
the judge had erred
make a mistake, be wrong, be in error, be mistaken, blunder, be incorrect, miscalculate, get it wrong; informal slip up, screw up, foul up, goof, make a boo-boo, bark up the wrong tree, get the wrong end of the stick; Brit. informal boob.
she struck them when they erred
misbehave, be bad, be naughty, get up to mischief, cause trouble; sin, transgress, lapse; clown about/around, fool about/around, act the goat; informal mess about/around, act up; Brit. informal play up.
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errand

noun
task, job, chore, assignment; collection, delivery; mission, undertaking.

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errant

adjective
he fined the errant councillors
offending, guilty, culpable, misbehaving, delinquent, lawbreaking; troublesome, unruly, disobedient.
(archaic) a knight errant
travelling, wandering, itinerant, roaming, roving, voyaging.
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ANTONYMS :innocent.

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erratic

adjective
unpredictable, inconsistent, changeable, variable, inconstant, irregular, fitful, unstable, turbulent, unsettled, changing, varying, fluctuating, mutable; unreliable, undependable, volatile, mercurial, capricious, fickle, temperamental, moody. ANTONYMS :consistent.

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erring

adjective
offending, guilty, culpable, misbehaving, errant, delinquent, lawbreaking, aberrant, deviant.

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erroneous

adjective
wrong, incorrect, mistaken, in error, inaccurate, untrue, false, fallacious; unsound, specious, faulty, flawed; informal off beam, way out, full of holes. ANTONYMS :correct.

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error

noun
mistake, inaccuracy, miscalculation, blunder, oversight; fallacy, misconception, delusion; misprint, erratum; informal slip-up, bloomer, boo-boo; Brit. informal boob.
in error
wrongly, by mistake, mistakenly, incorrectly; accidentally, by accident, inadvertently, unintentionally, by chance.

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ersatz

adjective
artificial, substitute, imitation, synthetic, fake, false, mock, simulated; pseudo, sham, bogus, spurious, counterfeit; manufactured, man-made; informal phoney. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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erstwhile

adjective
former, old, past, one-time, sometime, ex-, late, then; previous; formal quondam. ANTONYMS :present.

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erudite

adjective
learned, scholarly, educated, knowledgeable, well read, well informed, intellectual; intelligent, clever, academic, literary; bookish, highbrow, cerebral; informal brainy; dated lettered. ANTONYMS :ignorant.

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erupt

verb
the volcano erupted
emit lava, become active, flare up; explode.
lava was erupted
emit, discharge, eject, expel, spew out, pour out, disgorge.
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fighting erupted
break out, flare up, start suddenly; ensue, arise, happen.
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a boil erupted on her temple
appear, break out, flare up, come to a head, emerge.
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eruption

noun
a volcanic eruption
discharge, ejection, emission; explosion.
an eruption of violence
outbreak, flare-up, upsurge, outburst, breakout, explosion; wave, spate.
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a skin eruption
rash, outbreak, inflammation.
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escalate

verb
prices have escalated
increase rapidly, soar, rocket, shoot up, mount, spiral, climb, go up; informal go through the roof, skyrocket.
the dispute escalated
grow, develop, mushroom, increase, heighten, intensify, accelerate.
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ANTONYMS :plunge, shrink.

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escalation

noun
an escalation in oil prices
increase, rise, hike, growth, leap, upsurge, upturn, climb.
an escalation of the conflict
intensification, aggravation, exacerbation, magnification, amplification, augmentation; expansion, build-up; deterioration.
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escapade

noun
exploit, stunt, caper, antic(s), spree; adventure, venture, mission; deed, feat, trial, experience; incident, occurrence, event.

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escape

verb
he escaped from prison
run away/off, get out, break out, break free, make a break for it, bolt, flee, take flight, make off, take off, abscond, take to one's heels, make one's getaway, make a run for it; disappear, vanish, slip away, sneak away; informal cut and run, skedaddle, scarper, vamoose, do a vanishing act, fly the coop, take French leave, leg it; Brit. informal do a bunk, do a runner; N. Amer. informal go on the lam.
he escaped his pursuers
get away from, escape from, elude, avoid, dodge, shake off; informal give someone the slip.
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they escaped injury
avoid, evade, dodge, elude, miss, cheat, sidestep, circumvent, steer clear of; shirk; informal duck.
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lethal gas escaped
leak (out), seep (out), discharge, emanate, issue, flow (out), pour (out), gush (out), spurt (out), spew (out).
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noun
his escape from prison
getaway, breakout, bolt, flight; disappearance, vanishing act; Brit. informal flit; informal, dated spring.
a narrow escape from death
avoidance of, evasion of, circumvention of.
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a gas escape
leak, leakage, spill, seepage, discharge, emanation, outflow, outpouring; gush, stream, spurt.
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an escape from boredom
distraction, diversion.
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escapee

noun
runaway, escaper, absconder; jailbreaker, fugitive; truant; deserter, defector.

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escapism

noun
fantasy, fantasizing, daydreaming, daydreams, reverie; imagination, flight(s) of fancy, pipe dreams, wishful thinking, wool-gathering; informal pie in the sky. ANTONYMS :realism.

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eschew

verb
abstain from, refrain from, give up, forgo, shun, renounce, steer clear of, have nothing to do with, fight shy of; relinquish, reject, disavow, abandon, spurn, wash one's hands of, drop; informal kick, pack in; Brit. informal jack in; formal forswear, abjure.

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escort

noun
a police escort
guard, bodyguard, protector, minder, custodian; attendant, chaperone; entourage, retinue, cortège; protection, defence, convoy.
her escort for the evening
companion, partner; informal date.
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an agency dealing with escorts
paid companion, hostess, geisha; gigolo.
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verb
he was escorted home by the police
conduct, accompany, guide, usher, shepherd, take.
he escorted her in to dinner
accompany, partner, take, bring.
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esoteric

adjective
abstruse, obscure, arcane, recherché, rarefied, recondite, abstract; enigmatic, inscrutable, cryptic, Delphic; complex, complicated, incomprehensible, opaque, impenetrable, mysterious.

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especial

adjective
especial care is required
particular, (extra) special, superior, exceptional, extraordinary; unusual, out of the ordinary, uncommon, remarkable, singular.
her especial brand of charm
distinctive, individual, special, particular, distinct, peculiar, personal, own, unique, specific.
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especially

adverb
work poured in, especially from Kent
mainly, mostly, chiefly, principally, largely; substantially, particularly, primarily, generally, usually, typically.
a committee especially for the purpose
expressly, specially, specifically, exclusively, just, particularly, explicitly.
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he is especially talented
exceptionally, particularly, specially, very, extremely, singularly, distinctly, unusually, extraordinarily, uncommonly, uniquely, remarkably, outstandingly, really; informal seriously, majorly; Brit. informal jolly, dead, well.
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espionage

noun
spying, infiltration; eavesdropping, surveillance, reconnaissance, intelligence.

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espousal

noun
adoption, embracing, acceptance; support, championship, encouragement, defence; sponsorship, promotion, endorsement, advocacy, approval.

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espouse

verb
adopt, embrace, take up, accept, welcome; support, back, champion, favour, prefer, encourage; promote, endorse, advocate. ANTONYMS :reject.

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espy

verb
(poetic/literary) catch sight of, glimpse, see, spot, spy, notice, observe, discern, pick out, detect; poetic/literary behold, descry.

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essay

noun
he wrote an essay
article, composition, study, paper, dissertation, thesis, discourse, treatise, disquisition, monograph; commentary, critique; N. Amer. theme.
(formal) his first essay in telecommunications
attempt, effort, endeavour, try, venture, trial, experiment, undertaking.
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verb
(formal) many essayed to travel that way
attempt, try, strive, venture, endeavour, seek, undertake.

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essence

noun
the very essence of economics
quintessence, soul, spirit, nature; core, heart, crux, nucleus, substance; principle, fundamental quality, sum and substance, reality, actuality; informal nitty-gritty.
essence of ginger
extract, concentrate, distillate, elixir, decoction, juice, tincture; scent, perfume, oil.
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in essence
essentially, basically, fundamentally, primarily, principally, chiefly, predominantly, substantially; above all, first and foremost; effectively, virtually, to all intents and purposes; intrinsically, inherently. of the essence. See essential adjective sense 1.

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essential

adjective
it is essential to remove the paint
crucial, necessary, key, vital, indispensable, important, all-important, of the essence, critical, imperative, mandatory, compulsory, obligatory; urgent, pressing, paramount, pre-eminent, high-priority.
the essential simplicity of his style
basic, inherent, fundamental, quintessential, intrinsic, underlying, characteristic, innate, primary, elementary, elemental; central, pivotal, vital.
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the essential English gentleman
ideal, absolute, complete, perfect, quintessential.
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ANTONYMS :unimportant, optional, secondary.

noun
an essential for broadcasters
necessity, prerequisite, requisite, requirement, need; condition, precondition, stipulation; sine qua non; informal must.
the essentials of the job
fundamentals, basics, rudiments, first principles, foundations, bedrock; essence, basis, core, kernel, crux, sine qua non; informal nitty-gritty, brass tacks, nuts and bolts.
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establish

verb
they established an office in Moscow
set up, start, initiate, institute, form, found, create, inaugurate; build, construct, install.
evidence to establish his guilt
prove, demonstrate, show, indicate, signal, exhibit, manifest, attest to, evidence, determine, confirm, verify, certify, substantiate.
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established

adjective
established practice
accepted, traditional, orthodox, habitual, set, fixed, official; usual, customary, common, normal, general, prevailing, accustomed, familiar, expected, routine, typical, conventional, standard.
an established composer
well known, recognized, esteemed, respected, famous, prominent, noted, renowned.
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establishment

noun
the establishment of a democracy
foundation, institution, formation, inception, creation, installation; inauguration, start, initiation.
a dressmaking establishment
business, firm, company, concern, enterprise, venture, organization, operation; factory, plant, shop, office, practice; informal outfit, set-up.
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educational establishments
institution, place, premises, foundation, institute.
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they dare to poke fun at the Establishment
the authorities, the powers that be, the system, the ruling class; informal Big Brother.
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estate

noun
the Balmoral estate
property, grounds, garden(s), park, parkland, land(s), landholding, manor, territory.
a housing estate
area, site, development, complex.
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a coffee estate
plantation, farm, holding; forest, vineyard; N. Amer. ranch.
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he left an estate worth £610,000
assets, capital, wealth, riches, holdings, fortune; property, effects, possessions, belongings; Law goods and chattels.
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(dated) the estate of matrimony
state, condition, situation, position, circumstance.
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estate agent

noun
property agent; Brit. house agent; N. Amer. realtor.

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esteem

noun
she was held in high esteem
respect, admiration, acclaim, approbation, appreciation, favour, recognition, honour, reverence; estimation, regard, opinion.
verb
such ceramics are highly esteemed
respect, admire, value, regard, acclaim, appreciate, like, prize, treasure, favour, revere.
(formal) I would esteem it a favour if you could speak to him.
See deem.
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estimate

verb
estimate the cost
calculate roughly, approximate, guess; evaluate, judge, gauge, reckon, rate, determine; informal guesstimate.
we estimate it to be worth £50,000
consider, believe, reckon, deem, judge, rate, gauge; formal opine.
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noun
an estimate of the cost
rough calculation, approximation, estimation, rough guess; costing, quotation, valuation, evaluation; informal guesstimate.
his estimate of Paul's integrity
evaluation, estimation, judgement, rating, appraisal, opinion, view.
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estimation

noun
an estimation of economic growth
estimate, approximation, rough calculation, rough guess, evaluation; informal guesstimate.
he rated highly in Carl's estimation
assessment, evaluation, judgement; esteem, opinion, view.
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estrange

verb
alienate, antagonize, turn away, drive away, distance; sever, set at odds with, drive a wedge between.

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estrangement

noun
alienation, antagonism, antipathy, disaffection, hostility, unfriendliness; variance, difference; parting, separation, divorce, break-up, split, breach, schism.

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estuary

noun
(river) mouth, firth; delta.

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et cetera

adverb
and so on, and so forth, and the rest, and/or the like, and suchlike, among others, et al., etc.; informal and what have you, and whatnot.

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etch

verb
the metal is etched with acid
corrode, burn into; mark.
a stone etched with tiny designs
engrave, carve, inscribe, incise, chase, score, print, mark.
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etching

noun
engraving, print, impression, block, plate; woodcut, linocut.

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eternal

adjective
eternal happiness
everlasting, never-ending, endless, perpetual, undying, immortal, abiding, permanent, enduring, infinite, boundless, timeless.
eternal vigilance
constant, continual, continuous, perpetual, persistent, sustained, unremitting, relentless, unrelieved, uninterrupted, unbroken, never-ending, non-stop, round-the-clock, endless, ceaseless.
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ANTONYMS :transient, intermittent.

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eternally

adverb
I shall be eternally grateful
forever, permanently, perpetually, (for) evermore, for ever and ever, for eternity, in perpetuity, enduringly; N. Amer. forevermore; informal until doomsday, until the cows come home; archaic for aye.
the tenants complain eternally
constantly, continually, continuously, always, all the time, persistently, repeatedly, regularly; day and night, non-stop; endlessly, incessantly, perpetually; interminably, relentlessly; informal 24-7.
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eternity

noun
the memory will remain for eternity
ever, all time, perpetuity.
(Theology) souls destined for eternity
the afterlife, everlasting life, life after death, the hereafter, the afterworld, the next world; heaven, paradise, immortality.
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(informal) I waited an eternity for you
a long time, an age, ages, a lifetime; hours, years, aeons; forever; informal donkey's years, a month of Sundays; Brit. informal yonks.
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ethereal

adjective
her ethereal beauty
delicate, exquisite, dainty, elegant, graceful; fragile, airy, fine, subtle.
theologians discuss ethereal ideas
celestial, heavenly, spiritual, other-worldly, paradisal, Elysian.
Top
ANTONYMS :substantial, earthly.

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ethical

adjective
an ethical dilemma
moral, social, behavioural.
an ethical investment policy
morally correct, right-minded, principled, irreproachable; righteous, high-minded, virtuous, good, moral; clean, lawful, just, honourable, reputable, respectable, noble, worthy; praiseworthy, commendable, admirable, laudable; whiter than white, saintly, impeccable; informal squeaky clean.
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ethics

plural noun
moral code, morals, morality, values, rights and wrongs, principles, ideals, standards (of behaviour), virtues.

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ethnic

adjective
racial, race-related, ethnological; cultural, national, tribal, ancestral, traditional.

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ethos

noun
spirit, character, atmosphere, climate, mood, feeling, tenor, essence; disposition, rationale, morality, moral code, principles, standards, ethics.

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etiquette

noun
protocol, manners, accepted behaviour, rules of conduct, decorum, good form; courtesy, propriety, formalities, niceties, punctilios; custom, convention; informal the done thing; formal politesse.

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etymology

noun
derivation, word history, development, origin, source.

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eulogize

verb
extol, acclaim, sing the praises of, praise to the skies, wax lyrical about, rhapsodize about, rave about, enthuse about; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo. ANTONYMS :criticize.

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eulogy

noun
accolade, panegyric, paean, tribute, compliment, commendation; praise, acclaim; plaudits, bouquets; formal encomium. ANTONYMS :attack.

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euphemism

noun
polite term, indirect term, substitute, alternative, understatement, genteelism.

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euphemistic

adjective
polite, substitute, mild, understated, indirect, neutral, evasive; diplomatic, inoffensive, genteel.

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euphonious

adjective
pleasant-sounding, sweet-sounding, mellow, mellifluous, dulcet, sweet, honeyed, lyrical, silvery, golden, lilting, soothing; harmonious, melodious; informal easy on the ear. ANTONYMS :cacophonous.

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euphoria

noun
elation, happiness, joy, delight, glee; excitement, exhilaration, jubilation, exultation; ecstasy, bliss, rapture. ANTONYMS :misery.

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euphoric

adjective
elated, happy, joyful, delighted, gleeful; excited, exhilarated, jubilant, exultant; ecstatic, blissful, rapturous, transported, on cloud nine, in seventh heaven; informal on the top of the world, over the moon, on a high.

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euthanasia

noun
mercy killing, assisted suicide.

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evacuate

verb
local residents were evacuated
remove, clear, move out, take away.
they evacuated the bombed town
leave, vacate, abandon, desert, move out of, quit, withdraw from, retreat from, decamp from, flee, depart from, escape from.
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police evacuated the area
clear, empty, depopulate.
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patients couldn't evacuate their bowels
empty (out), void, open, move, purge; defecate.
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he evacuated the contents of his stomach
expel, eject, discharge, excrete, void, empty (out).
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evacuation

noun
the evacuation of civilians
removal, clearance, shifting; eviction, deportation.
the evacuation of military bases
clearance, depopulation; abandonment, vacation, desertion.
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involuntary evacuation of the bowels
emptying (out), voidance, opening, purging; defecation.
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dysenteric evacuations
bowel movement/motion, stools, excrement, excreta, faeces, waste.
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evade

verb
they evaded the guards
elude, avoid, dodge, escape (from), steer clear of, keep at arm's length, sidestep; lose, leave behind, shake off; N. Amer. end-run; informal give someone the slip.
he evaded the question
avoid, dodge, sidestep, bypass, hedge, fence, skirt round, fudge, be evasive about; informal duck, cop out of.
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ANTONYMS :confront.

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evaluate

verb
assess, judge, gauge, rate, estimate, appraise, analyse, weigh up, get the measure of; informal size up, check out.

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evaluation

noun
assessment, appraisal, judgement, gauging, rating, estimation, consideration, analysis.

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evanescent

adjective
(poetic/literary) vanishing, fading, evaporating, melting away, disappearing; ephemeral, fleeting, short-lived, short-term, transitory, transient, fugitive, temporary. ANTONYMS :permanent.

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evangelical

adjective
evangelical Christianity
scriptural, biblical; fundamentalist, orthodox.
an evangelical preacher
evangelistic, evangelizing, missionary, crusading, propagandist, propagandizing, proselytizing.
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evangelist

noun
preacher, missionary, gospeller, proselytizer, crusader, propagandist.

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evangelistic

adjective
. See evangelical sense 2.

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evangelize

verb
convert, proselytize, redeem, save, preach to, recruit; act as a missionary, crusade, campaign.

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evaporate

verb
the water evaporated
vaporize, become vapour, volatilize; dry up.
the rock salt is washed and evaporated
dry out, dehydrate, desiccate, dehumidify.
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the feeling has evaporated
end, pass (away), fizzle out, peter out, wear off, vanish, fade, disappear, melt away.
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ANTONYMS :condense, wet, materialize.

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evasion

noun
the evasion of immigration control
avoidance, elusion, circumvention, dodging, sidestepping.
she grew tired of all the evasion
prevarication, evasiveness, beating about the bush, hedging, pussyfooting, equivocation, vagueness, temporization; Brit. humming and hawing; rare tergiversation.
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evasive

adjective
equivocal, prevaricating, elusive, ambiguous, non-committal, vague, inexplicit, unclear; roundabout, indirect; informal cagey.

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eve

noun
the eve of the election
day before, evening before, night before; the run-up to.
(poetic/literary) a winter's eve
evening, night; poetic/literary eventide.
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ANTONYMS :morning.

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even

adjective
an even surface
flat, smooth, uniform, featureless; unbroken, undamaged; level, plane.
an even temperature
uniform, constant, steady, stable, consistent, unvarying, unchanging, regular.
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they all have an even chance
equal, the same, identical, like, alike, similar, comparable, parallel.
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the score was even
level, drawn, tied, all square, balanced; neck and neck; Brit. level pegging; informal even-steven(s).
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an even disposition
even-tempered, balanced, stable, equable, placid, calm, composed, poised, cool, relaxed, easy, imperturbable, unexcitable, unruffled, untroubled; informal together, laid-back, unflappable.
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ANTONYMS :bumpy, irregular, unequal, moody.

verb
the canal bottom was evened out
flatten, level (off/out), smooth (off/out), plane; make uniform, make regular.
the union wants to even up our wages
equalize, make equal, level up, balance, square; standardize, regularize.
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adverb
it got even colder
still, yet, more, all the more.
even the best hitters missed the ball
surprisingly, unexpectedly, paradoxically.
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she is afraid, even ashamed, to ask for help
indeed, you could say, veritably, in truth, actually, or rather, nay.
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she couldn't even afford food
so much as.
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even as
while, whilst, as, just as, at the very time that, during the time that. even so
nevertheless, nonetheless, all the same, just the same, anyway, anyhow, still, yet, however, notwithstanding, despite that, in spite of that, for all that, be that as it may, in any event, at any rate. get even
have one's revenge, avenge oneself, take vengeance, even the score, settle the score, hit back, give as good as one gets, pay someone back, repay someone, reciprocate, retaliate, take reprisals, exact retribution; give someone their just deserts; informal get one's own back, give someone a taste of their own medicine, settle someone's hash; poetic/literary be revenged.

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even-handed

adjective
fair, just, equitable, impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced, non-partisan, non-discriminatory; disinterested, detached, objective, neutral. ANTONYMS :biased.

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evening

noun
night, late afternoon, end of day, close of day; twilight, dusk, nightfall, sunset, sundown; poetic/literary eve, eventide.

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event

noun
an annual event
occurrence, happening, proceeding, incident, affair, circumstance, occasion, phenomenon; function, gathering; informal bash, do.
the team lost the event
competition, contest, tournament, round, heat, match, fixture; race, game, bout.
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in any event/at all events
regardless, whatever happens, come what may, no matter what, at any rate, in any case, anyhow, anyway, even so, still, nevertheless, nonetheless; N. Amer. informal anyways. in the event
as it turned out, as it happened, in the end; as a result, as a consequence.

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even-tempered

adjective
serene, calm, composed, tranquil, relaxed, easy-going, mellow, unworried, untroubled, unruffled, imperturbable, placid, equable, stable, level-headed; informal unflappable, together, laid-back. ANTONYMS :excitable.

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eventful

adjective
busy, action-packed, full, lively, active, hectic, strenuous; momentous, significant, important, historic, consequential, fateful. ANTONYMS :dull.

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eventual

adjective
final, ultimate, concluding, closing, end; resulting, ensuing, consequent, subsequent.

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eventuality

noun
event, incident, occurrence, happening, development, phenomenon, situation, circumstance, case, contingency, chance, likelihood, possibility, probability; outcome, result.

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eventually

adverb
in the end, in due course, by and by, in time, after some time, after a bit, finally, at last; ultimately, in the long run, at the end of the day, one day, some day, sometime, sooner or later.

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eventuate

verb
(formal) you never know what might eventuate.
See happen sense 1.
the fight eventuated in his death
result in, end in, lead to, give rise to, bring about, cause.
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ever

adverb
the best I've ever done
at any time, at any point, on any occasion, under any circumstances, on any account; up till now, until now.
he was ever the optimist
always, forever, eternally, until hell freezes over; informal until the twelfth of never, until the cows come home, until doomsday.
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an ever increasing rate of crime
continually, constantly, always, endlessly, perpetually, incessantly, unremittingly.
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will she ever learn?
at all, in any way.
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ever so (Brit. informal)
very, extremely, exceedingly, especially, immensely, particularly, really, truly; N. English right; informal awfully, terribly, desperately, mega, ultra; Brit. informal well, dead, jolly; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful.

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everlasting

adjective
everlasting love
eternal, endless, never-ending, perpetual, undying, abiding, enduring, infinite, boundless, timeless.
his everlasting complaints
constant, continual, continuous, persistent, relentless, unrelieved, uninterrupted, unabating, endless, interminable, never-ending, non-stop, incessant.
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ANTONYMS :transient, occasional.

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evermore

adverb
always, forever, ever, for always, for all time, until hell freezes over, eternally, in perpetuity; ever after, henceforth; Brit. for evermore, forever more; N. Amer. forevermore; informal until the cows come home, until the twelfth of never.

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every

determiner
he exercised every day
each, each and every, every single.
we make every effort to satisfy our clients
all possible, the utmost.
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everybody

pronoun
everyone, every person, each person, all, one and all, all and sundry, the whole world, the public; informal (every Tom, Dick, and Harry), every man jack, every mother's son.

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everyday

adjective
the everyday demands of a baby
daily, day-to-day, quotidian.
everyday drugs like aspirin
commonplace, ordinary, common, usual, regular, familiar, conventional, run-of-the-mill, standard, stock; household, domestic; Brit. common or garden; informal bog-standard.
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ANTONYMS :unusual.

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everyone

pronoun
everybody, every person, each person, all, one and all, all and sundry, the whole world, the public; informal (every Tom, Dick, and Harry), every man jack, every mother's son.

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everything

pronoun
each item, each thing, every single thing, the (whole) lot; all; informal the whole caboodle, the whole shebang; N. Amer. informal the whole ball of wax. ANTONYMS :nothing.

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everywhere

adverb
all over, all around, in every nook and cranny, far and wide, near and far, high and low, (here, there, and everywhere); throughout the land, the world over, worldwide; informal all over the place; Brit. informal all over the shop; N. Amer. informal all over the map. ANTONYMS :nowhere.

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evict

verb
expel, eject, oust, remove, dislodge, turn out, throw out, drive out; dispossess, expropriate; informal chuck out, kick out, boot out, bounce, give someone the (old) heave-ho, throw someone out on their ear; Brit. informal turf out; N. Amer. informal give someone the bum's rush; dated out.

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eviction

noun
expulsion, ejection, ousting, removal, dislodgement, displacement, banishment; dispossession, expropriation; Law ouster.

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evidence

noun
they found evidence of his plotting
proof, confirmation, verification, substantiation, corroboration, affirmation, attestation.
the court accepted her evidence
testimony, statement, attestation, declaration, avowal, submission, claim, contention, allegation; Law deposition, representation, affidavit.
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evidence of a struggle
signs, indications, pointers, marks, traces, suggestions, hints; manifestation.
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verb
the rise of racism is evidenced here
indicate, show, reveal, display, exhibit, manifest; testify to, confirm, prove, substantiate, endorse, bear out; formal evince. ANTONYMS :disprove.

in evidence
noticeable, conspicuous, obvious, perceptible, visible, on view, plain to see; palpable, tangible, unmistakable, undisguised, prominent, striking, glaring; informal as plain as the nose on your face, sticking out like a sore thumb, sticking out a mile, staring someone in the face.

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evident

adjective
obvious, apparent, noticeable, conspicuous, perceptible, visible, discernible, clear, plain, manifest, patent; palpable, tangible, distinct, pronounced, marked, striking, glaring, blatant; unmistakable, indisputable; informal as plain as the nose on your face, sticking out like a sore thumb, sticking out a mile, as clear as day.

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evidently

adverb
he was evidently dismayed
obviously, clearly, plainly, visibly, manifestly, patently, distinctly, markedly; unmistakably, undeniably, undoubtedly, as sure as eggs is eggs.
evidently, she believed herself superior
seemingly, apparently, as far as one can tell, from all appearances, on the face of it; it seems (that), it appears (that).
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evil

adjective
an evil deed
wicked, bad, wrong, immoral, sinful, foul, vile, dishonourable, corrupt, iniquitous, depraved, villainous, nefarious, vicious, malicious; malevolent, sinister, demonic, devilish, diabolical, fiendish, dark; monstrous, shocking, despicable, atrocious, heinous, odious, contemptible, horrible, execrable; informal low-down, dirty.
an evil spirit
harmful, hurtful, injurious, detrimental, deleterious, inimical, bad, mischievous, pernicious, malignant, malign, baleful; destructive, ruinous.
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evil weather
unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty, horrible, foul, filthy, vile, inclement.
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ANTONYMS :good, beneficial, pleasant.

noun
the evil in our midst
wickedness, bad, badness, wrongdoing, sin, immorality, vice, iniquity, degeneracy, corruption, depravity, villainy, nefariousness, malevolence; formal turpitude.
nothing but evil would ensue
harm, pain, misery, sorrow, suffering, tr ouble, disaster, misfortune, catastrophe, affliction, woe, hardship.
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the evils of war
abomination, atrocity, obscenity, outrage, enormity, crime, monstrosity, barbarity.
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evince

verb
(formal) reveal, show, make plain, manifest, indicate, display, exhibit, demonstrate, evidence, attest to; convey, communicate, proclaim, bespeak. ANTONYMS :conceal.

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eviscerate

verb
(formal) disembowel, gut, draw, dress.

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evocative

adjective
reminiscent, suggestive, redolent; expressive, vivid, graphic, powerful, haunting, moving, poignant.

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evoke

verb
bring to mind, put one in mind of, conjure up, summon (up), invoke, elicit, induce, kindle, stimulate, stir up, awaken, arouse; recall, echo, capture.

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evolution

noun
the evolution of Bolshevism
development, advancement, growth, rise, progress, expansion, evolvement; transformation, adaptation, modification, revision.
his interest in evolution
Darwinism, natural selection.
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evolve

verb
develop, progress, advance; mature, grow, expand, spread; alter, change, transform, adapt, metamorphose; humorous transmogrify.

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exacerbate

verb
aggravate, worsen, inflame, compound; intensify, increase, heighten, magnify, add to, amplify, augment; informal add fuel to the fire/flames. ANTONYMS :reduce.

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exact

adjective
an exact description
precise, accurate, correct, faithful, close, true; literal, strict, faultless, perfect, impeccable; explicit, detailed, minute, meticulous, thorough; informal on the nail, on the mark; Brit. informal spot on, bang on; N. Amer. informal on the money, on the button.
an exact manager
careful, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, conscientious, scrupulous, exacting; methodical, organized, orderly.
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ANTONYMS :inaccurate, careless.

verb
she exacted high standards from them
demand, require, insist on, request, impose, expect; extract, compel, force, squeeze.
they exacted a terrible vengeance on him
inflict, impose, administer, apply.
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exacting

adjective
an exacting training routine
demanding, stringent, testing, challenging, onerous, arduous, laborious, taxing, gruelling, punishing, hard, tough.
an exacting boss
strict, stern, firm, demanding, tough, harsh; inflexible, uncompromising, unyielding, unsparing.
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ANTONYMS :easy, easy-going.

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exactly

adverb
it's exactly as I expected it to be
precisely, entirely, absolutely, completely, totally, just, quite, in every way, in every respect, one hundred per cent, every inch, to the hilt; informal to a T; N. Amer. informal on the money.
write the quotation out exactly
accurately, precisely, correctly, unerringly, faultlessly, perfectly; verbatim, word for word, letter for letter, to the letter, faithfully.
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exclamation
"She escaped?" "Exactly."
precisely, yes, that's right, just so, quite (so), indeed, absolutely; informal you got it.
not exactly
by no means, not at all, in no way, certainly not; not really.

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exaggerate

verb
overstate, overemphasize, overestimate, magnify, amplify, aggrandize, inflate; embellish, embroider, elaborate, overplay, dramatize; hyperbolize, stretch the truth; Brit. overpitch; informal lay it on thick, make a mountain out of a molehill, blow out of all proportion, make a big thing of. ANTONYMS :understate.

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exaggerated

adjective
overstated, inflated, magnified, amplified, aggrandized, excessive; hyperbolic, elaborate, overdone, overplayed, over-dramatized, highly coloured, melodramatic, sensational; informal over the top, OTT.

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exaggeration

noun
overstatement, overemphasis, magnification, amplification, aggrandizement; dramatization, elaboration, embellishment, embroidery, hyperbole, overkill, gilding the lily.

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exalt

verb
they exalted their hero
extol, praise, acclaim, esteem; pay homage to, revere, venerate, worship, lionize, idolize, look up to; informal put on a pedestal; formal laud.
this power exalts the peasant
elevate, promote, raise, advance, upgrade, ennoble, dignify, aggrandize.
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his works exalt the emotions
uplift, elevate, inspire, excite, stimulate, enliven, exhilarate.
Top
ANTONYMS :disparage, lower, depress.

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exaltation

noun
a heart full of exaltation
elation, joy, rapture, ecstasy, bliss, happiness, delight, gladness.
their exaltation of Shakespeare
praise, extolment, acclamation, reverence, veneration, worship, adoration, idolization, lionization; formal laudation.
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the exaltation of Jesus to God's right hand
elevation, rise, promotion, advancement, ennoblement.
Top

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exalted

adjective
his exalted office
high, high-ranking, elevated, superior, lofty, eminent, prestigious, illustrious, distinguished, esteemed.
his exalted aims
noble, lofty, high-minded, elevated; inflated, pretentious.
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she felt spiritually exalted
elated, exultant, jubilant, joyful, rapturous, ecstatic, blissful, transported, happy, exuberant, exhilarated; informal high.
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exam

noun
test, examination, assessment; paper, oral, practical; Brit. viva (voce); N. Amer. quiz.

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examination

noun
artefacts spread out for examination
scrutiny, inspection, perusal, study, investigation, consideration, analysis, appraisal, evaluation.
a medical examination
inspection, check-up, assessment, appraisal; probe, test, scan; informal once-over, overhaul.
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a school examination
test, exam, assessment; paper, oral, practical; Brit. viva (voce); N. Amer. quiz.
Top
(Law) the examination of witnesses
interrogation, questioning, cross-examination, inquisition.
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examine

verb
they examined the bank records
inspect, scrutinize, investigate, look at, study, scan, sift, probe, appraise, analyse, review, survey; informal check out.
students were examined after a year
test, quiz, question; assess, appraise.
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(Law) name the witnesses to be examined
interrogate, question, quiz, cross-examine; catechize, give the third degree to, probe, sound out; informal grill, pump.
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examiner

noun
tester, questioner, interviewer, assessor, appraiser, marker, inspector; auditor, analyst; adjudicator, judge, scrutineer.

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example

noun
a fine example of Chinese porcelain
specimen, sample, exemplar, exemplification, instance, case, illustration.
we must follow their example
precedent, lead, model, pattern, exemplar, ideal, standard; role model.
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he was hanged as an example to others
warning, caution, lesson, deterrent, admonition; moral.
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for example
for instance, e.g., by way of illustration, such as, as, like; in particular, namely, viz.

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exasperate

verb
infuriate, incense, anger, annoy, irritate, madden, enrage, antagonize, provoke, irk, vex, get on someone's nerves, ruffle someone's feathers; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal aggravate, rile, bug, needle, hack off, get up someone's nose, get someone's back up, get someone's goat, give someone the hump; Brit. informal nark, wind up, get on someone's wick; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off. ANTONYMS :please.

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exasperating

adjective
infuriating, annoying, irritating, maddening, provoking, irksome, vexatious, trying, displeasing; informal aggravating.

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exasperation

noun
irritation, annoyance, vexation, anger, fury, rage, ill humour, crossness, tetchiness, testiness; disgruntlement, discontent, displeasure; informal aggravation.

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excavate

verb
she excavated a narrow tunnel
dig (out), bore, hollow out, scoop out; burrow, tunnel, sink, gouge.
numerous artefacts have been excavated
unearth, dig up, uncover, reveal; disinter, exhume.
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excavation

noun
the excavation of a grave
unearthing, digging up; disinterment, exhumation.
the excavation of a moat
digging, hollowing out, boring, channelling.
Top
implements found in the excavations
hole, pit, trench, trough; archaeological site.
Top

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exceed

verb
the cost will exceed £400
be more than, be greater than, be over, go beyond, overreach, top.
Brazil exceeds America in fertile land
surpass, outdo, outstrip, outshine, outclass, transcend, top, beat, better, eclipse, overshadow; informal best, leave standing, be head and shoulders above.
Top

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exceeding (archaic)

adjective
his exceeding kindness
great, considerable, exceptional, tremendous, immense, extreme, supreme, outstanding.
adverb
the Lord has been exceeding gracious.
See exceedingly.

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exceedingly

adverb
extremely, exceptionally, especially, tremendously, very, really, truly, most; informal terribly, awfully, seriously, mega, ultra; Brit. informal ever so, well, dead, jolly; N. Amer. informal real, mighty; archaic exceeding.

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excel

verb
he excelled at football
shine, be excellent, be outstanding, be skilful, be talented, be pre-eminent, reign supreme; stand out, be the best, be unparalleled, be unequalled, be second to none, be unsurpassed.
she excelled him in her work
surpass, outdo, outshine, outclass, outstrip, beat, top, transcend, better, pass, eclipse, overshadow; informal best, be head and shoulders above, be a cut above.
Top

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excellence

noun
distinction, quality, superiority, brilliance, greatness, merit, calibre, eminence, pre-eminence, supremacy, peerlessness; skill, talent, virtuosity, accomplishment, mastery.

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excellent

adjective
very good, superb, outstanding, exceptional, marvellous, wonderful; pre-eminent, perfect, matchless, peerless, supreme, first-rate, first-class, superlative, splendid, fine; informal A1, ace, great, terrific, tremendous, fantastic, fabulous, fab, top-notch, class, awesome, magic, wicked, cool, out of this world; Brit. informal brilliant, brill, smashing; Austral. informal bonzer; informal, dated spiffing, capital. ANTONYMS :inferior.

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except

preposition
every day except Monday
excluding, not including, excepting, omitting, not counting, but, besides, apart from, aside from, barring, bar, other than, saving; with the exception of; informal outside of; formal save. ANTONYMS :including.

verb
you're all crooks, present company excepted
exclude, omit, leave out, count out, disregard. ANTONYMS :include.

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exception

noun
this case is an exception
anomaly, irregularity, deviation, special case, peculiarity, abnormality, oddity; misfit; informal freak.
take exception
object, take offence, take umbrage, demur, disagree; resent, argue against, protest against, oppose, complain about; informal kick up a fuss, kick up a stink. with the exception of. See except preposition.

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exceptionable

adjective
(formal). See objectionable.

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exceptional

adjective
the drought was exceptional
unusual, uncommon, abnormal, atypical, extraordinary, out of the ordinary, rare, unprecedented, unexpected, surprising; strange, odd, freakish, anomalous, peculiar; Brit. out of the common; informal weird, freaky, something else.
her exceptional ability
outstanding, extraordinary, remarkable, special, excellent, phenomenal, prodigious; unequalled, unparalleled, unsurpassed, peerless, matchless, first-rate, first-class; informal A1, top-notch.
Top
ANTONYMS :normal, average.

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exceptionally

adverb
it was exceptionally cold
unusually, uncommonly, abnormally, atypically, extraordinarily, unexpectedly, surprisingly; strangely, oddly; informal weirdly, freakily.
an exceptionally acute mind
exceedingly, outstandingly, extraordinarily, remarkably, especially, phenomenally, prodigiously.
Top

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excerpt

noun
extract, part, section, piece, portion, snippet, clip, bit; reading, citation, quotation, quote, line, passage; N. Amer. cite.

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excess

noun
an excess of calcium
surplus, surfeit, overabundance, superabundance, superfluity, glut; too much.
the excess is turned into fat
remainder, rest, residue; leftovers, remnants; surplus, extra, difference.
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a life of excess
overindulgence, intemperance, immoderation, profligacy, lavishness, extravagance, decadence, self-indulgence.
Top
ANTONYMS :lack, restraint.

adjective
excess skin oils
surplus, superfluous, redundant, unwanted, unneeded, excessive; extra.
in excess of
more than, over, above, upwards of, beyond.

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excessive

adjective
excessive alcohol consumption
immoderate, intemperate, imprudent, overindulgent, unrestrained, uncontrolled, lavish, extravagant; superfluous.
the cost is excessive
exorbitant, extortionate, unreasonable, outrageous, undue, uncalled for, extreme, inordinate, unwarranted, disproportionate, too much; informal over the top, OTT.
Top

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excessively

adverb
inordinately, unduly, unnecessarily, unreasonably, ridiculously, overly; very, extremely, exceedingly, exceptionally, impossibly; immoderately, intemperately, too much.

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exchange

noun
the exchange of ideas
interchange, trade, trading, swapping, traffic, trafficking; archaic truck.
a broker on the exchange
stock exchange, money market, bourse.
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an acrimonious exchange
conversation, dialogue, chat, talk, discussion; debate, argument, altercation; Brit. informal confab, row, barney; formal confabulation, colloquy.
Top

verb
we exchanged shirts
trade, swap, switch, change, interchange; archaic truck.
exchange blows
fight, brawl, scuffle, tussle, engage in fisticuffs; informal scrap, have a set-to; Brit. informal have a punch-up. exchange words
argue, quarrel, squabble, have an argument/disagreement; informal have a slanging match.

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excise 1

noun
the excise on spirits
duty, tax, levy, tariff.

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excise 2

verb
the tumours were excised
cut out/off/away, take out, extract, remove; technical resect.
all unnecessary detail should be excised
delete, cross out/through, strike out, score out, cancel, put a line through; erase; Computing, informal kill; Printing dele.
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excitable

adjective
temperamental, mercurial, volatile, emotional, sensitive, highly strung, unstable, nervous, tense, edgy, jumpy, twitchy, uneasy, neurotic; informal uptight, wired. ANTONYMS :placid.

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excite

verb
the prospect of a holiday excited me
thrill, exhilarate, animate, enliven, rouse, stir, stimulate, galvanize, electrify, inspirit; informal buck up, pep up, ginger up, give someone a buzz/kick; N. Amer. informal give someone a charge.
she wore a chiffon nightgown to excite him
arouse (sexually), stimulate, titillate, inflame; informal turn someone on, get someone going, float someone's boat.
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his clothes excited envy
provoke, stir up, rouse, arouse, kindle, trigger (off), spark off, incite, cause; poetic/literary enkindle.
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ANTONYMS :bore, depress.

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excited

adjective
they were excited about the prospect
thrilled, exhilarated, animated, enlivened, electrified; enraptured, intoxicated, feverish, enthusiastic; informal high (as a kite), fired up.
(sexually) aroused, stimulated, titillated, inflamed; informal turned on, hot, horny, sexed up; Brit. informal randy; N. Amer. informal squirrelly.
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excitement

noun
the excitement of seeing a leopard in the wild
thrill, pleasure, delight, joy; informal kick, buzz; N. Amer. informal charge.
excitement in her eyes
exhilaration, elation, animation, enthusiasm, eagerness, anticipation, feverishness; informal pep, vim, zing.
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(sexual) arousal, passion, stimulation, titillation.
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exciting

adjective
an exciting story
thrilling, exhilarating, stirring, rousing, stimulating, intoxicating, electrifying, invigorating; gripping, compelling, powerful, dramatic.
(sexually) arousing, (sexually) stimulating, titillating, erotic, sexual, sexy; informal raunchy, steamy.
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exclaim

verb
cry (out), declare, blurt out; call (out), shout, yell; dated ejaculate.

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exclamation

noun
cry, call, shout, yell, interjection; dated ejaculation.

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exclude

verb
women were excluded from many scientific societies
keep out, deny access to, shut out, debar, disbar, bar, ban, prohibit.
the clause excluded any judicial review
eliminate, rule out, preclude; formal except.
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the price excludes postage
be exclusive of, not include.
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he excluded his name from the list
leave out, omit, miss out.
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ANTONYMS :admit, include.

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exclusion

noun
the exclusion of women from the society
barring, keeping out, debarment, debarring, disbarring, banning, prohibition.
the exclusion of other factors
elimination, ruling out, precluding.
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the exclusion of pupils
expulsion, ejection, throwing out; suspension.
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ANTONYMS :acceptance, inclusion.

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exclusive

adjective
an exclusive club
select, chic, high-class, elite, fashionable, stylish, elegant, premier, grade A; expensive; Brit. upmarket; N. Amer. high-toned; informal posh, ritzy, classy; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal tony.
a room for your exclusive use
sole, unshared, unique, only, individual, personal, private.
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prices exclusive of VAT
not including, excluding, leaving out, omitting, excepting.
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mutually exclusive alternatives
incompatible, irreconcilable.
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ANTONYMS :inclusive.

noun
a six-page exclusive
scoop, exposé, special, coup.

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excoriate

verb
(Medicine) the skin had been excoriated
abrade, rub away/raw, scrape, scratch, chafe; strip away, skin.
(formal) he was excoriated in the press.
See criticize.
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excrement

noun
faeces, excreta, stools, droppings; waste matter, ordure, dung; informal pooh, doings; Brit. informal cack, whoopsies, jobbies; N. Amer. informal poop. copro-, scato-.

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excrescence

noun
an excrescence on his leg
growth, lump, swelling, nodule, outgrowth.
the new buildings were an excrescence
eyesore, blot on the landscape, monstrosity.
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excrete

verb
expel, pass, void, discharge, eject, evacuate; defecate, urinate. ANTONYMS :ingest.

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excruciating

adjective
agonizing, severe, acute, intense, violent, racking, searing, piercing, stabbing, raging; unbearable, unendurable; informal splitting, killing.

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excursion

noun
trip, outing, jaunt, expedition, journey, tour; day trip/out, drive, run, ride; informal junket, spin.

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excusable

adjective
forgivable, pardonable, defensible, justifiable; venial. ANTONYMS :unforgivable.

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excuse

verb
eventually she excused him
forgive, pardon, absolve, exonerate, acquit; informal let someone off (the hook); formal exculpate.
such conduct can never be excused
justify, defend, condone, vindicate; forgive, overlook, disregard, ignore, tolerate, sanction.
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she has been excused from her duties
let off, release, relieve, exempt, absolve, free.
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ANTONYMS :punish, blame, condemn.

noun
that's no excuse for stealing
justification, defence, reason, explanation, mitigating circumstances, mitigation, vindication.
an excuse to get away
pretext, ostensible reason, pretence; Brit. get-out; informal story, alibi.
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(informal) that pathetic excuse for a man!
travesty of, poor specimen of; informal apology for.
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execrable

adjective
appalling, awful, dreadful, terrible, frightful, atrocious, lamentable, egregious; disgusting, deplorable, disgraceful, reprehensible, abhorrent, loathsome, odious, hateful, vile; informal abysmal, diabolical, lousy, God-awful; Brit. informal chronic, shocking. ANTONYMS :admirable.

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execrate

verb
the men were execrated as corrupt
revile, denounce, decry, condemn, vilify; detest, loathe, abhor, despise; formal abominate, excoriate.
(archaic) he execrated aloud.
See swear sense 3.
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execute

verb
he was convicted and executed
put to death, kill; hang, behead, guillotine, electrocute, shoot, put before a firing squad; informal string up; N. Amer. send to the (electric) chair; N. Amer. informal fry.
the corporation executed a series of financial deals
carry out, accomplish, bring off/about, achieve, complete, engineer; informal pull off; formal effectuate.
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a well-executed act
perform, present, render; stage.
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execution

noun
the execution of the plan
implementation, carrying out, accomplishment, bringing off/about, engineering, attainment, realization.
the execution of the play
performance, presentation, rendition, rendering, staging.
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thousands were sentenced to execution
capital punishment, the death penalty; the gibbet, the gallows, the noose, the rope, the scaffold, the guillotine, the firing squad; N. Amer. the (electric) chair.
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executioner

noun
hangman, official killer; historical headsman.

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executive

adjective
executive powers
administrative, decision-making, managerial; law-making.
noun
top-level bank executives
chief, head, director, senior official, senior manager, CEO, chief executive officer; informal boss, exec, suit.
the executive has increased in number
administration, management, directorate; government, legislative body.
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exegesis

noun
interpretation, explanation, exposition, explication.

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exemplar

noun
epitome, perfect example, model, paragon, ideal, exemplification, textbook example, embodiment, essence, quintessence.

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exemplary

adjective
her exemplary behaviour
perfect, ideal, model, faultless, flawless, impeccable, irreproachable; excellent, outstanding, admirable, commendable, laudable, above/beyond reproach.
exemplary jail sentences
serving as a deterrent, cautionary, warning, admonitory; rare monitory.
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her works are exemplary of certain feminist arguments
typical, characteristic, representative, illustrative.
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ANTONYMS :deplorable.

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exemplify

verb
this story exemplifies current trends
typify, epitomize, be a typical example of, be representative of, symbolize.
he exemplified his point with an anecdote
illustrate, give an example of, demonstrate.
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exempt

adjective
they are exempt from all charges
free, not liable/subject, exempted, excepted, excused, absolved. ANTONYMS :subject to.

verb
he had been exempted from military service
excuse, free, release, exclude, give/grant immunity, spare, absolve; informal let off (the hook); N. Amer. informal grandfather.

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exemption

noun
immunity, exception, dispensation, indemnity, exclusion, freedom, release, relief, absolution; informal let-off.

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exercise

noun
exercise improves your heart
physical activity, a workout, working-out; gymnastics, sports, games, physical education, PE, physical training, PT, aerobics, jogging, running; Brit. informal physical jerks.
translation exercises
task, piece of work, problem, assignment; Music étude.
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the exercise of professional skill
use, utilization, employment; practice, application.
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military exercises
manoeuvres, operations; war games.
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verb
she exercised every day
work out, do exercises, train; informal pump iron.
he must learn to exercise patience
use, employ, make use of, utilize; practise, apply.
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the problem continued to exercise him
worry, trouble, concern, make anxious, bother, disturb, perturb, distress, preoccupy, prey on someone's mind, make uneasy; informal bug, do someone's head in.
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exert

verb
he exerted considerable pressure on me
bring to bear, apply, exercise, employ, use, utilize, deploy.
he had been exerting himself
make an/every effort, try hard, strive, endeavour, do one's best/utmost, give one's all, push oneself, drive oneself, work hard; informal go all out, pull out all the stops, bend/lean over backwards, do one's damnedest, move heaven and earth, work one's socks off; N. Amer. informal do one's darnedest, bust one's chops; Austral. informal go for the doctor.
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exertion

noun
she was panting with the exertion
effort, strain, struggle, toil, endeavour, hard work, labour; Brit. informal graft; Austral./NZ informal yakka; poetic/literary travail.
the exertion of pressure
use, application, exercise, employment, utilization.
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exhale

verb
she exhaled her cigarette smoke
breathe out, blow out, puff out.
the jungle exhaled mists of early morning
give off, emanate, send forth, emit.
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ANTONYMS :inhale.

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exhaust

verb
the effort had exhausted him
tire (out), wear out, overtire, fatigue, weary, drain, run someone into the ground; informal do in, take it out of one, wipe out, knock out, shatter; Brit. informal knacker; N. Amer. informal poop, tucker out.
the country has exhausted its reserves
use up, run through, go through, consume, finish, deplete, spend, empty, drain; informal blow.
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we've exhausted the subject
treat thoroughly, do to death, study in great detail.
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ANTONYMS :invigorate, replenish.

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exhausted

adjective
I'm exhausted
tired out, worn out, weary, dog-tired, bone-tired, ready to drop, drained, fatigued, enervated; informal done in, all in, dead beat, shattered, bushed, knocked out, wiped out, bushwhacked; Brit. informal knackered, whacked (out), jiggered; N. Amer. informal pooped, tuckered out, fried, whipped; Austral./NZ informal stonkered.
exhausted reserves
used up, consumed, finished, spent, depleted; empty, drained.
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exhausting

adjective
tiring, wearying, taxing, fatiguing, wearing, enervating, draining; arduous, strenuous, onerous, demanding, gruelling; informal killing, murderous; Brit. informal knackering.

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exhaustion

noun
sheer exhaustion forced Paul to give up
extreme tiredness, overtiredness, fatigue, weariness.
the exhaustion of fuel reserves
consumption, depletion, using up, expenditure; draining, emptying.
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exhaustive

adjective
comprehensive, all-inclusive, complete, full, encyclopedic, thorough, in-depth; detailed, meticulous, painstaking. ANTONYMS :perfunctory.

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exhibit

verb
the paintings were exhibited at Sotheby's
put on display/show, display, show, put on public view, showcase; set out, lay out, array, arrange.
Luke exhibited signs of jealousy
show, reveal, display, manifest; express, indicate, demonstrate, present; formal evince.
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noun
an exhibit at the British Museum
object on display, item, piece.
(N. Amer.) people flocked to the exhibit.
See exhibition sense 1.
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exhibition

noun
an exhibition of French sculpture
(public) display, show, showing, presentation, demonstration, exposition, showcase; N. Amer. exhibit.
a convincing exhibition of concern
display, show, demonstration, manifestation, expression.
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exhibitionist

noun
posturer, poser, self-publicist; extrovert; informal show-off; N. Amer. informal showboat.

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exhilarate

verb
thrill, excite, intoxicate, elate, delight, enliven, animate, invigorate, energize, stimulate; informal give someone a thrill/buzz; N. Amer. informal give someone a charge.

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exhilaration

noun
elation, euphoria, exultation, exaltation, joy, happiness, delight, joyousness, jubilation, rapture, ecstasy.

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exhort

verb
urge, encourage, call on, enjoin, charge, press; bid, appeal to, entreat, implore; formal adjure; poetic/literary beseech.

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exhortation

noun
no amount of exhortation had any effect
urging, encouragement, persuasion, pressure; admonishment, warning.
the government's exhortations
entreaty, appeal, call, charge, injunction; admonition, warning.
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exhume

verb
disinter, dig up, disentomb. ANTONYMS :bury.

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exigency

noun
the exigencies of the continuing war
need, demand, requirement, necessity.
financial exigency
urgency, crisis, difficulty, pressure.
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exiguous

adjective
(formal) meagre, inadequate, insufficient, small, scanty, paltry, negligible, modest, deficient, miserly, niggardly, beggarly; informal measly, stingy, piddling. ANTONYMS :ample, generous.

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exile

noun
his exile from the land of his birth
banishment, expulsion, expatriation, deportation.
political exiles
émigré, expatriate; displaced person, DP, refugee, deportee; informal expat.
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verb
he was exiled from his country
expel, banish, expatriate, deport, drive out, throw out, outlaw.

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exist

verb
animals existing in the distant past
live, be alive, be living; be, have being, have existence.
the liberal climate that existed during his presidency
prevail, occur, be found, be in existence; be the case.
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she had to exist on a low income
survive, subsist, live, support oneself; manage, make do, get by, scrape by, make ends meet.
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existence

noun
the industry's continued existence
actuality, being, existing, reality; survival, continuation.
her suburban existence
way of life/living, life, lifestyle.
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(archaic) malevolent existences
being, entity, creation.
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in existence
there are several million unidentified species in existence
alive, existing, extant, existent.

the only copy still in existence
surviving, remaining, undestroyed, in circulation.
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existent

adjective
in existence, alive, existing, living, extant; surviving, remaining, undestroyed.

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exit

noun
the fire exit
way out, door, egress, escape route; doorway, gate, gateway, portal.
take the second exit
turning, turn-off, turn; N. Amer. turnout.
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his sudden exit
departure, leaving, withdrawal, going, decamping, retreat; flight, exodus, escape.
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ANTONYMS :entrance, arrival.

verb
the doctor had just exited
leave, go (out), depart, withdraw, retreat. ANTONYMS :enter.

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exodus

noun
mass departure, withdrawal, evacuation, leaving; migration, emigration; flight, escape, fleeing.

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exonerate

verb
the inquiry exonerated them
absolve, clear, acquit, find innocent, discharge; formal exculpate.
the pope exonerated the king from his oath
release, discharge, free, liberate; excuse, exempt, except, dispense; informal let off.
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ANTONYMS :convict.

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exorbitant

adjective
extortionate, excessively high, excessive, prohibitive, outrageous, unreasonable, inflated, unconscionable, huge, enormous; Brit. over the odds; informal steep, stiff, over the top, a rip-off; Brit. informal daylight robbery. ANTONYMS :reasonable.

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exorcize

verb
exorcizing an spirit
drive out, cast out, expel.
they exorcized the house
purify, cleanse, purge; rare lustrate.
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exordium

noun
(formal) introduction, opening, preface, prelude, foreword, preamble, prologue; informal intro; formal proem, prolegomenon. ANTONYMS :conclusion.

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exotic

adjective
exotic birds
foreign, non-native, tropical.
exotic places
foreign, faraway, far-off, far-flung, distant.
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Linda's exotic appearance
striking, colourful, eye-catching; unusual, unconventional, out of the ordinary, foreign-looking, extravagant, outlandish; informal offbeat, off the wall.
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ANTONYMS :native, nearby, conventional.

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expand

verb
metals expand when heated
increase in size, become larger, enlarge; swell, dilate, inflate; lengthen, stretch, thicken, fill out; rare intumesce.
the company is expanding
grow, become/make larger, become/make bigger, increase in size/scope; extend, augment, broaden, widen, develop, diversify, build up; branch out, spread, proliferate.
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the minister expanded on the proposals
elaborate on, enlarge on, go into detail about, flesh out, develop, expatiate on.
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she expanded and flourished
relax, unbend, become relaxed, grow friendlier, loosen up.
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ANTONYMS :shrink, contract.

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expanse

noun
area, stretch, sweep, tract, swathe, belt, region; sea, carpet, blanket, sheet.

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expansion

noun
expansion and contraction
enlargement, increase in size, swelling, dilation; lengthening, elongation, stretching, thickening.
the expansion of the company
growth, increase in size, enlargement, extension, development; spread, proliferation, multiplication.
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an expansion of a lecture given last year
elaboration, enlargement, amplification, development.
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ANTONYMS :contraction.

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expansive

adjective
expansive moorland
extensive, sweeping, rolling.
expansive coverage
wide-ranging, extensive, broad, wide, comprehensive, thorough.
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Cara became engagingly expansive
communicative, forthcoming, sociable, friendly, outgoing, affable, chatty, talkative, garrulous, loquacious, voluble.
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expatiate

verb
speak/write at length, go into detail, expound, dwell, dilate, expand, enlarge, elaborate; formal perorate.

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expatriate

noun
expatriates working overseas
emigrant, non-native, émigré, (economic) migrant; informal expat. ANTONYMS :national.

adjective
expatriate workers
emigrant, living abroad, non-native, émigré; informal expat. ANTONYMS :indigenous.

verb
he was not tempted to expatriate himself
settle abroad, live abroad.
he was expatriated
exile, deport, banish, expel.
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expect

verb
I expect she'll be late
suppose, presume, think, believe, imagine, assume, surmise; informal guess, reckon; N. Amer. informal figure.
a 10 per cent rise was expected
anticipate, await, look for, hope for, look forward to; contemplate, bargain for/on, bank on; predict, forecast, envisage, envision.
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we expect total loyalty
require, ask for, call for, want, insist on, demand.
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expectancy

noun
feverish expectancy
anticipation, expectation, eagerness, excitement.
life expectancy
likelihood, probability, outlook, prospect.
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expectant

adjective
expectant fans
eager, excited, agog, waiting with bated breath, hopeful; in suspense, on tenterhooks.
an expectant mother
pregnant; informal expecting, in the family way, preggers; Brit. informal up the duff/spout, in the (pudding) club; technical gravid; archaic with child, in a delicate/interesting condition.
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expectation

noun
her expectations were unrealistic
supposition, assumption, presumption, conjecture, surmise, calculation, prediction.
tense with expectation
anticipation, expectancy, eagerness, excitement, suspense.
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expecting

adjective
(informal). See expectant sense 2.

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expedient

adjective
a politically expedient strategy
convenient, advantageous, in one's own interests, useful, of use, beneficial, of benefit, helpful; practical, pragmatic, politic, prudent, wise, judicious, sensible.
noun
a temporary expedient
measure, means, method, stratagem, scheme, plan, move, tactic, manoeuvre, device, contrivance, ploy, machination, dodge; Austral. informal lurk.

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expedite

verb
speed up, accelerate, hurry, hasten, step up, quicken, precipitate, dispatch; advance, facilitate, ease, make easier, further, promote, aid, push through, urge on, boost, stimulate, spur on, help along. ANTONYMS :delay.

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expedition

noun
an expedition to the South Pole
journey, voyage, tour, odyssey; exploration, safari, trek, hike.
(informal) a shopping expedition
trip, excursion, outing, jaunt.
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all members of the expedition
group, team, party, crew, band, squad.
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(formal) use all expedition possible
speed, haste, swiftness, quickness, rapidity, briskness; poetic/literary fleetness, celerity.
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expeditious

adjective
speedy, swift, quick, rapid, fast, brisk, efficient; prompt, punctual, immediate, instant; poetic/literary fleet. ANTONYMS :slow.

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expel

verb
she was expelled from her party
throw out, bar, ban, debar, drum out, oust, remove, get rid of, dismiss; Military cashier; informal chuck out, sling out, kick/boot out; Brit. informal turf out; N. Amer. informal give someone the bum's rush; dated out.
he was expelled from the country
banish, exile, deport, evict, expatriate, drive out, throw out.
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Dolly expelled a hiss
let out, discharge, eject, issue, send forth.
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ANTONYMS :admit.

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expend

verb
they had already expended $75,000
spend, pay out, disburse, dole out, dish out, get through, waste, fritter (away), dissipate; informal fork out, shell out, lay out, cough up, blow, splurge; Brit. informal splash out, stump up; N. Amer. informal ante up.
children expend a lot of energy
use (up), utilize, consume, eat up, deplete, get through.
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ANTONYMS :save, conserve.

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expendable

adjective
an accountant decided he was expendable
dispensable, replaceable, non-essential, inessential, unnecessary, not required, superfluous, disposable.
an expendable satellite launcher
disposable, throwaway, one-use, single-use.
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ANTONYMS :indispensable.

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expenditure

noun
the expenditure of funds
spending, paying out, outlay, disbursement, doling out, waste, wasting, frittering (away), dissipation.
reducing public expenditure
outgoings, costs, payments, expenses, overheads, spending.
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ANTONYMS :saving, income.

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expense

noun
Nigel resented the expense
cost, price, charge, outlay, fee, tariff, levy, payment; informal, humorous damage.
regular expenses
outgoing, payment, outlay, expenditure, charge, bill, overhead.
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pollution controls come at the expense of jobs
sacrifice, cost, loss.
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expensive

adjective
costly, dear, high-priced, overpriced, exorbitant, extortionate; informal steep, pricey, costing an arm and a leg, costing the earth, costing a bomb. ANTONYMS :cheap, economical.

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experience

noun
qualifications and experience
skill, (practical) knowledge, understanding; background, record, history; maturity, worldliness, sophistication; informal know-how.
an enjoyable experience
incident, occurrence, event, happening, episode; adventure, exploit, escapade.
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his first experience of business
involvement in, participation in, contact with, acquaintance with, exposure to, observation of, awareness of, insight into.
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verb
some policemen experience harassment
undergo, encounter, meet, come into contact with, come across, come up against, face, be faced with.

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experienced

adjective
an experienced pilot
knowledgeable, skilful, skilled, expert, accomplished, adept, adroit, master, consummate; proficient, trained, competent, capable, well trained, well versed; seasoned, practised, mature, veteran.
she deluded herself that she was experienced
worldly (wise), sophisticated, suave, urbane, mature, knowing; informal streetwise.
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ANTONYMS :novice, naive.

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experiment

noun
carrying out experiments
test, investigation, trial, examination, observation; assessment, evaluation, appraisal, analysis, study.
these results have been established by experiment
research, experimentation, observation, analysis, testing.
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empirical.
verb
they experimented with new ideas
conduct experiments, carry out trials/tests, conduct research; test, trial, do tests on, try out, assess, appraise, evaluate.

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experimental

adjective
the experimental stage
exploratory, investigational, trial, test, pilot; speculative, conjectural, hypothetical, tentative, preliminary, untested, untried.
experimental music
innovative, innovatory, new, original, radical, avant-garde, alternative, unorthodox, unconventional, left-field; informal way-out.
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expert

noun
he is an expert in kendo
specialist, authority, pundit; adept, maestro, virtuoso, (past) master, wizard; connoisseur, aficionado; informal ace, buff, pro, whizz, hotshot; Brit. informal dab hand; N. Amer. informal maven, crackerjack.
adjective
an expert chess player
skilful, skilled, adept, accomplished, talented, fine; master, masterly, brilliant, virtuoso, magnificent, outstanding, great, exceptional, excellent, first-class, first-rate, superb; proficient, good, able, capable, experienced, practised, knowledgeable; informal wizard, ace, crack, mean. ANTONYMS :incompetent.

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expertise

noun
skill, skilfulness, expertness, prowess, proficiency, competence; knowledge, mastery, ability, aptitude, facility, capability; informal know-how.

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expiate

verb
atone for, make amends for, make up for, do penance for, pay for, redress, redeem, offset, make good.

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expire

verb
my contract has expired
run out, become invalid, become void, lapse; end, finish, stop, come to an end, terminate.
the spot where he expired
die, pass away/on, breathe one's last; informal kick the bucket, bite the dust, croak, buy it; Brit. informal snuff it, peg out, pop one's clogs; archaic decease, depart this life.
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(technical) afterwards the breath is expired
breathe out, exhale, blow out, expel.
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expiry

noun
the expiry of the lease
lapse, expiration.
the expiry of his term of office
end, finish, termination, conclusion.
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(archaic) the sad expiry of their friend
death, demise, passing (away/on), dying; formal decease.
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explain

verb
a technician explained the procedure
describe, give an explanation of, make clear/intelligible, spell out, put into words; elucidate, expound, explicate, clarify, throw light on; gloss, interpret.
nothing could explain his new-found wealth
account for, give an explanation for, give a reason for; justify, give a justification for, give an excuse for, vindicate, legitimize.
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explanation

noun
an explanation of the ideas contained in the essay
clarification, simplification; description, report, statement; elucidation, exposition, expounding, explication; gloss, interpretation, commentary, exegesis.
I owe you an explanation
account, reason; justification, excuse, alibi, defence, vindication.
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explanatory

adjective
explaining, descriptive, describing, illustrative, illuminative, elucidatory.

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expletive

noun
swear word, oath, curse, obscenity, profanity, four-letter word, dirty word; informal cuss word, cuss; formal imprecation; (expletives) bad language, foul language, strong language, swearing.

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explicable

adjective
explainable, understandable, comprehensible, accountable, intelligible, interpretable.

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explicate

verb
explain, make explicit, clarify, make plain/clear, spell out; interpret, elucidate, expound, illuminate, throw light on.

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explicit

adjective
explicit instructions
clear, plain, straightforward, crystal clear, easily understandable; precise, exact, specific, unequivocal, unambiguous; detailed, comprehensive, exhaustive.
sexually explicit material
uncensored, graphic, candid, full-frontal.
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ANTONYMS :vague.

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explode

verb
a bomb has exploded
blow up, detonate, go off, burst (apart), fly apart.
exploding the first atomic device
detonate, set off, let off, discharge.
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he exploded in anger
lose one's temper, blow up, get angry, become enraged; informal fly off the handle, hit the roof, blow one's cool/top, go wild, go bananas, see red, go off the deep end; Brit. informal go spare, go crackers; N. Amer. informal blow one's lid/stack.
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the city's exploding population
increase suddenly/rapidly, mushroom, snowball, escalate, multiply, burgeon, rocket.
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exploding the myths about men
disprove, refute, rebut, invalidate, negate, negative, controvert, repudiate, discredit, debunk, belie, give the lie to; informal shoot full of holes, blow out of the water; formal confute.
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ANTONYMS :defuse.

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exploit

verb
we should exploit this new technology
utilize, use, make use of, turn/put to good use, make the most of, capitalize on, benefit from; informal cash in on.
exploiting the workers
take advantage of, abuse, impose on, treat unfairly, misuse, ill-treat; informal walk (all) over, take for a ride, rip off.
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noun
his exploits brought him notoriety
feat, deed, act, adventure, stunt, escapade; achievement, accomplishment, attainment; informal lark, caper.

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exploitation

noun
the exploitation of mineral resources
utilization, use, making use of, making the most of, capitalization on; informal cashing in on.
the exploitation of the poor
taking advantage, abuse, misuse, ill-treatment, unfair treatment, oppression.
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exploration

noun
the exploration of space
investigation, study, survey, research, inspection, examination, scrutiny, observation; consideration, analysis, review.
explorations into the mountains
expedition, trip, journey, voyage; archaic peregrination; (explorations) travels.
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exploratory

adjective
investigative, investigational, explorative, probing, fact-finding; experimental, trial, test, preliminary, provisional.

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explore

verb
they explored all the possibilities
investigate, look into, consider; examine, research, survey, scrutinize, study, review, go over with a fine-tooth comb; informal check out.
exploring Iceland's north-west
travel over, tour, range over; survey, take a look at, inspect, investigate, reconnoitre; informal recce, give something a/the once-over.
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explorer

noun
traveller, discoverer, voyager, adventurer; surveyor, scout, prospector.

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explosion

noun
Edward heard the explosion
detonation, eruption, blowing up; bang, blast, boom.
an explosion of anger
outburst, flare-up, outbreak, eruption, storm, rush, surge; fit, paroxysm, attack.
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the explosion of human populations
sudden/rapid increase, mushrooming, snowballing, escalation, multiplication, burgeoning, rocketing.
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explosive

adjective
explosive gases
volatile, inflammable, flammable, combustible, incendiary.
Marco's explosive temper
fiery, stormy, violent, volatile, angry, passionate, tempestuous, turbulent, touchy, irascible, hot-headed, short-tempered.
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an explosive situation
tense, (highly) charged, overwrought; dangerous, perilous, hazardous, sensitive, delicate, unstable, volatile.
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explosive population growth
sudden, dramatic, rapid; mushrooming, snowballing, escalating, rocketing, accelerating.
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noun
stocks of explosives
bomb, incendiary (device).

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exponent

noun
an exponent of free-trade policies
advocate, supporter, proponent, upholder, backer, defender, champion; promoter, propagandist, campaigner, fighter, crusader, enthusiast, apologist.
a karate exponent
practitioner, performer, player.
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ANTONYMS :critic, opponent.

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export

verb
exporting raw materials
sell overseas/abroad, send overseas/abroad, trade internationally.
he is trying to export his ideas to America
transmit, spread, disseminate, circulate, communicate, pass on; poetic/literary bruit about/abroad.
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ANTONYMS :import.

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expose

verb
at low tide the sands are exposed
reveal, uncover, lay bare.
he was exposed to asbestos
make vulnerable, subject, lay open, put at risk, put in jeopardy.
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they were exposed to liberal ideas
introduce to, bring into contact with, make aware of, familiarize with, acquaint with.
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he was exposed as a liar
uncover, reveal, unveil, unmask, detect, find out; discover, bring to light, bring into the open, make known; denounce, condemn; informal spill the beans on, blow the whistle on.
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ANTONYMS :cover.

expose oneself
reveal one's genitalia; informal flash.

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exposé

noun
revelation, disclosure, exposure; report, feature, piece, column; informal scoop. ANTONYMS :cover-up.

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exposed

adjective
unprotected, unsheltered, open to the elements/weather; vulnerable, defenceless, undefended, pregnable. ANTONYMS :sheltered.

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exposition

noun
a lucid exposition
explanation, description, elucidation, explication, interpretation; account, commentary, appraisal, assessment, discussion, exegesis.
the exposition will feature 200 exhibits
exhibition, (trade) fair, display, show, presentation, demonstration; N. Amer. exhibit.
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expository

adjective
explanatory, descriptive, describing, elucidatory, explicatory, explicative, interpretative, exegetic.

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expostulate

verb
remonstrate, disagree, argue, take issue, protest, reason, express disagreement, raise objections.

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exposure

noun
the exposure of the lizard's vivid blue tongue
revealing, revelation, uncovering, baring, laying bare.
exposure to harmful chemicals
subjection, vulnerability, laying open.
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suffering from exposure
frostbite, cold, hypothermia.
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exposure to great literature
introduction to, experience of, contact with, familiarity with, acquaintance with, awareness of.
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the exposure of a banking scandal
uncovering, revelation, disclosure, unveiling, unmasking, discovery, detection; denunciation, condemnation.
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we're getting a lot of exposure
publicity, publicizing, advertising, public interest/attention, media interest/attention; informal hype.
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the exposure is perfect
outlook, aspect, view; position, setting, location.
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expound

verb
he expounded his theories
present, put forward, set forth, propose, propound; explain, give an explanation of, detail, spell out, describe.
a treatise expounding Paul's teachings
explain, interpret, explicate, elucidate; comment on, give a commentary on.
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expound on
elaborate on, expand on, expatiate on, discuss at length.

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express 1

verb
community leaders expressed their anger
communicate, convey, indicate, show, demonstrate, reveal, make manifest, put across/over, get across/over; articulate, put into words, utter, voice, give voice to; state, assert, proclaim, profess, air, make public, give vent to; formal evince.
all the juice is expressed
squeeze out, press out, extract.
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express oneself
communicate one's thoughts/opinions/views, put thoughts into words, speak one's mind, say what's on one's mind.

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express 2

adjective
an express bus
rapid, swift, fast, quick, speedy, high-speed; non-stop, direct. ANTONYMS :slow.

noun
an overnight express
express train, fast train, direct train.

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express 3

adjective
express reference to confidential matters
explicit, clear, direct, obvious, plain, distinct, unambiguous, unequivocal; specific, precise, crystal clear, certain, categorical.
one express purpose
sole, specific, particular, exclusive, specified, fixed.
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ANTONYMS :implied.

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expression

noun
the free expression of opposition views
utterance, uttering, voicing, pronouncement, declaration, articulation, assertion, setting forth; dissemination, circulation, communication, spreading, promulgation.
an expression of sympathy
indication, demonstration, show, exhibition, token; communication, illustration, revelation.
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an expression of harassed fatigue
look, appearance, air, manner, countenance, mien.
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a time-worn expression
idiom, phrase, idiomatic expression; proverb, saying, adage, maxim, axiom, aphorism, saw, motto, platitude, cliché.
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these pieces are very different in expression
emotion, feeling, spirit, passion, intensity; style, intonation, tone.
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essential oils obtained by expression
squeezing, pressing, extraction, extracting.
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expressionless

adjective
his face was expressionless
inscrutable, deadpan, poker-faced; blank, vacant, emotionless, unemotional, inexpressive; glazed, stony, wooden, impassive.
a flat, expressionless tone
dull, dry, toneless, monotonous, boring, tedious, flat, wooden, unmodulated, unvarying, devoid of feeling/emotion.
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ANTONYMS :expressive, lively.

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expressive

adjective
an expressive shrug
eloquent, meaningful, demonstrative, suggestive.
an expressive song
emotional, full of emotion/feeling, passionate, poignant, moving, stirring, evocative, powerful, emotionally charged.
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his diction is very expressive of his Englishness
indicative, demonstrative, demonstrating, showing, suggesting.
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ANTONYMS :expressionless, unemotional.

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expressly

adverb
he was expressly forbidden to discuss the matter
explicitly, clearly, directly, plainly, distinctly, unambiguously, unequivocally; absolutely; specifically, categorically, pointedly, emphatically.
a machine expressly built for spraying paint
solely, specifically, particularly, specially, exclusively, just, only, explicitly.
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expropriate

verb
seize, take (away/over), appropriate, take possession of, requisition, commandeer, claim, acquire, sequestrate, confiscate; Law distrain.

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expulsion

noun
expulsion from the party
removal, debarment, dismissal, exclusion, discharge, ejection, drumming out.
the expulsion of bodily wastes
discharge, ejection, excretion, voiding, evacuation, elimination, passing.
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ANTONYMS :admission.

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expunge

verb
erase, remove, delete, rub out, wipe out, efface; cross out, strike out, blot out, blank out; destroy, obliterate, eradicate, eliminate.

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expurgate

verb
censor, bowdlerize, blue-pencil, cut, edit; clean up, sanitize, make acceptable, make palatable, water down.

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exquisite

adjective
exquisite antique glass
beautiful, lovely, elegant, fine; magnificent, superb, excellent, wonderful, well-crafted, well-made, perfect; delicate, fragile, dainty, subtle.
exquisite taste
discriminating, discerning, sensitive, selective, fastidious; refined, cultivated, cultured, educated.
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exquisite agony
intense, acute, keen, piercing, sharp, severe, racking, excruciating, agonizing, harrowing, searing; unbearable, unendurable.
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noun
(dated) even among these snappy dressers, he was an exquisite
dandy, fop, glamour boy; informal dude, snappy dresser, natty dresser; informal, dated swell, blade; dated beau.

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extant

adjective
still existing, in existence, existent, surviving, remaining, undestroyed.

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extemporary extemporaneous

adjective
an extemporaneous address.
See extempore.

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extempore

adjective
an extempore speech
impromptu, spontaneous, unscripted, ad lib, extemporary, extemporaneous; improvised, unrehearsed, unplanned, unprepared, off the top of one's head; informal off-the-cuff; formal ad libitum. ANTONYMS :rehearsed.

adverb
he was speaking extempore
spontaneously, extemporaneously, ad lib, without preparation, without rehearsal, off the top of one's head; informal off the cuff; formal ad libitum.

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extemporize

verb
improvise, ad lib, play it by ear, think on one's feet, do something off the top of one's head; informal busk it, wing it, do something off the cuff.

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extend

verb
he attempted to extend his dominions
expand, enlarge, increase, make larger/bigger; lengthen, widen, broaden.
the garden extends down to the road
continue, carry on, run on, stretch (out), reach, lead.
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we have extended our range of services
widen, expand, broaden; augment, supplement, increase, add to, enhance, develop.
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extending the life of parliament
prolong, lengthen, increase; stretch out, protract, spin out, string out.
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extend your arms and legs
stretch out, spread out, reach out, straighten out.
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he extended a hand in greeting
hold out, reach out, hold forth; offer, give, outstretch, proffer.
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we wish to extend our thanks to Mr Bayes
offer, proffer, give, grant, bestow, accord.
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ANTONYMS :reduce, narrow, shorten.

extend to
include, take in, incorporate, encompass.

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extended

adjective
prolonged, protracted, long-lasting, long-drawn-out, spun out, long, dragged out, strung out, lengthy.

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extension

noun
they are planning a new extension
addition, add-on, adjunct, annexe, wing, supplementary building; N. Amer. ell.
an extension of knowledge
expansion, increase, enlargement, widening, broadening, deepening; augmentation, enhancement, development, growth, continuation.
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an extension of opening hours
prolongation, lengthening, increase.
Top
I need an extension of time
postponement, deferral, delay, more/extra time.
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extensive

adjective
a mansion with extensive grounds
large, large-scale, sizeable, substantial, considerable, ample, expansive, great, vast.
extensive knowledge
comprehensive, thorough, exhaustive; broad, wide, wide-ranging, catholic.
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extent

noun
two acres in extent
area, size, expanse, length; proportions, dimensions.
the full extent of her father's illness
degree, scale, level, magnitude, scope; size, breadth, width, reach, range.
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extenuate

verb
excuse, mitigate, palliate, make allowances/excuses for, defend, vindicate, justify; diminish, lessen, moderate, qualify, play down.

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extenuating

adjective
mitigating, excusing, exonerative, palliating, palliative, justifying, justificatory, vindicating; formal exculpatory.

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exterior

adjective
the exterior walls
outer, outside, outermost, outward, external. ecto-, exo-. ANTONYMS :interior.

noun
the exterior of the building
outside, outer surface, external surface, outward appearance, facade.

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exterminate

verb
kill, put to death, take/end the life of, dispatch; slaughter, butcher, massacre, wipe out, eliminate, eradicate, annihilate; murder, assassinate, execute; informal do away with, bump off, do in, top, take out, blow away; N. Amer. informal ice, rub out, waste; poetic/literary slay.

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extermination

noun
killing, murder, assassination, putting to death, execution, dispatch, slaughter, massacre, liquidation, elimination, eradication, annihilation; poetic/literary slaying.

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external

adjective
an external wall
outer, outside, outermost, outward, exterior.
an external examiner
outside, independent, non-resident, from elsewhere.
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ecto-, exo-. ANTONYMS :internal, in-house.

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extinct

adjective
an extinct species
vanished, lost, died out, no longer existing, no longer extant, wiped out, destroyed, gone.
an extinct volcano
inactive.
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ANTONYMS :extant, dormant.

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extinction

noun
dying out, disappearance, vanishing; extermination, destruction, elimination, eradication, annihilation.

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extinguish

verb
the fire was extinguished
douse, put out, stamp out, smother, beat out, dampen down.
all hope was extinguished
destroy, end, finish off, put an end to, bring to an end, terminate, remove, annihilate, wipe out, erase, eliminate, eradicate, obliterate; informal take out, rub out.
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ANTONYMS :light.

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extirpate

verb
weed out, destroy, eradicate, stamp out, root out, wipe out, eliminate, suppress, crush, put down, put an end to, get rid of.

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extol

verb
praise enthusiastically, go into raptures about/over, wax lyrical about, sing the praises of, praise to the skies, acclaim, eulogize, rhapsodize over, rave about, enthuse about/over; informal go wild about, go on about; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo; formal laud; archaic panegyrize. ANTONYMS :criticize.

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extort

verb
obtain by force, obtain by threat(s), blackmail someone for, extract, exact, wring, wrest, screw, squeeze; N. Amer. & Austral. informal put the bite on someone for.

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extortion

noun
demanding money with menaces, blackmail, extraction; N. Amer. informal shakedown; formal exaction.

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extortionate

adjective
extortionate prices
exorbitant, excessively high, excessive, outrageous, unreasonable, inordinate, inflated; informal over the top, OTT.
an extortionate clause
grasping, bloodsucking, avaricious, greedy; exacting, harsh, severe, oppressive; informal money-grubbing.
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extortionist

noun
racketeer, extortioner, extorter, blackmailer; informal bloodsucker.

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extra

adjective
extra income
additional, more, added, supplementary, further, auxiliary, ancillary, subsidiary, secondary.
adverb
working extra hard
exceptionally, particularly, specially, especially, very, extremely; unusually, extraordinarily, uncommonly, remarkably, outstandingly, amazingly, incredibly, really; informal seriously, mucho, awfully, terribly; Brit. jolly, dead, well; informal, dated frightfully.
postage is charged extra
in addition, additionally, as well, also, too, besides, on top (of that); archaic withal.
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noun
an optional extra
addition, supplement, adjunct, addendum, add-on.
a film extra
walk-on, supernumerary, spear-carrier.
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extract

verb
he extracted the cassette
take out, draw out, pull out, remove, withdraw; free, release, extricate.
extracting money
wrest, exact, wring, screw, squeeze, obtain by force, obtain by threat(s), extort, blackmail someone for; N. Amer. & Austral. informal put the bite on someone for.
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the roots are crushed to extract the juice
squeeze out, express, press out, obtain.
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the table is extracted from the report
excerpt, select, reproduce, copy, take.
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ideas extracted from a variety of theories
derive, develop, evolve, deduce, infer, obtain; formal educe.
Top
ANTONYMS :insert.

noun
an extract from his article
excerpt, passage, citation, quotation; (excerpts) analects.
an extract of the ginseng root
decoction, distillation, distillate, abstraction, concentrate, essence, juice.
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extraction

noun
the extraction of gall bladder stones
removal, taking out, drawing out, pulling out, withdrawal; freeing, release, extrication.
the extraction of grape juice
squeezing, expressing, pressing, obtaining.
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a man of Irish extraction
descent, ancestry, parentage, ancestors, family, antecedents; lineage, line, origin, derivation, birth; genealogy, heredity, stock, pedigree, blood, bloodline; roots, origins.
Top
ANTONYMS :insertion.

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extradite

verb
the government extradited him to Germany
deport, send back, send home, repatriate.
the government attempted to extradite suspects from Belgium
have someone deported, have someone sent home, bring back.
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extradition

noun
deportation, repatriation, expulsion.

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extraneous

adjective
extraneous considerations
irrelevant, immaterial, beside the point, unrelated, unconnected, inapposite, inapplicable.
extraneous noise
external, outside, exterior.
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extraordinary

adjective
an extraordinary coincidence
remarkable, exceptional, amazing, astonishing, astounding, sensational, stunning, incredible, unbelievable, phenomenal; striking, outstanding, momentous, impressive, singular, memorable, unforgettable, unique, noteworthy; out of the ordinary, unusual, uncommon, rare, surprising; informal fantastic, terrific, tremendous, stupendous, awesome; poetic/literary wondrous.
extraordinary speed
very great, tremendous, enormous, immense, prodigious, stupendous, monumental; informal almighty.
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extravagance

noun
a fit of extravagance
profligacy, unthriftiness, improvidence, wastefulness, prodigality, lavishness.
the costliest brands are an extravagance
luxury, indulgence, self-indulgence, treat, extra, non-essential.
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the extravagance of the decor
ornateness, elaborateness, embellishment, ornamentation; ostentation, over-elaborateness.
Top
the extravagance of his compliments
excessiveness, exaggeration, outrageousness, immoderation, excess.
Top

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extravagant

adjective
an extravagant lifestyle
spendthrift, profligate, unthrifty, improvident, wasteful, prodigal, lavish.
extravagant gifts
expensive, costly, dear, high-priced, high-cost; valuable, precious; informal pricey, costing the earth, costing a bomb.
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extravagant prices
exorbitant, extortionate, excessive, high, unreasonable.
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extravagant praise
excessive, immoderate, exaggerated, gushing, unrestrained, effusive, fulsome.
Top
decorated in an extravagant style
ornate, elaborate, decorated, ornamented, fancy; over-elaborate, ostentatious, exaggerated, baroque, rococo; informal flash, flashy.
Top
ANTONYMS :thrifty, cheap, plain.

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extravaganza

noun
spectacular, display, spectacle, show, pageant.

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extreme

adjective
extreme danger
utmost, very great, greatest (possible), maximum, maximal, highest, supreme, great, acute, enormous, severe, high, exceptional, extraordinary.
extreme measures
drastic, serious, desperate, dire, radical, far-reaching, momentous, consequential; heavy, sharp, severe, austere, harsh, tough, strict, rigorous, oppressive, draconian; Brit. swingeing.
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extreme views
radical, extremist, immoderate, fanatical, revolutionary, rebel, subversive, militant.
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extreme sports
dangerous, hazardous, risky, high-risk, adventurous.
Top
the extreme north-west
furthest, farthest, furthermost, farthermost, very, utmost; archaic outmost.
Top
ultra-. ANTONYMS :slight, moderate.

noun
the two extremes
opposite, antithesis, side of the coin, (opposite) pole, antipode.
this attitude is taken to its extreme in the following quote
limit, extremity, highest/greatest degree, maximum, height, top, zenith, peak.
Top

in the extreme. See extremely.

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extremely

adverb
very, exceedingly, exceptionally, especially, extraordinarily, in the extreme, tremendously, immensely, vastly, hugely, intensely, acutely, singularly, uncommonly, unusually, decidedly, particularly, supremely, highly, remarkably, really, truly, mightily; informal terrifically, awfully, fearfully, terribly, devilishly, majorly, seriously, mega, ultra, damn, damned; Brit. informal ever so, well, hellish, dead, jolly; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful, darned; informal, dated devilish, frightfully; archaic exceeding. ANTONYMS :slightly.

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extremist

noun
fanatic, radical, zealot, fundamentalist, hardliner, militant, activist; informal ultra. ANTONYMS :moderate.

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extremity

noun
the eastern extremity
limit, end, edge, side, farthest point, boundary, border, frontier; perimeter, periphery, margin; poetic/literary bourn, marge.
she lost feeling in her extremities
hands and feet, fingers and toes, limbs.
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the extremity of the violence
intensity, magnitude, acuteness, ferocity, vehemence, fierceness, violence, severity, seriousness, strength, power, powerfulness, vigour, force, forcefulness.
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in extremity he will send for her
dire straits, trouble, difficulty, hard times, hardship, adversity, misfortune, distress; crisis, emergency, disaster, catastrophe, calamity; predicament, plight, mess, dilemma; informal fix, pickle, jam, spot, bind, scrape, hole, sticky situation, hot/deep water.
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extricate

verb
extract, free, release, disentangle, get out, remove, withdraw, disengage; informal get someone/oneself off the hook.

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extrinsic

adjective
external, extraneous, exterior, outside, outward. ANTONYMS :intrinsic.

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extrovert

noun
like most extroverts he was a good dancer
outgoing person, sociable person, socializer, life and soul of the party. ANTONYMS :introvert.

adjective
his extrovert personality
outgoing, extroverted, sociable, gregarious, genial, affable, friendly, unreserved. ANTONYMS :introverted.

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extrude

verb
force out, thrust out, express, eject, expel, release, emit.

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exuberant

adjective
exuberant guests dancing on the terrace
ebullient, buoyant, cheerful, jaunty, light-hearted, high-spirited, exhilarated, excited, elated, exultant, euphoric, joyful, cheery, merry, jubilant, vivacious, enthusiastic, irrepressible, energetic, animated, full of life, lively, vigorous; informal bubbly, bouncy, chipper, chirpy, full of beans; poetic/literary blithe, blithesome.
an exuberant coating of mosses
luxuriant, lush, rich, dense, thick, abundant, profuse, plentiful, prolific.
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an exuberant welcome
effusive, extravagant, fulsome, expansive, gushing, gushy, demonstrative.
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ANTONYMS :gloomy, restrained.

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exude

verb
milkweed exudes a milky sap
give off/out, discharge, release, emit, issue; ooze, weep, secrete, excrete.
slime exudes from the fungus
ooze, seep, issue, escape, discharge, flow, leak.
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he exuded self-confidence
emanate, radiate, ooze, emit; display, show, exhibit, manifest, transmit, embody.
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exult

verb
her opponents exulted when she left
rejoice, be joyful, be happy, be delighted, be elated, be ecstatic, be overjoyed, be cock-a-hoop, be jubilant, be rapturous, be in raptures, be thrilled, jump for joy, be on cloud nine, be in seventh heaven; celebrate, cheer; informal be over the moon, be on top of the world; Austral. informal be wrapped; poetic/literary joy; archaic jubilate.
he exulted in his triumph
rejoice at/in, take delight in, find/take pleasure in, find joy in, enjoy, revel in, glory in, delight in, relish, savour; be/feel proud of, congratulate oneself on; archaic pique oneself on/in.
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ANTONYMS :sorrow.

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exultant

adjective
jubilant, thrilled, triumphant, delighted, exhilarated, happy, overjoyed, joyous, joyful, gleeful, cock-a-hoop, excited, rejoicing, ecstatic, euphoric, elated, rapturous, in raptures, enraptured, on cloud nine/seven, in seventh heaven; informal over the moon; N. Amer. informal wigged out.

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exultation

noun
jubilation, rejoicing, happiness, pleasure, joy, gladness, delight, glee, elation, cheer, euphoria, exhilaration, delirium, ecstasy, rapture, exuberance.

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eye

noun
he rubbed his eyes
eyeball; informal peeper; poetic/literary orb.
sharp eyes
eyesight, vision, sight, powers of observation, (visual) perception.
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an eye for a bargain
appreciation, awareness, alertness, perception, consciousness, feeling, instinct, intuition, nose.
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his watchful eye
watch, observance, gaze, stare, regard; observation, surveillance, vigilance, contemplation, scrutiny.
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to desert was despicable in their eyes
opinion, (way of) thinking, mind, view, viewpoint, attitude, standpoint, perspective, belief, judgement, assessment, analysis, estimation.
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the eye of a needle
hole, opening, aperture, eyelet, slit, slot.
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the eye of the storm
centre, middle, heart, core, hub, thick.
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ocular, ophthalmic.
verb
he eyed the stranger suspiciously
look at, observe, view, gaze at, stare at, regard, contemplate, survey, scrutinize, consider, glance at; watch, keep an eye on, keep under observation; informal have/take a gander at, check out, size up; Brit. informal have/take a butcher's at, have/take a dekko at, have/take a shufti at, clock; N. Amer. informal eyeball; poetic/literary behold.
eyeing young women in the street
ogle, leer at, stare at, make eyes at; informal eye up, give someone the glad eye; Brit. informal gawp at, gawk at; Austral./NZ informal perv on.
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clap/lay/set eyes on (informal)
see, observe, notice, spot, spy, catch sight of, glimpse, catch/get a glimpse of; poetic/literary behold, espy, descry. see eye to eye
agree, concur, be in agreement, be of the same mind/opinion, be in accord, think as one; be on the same wavelength, get on/along. up to one's eyes (informal)
very busy, fully occupied; overloaded, overburdened, overworked, under pressure, hard-pressed, rushed/run off one's feet; informal pushed, up against it.

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eye-catching

adjective
striking, arresting, conspicuous, dramatic, impressive, spectacular, breathtaking, dazzling, amazing, stunning, sensational, remarkable, distinctive, unusual, out of the ordinary.

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eyeful

noun
(informal) did you get an eyeful of that?
look, peep, peek, glimpse, view, gaze, glance, sight; informal gander, squint; Brit. informal dekko, shufti, butcher's; Austral./NZ informal geek, squiz.
she was quite an eyeful
beautiful sight, vision, picture, dream, sensation, beauty, dazzler; informal stunner, looker, knockout, sight for sore eyes, bombshell, dish, cracker, good-looker; Brit. informal smasher.
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eyelash

noun
lash; Anatomy cilium.

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eyesight

noun
sight, vision, faculty of sight, ability to see, (visual) perception.

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eyesore

noun
ugly sight, blot (on the landscape), mess, scar, blight, disfigurement, blemish, monstrosity; informal sight.

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eyewitness

noun
observer, onlooker, witness, bystander, spectator, watcher, viewer, passer-by; poetic/literary beholder.

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F

fable

noun
the fable of the wary fox
moral tale, parable, apologue, allegory.
the fables of ancient Greece
myth, legend, saga, epic, folk tale, folk story, fairy tale, mythos, mythus; folklore, mythology.
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it's a fable that I have a taste for fancy restaurants
falsehood, fib, fabrication, made-up story, invention, fiction, falsification, fairy story/tale, cock-and-bull story; lie, untruth, half-truth, exaggeration; story, rumour, myth; informal tall story; Brit. informal porky (pie).
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fabled

adjective
a fabled god-giant of Irish myth
legendary, mythical, mythic, mythological, fabulous, folkloric, fairy-tale; fictitious, imaginary, imagined, made up.
the fabled quality of French wine
celebrated, renowned, famed, famous, well known, prized, noted, notable, acclaimed, esteemed, prestigious, of repute, of high standing.
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fabric

noun
the finest silk fabric
cloth, material, textile, tissue.
the fabric of the building
structure, framework, frame, form, composition, construction, foundations.
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fabricate

verb
he fabricated research data
falsify, fake, counterfeit; invent, make up.
fabricating a pack of lies
concoct, make up, dream up, invent, trump up; informal cook up.
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you will have to fabricate an exhaust system
make, create, manufacture, produce; construct, build, assemble, put together, form, fashion.
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fabrication

noun
the story was a complete fabrication
invention, concoction, (piece of) fiction, falsification, lie, untruth, falsehood, fib, myth, made-up story, fairy story/tale, cock-and-bull story; white lie, half-truth, exaggeration; informal tall story, whopper; Brit. informal porky (pie).
the lintels are galvanized after fabrication
manufacture, creation, production; construction, building, assembly, forming, fashioning.
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fabulous

adjective
fabulous salaries
tremendous, stupendous, prodigious, phenomenal, remarkable, exceptional; astounding, amazing, fantastic, breathtaking, staggering, unthinkable, unimaginable, incredible, unbelievable, unheard of, untold, undreamed of, beyond one's wildest dreams; informal mind-boggling, mind-blowing.
(informal) we had a fabulous time.
See excellent.
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a fabulous horse-like beast
mythical, legendary, mythic, mythological, fabled, folkloric, fairy-tale; fictitious, imaginary, imagined, made up.
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facade

noun
a half-timbered facade
front, frontage, face, elevation, exterior, outside.
a facade of bonhomie
show, front, appearance, pretence, simulation, affectation, semblance, illusion, act, masquerade, charade, mask, cloak, veil, veneer.
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face

noun
a beautiful face
countenance, physiognomy, features; informal mug; Brit. informal mush, dial, clock, phiz, boat race; N. Amer. informal puss, pan; poetic/literary visage; archaic front.
her face grew sad
(facial) expression, look, appearance, air, manner, bearing, countenance, mien.
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he made a face at the sourness of the drink
grimace, scowl, wry face, wince, frown, glower, pout, moue.
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a cube has six faces
side, aspect, flank, surface, plane, facet, wall, elevation.
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a watch face
dial, display.
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changing the face of the industry
(outward) appearance, aspect, nature, image.
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he put on a brave face
front, show, display, act, appearance, facade, exterior, mask, masquerade, pretence, pose, veneer.
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criticism should never cause the recipient to lose face
respect, honour, esteem, regard, admiration, approbation, acclaim, approval, favour, appreciation, popularity, prestige, standing, status, dignity; self-respect, self-esteem.
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(informal) they had the face to upbraid others.
See effrontery.
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facial.
verb
the hotel faces the sea
look out on, front on to, look towards, be facing, look over/across, overlook, give on to, be opposite (to).
you'll just have to face facts
accept, become reconciled to, get used to, become accustomed to, adjust to, acclimatize oneself to; learn to live with, cope with, deal with, come to terms with, become resigned to.
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he faces a humiliating rejection
be confronted by, be faced with, encounter, experience, come into contact with, come up against.
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the problems facing our police force
beset, worry, distress, trouble, bother, confront; harass, oppress, vex, irritate, exasperate, strain, stress, tax; torment, plague, blight, bedevil, curse; formal discommode.
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he faced the challenge boldly
brave, face up to, encounter, meet (head-on), confront; oppose, resist, withstand.
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a wall faced with flint
cover, clad, veneer, overlay, surface, dress, put a facing on, laminate, coat, line.
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face to face
facing (each other), opposite (each other), across from each other. on the face of it
ostensibly, to all appearances, to all intents and purposes, at first glance, on the surface, superficially; apparently, seemingly, outwardly, it seems (that), it would seem (that), it appears (that), it would appear (that), as far as one can see/tell, by all accounts.

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facelift

noun
she's planning to have a facelift
cosmetic surgery, plastic surgery.
(informal) the theatre is reopening after a facelift
renovation, redecoration, refurbishment, revamp, revamping, makeover, reconditioning, overhauling, modernization, restoration, repair, redevelopment, rebuilding, reconstruction, refit.
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facet

noun
the many facets of the gem
surface, face, side, plane.
other facets of his character
aspect, feature, side, dimension, characteristic, detail, point, ingredient, strand; component, constituent, element.
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facetious

adjective
flippant, flip, glib, frivolous, tongue-in-cheek, joking, jokey, jocular, playful, sportive, teasing, mischievous; witty, amusing, funny, droll, comic, comical, light-hearted; formal jocose. ANTONYMS :serious.

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facile

adjective
a facile explanation
simplistic, superficial, oversimplified; shallow, glib, jejune, naive; N. Amer. dime-store.
he achieved a facile victory
effortless, easy, undemanding, unexacting, painless, trouble-free; Brit. informal easy-peasy.
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facilitate

verb
make easy/easier, ease, make possible, make smooth/smoother, smooth the way for; enable, assist, help (along), aid, oil the wheels of, expedite, speed up, accelerate, forward, advance, promote, further, encourage. ANTONYMS :impede.

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facility

noun
car-parking facilities
provision, space, means, potential, equipment.
the camera has a zoom facility
possibility, feature.
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a wealth of local facilities
amenity, resource, service, advantage, convenience, benefit.
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a medical facility
establishment, centre, place, station, location, premises, site, post, base; informal joint, outfit, set-up.
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his facility for drawing
aptitude, talent, gift, flair, bent, skill, knack, genius; ability, proficiency, competence, capability, capacity, faculty; expertness, adeptness, prowess, mastery, artistry.
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I was turning out poetry with facility
ease, effortlessness, no difficulty, no trouble, facileness; deftness, adroitness, dexterity, proficiency, mastery.
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facing

noun
green velvet facings
covering, trimming, lining, interfacing.
brick facing on a concrete core
cladding, veneer, skin, surface, facade, front, coating, covering, dressing, overlay, lamination, plating; N. Amer. siding.
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facsimile

noun
copy, reproduction, duplicate, photocopy, mimeograph, replica, likeness, carbon copy, print, reprint, offprint, autotype; fax, telefax; trademark Xerox, photostat. ANTONYMS :original.

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fact

noun
it is a fact that the water is polluted
reality, actuality, certainty; truth, verity, gospel.
every fact was double-checked
detail, piece of information, particular, item, specific, element, point, factor, feature, characteristic, ingredient, circumstance, aspect, facet; (facts) information.
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an accessory after the fact
event, happening, occurrence, incident, act, deed.
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ANTONYMS :lie, fiction.

in fact
actually, in actuality, in actual fact, really, in reality, in point of fact, as a matter of fact, in truth, to tell the truth; archaic in sooth, verily.

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faction

noun
a faction of the Liberal Party
clique, coterie, caucus, cabal, bloc, camp, group, grouping, sector, section, wing, arm, branch, set; ginger group, pressure group.
the council was split by faction
infighting, dissension, dissent, dispute, discord, strife, conflict, friction, argument, disagreement, controversy, quarrelling, wrangling, bickering, squabbling, disharmony, disunity, schism.
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factious

adjective
divided, split, schismatic, discordant, conflicting, argumentative, disagreeing, disputatious, quarrelling, quarrelsome, clashing, warring, at loggerheads, at odds, rebellious, mutinous. ANTONYMS :harmonious.

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factitious

adjective
bogus, fake, specious, false, counterfeit, fraudulent, spurious, sham, mock, feigned, affected, pretended, contrived, engineered; informal phoney, pseudo, pretend; Brit. informal cod. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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factor

noun
element, part, component, ingredient, strand, constituent, point, detail, item, feature, facet, aspect, characteristic, consideration, influence, circumstance.

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factory

noun
works, plant, yard, mill, industrial unit; workshop, shop; archaic manufactory.

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factotum

noun
odd-job man, handyman, man/maid of all work, jack of all trades, man/girl Friday; Austral. knockabout; informal (Mr) Fixit.

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factual

adjective
truthful, true, accurate, authentic, historical, genuine, fact-based; true-to-life, correct, exact, honest, faithful, literal, verbatim, word for word, unbiased, objective, unvarnished; formal veridical. ANTONYMS :fictitious.

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faculty

noun
the faculty of speech
power, capability, capacity, facility, wherewithal, means; (faculties) senses, wits, reason, intelligence.
an unusual faculty for unearthing contributors
ability, proficiency, competence, capability, potential, capacity, facility; aptitude, talent, gift, flair, bent, skill, knack, genius; expertise, expertness, adeptness, adroitness, dexterity, prowess, mastery, artistry.
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the arts faculty
department, school, division, section.
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the vicar introduced certain ornaments without the faculty to do so
authorization, authority, power, right, permission, consent, leave, sanction, licence, dispensation, assent, acquiescence, agreement, approval, endorsement, clearance; informal the go-ahead, the thumbs up, the OK, the green light, say-so.
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fad

noun
craze, vogue, trend, fashion, mode, enthusiasm, passion, obsession, mania, rage, compulsion, fixation, fetish, fancy, whim, fascination; informal thing.

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faddy

adjective
(Brit. informal) fussy, finicky, faddish, over-particular, over-fastidious, dainty; informal picky, pernickety; N. Amer. informal persnickety; archaic nice.

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fade

verb
the paintwork has faded
become pale, become bleached, become washed out, lose colour, discolour; grow dull, grow dim, lose lustre.
sunlight had faded the picture
bleach, wash out, make pale, blanch, whiten.
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remove the flower heads as they fade
wither, wilt, droop, shrivel, die.
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the afternoon light began to fade
(grow) dim, grow faint, fail, dwindle, die away, wane, disappear, vanish, decline, melt away; poetic/literary evanesce.
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the Communist movement was fading away
decline, die out, diminish, deteriorate, decay, crumble, collapse, fail, fall, sink, slump, go downhill; informal go to pot, go to the dogs; archaic retrograde.
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ANTONYMS :brighten, increase.

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faeces

plural noun
excrement, bodily waste, waste matter, ordure, dung, manure; excreta, stools, droppings; dirt, filth, muck, mess, night soil; informal pooh, doo-doo, doings, turds; Brit. informal cack, whoopsies, jobbies; N. Amer. informal poop. copro-.

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fag 1 (Brit.informal)

noun
it's too much of a fag!
chore, slog, grind, bother, bore; informal pain, sweat. ANTONYMS :pleasure.

verb
we fagged away all day
toil, slave, slog, labour, grind, work hard; informal work one's socks off; Brit. informal graft; Austral./NZ informal bullock; poetic/literary travail.
fag someone out
exhaust, tire (out), wear out, fatigue, overtire, weary; informal do in, wipe out, knock out, shatter; Brit. informal knacker; N. Amer. informal poop, tucker out.

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fag 2

noun
(Brit. informal) he was smoking a fag
cigarette, filter tip, king-size; informal ciggy, cig, smoke, cancer stick, coffin nail; Brit. informal snout, roll-up.

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fagged

adjective
(informal) exhausted, tired (out), worn out, fatigued, weary, drained, washed out; informal done in, all in, dead beat, dead on one's feet, shattered, bushed; Brit. informal knackered; N. Amer. informal tuckered, pooped.

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fail

verb
the enterprise had failed
be unsuccessful, not succeed, fall through, fall flat, collapse, founder, backfire, meet with disaster, come to nothing/naught; informal flop, bomb.
he failed his examination
be unsuccessful in, not pass; not make the grade; informal flunk.
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his friends had failed him
let down, disappoint; desert, abandon, betray, be disloyal to; poetic/literary forsake.
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the crops failed
be deficient, be insufficient, be inadequate; wither.
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the daylight failed
fade, dim, die away, wane, disappear, vanish.
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the ventilation system failed
break (down), stop working, cut out, crash; malfunction, go wrong, develop a fault; informal conk out, go on the blink; Brit. informal pack up, play up.
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Ceri's health was failing
deteriorate, degenerate, decline, fade, wane, ebb.
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900 businesses are failing a week
collapse, crash, go under, go bankrupt, go into receivership, go into liquidation, cease trading, be wound up; informal fold, flop, go bust, go broke, go to the wall.
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ANTONYMS :succeed, pass, thrive, work.

without fail
without exception, unfailingly, regularly, invariably, predictably, conscientiously, religiously, whatever happened.

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failing

noun
Jeanne accepted him despite his failings
fault, shortcoming, weakness, imperfection, defect, flaw, frailty, foible, idiosyncrasy, vice. ANTONYMS :strength.

preposition
failing financial assistance, you will be bankrupt
in the absence of, lacking, notwithstanding.

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failure

noun
the failure of the assassination attempt
lack of success, non-fulfilment, defeat, collapse, foundering.
all his schemes had been a failure
fiasco, debacle, catastrophe, disaster; informal flop, washout, dead loss; N. Amer. informal snafu, clinker.
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she was regarded as a failure
loser, underachiever, ne'er-do-well, disappointment; informal no-hoper, dead loss.
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a failure in duty
negligence, remissness, dereliction; omission, oversight.
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a crop failure
inadequacy, insufficiency, deficiency.
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the failure of the camera
breaking down, breakdown, malfunction; crash.
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company failures
collapse, crash, bankruptcy, insolvency, liquidation, closure.
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ANTONYMS :success.

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faint

adjective
a faint mark
indistinct, vague, unclear, indefinite, ill-defined, imperceptible, unobtrusive; pale, light, faded.
a faint cry
quiet, muted, muffled, stifled; feeble, weak, whispered, murmured, indistinct; low, soft, gentle.
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a faint possibility
slight, slender, slim, small, tiny, negligible, remote, vague, unlikely, improbable; informal minuscule.
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faint praise
unenthusiastic, half-hearted, weak, feeble.
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I suddenly felt faint
dizzy, giddy, light-headed, unsteady; informal woozy.
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ANTONYMS :clear, loud, strong.

verb
she thought he would faint
pass out, lose consciousness, black out, keel over, swoon; informal flake out, conk out, zonk out, go out like a light.
noun
a dead faint
blackout, fainting fit, loss of consciousness, swoon; Medicine syncope.

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faint-hearted

adjective
timid, timorous, nervous, nervy, easily scared, fearful, afraid; cowardly, craven, spineless, pusillanimous, lily-livered; informal chicken-hearted, yellow-bellied, gutless, sissy, wimpy, wimpish; archaic recreant. ANTONYMS :brave.

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faintly

adverb
Maria called his name faintly
indistinctly, softly, gently, weakly; in a whisper, in a murmur, in a low voice.
he looked faintly bewildered
slightly, vaguely, somewhat, quite, fairly, rather, a little, a bit, a touch, a shade; informal sort of, kind of.
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ANTONYMS :loudly, extremely.

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fair 1

adjective
the courts were generally fair
just, equitable, honest, upright, honourable, trustworthy; impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced, non-partisan, neutral, even-handed; lawful, legal, legitimate; informal legit, on the level; N. Amer. informal on the up and up.
fair weather
fine, dry, bright, clear, sunny, cloudless; warm, balmy, clement, benign, pleasant.
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fair winds
favourable, advantageous, benign; on one's side, in one's favour.
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fair hair
blond(e), yellowish, golden, flaxen, light, light brown, tow-coloured, ash blonde; fair-haired, light-haired, golden-haired.
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fair skin
pale, light, light-coloured, white, creamy.
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(archaic) the fair maiden's heart.
See beautiful.
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a fair achievement
reasonable, passable, tolerable, satisfactory, acceptable, respectable, decent, all right, good enough, pretty good, not bad, average, middling; informal OK, so-so.
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ANTONYMS :inclement, unfavourable, dark.

fair and square
honestly, fairly, without cheating, without foul play, by the book; lawfully, legally, legitimately; informal on the level; N. Amer. informal on the up and up.

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fair 2

noun
a country fair
fête, gala, festival, carnival.
an antiques fair
market, bazaar, mart, exchange, sale; archaic emporium.
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a new art fair
exhibition, display, show, presentation, exposition; N. Amer. exhibit.
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fairly

adverb
all pupils were treated fairly
justly, equitably, impartially, without bias, without prejudice, even-handedly; lawfully, legally, legitimately, by the book; equally, the same.
the pipes are in fairly good condition
reasonably, passably, tolerably, adequately, moderately, quite, relatively, comparatively; informal pretty, kind of, sort of.
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he fairly hauled her along the street
positively, really, veritably, simply, actually, absolutely; practically, almost, nearly, all but; informal plain.
Top

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fair-minded

adjective
fair, just, even-handed, equitable, impartial, non-partisan, unbiased, unprejudiced; honest, honourable, trustworthy, upright, decent; informal on the level; N. Amer. informal on the up and up.

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fairy

noun
sprite, pixie, elf, imp, brownie, puck, leprechaun, pishogue, nixie; poetic/literary faerie, fay.

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fairy tale fairy story

noun
the film was inspired by a fairy tale
folk tale, folk story, traditional story, myth, legend, fantasy, fable.
(informal) she accused him of telling fairy tales
(white) lie, fib, half-truth, untruth, falsehood, (tall) story, fabrication, invention, piece of fiction; informal whopper, cock-and-bull story; Brit. informal porky (pie).
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faith

noun
he justified his boss's faith in him
trust, belief, confidence, conviction; optimism, hopefulness, hope.
she gave her life for her faith
religion, church, sect, denomination, (religious) persuasion, (religious) belief, ideology, creed, teaching, doctrine.
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ANTONYMS :mistrust.

break faith with
be disloyal to, be unfaithful to, be untrue to, betray, play someone false, break one's promise to, fail, let down; double-cross, deceive, cheat, stab in the back; informal do the dirty on. keep faith with
be loyal to, be faithful to, be true to, stand by, stick by, keep one's promise to.

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faithful

adjective
his faithful assistant
loyal, constant, true, devoted, true-blue, unswerving, staunch, steadfast, dedicated, committed; trusty, trustworthy, dependable, reliable.
a faithful copy
accurate, precise, exact, errorless, unerring, faultless, true, close, strict; realistic, authentic; informal on the mark, on the nail; Brit. informal spot on, bang on; N. Amer. informal on the money.
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ANTONYMS :inaccurate.

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faithless

adjective
her faithless lover
unfaithful, disloyal, inconstant, false, untrue, adulterous, traitorous; fickle, flighty, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable; deceitful, two-faced, double-crossing; informal cheating, two-timing, back-stabbing; poetic/literary perfidious.
the natives were faithless
unbelieving, non-believing, irreligious, disbelieving, agnostic, atheistic; pagan, heathen; rare nullifidian.
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fake

noun
the sculpture was a fake
forgery, counterfeit, copy, pirate(d) copy, sham, fraud, hoax, imitation, mock-up, dummy, reproduction; informal phoney, rip-off, dupe.
that doctor is a fake
charlatan, quack, mountebank, sham, fraud, humbug, impostor, hoaxer, cheat, (confidence) trickster, fraudster; informal phoney, con man, con artist.
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adjective
fake banknotes
counterfeit, forged, fraudulent, sham, imitation, pirate(d), false, bogus; invalid; informal phoney, dud.
fake diamonds
imitation, artificial, synthetic, simulated, reproduction, replica, ersatz, man-made, dummy, false, mock, bogus; informal pretend, phoney, pseudo.
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a fake accent
feigned, faked, put-on, assumed, invented, affected, pseudo; unconvincing, artificial, mock; informal phoney, pseud; Brit. informal cod.
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ANTONYMS :genuine, authentic.

verb
the certificate was faked
forge, counterfeit, falsify, mock up, copy, pirate, reproduce, replicate; doctor, alter, tamper with.
he faked a yawn
feign, pretend, simulate, put on, make-believe, affect.
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fall

verb
bombs began to fall
drop, descend, come down, go down; plummet, plunge, sink, dive, tumble; cascade.
he tripped and fell
topple over, tumble over, keel over, fall down/over, go head over heels, go headlong, collapse, take a spill, pitch forward; trip (over), stumble, slip; informal come a cropper; Brit. informal go for six.
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the river began to fall
subside, recede, ebb, flow back, fall away, go down, sink.
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inflation will fall
decrease, decline, diminish, fall off, drop off, lessen, dwindle; plummet, plunge, slump, sink; depreciate, cheapen, devalue; informal go through the floor, nosedive, take a header, crash.
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the Mogul empire fell
decline, deteriorate, degenerate, go downhill, go to rack and ruin; decay, wither, fade, fail; informal go to the dogs, go to pot, go down the toilet; Austral./NZ informal go to the pack.
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those who fell in the war
die, perish, lose one's life, be killed, be slain, be lost, meet one's death; informal bite the dust, croak, buy it; Brit. informal snuff it; archaic decease.
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the town fell to the barbarians
surrender, yield, submit, give in, capitulate, succumb; be taken by, be defeated by, be conquered by, be overwhelmed by.
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Easter falls on 23rd April
occur, take place, happen, come about; arise; poetic/literary come to pass.
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night fell
come, arrive, appear, arise, materialize.
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she fell ill
become, grow, get, turn.
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more tasks may fall to him
be the responsibility of, be the duty of, be borne by, be one's job; come someone's way.
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ANTONYMS :rise, flood, increase, flourish.

noun
an accidental fall
tumble, trip, spill, topple, slip; collapse; informal nosedive, header, cropper.
a fall in sales
decline, fall-off, drop, decrease, cut, dip, reduction, downswing; plummet, plunge, slump; informal nosedive, crash.
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the fall of the Roman Empire
downfall, collapse, ruin, ruination, failure, decline , deterioration, degeneration; destruction, overthrow, demise.
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the fall of the city
surrender, capitulation, yielding, submission; defeat.
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a steep fall down to the ocean
descent, declivity, slope, slant, incline; N. Amer. downgrade.
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the fall of man
sin, wrongdoing, transgression, error, offence, lapse, fall from grace.
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rafting trips below the falls
waterfall, cascade, cataract; rapids, white water.
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ANTONYMS :increase, rise, ascent.

fall apart
fall/come to pieces, fall/come to bits, come apart (at the seams); disintegrate, fragment, break up, break apart, crumble, decay, perish; informal bust. fall asleep
doze off, drop off, go to sleep; informal nod off, go off, drift off, crash (out), flake out, conk out, go out like a light; N. Amer. informal sack out. fall away
slope (down), slant down, go down, drop (away), descend, dip, sink, plunge. fall back
retreat, withdraw, back off, draw back, pull back, pull away, move away. fall back on
resort to, turn to, look to, call on, have recourse to; rely on, depend on, lean on. fall behind
the other walkers fell behind
lag (behind), trail (behind), be left behind, drop back, bring up the rear; straggle, dally, dawdle, hang back.

they fell behind on their payments
get into debt, get into arrears, default, be in the red.
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fall down
I spin round till I fall down.
See fall verb sense 2.

his work fell down in some areas
fail, be unsuccessful, not succeed, not make the grade, fall short, fall flat, disappoint; miss the mark; informal come a cropper, flop.
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fall for
she fell for John
fall in love with, become infatuated with, lose one's heart to, take a fancy to, be smitten by, be attracted to; informal fancy, have the hots for.

she won't fall for that trick
be deceived by, be duped by, be fooled by, be taken in by, believe, trust, be convinced by; informal go for, buy, swallow (hook, line, and sinker).
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fall in
the roof fell in
collapse, cave in, crash in, fall down; give way, crumble, disintegrate.

the troops fell in
get in formation, get in line, line up, take one's position; Military dress.
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fall in with
he fell in with a bad crowd
get involved with, take up with, join up with, go around with, string along with, make friends with; informal hang out/about with.

he won't fall in with their demands
comply with, go along with, support, cooperate with, obey, yield to, submit to, bow to, defer to, adhere to, conform to; agree to, agree with, accept, concur with.
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fall off. See fall verb sense 4. fall on
attack, assail, assault, fly at, set about, set upon; pounce upon, ambush, surprise, rush, storm, charge; informal jump, lay into, pitch into, beat someone up; Brit. informal have a go at. fall out
let's not fall out
quarrel, argue, row, fight, squabble, bicker, have words, disagree, be at odds, clash, wrangle, cross swords, lock horns, be at loggerheads, be at each other's throats; informal scrap, argufy, argy-bargy.

the soldiers fell out
move out of formation, move out of line; stand at ease.
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fall short of
fail to meet, fail to reach, fail to live up to; be deficient, be inadequate, be insufficient, be wanting, be lacking, disappoint; informal not come up to scratch. fall through
fail, be unsuccessful, come to nothing, miscarry, abort, go awry, collapse, founder, come to grief; informal fizzle out, flop, fold, come a cropper, go down like a lead balloon.

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fallacious

adjective
erroneous, false, untrue, wrong, incorrect, flawed, inaccurate, mistaken, misinformed, misguided; specious, spurious, bogus, fictitious, fabricated, made up; groundless, unfounded, unproven, unsupported, uncorroborated; informal phoney, full of holes, off beam. ANTONYMS :correct.

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fallacy

noun
misconception, misbelief, delusion, mistaken impression, misapprehension, misinterpretation, misconstruction, error, mistake; untruth, inconsistency, myth.

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fallen

adjective
fallen heroes
dead, perished, killed, slain, slaughtered, murdered; lost, late, lamented, departed, gone; formal deceased; rare demised.
(dated) fallen women
immoral, loose, promiscuous, unchaste, sinful, impure, sullied, tainted, dishonoured, ruined.
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fallible

adjective
error-prone, errant, liable to err, open to error; imperfect, flawed, weak.

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fallow

adjective
fallow farmland
uncultivated, unploughed, untilled, unplanted, unsown; unused, dormant, resting, empty, bare.
a fallow trading period
inactive, dormant, quiet, slack, slow, stagnant; barren, unproductive.
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ANTONYMS :cultivated, busy.

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false

adjective
a false report
incorrect, untrue, wrong, erroneous, fallacious, flawed, distorted, inaccurate, imprecise; untruthful, fictitious, concocted, fabricated, invented, made up, trumped up, unfounded, spurious; counterfeit, forged, fraudulent.
a false friend
faithless, unfaithful, disloyal, untrue, inconstant, treacherous, traitorous, two-faced, double-crossing, deceitful, dishonest, duplicitous, untrustworthy, unreliable; untruthful; informal cheating, two-timing, back-stabbing; poetic/literary perfidious.
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false pearls
fake, artificial, imitation, synthetic, simulated, reproduction, replica, ersatz, man-made, dummy, mock; informal phoney, pretend, pseudo.
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ANTONYMS :correct, truthful, faithful, genuine.

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falsehood

noun
a downright falsehood
lie, untruth, fib, falsification, fabrication, invention, fiction, story, cock and bull story, flight of fancy; half truth; informal tall story, tall tale, fairy story, fairy tale, whopper; Brit. informal porky (pie); humorous terminological inexactitude.
he accused me of falsehood
lying, mendacity, untruthfulness, fibbing, fabrication, invention, perjury, telling stories; deceit, deception, pretence, artifice, double-crossing, treachery; poetic/literary perfidy.
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ANTONYMS :truth, honesty.

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falsify

verb
she falsified the accounts
forge, fake, counterfeit, fabricate; alter, change, doctor, tamper with, fudge, manipulate, adulterate, corrupt, misrepresent, misreport, distort, warp, embellish, embroider.
the theory is falsified by the evidence
disprove, refute, rebut, deny, debunk, negate, negative, invalidate, contradict, controvert, confound, demolish, discredit; informal shoot full of holes, blow out of the water; formal confute, gainsay.
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falsity

noun
untruthfulness, untruth, fallaciousness, falseness, falsehood, fictitiousness, inaccuracy; mendacity, fabrication, dishonesty, deceit.

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falter

verb
the government faltered
hesitate, delay, drag one's feet, stall; waver, vacillate, be indecisive, be irresolute, blow hot and cold; Brit. haver, hum and haw; informal sit on the fence, dilly-dally, shilly-shally.
she faltered over his name
stammer, stutter, stumble; hesitate, flounder.
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fame

noun
renown, celebrity, stardom, popularity, prominence; note, distinction, esteem, importance, account, consequence, greatness, eminence, prestige, stature, repute; notoriety, infamy. ANTONYMS :obscurity.

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famed

adjective
famous, celebrated, well known, prominent, noted, notable, renowned, respected, esteemed, acclaimed; notorious, infamous. ANTONYMS :unknown.

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familiar

adjective
a familiar task
well known, recognized, accustomed; common, commonplace, everyday, day-to-day, ordinary, habitual, usual, customary, routine, standard, stock, mundane, run-of-the-mill; poetic/literary wonted.
are you familiar with the subject?
acquainted, conversant, versed, knowledgeable, well informed; skilled, proficient; at home with, no stranger to, au fait with, au courant with; informal well up on, in the know about, genned up on, clued up on.
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a familiar atmosphere
informal, casual, relaxed, easy, comfortable; friendly, unceremonious, unreserved, open, natural, unpretentious.
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he is too familiar with the teachers
overfamiliar, presumptuous, disrespectful, forward, bold, impudent, impertinent.
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ANTONYMS :formal.

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familiarity

noun
he wants greater familiarity with politics
acquaintance with, awareness of, experience of, insight into, conversancy with, conversance with; knowledge of, understanding of, comprehension of, grasp of, skill in, proficiency in.
she was affronted by his familiarity
overfamiliarity, presumption, presumptuousness, forwardness, boldness, audacity, cheek, impudence, impertinence, disrespect; liberties.
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our familiarity allows us to tease each other
closeness, intimacy, attachment, affinity, friendliness, friendship, amity; informal chumminess, palliness; Brit. informal mateyness.
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familiarize

verb
make conversant, make familiar, acquaint; accustom to, habituate to, instruct in, teach in, educate in, school in, prime in, introduce to; informal gen up on, clue up on, put in the picture about, give the gen about, give the low-down on, fill in on.

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family

noun
I met his family
relatives, relations, (next of) kin, kinsfolk, kindred, one's (own) flesh and blood, nearest and dearest, people, connections; extended family; clan, tribe; informal folks.
he had the right kind of family
ancestry, parentage, pedigree, genealogy, background, family tree, descent, lineage, bloodline, blood, extraction, stock; forebears, forefathers, antecedents, roots, origins.
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she is married with a family
children, little ones, youngsters; offspring, progeny, descendants, scions, heirs; brood; Law issue; informal kids, kiddies, tots.
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the weaver bird family
taxonomic group, order, class, genus, species; stock, strain, line; Zoology phylum.
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family tree

noun
ancestry, genealogy, descent, lineage, line, bloodline, pedigree, background, extraction, derivation; family, dynasty, house; forebears, forefathers, antecedents, roots, origins.

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famine

noun
a nation threatened by famine
scarcity of food, food shortages.
the cotton famine
shortage, scarcity, lack, dearth, deficiency, insufficiency, shortfall, scantiness, paucity, poverty, drought.
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ANTONYMS :plenty.

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famished

adjective
ravenous, hungry, starving, starved, empty, unfed; informal peckish. ANTONYMS :full.

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famous

adjective
well known, prominent, famed, popular; renowned, noted, eminent, distinguished, esteemed, celebrated, respected; of distinction, of repute; illustrious, acclaimed, great, legendary, lionized; notorious, infamous. ANTONYMS :unknown.

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fan 1

noun
a ceiling fan
air-cooler, air conditioner, ventilator, blower, aerator.
verb
she fanned her face
cool, aerate, ventilate; freshen, refresh.
they fanned public fears
intensify, increase, agitate, inflame, exacerbate; stimulate, stir up, whip up, fuel, kindle, spark, arouse.
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the police squad fanned out
spread, branch; outspread.
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fan 2

noun
a basketball fan
enthusiast, devotee, admirer, lover; supporter, follower, disciple, adherent, zealot; expert, connoisseur, aficionado; informal buff, fiend, freak, nut, addict, fanatic, groupie; N. Amer. informal jock.

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fanatic

noun
a religious fanatic
zealot, extremist, militant, dogmatist, devotee, adherent; sectarian, bigot, partisan, radical, diehard, ultra; informal maniac.
(informal) a keep-fit fanatic.
See fan2.
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fanatical

adjective
they are fanatical about their faith
zealous, extremist, extreme, militant, dogmatic, radical, diehard; intolerant, single-minded, blinkered, inflexible, uncompromising.
he was fanatical about tidiness
enthusiastic, eager, keen, fervent, ardent, passionate; obsessive, obsessed, fixated, compulsive; informal wild, gung-ho, nuts, crazy; Brit. informal potty.
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fancier

noun
a pigeon fancier
enthusiast, lover, hobbyist; expert, connoisseur, aficionado; breeder; informal buff.

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fanciful

adjective
a fanciful story
fantastic, far-fetched, unbelievable, extravagant; ridiculous, absurd, preposterous; imaginary, made-up, make-believe, mythical, fabulous; informal tall, hard to swallow.
a fanciful girl
imaginative, inventive; whimsical, impractical, dreamy, quixotic; out of touch with reality, in a world of one's own.
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a fanciful building
ornate, exotic, fancy, imaginative, extravagant, fantastic; curious, bizarre, eccentric, unusual.
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ANTONYMS :literal, practical.

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fancy

verb
(Brit. informal) I fancied a change of scene
wish for, want, desire; long for, yearn for, crave, thirst for, hanker after, dream of, covet; informal have a yen for; archaic be desirous of.
(Brit. informal) she fancied him
be attracted to, find attractive, be infatuated with, be taken with, desire; lust after, burn for; informal have a crush on, have the hots for, be crazy about, have a thing about, have a soft spot for, carry a torch for.
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I fancied I could see lights
think, imagine, believe, be of the opinion, be under the impression; informal reckon.
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adjective
fancy clothes
elaborate, ornate, ornamental, decorative, adorned, embellished, intricate; ostentatious, showy, flamboyant; luxurious, lavish, extravagant, expensive; informal flash, flashy, jazzy, ritzy, snazzy, posh, classy; Brit. informal swish. ANTONYMS :plain.

noun
his fancy to own a farm
desire, urge, wish; inclination, whim, impulse, notion, whimsy; yearning, lo nging, hankering, craving; informal yen, itch.
I've a fancy they want to be alone
idea, notion, thought, supposition, opinion, belief, impression, understanding; feeling, suspicion, hunch, inkling.
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fanfare

noun
a fanfare announced her arrival
trumpet call, flourish, fanfaronade; archaic trump.
the project was greeted with great fanfare
fuss, commotion, show, display, ostentation, flashiness, pageantry, splendour; informal ballyhoo, hype, pizzazz, razzle-dazzle, glitz.
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fantasize

verb
daydream, dream, muse, make-believe, pretend, imagine; build castles in the air, build castles in Spain, live in a dream world.

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fantastic

adjective
a fantastic notion
fanciful, extravagant, extraordinary, irrational, wild, absurd, far-fetched, nonsensical, incredible, unbelievable, unthinkable, implausible, improbable, unlikely, doubtful, dubious; strange, peculiar, odd, queer, weird, eccentric, whimsical, capricious; visionary, romantic; informal crazy, cock-eyed, off the wall.
his fantastic accuracy
tremendous, remarkable, great, terrific, impressive, outstanding, phenomenal.
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fantastic shapes
strange, weird, bizarre, outlandish, queer, peculiar, grotesque, freakish, surreal, exotic; elaborate, ornate, intricate.
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(informal) a fantastic car
marvellous, wonderful, sensational, outstanding, superb, excellent, first-rate, first-class, dazzling, out of this world, breathtaking; informal great, terrific, fabulous, fab, mega, super, ace, magic, cracking, cool, wicked, awesome; Brit. informal brilliant, brill, smashing; Austral./NZ informal bonzer; Brit . informal, dated spiffing.
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ANTONYMS :rational, ordinary.

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fantasy

noun
a mix of fantasy and realism
imagination, fancy, invention, make-believe; creativity, vision; daydreaming, reverie.
his fantasy about being famous
dream, daydream, pipe dream, fanciful notion, wish; fond hope, chimera, delusion, illusion; informal pie in the sky.
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ANTONYMS :realism.

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far

adverb
we are far from the palace
a long way, a great distance, a good way; afar.
her charm far outweighs any flaws
much, considerably, markedly, immeasurably, greatly, significantly, substantially, appreciably, noticeably; to a great extent, by a long way, by far, by a mile, easily.
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ANTONYMS :near.

adjective
far places
distant, faraway, far-off, remote, out of the way, far-flung, outlying.
the far side of the campus
further, more distant; opposite.
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ANTONYMS :near.

by far
by a great amount, by a good deal, by a long way, by a mile, far and away; undoubtedly, without doubt, without question, positively, absolutely, easily; significantly, substantially, appreciably, much; Brit. by a long chalk. far and away. See by far. far and near
everywhere, (here, there, and everywhere), all over (the world), throughout the land, worldwide; informal all over the place; Brit. informal all over the shop; N. Amer. informal all over the map. far and wide. See far and near. far from staff were far from happy

not, not at all, nowhere near; the opposite of. go far
be successful, succeed, prosper, flourish, thrive, get on (in the world), make good, set the world on fire; informal make a name for oneself, make one's mark, go places, do all right for oneself, find a place in the sun. go too far
go over the top, go to extremes, go overboard. so far
nobody has noticed so far
until now, up to now, up to this point, as yet, thus far, hitherto, up to the present, to date.

his liberalism only extends so far
to a certain extent, up to a point, to a degree, within reason, within limits.
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faraway

adjective
faraway places
distant, far off, far, remote, far-flung, outlying; obscure, out of the way, off the beaten track.
a faraway look in her eyes
dreamy, daydreaming, abstracted, absent-minded, distracted, preoccupied, vague; lost in thought, somewhere else, not with us, in a world of one's own; informal miles away.
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ANTONYMS :nearby.

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farce

noun
the stories approach farce
slapstick (comedy), burlesque, vaudeville, buffoonery.
the trial was a farce
mockery, travesty, absurdity, sham, pretence, masquerade, charade, joke, waste of time; informal shambles.
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ANTONYMS :tragedy.

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farcical

adjective
the idea is farcical
ridiculous, preposterous, ludicrous, absurd, laughable, risible, nonsensical; senseless, pointless, useless; silly, foolish, idiotic, stupid, hare-brained; informal crazy; Brit. informal barmy, daft.
farcical goings-on
madcap, zany, slapstick, comic, comical, clownish, amusing; hilarious, uproarious; informal wacky.
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fare

noun
we paid the fare
ticket price, transport cost; price, cost, charge, fee, toll, tariff.
the taxi picked up a fare
passenger, traveller, customer; Brit. informal punter.
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they eat simple fare
food, meals, sustenance, nourishment, nutriment, foodstuffs, provender, eatables, provisions; cooking, cuisine; diet, table; informal grub, nosh, eats, chow; Brit. informal scoff; formal comestibles, victuals.
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verb
how are you faring?
get on, get along, cope, manage, do, muddle through/along, survive; informal make out.

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farewell

exclamation
farewell, Patrick!
goodbye, so long, adieu; au revoir, ciao; informal bye, bye-bye, cheerio, see you (later), later(s); Brit. informal ta-ta, cheers; informal, dated toodle-oo, toodle-pip.
noun
an emotional farewell
goodbye, valediction, adieu; leave-taking, parting, departure; send-off.

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far-fetched

adjective
improbable, unlikely, implausible, unconvincing, dubious, doubtful, incredible, unbelievable, unthinkable; contrived, fanciful, unrealistic, ridiculous, absurd, preposterous; informal hard to swallow, fishy. ANTONYMS :likely.

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farm

noun
a farm of 100 acres
smallholding, farmstead, plantation, estate; farmland; Brit. grange, croft; Scottish steading; N. Amer. ranch; Austral./NZ station.
verb
he farmed locally
be a farmer, cultivate the land, work the land; rear livestock.
they farm the land
cultivate, till, work, plough, dig, plant.
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the family farms sheep
breed, rear, keep, raise, tend.
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farm something out
contract out, outsource, subcontract, delegate.

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farmer

noun
agriculturalist, agronomist, smallholder, grazier; farmhand; Brit. crofter; N. Amer. rancher; historical yeoman.

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farming

noun
agriculture, cultivation, land management, farm management; husbandry; agriscience, agronomy, agribusiness; Brit. crofting.

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far out

adjective
(informal). See unconventional.

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farrago

noun
hotchpotch, mishmash, ragbag, pot-pourri, jumble, mess, confusion, melange, gallimaufry, hash, assortment, miscellany, mixture, conglomeration, medley; N. Amer. hodgepodge.

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far-reaching

adjective
extensive, wide-ranging, comprehensive, widespread, all-embracing, overarching, across the board, sweeping, blanket, wholesale; important, significant, radical, major, consequential. ANTONYMS :limited.

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far-sighted

adjective
prescient, visionary, percipient, shrewd, discerning, judicious, canny, prudent.

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farther

adverb & adjective
. See further.

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farthest

adjective
. See furthest.

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fascinate

verb
interest, captivate, engross, absorb, enchant, enthral, entrance, transfix, rivet, mesmerize, engage, compel; lure, tempt, entice, draw; charm, attract, intrigue, divert, entertain. ANTONYMS :bore.

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fascinating

adjective
interesting, captivating, engrossing, absorbing, enchanting, enthralling, spellbinding, riveting, engaging, compelling, compulsive, gripping, thrilling; alluring, tempting, irresistible; charming, attractive, intriguing, diverting, entertaining.

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fascination

noun
interest, preoccupation, passion, obsession, compulsion; allure, lure, charm, attraction, intrigue, appeal, pull, draw.

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fascism

noun
authoritarianism, totalitarianism, dictatorship, despotism, autocracy; Nazism, rightism; nationalism, xenophobia, racism, anti-Semitism, jingoism, isolationism; neo-fascism, neo-Nazism.

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fascist

noun
he was branded a fascist
authoritarian, totalitarian, autocrat, extreme right-winger, rightist; Nazi, blackshirt; nationalist, xenophobe, racist, anti-Semite, jingoist; neo-fascist, neo-Nazi. ANTONYMS :liberal.

adjective
a fascist regime
authoritarian, totalitarian, dictatorial, despotic, autocratic, undemocratic, illiberal; Nazi, extreme right-wing, rightist, militarist; nationalist(ic), xenophobic, racist, jingoistic. ANTONYMS :democratic.

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fashion

noun
the fashion for tight clothes
vogue, trend, craze, rage, mania, fad; style, look; tendency, convention, custom, practice; informal thing.
the world of fashion
clothes, clothing design, couture; informal the rag trade.
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it needs to be run in a sensible fashion
manner, way, method, mode, style; system, approach.
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verb
the model was fashioned from lead
construct, build, make, manufacture, fabricate, contrive; cast, shape, form, mould, sculpt; forge, hew.
after a fashion
to a certain extent, in a way, somehow (or other), in a manner of speaking, in its way. in fashion
fashionable, in vogue, up to date, up to the minute, all the rage, chic, à la mode; informal trendy, with it, cool, in, the in thing, hot, big, hip, happening, now, sharp, groovy; N. Amer. tony, fly; Brit. informal, dated all the go. out of fashion
unfashionable, dated, old-fashioned , out of date, outdated, outmoded, behind the times; unstylish, unpopular, passé, démodé; informal old hat, out, square, out of the ark.

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fashionable

adjective
in vogue, voguish, in fashion, popular, (bang) up to date, up to the minute, modern, all the rage, modish, à la mode, trendsetting; stylish, chic; informal trendy, classy, with it, cool, in, the in thing, hot, big, hip, happening, now, sharp, groovy, snazzy; N. Amer. informal tony, fly; Brit. informal, dated all the go.

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fast 1

adjective
a fast pace
speedy, quick, swift, rapid; fast-moving, high-speed, turbo, sporty; accelerated, express, blistering, breakneck, pell-mell; hasty, hurried; informal nippy, zippy, scorching, blinding, supersonic; Brit. informal cracking; poetic/literary fleet.
he held the door fast
secure, fastened, tight, firm, closed, shut, to; immovable, unbudgeable.
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a fast colour
indelible, lasting, permanent, stable.
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fast friends
loyal, devoted, faithful, firm, steadfast, staunch, true, boon, bosom, inseparable; constant, enduring, unswerving.
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a fast woman
promiscuous, licentious, dissolute, debauched, impure, unchaste, wanton, abandoned, of easy virtue; sluttish, whorish; intemperate, immoderate, shameless, sinful, immoral; informal easy, tarty; Brit. informal slaggy; N. Amer. informal roundheeled; dated loose.
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ANTONYMS :slow, loose, temporary, chaste.

adverb
she drove fast
quickly, rapidly, swiftly, speedily, briskly, at speed, at full tilt; hastily, hurriedly, in a hurry, post-haste, pell-mell; like a shot, like a flash, on the double, at the speed of light; informal double quick, p.d.q. (pretty damn quick), nippily, like (greased) lightning, hell for leather, like mad, like the wind, like a scalded cat, like a bat out of hell; Brit. informal like the clappers, at a rate of knots, like billy-o; N. Amer. informal lickety-split; poetic/literary apace.
his wheels were stuck fast
securely, firmly, immovably, fixedly.
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he's fast asleep
deeply, sound, completely.
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she lived fast and dangerously
wildly, dissolutely, intemperately, immoderately, recklessly, self-indulgently, extravagantly.
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ANTONYMS :slowly.

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fast 2

verb
we must fast and pray
eat nothing, abstain from food, refrain from eating, go without food, go hungry, starve oneself; go on hunger strike. ANTONYMS :eat.

noun
a five-day fast
period of fasting, period of abstinence; hunger strike; diet. ANTONYMS :feast.

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fasten

verb
he fastened the door
bolt, lock, secure, make fast, chain, seal.
they fastened splints to his leg
attach, fix, affix, clip, pin, tack; stick, bond, join.
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he fastened his horse to a tree
tie (up), bind, tether, truss, fetter, lash, hitch, anchor, strap, rope.
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the dress fastens at the front
button (up), zip (up), do up, close.
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his gaze fastened on me
focus, fix, be riveted, concentrate, zero in, zoom in, direct at.
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blame had been fastened on some nutter
ascribe to, attribute to, assign to, chalk up to; pin on, lay at the door of.
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critics fastened on the end of the report
single out, concentrate on, focus on, pick out, fix on, seize on.
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ANTONYMS :unlock, remove, open, untie, undo.

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fastidious

adjective
scrupulous, punctilious, painstaking, meticulous; perfectionist, fussy, finicky, over-particular; critical, overcritical, hypercritical, hard to please, exacting, demanding; informal pernickety, nit-picking, choosy, picky; N. Amer. informal persnickety. ANTONYMS :lax.

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fat

adjective
a fat man
plump, stout, overweight, large, chubby, portly, flabby, paunchy, pot-bellied, beer-bellied, meaty, of ample proportions; obese, corpulent, gross, fleshy; informal tubby, roly-poly, beefy, porky, blubbery, chunky; Brit. informal podgy, fubsy; archaic pursy.
fat bacon
fatty, greasy, oily, oleaginous; formal pinguid.
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a fat book
thick, big, chunky, substantial; long.
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(informal) a fat salary
large, substantial, sizeable, considerable; generous, lucrative.
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ANTONYMS :thin, lean, small, good.

noun
whale fat
blubber, fatty tissue, adipose tissue.
he was running to fat
fatness, plumpness, stoutness, chubbiness, tubbiness, portliness, podginess, flabbiness; obesity, corpulence; informal flab, blubber.
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eggs in sizzling fat
cooking oil, grease; lard, suet, butter, margarine.
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fatal

adjective
a fatal disease
deadly, lethal, mortal, death-dealing; terminal, incurable, untreatable, inoperable, malignant; poetic/literary deathly.
a fatal mistake
disastrous, devastating, ruinous, catastrophic, calamitous, dire; costly; formal grievous.
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ANTONYMS :harmless, beneficial.

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fatalism

noun
passive acceptance, resignation, stoicism; fate.

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fatality

noun
death, casualty, mortality, victim; fatal accident.

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fate

noun
what has fate in store for me?
destiny, providence, the stars, chance, luck, serendipity, fortune, kismet, karma.
my fate was in their hands
future, destiny, outcome, end, lot.
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a similar fate would befall other killers
death, demise, end; retribution, sentence.
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the Fates will decide
the weird sisters, the Parcae, the Moirai.
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verb
his daughter was fated to face the same problem
be predestined, be preordained, be destined, be meant, be doomed; be sure, be certain, be bound, be guaranteed.

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fateful

adjective
that fateful day
decisive, critical, crucial, pivotal; momentous, important, key, significant, historic, portentous.
the fateful defeat of 1402
disastrous, ruinous, calamitous, devastating, tragic, terrible.
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ANTONYMS :unimportant.

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father

noun
his mother and father
male parent, patriarch, paterfamilias; informal dad, daddy, pop, pa, old man; Brit. informal, dated pater.
(poetic/literary) the religion of my fathers
ancestor, forefather, forebear, predecessor, antecedent, progenitor, primogenitor.
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the father of democracy
originator, initiator, founder, inventor, creator, maker, author, architect.
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the city fathers
leader, elder, patriarch, official.
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our heavenly Father
God, Lord (God).
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pray for me, Father
priest, pastor, parson, clergyman, cleric, minister, preacher; informal reverend, padre.
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paternal, patri-. ANTONYMS :child, mother, descendant.

verb
he fathered six children
be the father of, sire, bring into the world, spawn, breed; poetic/literary beget; archaic engender.
he fathered a strand of applied economics
establish, institute, originate, initiate, invent, found, create.
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fatherland

noun
native land, native country, homeland, mother country, motherland, land of one's birth.

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fatherly

adjective
paternal, fatherlike; protective, supportive, encouraging, affectionate, caring, sympathetic, indulgent.

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fathom

verb
Charlie tried to fathom her expression
understand, comprehend, work out, make sense of, grasp, divine, puzzle out, get to the bottom of; interpret, decipher, decode; informal make head or tail of, tumble to, crack; Brit. informal twig, suss (out), savvy.
fathoming the ocean
measure the depth of, sound, plumb.
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fatigue

noun
his face was grey with fatigue
tiredness, weariness, exhaustion, enervation, prostration.
(Military) kitchen fatigues
menial work, drudgery, chores; informal skivvying.
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ANTONYMS :energy.

verb
the troops were fatigued
tire (out), exhaust, wear out, drain, weary, wash out, overtire, prostrate, enervate; informal knock out, take it out of, do in, fag out, whack, poop, shatter, bush, wear to a frazzle; Brit. informal knacker. ANTONYMS :invigorate.

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fatness

noun
plumpness, stoutness, heaviness, chubbiness, portliness, rotundity, flabbiness, paunchiness; obesity, corpulence; informal tubbiness, podginess. ANTONYMS :thinness.

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fatten

verb
fattening livestock
make fat/fatter, feed (up), build up.
we're sending her home to fatten up
put on weight, gain weight, get heavier, grow fatter, fill out.
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ANTONYMS :slim.

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fatty

adjective
greasy, oily, fat, oleaginous. ANTONYMS :lean.

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fatuous

adjective
silly, foolish, stupid, inane, idiotic, vacuous, asinine; pointless, senseless, ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd; informal dumb, gormless; Brit. informal daft. ANTONYMS :sensible.

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fault

noun
he has his faults
defect, failing, imperfection, flaw, blemish, shortcoming, weakness, frailty, foible, vice.
engineers have located the fault
defect, flaw, imperfection, bug; error, mistake, inaccuracy; informal glitch, gremlin.
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it was not my fault
responsibility, liability, culpability, blameworthiness, guilt.
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don't blame one child for another's faults
misdeed, wrongdoing, offence, misdemeanour, misconduct, indiscretion, peccadillo, transgression.
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ANTONYMS :merit, strength.

verb
you couldn't fault any of the players
find fault with, criticize, attack, censure, condemn, reproach; complain about, quibble about, moan about; informal knock, slam, gripe about, beef about, pick holes in; Brit. informal slag off, have a go at, slate.
at fault
to blame, blameworthy, culpable; responsible, guilty, in the wrong. to a fault
excessively, unduly, immoderately, overly, needlessly.

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fault-finding

noun
criticism, captiousness, cavilling, quibbling; complaining, grumbling, carping, moaning; informal griping, grousing, bellyaching. ANTONYMS :praise.

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faultless

adjective
perfect, flawless, without fault, error-free, impeccable, accurate, precise, exact, correct, exemplary. ANTONYMS :flawed.

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faulty

adjective
a faulty electric blanket
malfunctioning, broken, damaged, defective, not working, out of order; informal on the blink, acting up, kaput, bust; Brit. informal knackered, playing up, duff; N. Amer. informal on the fritz.
her logic is faulty
defective, flawed, unsound, inaccurate, incorrect, erroneous, fallacious, wrong.
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dys-. ANTONYMS :working, sound.

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faux pas

noun
gaffe, blunder, mistake, indiscretion, impropriety, solecism; informal boo-boo; Brit. informal boob; N. Amer. informal blooper.

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favour

noun
will you do me a favour?
good turn, service, good deed, (act of) kindness, courtesy.
she looked on him with favour
approval, approbation, goodwill, kindness, benevolence.
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they showed favour to one of the players
favouritism, bias, partiality, partisanship.
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you shall receive the king's favour
patronage, backing, support, assistance.
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(archaic) you shall wear my favours
ribbon, rosette, badge, token; keepsake, souvenir, memento.
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ANTONYMS :disservice, disapproval.

verb
the party favours electoral reform
advocate, recommend, approve of, be in favour of, support, back, champion; campaign for, stand up for, press for, lobby for, promote; informal plug, push for.
Robyn favours loose clothes
prefer, go (in) for, choose, opt for, select, pick, plump for, be partial to, like.
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father always favoured George
show favouritism towards, have a bias towards, think more highly of.
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the conditions favoured the other team
benefit, be to the advantage of, help, assist, aid, be of service to, do someone a favour.
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he favoured Lucy with a smile
oblige, honour, gratify, humour, indulge.
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(informal) Travis favours our father
resemble, look like, be similar to, bear a resemblance to, remind one of, take after; informal be the spitting image of, be a dead ringer for.
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ANTONYMS :oppose, dislike, hinder.

in favour of
on the side of, pro, (all) for, giving support to, approving of, sympathetic to.

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favourable

adjective
a favourable assessment of his ability
approving, commendatory, complimentary, flattering, glowing, enthusiastic; good, pleasing, positive; informal rave.
conditions are favourable
advantageous, beneficial, in one's favour, good, right, suitable, fitting, appropriate; propitious, auspicious, promising, encouraging.
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a favourable reply
positive, affirmative, assenting, agreeing, approving; encouraging, reassuring.
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ANTONYMS :critical, disadvantageous, negative.

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favourably

adverb
positively, approvingly, sympathetically, enthusiastically, appreciatively.

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favoured

adjective
preferred, favourite, recommended, chosen, choice.

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favourite

adjective
his favourite aunt
best-loved, most-liked, favoured, dearest; preferred, chosen, choice.
noun
Brutus was Caesar's favourite
(first) choice, pick, preference, pet, darling, the apple of one's eye; informal blue-eyed boy, golden boy; N. Amer. informal fair-haired boy.
the favourite fell at the first fence
expected winner, front runner.
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favouritism

noun
partiality, partisanship, unfair preference, preferential treatment, favour, prejudice, bias, inequality, unfairness, discrimination.

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fawn 1

adjective
a fawn carpet
beige, yellowish-brown, pale brown, buff, sand, oatmeal, café au lait, camel, ecru, taupe, stone, mushroom.

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fawn 2

verb
they were fawning over the President
be obsequious to, be sycophantic to, curry favour with, pay court to, play up to, crawl to, ingratiate oneself with, dance attendance on; informal suck up to, make up to, be all over; Austral./NZ informal smoodge to.

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fawning

adjective
obsequious, servile, sycophantic, flattering, ingratiating, unctuous, oleaginous, grovelling, crawling; informal bootlicking, smarmy.

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fear

noun
she felt fear at entering the house
terror, fright, fearfulness, horror, alarm, panic, agitation, trepidation, dread, consternation, dismay, distress; anxiety, worry, angst, unease, uneasiness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, nervousness, nerves, perturbation, foreboding; informal the creeps, the willies, the heebie-jeebies, jitteriness, twitchiness, butterflies (in the stomach), (blue) funk.
she overcame her fears
phobia, aversion, antipathy, dread, bugbear, bogey, nightmare, horror, terror; anxiety, neurosis; informal hang-up.
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(archaic) the love and fear of God
awe, wonder, wonderment; reverence, veneration, respect.
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there's no fear of me leaving you alone
likelihood, likeliness, prospect, possibility, chance, probability; risk, danger.
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verb
she feared her husband
be afraid of, be fearful of, be scared of, be apprehensive of, dread, live in fear of, be terrified of; be anxious about, worry about, feel apprehensive about.
he fears heights
have a phobia about, have a horror of, take fright at.
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he feared to tell them
be too afraid, be too scared, hesitate, dare not.
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they feared for his health
worry about, feel anxious about, feel concerned about, have anxieties about.
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(archaic) all who fear the Lord
stand in awe of, revere, reverence, venerate, respect.
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I fear that you may be right
suspect, have a (sneaking) suspicion, be inclined to think, be afraid, have a hunch, think it likely.
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fearful

adjective
they are fearful of being overheard
afraid, frightened, scared (stiff), scared to death, terrified, petrified; alarmed, panicky, nervy, nervous, tense, apprehensive, uneasy, worried (sick), anxious; informal jittery, jumpy; Brit. informal in a (blue) funk; archaic afeared, affrighted.
the guards were fearful
nervous, trembling, quaking, cowed, daunted; timid, timorous, faint-hearted; Brit. nervy; informal jittery, jumpy, twitchy, keyed up, in a cold sweat, a bundle of nerves, like a cat on a hot tin roof; Brit. informal having kittens, like a cat on hot bricks; N. Amer. informal spooky.
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a fearful accident
terrible, dreadful, awful, appalling, frightful, ghastly, horrific, horrible, horrifying, horrendous, terribly bad, shocking, atrocious, abominable, hideous, monstrous, gruesome.
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(informal) he was in a fearful hurry
(very) great, extreme, real, dreadful; informal terrible.
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fearfully

adverb
she opened the door fearfully
apprehensively, uneasily, nervously, timidly, timorously, hesitantly, with one's heart in one's mouth.
(informal) Stephanie looked fearfully glamorous
extremely, exceedingly, exceptionally, remarkably, uncommonly, extraordinarily, tremendously, incredibly, very, really; Scottish unco; informal awfully, terribly, dreadfully; Brit. well, ever so, dead; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful; dated frightfully.
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fearless

adjective
bold, brave, courageous, intrepid, valiant, valorous, gallant, plucky, lionhearted, heroic, daring, audacious, indomitable, doughty; unafraid, undaunted, unflinching; informal gutsy, spunky, ballsy, feisty. ANTONYMS :timid, cowardly.

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fearsome

adjective
frightening, horrifying, terrifying, menacing, chilling, spine-chilling, hair-raising, alarming, unnerving, daunting, formidable, forbidding, dismaying, disquieting, disturbing; informal scary.

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feasible

adjective
practicable, practical, workable, achievable, attainable, realizable, viable, realistic, sensible, reasonable, within reason; suitable, possible, expedient, constructive; informal doable. ANTONYMS :impractical.

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feast

noun
a wedding feast
banquet, celebration meal, lavish dinner; treat, entertainment; revels, festivities; informal blowout, spread; Brit. informal nosh-up, beanfeast, bunfight, beano, slap-up meal.
the feast of St Stephen
(religious) festival, feast day, saint's day, holy day, holiday.
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a feast for the eyes
treat, delight, joy, pleasure.
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verb
they feasted on lobster
gorge on, dine on, eat one's fill of, overindulge in, binge on; eat, devour, consume, partake of; informal stuff one's face with, stuff oneself with, pig oneself on, pig out on.
they feasted the deputation
hold a banquet for, throw a feast/party for, wine and dine, entertain lavishly, regale, treat, fête.
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feat

noun
achievement, accomplishment, attainment, coup, triumph; undertaking, enterprise, venture, operation, exercise, endeavour, effort, performance, exploit.

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feather

noun
plume, quill, flight feather, tail feather; Ornithology covert, plumule; (feathers) plumage, feathering, down.

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feature

noun
a typical feature of French music
characteristic, attribute, quality, property, trait, hallmark, trademark; aspect, facet, factor, ingredient, component, element, theme; peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, quirk.
her delicate features
face, countenance, physiognomy; informal mug, kisser; Brit. informal mush, phiz; N. Amer. informal puss, pan; poetic/literary visage, lineaments.
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she made a feature of her garden sculptures
centrepiece, (special) attraction, highlight, focal point, focus (of attention).
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a series of short features
article, piece, item, report, story, column, review, commentary, write-up.
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verb
Radio Ulster is featuring a week of live concerts
present, promote, make a feature of, give prominence to, focus attention on, spotlight, highlight.
she is to feature in a major advertising campaign
star, appear, participate, play a part.
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febrile

adjective
feverish, hot, burning, flushed, sweating; informal having a temperature; rare pyretic.

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feckless

adjective
useless, worthless, incompetent, inept, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well; lazy, idle, slothful, indolent, shiftless; informal no-good, no-account.

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fecund

adjective
fertile, fruitful, productive, high-yielding; rich, lush, flourishing, thriving; formal fructuous. ANTONYMS :barren.

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federal

adjective
confederate, federated, federative; combined, allied, united, amalgamated, integrated.

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federate

verb
confederate, combine, unite, unify, merge, amalgamate, integrate, join (up), band together, team up.

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federation

noun
confederation, confederacy, federacy, league; combination, alliance, coalition, union, syndicate, guild, consortium, partnership, cooperative, association, amalgamation.

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fee

noun
payment, wage, salary, allowance; price, cost, charge, tariff, rate, amount, sum, figure; (fees) remuneration, dues, earnings, pay; formal emolument.

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feeble

adjective
he was very old and feeble
weak, weakly, weakened, frail, infirm, delicate, sickly, ailing, unwell, poorly, enfeebled, enervated, debilitated, incapacitated, decrepit.
a feeble argument
ineffective, ineffectual, inadequate, unconvincing, implausible, unsatisfactory, poor, weak, flimsy.
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he's too feeble to stand up to his boss
cowardly, craven, faint-hearted, spineless, spiritless, lily-livered; timid, timorous, fearful, unassertive, weak, ineffectual; informal wimpy, sissy, sissified, gutless, chicken; Brit. informal wet.
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a feeble light
faint, dim, weak, pale, soft, subdued, muted.
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ANTONYMS :strong, brave.

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feeble-minded

adjective
don't be so feeble-minded
stupid, idiotic, imbecilic, foolish, witless, doltish, empty-headed, vacuous; informal half-witted, moronic, dumb, dim, dopey, dozy, dotty, dippy; Brit. informal daft.
(dated) the segregation of the feeble-minded
having learning difficulties, having special (educational) needs, backward, simple, slow, (mentally) retarded; dated educationally subnormal, ESN; informal mental.
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ANTONYMS :clever, gifted.

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feed

verb
a large family to feed
give food to, provide (food) for, cater for, cook for; suckle, breastfeed, bottle-feed; dated victual.
the baby spends all day feeding
eat, consume food, have a meal, snack; informal nosh, graze.
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too many cows feeding in a small area
graze, browse, crop, pasture.
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the birds feed on a varied diet
live on/off, exist on, subsist on, eat, consume.
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feeding one's self-esteem
strengthen, fortify, support, bolster, reinforce, boost, fuel, encourage.
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she fed secrets to the Russians
supply, provide, give, deliver, furnish, issue.
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noun
feed for goats and sheep
fodder, food, forage, pasturage, herbage, provender; formal comestibles.
(informal) they halted for their feed
meal, lunch, dinner, supper; Brit. tea; informal nosh; Brit. informal scoff; formal repast.
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feel

verb
she felt the fabric
touch, stroke, caress, fondle, finger, thumb, handle.
she felt a breeze on her back
perceive, sense, detect, discern, notice, be aware of, be conscious of.
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the patient does not feel pain
experience, undergo, go through, bear, endure, suffer.
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he felt his way towards the door
grope, fumble, scrabble, pick.
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feel the temperature of the water
test, try (out), assess.
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he feels that he should go to the meeting
believe, think, consider (it right), be of the opinion, hold, maintain, judge; informal reckon, figure.
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I feel that he is only biding his time
sense, have a (funny) feeling, get the impression, have a hunch, intuit.
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the air feels damp
seem, appear, strike one as.
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noun
the divers worked by feel
(sense of) touch, tactile sense, feeling (one's way).
the feel of the paper
texture, surface, finish; weight, thickness, consistency, quality.
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the feel of a room
atmosphere, ambience, aura, mood, feeling, air, impression, character, tenor, spirit, flavour; informal vibrations, vibes.
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a feel for languages
aptitude, knack, flair, bent, talent, gift, faculty, ability.
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feel for
sympathize with, be sorry for, pity, feel pity for, feel sympathy for, feel compassion for, be moved by; commiserate with, condole with. feel like
want, would like, wish for, desire, fancy, feel in need of, long for; informal yen for, be dying for.

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feeler

noun
the fish has two feelers on its head
antenna, tentacle, tactile/sensory organ; Zoology antennule.
the minister put out feelers
tentative enquiry/proposal, advance, approach, overture, probe.
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feeling

noun
assess the fabric by feeling
(sense of) touch, feel, tactile sense, using one's hands.
a feeling of nausea
sensation, sense, consciousness.
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I had a feeling that I would win
(sneaking) suspicion, notion, inkling, hunch, funny feeling, feeling in one's bones, fancy, idea; presentiment, premonition; informal gut feeling.
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the strength of her feeling
love, affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, warmness, emotion, sentiment; passion, ardour, desire.
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out of touch with public feeling
sentiment, emotion; opinion, attitude, belief, ideas, views.
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a rush of feeling
compassion, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, concern, solicitude, solicitousness, tenderness, (brotherly) love; pity, sorrow, commiseration.
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he had hurt her feelings
sensibilities, sensitivities, self-esteem, pride.
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my feeling is that it is true
opinion, belief, view, impression, intuition, instinct, hunch, estimation, guess.
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a feeling of peace
atmosphere, ambience, aura, air, feel, mood, impression, spirit, quality, flavour; informal vibrations, vibes.
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a remarkable feeling for language
aptitude, knack, flair, bent, talent, gift, faculty, ability.
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adjective
a feeling man
sensitive, warm, warm-hearted, tender, tender-hearted, caring, sympathetic, kind, compassionate, understanding, thoughtful.

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feign

verb
she lay still and feigned sleep
simulate, fake, sham, affect, give the appearance of, make a pretence of.
he's not really ill, he's only feigning
pretend, put it on, fake, sham, bluff, masquerade, play-act; informal kid.
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feigned

adjective
pretended, simulated, affected, artificial, insincere, put-on, fake, false, sham; informal pretend, phoney. ANTONYMS :sincere.

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feint

noun
bluff, blind, ruse, deception, subterfuge, hoax, trick, ploy, device, dodge, sham, pretence, cover, smokescreen, distraction, contrivance; informal red herring.

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felicitations

plural noun
congratulations, good/best wishes, (kind) regards, blessings, compliments, respects.

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felicitous

adjective
his nickname was particularly felicitous
apt, well chosen, fitting, suitable, appropriate, apposite, pertinent, germane, relevant.
the room's only felicitous feature
favourable, advantageous, good, pleasing.
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ANTONYMS :inappropriate, unfortunate.

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felicity

noun
domestic felicity
happiness, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, bliss, delight, cheerfulness; contentedness, satisfaction, pleasure.
David expressed his feelings with his customary felicity
eloquence, aptness, appropriateness, suitability, suitableness, applicability, fitness, relevance, pertinence.
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ANTONYMS :unhappiness, inappropriateness.

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feline

adjective
she moved with feline grace
catlike, graceful, sleek, sinuous.
noun
her pet feline
cat, kitten; informal puss, pussy (cat); Brit. informal moggie, mog; archaic grimalkin.

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fell 1

verb
all the dead sycamores had to be felled
cut down, chop down, hack down, saw down, clear.
she felled him with one punch
knock down/over, knock to the ground, strike down, bring down, bring to the ground, prostrate; knock out, knock unconscious; informal deck, floor, flatten, down, lay out, KO; Brit. informal knock for six.
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fell 2

adjective
(poetic/literary) a fell intent
murderous, savage, violent, vicious, fierce, ferocious, barbarous, barbaric, monstrous, cruel, ruthless; archaic sanguinary.
at/in one fell swoop
all at once, together, at the same time, in one go.

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fellow

noun
(informal) he's a decent sort of fellow
man, boy; person, individual, soul; informal guy, geezer, lad, fella, character, customer, devil, bastard; Brit. informal chap, bloke; N. Amer. informal dude, hombre; Austral./NZ informal digger; informal, dated body, dog, cove.
(informal) she longed to have a fellow
boyfriend, lover.
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he exchanged glances with his fellows
companion, friend, comrade, partner, associate, co-worker, colleague; informal chum, pal, buddy; Brit. informal mate.
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some peasants were wealthier than their fellows
peer, equal, contemporary, confrère; archaic compeer.
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fellow feeling
sympathy, empathy, feeling, compassion, care, concern, solicitude, solicitousness, warmth, tenderness, (brotherly) love; pity, sorrow, commiseration.

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fellowship

noun
a community bound together in fellowship
companionship, companionability, sociability, comradeship, camaraderie, friendship, mutual support; togetherness, solidarity; informal chumminess, palliness; Brit. informal mateyness.
the church fellowship
association, society, club, league, union, guild, affiliation, alliance, fraternity, brotherhood, sorority, sodality.
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female

adjective
typical female attributes
feminine, womanly, ladylike; archaic feminal. ANTONYMS :male.

noun
the author was a female.
See woman sense 1. gynaeco-.

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feminine

adjective
a very feminine young woman
womanly, ladylike, girlish, girly; archaic feminal.
he seemed slightly feminine
effeminate, womanish, unmanly, effete; informal sissy, wimpy, limp-wristed.
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ANTONYMS :masculine, manly.

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femininity

noun
womanliness, feminineness, womanly/feminine qualities.

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feminism

noun
the women's movement, the feminist movement, women's liberation, female emancipation, women's rights; informal women's lib.

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femme fatale

noun
seductress, temptress, siren; informal vamp.

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fen

noun
marsh, marshland, salt marsh, fenland, wetland, (peat) bog, swamp, swampland; N. Amer. moor.

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fence

noun
a gap in the fence
barrier, paling, railing, enclosure, barricade, stockade, palisade.
(informal) a fence dealing mainly in jewellery
receiver (of stolen goods), dealer.
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verb
they fenced off many acres
enclose, surround, circumscribe, encircle, circle, encompass; poetic/literary engirdle; archaic compass.
he fenced in his chickens
confine, pen in, coop up, shut in/up, separate off; enclose, surround; N. Amer. corral.
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he fences as a hobby
fight with swords, sword-fight.
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the man fenced but Jim persisted
be evasive, be vague, be non-committal, equivocate, prevaricate, stall, vacillate, hedge, pussyfoot around, sidestep the issue; informal duck the question/issue, flannel, shilly-shally; Brit. informal waffle; rare palter.
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(sitting) on the fence (informal)
undecided, uncommitted, uncertain, unsure, vacillating, wavering, dithering, hesitant, doubtful, ambivalent, in two minds, in a quandary; neutral, impartial, non-partisan, open-minded; Brit. humming and hawing.

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fend

verb
they were unable to fend off the invasion
ward off, head off, stave off, hold off, repel, repulse, resist, fight off, defend oneself against, prevent, stop, block, intercept, hold back.
fend for oneself
take care of oneself, look after oneself, provide for oneself, shift for oneself, manage by oneself, cope alone, stand on one's own two feet.

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feral

adjective
feral dogs
wild, untamed, undomesticated, untrained.
a feral snarl
fierce, ferocious, vicious, savage, predatory, menacing, bloodthirsty.
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ANTONYMS :tame, pet.

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ferment

verb
the beer continues to ferment
undergo fermentation, brew; effervesce, fizz, foam, froth.
an environment that ferments disorder
cause, bring about, give rise to, generate, engender, spawn, instigate, provoke, incite, excite, stir up, whip up, foment; poetic/literary beget, enkindle.
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noun
a ferment of revolutionary upheaval
fever, furore, frenzy, tumult, storm, rumpus; turmoil, upheaval, unrest, disquiet, uproar, agitation, turbulence, disruption, confusion, disorder, chaos, mayhem; informal kerfuffle, hoo-ha, to-do; Brit. informal aggro.
(archaic) the action of a ferment
fermenting agent/substance, enzyme; yeast, bacteria, leaven.
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ferocious

adjective
ferocious animals
fierce, savage, wild, predatory, aggressive, dangerous.
a ferocious attack
brutal, vicious, violent, bloody, barbaric, savage, sadistic, ruthless, cruel, merciless, heartless, bloodthirsty, murderous; poetic/literary fell; archaic sanguinary.
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(informal) a ferocious headache
intense, strong, powerful, fierce, severe, extreme, acute, unbearable; informal hellish.
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ANTONYMS :gentle, mild.

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ferocity

noun
savagery, brutality, barbarity, fierceness, violence, bloodthirstiness, murderousness; ruthlessness, cruelty, pitilessness, mercilessness, heartlessness.

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ferret

verb
she ferreted in her handbag
rummage, feel around, grope around, forage around, fish about/around, poke about/around; search through, hunt through, rifle through; Austral./NZ informal fossick through.
ferreting out misdemeanours
unearth, uncover, discover, detect, search out, bring to light, track down, dig up, root out, nose out; informal get wise to; Brit. informal rumble.
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ferry

noun
the ferry from Dover to Calais
passenger boat/ship, ferry boat, car ferry; ship, boat, vessel; dated packet (boat).
verb
ferrying passengers to and from the Continent
transport, convey, carry, ship, run, take, bring, shuttle.
the boat ferried hourly across the river
go back and forth, shuttle, run.
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fertile

adjective
the soil is fertile
fecund, fruitful, productive, high-yielding, rich, lush; formal fructuous.
fertile couples
able to conceive, able to have children; technical fecund.
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a fertile brain
imaginative, inventive, innovative, creative, visionary, original, ingenious; productive, prolific.
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ANTONYMS :barren.

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fertilization

noun
conception, impregnation, insemination; pollination, propagation.

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fertilize

verb
the field was fertilized
add fertilizer to, feed, mulch, compost, manure, dress, top-dress.
these orchids are fertilized by insects
pollinate, cross-pollinate, cross-fertilize.
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fertilizer

noun
manure, plant food, compost, dressing, top dressing, dung.

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fervent

adjective
impassioned, passionate, intense, vehement, ardent, sincere, fervid, heartfelt; enthusiastic, zealous, fanatical, wholehearted, avid, eager, keen, committed, dedicated, devout; informal mad keen; poetic/literary perfervid. ANTONYMS :apathetic.

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fervid

adjective
fervent, ardent, passionate, impassioned, intense, vehement, wholehearted, heartfelt, sincere, earnest; poetic/literary perfervid.

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fervour

noun
passion, ardour, intensity, zeal, vehemence, emotion, warmth, earnestness, avidity, eagerness, keenness, enthusiasm, excitement, animation, vigour, energy, fire, spirit, zest, fervency, ardency. ANTONYMS :apathy.

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fester

verb
his deep wound festered
suppurate, become septic, form pus, weep; Medicine maturate, be purulent; archaic rankle.
rubbish festered
rot, moulder, decay, decompose, putrefy, go bad/off, spoil, deteriorate.
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their resentment festered
rankle, eat/gnaw away at one's mind, brew, smoulder.
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festival

noun
the town's autumn festival
fête, fair, gala (day), carnival, fiesta, jamboree, celebrations, festivities, eisteddfod.
fasting precedes the festival
holy day, feast day, saint's day, commemoration, day of observance.
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festive

adjective
jolly, merry, joyous, joyful, happy, jovial, light-hearted, cheerful, jubilant, convivial, high-spirited, mirthful, uproarious; celebratory, holiday, carnival; Christmassy; archaic festal.

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festivity

noun
food plays an important part in the festivities
celebration, festival, entertainment, party, jamboree; merrymaking, feasting, revelry, jollification; revels, fun and games; informal bash, shindig, shindy; Brit. informal rave-up, knees-up, beanfeast, bunfight, beano.
the festivity of the Last Night of the Proms
jollity, merriment, gaiety, cheerfulness, cheer, joyfulness, jubilance, conviviality, high spirits, revelry.
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festoon

noun
festoons of paper flowers
garland, chain, lei, swathe, swag, loop.
verb
the room was festooned with streamers
decorate, adorn, ornament, trim, deck (out), hang, loop, drape, swathe, garland, wreathe, bedeck; informal do up/out, get up, trick out; poetic/literary bedizen, furbelow.

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fetch

verb
he went to fetch a doctor
(go and) get, go for, call for, summon, pick up, collect, bring, carry, convey, transport.
the land could fetch a million pounds
sell for, bring in, raise, realize, yield, make, command, cost, be priced at; informal go for, set one back, pull in; Brit. informal knock someone back.
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fetch up (informal)
end up, finish up, turn up, appear, materialize, find itself; informal wind up, show up.

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fetching

adjective
attractive, appealing, sweet, pretty, lovely, delightful, charming, prepossessing, captivating, enchanting, irresistible; Scottish & N. English bonny; informal divine, heavenly; Brit. informal fit, smashing; archaic comely, fair.

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fête

noun
(Brit.) gala (day), bazaar, fair, festival, fiesta, jubilee, carnival; fund-raiser, charity event.

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fetid

adjective
stinking, smelly, foul-smelling, malodorous, reeking, pungent, acrid, high, rank, foul, noxious; Brit. informal niffy, pongy, whiffy, humming; N. Amer. informal funky; poetic/literary noisome, miasmic, miasmal. ANTONYMS :fragrant.

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fetish

noun
he developed a rubber fetish
fixation, obsession, compulsion, mania; weakness, fancy, fascination, fad; informal thing, hang-up.
an African fetish
juju, talisman, charm, amulet; totem, idol, image, effigy; archaic periapt.
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fetter

verb
the captive was fettered
shackle, manacle, handcuff, clap in irons, put in chains, chain (up); informal cuff; poetic/literary enfetter.
these obligations fetter the company's powers
restrict, restrain, constrain, limit; hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct, hamstring, inhibit, check, curb, trammel.
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fetters

plural noun
shackles, manacles, handcuffs, irons, leg-irons, chains, restraints; informal cuffs, bracelets; historical bilboes.

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fettle

noun
shape, trim, (physical) fitness, (state of) health; condition, form, (state of) repair, (working) order; Brit. informal nick.

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fetus

noun
embryo, fertilized egg, unborn baby/child.

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feud

noun
tribal feuds
vendetta, conflict; rivalry, hostility, enmity, strife, discord; quarrel, argument, falling-out.
verb
he feuded with his teammates
quarrel, fight, argue, bicker, squabble, fall out, dispute, clash, differ, be at odds; informal scrap.

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fever

noun
he developed fever
feverishness, high temperature, febrility; Medicine pyrexia; informal temperature.
a fever of excitement
ferment, frenzy, furore; ecstasy, rapture.
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World Cup fever
excitement, frenzy, agitation, passion.
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febrile.

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fevered

adjective
her fevered brow
feverish, febrile, hot, burning; rare pyretic.
a fevered imagination
excited, agitated, frenzied, overwrought, fervid.
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feverish

adjective
she's really feverish
febrile, fevered, hot, burning; informal having a temperature; rare pyretic.
feverish excitement
frenzied, frenetic, hectic, agitated, excited, restless, nervous, worked up, overwrought, frantic, furious, hysterical, wild, uncontrolled, unrestrained.
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few

determiner
police are revealing few details
not many, hardly any, scarcely any; a small number of, a small amount of, one or two, a handful of; little. ANTONYMS :many.

adjective
comforts here are few
scarce, scant, meagre, insufficient, in short supply; thin on the ground, few and far between, infrequent, uncommon, rare. ANTONYMS :plentiful.

a few
a small number, a handful, one or two, a couple, two or three; not many, hardly any.

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fiancée fiancé, masc.

noun
betrothed, wife-to-be, husband-to-be, bride-to-be, future wife/husband, prospective spouse; informal intended.

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fiasco

noun
failure, disaster, catastrophe, debacle, shambles, farce, mess, wreck; informal flop, washout; Brit. informal cock-up; N. Amer. informal snafu; Austral./NZ informal fizzer. ANTONYMS :success.

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fiat

noun
decree, edict, order, command, commandment, injunction, proclamation, mandate, dictum, diktat.

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fib

noun
you're telling a fib
lie, untruth, falsehood, made-up story, invention, fabrication, deception, (piece of) fiction; (little) white lie, half-truth; informal tall story/tale, whopper; Brit. informal porky (pie). ANTONYMS :truth.

verb
she had bunked off school, fibbing about a sore throat
lie, tell a fib, tell a lie, invent a story, make up a story; informal kid.

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fibre

noun
fibres from the murderer's jumper
thread, strand, filament; technical fibril.
natural fibres
material, cloth, fabric.
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a man with no fibre.
See moral fibre.
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fibre in the diet
roughage, bulk.
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fickle

adjective
capricious, changeable, variable, volatile, mercurial; inconstant, undependable, unsteady, unfaithful, faithless, flighty, giddy, skittish; technical labile; poetic/literary mutable. ANTONYMS :constant.

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fiction

noun
the traditions of British fiction
novels, stories, creative writing, prose literature.
the president dismissed the allegation as absolute fiction
fabrication, invention, lies, fibs, untruth, falsehood, fantasy, nonsense.
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ANTONYMS :fact.

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fictional

adjective
fictitious, invented, imaginary, made up, make-believe, unreal, fabricated, mythical. ANTONYMS :real.

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fictitious

adjective
a fictitious name
false, fake, fabricated, sham; bogus, spurious, assumed, affected, adopted, feigned, invented, made up; informal pretend, phoney.
a fictitious character.
See fictional.
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ANTONYMS :genuine.

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fiddle (informal)

noun
she played the fiddle
violin, viola.
a VAT fiddle
fraud, swindle, confidence trick; informal racket, con trick, flimflam.
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verb
he fiddled with a beer mat
fidget, play, toy, twiddle, fuss, fool about/around; finger, thumb, handle; informal mess about/around; Brit. informal muck about/around.
he fiddled with the dials
adjust, tinker, play about/around, meddle, interfere.
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fiddling the figures
falsify, manipulate, massage, rig, distort, misrepresent, doctor, alter, tamper with, interfere with; informal fix, flimflam, cook (the books).
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fiddling

adjective
(informal) trivial, petty, trifling, insignificant, unimportant, inconsequential, negligible, paltry, footling, minor, small, incidental, of little/no account; informal piddling, piffling. ANTONYMS :important.

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fidelity

noun
fidelity to her husband
faithfulness, loyalty, constancy; true-heartedness, trustworthiness, dependability, reliability; formal troth.
fidelity to your king
loyalty, allegiance, obedience, constancy, homage; historical fealty.
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the fidelity of the reproduction
accuracy, exactness, precision, preciseness, correctness; strictness, closeness, faithfulness, authenticity.
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ANTONYMS :disloyalty.

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fidget

verb
the audience began to fidget
move restlessly, wriggle, squirm, twitch, jiggle, shuffle, be agitated; informal be jittery.
she fidgeted with her scarf
play, fuss, toy, twiddle, fool about/around; informal fiddle, mess about/around.
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she seemed to fidget him
make uneasy, worry, agitate, bother, upset, ruffle.
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noun
his convulsive fidgets
twitch, wriggle, squirm, jiggle, shuffle, tic, spasm.
what a fidget you are!
restless person, bundle of nerves.
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that woman gives me the fidgets
restlessness, nervousness, fidgetiness; informal the jitters, twitchiness.
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fidgety

adjective
restless, restive, on edge, uneasy, nervous, nervy, keyed up, anxious, agitated; informal jittery, twitchy.

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field

noun
a large ploughed field
meadow, pasture, paddock, grassland, pastureland, sward; poetic/literary lea, mead; archaic glebe.
a football field
pitch, ground, sports field, playing field, recreation ground.
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the field of biotechnology
area, sphere, discipline, province, department, domain, sector, branch, subject; informal bailiwick.
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your field of vision
scope, range, sweep, reach, extent.
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she is well ahead of the field
competitors, entrants, competition; applicants, candidates, possibles.
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verb
he was fielding
act as a fielder, play in outfield.
she fielded the ball
catch, stop, retrieve; return, throw back.
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fielding an ineligible player
put in the team, send out, play, put up.
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they can field an army of about one million
deploy, position, range, dispose.
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he fielded some awkward questions
deal with, handle, cope with, answer, reply to, respond to.
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adjective
field experience
p ractical, hands-on, applied, experiential, empirical.
field artillery
mobile, portable, transportable, movable, manoeuvrable, light.
Top
ANTONYMS :theoretical.

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fiend

noun
a fiend had taken possession of him
demon, devil, evil spirit, bogie, cacodemon; informal spook.
a fiend bent on global evil-doing
brute, beast, villain, barbarian, monster, ogre, sadist, evil-doer; informal swine.
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(informal) a drug fiend
addict, abuser, user; informal junkie, head/freak.
Top
(informal) I'm a fiend for Mexican food
enthusiast, maniac; devotee, fan, lover; informal fanatic, addict, buff, freak, nut.
Top

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fiendish

adjective
a fiendish torturer
wicked, cruel, vicious, evil, malevolent, villainous; brutal, savage, barbaric, barbarous, inhuman, murderous, ruthless, merciless; dated dastardly.
a fiendish plot
cunning, clever, ingenious, crafty, canny, wily, devious, shrewd; informal foxy, sneaky.
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a fiendish puzzle
difficult, complex, challenging, complicated, intricate, involved, knotty, thorny.
Top

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fierce

adjective
a fierce black mastiff
ferocious, savage, vicious, aggressive.
fierce competition
aggressive, cut-throat, competitive; keen, intense, strong, relentless.
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fierce, murderous jealousy
intense, powerful, vehement, passionate, impassioned, fervent, fervid, ardent.
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a fierce wind
powerful, strong, violent, forceful; stormy, blustery, gusty, tempestuous.
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a fierce pain
severe, extreme, intense, acute, awful, dreadful; excruciating, agonizing, piercing.
Top
ANTONYMS :gentle, mild.

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fiery

adjective
fiery breath
burning, blazing, flaming; on fire, ablaze; poetic/literary afire.
a fiery red
bright, brilliant, vivid, intense, deep, rich.
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her fiery spirit
passionate, impassioned, ardent, fervent, fervid, spirited; quick-tempered, volatile, explosive, aggressive, determined, resolute.
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fiesta

noun
festival, carnival, holiday, celebration, party.

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fight

verb
two men were fighting
brawl, exchange blows, attack/assault each other, hit/punch each other; struggle, grapple, wrestle; informal scrap, have a dust-up, have a set-to; Brit. informal have a punch-up; N. Amer. informal rough-house; Austral./NZ informal stoush, go the knuckle.
he fought in the First World War
(do) battle, go to war, take up arms, be a soldier; engage, meet, clash, skirmish.
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a war fought for freedom
engage in, wage, conduct, prosecute, undertake.
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they are always fighting
quarrel, argue, row, bicker, squabble, fall out, have a row/fight, wrangle, be at odds, disagree, differ, have words, bandy words, be at each other's throats, be at loggerheads; informal scrap; archaic altercate.
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fighting against wage reductions
campaign, strive, battle, struggle, contend, crusade, agitate, lobby, push, press.
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they will fight the decision
oppose, contest, contend with, confront, challenge, combat, dispute, quarrel with, argue against/with, strive against, struggle against.
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Donaldson fought the urge to put his tongue out
repress, restrain, suppress, stifle, smother, hold back, fight back, keep in check, curb, control, rein in, choke back; informal keep the lid on, cork up.
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noun
a fight outside a club
brawl, fracas, melee, rumpus, skirmish, sparring match, struggle, scuffle, altercation, scrum, clash, disturbance; fisticuffs; informal scrap, dust-up, set-to, shindy, shindig; Brit. informal punch-up, bust-up, ruck; N. Amer. informal rough house, brannigan; Austral./NZ informal stoush; Law, dated affray; rare broil.
a heavyweight fight
boxing match, bout, match.
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Britain's fight against Germany
battle, engagement, clash, conflict, struggle; war, campaign, crusade, action, hostilities.
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a fight with my girlfriend
argument, quarrel, squabble, row, wrangle, disagreement, falling-out, contretemps, altercation, dispute; informal tiff, spat, scrap, slanging match; Brit. informal barney, ding-dong, bust-up.
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their fight for control of the company
struggle, battle, campaign, push, effort.
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she had no fight left in her
will to resist, resistance, spirit, courage, pluck, pluckiness, grit, strength, backbone, determination, resolution, resolve, resoluteness, aggression, aggressiveness; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal sand, moxie.
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fight back
use your pent-up anger to fight back
retaliate, counter-attack, strike back, hit back, respond, reciprocate, return fire, give tit for tat; formal requite something.

she fought back tears.
See fight verb sense 7.
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fight someone/something off
repel, repulse, beat off/back, ward off, fend off, keep/hold at bay, drive away/back, force back. fight shy of
flinch from, demur from, recoil from; have scruples about, have misgivings about, have qualms about, be averse to, be chary of, be loath to, be reluctant to, be disinclined to, be afraid to, hesitate to, baulk at; informal boggle at; archaic disrelish.

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fightback

noun
(Brit.) counter-attack, counter-offensive; rally, recovery; informal comeback.

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fighter

noun
a guerrilla fighter
soldier, fighting man/woman, warrior, combatant, serviceman, servicewoman, trooper; Brit. informal squaddie; archaic man-at-arms.
the fighter was knocked to the ground
boxer, pugilist, prizefighter; wrestler; informal scrapper, pug.
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enemy fighters
warplane, armed aircraft.
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fighting

adjective
a fighting man
violent, combative, aggressive, pugnacious, truculent, belligerent, bellicose. ANTONYMS :peaceful.

noun
200 were injured in the fighting
violence, hostilities, conflict, action, combat; warfare, war, battles, skirmishing, rioting; Law, dated affray. ANTONYMS :peace.

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figment

noun
invention, creation, fabrication; hallucination, illusion, delusion, fancy, vision.

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figurative

adjective
metaphorical, non-literal, symbolic, allegorical, representative, emblematic. ANTONYMS :literal.

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figure

noun
the production figure
statistic, number, quantity, amount, level, total, sum; (figures) data, information.
the second figure was 9
digit, numeral, numerical symbol.
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he can't put a figure on it
price, cost, amount, value, valuation.
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I'm good at figures
arithmetic, mathematics, sums, calculations, computation, numbers; Brit. informal maths; N. Amer. informal math.
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her petite figure
physique, build, frame, body, proportions, shape, form.
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a dark figure emerged
silhouette, outline, shape, form.
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a figure of authority
person, personage, individual, man, woman, character, personality; representative, embodiment, personification, epitome.
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life-size figures
human representation, effigy.
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geometrical figures
shape, pattern, design, motif.
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see figure 4
diagram, illustration, drawing, picture, plate.
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verb
a beast figuring in Egyptian legend
feature, appear, be featured, be mentioned, be referred to, have prominence.
a way to figure the values
calculate, work out, total, reckon, compute, determine, assess, put a figure on; Brit. tot up.
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(informal) I figured that I didn't have a chance
suppose, think, believe, consider, expect, take it, suspect, sense; assume, dare say, conclude, take it as read, presume, deduce, infer, gather; N. Amer. guess.
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(informal) "Rosemary's away." "That figures."
make sense, seem reasonable, stand to reason, be to be expected, be logical, follow, ring true.
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figure on (N. Amer. informal) they figured on paying about $100

plan on, count on, rely on, bank on, bargain on, depend on, pin one's hopes on; anticipate, expect to. figure something out (informal) he tried to figure out how to switch on the lamp

work out, fathom, puzzle out, decipher, ascertain, make sense of, think through, get to the bottom of; understand, comprehend, see, grasp, get the hang of, get the drift of; informal twig, crack; Brit. informal suss out.

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filament

noun
fibre, thread, strand; technical fibril.

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file 1

noun
he opened the file
folder, portfolio, binder, document case.
we have files on all the major companies
dossier, document, record, report; data, information, documentation, annals, archives.
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the computer file was searched
data, document, text.
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verb
file the documents correctly
categorize, classify, organize, put in place/order, order, arrange, catalogue, record, store, archive.
Debbie has filed for divorce
apply, register, ask.
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two women have filed a civil suit against him
bring, press, lodge, place; formal prefer.
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file 2

noun
a file of boys
line, column, row, string, chain, procession; Brit. informal crocodile.
verb
we filed out into the car park
walk in a line, march, parade, troop.

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file 3

verb
she filed her nails
smooth, buff, rub (down), polish, shape; scrape, abrade, rasp, sandpaper.

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filial

adjective
dutiful, devoted, compliant, respectful, affectionate, loving.

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filibuster

noun
many hours in committee are characterized by filibuster
delaying tactics, stonewalling, procrastination, obstruction, temporizing.
verb
the opposition are filibustering
waste time, stall, play for time, stonewall, procrastinate, buy time, employ delaying tactics.

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filigree

noun
tracery, fretwork, latticework, scrollwork, lacework.

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fill

verb
he filled a bowl with cereal
make/become full, fill up, fill to the brim, top up, charge.
guests filled the parlour
crowd into, throng, pack (into), occupy, squeeze into, cram (into); overcrowd, overfill.
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he began filling his shelves
stock, pack, load, supply, replenish, restock, refill.
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fill all the holes with a wood-repair compound
block up, stop (up), plug, seal, caulk.
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the perfume filled the room
pervade, permeate, suffuse, be diffused through, penetrate, infuse, perfuse.
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he was going to fill a government post
occupy, hold, take up; informal hold down.
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we had just filled a big order
carry out, complete, fulfil, execute, discharge; formal effectuate.
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ANTONYMS :empty.

fill in
substitute, deputize, stand in, cover, take over, act as stand-in, take the place of; informal sub, step into someone's shoes/boots; N. Amer. informal pinch-hit. fill someone in
inform of, advise of, tell about, acquaint with, apprise of, brief on, update with; informal put in the picture about, bring up to speed on. fill something in (Brit.)
complete, answer, fill up; N. Amer. fill out. fill out
grow fatter, become plumper, flesh out, put on weight, get heavier. fill something out
this account needs to be filled out
expand, enlarge, add to, elaborate on, flesh out; supplement, extend, develop, amplify.

(N. Amer.) he filled out the forms.
See fill something in.
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filling

noun
filling for cushions
stuffing, padding, wadding, filler.
adjective
a filling meal
substantial, hearty, ample, satisfying, square; heavy, stodgy.

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fillip

noun
stimulus, stimulation, boost, incentive, impetus; tonic, spur, push, aid, help; informal shot in the arm.

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film

noun
a film of sweat
layer, coat, coating, covering, cover, sheet, patina, overlay.
Emma was watching a film
movie, picture, feature (film), motion picture; informal flick, pic, talkie; dated moving picture.
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she would like to work in film
cinema, movies, the pictures.
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cinematic.
verb
he immediately filmed the next scene
record (on film), shoot, capture on film, video.
his eyes had filmed over
cloud, mist, haze; become blurred, blur; archaic blear.
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film star

noun
(film) actor/actress, movie star, leading man/woman, leading lady, lead; celebrity, star, starlet, superstar; informal celeb; informal, dated matinee idol.

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filmy

adjective
diaphanous, transparent, see-through, translucent, sheer, gossamer; delicate, fine, light, thin, silky. ANTONYMS :thick, opaque.

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filter

noun
a carbon filter
strainer, sifter; sieve, riddle; gauze, netting.
verb
the farmers filter the water
sieve, strain, sift, filtrate, riddle; clarify, purify, refine, treat.
the rain had filtered through her jacket
seep, percolate, leak, trickle, ooze.
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filth

noun
stagnant pools of filth
dirt, muck, grime, mud, mire, sludge, slime, ooze; excrement, excreta, dung, manure, ordure, sewage; rubbish, refuse, dross; pollution, contamination, filthiness, uncleanness, foulness, nastiness; N. Amer. garbage; informal crud, grunge; Brit. informal grot, gunge; N. Amer. informal trash.
I felt sick after reading that filth
pornography, pornographic literature/films, dirty books, smut, obscenity, indecency; informal porn, porno.
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filthy

adjective
the room was filthy
dirty, mucky, grimy, muddy, slimy, unclean; foul, squalid, sordid, nasty, soiled, sullied; polluted, contaminated, unhygienic, unsanitary; informal cruddy, grungy; Brit. informal grotty; poetic/literary besmirched.
his face was filthy
unwashed, unclean, dirty, grimy, smeared, grubby, muddy, mucky, black, blackened, stained; poetic/literary begrimed.
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filthy jokes
obscene, indecent, dirty, smutty, rude, improper, coarse, bawdy, vulgar, lewd, racy, off colour, earthy, ribald, risqué, "adult", pornographic, explicit; informal blue, porn, porno, X-rated; N. Amer. informal raw.
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you filthy brute!
despicable, contemptible, nasty, low, base, mean, vile, obnoxious; informal dirty (rotten), low-down, no-good.
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he was in a filthy mood
bad, foul, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, irritable, grumpy, grouchy, cross, fractious, peevish; informal snappish, snappy; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, narky, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery.
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ANTONYMS :clean.

adverb
filthy rich
very, extremely, tremendously, immensely, remarkably, excessively, exceedingly; informal stinking, awfully, terribly, seriously, mega, ultra, damn.

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final

adjective
the final year of study
last, closing, concluding, finishing, end, terminating, ultimate, eventual.
their decisions are final
irrevocable, unalterable, absolute, conclusive, irrefutable, incontrovertible, indisputable, unchallengeable, binding.
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ANTONYMS :first, provisional.

noun
the FA Cup final
decider, final game/match. ANTONYMS :qualifier.

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finale

noun
climax, culmination; end, ending, finish, close, conclusion, termination; denouement, last act, final scene. ANTONYMS :beginning.

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finality

noun
conclusiveness, decisiveness, decision, definiteness, definitiveness, certainty, certitude; irrevocability, irrefutability, incontrovertibility.

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finalize

verb
conclude, complete, clinch, settle, work out, secure, wrap up, wind up, put the finishing touches to; reach an agreement on, agree on, come to terms on; informal sew up.

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finally

adverb
she finally got her man to the altar
eventually, ultimately, in the end, after a long time, at (long) last; in the long run, in the fullness of time.
finally, wrap the ribbon round the edge
lastly, last, in conclusion, to conclude, to end.
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this should finally dispel that common misconception
conclusively, irrevocably, decisively, definitively, for ever, for good, once and for all.
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finance

noun
he knows about finance
financial affairs, money matters, fiscal matters, economics, money management, commerce, business, investment.
short-term finance
funds, assets, money, capital, resources, cash, reserves, revenue, income; funding, backing, sponsorship.
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verb
the project was financed by grants
fund, pay for, back, capitalize, endow, subsidize, invest in; underwrite, guarantee, sponsor, support; N. Amer. informal bankroll.

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financial

adjective
monetary, money, economic, pecuniary, fiscal, banking, commercial, business, investment.

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financier

noun
investor, speculator, banker, capitalist, industrialist, businessman, businesswoman, stockbroker; informal money man.

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find

verb
I found the book I wanted
locate, spot, pinpoint, unearth, obtain; search out, nose out, track down, root out; come across/upon, run across/into, chance on, light on, happen on, stumble on, encounter; informal bump into; poetic/literary espy, descry.
they have found a cure for rabies
discover, invent, come up with, hit on.
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the police found her purse
retrieve, recover, get back, regain, repossess.
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I hope you find peace
obtain, acquire, get, procure, come by, secure, gain, earn, achieve, attain.
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I found the courage to speak
summon (up), gather, muster (up), screw up, call up.
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caffeine is found in coffee and tea
be (present), occur, exist, be existent, appear.
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you'll find that it's a lively area
discover, become aware, realize, observe, notice, note, perceive, learn.
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I find their decision strange
consider, think, believe to be, feel to be, look on as, view as, see as, judge, deem, regard as.
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he was found guilty
judge, adjudge, adjudicate, deem, rule, declare, pronounce.
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her barb found its mark
arrive at, reach, attain, achieve; hit, strike.
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ANTONYMS :lose.

noun
an archaeological find
discovery, acquisition, asset.
this table is a real find
good buy, bargain; godsend, boon.
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find out
discover, become aware, learn, detect, discern, perceive, observe, notice, note, get/come to know, realize; bring to light, reveal, expose, unearth, disclose; informal figure out, cotton on, catch on, tumble, get wise, savvy; Brit. informal twig, rumble, suss.

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finding

noun
the finding of the leak
discovery, location, locating, detection, detecting, uncovering.
the tribunal's findings
conclusion, decision, verdict, pronouncement, judgement, ruling, rule, decree, order, recommendation; Law determination; N. Amer. resolve.
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fine 1

adjective
fine wines
excellent, first-class, first-rate, great, exceptional, outstanding, quality, superior, splendid, magnificent, exquisite, choice, select, prime, supreme, superb, wonderful, superlative, of high quality, second to none; informal A1, top-notch, splendiferous.
a fine lady
worthy, admirable, praiseworthy, laudable, estimable, upright, upstanding, respectable.
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the initiative is fine, but it's not enough on its own
all right, acceptable, suitable, good (enough), passable, satisfactory, adequate, reasonable, tolerable; informal OK.
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I feel fine
in good health, well, healthy, all right, (fighting) fit, as fit as a fiddle/flea, blooming, thriving, in good shape/condition, in fine fettle; informal OK, in the pink.
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a fine day
fair, dry, bright, clear, sunny, without a cloud in the sky, warm, balmy, summery.
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a fine old house
impressive, imposing, striking, splendid, grand, majestic, magnificent, stately.
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fine clot hes
elegant, stylish, expensive, smart, chic, fashionable; fancy, sumptuous, lavish, opulent; informal flashy, swanky, ritzy, plush.
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a fine mind
keen, quick, alert, sharp, bright, brilliant, astute, clever, intelligent, perspicacious.
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fine china
delicate, fragile, dainty.
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fine hair
thin, light, delicate, wispy, flyaway.
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a fine point
sharp, keen, acute, sharpened, razor-sharp.
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fine material
sheer, light, lightweight, thin, flimsy; diaphanous, filmy, gossamer, silky, transparent, translucent, see-through.
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a fine gold chain
pure, sterling, solid, unmixed, unblended, one hundred per cent.
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fine sand
fine-grained, powdery, powdered, dusty, ground, crushed; technical comminuted; archaic pulverulent.
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fine detailed work
intricate, delicate, detailed, elaborate, dainty, meticulous.
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a fine distinction
subtle, ultra-fine, nice, hair-splitting.
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people's finer feelings
elevated, lofty, exalted; refined, sensitive, cultivated, cultured, civilized, sophisticated.
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fine taste
discerning, discriminating, refined, cultivated, cultured, critical.
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ANTONYMS :poor, unsatisfactory, ill, inclement, thick, coarse.

adverb
(informal) you're doing fine
well, all right, not badly, satisfactorily, adequately, nicely, tolerably; informal OK, good. ANTONYMS :badly.

verb
it can be fined right down to the required shape
thin, make/become thin, narrow, taper, attenuate.
additives for fining wine
clarify, clear, purify, refine, filter.
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fine 2

noun
heavy fines
(financial) penalty, sanction, fee, charge; formal mulct; Brit. historical amercement.
verb
they were fined for breaking environmental laws
penalize, impose a fine on, charge; formal mulct; Brit. historical amerce.

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finery

noun
regalia, best clothes, (Sunday) best; informal glad rags, best bib and tucker.

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finesse

noun
masterly finesse
skill, skilfulness, expertise, subtlety, flair, panache, elan, polish, artistry, virtuosity, mastery.
a modicum of finesse
tact, tactfulness, discretion, diplomacy, delicacy, sensitivity, perceptiveness, savoir faire.
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a clever finesse
winning move, trick, stratagem, ruse, manoeuvre, artifice, machination.
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finger

noun
he wagged his finger at her
digit, thumb, index finger, forefinger; informal pinkie. digital.
verb
she fingered her brooch uneasily
touch, feel, handle, stroke, rub, caress, fondle, toy with, play (about/around) with, fiddle with.
(N. Amer. informal) no one fingered the culprit
identify, recognize, pick out, spot; inform on, point the finger at; informal rat on, squeal on, tell on, blow the whistle on, snitch on, peach on; Brit. informal grass on.
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finicky

adjective
fussy, fastidious, punctilious, over-particular, difficult, exacting, demanding; informal picky, choosy, pernickety; N. Amer. informal persnickety; archaic nice.

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finish

verb
Mrs Porter had just finished the task
complete, end, conclude, stop, cease, terminate, bring to a conclusion/end/close, wind up; crown, cap, round off, put the finishing touches to; accomplish, discharge, carry out, do, get done, fulfil; informal wrap up, sew up, polish off.
Sarah has finished school
leave, give up, drop; stop, discontinue, have done with, complete; informal pack in, quit.
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Hitch finished his dinner
consume, eat, devour, drink, finish off, polish off, gulp (down); use (up), exhaust, empty, drain, get through, run through; informal down.
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the programme has finished
end, come to an end, stop, conclude, come to a conclusion/end/close, cease.
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some items were finished in a black lacquer
varnish, lacquer, veneer, coat, stain, wax, shellac, enamel, glaze.
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ANTONYMS :start, begin, continue.

noun
the finish of filming
end, ending, completion, conclusion, close, closing, cessation, termination; final part/stage, finale, denouement; informal sewing up, polishing off.
a gallop to the finish
finishing line/post, tape.
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an antiquated paint finish
veneer, lacquer, lamination, glaze, coating, covering; surface, texture.
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ANTONYMS :start, beginning.

finish someone/something off
the executioners finished them off
kill, take/end the life of, execute, terminate, exterminate, liquidate, get rid of; informal wipe out, do in, bump off, take out, dispose of, do away with; N. Amer. informal ice, rub out, waste.

financial difficulties finished off the business
overwhelm, overcome, defeat, get the better of, worst, bring down; informal drive to the wall, best.
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finished

adjective
the finished job
completed, concluded, terminated, over (and done with), at an end; accomplished, executed, discharged, fulfilled, done; informal wrapped up, sewn up, polished off; formal effectuated.
a finished performance
accomplished, polished, flawless, faultless, perfect; expert, proficient, masterly, impeccable, virtuoso, skilful, skilled, professional.
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he was finished
ruined, defeated, beaten, wrecked, doomed, bankrupt, broken; informal washed up, through.
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ANTONYMS :incomplete.

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finite

adjective
limited, restricted, determinate, fixed.

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fire

noun
a fire broke out
blaze, conflagration, inferno; flames, burning, combustion.
an electric fire
heater, radiator, convector.
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he lacked fire
dynamism, energy, vigour, animation, vitality, vibrancy, exuberance, zest, elan; passion, ardour, zeal, spirit, verve, vivacity, vivaciousness; enthusiasm, eagerness, gusto, fervour, fervency; informal pep, vim, go, get-up-and-go, oomph.
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rapid machine-gun fire
gunfire, firing, flak, bombardment.
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they directed their fire at the prime minister
criticism, censure, condemnation, denunciation, opprobrium, admonishments, brickbats; hostility, antagonism, animosity; informal flak.
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pyro-.
verb
howitzers firing shells
launch, shoot, discharge, let fly with.
someone fired a gun
shoot, discharge, let off, set off.
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(informal) he was fired
dismiss, discharge, give someone their notice, lay off, let go, get rid of, axe, cashier; informal sack, give someone the sack, boot out, give someone the boot/bullet, give someone the elbow/push, give someone their marching orders; Brit. informal give someone their cards.
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the engine fired
start, get started, get going.
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(archaic) I fired the straw
light, ignite, set fire to, set on fire, set alight, set ablaze; informal torch; poetic/literary enkindle, inflame.
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the stories fired my imagination
stimulate, stir up, excite, awaken, arouse, rouse, inflame, animate, inspire, motivate.
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catch fire
ignite, catch light, burst into flames, go up in flames. on fire
the restaurant was on fire
burning, alight, ablaze, blazing, aflame, in flames; poetic/literary afire.

she was on fire with passion
ardent, passionate, fervent, excited, eager, enthusiastic.
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firearm

noun
gun, weapon; informal shooter; N. Amer. informal piece, rod, shooting iron.

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firebrand

noun
radical, revolutionary, agitator, rabble-rouser, incendiary, subversive, troublemaker.

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fireproof

adjective
non-flammable, incombustible, fire resistant, flame resistant, flame retardant, heatproof. ANTONYMS :inflammable.

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fireworks

plural noun
firework displays
pyrotechnics, feux d'artifice.
his stubbornness has produced some fireworks
uproar, trouble, mayhem, fuss; tantrums, hysterics.
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firm 1

adjective
the ground is fairly firm
hard, solid, unyielding, resistant; solidified, hardened, compacted, compressed, dense, stiff, rigid, frozen, set.
firm foundations
secure, secured, stable, steady, strong, fixed, fast, set, taut, tight; immovable, irremovable, stationary, motionless.
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a firm handshake
strong, vigorous, sturdy, forceful.
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I was very firm about what I wanted | a firm supporter
resolute, determined, decided, resolved, steadfast; adamant, emphatic, insistent, single-minded, in earnest, whole-hearted; unfaltering, unwavering, unflinching, unswerving, unbending; hard-line, committed, dyed-in-the-wool.
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firm friends
close, good, boon, intimate, inseparable, dear, special, fast; constant, devoted, loving, faithful, long-standing, steady, steadfast.
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firm plans
definite, fixed, settled, decided, established, confirmed, agreed; unalterable, unchangeable, irreversible.
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ANTONYMS :soft, unstable, limp, indefinite.

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firm 2

noun
an accountancy firm
company, business, concern, enterprise, organization, corporation, conglomerate, office, bureau, agency, consortium; informal outfit, set-up.

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firmament

noun
(poetic/literary) the sky, heaven; the heavens, the skies; poetic/literary the empyrean, the welkin.

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first

adjective
the first chapter
earliest, initial, opening, introductory.
first principles
fundamental, basic, rudimentary, primary; key, cardinal, central, chief, vital, essential.
Top
our first priority
foremost, principal, highest, greatest, paramount, top, uppermost, prime, chief, leading, main, major; overriding, predominant, prevailing, central, core, dominant; informal number-one.
Top
first prize
top, best, prime, premier, winner's, winning.
Top
ANTONYMS :last, closing.

adverb
the room they had first entered
at first, to begin with, first of all, at the outset, initially.
she would eat first
before anything else, first and foremost, now.
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she wouldn't go she'd die first!
in preference, sooner, rather.
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noun
from the first, surrealism was theatrical
the (very) beginning, the start, the outset, the commencement; informal the word go, the off.
(informal) it was a first for both of us
novelty, new/first experience.
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first-class

adjective
superior, first-rate, high-quality, top-quality, high-grade, five-star; prime, premier, premium, grade A, best, finest, select, exclusive, excellent, superb; informal tip-top, A1, top-notch. ANTONYMS :poor.

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first-hand

adjective
direct, immediate, personal, hands-on, experiential, empirical. ANTONYMS :vicarious, indirect.

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first name

noun
forename, Christian name, given name. ANTONYMS :surname.

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first-rate

adjective
top-quality, high-quality, top-grade, first-class, second to none, fine; superlative, excellent, superb, outstanding, exceptional, exemplary, marvellous, magnificent, splendid; informal tip-top, top-notch, ace, A1, super, great, terrific, tremendous, fantastic; Brit. informal top-hole, smashing; informal, dated capital.

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fiscal

adjective
tax, budgetary; financial, economic, monetary, money.

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fish

verb
some people were fishing in the lake
go fishing, angle, trawl.
she fished for her purse
search, delve, look, hunt; grope, fumble, ferret (about/around), root about/around, rummage (about/around/round).
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I'm not fishing for compliments
try to get, seek to obtain, solicit, angle, aim, hope, cast about/around/round, be after.
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fish someone/something out
pull out, haul out, remove, extricate, extract, retrieve; rescue from, save from.

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fisherman

noun
angler, rod; archaic fisher.

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fishing

noun
angling, trawling, catching fish.

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fishy

adjective
a fishy smell
fishlike, piscine.
round fishy eyes
expressionless, inexpressive, vacant, lacklustre, glassy.
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(informal) there was something fishy going on
suspicious, questionable, dubious, doubtful, suspect; odd, queer, peculiar, strange; informal funny, shady, crooked, bent; Brit. informal dodgy; Austral./NZ informal shonky.
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fission

noun
splitting, division, dividing, rupture, breaking, severance. ANTONYMS :fusion.

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fissure

noun
opening, crevice, crack, cleft, breach, crevasse, chasm; break, fracture, fault, rift, rupture, split.

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fist

noun
clenched hand; informal duke, meat hook; Brit. informal bunch of fives.

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fit 1

adjective
fit for human habitation | he is a fit subject for such a book
suitable, good enough; relevant, pertinent, apt, appropriate, suited, apposite, fitting; archaic meet.
is he fit to look after a child?
competent, able, capable; ready, prepared, qualified, trained, equipped.
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(informal) you look fit to commit murder!
ready, prepared, all set, in a fit state, likely, about; informal psyched up.
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he looked tanned and fit
healthy, well, in good health, in (good) shape, in (good) trim, in good condition, fighting fit, as fit as a fiddle/flea; athletic, muscular, strong, robust, hale and hearty.
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ANTONYMS :unsuitable, incapable, unwell.

verb
my overcoat should fit you
be the right/correct size (for), be big/small enough (for), fit like a glove.
have your carpets fitted professionally
lay, put in place/position, position, place, fix.
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cameras fitted with a backlight button
equip, provide, supply, fit out, furnish.
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concrete slabs were fitted together
join, connect, put together, piece together, attach, unite, link.
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a sentence that fits his crimes
be appropriate to, suit, match, correspond to, tally with, go with, accord with, correlate to, be congruous with, be congruent with, be consonant with.
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an MSc fits you for a professional career
qualify, prepare, make ready, train, groom.
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noun
the degree of fit between a school's philosophy and practice
correlation, correspondence, agreement, consistency, equivalence, match, similarity, compatibility, concurrence.
fit in
conform, be in harmony, blend in, be in line, be assimilated into. fit someone/something out/up
equip, provide, supply, furnish, kit out, rig out. fit someone up (Brit. informal)
falsely incriminate; informal frame, set up.

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fit 2

noun
an epileptic fit
convulsion, spasm, paroxysm, seizure, attack; Medicine ictus.
a fit of the giggles
outbreak, outburst, attack, bout, spell.
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my mother would have a fit if she knew
tantrum, fit of temper, outburst of anger/rage, frenzy; informal paddy, stress; N. Amer. informal blowout; formal boutade.
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in/by fits and starts
spasmodically, intermittently, sporadically, erratically, irregularly, fitfully, haphazardly.

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fitful

adjective
intermittent, sporadic, spasmodic, broken, disturbed, disrupted, patchy, irregular, uneven, unsettled.

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fitness

noun
polo requires tremendous fitness
good health, strength, robustness, vigour, athleticism, toughness, physical fitness, muscularity; good condition, good shape, well-being.
his fitness for active service
suitability, capability, competence, ability, aptitude; readiness, preparedness, eligibility.
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fitted

adjective
a fitted sheet
shaped, contoured, fitting tightly/well.
a fitted wardrobe
built-in, integral, integrated, fixed.
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he wasn't fitted for the job
(well) suited, right, suitable; equipped, fit; informal cut out.
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fitting

noun
a light fitting
attachment, connection, part, piece, component, accessory.
bathroom fittings
furnishings, furniture, fixtures, fitments, equipment, appointments, appurtenances.
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the fitting of catalytic converters
installation, installing, putting in, fixing.
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adjective
a fitting conclusion
apt, appropriate, suitable, apposite; fit, proper, right, seemly, correct; archaic meet. ANTONYMS :unsuitable.

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five

cardinal number
quintet, fivesome; quintuplets; technical pentad. quin-, quinque-, penta-.

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fix

verb
signs were fixed to lamp posts
fasten, attach, affix, secure; join, connect, couple, link; install, implant, embed; stick, glue, pin, nail, screw, bolt, clamp, clip.
his words are fixed in my memory
stick, lodge, embed.
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his eyes were fixed on the ground
focus, direct, level, point, train.
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techniques of fixing audience's attention
attract, draw; hold, grip, engage, captivate, rivet.
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he fixed my washing machine
repair, mend, put right, put to rights, get working, restore (to working order); overhaul, service, renovate, recondition.
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James fixed it for his parents to watch the show from the wings
arrange, organize, contrive, manage, engineer; informal swing, wangle.
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(informal) Laura was fixing her hair
arrange, put in order, adjust; style, groom, comb, brush; informal do.
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(informal) Chris will fix supper
prepare, cook, make, get; informal rustle up; Brit. informal knock up.
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let's fix a date for the meeting
decide on, select, choose, resolve on; determine, settle, set, arrange, establish, allot; designate, name, appoint, specify.
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chemicals are used to fix the dye
make permanent, make fast, set.
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(informal) the fight was fixed
rig, arrange fraudulently; tamper with, influence; informal fiddle.
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(informal) don't tell anybody, or I'll fix you!
get one's revenge on, avenge oneself on, get even with, get back at, take reprisals against, punish, deal with; informal get one's own back on, sort someone out, settle someone's hash.
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(informal) a place where they can fix
inject drugs, take drugs; informal shoot up, mainline.
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the cat has been fixed
castrate, neuter, geld, spay, desex, sterilize; N. Amer. & Austral. alter; Brit. informal doctor; archaic emasculate.
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ANTONYMS :remove.

noun
(informal) they are in a bit of a fix
predicament, plight, difficulty, awkward situation, corner, tight spot; mess, mare's nest, dire straits; informal pickle, jam, hole, scrape, bind, sticky situation.
he needed his fix
dose; informal hit.
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a quick fix for the coal industry
solution, answer, resolution, way out, remedy, cure; informal magic bullet.
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the result was a complete fix
fraud, swindle, trick, charade, sham; informal set-up, fiddle.
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fix someone up (informal)
provide, supply, furnish. fix something up
organize, arrange, make arrangements for, fix, sort out.

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fixated

adjective
obsessed, preoccupied, obsessive; focussed, keen, gripped, engrossed, immersed, wrapped up, enthusiastic, fanatical; informal hooked, wild, nuts, crazy; Brit. informal potty.

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fixation

noun
obsession, preoccupation, mania, addiction, compulsion; informal thing, bug, craze, fad.

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fixed

adjective
there are fixed ropes on the rock face
fastened, secure, fast, firm; riveted, moored, anchored.
a fixed period of time
predetermined, set, established, arranged, specified, decided, agreed, determined, confirmed, prescribed, definite, defined, explicit, precise.
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fixture

noun
fixtures and fittings
fixed appliance, installation, unit.
(Brit.) their first fixture of the season
match, race, game, competition, contest, sporting event.
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fizz

verb
the mixture fizzed like mad
effervesce, sparkle, bubble, froth; poetic/literary spume.
all the screens were fizzing
crackle, buzz, hiss, fizzle, crepitate.
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noun
the fizz in champagne
effervescence, sparkle, fizziness, bubbles, bubbliness, gassiness, carbonation, froth.
(informal) they all had another glass of fizz
sparkling wine, champagne; informal bubbly, champers, sparkler.
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(informal) their set is a little lacking in fizz
ebullience, exuberance, liveliness, life, vivacity, animation, vigour, energy, verve, dash, spirit, sparkle, zest; informal pizzazz, pep, zip, oomph.
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the fizz of the static
crackle, crackling, buzz, buzzing, hiss, hissing, white noise; poetic/literary susurration.
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fizzle

verb
the loudspeaker fizzled
crackle, buzz, hiss, fizz, crepitate.
noun
electric fizzle.
See fizz noun sense 4.
the whole thing turned out to be a fizzle
failure, fiasco, debacle, disaster; Brit. damp squib; informal flop, washout, let-down, dead loss; N. Amer. informal snafu.
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fizzle out
peter out, die off, ease off, cool off; tail off, wither away.

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fizzy

adjective
effervescent, sparkling, carbonated, gassy, bubbly, frothy; mousseux, pétillant, spumante, frizzante. ANTONYMS :still, flat.

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flab

noun
(informal) fat, excessive weight, fatness, plumpness; paunch, pot belly, beer gut.

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flabbergast

verb
(informal). See astonish.

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flabbiness

noun
fat, fatness, fleshiness, plumpness, chubbiness, portliness, obesity, corpulence; softness, looseness, flaccidity, droopiness, sag; informal flab, tubbiness.

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flabby

adjective
his flabby stomach
soft, loose, flaccid, slack, untoned, drooping, sagging.
a flabby woman
fat, fleshy, overweight, plump, chubby, portly, rotund, broad in the beam, of ample proportions, obese, corpulent; informal tubby, roly-poly, well covered, well upholstered.
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ANTONYMS :firm, thin.

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flaccid

adjective
your muscles are sagging, they're flaccid
soft, loose, flabby, slack, lax; drooping, sagging.
his play seemed flaccid
lacklustre, lifeless, listless, uninspiring, unanimated, tame.
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ANTONYMS :firm, spirited.

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flag 1

noun
the Irish flag
banner, standard, ensign, pennant, banderole, streamer, jack, gonfalon; colours; Brit. pendant. vexillary.
verb
flag the misspelt words
indicate, identify, point out, mark, label, tag.
flag someone/something down
hail, wave down, signal to stop, stop, halt.

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flag 2

noun
stone flags.
See flagstone.

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flag 3

verb
they were flagging towards the finish
tire, grow tired/weary, weaken, grow weak, wilt, droop.
my energy flags in the afternoon
fade, decline, wane, ebb, diminish, decrease, lessen, dwindle; wither, melt away, peter out, die away/down.
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ANTONYMS :revive.

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flagellate

verb
flog, whip, beat, scourge, lash, birch, strap, belt, cane, thrash, horsewhip, tan/whip someone's hide, give someone a hiding.

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flagon

noun
jug, vessel, bottle, carafe, flask, decanter, tankard, ewer, pitcher.

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flagrant

adjective
blatant, glaring, obvious, overt, conspicuous, barefaced, shameless, brazen, undisguised, unconcealed; outrageous, scandalous, shocking, disgraceful, dreadful, terrible, gross.

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flagstone

noun
paving slab, paving stone, slab, flag, sett.

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flail

verb
he fell headlong, his arms flailing
wave, swing, thrash about, flap about.
I was flailing about in the water
flounder, struggle, thrash, writhe, splash.
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he flailed their shoulders with his cane
thrash, beat, strike, flog, whip, lash, scourge, cane; informal wallop, whack.
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flair

noun
a flair for publicity
aptitude, talent, gift, instinct, (natural) ability, facility, skill, bent, feel.
she dressed with flair
style, stylishness, panache, dash, elan, poise, elegance; (good) taste, discernment, discrimination; informal class.
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flak

noun
my aircraft had been damaged by flak
anti-aircraft fire, shelling, gunfire; bombardment, barrage, salvo, volley.
(informal) he has come in for a lot of flak
criticism, censure, disapproval, disapprobation, hostility, complaints; opprobrium, obloquy, calumny, calumniation, vilification, abuse, brickbats; Brit. informal stick, verbal; formal castigation, excoriation.
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flake 1

noun
flakes of pastry
sliver, wafer, shaving, paring; chip, scale, spillikin; fragment, scrap, shred; technical lamina.
verb
the paint was flaking
peel (off), chip, blister, come off (in layers).

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flake 2

flake out (informal) she flaked out in her chair

fall asleep, go to sleep, drop off; collapse, faint, pass out, lose consciousness, black out, swoon; informal conk out, nod off; N. Amer. informal sack out, zone out.

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flaky

adjective
flaking, peeling, scaly, blistering, scabrous.

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flamboyant

adjective
her flamboyant personality
ostentatious, exuberant, confident, lively, animated, vibrant, vivacious.
a flamboyant cravat
colourful, brightly coloured, bright, vibrant, vivid; dazzling, eye-catching, bold; showy, gaudy, garish, lurid, loud; informal jazzy, flashy; dated gay.
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a flamboyant architectural style
elaborate, ornate, fancy; baroque, rococo.
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ANTONYMS :restrained.

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flame

noun
a sheet of flames
fire, blaze, conflagration, inferno.
the flames of her anger
passion, warmth, ardour, fervour, fervency, fire, intensity.
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(informal) an old flame
sweetheart, boyfriend, girlfriend, lover, partner; informal steady; dated beau.
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verb
logs crackled and flamed
burn, blaze, be ablaze, be alight, be on fire, be in flames, be aflame.
pour the whisky over the lobster and flame it
ignite, light, set light to, set fire to, set on fire, set alight, touch off; informal set/put a match to.
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Erica's cheeks flamed
become red, go red, blush, flush, redden, grow pink/crimson/scarlet, colour, glow.
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ANTONYMS :extinguish.

in flames
on fire, burning, alight, flaming, blazing, ignited; poetic/literary afire.

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flameproof

adjective
non-flammable, non-inflammable, flame-resistant, fire-resistant, flame-retardant, uninflammable. ANTONYMS :flammable.

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flaming

adjective
a flaming bonfire
blazing, ablaze, burning, on fire, in flames, aflame; poetic/literary afire.
flaming hair
bright, brilliant, vivid; red, reddish-orange, ginger.
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a flaming row
furious, violent, vehement, frenzied, angry, passionate.
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in a flaming temper
furious, enraged, fuming, seething, incensed, infuriated, angry, raging; informal livid; poetic/literary wrathful.
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(informal) where's that flaming ambulance?
wretched; informal damned, damnable, blasted, blessed, confounded; Brit. informal flipping, blinking, blooming, bleeding, effing; Brit. informal, dated bally, ruddy; dated cursed, accursed.
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flammable

adjective
inflammable, burnable, combustible.

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flank

noun
the horse's flanks
side, haunch, quarter, thigh.
the southern flank of the Eighth Army
side, wing; face, aspect.
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verb
the garden is flanked by two rivers
edge, bound, line, border, fringe.

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flannel

noun
(Brit.) she dabbed her face with a flannel
facecloth, cloth; N. Amer. washcloth, washrag; Austral. washer.
(Brit. informal) don't accept any flannel from salespeople
smooth talk, flattery, blarney, blandishments, honeyed words; prevarication, equivocation, evasion, doublespeak; informal spiel, soft soap, sweet talk, baloney, hot air; Brit. informal waffle; Austral./NZ informal guyver.
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verb
(Brit. informal) she can tell if you're flannelling
use flattery, talk blarney; prevaricate, equivocate, be evasive, blather, stall; Brit. hum and haw; informal soft-soap, sweet-talk; Brit. informal waffle; N. Amer. informal fast-talk; rare tergiversate.

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flap

verb
the mallards flapped their wings
beat, flutter, agitate, wave, wag, swing.
the flag flapped in the breeze
flutter, fly, blow, swing, sway, ripple, stir.
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(informal) a deliberate ploy to make us flap
panic, go into a panic, become flustered, be agitated, fuss; informal be in a state, be in a tizzy.
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noun
pockets with buttoned flaps
fold, overlap, covering; lappet.
a few flaps of the wing
flutter, fluttering, beat, beating, waving.
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(informal) I'm in a frightful flap
panic, fluster; informal state, dither, twitter, blue funk, stew, tizzy; N. Amer. informal twit.
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(informal) she created a flap with her controversial statement
fuss, commotion, stir, hubbub, storm, uproar; controversy, brouhaha, furore; informal to-do, ballyhoo, hoo-ha, kerfuffle.
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flare

noun
the flare of the match
blaze, flash, dazzle, burst, flicker.
a flare set off by the crew
distress signal, rocket, Very light, beacon, light, signal.
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a flare of anger
burst, rush, eruption, explosion, spasm, access.
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verb
the match flared
blaze, flash, flare up, flame, burn; glow, flicker.
her nostrils flared
spread, broaden, widen; dilate.
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flare up
the wooden houses flared up like matchsticks
burn, blaze, go up in flames.

his injury has flared up again
recur, reoccur, reappear; break out, start suddenly, erupt.
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I flared up at him
lose one's temper, become enraged, fly into a temper, go berserk; informal blow one's top, fly off the handle, go mad, go bananas, hit the roof, go up the wall, go off the deep end, lose one's rag, flip (one's lid), explode, have a fit; Brit. informal go spare, go crackers, do one's nut; N. Amer. informal flip one's wig, blow one's lid/stack, have a conniption fit.
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flash

verb
a torch flashed
light up, shine, flare, blaze, gleam, glint, sparkle, burn; blink, wink, flicker, shimmer, twinkle, glimmer, glisten, scintillate; poetic/literary glister, coruscate.
(informal) he was flashing his money about
show off, flaunt, flourish, display, parade.
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(informal) he flashed at me
expose oneself.
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racing cars flashed past
zoom, streak, tear, shoot, dash, dart, fly, whistle, hurtle, rush, bolt, race, speed, career, whizz, whoosh, buzz; informal belt, zap; Brit. informal bomb, bucket; N. Amer. informal barrel.
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noun
a flash of light
flare, blaze, burst; gleam, glint, sparkle, flicker, shimmer, twinkle, glimmer.
a basic uniform with no flashes
emblem, insignia, badge; stripe, bar, chevron.
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a sudden flash of inspiration
burst, outburst, wave, rush, surge, flush.
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adjective
(informal) a flash sports c ar.
See flashy.
in/like a flash
instantly, suddenly, abruptly, immediately, all of a sudden; quickly, rapidly, swiftly, speedily; in an instant/moment, in a (split) second, in a trice, in the blink of an eye; informal in a jiffy, before you can say Jack Robinson.

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flashy

adjective
(informal) ostentatious, flamboyant, showy, conspicuous, extravagant, expensive; vulgar, tasteless, brash, lurid, garish, loud, gaudy; informal snazzy, fancy, swanky, flash, jazzy, glitzy. ANTONYMS :understated.

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flask

noun
bottle, container; hip flask, vacuum flask; trademark Thermos.

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flat 1

adjective
a flat surface
level, horizontal; smooth, even, uniform, regular, plane.
the sea was flat
calm, still, pacific, glassy, undisturbed, without waves, like a millpond.
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a flat wooden box
shallow, low-sided.
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flat sandals
low, low-heeled, without heels.
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his voice was flat
monotonous, toneless, droning, boring, dull, tedious, uninteresting, unexciting, soporific; bland, dreary, colourless, featureless, emotionless, expressionless, lifeless, spiritless, lacklustre.
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he felt flat and weary
depressed, dejected, dispirited, despondent, downhearted, disheartened, low, low-spirited, down, unhappy, blue; without energy, enervated, sapped, weary, tired out, worn out, exhausted, drained; informal down in the mouth/dumps.
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the market was flat
slow, inactive, sluggish, slack, quiet, depressed.
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(Brit.) a flat battery
expired, dead, finished, used up, run out.
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a flat tyre
deflate d, punctured, burst.
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a flat fee
fixed, set, regular, unchanging, unvarying, invariable.
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a flat denial
outright, direct, absolute, definite, positive, straight, plain, explicit; firm, resolute, adamant, assertive, emphatic, categorical, unconditional, unqualified, unequivocal.
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ANTONYMS :vertical, uneven.

adverb
she lay down flat on the floor
stretched out, outstretched, spreadeagled, sprawling, prone, supine, prostrate, recumbent.
(informal) she turned me down flat
outright, absolutely, firmly, resolutely, adamantly, emphatically, insistently, categorically, unconditionally, unequivocally.
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flat out
hard, as hard as possible, for all one's worth, to the full/limit, all out; at full speed, as fast as possible, at full tilt; informal like crazy, like mad, like the wind, like a bomb; Brit. informal like billy-o, like the clappers.

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flat 2

noun
a two-bedroom flat
apartment, set of rooms, penthouse; rooms; Austral. home unit; N. Amer. informal crib.

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flatten

verb
Tom flattened the crumpled paper
make/become flat, make/become even, smooth (out/off), level (out/off).
the cows flattened the grass
compress, press down, crush, squash, compact, trample.
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tornadoes can flatten buildings in seconds
demolish, raze (to the ground), tear down, knock down, destroy, wreck, devastate, obliterate; N. Amer. informal total.
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(informal) Flynn flattened him with a single punch
knock down/over, knock to the ground, fell, prostrate; informal floor, deck; Brit. informal knock for six.
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I flattened a drunken heckler
humiliate, crush, quash, squash, take down a peg or two, put someone in their place; informal put down, cut down to size.
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flatter

verb
it amused him to flatter her
compliment, praise, express admiration for, say nice things about, pay court to, fawn on; cajole, humour, flannel, blarney; informal sweet-talk, soft-soap, butter up, play up to; formal laud.
I was flattered to be asked
honour, gratify, please, delight; informal tickle pink.
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a hairstyle that flattered her
suit, become, look good on, go well with; informal do something for.
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ANTONYMS :insult, offend.

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flatterer

noun
sycophant, groveller, fawner, lackey; informal crawler, toady, bootlicker, yes man, lickspittle; formal encomiast.

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flattering

adjective
flattering remarks
complimentary, praising, favourable, commending, admiring, applauding, appreciative, good; honeyed, sugary, cajoling, flannelling, silver-tongued, honey-tongued; fawning, oily, obsequious, ingratiating, servile, sycophantic; informal sweet-talking, soft-soaping, crawling, boot-licking; formal encomiastic.
it was very flattering to be nominated
pleasing, gratifying, honouring, gladdening.
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her most flattering dress
becoming, enhancing.
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flattery

noun
praise, adulation, compliments, blandishments, honeyed words; fawning, blarney, cajolery; informal sweet talk, soft soap, buttering up, toadying; Brit. informal flannel; formal laudation.

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flatulence

noun
medications that help with flatulence
(intestinal) gas, wind; informal farting; formal flatus.
the flatulence of his latest recordings
pomposity, pompousness, pretension, pretentiousness, grandiloquence, bombast, turgidity.
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flaunt

verb
show off, display ostentatiously, make a (great) show of, put on show/display, parade; brag about, crow about, vaunt; informal flash.

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flavour

noun
the flavour of prosciutto
taste, savour, tang.
salami can give extra flavour
flavouring, seasoning, tastiness, tang, relish, bite, piquancy, pungency, spice, spiciness, zest; informal zing, zip.
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a strong international flavour
character, quality, feel, feeling, ambience, atmosphere, aura, air, mood, tone; spirit, essence, nature.
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this excerpt will give a flavour of the report
impression, suggestion, hint, taste.
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gustative, gustatory.
verb
spices for flavouring food
add flavour to, add flavouring to, season, spice (up), add piquancy to, ginger up, enrich; informal pep up.
flavour of the month (informal)
all the rage, the latest thing, the fashion, in vogue; informal hot, in; Brit. informal, dated all the go.

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flavouring

noun
this cheese is often combined with other flavourings
seasoning, spice, herb, additive; condiment, dressing.
vanilla flavouring
essence, extract, concentrate, distillate.
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flaw

noun
defect, blemish, fault, imperfection, deficiency, weakness, weak spot/point, inadequacy, shortcoming, limitation, failing, foible; Computing bug; informal glitch. ANTONYMS :strength.

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flawed

adjective
a flawed mirror
faulty, defective, unsound, imperfect; broken, cracked, torn, scratched, deformed, distorted, warped, buckled; Brit. informal duff.
the findings were flawed
unsound, defective, faulty, distorted, inaccurate, incorrect, erroneous, imprecise, fallacious, misleading.
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ANTONYMS :flawless, sound.

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flawless

adjective
perfect, unblemished, unmarked, unimpaired; whole, intact, sound, unbroken, undamaged, mint, pristine; impeccable, immaculate, consummate, accurate, correct, faultless, error-free, unerring; exemplary, model, ideal, copybook. ANTONYMS :flawed.

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flay

verb
the saint was flayed alive
skin, strip the skin off; Medicine excoriate.
he flayed his critics.
See criticize.
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fleck

noun
flecks of pale blue
spot, mark, dot, speck, speckle, freckle, patch, smudge, streak, blotch, dab; informal splosh, splodge; rare macula.
verb
the deer's flanks were flecked with white
spot, mark, dot, speckle, bespeckle, freckle, stipple, stud, bestud, blotch, mottle, streak, splash, spatter, bespatter, scatter, sprinkle; Scottish & Irish slabber; informal splosh, splodge.

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fledgling

noun
a woodpecker fledgling
chick, baby bird, nestling.
adjective
fledgling industries
emerging, emergent, sunrise, dawning, embryonic, infant, nascent; developing, in the making, budding, up-and-coming, rising. ANTONYMS :declining, mature.

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flee

verb
she fled to her room
run (away/off), run for it, make a run for it, take flight, be gone, make off, take off, take to one's heels, make a break for it, bolt, beat a (hasty) retreat, make a quick exit, make one's getaway, escape; informal beat it, clear off/out, vamoose, skedaddle, split, leg it, turn tail, scram; Brit. informal scarper; N. Amer. informal light out, bug out, cut out, peel out; Austral. informal shoot through; archaic fly.
they fled the country
run away from, leave hastily, escape from; informal skip; archaic fly.
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fleece

noun
a sheep's fleece
wool, coat.
verb
(informal) we were fleeced by a ticket tout.
See swindle verb.

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fleecy

adjective
fluffy, woolly, downy, soft, fuzzy, furry, velvety, shaggy; technical floccose, pilose. ANTONYMS :coarse.

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fleet 1

noun
the fleet set sail
navy, naval force, (naval) task force, armada, flotilla, squadron, convoy.

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fleet 2

adjective
(poetic/literary) as fleet as a greyhound
nimble, agile, lithe, lissom, acrobatic, supple, light-footed, light on one's feet, spry, sprightly; quick, fast, swift, rapid, speedy, brisk, smart; informal nippy, zippy, twinkle-toed.

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fleeting

adjective
brief, short, short-lived, quick, momentary, cursory, transient, ephemeral, fugitive, passing, transitory; poetic/literary evanescent. ANTONYMS :lasting.

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flesh

noun
you need more flesh on your bones
muscle, meat, tissue, brawn; informal beef.
she carries too much flesh
fat, weight; Anatomy adipose tissue; informal blubber, flab.
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a fruit with juicy flesh
pulp, soft part, marrow, meat.
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the pleasures of the flesh
the body, human nature, physicality, carnality, animality; sensuality, sexuality.
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carn-.
one's (own) flesh and blood
family, relative(s), relation(s), blood relation(s), kin, kinsfolk, kinsman, kinsmen, kinswoman, kinswomen, kindred, nearest and dearest, people; informal folks. flesh out
put on weight, gain weight, get heavier, grow fat/fatter, fatten up, get fat, fill out. flesh something out
expand (on), elaborate on, add to, build on, add flesh to, put flesh on (the bones of), add detail to, expatiate on, supplement, reinforce, augment, fill out, enlarge on. in the flesh
in person, before one's (very) eyes, in front of one; in real life, live; physicall y, bodily, in bodily/human form, incarnate.

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fleshly

adjective
carnal, physical, animal, bestial; sexual, sensual, erotic, lustful. ANTONYMS :spiritual, noble.

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fleshy

adjective
plump, chubby, portly, fat, obese, overweight, stout, corpulent, paunchy, well padded, well covered, well upholstered, rotund; informal tubby, pudgy, beefy, porky, roly-poly, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy, fubsy; N. Amer. informal corn-fed; Austral./NZ nuggety; rare abdominous. ANTONYMS :thin.

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flex 1

verb
you must flex your elbow
bend, crook, hook, cock, angle, double up.
Rachel flexed her cramped muscles
tighten, tauten, tense (up), tension, contract.
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ANTONYMS :straighten, relax.

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flex 2

noun
(Brit.) an electric flex
cable, wire, lead; N. Amer. cord.

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flexibility

noun
the flexibility of wood
pliability, suppleness, pliancy, plasticity; elasticity, stretchiness, springiness, spring, resilience, bounce; informal give.
the flexibility of an endowment loan
adaptability, adjustability, variability, versatility, open-endedness, freedom, latitude.
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the flexibility shown by the local authority
willingness to compromise, accommodation, amenability, cooperation, tolerance.
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ANTONYMS :rigidity, inflexibility, intransigence.

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flexible

adjective
flexible tubing
pliable, supple, bendable, pliant, plastic; elastic, stretchy, whippy, springy, resilient, bouncy; informal bendy; archaic flexile.
a flexible arrangement
adaptable, adjustable, variable, versatile, open-ended, open, free.
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the need to be flexible towards tenants
accommodating, amenable, willing to compromise, cooperative, tolerant, easy-going.
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ANTONYMS :rigid, inflexible, intransigent.

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flick

noun
a flick of the wrist
jerk, snap, flip, whisk.
verb
he flicked the switch
click, snap, flip, jerk.
the horse flicked its tail
swish, twitch, wave, wag, waggle, shake.
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flick through
thumb (through), leaf through, flip through, skim through, scan, look through, browse through, dip into, glance at/through, peruse, run one's eye over.

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flicker

verb
the lights flickered
glimmer, glint, flare, dance, gutter; twinkle, sparkle, blink, wink, flash, scintillate; poetic/literary glister, coruscate.
his eyelids flickered
flutter, quiver, tremble, shiver, shudder, spasm, jerk, twitch.
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flight

noun
the history of flight
aviation, flying, air transport, aerial navigation, aeronautics.
a flight to Rome
plane trip/journey, air trip/journey, trip/journey by air.
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the flight of a cricket ball
trajectory, path through the air, track, orbit.
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a flight of birds
flock, skein, covey, swarm, cloud.
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his headlong flight from home
escape, getaway, hasty departure, exit, exodus, decamping, breakout, bolt, disappearance; Brit informal flit.
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a flight of stairs
staircase, set of steps/stairs.
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put someone to flight
chase away/off, drive back/away/off/out, scatter (to the four winds), disperse, repel, repulse, rout, stampede, scare off; Brit. see off; informal send packing. take flight
flee, run (away/off), run for it, make a run for it, be gone, make off, take off, take to one's heels, make a break for it, bolt, beat a (hasty) retreat, make a quick exit, make one's getaway, escape; informal beat it, clear off/out, vamoose, skedaddle, split, leg it, turn tail, scram; Brit. informal scarper; N. Amer. informal light out, bug out, cut out, peel out; Austral. informal shoot through; archaic fly.

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flighty

adjective
fickle, inconstant, mercurial, whimsical, capricious, skittish, volatile, impulsive; irresponsible, giddy, reckless, wild, careless, thoughtless. ANTONYMS :steady, responsible.

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flimsy

adjective
a flimsy building
insubstantial, fragile, breakable, frail, shaky, unstable, wobbly, tottery, rickety, ramshackle, makeshift; jerry-built, badly built, shoddy, gimcrack.
a flimsy garment
thin, light, fine, filmy, floaty, diaphanous, sheer, delicate, insubstantial, wispy, gossamer, gauzy.
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flimsy evidence
weak, feeble, poor, inadequate, insufficient, thin, unsubstantial, unconvincing, implausible, unsatisfactory.
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ANTONYMS :sturdy, thick, sound.

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flinch

verb
he flinched at the noise
wince, start, shudder, quiver, jerk, shy.
he never flinched from his duty
shrink from, recoil from, shy away from, swerve from, demur from; dodge, evade, avoid, duck, baulk at, jib at, quail at, fight shy of.
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fling

verb
he flung the axe into the river
throw, toss, sling, hurl, cast, pitch, lob; informal chuck, heave, bung, buzz; dated shy.
noun
a birthday fling
good time, spree, bit of fun, night on the town; fun and games, revels, larks; informal binge.
she had a brief fling with him
affair, love affair, relationship, romance, affaire (de cœur), amour, flirtation, dalliance, liaison, entanglement, involvement, attachment.
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flip

verb
the wave flipped the dinghy over | the plane flipped on to its back
overturn, turn over, tip over, roll (over), upturn, capsize; upend, invert, knock over; keel over, topple over, turn turtle; archaic overset.
he flipped the key through the air
throw, flick, toss, fling, sling, pitch, cast, spin, lob; informal chuck, bung; dated shy.
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I flipped the transmitter switch
flick, click, snap.
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flip through
thumb (through), leaf through, flick through, skim through, scan, look through, browse through, dip into, glance at/through, peruse, run one's eye over.

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flippancy

noun
frivolity, levity, facetiousness; disrespect, irreverence, cheek, impudence, impertinence; Brit. informal sauce; N. Amer. informal sassiness; dated waggery. ANTONYMS :seriousness, respect.

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flippant

adjective
frivolous, facetious, tongue-in-cheek; disrespectful, irreverent, cheeky, impudent, impertinent; informal flip, saucy, waggish; N. Amer. informal sassy. ANTONYMS :serious, respectful.

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flirt

verb
it amused him to flirt with her
trifle with, toy with, tease, lead on.
those conservatives who flirted with fascism
dabble in, toy with, trifle with, amuse oneself with, play with, tinker with, dip into, scratch the surface of.
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he is flirting with danger
dice with, court, risk, not fear.
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noun
Anna was quite a flirt
tease, trifler, philanderer, coquette, heartbreaker; archaic fizgig.

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flirtation

noun
coquetry, teasing, trifling.

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flirtatious

adjective
coquettish, flirty, kittenish, teasing.

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flit

verb
dart, dance, skip, play, dash, trip, flutter, bob, bounce.

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float

verb
oil floats on water
stay afloat, stay on the surface, be buoyant, be buoyed up.
the balloon floated in the air
hover, levitate, be suspended, hang, defy gravity.
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a cloud floated across the moon
drift, glide, sail, slip, slide, waft.
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they have just floated that idea
suggest, put forward, come up with, submit, moot, propose, advance, test the popularity of; informal run something up the flagpole (to see who salutes).
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the company was floated on the Stock Exchange
launch, get going, get off the ground, offer, sell, introduce.
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ANTONYMS :sink, rush, withdraw.

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floating

adjective
floating seaweed
buoyant, on the surface, afloat, drifting.
floating gas balloons
hovering, levitating, suspended, hanging, defying gravity.
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floating voters
uncommitted, undecided, in two minds, torn, split, uncertain, unsure, wavering, vacillating, indecisive, blowing hot and cold, undeclared; informal sitting on the fence.
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a floating population
unsettled, transient, temporary, variable, fluctuating; migrant, wandering, nomadic, on the move, migratory, travelling, drifting, roving, roaming, itinerant, vagabond.
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a floating exchange rate
variable, changeable, changing, fluid, fluctuating.
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ANTONYMS :sunken, grounded, committed, settled, fixed.

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flock

noun
a flock of sheep
herd, drove.
a flock of birds
flight, congregation, covey, clutch.
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flocks of people
crowd, throng, horde, mob, rabble, mass, multitude, host, army, pack, swarm, sea; informal gaggle.
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verb
people flocked around Jesus
gather, collect, congregate, assemble, converge, mass, crowd, throng, cluster, swarm; formal foregather.
tourists flock to the place
stream, go in large numbers, swarm, crowd, troop.
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flog

verb
the thief was flogged
whip, scourge, flagellate, lash, birch, switch, cane, thrash, beat, tan/whip someone's hide.
(Brit. informal) he is flogging his old car
sell, put on sale, put up for sale, offer for sale, trade in, deal in, peddle; informal push.
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flood

noun
a flood warning
inundation, swamping, deluge; torrent, overflow, flash flood, freshet; Brit. spate.
a flood of tears
outpouring, torrent, rush, stream, gush, surge, cascade.
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a flood of complaints
succession, series, string, chain; barrage, volley, battery; avalanche, torrent, stream, tide, spate, storm, shower, cascade.
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ANTONYMS :trickle.

verb
the whole town was flooded
inundate, swamp, deluge, immerse, submerge, drown, engulf.
the river could flood
overflow, burst its banks, brim over, run over.
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imports are flooding the domestic market
glut, swamp, saturate, oversupply.
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refugees flooded in
pour, stream, flow, surge, swarm, pile, crowd.
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ANTONYMS :trickle.

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floor

noun
he sat on the floor
ground, flooring.
the second floor
storey, level, deck, tier.
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verb
he floored his attacker
knock down, knock over, bring down, fell, prostrate; informal lay out.
(informal) the question floored him
baffle, defeat, confound, perplex, puzzle, nonplus, mystify; informal beat, flummox, stump, fox, make someone scratch their head; N. Amer. informal buffalo; archaic pose.
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flop

verb
he flopped into a chair
collapse, slump, crumple, subside, sink, drop.
his hair flopped over his eyes
hang (down), dangle, droop, sag, loll.
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(informal) the play flopped
be unsuccessful, fail, not work, fall flat, founder, misfire, backfire, be a disappointment, do badly, lose money, be a disaster; informal bomb, go to the wall, come a cropper, bite the dust, blow up in someone's face; N. Amer. informal tank.
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ANTONYMS :succeed.

noun
(informal) the play was a flop
failure, disaster, debacle, catastrophe, loser; Brit. damp squib; informal flopperoo, washout, also-ran, dog, lemon, non-starter; N. Amer. informal clinker. ANTONYMS :success.

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floppy

adjective
limp, flaccid, slack, flabby, relaxed; drooping, droopy; loose, flowing. ANTONYMS :erect, stiff.

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florid

adjective
a florid complexion
ruddy, red, red-faced, rosy, rosy-cheeked, pink; flushed, blushing, high-coloured; archaic sanguine.
florid plasterwork
ornate, fancy, elaborate, embellished, curlicued, extravagant, flamboyant, baroque, rococo, fussy, busy.
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florid English
flowery, flamboyant, high-flown, high-sounding, grandiloquent, ornate, fancy, bombastic, elaborate, turgid, pleonastic; informal highfalutin; rare fustian.
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ANTONYMS :pale, plain.

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flotsam

noun
wreckage, lost cargo, floating remains; rubbish, debris, detritus, waste, dross, refuse, scrap; N. Amer. trash, garbage; informal dreck, junk; Brit. informal grot.

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flounce 1

verb
she flounced off to her room
storm, stride angrily, sweep, stomp, stamp, march, strut, stalk.

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flounce 2

noun
a lace flounce
frill, ruffle, ruff, peplum, jabot, furbelow, ruche.

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flounder

verb
people were floundering in the water
struggle, thrash, flail, twist and turn, splash, stagger, stumble, reel, lurch, blunder, squirm, writhe.
she floundered, not knowing quite what to say
struggle mentally, be out of one's depth, have difficulty, be confounded, be confused; informal scratch one's head, be flummoxed, be clueless, be foxed, be fazed, be floored, be beaten.
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more firms are floundering
struggle financially, be in dire straits, face financial ruin, be in difficulties, face bankruptcy/insolvency.
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ANTONYMS :prosper.

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flourish

verb
ferns flourish in the shade
grow, thrive, prosper, do well, burgeon, increase, multiply, proliferate; spring up, shoot up, bloom, blossom, bear fruit, burst forth, run riot.
the arts flourished
thrive, prosper, bloom, be in good health, be vigorous, be in its heyday; progress, make progress, advance, make headway, develop, improve; evolve, make strides, move forward (in leaps and bounds), expand; informal be in the pink, go places, go great guns, get somewhere.
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he flourished the sword at them
brandish, wave, shake, wield; swing, twirl, swish; display, exhibit, flaunt, show off.
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ANTONYMS :die, wither, decline.

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flout

verb
defy, refuse to obey, disobey, break, violate, fail to comply with, fail to observe, contravene, infringe, breach, commit a breach of, transgress against; ignore, disregard; informal cock a snook at. ANTONYMS :observe.

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flow

verb
the water flowed down the channel
run, course, glide, drift, circulate; trickle, seep, ooze, dribble, drip, drizzle, spill; stream, swirl, surge, sweep, gush, cascade, pour, roll, rush.
many questions flow from today's announcement
result, proceed, arise, follow, ensue, derive, stem, accrue; originate, emanate, spring, emerge; be caused by, be brought about by, be produced by, be consequent on.
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noun
a good flow of water
movement, motion, current, flux, circulation; trickle, ooze, percolation, drip; stream, swirl, surge, gush, rush, spate, tide.

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flower

noun
blue flowers
bloom, blossom, floweret, floret.
the flower of the nation's youth
best, finest, pick, choice, cream, the crème de la crème, elite.
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floral, flor-. ANTONYMS :dregs.

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flowery

adjective
flowery fabrics
floral, flower-patterned.
flowery language
florid, flamboyant, ornate, fancy, convoluted; high-flown, high-sounding, magniloquent, grandiloquent, baroque, orotund, overblown, pleonastic; informal highfalutin, purple; rare fustian.
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ANTONYMS :plain.

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flowing

adjective
long flowing hair
loose, free, unconfined, draping.
the new model will have soft, flowing lines
sleek, streamlined, aerodynamic, smooth, clean; elegant, graceful; technical faired.
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he writes in an easy, flowing style
fluent, fluid, free-flowing, effortless, easy, natural, smooth.
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ANTONYMS :stiff, curly, jagged, halting.

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fluctuate

verb
vary, change, differ, shift, alter, waver, swing, oscillate, alternation, rise and fall, go up and down, see-saw, yo-yo, be unstable.

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fluctuation

noun
variation, change, shift, alteration, swing, movement, oscillation, alternation, rise and fall, see-sawing, yo-yoing, instability, unsteadiness. ANTONYMS :stability.

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flue

noun
duct, tube, shaft, vent, pipe, passage, channel, conduit; funnel, chimney, smokestack.

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fluent

adjective
a fluent speech
articulate, eloquent, expressive, communicative, coherent, cogent, illuminating, vivid.
fluent in French
articulate; (be fluent in) have a (good) command of.
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a very fluent running style
free-flowing, smooth, effortless, easy, natural, fluid; graceful, elegant; regular, rhythmic.
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ANTONYMS :inarticulate, jerky.

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fluff

noun
fluff on her sleeve
fuzz, lint, dust; N. Amer. dustballs, dust bunnies.
(informal) he only made a few fluffs
mistake, error, slip, slip of the tongue; wrong note; informal slip-up; formal lapsus linguae.
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verb
(informal) Penney fluffed the shot | he fluffed his only line
bungle, make a mess of, fumble, miss, deliver badly, muddle up, forget; informal mess up, make a hash of, make a botch of, foul up, bitch up, screw up; Brit. informal make a muck of, make a pig's ear of, cock up, make a Horlicks of; N. Amer. informal flub, goof up. ANTONYMS :succeed in.

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fluffy

adjective
fleecy, woolly, fuzzy, hairy, feathery, downy, furry; soft. ANTONYMS :rough.

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fluid

noun
the fluid seeps up the tube
liquid, watery substance, solution; gas, gaseous substance, vapour. ANTONYMS :solid.

adjective
a fluid substance
free-flowing; liquid, liquefied, melted, molten, runny, running; gaseous, gassy.
his plans were still fluid
adaptable, flexible, adjustable, open-ended, open, open to change, changeable, variable.
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the fluid state of affairs
fluctuating, changeable, subject/likely to change, (ever-)shifting, inconstant; unstable, unsettled, turbulent, volatile, mercurial, protean.
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he stood up in one fluid movement
smooth, fluent, flowing, effortless, easy, continuous; graceful, elegant.
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ANTONYMS :solid, firm, static, jerky.

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fluke

noun
chance, coincidence, accident, twist of fate; piece of luck, stroke of good luck/fortune.

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fluky

adjective
lucky, fortunate, providential, timely, opportune, serendipitous, expedient, heaven-sent, auspicious, propitious, felicitous; chance, fortuitous, accidental, unintended; Brit. informal jammy. ANTONYMS :planned.

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flummox

verb
(informal) baffle, perplex, puzzle, bewilder, mystify, bemuse, confuse, confound, nonplus; informal faze, stump, beat, fox, make someone scratch their head, be all Greek to, floor; N. Amer. informal discombobulate, buffalo.

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flunkey

noun
a flunkey brought us drinks
liveried servant, lackey, steward, butler, footman, valet, attendant, page.
government flunkeys searched his offices
minion, lackey, hireling, subordinate, underling, servant; creature, instrument, cat's paw; informal stooge, gofer; Brit. informal poodle, dogsbody, skivvy.
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flurried

adjective
agitated, flustered, ruffled, in a panic, worked up, beside oneself, overwrought, perturbed, frantic; informal in a flap, in a state, in a twitter, in a fluster, in a dither, all of a dither, all of a lather, in a tizz/tizzy, in a tiz-woz; Brit. informal in a (flat) spin, having kittens; N. Amer. informal in a twit. ANTONYMS :calm.

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flurry

noun
a flurry of snow
swirl, whirl, eddy, billow, shower, gust.
a flurry of activity
burst, outbreak, spurt, fit, spell, bout, rash, eruption; fuss, stir, bustle, hubbub, commotion, disturbance, furore; informal to-do, flap.
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a flurry of imports
spate, wave, flood, deluge, torrent, stream, tide, avalanche; series, succession, string, outbreak, rash, explosion, run, rush.
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ANTONYMS :dearth, trickle.

verb
snow flurried through the door
swirl, whirl, eddy, billow, gust, blast, blow, rush.

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flush 1

verb
she flushed in embarrassment
blush, redden, go pink, go red, go crimson, go scarlet, colour (up); archaic mantle.
fruit helps to flush toxins from the body
rinse, wash, sluice, swill, cleanse, clean; Brit. informal sloosh.
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they flushed out the snipers
drive, chase, force, dislodge, expel, frighten, scare.
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ANTONYMS :pale.

noun
a flush crept over her face
blush, reddening, high colour, colour, rosiness, pinkness, ruddiness, bloom.
the first flush of manhood
bloom, glow, freshness, radiance, vigour, rush.
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ANTONYMS :paleness.

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flush 2

adjective
(informal) the company was flush with cash
well supplied, well provided, well stocked, replete, overflowing, bursting, brimful, brimming, loaded, overloaded, teeming, stuffed, swarming, thick, solid; full of, abounding in, rich in, abundant in; informal awash, jam-packed, chock-full of; Austral./NZ informal chocker.
the years when cash was flush
plentiful, abundant, in abundance, copious, ample, profuse, superabundant; informal a gogo, galore; poetic/literary plenteous, bounteous.
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ANTONYMS :lacking, low (on).

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flushed

adjective
flushed faces
red, pink, ruddy, glowing, reddish, pinkish, rosy, florid, high-coloured, healthy-looking, aglow, burning, feverish; blushing, red-faced, embarrassed, shamefaced.
flushed with success
elated, excited, thrilled, exhilarated, happy, delighted, overjoyed, joyous, gleeful, jubilant, exultant, ecstatic, euphoric, rapturous; informal blissed out, over the moon, high, on a high; N. Amer. informal wigged out.
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ANTONYMS :pale, dismayed.

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fluster

verb
she was flustered by his presence
unsettle, make nervous, unnerve, agitate, ruffle, upset, bother, put on edge, disquiet, disturb, worry, perturb, disconcert, confuse, throw off balance, confound, nonplus; informal rattle, faze, put into a flap, throw into a tizzy; Brit. informal send into a spin; N. Amer. informal discombobulate. ANTONYMS :calm.

noun
I was in a terrible fluster
state of agitation, state of anxiety, nervous state, panic, frenzy, fret; informal dither, flap, tizz, tizzy, tiz-woz, twitter, state, sweat; N. Amer. informal twit. ANTONYMS :state of calm.

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fluted

adjective
grooved, channelled, furrowed, ribbed, corrugated, ridged. ANTONYMS :smooth, plain.

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flutter

verb
butterflies fluttered around
flit, hover, flitter, dance.
a tern was fluttering its wings
flap, move up and down, beat, quiver, agitate, vibrate.
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she fluttered her eyelashes
flicker, bat.
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flags fluttered
flap, wave, ripple, undulate, quiver; fly.
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her heart fluttered
beat weakly, beat irregularly, palpitate, miss/skip a beat, quiver, go pit-a-pat; Medicine exhibit arrhythmia; rare quop.
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noun
the flutter of wings
beating, flapping, quivering, agitation, vibrating.
a flutter of dark eyelashes
flicker, bat.
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the flutter of the flags
flapping, waving, rippling.
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a flutter of nervousness
tremor, wave, rush, surge, flash, stab, flush, tremble, quiver, shiver, frisson, chill, thrill, tingle, shudder, ripple, flicker.
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(Brit. informal) he enjoys a flutter on the horses
bet, wager, gamble; Brit. informal punt.
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flux

noun
continuous change, changeability, variability, inconstancy, fluidity, instability, unsteadiness, fluctuation, variation, shift, movement, oscillation, alternation, rise and fall, see-sawing, yo-yoing. ANTONYMS :stability.

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fly 1

verb
a bird flew overhead
travel through the air, wing its way, wing, glide, soar, wheel; hover, hang; take wing, take to the air, mount.
they flew to Paris
travel by plane/air, jet.
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military planes flew in food supplies
transport by plane/air, airlift, lift, jet.
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he could fly a plane
pilot, operate, control, manoeuvre, steer.
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the ship was flying a quarantine flag
display, show, exhibit; have hoisted, have run up.
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flags flew in the town
flutter, flap, wave.
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doesn't time fly?
go quickly, fly by/past, pass swiftly, slip past, rush past.
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the runners flew by.
See speed verb sense 1.
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(archaic) the beaten army had to fly.
See flee sense 1.
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(dated) they had to fly the country.
See flee sense 2.
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fly at
attack, assault, pounce on, set upon, set about, weigh into, let fly at, turn on, round on, lash out at, hit out at, belabour, fall on; informal lay into, tear into, lace into, sail into, pitch into, wade into, let someone have it, jump; Brit. informal have a go at; N. Amer. informal light into. let fly. See let.

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fly 2

adjective
(Brit. informal) she's fly enough not to get conned
shrewd, sharp, astute, acute, canny, worldly-wise, knowing, clever; informal streetwise, not born yesterday, smart, no fool, nobody's fool; Brit. informal suss, knowing how many beans make five; Scottish & N. English informal pawky. ANTONYMS :naive.

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fly-by-night

adjective
unreliable, undependable, untrustworthy, disreputable; dishonest, deceitful, dubious, unscrupulous; informal iffy, shady, shifty, slippery, crooked; Brit. informal dodgy, bent; Austral./NZ informal shonky. ANTONYMS :reliable, honest.

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flyer flier

noun
frequent flyers
air traveller, air passenger, airline customer.
flyers killed in the war
pilot, airman, airwoman; N. Amer. informal jock; dated aviator, aeronaut.
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flyers promoting a new sandwich bar
handbill, bill, handout, leaflet, circular, advertisement; N. Amer. dodger.
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flying

adjective
a flying beetle
winged; airborne, in the air, in flight.
a flying visit
brief, short, lightning, fleeting, hasty, rushed, hurried, quick, whistle-stop, cursory, perfunctory; informal quickie.
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ANTONYMS :long.

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foam

noun
the foam on the waves
froth, spume, surf; fizz, effervescence, bubbles, head; lather, suds.
verb
the water foamed
froth, spume; fizz, effervesce, bubble; lather; ferment, rise; boil, seethe, simmer.

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foamy

adjective
frothy, foaming, spumy, bubbly, aerated, bubbling; sudsy; whipped, whisked.

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fob

fob someone off I wasn't going to be fobbed off with excuses

put off, stall, give someone the runaround, deceive; placate, appease. fob something off on he fobbed off the chairmanship on Clifford

impose, palm off, unload, dump, get rid of, foist, offload; saddle someone with something, land someone with something, lumber someone with something.

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focus

noun
schools are a focus of community life
centre, focal point, central point, centre of attention, hub, pivot, nucleus, heart, cornerstone, linchpin, cynosure.
the focus is on helping people
emphasis, accent, priority, attention, concentration.
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the main focus of this chapter
subject, theme, concern, subject matter, topic, issue, thesis, point, thread; substance, essence, gist, matter.
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the resulting light beams are brought to a focus at the eyepiece
focal point, point of convergence.
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verb
he focused his binoculars on the tower
bring into focus; aim, point, turn.
the investigation will focus on areas of social need
concentrate, centre, zero in, zoom in; address itself to, pay attention to, pinpoint, revolve around, have as its starting point.
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in focus
sharp, crisp, distinct, clear, well defined, well focused. out of focus
blurred, unfocused, indistinct, blurry, fuzzy, hazy, misty, cloudy, lacking definition, nebulous.

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foe

noun
(poetic/literary) enemy, adversary, opponent, rival, antagonist, combatant, challenger, competitor, opposer, opposition, competition, other side. ANTONYMS :friend.

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fog

noun
mist, smog, murk, haze, haar; N. English (sea) fret; informal pea-souper; poetic/literary brume, fume.
verb
the windscreen fogged up | his breath fogged the glass
steam up, mist over, cloud over, film over, make/become misty.
his brain was fogged with sleep
muddle, daze, stupefy, fuddle, befuddle, bewilder, confuse, befog; poetic/literary bedim, becloud.
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ANTONYMS :demist, clear.

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foggy

adjective
the weather was foggy
misty, smoggy, hazy, murky.
she was foggy with sleep | a foggy memory
muddled, fuddled, befuddled, confused, at sea, bewildered, dazed, stupefied, numb, groggy, fuzzy, bleary; dark, dim, hazy, shadowy, cloudy, blurred, obscure, vague, indistinct, unclear; informal dopey, woolly, woozy, out of it.
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ANTONYMS :clear.

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foible

noun
weakness, failing, shortcoming, flaw, imperfection, blemish, fault, defect, limitation; quirk, kink, idiosyncrasy, eccentricity, peculiarity. ANTONYMS :strength.

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foil 1

verb
their escape attempt was foiled
thwart, frustrate, counter, baulk, impede, obstruct, hamper, hinder, snooker, cripple, scotch, derail, smash; stop, block, prevent, defeat; informal do for, put paid to, stymie, cook someone's goose; Brit. informal scupper, nobble, queer, put the mockers on. ANTONYMS :assist.

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foil 2

noun
the wine was a perfect foil to pasta
contrast, complement, antithesis, relief.

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foist

verb
impose, force, thrust, offload, unload, dump, palm off, fob off; pass off, get rid of; saddle someone with, land someone with, lumber someone with.

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fold 1

verb
I folded the cloth
double (over/up), crease, turn under/up/over, bend; tuck, gather, pleat.
fold the cream into the chocolate mixture
mix, blend, stir gently.
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he folded her in his arms
enfold, wrap, envelop; take, gather, clasp, squeeze, clutch; embrace, hug, cuddle, cradle.
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the firm folded last year
fail, collapse, founder; go bankrupt, become insolvent, cease trading, go into receivership, go into liquidation, be wound up, be closed (down), be shut (down); informal crash, go bust, go broke, go under, go to the wall, go belly up.
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noun
there was a fold in the paper
crease, knife-edge; wrinkle, crinkle, pucker, furrow; pleat, gather.

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fold 2

noun
the sheep were in their fold
enclosure, pen, paddock, pound, compound, ring; N. Amer. corral.
Lloyd George returned to the Liberal fold
community, group, body, company, mass, throng, flock, congregation, assembly.
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folder

noun
file, binder, ring binder, portfolio, document case, envelope, sleeve, wallet.

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foliage

noun
leaves, leafage; greenery, vegetation, verdure.

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folk

noun
(informal) the local folk
people, individuals, (men, women, and children), (living) souls, mortals; citizenry, inhabitants, residents, populace, population; informal peeps; formal denizens.
my folks came from the north
relatives, relations, blood relations, family, nearest and dearest, people, kinsfolk, kinsmen, kinswomen, kin, kith and kin, kindred, flesh and blood.
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folklore

noun
mythology, lore, oral history, tradition, folk tradition; legends, fables, myths, folk tales, folk stories, old wives' tales; mythos.

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follow

verb
we'll let the others follow
come behind, come after, go behind, go after, walk behind.
he was expected to follow his father in the business
take the place of, replace, succeed, take over from; informal step into someone's shoes, fill someone's shoes/boots.
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people used to follow the band around
accompany, go along with, go around with, travel with, escort, attend, trail around with, string along with; informal tag along with.
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the KGB man followed her everywhere
shadow, trail, stalk, track, dog, hound; informal tail.
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do follow the instructions
obey, comply with, conform to, adhere to, stick to, keep to, act in accordance with, abide by, observe, heed, pay attention to.
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penalties may follow from such behaviour
result, arise, be a consequence of, be caused by, be brought about by, be a result of, come after, develop, ensue, emanate, issue, proceed, spring, flow, originate, stem.
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I couldn't follow what he said
understand, comprehend, apprehend, take in, grasp, fathom, appreciate, see; informal make head or tail of, get, figure out, savvy, get one's head around, get one's mind around, get the drift of; Brit. informal suss out.
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he followed his master in his poetic style
imitate, copy, mimic, ape, reproduce, mirror, echo; emulate, take as a pattern, take as an example, take as a model, adopt the style of, model oneself on, take a leaf out of someone's book.
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he follows Manchester United
be a fan of, be a supporter of, support, be a follower of, be an admirer of, be a devotee of, be devoted to.
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ANTONYMS :lead, flout, misunderstand.

follow something through
complete, bring to completion, see something through; continue with, carry on with, keep on with, keep going with, stay with; informal stick something out. follow something up
investigate, research, look into, dig into, delve into, make enquiries into, enquire about, ask questions about, pursue, chase up; informal check out; N. Amer. informal scope out.

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follower

noun
the president's closest followers
acolyte, assistant, attendant, companion, henchman, minion, lackey, servant; informal hanger-on, sidekick; archaic liegeman.
a follower of Caravaggio
imitator, emulator, copier, mimic; pupil, disciple; informal copycat.
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a follower of Christ
disciple, apostle, supporter, defender, champion; believer, worshipper.
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followers of Scottish football
fan, enthusiast, admirer, devotee, lover, supporter, adherent; N. Amer. informal rooter.
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ANTONYMS :leader, opponent.

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following

noun
his devoted following
admirers, supporters, backers, fans, adherents, devotees, advocates, patrons, public, audience, circle, retinue, train. ANTONYMS :opposition.

adjective
the following day
next, ensuing, succeeding, subsequent.
the following questions
below, further on, underneath; these; formal hereunder, hereinafter.
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ANTONYMS :preceding, aforementioned.

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folly

noun
foolishness, foolhardiness, stupidity, idiocy, lunacy, madness, rashness, recklessness, imprudence, injudiciousness, irresponsibility, thoughtlessness, indiscretion; informal craziness; Brit. informal daftness. ANTONYMS :wisdom.

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foment

verb
instigate, incite, provoke, agitate, excite, stir up, whip up, encourage, urge, fan the flames of.

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fond

adjective
she was fond of dancing
keen on, partial to, addicted to, enthusiastic about, passionate about; attached to, attracted to, enamoured of, in love with, having a soft spot for; informal into, hooked on, gone on, sweet on, struck on.
his fond father
adoring, devoted, doting, loving, caring, affectionate, warm, tender, kind, attentive.
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a fond hope
unrealistic, naive, foolish, over-optimistic, deluded, delusory, absurd, vain, Panglossian.
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ANTONYMS :indifferent, unfeeling, realistic.

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fondle

verb
caress, stroke, pat, pet, finger, tickle, play with; maul, molest; informal paw, grope, feel up, touch up, cop a feel of.

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fondness

noun
they look at each other with such fondness
affection, love, liking, warmth, tenderness, kindness, devotion, endearment, attachment, friendliness.
a fondness for spicy food
liking, love, taste, partiality, keenness, inclination, penchant, predilection, relish, passion, appetite; weakness, soft spot; informal thing, yen.
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ANTONYMS :hatred.

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food

noun
French food
nourishment, sustenance, nutriment, fare, bread, daily bread; cooking, cuisine; foodstuffs, edibles, provender, refreshments, meals, provisions, rations; solids; informal eats, eatables, nosh, grub, chow, nibbles; Brit. informal scoff, tuck; N. Amer. informal chuck; formal comestibles; poetic/literary viands; dated victuals; archaic commons, meat, aliment.
food for the cattle
fodder, feed, provender, forage.
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alimentary, culinary.

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foodie

noun
(informal) gourmet, epicure, gastronome, gourmand.

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fool

noun
you've acted like a complete fool
idiot, ass, halfwit, blockhead, dunce, dolt, dullard, simpleton, clod; informal dope, ninny, nincompoop, chump, dimwit, coot, goon, dumbo, dummy, dum-dum, fathead, numbskull, dunderhead, pudding-head, thickhead, airhead, lamebrain, cretin, moron, nerd, imbecile, pea-brain, birdbrain, jerk, dipstick, donkey, noodle; Brit. informal nit, nitwit, twit, clot, goat, plonker, berk, prat, pillock, wally, git, dork, twerp, charlie, mug; Scottish informal nyaff, balloon, sumph, gowk; N. Amer. informal schmuck, bozo, boob, turkey, schlepper, chowderhead, dumbhead, goofball, goof, goofus, galoot, lummox, klutz, putz, schlemiel, sap, meatball; Austral./NZ informal drongo, dill, alec, galah, boofhead.
she made a fool of me
laughing stock, dupe, butt, gull; informal stooge, sucker, mug, fall guy; N. Amer. informal sap.
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(historical) the fool in King James's court
jester, court jester, clown, buffoon, joker, zany, merry andrew; wearer of the motley.
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verb
he'd been fooled by a schoolboy
deceive, trick, hoax, dupe, take in, mislead, delude, hoodwink, bluff, gull; swindle, defraud, cheat, double-cross; informal con, bamboozle, pull a fast one on, take for a ride, pull the wool over someone's eyes, put one over on, have on, diddle, fiddle, rip off, do, sting, shaft; Brit. informal sell a pup to; N. Amer. informal sucker, snooker, stiff, euchre, hornswoggle; Austral. informal pull a swifty on; poetic/literary cozen.
I'm not fooling, I promise
pretend, make believe, feign, put on an act, act, sham, fake; joke, jest; informal kid; Brit. informal have someone on.
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fool around
someone's been fooling around with the controls
fiddle, play (about/around), toy, trifle, meddle, tamper, interfere, monkey about/around; informal mess about/around; Brit. informal muck about/around.

(N. Amer. informal) my husband's been fooling around
philander, womanize, flirt, have an affair, commit adultery; informal play around, mess about/around, carry on, play the field, sleep around; Brit. informal play away.
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foolery

noun
clowning, fooling, tomfoolery, buffoonery, silliness, foolishness, stupidity, idiocy; antics, capers; informal larking around, larks, shenanigans; Brit. informal monkey tricks; N. Amer. informal didoes; archaic harlequinade.

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foolhardy

adjective
reckless, rash, irresponsible, impulsive, hot-headed, impetuous, daredevil, devil-may-care, death-or-glory, madcap, hare-brained, precipitate, hasty, overhasty; poetic/literary temerarious. ANTONYMS :prudent.

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foolish

adjective
stupid, silly, idiotic, witless, brainless, mindless, unintelligent, thoughtless, half-baked, imprudent, incautious, injudicious, unwise; ill-advised, ill-considered, impolitic, rash, reckless, foolhardy; informal dumb, dim, dim-witted, half-witted, thick, gormless, hare-brained, crackbrained, pea-brained, wooden-headed; Brit. informal barmy, daft; Scottish & N. English informal glaikit; N. Amer. informal dumb-ass, chowderheaded. ANTONYMS :sensible, wise.

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foolishness

noun
folly, stupidity, idiocy, imbecility, silliness, inanity, thoughtlessness, imprudence, injudiciousness, lack of caution/foresight/sense, irresponsibility, indiscretion, foolhardiness, rashness, recklessness; Brit. informal daftness. ANTONYMS :sense, wisdom.

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foolproof

adjective
infallible, dependable, reliable, trustworthy, certain, sure, guaranteed, safe, sound, tried and tested; watertight, airtight, flawless, perfect; informal sure-fire; formal efficacious. ANTONYMS :flawed.

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foot

noun
my feet hurt
informal tootsies, trotters, plates of meat; N. Amer. informal dogs.
the animal's foot
paw, hoof, trotter, pad.
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the foot of the hill
bottom, base, lowest part; end; foundation.
Top
pedi-, -pod(e).
foot the bill (informal)
pay (the bill), settle up; informal pick up the tab, cough up, fork out, shell out, come across; N. Amer. informal pick up the check.

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football

noun
(Brit.) soccer, Association football.

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footing

noun
Jenny lost her footing
foothold, toehold, grip, purchase.
a solid financial footing
basis, base, foundation.
Top
on an equal footing
standing, status, position; condition, arrangement, basis; relationship, terms.
Top

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footling

adjective
trivial, trifling, petty, insignificant, inconsequential, unimportant, minor, small, time-wasting; informal piddling, piffling, fiddling. ANTONYMS :important, large.

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footnote

noun
note, marginal note, annotation, comment, gloss; aside, incidental remark, digression.

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footprint

noun
footmark, footstep, mark, impression; pug, slot; (footprints) track(s), spoor.

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footstep

noun
he heard a footstep
footfall, step, tread, stomp, stamp.
footsteps in the sand
footprint, footmark, mark, impression; (footsteps) track(s), spoor.
Top

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footwear

noun
boots and shoes, footgear.

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fop

noun
dandy, poseur, man about town; informal snappy dresser, natty dresser, trendy; informal, dated swell; dated beau; archaic coxcomb, popinjay.

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foppish

adjective
dandyish, dandified, dapper, dressy; affected, preening, vain; effeminate, girly, niminy-piminy, mincing; informal natty, sissy, camp, campy; Brit. informal poncey.

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forage

verb
hunt, search, look, rummage (about/around/round), ferret (about/around), root about/around, scratch about/around, nose around/about/round, scavenge; Brit. informal rootle around.
noun
forage for the horses
fodder, feed, food, provender.
a nightly forage for food
hunt, search, look, quest, rummage, scavenge.
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foray

noun
raid, attack, assault, incursion, swoop, strike, onslaught, sortie, sally, push, thrust; archaic onset.

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forbear

verb
refrain, abstain, desist, keep, restrain oneself, stop oneself, hold back, withhold; resist the temptation to; eschew, avoid, decline to. ANTONYMS :persist.

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forbearance

noun
tolerance, patience, resignation, endurance, fortitude, stoicism; leniency, clemency, indulgence; restraint, self-restraint, self-control.

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forbearing

adjective
patient, tolerant, easy-going, lenient, clement, forgiving, understanding, accommodating, indulgent; long-suffering, resigned, stoic; restrained, self-controlled. ANTONYMS :impatient, intolerant.

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forbid

verb
prohibit, ban, outlaw, make illegal, veto, proscribe, disallow, embargo, bar, debar, interdict; Law enjoin, restrain. ANTONYMS :permit.

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forbidding

adjective
a forbidding manner
hostile, unwelcoming, unfriendly, off-putting, unsympathetic, unapproachable, grim, stern, hard, tough, frosty.
the dark castle looked forbidding
threatening, ominous, menacing, sinister, brooding, daunting, fearsome, frightening, chilling, disturbing, disquieting.
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ANTONYMS :friendly, inviting.

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force

noun
he pushed with all his force
strength, power, energy, might, effort, exertion; impact, pressure, weight, impetus.
they used force to achieve their aims
coercion, compulsion, constraint, duress, oppression, harassment, intimidation, threats; informal arm-twisting.
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the force of the argument
cogency, weight, effectiveness, soundness, validity, strength, power, significance, influence, authority; informal punch; formal efficacy.
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a force for good
agency, power, influence, instrument, vehicle, means.
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a peace-keeping force
body, body of people, group, outfit, party, team; detachment, unit, squad; informal bunch.
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ANTONYMS :weakness.

verb
he was forced to pay
compel, coerce, make, constrain, oblige, impel, drive, pressurize, pressure, press, push, press-gang, bully, dragoon, bludgeon; informal put the screws on, lean on, twist someone's arm.
the door had to be forced
break open, burst open, knock down, smash down, kick in.
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water was forced through a hole
propel, push, thrust, shove, drive, press, pump.
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they forced a confession out of the kids
extract, elicit, exact, extort, wrest, wring, drag, screw, squeeze.
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in force
the law is now in force
effective, in operation, operative, operational, in action, valid.

her fans were out in force
in great numbers, in hordes, in full strength.
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forced

adjective
forced entry
violent, forcible.
forced repatriation
enforced, compulsory, obligatory, mandatory, involuntary, imposed, required, stipulated, dictated, ordained, prescribed.
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a forced smile
strained, unnatural, artificial, false, feigned, simulated, contrived, laboured, stilted, studied, mannered, affected, unconvincing, insincere, hollow; informal phony, pretend, put on.
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ANTONYMS :voluntary, natural.

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forceful

adjective
a forceful personality
dynamic, energetic, assertive, authoritative, vigorous, powerful, strong, pushy, driving, determined, insistent, commanding, dominant, domineering; informal bossy, in-your-face, go-ahead, feisty.
a forceful argument
cogent, convincing, compelling, strong, powerful, potent, weighty, effective, well founded, telling, persuasive, irresistible, eloquent, coherent.
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ANTONYMS :weak, submissive, unconvincing.

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forcible

adjective
forcible entry
forced, violent.
forcible repatriation.
See forced sense 2.
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a forcible argument.
See forceful sense 2.
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forebear

noun
ancestor, forefather, antecedent, progenitor, primogenitor. ANTONYMS :descendant.

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forebode

verb
(poetic/literary) presage, augur, portend, herald, warn of, forewarn of, foreshadow, be an omen of, indicate, signify, signal, promise, threaten, spell, denote; poetic/literary betoken, foretoken.

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foreboding

noun
a feeling of foreboding
apprehension, anxiety, trepidation, disquiet, unease, uneasiness, misgiving, suspicion, worry, fear, fearfulness, dread, alarm; informal the willies, the heebie-jeebies, the jitters.
their forebodings proved justified
premonition, presentiment, bad feeling, sneaking suspicion, funny feeling, intuition; archaic presage.
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ANTONYMS :calm.

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forecast

verb
they forecast record profits
predict, prophesy, prognosticate, foretell, foresee, forewarn of.
noun
a gloomy forecast
prediction, prophecy, forewarning, prognostication, augury, divination, prognosis.

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forefather

noun
forebear, ancestor, antecedent, progenitor, primogenitor. ANTONYMS :descendant.

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forefront

noun
vanguard, van, spearhead, head, lead, front, fore, front line, cutting edge. ANTONYMS :rear, background.

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forego

verb
. See forgo.

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foregoing

adjective
preceding, aforesaid, aforementioned, previously mentioned, earlier, above; previous, prior, antecedent. ANTONYMS :following.

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foregone

a foregone conclusion
certainty, inevitability, matter of course, predictable result; informal sure thing; Brit. informal cert, dead cert.

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foreground

noun
the foreground of the picture
front, fore.
in the foreground of the political drama
forefront, vanguard, van, spearhead, head, lead, front, fore, front line, cutting edge.
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forehead

noun
brow, temple. frontal, metopic.

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foreign

adjective
foreign branches of UK banks
overseas, exotic, distant, external, alien, non-native.
the concept is very foreign to us
unfamiliar, unknown, unheard of, strange, alien; novel, new.
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xeno-. ANTONYMS :domestic, native, familiar.

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foreigner

noun
alien, non-native, stranger, outsider; immigrant, settler, newcomer, incomer. ANTONYMS :native.

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foreman forewoman

noun
supervisor, overseer, superintendent, team leader; foreperson; Brit. chargehand, captain, ganger; Scottish grieve; N. Amer. informal ramrod, straw boss; Austral. informal pannikin boss; Mining overman.

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foremost

adjective
leading, principal, premier, prime, top, top-level, greatest, best, supreme, pre-eminent, outstanding, most important, most prominent, most influential, most illustrious, most notable; N. Amer. ranking; informal number-one. ANTONYMS :minor.

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foreordained

adjective
predetermined, preordained, ordained, predestined, destined, fated.

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forerunner

noun
archosaurs were the forerunners of dinosaurs
predecessor, precursor, antecedent, ancestor, forebear; prototype.
headache may be the forerunner of other complaints
prelude, herald, harbinger, precursor, sign, signal, indication, warning.
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ANTONYMS :descendant.

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foresee

verb
anticipate, predict, forecast, expect, envisage, envision, see; foretell, prophesy, prognosticate; Scottish spae; poetic/literary foreknow.

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foreshadow

verb
signal, indicate, signify, mean, be a sign of, suggest, herald, be a harbinger of, warn of, portend, prefigure, presage, promise, point to, anticipate; informal spell; poetic/literary forebode, foretoken, betoken; archaic foreshow.

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foresight

noun
forethought, planning, far-sightedness, vision, anticipation, prudence, care, caution, precaution, readiness, preparedness; N. Amer. forehandedness. ANTONYMS :hindsight.

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forest

noun
wood(s), woodland, trees, plantation; jungle; archaic greenwood. sylvan.

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forestall

verb
pre-empt, get in before, steal a march on; anticipate, second-guess; nip in the bud, thwart, frustrate, foil, stave off, ward off, fend off, avert, preclude, obviate, prevent; informal beat someone to it.

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forestry

noun
forest management, tree growing, agroforestry; technical arboriculture, silviculture.

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foretaste

noun
sample, taster, taste, preview, specimen, example; indication, suggestion, hint, whiff; warning, forewarning, omen; informal try-out.

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foretell

verb
the locals can foretell a storm
predict, forecast, prophesy, prognosticate; foresee, anticipate, envisage, envision, see; Scottish spae.
dreams can foretell the future
indicate, foreshadow, prefigure, anticipate, warn of, point to, signal, portend, augur, presage, be an omen of; poetic/literary forebode, foretoken, betoken; archaic foreshow.
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forethought

noun
anticipation, planning, forward planning, provision, precaution, prudence, care, caution; foresight, far-sightedness, vision. ANTONYMS :impulse, recklessness.

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forever

adverb
their love would last forever
for always, evermore, for ever and ever, for good, for all time, until the end of time, until hell freezes over, eternally; Brit. for evermore; N. Amer. forevermore; informal until the cows come home, until doomsday, until kingdom come; archaic for aye.
he was forever banging into things
always, continually, constantly, perpetually, incessantly, endlessly, persistently, repeatedly, regularly; non-stop, day and night, (morning, noon, and night); all the time, the entire time; Scottish aye; informal 24-7.
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ANTONYMS :never, occasionally.

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forewarn

verb
warn, warn in advance, give advance warning, give fair warning, give notice, apprise, inform; alert, caution, put someone on their guard; informal tip off; Brit. informal tip someone the wink.

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forewarning

noun
omen, sign, indication, portent, presage, warning, harbinger, foreshadowing, augury, signal, promise, threat, straw in the wind, writing on the wall, hint; poetic/literary foretoken.

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foreword

noun
preface, introduction, prologue, preamble; informal intro; formal exordium, prolegomenon, proem. ANTONYMS :conclusion.

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forfeit

verb
latecomers will forfeit their places
lose, be deprived of, surrender, relinquish, sacrifice, give up, yield, renounce, forgo; informal pass up, lose out on. ANTONYMS :retain.

noun
they are liable to a forfeit
penalty, sanction, punishment, penance; fine; confiscation, loss, relinquishment, forfeiture, surrender; Law sequestration.

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forfeiture

noun
confiscation, loss; relinquishment, giving up, surrender, sacrifice; Law sequestration; historical attainder.

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forge 1

verb
a smith forged swords
hammer out, beat into shape, fashion.
they forged a partnership
build, construct, form, create, establish, set up.
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he forged her signature
fake, falsify, counterfeit, copy, imitate, reproduce, replicate, simulate; informal pirate.
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forge 2

verb
they forged through swamps
advance steadily, advance gradually, press on, push on, soldier on, march on, push forward, make progress, make headway.
forge ahead
advance rapidly, progress quickly, make rapid progress, increase speed, put a spurt on.

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forged

adjective
fake, faked, false, counterfeit, imitation, copied, pirate(d); sham, bogus; informal phoney, dud. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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forger

noun
counterfeiter, faker, copyist, imitator, pirate.

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forgery

noun
guilty of forgery
counterfeiting, falsification, faking, copying, pirating.
the painting was a forgery
fake, counterfeit, fraud, sham, imitation, replica, copy, pirate copy; informal phoney.
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forget

verb
he forgot where he was
fail to remember, fail to recall, fail to think of.
I never forget my briefcase
leave behind, fail to take/bring.
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I forgot to close the door
neglect, fail, omit.
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you can forget that idea
stop thinking about, put out of one's mind, shut out, blank out, pay no heed to, not worry about, ignore, overlook, take no notice of.
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ANTONYMS :remember.

forget oneself
misbehave, behave badly, be naughty, be disobedient, get up to mischief, get up to no good; be bad-mannered, be rude; informal carry on, act up.

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forgetful

adjective
I'm so forgetful these days
absent-minded, amnesic, amnesiac, vague, disorganized, dreamy, abstracted, with a mind/memory like a sieve; informal scatterbrained, scatty.
forgetful of the time
heedless, careless, unmindful; inattentive to, negligent about, oblivious to, unconcerned about, indifferent to, not bothered about.
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ANTONYMS :reliable, heedful.

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forgetfulness

noun
his excuse was forgetfulness
absent-mindedness, amnesia, poor memory, a lapse of memory, vagueness, abstraction; informal scattiness.
a forgetfulness of God
neglect, heedlessness, carelessness, disregard; inattention, obliviousness, lack of concern, indifference.
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ANTONYMS :reliability, heed.

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forgivable

adjective
pardonable, excusable, condonable, understandable, tolerable, permissible, allowable, justifiable.

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forgive

verb
she would not forgive him
pardon, excuse, exonerate, absolve; make allowances for, feel no resentment/malice towards, harbour no grudge against, bury the hatchet with; let bygones be bygones; informal let off (the hook); formal exculpate.
you must forgive his rude conduct
excuse, overlook, disregard, ignore, pass over, make allowances for, allow; turn a blind eye to, turn a deaf ear to, wink at, blink at, indulge, tolerate.
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ANTONYMS :blame, resent, punish.

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forgiveness

noun
pardon, absolution, exoneration, remission, dispensation, indulgence, clemency, mercy; reprieve, amnesty; informal let-off; archaic shrift. ANTONYMS :mercilessness, punishment.

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forgiving

adjective
merciful, lenient, compassionate, magnanimous, humane, soft-hearted, forbearing, tolerant, indulgent, understanding. ANTONYMS :merciless, vindictive.

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forgo forego

verb
do without, go without, give up, waive, renounce, surrender, relinquish, part with, drop, sacrifice, abstain from, refrain from, eschew, cut out; informal swear off; formal forswear, abjure. ANTONYMS :keep.

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forgotten

adjective
unremembered, out of mind, gone clean out of someone's mind, past recollection, beyond/past recall, consigned to oblivion; left behind; neglected, overlooked, ignored, disregarded, unrecognized. ANTONYMS :remembered.

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fork

verb
split, branch (off), divide, subdivide, separate, part, diverge, go in different directions, bifurcate; technical furcate, divaricate, ramify.

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forked

adjective
split, branching, branched, bifurcate(d), Y-shaped, V-shaped, pronged, divided; technical divaricate. ANTONYMS :straight.

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forlorn

adjective
he sounded forlorn
unhappy, sad, miserable, sorrowful, dejected, despondent, disconsolate, wretched, abject, down, downcast, dispirited, downhearted, crestfallen, depressed, melancholy, gloomy, glum, mournful, despairing, doleful, woebegone; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps, fed up; rare lachrymose.
a forlorn garden
desolate, deserted, abandoned, forsaken, forgotten, neglected.
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a forlorn attempt
hopeless, with no chance of success; useless, futile, pointless, purposeless, vain, unavailing, nugatory; archaic bootless.
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ANTONYMS :happy, busy, cared for, hopeful, sure-fire.

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form

noun
the general form of the landscape | form is less important than content
shape, configuration, formation, structure, construction, arrangement, appearance, exterior, outline, format, layout, design.
the human form
body, shape, figure, stature, build, frame, physique, anatomy; informal vital statistics.
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the infection takes different forms
manifestation, appearance, embodiment, incarnation, semblance, shape, guise.
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sponsorship is a form of advertising
kind, sort, type, class, classification, category, variety, genre, brand, style; species, genus, family.
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put the mixture into a form
mould, cast, shape, matrix, die.
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what is the form here?
etiquette, social practice, custom, usage, use, modus operandi, habit, wont, protocol, procedure, rules, convention, tradition, fashion, style; formal praxis.
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you have to fill in a form
questionnaire, document, coupon, tear-off slip, paper.
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what form is your daughter in?
class, year; N. Amer. grade.
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in top form
fitness, condition, fettle, shape, trim, health; Brit. informal nick.
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(Brit.) a wooden form
bench, pew, stall.
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ANTONYMS :content.

verb
the pads are formed from mild steel
make, construct, build, manufacture, fabricate, assemble, put together; create, produce, concoct, devise, contrive, frame, fashion, shape.
he formed a plan
formulate, devise, conceive, work out, think up, lay, draw up, put together, produce, fashion, concoct, forge, hatch, develop; informal dream up.
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they plan to form a company
set up, establish, found, launch, float, create, bring into being, institute, start, get going, initiate, bring about, inaugurate.
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a mist was forming
materialize, come into being/existence, crystallize, emerge, spring up, develop; take shape, appear, loom, show up, become visible.
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the horse may form bad habits
acquire, develop, get, pick up, contract, slip into, get into.
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his men formed themselves into an arrowhead
arrange, draw up, line up, assemble, organize, sort, order, range, array, dispose, marshal, deploy.
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the parts of society form an integrated whole
comprise, make, make up, constitute, compose, add up to.
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the city formed a natural meeting point
constitute, serve as, act as, function as, perform the function of, do duty for, make.
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natural objects are most important in forming the mind of the child
develop, mould, shape, train, teach, instruct, educate, school, drill, discipline, prime, prepare, guide, direct, inform, enlighten, inculcate, indoctrinate, edify.
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ANTONYMS :dissolve, disappear, break.

good form
good manners, manners, polite behaviour, correct behaviour, convention, etiquette, protocol; informal the done thing.

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formal

adjective
a formal dinner
ceremonial, ceremonious, ritualistic, ritual, conventional, traditional; stately, courtly, solemn, dignified; elaborate, ornate, dressy.
a very formal manner
aloof, reserved, remote, detached, unapproachable; stiff, prim, stuffy, staid, ceremonious, correct, proper, decorous, conventional, precise, exact, punctilious, unbending, inflexible, strait-laced; informal stand-offish.
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a formal garden
symmetrical, regular, orderly, arranged, methodical, systematic.
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formal permission
official, legal, authorized, approved, validated, certified, endorsed, documented, sanctioned, licensed, recognized, authoritative.
Top
formal education
conventional, mainstream; school, institutional.
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ANTONYMS :informal, casual, colloquial, unofficial.

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formality

noun
the formality of the occasion
ceremony, ceremoniousness, ritual, conventionality, red tape, protocol, decorum; stateliness, courtliness, solemnity.
his formality was off-putting
aloofness, reserve, remoteness, detachment, unapproachability; stiffness, primness, stuffiness, staidness, correctness, decorum, punctiliousness, inflexibility; informal stand-offishness.
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we keep the formalities to a minimum
official procedure, bureaucracy, red tape, paperwork.
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the medical examination is just a formality
routine, routine practice, normal procedure.
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promotion looks a formality
matter of course, foregone conclusion, inevitability, certainty; informal sure thing.
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ANTONYMS :informality.

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format

noun
design, style, presentation, appearance, look; form, shape, size; arrangement, plan, structure, scheme, composition, configuration.

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formation

noun
the formation of the island's sand ridges
emergence, coming into being, genesis, development, evolution, shaping, origination.
the formation of a new government
establishment, setting up, start, initiation, institution, foundation, inception, creation, inauguration, launch, flotation.
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the aircraft were flying in tight formation
configuration, arrangement, pattern, array, alignment, positioning, disposition, order.
Top
ANTONYMS :destruction, disappearance, dissolution.

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formative

adjective
at a formative stage
developmental, developing, growing, malleable, impressionable, susceptible.
a formative influence
determining, controlling, influential, guiding, decisive, forming, shaping, determinative.
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former

adjective
the former bishop
one-time, erstwhile, sometime, ex-, late; previous, foregoing, preceding, earlier, prior, past, last.
in former times
earlier, old, past, bygone, olden, long-ago, gone by, long past, of old; poetic/literary of yore.
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the former view
first-mentioned, first.
Top
ANTONYMS :future, next, latter.

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formerly

adverb
previously, earlier, before, until now/then, hitherto, née, once, once upon a time, at one time, in the past; formal heretofore.

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formidable

adjective
a formidable curved dagger
intimidating, forbidding, daunting, disturbing, alarming, frightening, disquieting, brooding, awesome, fearsome, ominous, foreboding, sinister, menacing, threatening, dangerous.
a formidable task
onerous, arduous, taxing, difficult, hard, heavy, laborious, burdensome, strenuous, back-breaking, uphill, Herculean, monumental, colossal; demanding, tough, challenging, exacting; formal exigent; archaic toilsome.
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a formidable pianist
capable, able, proficient, adept, adroit, accomplished, seasoned, skilful, skilled, gifted, talented, masterly, virtuoso, expert, knowledgeable, qualified; impressive, powerful, mighty, terrific, tremendous, great, complete, redoubtable; informal mean, wicked, deadly, nifty, crack, ace, wizard, magic; N. Amer. informal crackerjack.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant-looking, comforting, easy, poor, weak.

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formless

adjective
shapeless, amorphous, unshaped, indeterminate; structureless, unstructured. ANTONYMS :shaped, definite.

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formula

noun
a legal formula
form of words, set expression, phrase, saying, aphorism.
a peace formula
recipe, prescription, blueprint, plan, method, procedure, technique, system.
Top
a formula for removing grease
preparation, concoction, mixture, compound, creation, substance.
Top

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formulate

verb
the miners formulated a plan
devise, conceive, work out, think up, lay, draw up, put together, form, produce, fashion, concoct, contrive, forge, hatch, prepare, develop; informal dream up.
this is how Marx formulated his question
express, phrase, word, put into words, frame, couch, put, articulate, convey, say, state, utter.
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fornication

noun
(formal) extramarital sex, extramarital relations, adultery, infidelity, unfaithfulness, cuckoldry; informal hanky-panky, a bit on the side.

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forsake

verb
(poetic/literary) he forsook his wife
abandon, desert, leave, leave high and dry, turn one's back on, cast aside, break (up) with; jilt, strand, leave stranded, leave in the lurch, throw over; informal walk out on, run out on, dump, ditch.
I won't forsake my vegetarian principles
renounce, abandon, relinquish, dispense with, disclaim, disown, disavow, discard, wash one's hands of; give up, drop, jettison, do away with, axe; informal ditch, scrap, scrub, junk; formal forswear.
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ANTONYMS :keep to, adopt.

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forswear

verb
(formal) renounce, relinquish, reject, forgo, disavow, abandon, deny, repudiate, give up, wash one's hands of; eschew, abstain from, refrain from; informal kick, pack in, quit, swear off; Law disaffirm; poetic/literary forsake; formal abjure, abnegate. ANTONYMS :adhere to, persist with, take up.

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fort

noun
fortress, castle, citadel, blockhouse, burg; stronghold, redoubt, fortification, bastion; fastness.

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forte

noun
strength, strong point, speciality, strong suit, talent, special ability, skill, bent, gift, métier; informal thing. ANTONYMS :weakness.

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forth

adverb
smoke billowed forth
out, outside, away, off, ahead, forward, into view; into existence.
from that day forth
onwards, onward, on, forward; for ever, into eternity; until now.
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forthcoming

adjective
forthcoming events
imminent, impending, coming, upcoming, approaching, future; close, (close) at hand, in store, in the wind, in the air, in the offing, in the pipeline, on the horizon, on the way, on us, about to happen.
no reply was forthcoming
available, ready, at hand, accessible, obtainable, at someone's disposal, on offer; obtained, given, vouchsafed to someone; informal up for grabs, on tap.
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he was not very forthcoming about himself
communicative, talkative, chatty, loquacious, vocal; expansive, expressive, unreserved, uninhibited, outgoing, frank, open, candid; informal gabby.
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ANTONYMS :past, current, unavailable, uncommunicative.

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forthright

adjective
frank, direct, straightforward, honest, candid, open, sincere, outspoken, straight, blunt, plain-spoken, no-nonsense, bluff, matter-of-fact, to the point; informal upfront. ANTONYMS :secretive, evasive.

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forthwith

adverb
immediately, at once, instantly, directly, right away, straight away, post-haste, without delay, without hesitation; quickly, speedily, promptly; informal pronto. ANTONYMS :sometime.

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fortification

noun
rampart, wall, defence, bulwark, palisade, stockade, redoubt, earthwork, bastion, parapet, barricade.

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fortify

verb
the knights fortified their citadel
build defences round, strengthen, secure, protect.
the wall had been fortifed
strengthen, reinforce, toughen, consolidate, bolster, shore up, brace, buttress.
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I'll have a drink to fortify me
invigorate, strengthen, energize, enliven, liven up, animate, vitalize, rejuvenate, restore, revive, refresh; informal pep up, buck up, give a shot in the arm to.
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ANTONYMS :weaken, sedate, subdue.

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fortitude

noun
courage, bravery, endurance, resilience, mettle, moral fibre, strength of mind, strength of character, strong-mindedness, backbone, spirit, grit, doughtiness, steadfastness; informal guts; Brit. informal bottle. ANTONYMS :faint-heartedness.

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fortress

noun
fort, castle, citadel, blockhouse, burg; stronghold, redoubt, fortification, bastion; fastness.

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fortuitous

adjective
a fortuitous resemblance
chance, adventitious, unexpected, unanticipated, unpredictable, unforeseen, unlooked-for, serendipitous, casual, incidental, coincidental, random, accidental, inadvertent, unintentional, unintended, unplanned, unpremeditated.
United were saved by a fortuitous penalty
lucky, fluky, fortunate, providential, advantageous, timely, opportune, serendipitous, heaven-sent; Brit. informal jammy.
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ANTONYMS :predictable, unlucky.

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fortunate

adjective
he was fortunate that the punishment was so slight
lucky, favoured, blessed, blessed with good luck, in luck, having a charmed life, charmed; informal sitting pretty; Brit. informal jammy.
in a fortunate position
favourable, advantageous, providential, auspicious, welcome, heaven-sent, beneficial, propitious, fortuitous, opportune, happy, felicitous.
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the society gives generously to less fortunate people
wealthy, rich, affluent, prosperous, well off, moneyed, well-to-do, well heeled, opulent, comfortable; favoured, privileged.
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ANTONYMS :unfortunate, unfavourable, underprivileged.

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fortunately

adverb
luckily, by good luck, by good fortune, as luck would have it, propitiously; mercifully, thankfully; thank goodness, thank God, thank heavens, thank the stars.

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fortune

noun
fortune favoured him
chance, accident, coincidence, serendipity, destiny, fortuity, providence; N. Amer. happenstance.
a change of fortune
luck, fate, destiny, predestination, the stars, serendipity, karma, kismet, lot.
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an upswing in Sheffield's fortunes
circumstances, state of affairs, condition, position, situation; plight, predicament.
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he made his fortune in steel
wealth, riches, substance, property, assets, resources, means, possessions, treasure, estate.
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(informal) this dress cost a fortune
huge amount, vast sum, king's ransom, millions, billions; informal small fortune, packet, mint, bundle, pile, wad, arm and a leg, pretty penny, tidy sum, killing, big money; Brit. informal bomb, loadsamoney, shedloads; N. Amer. informal big bucks, gazillions.
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ANTONYMS :pittance.

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fortune teller

noun
clairvoyant, crystal-gazer, psychic, prophet, seer, oracle, soothsayer, augur, diviner, sibyl; palmist, palm-reader; Scottish spaewife.

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forum

noun
forums were held for staff to air grievances
meeting, assembly, gathering, rally, conference, seminar, convention, symposium, colloquium; N. Amer. & NZ caucus; informal get-together; formal colloquy.
a forum for discussion
setting, place, scene, context, stage, framework, backdrop; medium, means, apparatus, auspices.
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the Roman forum
public meeting place, marketplace, agora.
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forward

adverb
the traffic moved forward
ahead, forwards, onwards, onward, on, further.
the winner stepped forward
towards the front, out, forth, into view.
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from that day forward
onward, onwards, on, forth; for ever, into eternity; until now.
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ANTONYMS :backwards.

adjective
in a forward direction
moving forwards, moving ahead, onward, advancing, progressing, progressive.
the fortress served as the Austrian army's forward base against the Russians
front, advance, foremost, head, leading, frontal.
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forward planning
future, forward-looking, for the future, prospective.
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the girls seemed very forward
bold, brazen, brazen-faced, barefaced, brash, shameless, immodest, audacious, daring, presumptuous, familiar, overfamiliar, pert; informal brass-necked, fresh.
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ANTONYMS :backward, rear, shy, late.

verb
my mother forwarded me your letter
send on, post on, redirect, readdress, pass on.
the goods were forwarded by sea
send, dispatch, transmit, carry, convey, deliver, ship.
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Sir William forwarded his plan
advance, further, promote, assist, carry forward, hasten, hurry along, expedite, accelerate, speed up.
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forward-looking

adjective
progressive, enlightened, dynamic, pushing, bold, enterprising, ambitious, pioneering, innovative, modern, avant-garde, positive, reforming, radical; informal go-ahead, go-getting. ANTONYMS :backward-looking.

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forwards

adverb
. See forward adverb.

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fossil

noun
petrified remains, petrified impression, remnant, relic; Geology reliquiae.

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fossilized

adjective
fossilized remains
petrified, ossified.
a fossilized idea
archaic, antiquated, antediluvian, old-fashioned, quaint, outdated, outmoded, behind the times, anachronistic, stuck in time; informal prehistoric.
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foster

verb
he fostered the arts
encourage, promote, further, stimulate, advance, forward, cultivate, nurture, strengthen, enrich; help, aid, abet, assist, contribute to, support, back.
they started fostering children
bring up, rear, raise, care for, take care of, look after, nurture, provide for; mother, parent.
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ANTONYMS :neglect, suppress.

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foul

adjective
a foul stench
disgusting, revolting, repulsive, repugnant, abhorrent, loathsome, offensive, sickening, nauseating, nauseous, stomach-churning, stomach-turning, distasteful, obnoxious, objectionable, odious, noxious; N. Amer. vomitous; informal ghastly, gruesome, gross, putrid, yucky, skanky, sick-making; Brit. informal beastly; Austral. informal on the nose; poetic/literary miasmic, noisome, mephitic.
a foul mess
dirty, filthy, mucky, grimy, grubby, muddy, muddied, unclean, unwashed; squalid, sordid, soiled, sullied, scummy; rotten, defiled, decaying, putrid, putrefied, smelly, fetid; informal cruddy, yucky, icky; Brit. informal manky, gungy, grotty; rare feculent.
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he had been foul to her
unkind, malicious, mean, nasty, unpleasant, unfriendly, spiteful, cruel, vicious, base, malevolent, despicable, contemptible; informal horrible, horrid, rotten; Brit. informal beastly.
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foul weather
inclement, unpleasant, disagreeable, bad; rough, stormy, squally, gusty, windy, blustery, wild, blowy, rainy, wet; Brit. informal filthy.
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foul drinking water
contaminated, polluted, infected, tainted, impure, filthy, dirty, unclean; rare feculent.
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a foul deed
evil, wicked, bad, wrong, immoral, sinful, vile, dishonourable, corrupt, iniquitous, depraved, villainous, nefarious, vicious, malicious; malevolent, sinister, demonic, devilish, diabolical, fiendish, dark; monstrous, shocking, despicable, atrocious, heinous, odious, contemptible, horrible, execrable; informal low-down, dirty.
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foul language
vulgar, crude, coarse, filthy, dirty, obscene, indecent, indelicate, naughty, lewd, suggestive, smutty, ribald, salacious, scatological, offensive, abusive; informal blue.
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a foul tackle
unfair, illegal, unsporting, unsportsmanlike, below the belt, dirty.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant, kind, fair, clean, righteous, mild, fair.

verb
the river had been fouled with waste
dirty, infect, pollute, contaminate, poison, taint, sully, soil, stain, blacken, muddy, splash, spatter, smear, blight, defile, make filthy.
the vessel had fouled her nets
tangle up, entangle, snarl, catch, entwine, enmesh, twist.
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ANTONYMS :clean up, disentangle.

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foul-mouthed

adjective
vulgar, crude, coarse; obscene, rude, smutty, dirty, filthy, indecent, indelicate, offensive, lewd, X-rated, scatological, foul, abusive; informal blue.

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found

verb
he founded his company in 1989
establish, set up, start, begin, get going, institute, inaugurate, launch, float, form, create, bring into being, originate, develop.
they founded a new city
build, construct, erect, put up; plan, lay plans for.
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their relationship was founded on trust
base, build, construct; ground in, root in; rest, hinge, depend.
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ANTONYMS :dissolve, liquidate, abandon, demolish.

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foundation

noun
the foundations of a wall
footing, foot, base, substructure, underpinning; bottom, bedrock, substratum.
the report has a scientific foundation
basis, starting point, base, point of departure, beginning, premise; principles, fundamentals, rudiments; cornerstone, core, heart, thrust, essence, kernel.
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there was no foundation for the claim
justification, grounds, defence, reason, rationale, cause, basis, motive, excuse, call, pretext, provocation.
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an educational foundation
endowed institution, charitable body, funding agency, source of funds.
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founder 1

noun
the founder of modern physics
originator, creator, (founding) father, prime mover, architect, engineer, designer, developer, pioneer, author, planner, inventor, mastermind; poetic/literary begetter.

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founder 2

verb
the ship foundered
sink, go to the bottom, go down, be lost at sea; informal go to Davy Jones's locker.
the scheme foundered
fail, be unsuccessful, not succeed, fall flat, fall through, collapse, backfire, meet with disaster, come to nothing/naught; informal flop, bomb.
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their horses foundered in the river bed
stumble, trip, trip up, lose one's balance, lose/miss one's footing, slip, stagger, lurch, totter, fall, tumble, topple, sprawl, collapse.
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ANTONYMS :succeed.

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foundling

noun
abandoned infant, waif, stray, orphan, outcast; archaic wastrel.

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fountain

noun
a fountain of water
jet, spray, spout, spurt, well, fount, cascade.
a fountain of knowledge
source, fount, well; reservoir, fund, mass, mine.
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four

cardinal number
quartet, foursome, tetralogy, quadruplets; technical tetrad; rare quadrumvirate. quadri-, tetra-.

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foxy

adjective
(informal) crafty, wily, artful, guileful, devious, sly, scheming, designing, calculating, Machiavellian; shrewd, astute, clever, canny; deceitful, deceptive, duplicitous; archaic subtle.

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foyer

noun
entrance hall, hall, hallway, entrance, entry, porch, reception area, atrium, concourse, lobby; N. Amer. entryway.

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fracas

noun
disturbance, brawl, melee, rumpus, skirmish, struggle, scuffle, scrum, clash, fisticuffs, altercation; informal scrap, dust-up, set-to, shindy, shindig; Brit. informal punch-up, bust-up, ruck; N. Amer. informal rough house, brannigan; Austral./NZ informal stoush; Law, dated affray.

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fraction

noun
a fraction of the population
part, subdivision, division, portion, segment, slice, section, sector; proportion, percentage, ratio, measure.
only a fraction of the collection
tiny part, fragment, snippet, snatch, smattering, selection.
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he moved a fraction closer
tiny amount, little, bit, touch, soupçon, trifle, mite, shade, jot; informal smidgen, smidge, tad.
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ANTONYMS :whole.

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fractious

adjective
fractious children
grumpy, bad-tempered, irascible, irritable, crotchety, grouchy, cantankerous, short-tempered, tetchy, testy, curmudgeonly, ill-tempered, ill-humoured, peevish, cross, pettish, waspish, crabbed, crabby, crusty, prickly, touchy; informal snappish, snappy, chippy; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, narky, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery; Austral./NZ informal snaky.
the fractious parliamentary party
wayward, unruly, uncontrollable, unmanageable, out of hand, obstreperous, difficult, headstrong, recalcitrant, intractable; disobedient, insubordinate, disruptive, disorderly, undisciplined; contrary, wilful; formal refractory; archaic contumacious.
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ANTONYMS :contented, affable, dutiful.

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fracture

noun
the risk of vertebral fracture
breaking, breakage, cracking, fragmentation, splintering, rupture.
tiny fractures in the rock
crack, split, fissure, crevice, break, rupture, breach, rift, cleft, chink, interstice; crazing.
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verb
the glass fractured
break, crack, shatter, splinter, split, rupture; informal bust.

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fragile

adjective
fragile porcelain
breakable, easily broken; delicate, dainty, fine, flimsy; eggshell; formal frangible.
the fragile ceasefire
tenuous, shaky, insecure, unreliable, vulnerable, flimsy.
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she is still very fragile
weak, delicate, frail, debilitated; ill, unwell, ailing, poorly, sickly, infirm, enfeebled.
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ANTONYMS :strong, durable, robust.

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fragment

noun
meteorite fragments
piece, bit, particle, speck; chip, shard, sliver, splinter; shaving, paring, snippet, scrap, offcut, flake, shred, wisp, morsel; Scottish skelf.
a fragment of conversation
snatch, snippet, scrap, bit.
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verb
explosions caused the chalk to fragment
break up, break, break into pieces, crack open/apart, shatter, splinter, fracture; disintegrate, fall to pieces, fall apart.

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fragmentary

adjective
incomplete, fragmented, disconnected, disjointed, broken, discontinuous, piecemeal, scrappy, bitty, sketchy, uneven, patchy.

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fragrance

noun
the fragrance of spring flowers
sweet smell, scent, perfume, bouquet; aroma, redolence, nose.
a bottle of fragrance
perfume, scent, eau de toilette, toilet water; eau de cologne, cologne; aftershave.
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fragrant

adjective
sweet-scented, sweet-smelling, scented, perfumed, aromatic, perfumy; poetic/literary redolent. ANTONYMS :smelly.

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frail

adjective
a frail old lady
weak, delicate, feeble, enfeebled, debilitated; infirm, ill, ailing, unwell, sickly, poorly, in poor health.
a frail structure
fragile, breakable, easily damaged, delicate, flimsy, insubstantial, unsteady, unstable, rickety; formal frangible.
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ANTONYMS :strong, robust.

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frailty

noun
the frailty of old age
infirmity, weakness, enfeeblement, debility; fragility, delicacy; ill health, sickliness.
his many frailties
weakness, fallibility; weak point, flaw, imperfection, defect, failing, fault, shortcoming, deficiency, inadequacy, limitation.
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ANTONYMS :strength.

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frame

noun
a tubular metal frame
framework, structure, substructure, skeleton, chassis, shell, casing, body, bodywork; support, scaffolding, foundation.
his tall, slender frame
body, figure, form, shape, physique, build, size, proportions.
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a photograph frame
setting, mount, mounting.
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verb
he had the picture framed
mount, set in a frame.
the legislators who frame the regulations
formulate, draw up, draft, plan, shape, compose, put together, form, devise, create, establish, conceive, think up, originate; informal dream up.
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frame of mind
mood, state of mind, humour, temper, disposition.

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frame-up

noun
(informal) conspiracy, plot; trick, trap, entrapment; informal put-up job, fit-up, set-up.

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framework

noun
a metal framework
frame, substructure, structure, skeleton, chassis, shell, body, bodywork; support, scaffolding, foundation.
the framework of society
structure, shape, fabric, order, scheme, system, organization, construction, configuration, composition; informal make-up.
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franchise

noun
the extension of the franchise to women
suffrage, the vote, the right to vote, voting rights, enfranchisement.
the company lost its TV franchise
warrant, charter, licence, permit, authorization, permission, sanction.
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frank 1

adjective
he was quite frank with me
candid, direct, forthright, plain, plain-spoken, straight, straightforward, straight from the shoulder, explicit, to the point, matter-of-fact; open, honest, truthful, sincere; outspoken, bluff, blunt, unsparing, not afraid to call a spade a spade; informal upfront.
she looked at Sam with frank admiration
open, undisguised, unconcealed, naked, unmistakable, clear, obvious, transparent, patent, manifest, evident, perceptible, palpable; blatant, barefaced, flagrant.
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ANTONYMS :evasive.

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frank 2

verb
the envelope had not been franked
stamp, postmark; imprint, print, mark.

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frankly

adverb
frankly, I'm not very interested
to be frank, to be honest, to tell you the truth, to be truthful, in all honesty, as it happens.
he stated the case quite frankly
candidly, directly, plainly, straightforwardly, straight from the shoulder, forthrightly, openly, honestly, without beating about the bush, without mincing one's words, without prevarication, point-blank; bluntly, outspokenly, with no holds barred.
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frantic

adjective
panic-stricken, panic-struck, panicky, beside oneself, at one's wits' end, distraught, overwrought, worked up, agitated, distressed; frenzied, wild, frenetic, fraught, feverish, hysterical, desperate; informal in a state, in a tizzy/tizz, wound up, het up, in a flap, tearing one's hair out; Brit. informal having kittens, in a flat spin. ANTONYMS :calm.

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fraternity

noun
a spirit of fraternity
brotherhood, fellowship, kinship, friendship, (mutual) support, solidarity, community, union, togetherness; sisterhood.
the teaching fraternity
profession, body of workers; band, group, set, circle.
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(N. Amer.) a college fraternity
society, club, association; group, set.
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fraternize

verb
associate, mix, consort, socialize, keep company, rub shoulders; N. Amer. rub elbows; informal hang around/round, hang out, run around, knock about/around, hobnob, be thick with.

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fraud

noun
he was arrested for fraud
fraudulence, sharp practice, cheating, swindling, embezzlement, deceit, deception, double-dealing, chicanery.
social security frauds
swindle, racket, deception, trick, cheat, hoax; informal scam, con, con trick, rip-off, sting, gyp, diddle, fiddle; N. Amer. informal bunco, hustle, grift.
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they exposed him as a fraud
impostor, fake, sham, charlatan, quack, mountebank; swindler, fraudster, racketeer, cheat, confidence trickster; informal phoney, con man, con artist.
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fraudulent

adjective
dishonest, cheating, swindling, corrupt, criminal, illegal, unlawful, illicit; deceitful, double-dealing, duplicitous, dishonourable, unscrupulous, unprincipled; informal crooked, shady, dirty; Brit. informal bent, dodgy; Austral./NZ informal shonky. ANTONYMS :honest.

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fraught

adjective
their world is fraught with danger
full of, filled with, rife with; attended by, accompanied by.
she sounded a bit fraught
anxious, worried, stressed, upset, distraught, overwrought, worked up, agitated, distressed, distracted, desperate, frantic, panic-stricken, panic-struck, panicky; beside oneself, at one's wits' end, at the end of one's tether; informal wound up, in a state, in a flap, in a cold sweat, tearing one's hair out; Brit. informal having kittens, in a flat spin.
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fray 1

verb
cheap fabric soon frays
unravel, wear, wear thin, wear out/through, become worn.
her nerves were frayed
strain, tax, overtax, put on edge.
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fray 2

noun
two men started the fray
battle, fight, engagement, conflict, clash, skirmish, altercation, tussle, struggle, scuffle, melee, brawl; informal scrap, dust-up, set-to; Brit. informal punch-up, bust-up; Scottish informal rammy; Law, dated affray.

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frayed

adjective
a frayed shirt collar
worn, well worn, threadbare, tattered, ragged, holey, moth-eaten, in holes, the worse for wear; informal tatty; N. Amer. informal raggedy.
his frayed nerves
strained, fraught, tense, edgy, stressed.
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freak

noun
a genetically engineered freak
aberration, abnormality, irregularity, oddity; monster, monstrosity, mutant; freak of nature.
the accident was a complete freak
anomaly, aberration, rarity, oddity, unusual occurrence; fluke, twist of fate.
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(informal) they were dismissed as a bunch of freaks
oddity, eccentric, misfit; crank, lunatic; informal oddball, weirdo, nutcase, nut; Brit. informal nutter; N. Amer. informal wacko, kook.
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(informal) a fitness freak
enthusiast, fan, devotee, lover, aficionado; informal fiend, nut, fanatic, addict, maniac.
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adjective
a freak storm | a freak result
unusual, anomalous, aberrant, atypical, unrepresentative, irregular, fluky, exceptional, unaccountable, bizarre, queer, peculiar, odd, freakish; unpredictable, unforeseeable, unexpected, unanticipated, surprising; rare, singular, isolated. ANTONYMS :normal.

verb
(informal) he freaked out
go crazy, go mad, go out of one's mind, go to pieces, crack, snap, lose control; panic, become hysterical; informal lose it, lose one's cool, crack up; N. Amer. informal go ape, go postal.

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freakish

adjective
freakish weather.
See freak adjective.

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freaky

adjective
(informal). See odd senses 1, 2.

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free

adjective
admission is free
without charge, free of charge, for nothing; complimentary, gratis; informal for free, on the house.
she was free of any pressures
unencumbered by, unaffected by, clear of, without, rid of; exempt from, not liable to, safe from, immune to, excused of; informal sans, minus.
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I'm free this afternoon
unoccupied, not busy, available, between appointments; off duty, off work, off, on holiday, on leave; at leisure, with time on one's hands, with time to spare.
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the bathroom's free now
vacant, empty, available, unoccupied, not taken, not in use.
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a citizen of a proud free nation
independent, self-governing, self-governed, self-ruling, self-determining, non-aligned, sovereign, autonomous; democratic.
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the killer is still free
on the loose, at liberty, at large; loose, unconfined, unbound, untied, unchained, untethered, unshackled, unfettered, unrestrained.
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you are free to leave
able to, in a position to, capable of; allowed, permitted.
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the free flow of water
unimpeded, unobstructed, unrestricted, unhampered, clear, open, unblocked.
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she was free with her money
generous, liberal, open-handed, unstinting, bountiful; lavish, extravagant, prodigal.
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his free and hearty manner
frank, open, candid, direct, plain-spoken; unrestrained, unconstrained, free and easy, uninhibited.
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ANTONYMS :busy, occupied, captive, mean.

verb
three of the hostages were freed
release, set free, let go, liberate, discharge, deliver; set loose, let loose, turn loose, untie, unchain, unfetter, unshackle, unleash; poetic/literary disenthral; historical manumit.
the victims were freed by firefighters
extricate, release, get out, pull out, pull free; rescue, set free.
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they wish to be freed from all legal ties
exempt, except, excuse, relieve, unburden, disburden.
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ANTONYMS :confine, trap.

free and easy
easy-going, relaxed, casual, informal, unceremonious, unforced, natural, open, spontaneous, uninhibited, friendly; tolerant, liberal; informal laid-back. a free hand
free rein, carte blanche, freedom, liberty, licence, latitude, leeway.

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freebooter

noun
pirate, marauder, raider; bandit, robber; adventurer, swashbuckler; historical privateer; archaic buccaneer, corsair.

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freedom

noun
a desperate bid for freedom
liberty, liberation, release, deliverance, delivery, discharge; poetic/literary disenthralment; historical manumission.
national revolution was the only path to freedom
independence, self-government, self-determination, self rule, home rule, sovereignty, non-alignment, autonomy; democracy.
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freedom from local political accountability
exemption, immunity, dispensation; impunity.
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patients have more freedom to choose who treats them
right, entitlement, privilege, prerogative; scope, latitude, leeway, flexibility, space, breathing space, room, elbow room; licence, leave, free rein, a free hand, carte blanche.
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ANTONYMS :captivity, subjection, liability.

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free-for-all

noun
brawl, fight, scuffle, tussle, struggle, confrontation, clash, altercation, fray, fracas, melee, rumpus, disturbance; breach of the peace; informal dust-up, scrap, set-to, shindy; Brit. informal punch-up, bust-up, barney; Scottish informal rammy; Law, dated affray.

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freely

adverb
may I speak freely?
openly, candidly, frankly, directly, without constraint, without inhibition; truthfully, honestly, without beating about the bush, without mincing one's words, without prevarication.
they gave their time and labour freely
voluntarily, willingly, readily; of one's own volition, of one's own accord, of one's own free will, without compulsion.
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freethinker

noun
nonconformist, individualist, independent, maverick; agnostic, atheist, non-believer, unbeliever. ANTONYMS :conformist.

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free will

noun
self-determination, freedom of choice, autonomy, liberty, independence.
of one's own free will
voluntarily, willingly, readily, freely, without reluctance, without compulsion, of one's own accord, of one's own volition, of one's own choosing.

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freeze

verb
the stream had frozen
ice over, ice up, solidify.
the campers stifled in summer and froze in winter
be very cold, be numb with cold, turn blue with cold, shiver, be chilled to the bone/marrow.
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she froze in horror
stop dead, stop in one's tracks, stop, stand (stock) still, go rigid, become motionless, become paralysed.
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the prices of basic foodstuffs were frozen
fix, hold, peg, set; limit, restrict, cap, confine, regulate; hold/keep down.
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ANTONYMS :thaw.

freeze someone out (informal)
exclude, leave out, shut out, cut out, ignore, ostracize, spurn, snub, shun, cut, cut dead, turn one's back on, cold-shoulder, give someone the cold shoulder, leave out in the cold; Brit. send to Coventry; Brit. informal blank.

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freezing

adjective
a freezing wind
bitter, bitterly cold, icy, chill, frosty, glacial, wintry, sub-zero; raw, biting, piercing, penetrating, cutting, numbing; arctic, polar, Siberian.
you must be freezing
frozen, extremely cold, numb with cold, chilled to the bone/marrow, frozen stiff, shivery, shivering; informal frozen to death.
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ANTONYMS :balmy, hot.

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freight

noun
freight carried by rail
goods, cargo, freightage; load, consignment, delivery, shipment; merchandise.
the importance of air freight
transportation, transport, conveyance, freightage, carriage, portage, haulage.
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frenetic

adjective
frantic, wild, frenzied, hectic, fraught, feverish, fevered, mad, manic, hyperactive, energetic, intense, fast and furious, turbulent, tumultuous. ANTONYMS :calm.

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frenzied

adjective
frantic, wild, frenetic, hectic, fraught, feverish, fevered, mad, crazed, manic, intense, furious, uncontrolled, out of control. ANTONYMS :calm.

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frenzy

noun
the crowd worked themselves into a state of frenzy
hysteria, madness, mania, dementedness, delirium, feverishness, fever, wildness, agitation, turmoil, tumult; wild excitement, euphoria, elation, ecstasy.
a frenzy of anger
fit, paroxysm, spasm, bout.
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frequency

noun
rate of occurrence, incidence, amount, commonness, prevalence; Statistics distribution.

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frequent

adjective
frequent bouts of chest infection
recurrent, recurring, repeated, periodic, continual, one after another, successive; many, numerous, lots of, several.
a frequent business traveller
habitual, regular.
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ANTONYMS :occasional.

verb
he frequented chic supper clubs
visit, patronize, spend time in, visit regularly, be a regular visitor to, haunt; informal hang out at.

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frequenter

noun
habitué, patron, regular, regular visitor, regular customer, regular client, familiar face.

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frequently

adverb
regularly, often, very often, all the time, habitually, customarily, routinely; many times, many a time, lots of times, again and again, time and again, over and over again, repeatedly, recurrently, continually; N. Amer. oftentimes; poetic/literary oft, oft-times.

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fresh

adjective
fresh fruit
newly picked, garden-fresh, crisp, unwilted; raw, natural, unprocessed.
a fresh sheet of paper
clean, blank, empty, clear, white; unused, new, pristine, unmarked, untouched.
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a fresh approach
new, recent, latest, up-to-date, modern, modernistic, ultra-modern, newfangled; original, novel, different, innovative, unusual, unconventional, unorthodox; radical, revolutionary; informal offbeat.
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fresh recruits
young, youthful; new, inexperienced, naive, untrained, unqualified, untried, raw; informal wet behind the ears.
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he felt fresh and happy to be alive
refreshed, rested, restored, revived; (as) fresh as a daisy, energetic, vigorous, invigorated, full of vim and vigour, lively, vibrant, spry, sprightly, bright, alert, perky; informal full of beans, raring to go, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, chirpy, chipper.
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her fresh complexion
healthy, healthy-looking, clear, bright, youthful, blooming, glowing, unble mished; fair, rosy, rosy-cheeked, pink, ruddy.
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the night air was fresh
cool, crisp, refreshing, invigorating, tonic; pure, clean, clear, uncontaminated, untainted.
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a fresh wind
chilly, chill, cool, cold, brisk, bracing, invigorating; strong; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky.
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(informal) that young man has been getting a little too fresh
impudent, impertinent, insolent, presumptuous, forward, cheeky, disrespectful, rude, brazen, shameless, pert, bold, (as) bold as brass; informal brass-necked, lippy, mouthy, saucy; N. Amer. informal sassy.
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ANTONYMS :stale, old, tired, warm.

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freshen

verb
the cold water freshened him
refresh, revitalize, restore, revive, wake up, rouse, enliven, liven up, energize, brace, invigorate; informal buck up, pep up.
he opened a window to freshen the room
ventilate, air, aerate, oxygenate; deodorize, purify, cleanse; refresh, cool.
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she went to freshen up before dinner
have a wash, wash oneself, bathe, shower; tidy oneself (up), spruce oneself up, smarten oneself up, groom oneself, primp oneself; N. Amer. wash up; informal titivate oneself, do oneself up, doll oneself up; Brit. informal tart oneself up; formal ? humorous perform one's ablutions.
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(N. Amer.) the waitress freshened their coffee
refill, top up, fill up, replenish.
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freshman freshwoman

noun
first year student, undergraduate; newcomer, new recruit, starter, probationer; beginner, learner, novice; N. Amer. tenderfoot; informal undergrad, rookie; Brit. informal fresher; N. Amer. informal greenhorn.

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fret

verb
she was fretting about Jonathan
worry, be anxious, feel uneasy, be distressed, be upset, upset oneself, concern oneself; agonize, sigh, pine, brood, eat one's heart out.
his absence began to fret her
trouble, bother, concern, perturb, disturb, disquiet, disconcert, distress, upset, alarm, panic, agitate; informal eat away at.
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fretful

adjective
distressed, upset, miserable, unsettled, uneasy, ill at ease, uncomfortable, edgy, agitated, worked up, tense, stressed, restive, fidgety; querulous, irritable, cross, fractious, peevish, petulant, out of sorts, bad-tempered, irascible, grumpy, crotchety, captious, testy, tetchy; N. Amer. informal cranky; informal het up, uptight, twitchy, crabby.

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friable

adjective
crumbly, easily crumbled, powdery, dusty, chalky, soft; dry, crisp, brittle.

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friar

noun
monk, brother, religious, coenobite, contemplative; prior, abbot.

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friction

noun
a lubrication system which reduces friction
abrasion, rubbing, chafing, grating, rasping, scraping; resistance, drag.
there was considerable friction between father and son
discord, strife, conflict, disagreement, dissension, dissent, opposition, contention, dispute, disputation, arguing, argument, quarrelling, bickering, squabbling, wrangling, fighting, feuding, rivalry; hostility, animosity, antipathy, enmity, antagonism, resentment, acrimony, bitterness, bad feeling, ill feeling, ill will, bad blood.
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ANTONYMS :harmony.

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friend

noun
a close friend
companion, boon companion, bosom friend, best friend, intimate, confidante, confidant, familiar, soul mate, alter ego, second self, playmate, playfellow, classmate, schoolmate, workmate; ally, associate; sister, brother; informal pal, chum, sidekick, crony, main man; Brit. informal mate, china, mucker; N. English informal marrow, marra; N. Amer. informal buddy, amigo, compadre, homeboy; archaic compeer.
the friends of the Royal Botanic Garden
patron, backer, supporter, benefactor, benefactress, sponsor; well-wisher, defender, champion; informal angel.
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ANTONYMS :enemy.

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friendless

adjective
alone, all alone, by oneself, solitary, lonely, with no one to turn to, lone, without friends, companionless, unbefriended, unpopular, unwanted, unloved, abandoned, rejected, forsaken, shunned, spurned, forlorn; N. Amer. lonesome. ANTONYMS :popular.

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friendliness

noun
affability, amiability, geniality, congeniality, bonhomie, cordiality, good nature, good humour, warmth, affection, demonstrativeness, conviviality, joviality, companionability, sociability, gregariousness, camaraderie, neighbourliness, hospitableness, approachability, accessibility, openness, kindness, kindliness, sympathy, amenability, benevolence.

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friendly

adjective
a friendly woman
affable, amiable, genial, congenial, cordial, warm, affectionate, demonstrative, convivial, companionable, sociable, gregarious, outgoing, clubbable, comradely, neighbourly, hospitable, approachable, easy to get on with, accessible, communicative, open, unreserved, easy-going, good-natured, kindly, benign, amenable, agreeable, obliging, sympathetic, well disposed, benevolent; Scottish couthy; informal chummy, pally, clubby; Brit. informal matey; N. Amer. informal buddy-buddy.
friendly conversation
amicable, congenial, cordial, pleasant, easy, relaxed, casual, informal, unceremonious; close, intimate, familiar.
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a friendly wind swept the boat to the shore
favourable, advantageous, helpful; lucky, providential.
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ANTONYMS :hostile.

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friendship

noun
lasting friendships
relationship, close relationship, attachment, mutual attachment, association, bond, tie, link, union.
old ties of love and friendship
amity, camaraderie, friendliness, comradeship, companionship, fellowship, fellow feeling, closeness, affinity, rapport, understanding, harmony, unity; intimacy, mutual affection.
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ANTONYMS :enmity.

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fright

noun
she was paralysed with fright
fear, fearfulness, terror, horror, alarm, panic, dread, trepidation, dismay, nervousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, perturbation, disquiet; informal jitteriness, twitchiness.
the experience gave everyone a fright
scare, shock, surprise, turn, jolt, start; the shivers, the shakes; informal the jitters, the heebie-jeebies, the willies, the creeps, the collywobbles, a cold sweat; Brit. informal the (screaming) abdabs, butterflies (in one's stomach).
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(informal) she looked an absolute fright
ugly sight, eyesore, monstrosity; informal mess, sight, state, blot on the landscape.
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frighten

verb
scare, startle, alarm, terrify, petrify, shock, chill, panic, shake, disturb, dismay, unnerve, unman, intimidate, terrorize, cow, daunt; strike terror into, put the fear of God into, chill someone to the bone/marrow, make someone's blood run cold; informal scare the living daylights out of, scare stiff, scare someone out of their wits, scare witless, scare to death, scare the pants off, spook, make someone's hair stand on end, throw into a blue funk, make someone jump out of their skin; Brit. informal put the wind up, give someone the heebie-jeebies, make someone's hair curl; Irish informal scare the bejesus out of; archaic affright.

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frightening

adjective
terrifying, horrifying, alarming, startling, chilling, spine-chilling, hair-raising, blood-curdling, disturbing, unnerving, intimidating, daunting, dismaying, upsetting, harrowing, traumatic; eerie, sinister, fearsome, nightmarish, macabre, menacing; Scottish eldritch; informal scary, spooky, creepy, hairy.

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frightful

adjective
a frightful accident
horrible, horrific, ghastly, horrendous, serious, awful, dreadful, terrible, nasty, grim, dire, unspeakable; alarming, shocking, terrifying, harrowing, appalling, fearful; hideous, gruesome, grisly; informal horrid; formal grievous.
(informal) a frightful racket
awful, very bad, terrible, dreadful, appalling, ghastly, abominable; unpleasant, disagreeable, lamentable, deplorable, insufferable, unbearable; informal God-awful; Brit. informal beastly.
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frigid

adjective
a frigid January night
very cold, bitterly cold, bitter, freezing, frozen, frosty, icy, gelid, chilly, chill, wintry, bleak, sub-zero, arctic, Siberian, polar, glacial; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky.
frigid politeness
stiff, formal, stony, wooden, unemotional, passionless, unfeeling, indifferent, unresponsive, unenthusiastic, austere, distant, aloof, remote, reserved, unapproachable; frosty, cold, icy, cool, unsmiling, forbidding, unfriendly, unwelcoming, hostile; informal offish, stand-offish.
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ANTONYMS :hot, friendly.

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frill

noun
a full skirt with a wide frill
ruffle, flounce, ruff, furbelow, jabot, peplum, ruche, ruching, fringe; archaic purfle.
a comfortable flat with no frills
ostentation, ornamentation, decoration, embellishment, fanciness, fuss, chichi, gilding, excess; trimmings, extras, additions, non-essentials, luxuries, extravagances, superfluities.
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frilly

adjective
ruffled, flounced, frilled, crimped, ruched, trimmed, lacy, frothy; fancy, ornate.

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fringe

noun
the city's northern fringe
perimeter, periphery, border, borderline, margin, rim, outer edge, edge, extremity, limit; outer limits, limits, borders, bounds, outskirts, marches; poetic/literary marge, bourn.
blue curtains with a yellow fringe
edging, edge, border, trimming, frill, flounce, ruffle; tassels; archaic purfle.
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ANTONYMS :middle.

adjective
fringe theatre
unconventional, unorthodox, alternative, avant-garde, experimental, innovative, left-field, innovatory, radical, extreme; peripheral; off Broadway; informal offbeat, way out. ANTONYMS :mainstream.

verb
a robe of gold, fringed with black velvet
trim, edge, hem, border, bind, braid; decorate, adorn, ornament, embellish, finish; archaic purfle.
the lake is fringed by a belt of trees
border, edge, bound, skirt, line, surround, enclose, encircle, circle, girdle, encompass, ring; poetic/literary gird.
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fringe benefit

noun
extra, added extra, additional benefit, privilege; informal perk; formal perquisite.

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frippery

noun
a functional building with not a hint of frippery
ostentation, showiness, embellishment, adornment, ornamentation, ornament, decoration, trimming, gilding, prettification, gingerbread; finery; informal bells and whistles.
stalls full of fripperies
trinket, bauble, knick-knack, gewgaw, gimcrack, bibelot, ornament, novelty, trifle; N. Amer. kickshaw; archaic gaud.
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frisk

verb
the spaniels frisked around my ankles
frolic, gambol, cavort, caper, cut capers, scamper, skip, dance, romp, trip, prance, leap, spring, hop, jump, bounce.
the officer frisked him
search, body-search, check.
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frisky

adjective
lively, bouncy, bubbly, perky, active, energetic, animated, zestful, full of vim and vigour; playful, coltish, skittish, spirited, high-spirited, in high spirits, exuberant; informal full of beans, sparky, zippy, peppy, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed; poetic/literary frolicsome.

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fritter

verb
squander, waste, misuse, misspend, dissipate; overspend, spend like water, be prodigal with, run through, get through; informal blow, splurge, pour/chuck something down the drain; Brit. informal, dated blue. ANTONYMS :save.

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frivolity

noun
light-heartedness, levity, joking, jocularity, gaiety, fun, frivolousness, silliness, foolishness, flightiness, skittishness; superficiality, shallowness, vacuity, empty-headedness.

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frivolous

adjective
a frivolous girl
skittish, flighty, giddy, silly, foolish, superficial, shallow, light-minded, irresponsible, thoughtless, feather-brained, empty-headed, pea-brained, birdbrained, vacuous, vapid; informal dizzy, dippy; N. Amer. informal ditsy.
frivolous remarks
flippant, glib, facetious, joking, jokey, light-hearted; fatuous, inane, senseless, thoughtless; informal flip.
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new rules to stop frivolous lawsuits
time-wasting, pointless, trivial, trifling, minor, petty, insignificant, unimportant.
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ANTONYMS :sensible, serious.

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frizzle 1

verb
a hamburger frizzled in the pan
sizzle, crackle, fizz, hiss, spit, sputter, crack, snap; fry, cook.

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frizzle 2

verb
their hair was powdered and frizzled
curl, coil, crimp, crinkle, kink, wave, frizz. ANTONYMS :straighten.

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frizzy

adjective
curly, curled, corkscrew, ringlety, crimped, crinkly, kinky, frizzed; permed; N. Amer. informal nappy. ANTONYMS :straight.

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frock

noun
dress, gown, robe, shift; garment, costume.

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frolic

verb
children frolicked on the sand
play, amuse oneself, romp, disport oneself, frisk, gambol, cavort, caper, cut capers, scamper, skip, dance, prance, leap about, jump about; dated sport.
noun
the youngsters enjoyed their frolic
antic, caper, game, romp, escapade; (frolics) fun (and games), high jinks, merrymaking, amusement, skylarking.

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frolicsome

adjective
(poetic/literary) playful, frisky, fun-loving, jolly, merry, gleeful, light-hearted, exuberant, high-spirited, spirited, lively, perky, skittish, coltish, kittenish; mischievous, impish, roguish; informal peppy, zippy, full of beans.

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front

noun
the front of the boat
fore, foremost part, forepart, anterior, forefront, nose, head; bow, prow; foreground.
a shop front
frontage, face, facing, facade; window.
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the battlefield surgeons who work at the front
front line, firing line, vanguard, van; trenches.
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the front of the queue
head, beginning, start, top, lead.
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she kept up a brave front
appearance, air, face, manner, demeanour, bearing, pose, exterior, veneer, (outward) show, act, pretence, affectation.
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the shop was a front for his real business
cover, cover-up, false front, blind, disguise, facade, mask, cloak, screen, smokescreen, camouflage.
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(informal) he's got a lot of front
self-confidence, boldness, forwardness, pushiness, audacity, temerity, presumption, presumptuousness, cockiness, daring; informal nerve, face, neck, brass neck.
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ANTONYMS :rear, back.

adjective
the front runners
leading, lead, first, foremost; in first place. ANTONYMS :last.

verb
the houses fronted on a reservoir
overlook, look out on/over, face (towards), lie opposite (to); have a view of, command a view of.
in front
ahead, to/at the fore, at the head, up ahead, in the vanguard, in the van, in the lead, leading, coming first; at the head of the queue; informal up front.

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frontier

noun
border, boundary, borderline, dividing line, demarcation line; perimeter, limit, edge, rim; marches, bounds.

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frost

noun
hedges covered with frost
ice crystals, ice, rime, verglas; hoar frost, ground frost, black frost; informal Jack Frost; archaic hoar.
there was frost in his tone
coldness, coolness, frostiness, ice, iciness, frigidity; hostility, unfriendliness, stiffness; informal stand-offishness.
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frosty

adjective
a frosty morning
freezing, cold, icy-cold, bitter, bitterly cold, chill, wintry, frigid, glacial, arctic; frozen, icy, gelid; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky; poetic/literary frore, rimy.
her frosty gaze
cold, frigid, icy, glacial, unfriendly, inhospitable, unwelcoming, forbidding, hostile, stony, stern, hard.
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froth

noun
the froth on top of the beer
foam, head; bubbles, frothiness, fizz, effervescence; lather, suds; scum; poetic/literary spume.
verb
the liquid frothed up
bubble, fizz, effervesce, foam, lather; churn, seethe; poetic/literary spume.

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frothy

adjective
a frothy liquid
foaming, foamy, bubbling, bubbly, fizzy, sparkling, effervescent, gassy, carbonated; sudsy; poetic/literary spumy, spumous.
a frothy pink evening dress
frilly, flouncy, lacy.
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a frothy woman's magazine
lightweight, light, superficial, shallow, slight, insubstantial; trivial, trifling, frivolous.
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frown

verb
she frowned at him
scowl, glower, glare, lour, make a face, look daggers, give someone a black look; knit/furrow one's brows; informal give someone a dirty look.
public displays of affection were frowned on
disapprove of, view with disfavour, dislike, look askance at, not take kindly to, take a dim view of, take exception to, object to, have a low opinion of.
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ANTONYMS :smile.

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frowsty

adjective
(Brit.) stuffy, airless, unventilated, fusty, close, muggy, stifling; stale, musty, smelly; N. Amer. funky. ANTONYMS :airy.

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frowzy

adjective
a frowzy old biddy
scruffy, unkempt, untidy, messy, dishevelled, slovenly, slatternly, bedraggled, down at heel, badly dressed, dowdy; N. Amer. informal raggedy.
a frowzy room
dingy, gloomy, dull, drab, dark, dim; stuffy, close, musty, stale, stifling; shabby, seedy, run down; Brit. frowsty, fuggy.
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frozen

adjective
the frozen ground
icy, ice-covered, ice-bound, frosty, frosted, gelid; frozen solid, hard, (as) hard as iron; poetic/literary rimy.
his hands were frozen
freezing, icy, very cold, chilled to the bone/marrow, numb, numbed, frozen stiff; informal frozen to death.
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ANTONYMS :boiling.

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frugal

adjective
a hard-working, frugal man
thrifty, economical, careful, cautious, prudent, provident, unwasteful, sparing, scrimping; abstemious, abstinent, austere, self-denying, ascetic, monkish, spartan; parsimonious, miserly, niggardly, cheese-paring, penny-pinching, close-fisted; N. Amer. forehanded; informal tight-fisted, tight, stingy.
their frugal breakfast
meagre, scanty, scant, paltry, skimpy; plain, simple, spartan, inexpensive, cheap, economical.
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ANTONYMS :extravagant, lavish.

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fruit

noun
the fruits of their labours
reward, benefit, profit, product, return, yield, legacy, issue; result, outcome, upshot, consequence, effect.

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fruitful

adjective
a fruitful tree
fertile, fecund, prolific, high-yielding; fruit-bearing, fruiting.
fruitful discussions
productive, constructive, useful, of use, worthwhile, helpful, beneficial, valuable, rewarding, profitable, advantageous, gainful, successful, effective, effectual, well spent.
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ANTONYMS :barren, futile.

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fruition

noun
fulfilment, realization, actualization, materialization, achievement, attainment, accomplishment, resolution; success, completion, consummation, conclusion, close, finish, perfection, maturity, maturation, ripening, ripeness; implementation, execution, performance.

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fruitless

adjective
futile, vain, in vain, to no avail, to no effect, idle; pointless, useless, worthless, wasted, hollow; ineffectual, ineffective, inefficacious; unproductive, unrewarding, profitless, unsuccessful, unavailing, barren, for naught; abortive; archaic bootless. ANTONYMS :productive.

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fruity

adjective
his fruity voice
deep, rich, resonant, full, mellow, clear, strong, vibrant.
(Brit. informal) a fruity story
bawdy, racy, risqué, naughty, spicy, earthy, ribald, suggestive, titillating; rude, indelicate, vulgar, indecent, improper, dirty, smutty, coarse, off colour; N. Amer. gamy; euphemistic adult; informal blue, near the knuckle, nudge-nudge, raunchy; Brit. informal saucy.
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frumpy

adjective
dowdy, frumpish, unfashionable, old-fashioned; drab, dull, shabby, scruffy; Brit. informal mumsy. ANTONYMS :fashionable.

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frustrate

verb
his plans were frustrated
thwart, defeat, foil, block, stop, put a stop to, counter, spoil, check, baulk, disappoint, forestall, dash, scotch, quash, crush, derail, snooker; obstruct, impede, hamper, hinder, hamstring, stand in the way of, spike someone's guns; informal stymie, foul up, screw up, put the kibosh on, banjax, do for; Brit. informal scupper.
the delays frustrated him
exasperate, infuriate, annoy, anger, vex, irritate, irk, try someone's patience; disappoint, discontent, dissatisfy, discourage, dishearten, dispirit; informal aggravate, bug, miff, hack off.
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ANTONYMS :help, facilitate.

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frustration

noun
he clenched his fists in frustration
exasperation, annoyance, anger, vexation, irritation; disappointment, dissatisfaction, discontentment, discontent; informal aggravation.
the frustration of his attempts to introduce changes
thwarting, defeat, prevention, foiling, blocking, spoiling, circumvention, forestalling, disappointment, derailment; obstruction, hampering, hindering; failure, collapse.
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fuddled

adjective
stupefied, addled, befuddled, confused, muddled, bewildered, dazed, stunned, muzzy, groggy, foggy, fuzzy, vague, disorientated, disoriented, all at sea; informal dopey, woozy, woolly-minded, fazed, not with it; N. Amer. informal discombobulated.

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fuddy-duddy

noun
(informal) (old) fogy, conservative, traditionalist, conformist; fossil, dinosaur, troglodyte; Brit. museum piece; informal stick-in-the-mud, square, stuffed shirt, dodo.

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fudge

verb
the minister tried to fudge the issue
evade, avoid, dodge, skirt, duck, gloss over; hedge, prevaricate, vacillate, be non-committal, stall, beat about the bush, equivocate; Brit. hum and haw; informal cop out, sit on the fence; rare tergiversate.
the government has been fudging figures
adjust, manipulate, massage, put a spin on, juggle, misrepresent, misreport, bend; tamper with, tinker with, interfere with, doctor, falsify, distort; informal cook, fiddle with.
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noun
the latest proposals are a fudge
compromise, cover-up; spin, casuistry, sophistry; informal cop-out.

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fuel

noun
the car ran out of fuel
petrol, diesel; power source; N. Amer. gasoline, gas.
she added more fuel to the fire
firewood, wood, kindling, logs; coal, coke, anthracite; oil, paraffin, kerosene; heat source.
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we all need fuel to keep our bodies going
nourishment, food, sustenance, nutriment, nutrition.
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his antics added fuel to the Republican cause
encouragement, ammunition, stimulus, incentive; provocation, goading.
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verb
power stations fuelled by low-grade coal
power, fire, charge.
the rumours fuelled anxiety among opposition backbenchers
fan, feed, stoke up, inflame, intensify, stimulate, encourage, provoke, incite, whip up; sustain, keep alive.
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fug

noun
(Brit. informal) stuffiness, fustiness, frowstiness, staleness, stuffy atmosphere.

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fuggy

adjective
(Brit. informal) stuffy, smoky, close, muggy, stale, fusty, unventilated, airless, stifling, heavy. ANTONYMS :airy.

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fugitive

noun
a hunted fugitive
escapee, runaway, deserter, absconder; refugee.
adjective
a fugitive criminal
escaped, runaway, on the run, on the loose, at large; wanted; informal AWOL; N. Amer. informal on the lam.
the fugitive nature of life
fleeting, transient, transitory, ephemeral, fading, momentary, short-lived, short, brief, passing, impermanent, here today and gone tomorrow; poetic/literary evanescent.
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fulfil

verb
he fulfilled a lifelong ambition to visit Israel
achieve, attain, realize, actualize, make happen, succeed in, bring to completion, bring to fruition, satisfy.
she failed to fulfil her duties
carry out, perform, accomplish, execute, do, discharge, conduct; complete, finish, conclude, perfect.
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they fulfilled the criteria
meet, satisfy, comply with, conform to, fill, answer.
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fulfilled

adjective
satisfied, content, contented, happy, pleased; serene, placid, untroubled, at ease, at peace. ANTONYMS :discontented.

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full

adjective
her glass was full
filled, filled up, filled to capacity, filled to the brim, brimming, brimful.
streets full of people
crowded, packed, crammed, congested; teeming, swarming, thick, thronged, overcrowded, overrun; abounding, bursting, overflowing; informal jam-packed, wall-to-wall, stuffed, chock-a-block, chock-full, bursting at the seams, packed to the gunwales, awash.
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all the seats were full
occupied, taken, in use, unavailable.
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I'm full
replete, full up, satisfied, well fed, sated, satiated, surfeited; gorged, glutted; informal stuffed.
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she'd had a full life
eventful, interesting, exciting, lively, action-packed, busy, energetic, active.
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a full list of available facilities
comprehensive, thorough, exhaustive, all-inclusive, all-encompassing, all-embracing, in depth; complete, entire, whole, unabridged, uncut.
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a fire engine driven at full speed
maximum, top, greatest, highest.
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she had a full figure
plump, well rounded, rounded, buxom, shapely, ample, curvaceous, voluptuous, womanly, Junoesque; informal busty, curvy, well upholstered, well endowed; N. Amer. informal zaftig.
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a full skirt
loose-fitting, loose, baggy, voluminous, roomy, capacious, billowing.
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his full baritone voice
resonant, rich, sonorous, deep, vibrant, full-bodied, strong, fruity, clear.
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the full flavour of a Bordeaux
rich, intense, full-bodied, strong, deep.
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ANTONYMS :empty, hungry, selective, thin.

adverb
she looked full into his face
directly, right, straight, squarely, square, dead, point-blank; informal bang, slap (bang), plumb.
you knew full well I was leaving
very, perfectly, quite; informal darn, damn, damned; Brit. informal jolly, bloody; N. Amer. informal darned.
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in full
in its entirety, in toto, in total, unabridged, uncut. to the full
fully, thoroughly, completely, to the utmost, to the limit, to the maximum, for all one's worth.

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full-blooded

adjective
a full-blooded price war
uncompromising, all-out, out and out, committed, vigorous, strenuous, intense; unrestrained, uncontrolled, unbridled, hard-hitting, pulling no punches. ANTONYMS :half-hearted.

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full-blown

adjective
fully developed, full-scale, full-blooded, fully fledged, complete, total, thorough, entire; advanced.

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full-bodied

adjective
full-flavoured, flavourful, flavoursome, full of flavour, rich, mellow, fruity, robust, strong, well-matured. ANTONYMS :tasteless.

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full-grown

adjective
adult, mature, grown-up, of age; fully grown, fully developed, fully fledged, in one's prime, in full bloom, ripe. ANTONYMS :infant.

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fullness

noun
the fullness of the information they provide
comprehensiveness, completeness, thoroughness, exhaustiveness, all-inclusiveness.
the fullness of her body
plumpness, roundedness, roundness, shapeliness, curvaceousness, voluptuousness, womanliness; informal curviness.
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the recording has a fullness and warmth
resonance, richness, intensity, depth, vibrancy, strength, clarity.
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in the fullness of time
in due course, when the time is ripe, eventually, in time, in time to come, one day, some day, sooner or later; ultimately, finally, in the end.

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full-scale

adjective
a full-scale model
full-size, unreduced.
a full-scale public inquiry
thorough, comprehensive, extensive, exhaustive, complete, all-out, all-encompassing, all-inclusive, all-embracing, thoroughgoing, wide-ranging, sweeping, in-depth, far-reaching.
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ANTONYMS :small-scale.

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fully

adverb
I fully agree with him
completely, entirely, wholly, totally, quite, utterly, perfectly, altogether, thoroughly, in all respects, in every respect, without reservation, without exception, to the hilt.
fully two minutes must have passed
at least, no less than, no fewer than, easily, without exaggeration.
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ANTONYMS :partly, nearly.

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fully fledged

adjective
trained, qualified, proficient, experienced; mature, fully developed, full grown; Brit. time-served. ANTONYMS :novice.

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fulminate

verb
protest, rail, rage, rant, thunder, storm, vociferate, declaim, inveigh, speak out, make/take a stand; denounce, decry, condemn, criticize, censure, disparage, attack, execrate, arraign; informal mouth off about, kick up a stink about; formal excoriate.

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fulmination

noun
protest, objection, complaint, rant, tirade, diatribe, harangue, invective, railing, obloquy; denunciation, condemnation, criticism, censure, attack, broadside, brickbats; formal excoriation; poetic/literary philippic.

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fulsome

adjective
excessive, extravagant, overdone, immoderate, inordinate, over-appreciative, flattering, adulatory, fawning, unctuous, ingratiating, cloying, saccharine; enthusiastic, effusive, rapturous, glowing, gushing, profuse, generous, lavish; informal over the top, OTT, smarmy.

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fumble

verb
he fumbled for his keys
grope, fish, search blindly, scrabble around.
he fumbled about in the dark
stumble, blunder, flounder, lumber, stagger, totter, lurch; feel one's way, grope one's way.
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the keeper fumbled the ball
miss, drop, mishandle; misfield.
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he fumbled his lines
mess up, make a mess of, bungle, mismanage, mishandle, spoil; informal make a hash of, fluff, botch, muff; Brit. informal cock up; N. Amer. informal flub.
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noun
a fumble from the goalkeeper
slip, mistake, error, gaffe; informal slip-up, boo-boo; Brit. informal cock-up, boob.

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fume

noun
a fire giving off toxic fumes
smoke, vapour, gas, effluvium; exhaust; pollution.
stale wine fumes
smell, odour, stink, reek, stench; Brit. informal pong, niff; Scottish informal guff; N. Amer. informal funk; poetic/literary miasma.
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verb
fragments of lava were fuming and sizzling
emit smoke, emit gas, smoke; archaic reek.
Ella was still fuming at his arrogance
be furious, be enraged, be very angry, seethe, be livid, be incensed, boil, be beside oneself, spit; rage, rant and rave; informal be hot under the collar, foam at the mouth, see red.
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fumigate

verb
disinfect, purify, sterilize, sanitize, decontaminate, cleanse, clean out. ANTONYMS :soil.

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fun

noun
I joined in with the fun
enjoyment, entertainment, amusement, pleasure; jollification, merrymaking; recreation, diversion, leisure, relaxation; good time, great time; informal R and R (rest and recreation), living it up, a ball, beer and skittles.
she's full of fun
merriment, cheerfulness, cheeriness, jollity, joviality, jocularity, high spirits, gaiety, mirth, laughter, hilarity, glee, gladness, light-heartedness, levity.
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he became a figure of fun
ridicule, derision, mockery, laughter, scorn, contempt, jeering, sneering, jibing, teasing, taunting.
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ANTONYMS :boredom, misery.

adjective
(informal) a fun evening
enjoyable, entertaining, amusing, diverting, pleasurable, pleasing, agreeable, interesting.
in fun
playful, in jest, as a joke, tongue in cheek, light-hearted, for a laugh, to tease, teasing. make fun of
tease, poke fun at, chaff, rag; ridicule, mock, laugh at, taunt, jeer at, scoff at, deride; pa rody, lampoon, caricature, satirize; informal take the mickey out of, rib, kid, have on, pull someone's leg, send up; Brit. informal wind up; N. Amer. informal goof on, rag on, razz.

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function

noun
the main function of the machine
purpose, task, use, role.
my function was to select and train the recruits
responsibility, duty, role, concern, province, activity, assignment, obligation, charge; task, job, mission, undertaking, commission; capacity, post, situation, office, occupation, employment, business.
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a function attended by local dignitaries
social event, party, social occasion, affair, gathering, reception, soirée, jamboree, gala; N. Amer. levee; informal do, bash, shindig; Brit. informal jolly, beanfeast.
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verb
the electrical system had ceased to function
work, go, run, be in working/running order, operate, be operative.
the museum functions as an educational and study centre
act, serve, operate; perform, work, play the role of, do duty as.
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functional

adjective
a small functional kitchen
practical, useful, utilitarian, utility, workaday, serviceable; minimalist, plain, simple, basic, modest, unadorned, unostentatious, no-frills, without frills; impersonal, characterless, soulless, institutional, clinical.
the machine is now fully functional
working, in working order, functioning, in service, in use; going, running, operative, operating, in operation, in commission, in action; informal up and running.
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functionary

noun
official, office-holder, public servant, civil servant, bureaucrat, administrator, apparatchik; Brit. jack-in-office.

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fund

noun
an emergency fund for refugees
collection, kitty, reserve, pool, purse; endowment, foundation, trust, grant, investment; savings, nest egg; informal stash.
I was very short of funds
money, cash, ready money; wealth, means, assets, resources, savings, capital, reserves, the wherewithal; informal dough, bread, loot, dosh, the ready; Brit. informal lolly, spondulicks.
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his fund of stories
stock, store, supply, accumulation, collection, bank, pool; mine, reservoir, storehouse, treasury, treasure house, hoard, repository.
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verb
the agency was funded by the Treasury
finance, pay for, back, capitalize, sponsor, put up the money for, subsidize, underwrite, endow, support, maintain; informal foot the bill for, pick up the tab for; N. Amer. informal bankroll, stake.

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fundamental

adjective
basic, underlying, core, foundational, rudimentary, elemental, elementary, basal, root; primary, prime, cardinal, first, principal, chief, key, central, vital, essential, important, indispensable, necessary, crucial, pivotal, critical; structural, organic, constitutional, inherent, intrinsic. ANTONYMS :secondary, unimportant.

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fundamentally

adverb
she was, fundamentally, a good person
essentially, in essence, basically, at heart, at bottom, deep down, au fond; primarily, above all, first and foremost, first of all; informal at the end of the day, when all is said and done, when you get right down to it.

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fundamentals

plural noun
basics, essentials, rudiments, foundations, basic principles, first principles, preliminaries; crux, crux of the matter, heart of the matter, essence, core, heart, base, bedrock; informal nuts and bolts, nitty-gritty, brass tacks, ABC.

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funeral

noun
he'd attended a funeral
burial, interment, entombment, committal, inhumation, laying to rest; cremation; obsequies, last offices; formal exequies; archaic sepulture.
(informal) remember, it was you who asked it's your funeral
responsibility, problem, worry, concern, business, affair; informal headache; Brit. informal lookout.
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funereal

adjective
the funereal atmosphere
sombre, gloomy, mournful, melancholy, lugubrious, sepulchral, miserable, doleful, woeful, sad, sorrowful, cheerless, joyless, bleak, dismal, depressing, dreary; grave, solemn, serious; poetic/literary dolorous.
funereal colours
dark, black, drab.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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fungus

noun
mushroom, toadstool; mould, mildew, rust; Biology saprophyte. myco-

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funk (informal)

noun
he put us all into a funk
panic, state of fear, fluster; informal cold sweat, state, stew, flap, tizzy, tizz; Brit. informal blue funk, heebie-jeebies; N. Amer. informal twit.

verb
I'm certain he funked it
avoid, evade, dodge, run away from, baulk at, flinch from; informal chicken out of, duck out of, wriggle out of, cop out of, get out of.

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funnel

noun
fluid was poured through the funnel
tube, pipe, channel, conduit.
smoke poured from the ship's funnels
chimney, flue, vent.
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verb
the money was funnelled back into Europe
channel, feed, direct, convey, move, pass; pour, filter.

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funny

adjective
a very funny film
amusing, humorous, witty, comic, comical, droll, facetious, jocular, jokey; hilarious, hysterical, riotous, uproarious; entertaining, diverting, sparkling, scintillating; silly, farcical, slapstick; informal side-splitting, rib-tickling, laugh-a-minute, wacky, zany, waggish, off the wall, a scream, rich, priceless; informal, dated killing.
a funny coincidence
strange, peculiar, odd, queer, weird, bizarre, curious, freakish, freak, quirky; mysterious, mystifying, puzzling, perplexing; unusual, uncommon, anomalous, irregular, abnormal, exceptional, singular, out of the ordinary, extraordinary; Brit. informal, dated rum.
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there's something funny about him
suspicious, suspect, dubious, untrustworthy, questionable; informal shady, fishy; Brit. informal dodgy.
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ANTONYMS :serious, unsurprising, trustworthy.

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fur

noun
hair, wool; coat, fleece, pelt; Zoology pelage.

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furious

adjective
he was furious when he learned about it
enraged, infuriated, very angry, irate, incensed, raging, incandescent, fuming, ranting, raving, seething, beside oneself, outraged; informal mad, hopping mad, wild, livid, boiling, apoplectic, hot under the collar, on the warpath, foaming at the mouth, steamed up, in a paddy, fit to be tied; poetic/literary wrathful.
a furious debate
heated, hot, passionate, fiery, "lively"; fierce, vehement, violent, wild, unrestrained, tumultuous, turbulent, tempestuous, stormy.
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ANTONYMS :calm.

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furnish

verb
the bedrooms are elegantly furnished
fit out, provide with furniture, appoint, outfit; Brit. informal do out.
grooms furnished us with horses for our journey
supply, provide, equip, provision, issue, kit out, present, give, offer, afford, purvey, bestow; informal fix up.
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furniture

noun
furnishings, fittings, fitments, movables, appointments, effects; Law chattels; informal stuff, things.

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furore

noun
commotion, uproar, outcry, fuss, upset, brouhaha, palaver, pother, tempest, agitation, pandemonium, disturbance, hubbub, rumpus, tumult, turmoil; stir, excitement; informal song and dance, to-do, hoo-ha, hullabaloo, ballyhoo, kerfuffle, flap, stink; Brit. informal carry-on.

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furrow

noun
furrows in a ploughed field
groove, trench, rut, trough, channel, hollow.
the furrows on either side of her mouth
wrinkle, line, crease, crinkle, crow's foot, corrugation.
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verb
his brow furrowed
wrinkle, crease, line, crinkle, pucker, screw up, scrunch up, corrugate.

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furry

adjective
covered with fur, hairy, downy, fleecy, soft, fluffy, fuzzy, woolly.

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further

adverb
further, it gave him an excellent excuse not to attend
furthermore, moreover, what's more, also, additionally, in addition, besides, as well, too, to boot, on top of that, over and above that, into the bargain, by the same token; archaic withal.
adjective
the further side of the field
more distant, more remote, remoter, further away/off, farther (away/off); far, other, opposite.
further information
additional, more, extra, supplementary, supplemental, other; new, fresh.
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verb
an attempt to further his career
promote, advance, forward, develop, facilitate, aid, assist, help, help along, lend a hand to, abet; expedite, hasten, speed up, accelerate, step up, spur on, oil the wheels of, give a push to, boost, encourage, cultivate, nurture, foster. ANTONYMS :impede.

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furtherance

noun
promotion, furthering, advancement, forwarding, development, facilitation, aiding, assisting, helping, abetting; hastening, acceleration, boosting, encouragement, cultivation, nurturing, fostering. ANTONYMS :hindrance.

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furthermore

adverb
moreover, further, what's more, also, additionally, in addition, besides, as well, too, to boot, on top of that, over and above that, into the bargain, by the same token; archaic withal.

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furthest

adjective
most distant, most remote, remotest, furthest/farthest away, farthest, furthermost, farthermost; outlying, outer, outermost, extreme, uttermost, ultimate; archaic outmost. ANTONYMS :nearest.

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furtive

adjective
secretive, secret, surreptitious, clandestine, hidden, covert, conspiratorial, cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner, backstairs, hugger-mugger; sly, sneaky, under-the-table; sidelong, sideways, oblique, indirect; informal hush-hush, shifty. ANTONYMS :open.

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fury

noun
she exploded with fury
rage, anger, wrath, outrage, spleen, temper; crossness, indignation, umbrage, annoyance, exasperation; poetic/literary ire, choler.
the fury of the storm
fierceness, ferocity, violence, turbulence, tempestuousness, savagery; severity, intensity, vehemence, force, forcefulness, power, strength.
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she turned on Mother like a fury
virago, hellcat, termagant, spitfire, vixen, shrew, harridan, dragon, gorgon; (Furies) Greek Mythology Eumenides.
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ANTONYMS :good humour, mildness.

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fuse

verb
a band which fuses rap with rock
combine, amalgamate, put together, join, unite, marry, blend, merge, meld, mingle, integrate, intermix, intermingle, synthesize; coalesce, compound, alloy; technical admix; poetic/literary commingle.
metal fused to a base of coloured glass
bond, stick, bind, weld, solder; melt, smelt.
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(Brit.) a light had fused
short-circuit, stop working, trip; informal go, blow.
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ANTONYMS :separate.

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fusillade

noun
salvo, volley, barrage, bombardment, cannonade, battery, burst, blast, hail, shower, rain, stream; historical broadside.

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fusion

noun
blend, blending, combination, amalgamation, joining, union, marrying, bonding, merging, melding, mingling, integration, intermixture, intermingling, synthesis; coalescence.

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fuss

noun
what's all the fuss about?
ado, excitement, agitation, pother, stir, commotion, confusion, disturbance, brouhaha, uproar, furore, palaver, storm in a teacup, much ado about nothing; bother, fluster, flurry, bustle; informal hoo-ha, to-do, ballyhoo, song and dance, performance, pantomime, kerfuffle; Brit. informal carry-on; N. Amer. informal fuss and feathers.
they settled in with very little fuss
bother, trouble, inconvenience, effort, exertion, labour; informal hassle.
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he didn't put up a fuss
protest, complaint, objection, grumble, grouse; informal gripe.
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verb
he was still fussing about his clothes
worry, fret, be anxious, be agitated, make a big thing out of; make a mountain out of a molehill; informal flap, be in a tizzy, be in a stew, make a meal of.

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fussy

adjective
he's very fussy about what he eats
finicky, particular, over-particular, fastidious, discriminating, selective, dainty; hard to please, difficult, exacting, demanding; faddish; informal pernickety, choosy, picky, old womanish; Brit. informal faddy; N. Amer. informal persnickety.
a fussy, frilly bridal gown
over-elaborate, over-decorated, ornate, fancy, overdone; busy, cluttered.
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fusty

adjective
the room smelt fusty
stale, musty, dusty; stuffy, airless, unventilated; damp, mildewed, mildewy; Brit. frowsty.
a fusty conservative
old-fashioned, out of date, outdated, behind the times, antediluvian, backward-looking; fogeyish; informal square, out of the ark.
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ANTONYMS :fresh.

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futile

adjective
fruitless, vain, pointless, useless, ineffectual, ineffective, inefficacious, to no effect, of no use, in vain, to no avail, unavailing; unsuccessful, failed, thwarted; unproductive, barren, unprofitable, abortive; impotent, hollow, empty, forlorn, idle, hopeless; archaic bootless. ANTONYMS :useful.

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futility

noun
fruitlessness, pointlessness, uselessness, vanity, ineffectiveness, inefficacy; failure, barrenness, unprofitability; impotence, hollowness, emptiness, forlornness, hopelessness; archaic bootlessness.

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future

noun
his plans for the future
time to come, time ahead; what lies ahead, coming times.
she knew her future lay in acting
destiny, fate, fortune; prospects, expectations, chances.
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ANTONYMS :past.

adjective
a future date
later, to come, following, ensuing, succeeding, subsequent, coming.
his future wife
to be, destined; intended, planned, prospective.
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in future
from now on, after this, in the future, from this day forward, hence, henceforward, subsequently, in time to come; formal hereafter.

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fuzz 1

noun
the soft fuzz on his cheeks
hair, down; fur, fluff, fleeciness.

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fuzz 2

noun
(informal) we'd better call the fuzz.
See police noun.

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fuzzy

adjective
her fuzzy hair
frizzy, fluffy, woolly; downy, soft; N. Amer. informal nappy.
a fuzzy picture
blurry, blurred, indistinct, unclear, bleary, misty, distorted, out of focus, unfocused, lacking definition, nebulous; ill-defined, indefinite, vague, hazy, imprecise, inexact, loose, woolly.
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my mind was fuzzy
confused, muddled, addled, fuddled, befuddled, groggy, disoriented, disorientated, mixed up, fazed, foggy, dizzy, stupefied, benumbed.
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G

gab (informal)

verb
they were all gabbing away like crazy
chatter, chitter-chatter, chat, talk, gossip, gabble, babble, prattle, jabber, blather, blab; informal yak, yackety-yak, yabber, yatter, yammer, blabber, blah-blah, jaw, gas, shoot one's mouth off; Brit. informal witter, rabbit, chunter, natter; N. Amer. informal run off at the mouth.
the gift of the gab
eloquence, fluency, expressiveness, a silver tongue; persuasiveness; informal a way with words, blarney.

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gabble

verb
he gabbled on in a panicky way
jabber, babble, prattle, rattle, blabber, gibber, blab, drivel, twitter, splutter; Brit. informal waffle, chunter, witter.
noun
the boozy gabble of the crowd
jabbering, babbling, chattering, gibbering, babble, chatter, rambling; Brit. informal waffle, waffling, chuntering, wittering.

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gabby

adjective
(informal). See talkative.

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gad

verb
(informal) she's been gadding about in Italy
gallivant, flit around, run around, travel around, roam (around); Brit. informal swan about.

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gadabout

noun
(informal) pleasure-seeker; traveller, globetrotter, wanderer, drifter, bird of passage; informal gallivanter.

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gadget

noun
appliance, apparatus, instrument, implement, tool, utensil, contrivance, contraption, machine, mechanism, device, labour-saving device, convenience, invention; informal gizmo, gimmick, widget, mod con.

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gaffe

noun
blunder, mistake, error, slip, faux pas, indiscretion, impropriety, miscalculation, gaucherie, solecism; informal slip-up, howler, boo-boo, boner, fluff; Brit. informal boob, bloomer, clanger; N. Amer. informal blooper, goof.

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gaffer

noun
(Brit. informal) being the gaffer's gone to her head
manager, manageress, foreman, forewoman, overseer, supervisor, superintendent; informal boss, boss man, head honcho, numero uno, number one, kingpin, top dog, big chief, skipper; Brit. informal governor, guv'nor; N. Amer. informal padrone, sachem, big kahuna.
(informal) an old gaffer
old man, elderly man, senior citizen, pensioner, OAP; informal old boy, old codger, old-timer, greybeard, grandad, wrinkly; Brit. informal buffer.
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gag 1

verb
a dirty rag was used to gag her mouth
stop up, block, plug, stifle, smother, muffle.
the government tried to gag its critics
silence, muzzle, mute, muffle, suppress, stifle; censor, curb, check, restrain, fetter, shackle, restrict.
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the stench made her gag
retch, heave, dry-heave; informal keck.
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noun
his scream was muffled by the gag
muzzle, tie, restraint.

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gag 2

noun
(informal) he told a few gags
joke, jest, witticism, quip, pun, play on words, double entendre; informal crack, wisecrack, one-liner, funny.

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gaiety

noun
I was struck by her gaiety
cheerfulness, light-heartedness, happiness, merriment, glee, gladness, joy, joie de vivre, joyfulness, joyousness, delight, high spirits, good spirits, good humour, cheeriness, jollity, mirth, joviality, exuberance, elation; liveliness, vivacity, animation, effervescence, sprightliness, zest, zestfulness; informal chirpiness, bounce, pep; poetic/literary blitheness.
the hotel restaurant was a scene of gaiety
merrymaking, festivity, fun, fun and games, frolics, revelry, jollification, celebration, pleasure; informal partying.
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ANTONYMS :misery.

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gaily

adverb
she skipped gaily along the path
merrily, cheerfully, cheerily, happily, joyfully, joyously, light-heartedly, blithely, jauntily, gleefully.
gaily painted boats
brightly, colourfully, brilliantly.
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she plunged gaily into speculation on the stock market
heedlessly, unthinkingly, thoughtlessly, without thinking, carelessly; casually, nonchalantly, airily, breezily, lightly.
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gain

verb
he gained a scholarship to the college
obtain, get, secure, acquire, come by, procure, attain, achieve, earn, win, capture, clinch, pick up, carry off, reap; informal land, net, bag, scoop, wangle, swing, walk away/off with.
they stood to gain from the deal
profit, make money, reap benefits, benefit, do well out of; informal make a killing, milk.
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she had gained weight
put on, increase in.
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the others were gaining on us
catch up with/on, catch someone up, catch, close in on, near.
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we gained the ridge
reach, arrive at, get to, come to, make, attain, set foot on; informal hit.
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ANTONYMS :lose.

noun
his gain from the deal
profit, advantage, benefit, reward; percentage, takings, yield, return, winnings, receipts, proceeds, dividend, interest; informal pickings, cut, take, rake-off, slice of the cake; Brit. informal whack.
a price gain of 7.5 per cent
increase, rise, increment, augmentatio n, addition.
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ANTONYMS :loss, decrease.

gain time
play for time, stall, procrastinate, delay, temporize, hold back, hang back, hang fire, dally, drag one's feet.

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gainful

adjective
profitable, paid, well paid, remunerative, lucrative, moneymaking; rewarding, fruitful, worthwhile, useful, productive, constructive, beneficial, advantageous, valuable.

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gainsay

verb
(formal) deny, dispute, disagree with, argue with, dissent from, contradict, repudiate, challenge, oppose, contest, counter, controvert, refute, rebut; formal confute. ANTONYMS :confirm.

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gait

noun
walk, step, stride, pace, tread, way of walking; bearing, carriage; Brit. deportment; formal comportment.

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gala

noun
the annual summer gala
fête, fair, festival, carnival, pageant, jubilee, jamboree, party, garden party, celebration; festivities.
adjective
a gala occasion
festive, celebratory, merry, joyous, joyful; diverting, entertaining, enjoyable, spectacular.

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galaxy

noun
a distant galaxy
star system, solar system, constellation; stars, heavens.
a galaxy of the rock world's biggest stars
host, multitude, array, gathering, assemblage, assembly, throng, crowd, company, flock, group.
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gale

noun
a howling gale
strong wind, high wind, hurricane, tornado, cyclone, whirlwind; storm, squall, tempest, typhoon; N. Amer. windstorm; informal burster, buster.
gales of laughter
peal, howl, hoot, shriek, scream, roar; outburst, burst, fit, paroxysm, explosion.
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gall 1

noun
she had the gall to ask for money
effrontery, impudence, impertinence, cheek, cheekiness, insolence, audacity, temerity, presumption, cockiness, nerve, shamelessness, disrespect, bad manners; informal brass neck, face, chutzpah; Brit. informal sauce; N. Amer. informal sass.
scholarly gall was poured on this work
bitterness, resentment, rancour, bile, spleen, malice, spite, spitefulness, malignity, venom, vitriol, poison.
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gall 2

noun
this was a gall that she frequently had to endure
irritation, irritant, annoyance, vexation, nuisance, provocation, bother, torment, plague, thorn in one's side/flesh; informal aggravation, pain, pain in the neck, bore, headache, hassle; N. Amer. informal pain in the butt.
a bay horse with a gall on its side
sore, ulcer, ulceration; abrasion, scrape, scratch, graze, chafe.
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verb
it galled him to have to sit in silence
irritate, annoy, vex, anger, infuriate, exasperate, irk, pique, nettle, put out, displease, antagonize, get on someone's nerves, make someone's hackles rise; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal aggravate, peeve, miff, rile, needle, get (to), bug, hack off, get up someone's nose, get someone's goat, get/put someone's back up, get someone's dander up, drive mad/crazy, drive round the bend/twist, drive up the wall; Brit. informal wind up, nark, get on someone's wick, give someone the hump; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off, rankle; informal, dated give someone the pip.
the str aps galled their shoulders
chafe, abrade, rub (against), rub raw, scrape, graze, skin, scratch, rasp, bark.
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gallant

adjective
his gallant countrymen
brave, courageous, valiant, valorous, bold, plucky, daring, fearless, intrepid, heroic, lionhearted, stout-hearted, doughty, mettlesome, death-or-glory, dauntless, undaunted, unflinching, unafraid; informal gutsy, spunky.
her gallant companion
chivalrous, gentlemanly, honourable, courteous, polite, mannerly, attentive, respectful, gracious, considerate, thoughtful.
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ANTONYMS :cowardly, discourteous.

noun
(archaic) a young gallant in red and white silks
man about town, ladies' man, man of the world, dandy, fop; informal ladykiller; informal, dated gay dog, blade, swell, blood; archaic coxcomb.
her amorous gallant
suitor, wooer, admirer; sweetheart, lover, love, beloved, boyfriend, young man; poetic/literary swain; dated beau.
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gallantry

noun
he received medals for gallantry
bravery, courage, courageousness, valour, pluck, pluckiness, nerve, daring, boldness, fearlessness, dauntlessness, intrepidity, heroism, stout-heartedness, mettle, grit; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie.
she acknowledged his selfless gallantry
chivalry, chivalrousness, gentlemanliness, courtesy, courteousness, politeness, good manners, attentiveness, graciousness, respectfulness, respect, considerateness.
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gallery

noun
the National Gallery
art gallery, museum; exhibition room, display room.
they sat up in the gallery
balcony, circle, upper circle; informal gods.
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a long gallery with doors along each side
passage, passageway, corridor, walkway, arcade.
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galling

adjective
annoying, irritating, vexing, vexatious, infuriating, maddening, irksome, provoking, exasperating, trying, tiresome, troublesome, bothersome, displeasing, disagreeable; informal aggravating.

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gallivant

verb
flit, jaunt, run; roam, wander, travel, rove; informal gad.

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gallop

verb
Paul galloped across the clearing
rush, race, run, sprint, bolt, dart, dash, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, fly, speed, zoom, streak; informal tear, belt, pelt, scoot, zip, whip, hotfoot it, leg it; Brit. informal bomb, go like the clappers; N. Amer. informal barrel. ANTONYMS :amble.

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gallows

plural noun
the wooden gallows
gibbet, scaffold, gallows tree, Tyburn tree.
they were condemned to the gallows
hanging, being hanged, the noose, the rope, the gibbet, the scaffold, execution; informal the drop.
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galore

adjective
aplenty, in abundance, in profusion, in great quantities, in large numbers, by the dozen; to spare; everywhere, all over (the place); informal a gogo, by the truckload; Brit. informal by the shedload.

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galvanize

verb
jolt, shock, startle, impel, stir, spur, prod, urge, motivate, stimulate, electrify, excite, rouse, arouse, awaken; invigorate, fire, animate, vitalize, energize, exhilarate, thrill, dynamize, inspire; N. Amer. light a fire under; informal give someone a shot in the arm.

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gambit

noun
stratagem, scheme, plan, tactic, manoeuvre, move, course/line of action, device; machination, ruse, trick, ploy; Brit. informal wheeze, wangle.

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gamble

verb
he started to gamble more often
bet, place/lay a bet on something, stake money on something, back the horses, game; informal play the ponies; Brit. informal punt, have a flutter.
investors are gambling that the pound will fall
take a chance, take a risk; N. Amer. take a flier; informal stick one's neck out, go out on a limb; Brit. informal chance one's arm.
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noun
his grandfather enjoyed a gamble
bet, wager, speculation; game of chance; Brit. informal flutter, punt.
I took a gamble and it paid off
risk, chance, hazard, leap in the dark; pig in a poke, pot luck.
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gambol

verb
frolic, frisk, cavort, caper, skip, dance, romp, prance, leap, hop, jump, spring, bound, bounce; play; dated sport.

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game

noun
the children invented a new game
pastime, diversion, entertainment, amusement, distraction, divertissement, recreation, sport, activity.
the club haven't lost a game all season
match, contest, fixture, tie, tournament; cup tie, final, cup final, play-off.
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we were only playing a game on him
practical joke, prank, jest, trick, hoax; informal lark.
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he's in the banking game
business, profession, occupation, trade, industry, line, line of work/business; informal racket.
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I spoiled his little game
scheme, plot, ploy, stratagem, strategy, gambit, cunning plan, tactics; trick, device, manoeuvre, wile, dodge, ruse, machination, contrivance, subterfuge; informal scam; Brit. informal wheeze; archaic shift.
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he hunted game in Africa
wild animals, wild fowl, big game.
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adjective
they weren't game enough to join in
brave, courageous, plucky, bold, daring, intrepid, valiant, stout-hearted, mettlesome; fearless, dauntless, undaunted, unflinching; informal gutsy, spunky.
I need a bit of help are you game?
willing, prepared, ready, disposed, of a mind; eager, keen, enthusiastic.
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verb
they were drinking and gaming all evening
gamble, bet, place/lay bets.

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gamin gamine, fem.

noun
(dated) urchin, ragamuffin, waif, stray; derogatory guttersnipe; archaic mudlark, street Arab.

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gamut

noun
range, spectrum, span, scope, sweep, compass, area, breadth, reach, extent, catalogue, scale; variety.

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gang

noun
a gang of teenagers
band, group, crowd, pack, horde, throng, mob, herd, swarm, troop, cluster; company, gathering; informal posse, bunch, gaggle, load.
(informal) John was one of our gang
circle, social circle, social set, group, clique, in-crowd, coterie, lot, ring; informal crew.
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a gang of workmen
crew, team, group, squad, shift, detachment, unit.
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verb
they all ganged up to put me down
conspire, cooperate, work together, act together, combine, join forces, team up, get together, unite, ally.

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gangling gangly

adjective
lanky, rangy, tall, thin, skinny, spindly, stringy, bony, angular, scrawny, spare; awkward, uncoordinated, ungainly, gawky, inelegant, graceless, ungraceful; dated spindle-shanked. ANTONYMS :squat.

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gangster

noun
hoodlum, gang member, racketeer, robber, ruffian, thug, tough, villain, lawbreaker, criminal; gunman, terrorist; Mafioso; informal mobster, crook, hit man; N. Amer. informal hood; dated desperado.

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gaol

noun
(Brit. dated). See jail.

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gaoler

noun
(Brit. dated). See jailer.

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gap

noun
a gap in the shutters
opening, aperture, space, breach, chink, slit, slot, vent, crack, crevice, cranny, cavity, hole, orifice, interstice, perforation, break, fracture, rift, rent, fissure, cleft, divide.
a gap between meetings
pause, intermission, interval, interlude, break, breathing space, breather, respite, hiatus; N. Amer. recess.
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a gap in our records
omission, blank, lacuna, void, vacuity.
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the gap between rich and poor
chasm, gulf, rift, split, separation, breach; contrast, difference, disparity, divergence, imbalance.
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gape

verb
she gaped at him in astonishment
stare, stare open-mouthed, stare in wonder, goggle, gaze, ogle; informal rubberneck; Brit. informal gawk, gawp.
a leather jerkin which gaped at every seam
open wide, open up, yawn; part, split.
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gaping

adjective
a gaping hole
cavernous, yawning, wide, broad; vast, huge, enormous, immense, extensive.

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garb

noun
men and women in riding garb
clothes, clothing, garments, attire, dress, costume, outfit, wear, uniform, livery, regalia; informal gear, get-up, togs, rig-out, duds; Brit. informal clobber; formal apparel; archaic raiment, habiliment, vestments.
verb
both men were garbed in black
dress, clothe, attire, fit out, turn out, deck (out), kit out, costume, robe; informal get up; archaic apparel.

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garbage (N. Amer.)

noun
the garbage is taken to landfill sites
rubbish, refuse, waste, detritus, litter, junk, scrap; scraps, scourings, leftovers, remains, slops; N. Amer. trash; Austral./NZ mullock.
most of what he says is garbage
rubbish, nonsense, balderdash, claptrap, twaddle, blather; dross; informal hogwash, baloney, tripe, bilge, bull, bunk, poppycock, rot, bosh, piffle, dreck; Brit. informal tosh, codswallop, cobblers, stuff and nonsense; informal, dated tommyrot, bunkum.
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garble

verb
mix up, muddle, jumble, confuse, obscure, distort; misstate, misquote, misreport, misrepresent, mistranslate, misinterpret, misconstrue, twist.

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garden

noun
cottage garden, flower garden, rock garden, walled garden, knot garden; vegetable garden, kitchen garden, potager; (gardens) park, estate, grounds. horticultural.
lead someone up the garden path (informal)
deceive, mislead, delude, hoodwink, dupe, trick, entrap, beguile, take in, fool, pull the wool over someone's eyes, gull; informal con, pull a fast one on, string along, take for a ride, put one over on.

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gargantuan

adjective
huge, enormous, vast, gigantic, very big, giant, massive, colossal, mammoth, immense, mighty, monumental, mountainous, titanic, towering, tremendous, elephantine, king-size(d), prodigious; informal mega, monster, whopping, humongous, jumbo; Brit. informal whacking, ginormous. ANTONYMS :tiny.

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garish

adjective
gaudy, lurid, loud, over-bright, harsh, glaring, violent, showy, glittering, brassy, brash; tasteless, in bad taste, vulgar, unattractive, bilious; informal flash, flashy, tacky. ANTONYMS :drab.

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garland

noun
a garland of flowers
festoon, lei, wreath, ring, circle, swag; coronet, crown, coronal, chaplet, fillet.
verb
gardens garlanded with coloured lights
festoon, wreathe, swathe, hang; adorn, ornament, embellish, decorate, deck, trim, dress, bedeck, array; poetic/literary bedizen, caparison.

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garment

noun
item of clothing, article of clothing; (garments) clothes, clothing, dress, garb, outfit, costume, attire; informal get-up, rig-out, gear, togs, duds; N. Amer. informal threads; formal apparel.

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garner

verb
Edward garnered ideas from his travels
gather, collect, accumulate, amass, get together, assemble.
noun
(archaic) the malt went into a garner
granary, silo, storehouse, store, storeroom, depository.

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garnish

verb
garnish the dish with chopped parsley
decorate, adorn, ornament, trim, dress, embellish; enhance, grace, beautify, prettify, add the finishing touch to.
noun
keep a few sprigs for a garnish
decoration, adornment, trim, trimming, ornament, ornamentation, embellishment, enhancement, finishing touch; Cookery chiffonade.

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garret

noun
attic, loft, roof space, cock loft, mansard.

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garrison

noun
the English garrison had been burned alive
troops, militia, soldiers, forces; armed force, military detachment, unit, platoon, brigade, squadron, battalion, corps.
forces from three garrisons
fortress, fort, fortification, stronghold, citadel, camp, encampment, cantonment, command post, base, station; barracks.
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verb
French infantry garrisoned the town
defend, guard, protect, barricade, shield, secure; man, occupy.
troops were garrisoned in various regions
station, post, put on duty, deploy, assign, install; base, site, place, position; billet.
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garrulity

noun
talkativeness, garrulousness, loquacity, loquaciousness, volubility, verbosity, verboseness, long-windedness, wordiness, chattiness, effusiveness; informal the gift of the gab; Brit. informal wittering; rare logorrhoea.

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garrulous

adjective
a garrulous old man
talkative, loquacious, voluble, verbose, chatty, chattering, gossipy; effusive, expansive, forthcoming, conversational, communicative; informal mouthy, gabby, gassy, windy, having the gift of the gab, having kissed the Blarney Stone; Brit. informal able to talk the hind legs off a donkey.
his garrulous reminiscences
long-winded, wordy, verbose, prolix, long, lengthy, rambling, wandering, maundering, meandering, digressive, diffuse, discursive; gossipy, chatty; informal windy, gassy.
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ANTONYMS :taciturn, concise.

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gash

noun
a gash on his forehead
laceration, cut, wound, injury, slash, tear, incision; slit, split, rip, rent; scratch, scrape, graze, abrasion; Medicine lesion.
verb
he gashed his hand on some broken glass
lacerate, cut (open), wound, injure, hurt, slash, tear, gouge, puncture, slit, split, rend; scratch, scrape, graze, abrade.

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gasp

verb
I gasped in surprise
catch one's breath, draw in one's breath, gulp; exclaim, cry (out).
he collapsed on the ground, gasping
pant, puff, puff and pant, puff and blow, wheeze, breathe hard, choke, fight for breath.
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noun
a gasp of dismay
drawing-in of breath, gulp; exclamation, cry; dated ejaculation.

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gastric

adjective
gastric pain
stomach, intestinal, enteric, duodenal, coeliac, abdominal, ventral.

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gate

noun
heavy wooden gates
barrier, wicket gate, lychgate, five-barred gate, turnstile; Brit. kissing gate.
she went through the gate
gateway, doorway, entrance, exit, egress, opening; door, portal; N. Amer. entryway.
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gather

verb
we gathered in the hotel lobby
congregate, assemble, meet, collect, come/get together, convene, muster, rally, converge; cluster together, crowd, mass, flock together; formal foregather.
he gathered his family together
summon, call together, bring together, assemble, convene, rally, round up, muster, marshal.
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knick-knacks she had gathered over the years
collect, accumulate, amass, garner, accrue; store, stockpile, hoard, put by/away, lay by/in; informal stash away, squirrel away.
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they gathered corn from the fields
harvest, reap, crop; pick, pluck; collect.
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the show soon gathered a fanatical following
attract, draw, pull, pull in, collect, pick up.
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I gather he's a keen footballer
understand, be given to understand, believe, be led to believe, think, conclude, deduce, infer, assume, take it, surmise, fancy; hear, hear tell, learn, discover.
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he gathered her to his chest
clasp, clutch, pull, embrace, enfold, hold, hug, cud dle, squeeze; poetic/literary embosom; archaic strain.
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his tunic was gathered at the waist
pleat, shirr, pucker, tuck, fold, ruffle.
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ANTONYMS :disperse.

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gathering

noun
she rose to address the gathering
assembly, meeting, convention, rally, turnout, congress, convocation, conclave, council, synod, forum; congregation, audience, crowd, group, throng, mass, multitude; informal get-together; formal concourse.
the gathering of data for a future book
collecting, collection, garnering, amassing, accumulation, accrual, cumulation, building up.
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gauche

adjective
awkward, gawky, inelegant, graceless, ungraceful, ungainly, maladroit, inept; lacking in social grace(s), unsophisticated, uncultured, uncultivated, unrefined, raw, inexperienced, unworldly. ANTONYMS :elegant, sophisticated.

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gaudy

adjective
garish, lurid, loud, over-bright, glaring, harsh, violent, showy, glittering, brassy, ostentatious; tasteless, in bad taste, vulgar, unattractive, bilious; informal flash, flashy, tacky. ANTONYMS :drab, tasteful.

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gauge

noun
the temperature gauge
measuring device, measuring instrument, meter, measure; indicator, dial, scale, display.
exports are an important gauge of economic activity
measure, indicator, barometer, point of reference, guide, guideline, touchstone, yardstick, benchmark, criterion, test, litmus test.
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guitar strings of a different gauge
size, diameter, thickness, width, breadth; measure, capacity, magnitude; bore, calibre.
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verb
astronomers can gauge the star's intrinsic brightness
measure, calculate, compute, work out, determine, ascertain; count, weigh, quantify, put a figure on.
it is difficult to gauge how effective the ban was
assess, evaluate, determine, estimate, form an opinion of, appraise, weigh up, get the measure of, judge, guess; informal guesstimate, size up.
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gaunt

adjective
a gaunt, greying man
haggard, drawn, thin, lean, skinny, spindly, spare, bony, angular, raw-boned, pinched, hollow-cheeked, scrawny, scraggy, as thin as a rake, cadaverous, skeletal, emaciated, skin-and-bones; wasted, withered; informal like a bag of bones; dated spindle-shanked; archaic starveling.
the gaunt ruin of Pendragon Castle
bleak, stark, desolate, bare, gloomy, dismal, sombre, grim, stern, harsh, forbidding, uninviting, cheerless.
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ANTONYMS :plump.

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gauzy

adjective
translucent, transparent, sheer, see-through, fine, delicate, flimsy, filmy, gossamer-like, diaphanous, chiffony, wispy, thin, light, insubstantial; Brit. floaty. ANTONYMS :opaque, thick.

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gawk

verb
(informal) gape, goggle, gaze, ogle, stare, stare open-mouthed; informal rubberneck; Brit. informal gawp.

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gawky

adjective
awkward, ungainly, gangling, gauche, maladroit, clumsy, inelegant, uncoordinated, graceless, ungraceful; unsophisticated, unconfident. ANTONYMS :graceful.

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gay

adjective
gay men and women
homosexual, lesbian; informal queer, camp, pink, swinging the other way, homo, dykey; Brit. informal bent, poofy.
(dated) her children all looked chubby and gay
cheerful, cheery, merry, jolly, light-hearted, carefree, jovial, glad, happy, in good/high spirits, joyful, elated, exuberant, animated, lively, sprightly, vivacious, buoyant, bouncy, bubbly, perky, effervescent, playful; informal chirpy.
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(dated) they were having a gay old time
jolly, merry, hilarious, amusing, uproarious, rollicking, entertaining, enjoyable, convivial; festive.
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(dated) gay checked curtains
bright, brightly coloured, vivid, brilliant, vibrant; richly coloured, many-coloured, multicoloured; flamboyant, showy, gaudy.
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ANTONYMS :heterosexual, gloomy.

noun
in Denmark gays can marry in church
homosexual, lesbian; informal queer, homo, queen, friend of Dorothy, pansy, nancy, dyke, les, lezzy, butch, femme; Brit. informal poof, ponce, woofter.

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gaze

verb
he gazed at her
stare, look fixedly, gape, goggle, eye, look, study, scrutinize, take a good look; ogle, leer; informal gawk, rubberneck; Brit. informal gawp; N. Amer. informal eyeball.
noun
his piercing gaze
stare, fixed look, gape; regard, inspection, scrutiny.

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gazebo

noun
summer house, pavilion, belvedere; arbour, bower.

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gazette

noun
newspaper, paper, journal, periodical, organ, news-sheet, newsletter, bulletin; informal rag.

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gear

noun
(informal) his fishing gear
equipment, apparatus, paraphernalia, articles, appliances, impedimenta; tools, utensils, implements, instruments, gadgets; stuff, things; kit, rig, tackle, odds and ends, bits and pieces, bits and bobs; trappings, appurtenances, accoutrements, regalia; Brit. informal clobber, gubbins, odds and sods; archaic equipage.
I'll go back to my hotel and pick up my gear
belongings, possessions, effects, personal effects, property, paraphernalia, odds and ends, bits and pieces, bits and bobs, bags, baggage; Law chattels; informal things, stuff, kit; Brit. informal clobber.
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the best designer gear
clothes, clothing, garments, outfits, attire, garb; dress, wear; informal togs, duds, get-up; Brit. informal clobber, kit; N. Amer. informal threads; formal apparel.
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gel jell

verb
leave the mixture to gel
set, stiffen, solidify, thicken, harden; cake, congeal, coagulate, clot.
things started to gel very quickly
take shape, fall into place, come together, take form, work out; crystallize.
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gelatinous

adjective
jelly-like, glutinous, viscous, viscid, mucilaginous, ropy, sticky, gluey, gummy, slimy; informal gooey, gunky.

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geld

verb
castrate, neuter, desex, fix; N. Amer. & Austral. alter; Brit. informal doctor.

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gelid

adjective
frozen, freezing, icy, glacial, frosty, wintry, snowy; arctic, polar, Siberian.

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gem

noun
rubies and other gems
jewel, precious stone, semi-precious stone, stone; solitaire, brilliant, cabochon; archaic bijou.
the gem of the collection
best, finest, pride, prize, treasure, flower, pearl, the jewel in the crown; pick, choice, cream, the crème de la crème, elite, acme; informal one in a million, the bee's knees.
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genealogy

noun
lineage, line (of descent), family tree, bloodline; pedigree, ancestry, extraction, heritage, parentage, birth, family, dynasty, house, stock, blood, roots.

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general

adjective
this is suitable for general use
widespread, common, extensive, universal, wide, popular, public, mainstream; established, conventional, traditional, orthodox, accepted.
a general pay increase
comprehensive, overall, across the board, blanket, umbrella, mass, wholesale, sweeping, broad-ranging, inclusive, company-wide; universal, global, worldwide, nationwide.
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general knowledge
miscellaneous, mixed, assorted, diversified, composite, heterogeneous.
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the general practice
usual, customary, habitual, traditional, normal, conventional, typical, standard, regular; familiar, accepted, prevailing, routine, run-of-the-mill, established, everyday, ordinary, common.
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a general description
broad, imprecise, inexact, rough, loose, approximate, unspecific, vague, woolly, indefinite; N. Amer. informal ballpark.
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ANTONYMS :restricted, localized, specialist, exceptional, detailed.

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generality

noun
the debate has moved on from generalities
generalization, general statement, general principle, sweeping statement; abstraction, extrapolation.
the generality of this principle
universality, comprehensiveness, all-inclusiveness, broadness.
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the generality of people are kind
majority, greater part/number, best/better part; bulk, mass, preponderance, predominance; most.
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ANTONYMS :specific, minority.

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generally

adverb
summers were generally hot
normally, in general, as a rule, by and large, more often than not, almost always, mainly, mostly, for the most part, predominantly, on the whole; usually, habitually, customarily, typically, ordinarily, commonly.
France was moving generally to the left
overall, in general terms, generally speaking, all in all, broadly, on average, basically, effectively.
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the method was generally accepted
widely, commonly, extensively, universally, popularly.
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generate

verb
moves to generate extra business
cause, give rise to, lead to, result in, bring about, create, make, produce, engender, spawn, precipitate, prompt, provoke, trigger, spark off, stir up, induce, promote, foster.
the male most likely to generate offspring
procreate, breed, father, sire, spawn, create, produce, have; poetic/literary beget; archaic engender.
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generation

noun
people of the same generation
age, age group, peer group.
generations ago
ages, years, aeons, a long time, an eternity; informal donkey's years; Brit. informal yonks.
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the next generation of computers
crop, batch, wave, range.
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the generation of novel ideas
creation, production, initiation, origination, inception, inspiration.
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human generation
procreation, reproduction, breeding; creation.
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generic

adjective
a generic term for two separate offences
general, common, collective, non-specific, inclusive, all-encompassing, broad, comprehensive, blanket, umbrella.
generic drugs are cheaper than branded ones
unbranded, non-proprietary.
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ANTONYMS :specific.

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generosity

noun
the generosity of our host
liberality, lavishness, magnanimity, munificence, open-handedness, free-handedness, unselfishness; kindness, benevolence, altruism, charity, big-heartedness, goodness; poetic/literary bounteousness.
the generosity of the food portions
abundance, plentifulness, copiousness, lavishness, liberality, largeness.
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generous

adjective
she is generous with money
liberal, lavish, magnanimous, munificent, giving, open-handed, free-handed, bountiful, unselfish, ungrudging, free, indulgent, prodigal; poetic/literary bounteous.
it was generous of them to offer
magnanimous, kind, benevolent, altruistic, charitable, noble, big-hearted, honourable, good; unselfish, self-sacrificing.
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a generous amount of fabric
lavish, plentiful, copious, ample, liberal, large, great, abundant, profuse, bumper, opulent, prolific; informal a gogo, galore.
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ANTONYMS :mean, selfish, meagre.

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genesis

noun
the hatred had its genesis in something dark
origin, source, root, beginning, start.
the genesis of neurosis
formation, development, evolution, emergence, inception, origination, creation, formulation, propagation.
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genial

adjective
friendly, affable, cordial, amiable, warm, easy-going, approachable, sympathetic; good-natured, good-humoured, cheerful; neighbourly, hospitable, companionable, comradely, sociable, convivial, outgoing, gregarious; informal chummy, pally; Brit. informal matey. ANTONYMS :unfriendly.

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genitals

plural noun
private parts, genitalia, sexual organs, reproductive organs, pudenda; crotch, groin; informal naughty bits, privates; euphemistic nether regions.

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genius

noun
the world knew of his genius
brilliance, intelligence, intellect, ability, cleverness, brains, erudition, wisdom, fine mind; artistry, flair.
he has a genius for organization
talent, gift, flair, aptitude, facility, knack, bent, ability, expertise, capacity, faculty; strength, forte, brilliance, skill, artistry.
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he is a genius
brilliant person, gifted person, mastermind, Einstein, intellectual, great intellect, brain; prodigy; informal egghead, bright spark; Brit. informal brainbox, clever clogs; N. Amer. informal brainiac, rocket scientist.
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ANTONYMS :stupidity, dunce.

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genocide

noun
mass murder, mass homicide, massacre; annihilation, extermination, elimination, liquidation, eradication, decimation, butchery, bloodletting; pogrom, ethnic cleansing, holocaust.

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genre

noun
category, class, classification, group, set, list; type, sort, kind, variety, style, model, school, stamp, cast, ilk.

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genteel

adjective
refined, respectable, decorous, mannerly, well mannered, courteous, polite, proper, correct, seemly; well bred, cultured, sophisticated, ladylike, gentlemanly, dignified, gracious; affected; Brit. informal posh. ANTONYMS :uncouth.

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gentility

noun
social superiority, respectability, punctiliousness, decorum, good manners, politeness, civility, courtesy, correctness; refinement, distinction, breeding, sophistication; graciousness, affectation, ostentation.

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gentle

adjective
his manner was gentle
kind, tender, sympathetic, considerate, understanding, compassionate, benevolent, good-natured; humane, lenient, merciful, clement; mild, placid, serene, sweet-tempered.
a gentle breeze
light, soft.
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a gentle slope
gradual, slight, easy.
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(archaic) a woman of gentle birth.
See noble adjective sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :brutal, strong, steep, low.

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gentleman

noun
man; nobleman, honnête homme; informal gent; archaic cavalier.

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gentlemanly

adjective
chivalrous, gallant, honourable, noble, courteous, civil, mannerly, polite, gracious, considerate, thoughtful; well bred, cultivated, cultured, refined, suave, urbane. ANTONYMS :rude.

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gentry

noun
upper classes, privileged classes, elite, high society, haut monde, smart set; establishment; informal upper crust, top drawer; Brit. informal nobs, toffs.

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genuine

adjective
a genuine Picasso
authentic, real, actual, original, bona fide, true, veritable; attested, undisputed; informal pukka, the real McCoy, the real thing, kosher; Austral./NZ informal dinkum.
a very genuine person
sincere, honest, truthful, straightforward, direct, frank, candid, open; artless, natural, unaffected; informal straight, upfront, on the level; N. Amer. informal on the up and up.
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ANTONYMS :bogus, insincere.

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genus

noun
(Biology) a large genus of plants
subdivision, division, group, subfamily.
a new genus of music
type, sort, kind, genre, style, variety, category, class; breed, brand, family, stamp, cast, ilk.
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germ

noun
this detergent kills germs
microbe, micro-organism, bacillus, bacterium, virus; informal bug.
a fertilized germ
embryo, bud; seed, spore, ovule; egg, ovum.
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the germ of an idea
start, beginning(s), seed, embryo, bud, root, rudiment; origin, source, potential; core, nucleus, kernel, essence.
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germane

adjective
relevant, pertinent, applicable, apposite, material; apropos, to the point, appropriate, apt, fitting, suitable; connected, related, akin; formal ad rem. ANTONYMS :irrelevant.

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germinate

verb
the grain is allowed to germinate
sprout, shoot (up), bud; develop, grow, spring up; dated vegetate.
the idea began to germinate
develop, take root, grow, emerge, evolve, mature, expand, advance, progress.
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gestation

noun
a gestation of thirty days
pregnancy, incubation; development, maturation.
the law underwent a period of gestation
development, evolution, formation, emergence, origination.
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gesticulate

verb
gesture, signal, motion, wave, sign.

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gesticulation

noun
gesturing, gesture, hand movement, signals, signs; wave, indication; body language.

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gesture

noun
a gesture of surrender
signal, sign, motion, indication, gesticulation.
a symbolic gesture
action, act, deed, move.
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verb
he gestured to her
signal, motion, gesticulate, wave, indicate, give a sign.

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get

verb
where did you get that hat?
acquire, obtain, come by, receive, gain, earn, win, come into, take possession of, be given; buy, purchase, procure, secure; gather, collect, pick up, hook, net, land; achieve, attain; informal get one's hands on, get one's mitts on, get hold of, grab, bag, score.
I got your letter
receive, be sent, be in receipt of, be given.
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your tea's getting cold
become, grow, turn, go.
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get the children from school
fetch, collect, go for, call for, pick up, bring, deliver, convey, ferry, transport.
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the chairman gets £650,000 a year
earn, be paid, take home, bring in, make, receive, collect, gross; informal pocket, bank, rake in, net, bag.
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have the police got their man?
apprehend, catch, arrest, capture, seize; take prisoner, take into custody, detain, put in jail, put behind bars, imprison, incarcerate; informal collar, grab, nab, nail, run in, pinch, bust, pick up, pull in, do, feel someone's collar; Brit. informal nick.
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I got a taxi
travel by/on/in; take, catch, use.
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she got flu
succumb to, develop, go/come down with, sicken for, fall victim to, be struck down with, be afflicted by/with; become infected with, catch, contract, fall ill with, be taken ill with; Brit. go down with; informal take ill with; N. Amer. informal take sick with.
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I got a pain in my arm
experience, suffer, be afflicted with, sustain, feel, have.
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I got him on the radio
contact, get in touch with, communicate with, make contact with, reach; phone, call, radio; speak to, talk to; Brit. get on to; informal get hold of.
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I didn't get what he said
hear, discern, distinguish, make out, perceive, follow, take in.
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I don't get the joke
understand, comprehend, grasp, see, fathom, follow, perceive, apprehend, unravel, decipher; informal get the drift of, catch on to, latch on to, figure out; Brit. informal twig, suss.
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we got there early
arrive, reach, come, make it, turn up, appear, come on the scene, approach, enter, present oneself, come along, materialize, show one's face; informal show (up), roll in/up, blow in.
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we got her to go
persuade, induce, prevail on, influence; wheedle into, talk into, cajole into.
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I'd like to get to meet him
contrive, arrange, find a way, manage; succeed in, organize; informal work it, fix it.
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I'll get supper
prepare, get ready, cook, make, assemble, muster, concoct; informal fix, rustle up; Brit. informal knock up.
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(informal) I'll get him for that
take revenge on, exact/wreak revenge on, get one's revenge on, avenge oneself on, take vengeance on, get even with, pay back, get back at, exact retribution on, give someone their just deserts; Brit. informal get one's own back on.
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He scratched his head. "You've got me there."
baffle, nonplus, perplex, puzzle, bewilder, mystify, bemuse, confuse, confound; informal flummox, faze, stump, beat, fox; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.
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what gets me is how neurotic she is
annoy, irritate, exasperate, anger, irk, vex, provoke, incense, infuriate, madden, try someone's patience, ruffle someone's feathers; informal aggravate, peeve, miff, rile, get to, needle, hack off, get someone's back up, get on someone's nerves, get up someone's nose, get someone's goat, drive mad, make someone see red; Brit. informal wind up, nark, get someone's wick; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off.
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ANTONYMS :give, send, take, leave.

get about
move about, move around, travel. get something across
communicate, get over, impart, convey, transmit, make clear, express. get ahead
prosper, flourish, thrive, do well; succeed, make it, advance, get on in the world, go up in the world, make good, become rich; informal go places, get somewhere, make the big time. get along
does he get along with his family?
be friendly, be compatible, get on; agree, see eye to eye, concur, be in accord; informal hit it off, be on the same wavelength.

he was getting along well at school
fare, manage, progress, advance, get on, get by, do, cope; succeed.
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get around
travel, circulate, socialize, do the rounds. get at
it's difficult to get at the pipes
access, get to, reach, touch.

he had been got at by enemy agents
corrupt, suborn, influence, bribe, buy off, pay off; informal fix, square; Brit. informal nobble.
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(informal) what are you getting at?
imply, suggest, intimate, insinuate, hint, mean, drive at, allude to.
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(Brit. informal) I don't like being got at
criticize, pick on, find fault with, nag; bully, victimize, persecute, discriminate against.
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get away
escape, run away/off, break out, break free, break loose, bolt, flee, take flight, make off, take off, decamp, abscond, make a run for it; slip away, sneak away; informal cut and run, skedaddle, do a disappearing act, scarper, leg it; Brit. informal do a bunk, do a runner. get away with
escape blame for, escape punishment for. get back
return, come home, come back. get something back
retrieve, regain, win back, recover, recoup, reclaim, repossess, recapture, redeem; find (again), trace. get back at
take revenge on, exact/wreak revenge on, avenge oneself on, take vengeance on, get even with, pay back, retaliate on/against, exact retribution on, give someone their just deserts; Brit. informal get one's own back on. get someone down
depress, sadden, make unhappy, make gloomy, dispirit, dishearten, demoralize, discourage, crush, weigh down, oppress; upset, distress; informal give someone the blues, make someone fed up. get by
manage, cope, survive, exist, subsist, muddle through/along, scrape by, make ends meet, make do, keep the wolf from the door; informal make out. get off
Sally got off the bus
alight (from), step off, dismount (from), descend (from), disembark (from), leave, exit.

(informal) he was arrested but got off
escape punishment, be acquitted, be absolved, be cleared, be exonerated.
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get on
we got on the train
board, enter, step aboard, climb on, mount, ascend, catch; informal hop on, jump on.

how are you getting on?
fare, manage, progress, get along, do, cope, get by, survive, muddle through/along; succeed, prosper; informal make out.
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he got on with his job
continue, proceed, go ahead, carry on, go on, press on, persist, persevere; keep at; informal stick with/at.
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we don't get on.
See get along sense 1.
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get out
the prisoners got out.
See get away.

the news got out
become known, become common knowledge, come to light, emerge, transpire; come out, be uncovered, be revealed, be divulged, be disclosed, be reported, be released, leak out.
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get out of
evade, dodge, shirk, avoid, escape, sidestep; informal duck (out of), wriggle out of, cop out of; Austral./NZ informal duck-shove. get over
I have just got over flu
recover from, recuperate from, get better after, shrug off, survive.

we tried to get over this problem
overcome, surmount, get the better of, master, get round, find an/the answer to, get a grip on, deal with, cope with, sort out, take care of, crack, rise above; informal lick.
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get something over. See get something across. get round someone
cajole, persuade, wheedle, coax, prevail on, win over, bring round, sway, beguile, charm, inveigle, influence, woo; informal sweet-talk, soft-soap, butter up, twist someone's arm. get together
get together the best writers
collect, gather, assemble, bring together, rally, muster, marshal, congregate, convene, amass; formal convoke.

we must get together soon
meet (up), rendezvous, see each other, socialize.
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get up
get out of bed, rise, stir, rouse oneself; informal surface; formal arise. get someone up (informal)
dress, clothe, attire, garb, fit out, turn out, deck (out), trick out/up, costume, array, robe; informal doll up; archaic apparel.

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getaway

noun
escape, breakout, bolt for freedom, flight; disappearance, vanishing act; Brit. informal flit.

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get-together

noun
party, meeting, gathering, social event; informal do, bash; Brit. informal rave-up, knees-up, jolly, bunfight, beano.

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get-up

noun
(informal) outfit, clothes, costume, ensemble, suit, clothing, dress, attire, garments, garb; informal gear, togs, duds; Brit. informal clobber, rig-out; N. Amer. informal threads; formal apparel.

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get-up-and-go

noun
(informal) drive, initiative, enterprise, enthusiasm, eagerness, ambition, motivation, dynamism, energy, gusto, vigour, vitality, verve, fire, fervour, zeal, commitment, spirit; informal gumption, oomph, vim, pep. ANTONYMS :apathy.

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ghastly

adjective
a ghastly stabbing
terrible, frightful, horrible, grim, awful, dire; frightening, terrifying, horrifying, alarming; distressing, shocking, appalling, harrowing; dreadful, horrendous, monstrous, gruesome, grisly.
(informal) a ghastly building
unpleasant, objectionable, disagreeable, distasteful, awful, terrible, dreadful, frightful, detestable, insufferable, vile; informal horrible, horrid.
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the patient feels ghastly
ill, unwell, peaky, poorly; sick, queasy, nauseous; Brit. off colour; informal rough, lousy, rotten, terrible, awful, dreadful; Brit. informal grotty, ropy; Scottish informal peely-wally; Austral./NZ informal crook.
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a ghastly pallor
pale, white, pallid, pasty, wan, bloodless, peaky, ashen, grey, waxy, blanched, drained, pinched, green, sickly; informal like death warmed up.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant, charming, healthy, fine.

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ghost

noun
his ghost haunts the crypt
spectre, phantom, wraith, spirit, presence; apparition; informal spook.
the ghost of a smile
trace, hint, suggestion, impression, suspicion, tinge; glimmer, semblance, shadow, whisper.
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ghostly

adjective
spectral, ghostlike, phantom, wraithlike, phantasmal, phantasmic; unearthly, unnatural, supernatural; insubstantial, shadowy; eerie, weird, uncanny; frightening, spine-chilling, hair-raising, blood-curdling, terrifying, chilling, sinister; informal creepy, scary, spooky.

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ghoulish

adjective
macabre, grisly, gruesome, grotesque, ghastly; unhealthy, horrible, unwholesome.

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giant

noun
the forest giant had died
colossus, man mountain, behemoth, Brobdingnagian, mammoth, monster; informal jumbo. ANTONYMS :dwarf.

adjective
a giant vacuum cleaner
huge, colossal, massive, enormous, gigantic, very big, mammoth, vast, immense, monumental, mountainous, titanic, towering, elephantine, king-size(d), gargantuan, Brobdingnagian; substantial, hefty; informal mega, monster, whopping, humongous, jumbo, hulking, bumper; Brit. informal ginormous. ANTONYMS :miniature.

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gibber

verb
prattle, babble, ramble, drivel, jabber, gabble, burble, twitter, flannel, mutter, mumble; informal yammer, blabber, jibber-jabber, blather, blether; Brit. informal witter, chunter.

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gibberish

noun
nonsense, rubbish, balderdash, blather, blether; informal drivel, gobbledegook, mumbo-jumbo, tripe, hogwash, baloney, bilge, bosh, bull, bunk, guff, eyewash, piffle, twaddle, poppycock; Brit. informal cobblers, codswallop, double Dutch, tosh, cack; N. Amer. informal garbage, blathers, applesauce.

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gibe

noun & verb
. See jibe.

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giddiness

noun
dizziness, light-headedness; faintness, unsteadiness, shakiness, wobbliness; informal wooziness, legs like jelly.

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giddy

adjective
she felt giddy
dizzy, light-headed, faint, weak, vertiginous; unsteady, shaky, wobbly, reeling; informal woozy.
she was young and giddy
flighty, silly, frivolous, skittish, irresponsible, flippant, whimsical, capricious; feather-brained, scatty, thoughtless, heedless, carefree; informal dippy; N. Amer. informal ditsy.
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ANTONYMS :steady, sensible.

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gift

noun
he gave the staff a gift
present, handout, donation, offering, bestowal, bonus, award, endowment; tip, gratuity, baksheesh; largesse; informal prezzie, freebie, perk; formal benefaction.
a gift for melody
talent, flair, aptitude, facility, knack, bent, ability, expertise, capacity, capability, faculty; endowment, strength, genius, brilliance, skill, artistry.
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verb
he gifted a composition to the orchestra
present, give, bestow, confer, donate, endow, award, accord, grant; hand over, make over.

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gifted

adjective
talented, skilful, skilled, accomplished, expert, consummate, master(ly), first-rate, able, apt, adept, proficient; intelligent, clever, bright, brilliant; precocious; informal crack, top-notch, ace. ANTONYMS :inept.

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gigantic

adjective
huge, enormous, vast, extensive, very big, very large, giant, massive, colossal, mammoth, immense, monumental, mountainous, titanic, towering, elephantine, king-size(d), gargantuan; informal mega, monster, whopping, humongous, jumbo, hulking, bumper; Brit. informal ginormous. ANTONYMS :tiny.

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giggle

verb
he giggled at the picture
titter, snigger, snicker, tee-hee, chuckle, chortle, laugh.
noun
she suppressed a giggle
titter, snigger, snicker, tee-hee, chuckle, chortle, laugh.

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gigolo

noun
playboy, (male) escort; admirer, lover; informal fancy man; Brit. informal toy boy.

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gild

verb
a gilded weathercock
cover with gold, paint gold.
he tends to gild the truth
elaborate, embellish, embroider; camouflage, disguise, dress up, colour, exaggerate, expand on; informal jazz up.
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gimcrack

adjective
shoddy, jerry-built, flimsy, insubstantial, thrown together, makeshift; inferior, poor-quality, second-rate, cheap, cheapjack, tawdry, kitschy, trashy; informal tacky, junky, rubbishy.

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gimmick

noun
publicity device, stunt, contrivance, scheme, stratagem, ploy; informal shtick.

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gingerly

adverb
cautiously, carefully, with care, warily, charily, circumspectly, delicately; heedfully, watchfully, vigilantly, attentively; hesitantly, timidly. ANTONYMS :recklessly.

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gird

verb
(poetic/literary) Sir Hector girded on his sword
fasten, belt, bind, tie.
the island was girded by rocks
surround, enclose, encircle, circle, encompass, border, bound, edge, skirt, fringe; close in, confine.
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they girded themselves for war
prepare, get ready, gear up; nerve, steel, galvanize, brace, fortify; informal psych oneself up.
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girdle

noun
a diamond-studded girdle
belt, sash, cummerbund, waistband, strap, band, girth, cord.
her stockings were held up by her girdle
corset, corselet, foundation garment, panty girdle; truss.
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verb
a garden girdled the house
surround, enclose, encircle, circle, encompass, circumscribe, border, bound, skirt, edge; (poetic/literary) gird.

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girl

noun
a five-year-old girl
female child, daughter; schoolgirl; Scottish & N. English lass, lassie; derogatory chit.
See also child. a tall dark girl
young woman, young lady, miss, mademoiselle; Scottish lass, lassie; Irish colleen; informal chick, girlie, filly; Brit. informal bird, bint; N. Amer. informal gal, broad, dame, jane, babe; Austral./NZ informal sheila; poetic/literary maid, damsel; archaic wench.
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his girl left him.
See girlfriend.
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girlfriend

noun
sweetheart, lover, partner, significant other, girl, woman; fiancée; informal steady; Brit. informal bird; N. Amer. informal squeeze; dated lady (friend), lady love, betrothed; archaic leman.

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girlish

adjective
girly, youthful, childlike, childish, immature; feminine.

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girth

noun
a tree ten feet in girth
circumference, perimeter; width, breadth.
he tied the towel around his girth
stomach, midriff, middle, abdomen, belly, gut; informal tummy, tum.
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a horse's girth
N. Amer. cinch.
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gist

noun
essence, substance, central theme, heart of the matter, nub, kernel, marrow, meat, burden, crux; thrust, drift, sense, meaning, significance, import; informal nitty-gritty.

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give

verb
he gave them £2000
present with, provide with, supply with, furnish with, let someone have; hand (over), offer, proffer; award, grant, bestow, accord, confer, make over; donate, contribute, put up.
can I give him a message?
convey, pass on, impart, communicate, transmit; send, deliver, relay; tell.
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a baby given into their care
entrust, commit, consign, assign; formal commend.
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he gave his life for them
sacrifice, give up, relinquish; devote, dedicate.
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he gave her time to think
allow, permit, grant, accord; offer.
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this leaflet gives our opening times
show, display, set out, indicate, detail, list.
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they gave no further trouble
cause, make, create, occasion.
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garlic gives flavour
produce, yield, afford, impart, lend.
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he gave a party
organize, arrange, lay on, throw, host, hold, have, provide.
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Dominic gave a bow
perform, execute, make, do.
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she gave a shout
utter, let out, emit, produce, make.
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he gave Harry a beating
administer, deliver, deal, inflict, impose.
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the door gave
give way, cave in, collapse, break, fall apart; bend, buckle.
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ANTONYMS :receive, take.

noun
(informal) there isn't enough give in the jacket
elasticity, flexibility, stretch, stretchiness; slack, play.
give someone away
betray, inform on; informal split on, rat on, peach on, do the dirty on, blow the whistle on, sell down the river; Brit. informal grass on, shop; N. Amer. informal rat out, finger; Austral./NZ informal dob on; English Law turn Queen's/King's evidence. give something away
reveal, disclose, divulge, let slip, leak, let out. give in
capitulate, concede defeat, admit defeat, give up, surrender, yield, submit, back down, give way, defer, relent, throw in the towel/sponge. give something off/out
emit, produce, send out, throw out; discharge, release, exude, vent. give out
run out, be used up, be consumed, be exhausted, be depleted; fail, flag; dry up. give something out
distribute, issue, hand out, pass round, dispense; dole out, dish out, mete out; allocate, allot, share out. give up. See give in. give something up
stop, cease, discontinue, desist from, abstain from, cut out, renounce, forgo; resign from, stand down from; informal quit, kick, swear off, leave off, pack in, lay off; Brit. informal jack in.

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give and take

noun
compromise, concession; cooperation, reciprocity, teamwork, interplay.

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given

adjective
a given number of years
specified, stated, designated, set, particular, specific; prescribed, agreed, appointed, pre-arranged, predetermined.
she was given to fits of temper
prone, liable, inclined, disposed, predisposed, apt, likely.
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ANTONYMS :unspecified.

preposition
given the issue's complexity , a summary is difficult
considering, in view of, bearing in mind, in the light of; assuming.
noun
his aggression is taken as a given
established fact, reality, certainty.

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giver

noun
donor, contributor, donator, benefactor, benefactress, provider; supporter, backer, patron, sponsor, subscriber.

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glacial

adjective
glacial conditions
freezing, cold, icy, ice-cold, sub-zero, frozen, gelid, wintry; arctic, polar, Siberian; bitter, biting, raw, chill.
Polly's tone was glacial
unfriendly, hostile, unwelcoming; frosty, icy, cold, chilly.
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ANTONYMS :tropical, hot, friendly.

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glad

adjective
I'm really glad you're coming
pleased, happy, delighted, thrilled, overjoyed, cock-a-hoop, elated, gleeful; gratified, grateful, thankful; informal tickled pink, over the moon; Brit. informal chuffed; N. English informal made up; Austral. informal wrapped.
I'd be glad to help
willing, eager, happy, pleased, delighted; ready, prepared.
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glad tidings
pleasing, welcome, happy, joyful, cheering, heartening, gratifying; poetic/literary gladsome.
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ANTONYMS :dismayed, reluctant, distressing.

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gladden

verb
delight, please, make happy, elate; cheer (up), hearten, buoy up, give someone a lift, uplift; gratify; informal give someone a kick, tickle someone pink, buck up. ANTONYMS :sadden.

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gladly

adverb
with pleasure, happily, cheerfully; willingly, readily, eagerly, freely, ungrudgingly; archaic fain, lief.

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glamorous

adjective
a glamorous woman
beautiful, attractive, lovely, bewitching, enchanting, beguiling; elegant, chic, stylish, fashionable; charming, charismatic, appealing, alluring, seductive; informal classy, glam.
a glamorous lifestyle
exciting, thrilling, stimulating; dazzling, glittering, glossy, colourful, exotic; informal ritzy, glitzy, jet-setting.
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ANTONYMS :dowdy, dull.

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glamour

noun
she had undeniable glamour
beauty, allure, attractiveness; elegance, chic, style; charisma, charm, magnetism, desirability.
the glamour of show business
allure, attraction, fascination, charm, magic, romance, mystique, exoticism, spell; excitement, thrill; glitter, the bright lights; informal glitz, glam.
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glance

verb
Rachel glanced at him
look briefly, look quickly, peek, peep; glimpse; Scottish keek; informal have a gander; Brit. informal take a dekko, have a shufti, have a butcher's; Austral./NZ informal squiz.
I glanced through the report
read quickly, scan, skim, leaf, flick, flip, thumb, browse; dip into.
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a bullet glanced off the ice
ricochet, rebound, be deflected, bounce; graze, clip.
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sunlight glanced off her hair
reflect, flash, gleam, glint, glitter, glisten, glimmer, shimmer.
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noun
a glance at his watch
peek, peep, brief look, quick look, glimpse; Scottish keek; informal gander; Brit. informal dekko, shufti, butcher's; Austral./NZ informal squiz, geek.

at first glance
on the face of it, on the surface, at first sight, to the casual eye, to all appearances; apparently, seemingly, outwardly, superficially, it would seem, it appears, as far as one can see/tell, by all accounts.

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glare

verb
she glared at him
scowl, glower, stare angrily, look daggers, frown, lour, give someone a black look, look threateningly; informal give someone a dirty look.
the sun glared out of the sky
blaze, beam, shine brightly, be dazzling, be blinding.
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noun
a cold glare
scowl, glower, angry stare, frown, black look, threatening look; informal dirty look.
the harsh glare of the lights
blaze, dazzle, shine, beam; radiance, brilliance, luminescence.
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glaring

adjective
glaring lights
dazzling, blinding, blazing, strong, bright, harsh.
a glaring omission
obvious, conspicuous, unmistakable, inescapable, unmissable, striking; flagrant, blatant, outrageous, gross; overt, patent, transparent, manifest; informal standing/sticking out like a sore thumb.
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ANTONYMS :soft, minor.

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glass

noun
a glass of water
tumbler, drinking vessel; flute, schooner, balloon, goblet, chalice.
we sell china and glass
glassware, crystal, crystalware.
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(Brit.) she looked in the glass
mirror, looking glass.
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vitreous.

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glasses

plural noun
spectacles; N. Amer. eyeglasses; informal specs.

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glasshouse

noun
greenhouse, hothouse, conservatory.

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glassy

adjective
the glassy surface of the lake
smooth, mirror-like, gleaming, shiny, glossy, polished, vitreous; slippery, icy; clear, transparent, translucent; calm, still, flat.
a glassy stare
expressionless, glazed, blank, vacant, fixed, motionless; emotionless, impassive, lifeless, wooden, vacuous.
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ANTONYMS :rough, expressive.

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glaze

verb
the pots are glazed when dry
varnish, enamel, lacquer, japan, shellac, paint; gloss.
pastry glazed with caramel
cover, coat; ice, frost.
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his eyes glazed over
become glassy, go blank; mist over, film over.
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noun
pottery with a blue glaze
varnish, enamel, lacquer, finish, coating; lustre, shine, gloss.
a cake with an apricot glaze
coating, topping; icing, frosting.
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gleam

verb
shine, glimmer, glint, glitter, shimmer, sparkle, twinkle, flicker, wink, glisten, flash; poetic/literary glister.
noun
a gleam of light
glimmer, glint, shimmer, twinkle, sparkle, flicker, flash; beam, ray, shaft.
the gleam of brass
shine, lustre, gloss, sheen; glint, glitter, glimmer, sparkle; brilliance, radiance, glow; poetic/literary glister.
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a gleam of hope
glimmer, flicker, ray, spark, trace, suggestion, hint, sign.
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glean

verb
obtain, get, take, draw, derive, extract, cull, garner, gather; learn, find out.

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glee

noun
delight, pleasure, happiness, joy, gladness, elation, euphoria; amusement, mirth, merriment; excitement, gaiety, exuberance; triumph, jubilation, relish, satisfaction, gratification. ANTONYMS :disappointment.

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gleeful

adjective
delighted, pleased, joyful, happy, glad, overjoyed, elated, euphoric; amused, mirthful, merry, exuberant; cock-a-hoop, jubilant; informal over the moon.

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glib

adjective
slick, pat, plausible; smooth-talking, fast-talking, silver-tongued, smooth, urbane, having kissed the Blarney Stone; disingenuous, insincere, facile, shallow, superficial, flippant; informal flip, sweet-talking. ANTONYMS :sincere.

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glide

verb
a gondola glided past
slide, slip, sail, float, drift, flow; coast, freewheel, roll; skim, skate.
seagulls gliding over the waves
soar, wheel, plane; fly.
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he glided out of the door
slip, steal, slink.
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glimmer

verb
moonlight glimmered on the lawn
gleam, shine, glint, flicker, shimmer, glisten, glow, twinkle, sparkle, glitter, wink, flash; poetic/literary glister.
noun
a glimmer of light
gleam, glint, flicker, shimmer, glow, twinkle, sparkle, flash, ray.
a glimmer of hope
gleam, flicker, ray, trace, sign, suggestion, hint.
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glimpse

noun
a glimpse of her face
brief look, quick look; glance, peek, peep; sight, sighting.
verb
he glimpsed a figure
catch sight of, notice, discern, spot, spy, sight, pick out, make out; Brit. informal clock; poetic/literary espy, descry.

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glint

verb
the diamond glinted
shine, gleam, catch the light, glitter, sparkle, twinkle, wink, glimmer, shimmer, glisten, flash; poetic/literary glister.
noun
the glint of the silver
glitter, gleam, sparkle, twinkle, glimmer, flash.

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glisten

verb
shine, sparkle, twinkle, glint, glitter, glimmer, shimmer, wink, flash; poetic/literary glister.

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glitter

verb
crystal glittered in the candlelight
shine, sparkle, twinkle, glint, gleam, shimmer, glimmer, wink, flash, catch the light; poetic/literary glister.
noun
the glitter of light on the water
sparkle, twinkle, glint, gleam, shimmer, glimmer, flicker, flash; brilliance, luminescence.
the glitter of show business
glamour, excitement, thrills, attraction, appeal; dazzle; informal razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz, glitz, ritziness.
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gloat

verb
delight, relish, take great pleasure, revel, rejoice, glory, exult, triumph, crow; boast, brag, be smug, congratulate oneself, preen oneself, pat oneself on the back; rub one's hands together; informal rub it in.

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global

adjective
the global economy
worldwide, international, world, intercontinental.
a global view of the problem
comprehensive, overall, general, all-inclusive, all-encompassing, encyclopedic, universal, blanket; broad, far-reaching, extensive, sweeping.
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globe

noun
every corner of the globe
world, earth, planet.
the sun is a globe
sphere, orb, ball, spheroid, round.
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globular

adjective
spherical, spheric, spheroidal, round, globe-shaped, ball-shaped, orb-shaped, rounded, bulbous.

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globule

noun
droplet, drop, bead, tear, ball, bubble, pearl; informal blob, glob.

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gloom

noun
she peered into the gloom
darkness, dark, dimness, blackness, murkiness, shadows, shade; dusk, twilight, gloaming.
his gloom deepened
despondency, depression, dejection, downheartedness, melancholy, melancholia, unhappiness, sadness, glumness, gloominess, misery, sorrow, woe, wretchedness; despair, pessimism, hopelessness; informal the blues, the dumps.
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ANTONYMS :light, happiness.

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gloomy

adjective
a gloomy room
dark, shadowy, sunless, dim, sombre, dingy, dismal, dreary, murky, unwelcoming, cheerless, comfortless, funereal; poetic/literary Stygian.
Joanna looked gloomy
despondent, downcast, downhearted, dejected, dispirited, disheartened, discouraged, demoralized, crestfallen; depressed, desolate, low, sad, unhappy, glum, melancholy, miserable, fed up, woebegone, mournful, forlorn, morose; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps.
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gloomy forecasts about the economy
pessimistic, depressing, downbeat, disheartening, disappointing; unfavourable, bleak, bad, black, sombre, grim, cheerless, hopeless.
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ANTONYMS :bright, cheerful, optimistic.

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glorify

verb
they gather to glorify God
praise, extol, exalt, worship, revere, reverence, venerate, pay homage to, honour, adore, thank, give thanks to; formal laud; archaic magnify.
a poem to glorify the memory of the dead
ennoble, exalt, elevate, dignify, enhance, augment, promote; praise, celebrate, honour, extol, lionize, acclaim, applaud, hail; glamorize, idealize, romanticize, enshrine, immortalize; formal laud.
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ANTONYMS :dishonour.

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glorious

adjective
a glorious victory
illustrious, celebrated, famous, acclaimed, distinguished, honoured; outstanding, great, magnificent, noble, triumphant.
glorious views
wonderful, marvellous, magnificent, superb, sublime, spectacular, lovely, fine, delightful; informal super, great, stunning, fantastic, terrific, tremendous, sensational, heavenly, divine, gorgeous, fabulous, fab, awesome, ace; informal, dated capital, spiffing; Brit. informal smashing; poetic/literary wondrous, beauteous.
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ANTONYMS :undistinguished, horrid.

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glory

noun
a sport that won him glory
renown, fame, prestige, honour, distinction, kudos, eminence, acclaim, praise; celebrity, recognition, reputation; informal bouquets.
glory be to God
praise, worship, adoration, veneration, honour, reverence, exaltation, extolment, homage, thanksgiving, thanks.
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a house restored to its former glory
magnificence, splendour, resplendence, grandeur, majesty, greatness, nobility; opulence, beauty, elegance.
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the glories of Vermont
wonder, beauty, delight, marvel, phenomenon; sight, spectacle.
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ANTONYMS :shame, obscurity, modesty.

verb
we gloried in our independence
take pleasure in, revel in, rejoice in, delight in; relish, savour; congratulate oneself on, be proud of; boast about; informal get a kick out of, get a thrill out of.

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gloss 1

noun
the gloss of her hair
shine, sheen, lustre, gleam, patina, brilliance, shimmer.
beneath the gloss of success
facade, veneer, surface, show, camouflage, disguise, mask, smokescreen; window dressing.
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verb
she glossed her lips
make glossy, shine; glaze, polish, burnish.
he tried to gloss over his problems
conceal, cover up, hide, disguise, mask, veil; shrug off, brush aside, play down, minimize, understate, make light of; informal brush under the carpet.
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gloss 2

noun
glosses in the margin
explanation, interpretation, exegesis, explication, elucidation; annotation, note, footnote, commentary, comment; translation; historical scholium.
verb
difficult words are glossed in a footnote
explain, interpret, explicate, elucidate; annotate; translate, paraphrase.

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glossy

adjective
a glossy wooden floor
shiny, gleaming, lustrous, brilliant, shimmering, glistening, satiny, sheeny, smooth, glassy; polished, lacquered, glazed.
a glossy magazine
expensive, high-quality; stylish, fashionable, glamorous; attractive, artistic; Brit. upmarket, coffee-table; informal classy, ritzy, glitzy.
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ANTONYMS :dull, cheap.

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glove

noun
mitten, mitt, gauntlet.

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glow

verb
lights glowed from the windows
shine, radiate, gleam, glimmer, flicker, flare; luminesce.
a fire glowed in the hearth
radiate heat, smoulder, burn.
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she glowed with embarrassment
flush, blush, redden, colour (up), go pink, go scarlet; burn.
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she glowed with pride
tingle, thrill; beam.
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noun
the glow of the fire
radiance, light, shine, gleam, glimmer, incandescence, luminescence; warmth, heat.
a glow spread over her face
flush, blush, rosiness, pinkness, redness, high colour; bloom, radiance.
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a warm glow deep inside her
happiness, contentment, pleasure, satisfaction.
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ANTONYMS :pallor.

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glower

verb
she glowered at him
scowl, glare, look daggers, frown, lour, give a someone black look; informal give someone a dirty look.
noun
the glower on his face
scowl, glare, frown, black look; informal dirty look.

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glowing

adjective
glowing coals
bright, shining, radiant, glimmering, flickering, twinkling, incandescent, luminous, luminescent; lit (up), lighted, illuminated, ablaze; aglow, smouldering.
his glowing cheeks
rosy, pink, red, flushed, blushing; radiant, blooming, ruddy, florid; hot, burning.
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glowing colours
vivid, vibrant, bright, brilliant, rich, intense, strong, radiant, warm.
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a glowing report
complimentary, favourable, enthusiastic, commendatory, admiring, lionizing, rapturous, rhapsodic, adulatory; fulsome; informal rave.
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glue

noun
a tube of glue
adhesive, fixative, gum, paste, cement; epoxy (resin), size; N. Amer. mucilage; N. Amer. informal stickum.
verb
the planks were glued together
stick, gum, paste; affix, fix, cement.
(informal) she was glued to the television
be riveted to, be gripped by, be hypnotized by, be mesmerized by.
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glum

adjective
gloomy, downcast, downhearted, dejected, despondent, crestfallen, disheartened; depressed, desolate, unhappy, doleful, melancholy, miserable, woebegone, mournful, forlorn, fed up, in the doldrums, morose; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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glut

noun
a glut of cars
surplus, excess, surfeit, superfluity, overabundance, superabundance, oversupply, plethora. ANTONYMS :dearth.

verb
the factories are glutted
cram full, overfill, overload, oversupply, saturate, flood, inundate, deluge, swamp; informal stuff.

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glutinous

adjective
sticky, viscous, viscid, tacky, gluey, gummy, treacly; adhesive; informal gooey, gloopy, cloggy; N. Amer. informal gloppy.

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glutton

noun
gourmand, overeater, big eater, gorger, gobbler; informal (greedy) pig, gannet, greedy guts, gutbucket, guzzler.

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gluttonous

adjective
greedy, gourmandizing, voracious, insatiable, wolfish; informal piggish, piggy.

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gluttony

noun
greed, greediness, overeating, gourmandism, gourmandizing, voracity, insatiability; informal piggishness.

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gnarled

adjective
a gnarled tree trunk
knobbly, knotty, knotted, gnarly, lumpy, bumpy, nodular; twisted, bent, crooked, distorted, contorted.
gnarled hands
twisted, bent, misshapen; arthritic; rough, wrinkled, wizened.
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gnash

verb
grind, grate, rasp, grit.

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gnaw

verb
the dog gnawed at a bone
chew, champ, chomp, bite, munch, crunch; nibble, worry.
the pressures are gnawing away their independence
erode, wear away, wear down, eat away (at); consume, devour.
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the doubts gnawed at her
nag, plague, torment, torture, trouble, distress, worry, haunt, oppress, burden, hang over, bother, fret; niggle.
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go

verb
he's gone into town
move, proceed, make one's way, advance, progress, pass; walk, travel, journey; poetic/literary betake oneself.
the road goes to London
extend, stretch, reach; lead.
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the money will go to charity
be given, be donated, be granted, be presented, be awarded; be devoted; be handed (over).
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it's time to go
leave, depart, take oneself off, go away, withdraw, absent oneself, make an exit, exit; set off, start out, get under way, be on one's way; decamp, retreat, retire, make off, clear out, run off/away, flee; Brit. make a move; informal make tracks, push off, beat it, take off, skedaddle, scram, split, scoot; Brit. informal sling one's hook.
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three years went past
pass, elapse, slip by/past, roll by/past, tick away; fly by/past.
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a golden age that has gone for good
disappear, vanish, be no more, be over, run its course, fade away; finish, end, cease.
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all our money had gone
be used up, be spent, be exhausted, be consumed, be drained, be depleted.
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I'd like to see my grandchildren before I go
die, pass away, pass on, lose one's life, expire, breathe one's last, perish, go to meet one's maker; informal give up the ghost, kick the bucket, croak, buy it, turn up one's toes; Brit. informal snuff it, pop one's clogs; N. Amer. informal bite the big one, buy the farm; archaic decease, depart this life.
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the bridge went suddenly
collapse, give way, fall down, cave in, crumble, disintegrate.
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his hair had gone grey
become, get, turn, grow.
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he heard the bell go
make a sound, sound, reverberate, resound; ring, chime, peal, toll, clang.
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everything went well
turn out, work out, develop, come out; result, end (up); informal pan out.
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those colours don't go
match, be harmonious, harmonize, blend, be suited, be complementary, coordinate, be compatible.
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my car won't go
function, work, run, operate.
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where does the cutlery go?
belong, be kept, be found, be located, be situa ted.
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this all goes to prove my point
contribute, help, serve; incline, tend.
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ANTONYMS :arrive, come, return, clash.

noun
his second go
attempt, try, effort, bid, endeavour; informal shot, stab, crack, bash, whirl, whack; formal essay.
he has plenty of go in him
energy, vigour, vitality, life, liveliness, spirit, verve, enthusiasm, zest, vibrancy, sparkle; stamina, dynamism, drive, push, determination; informal pep, punch, oomph, get-up-and-go.
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go about
set about, begin, embark on, start, commence, address oneself to, get down to, get to work on, get going on, undertake; approach, tackle, attack; informal get cracking on/with. go along with
agree to/with, fall in with, comply with, cooperate with, acquiesce in, assent to, follow; submit to, yield to, defer to. go away. See go verb sense 4. go back on
renege on, break, fail to honour, default on, repudiate, retract; do an about-face; informal cop out (of), rat on. go by we have to go by his decision

obey, abide by, comply with, keep to, conform to, follow, heed, defer to, respect. go down
the ship went down
sink, founder, go under.

interest rates are going down
decrease, get lower, fall, drop, decline; plummet, plunge, slump.
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(informal) they went down in the first leg
lose, be beaten, be defeated, come to grief.
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his name will go down in history
be remembered, be recorded, be commemorated, be immortalized.
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go down with (Brit.)
fall ill with, get, develop, contract, pick up, succumb to, fall victim to, be struck down with, become infected with. go far
be successful, succeed, be a success, do well, get on, get somewhere, get ahead, make good; informal make a name for oneself, make one's mark. go for
I went for the tuna
choose, pick, opt for, select, plump for, decide on.

the man went for her
attack, assault, hit, strike, beat up, assail, set upon, rush at, lash out at; informal lay into, rough up; Brit. informal have a go at, duff up; N. Amer. informal beat up on.
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he goes for older women
be attracted to, like, fancy; prefer, favour, choose; informal have a thing about.
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go in for
take part in, participate in, engage in, get involved in, join in, enter into, undertake; practise, pursue; espouse, adopt, embrace. go into
investigate, examine, enquire into, look into, research, probe, explore, delve into; consider, review, analyse. go off
the bomb went off
explode, detonate, blow up.

(Brit.) the milk's gone off
go bad, go stale, go sour, turn, spoil, go rancid; decompose, go mouldy.
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go on
the lecture went on for hours
last, continue, carry on, run on, proceed; endure, persist; take.

she went on about the sea
talk at length, ramble, rattle on, chatter, prattle, gabble, blether, blather, twitter; informal gab, yak, yabber, yatter; Brit. informal witter, rabbit, natter, waffle, chunter; N. Amer. informal run off at the mouth.
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I'm not sure what went on
happen, take place, occur, transpire; N. Amer. informal go down; poetic/literary come to pass, betide; archaic hap.
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go out
the lights went out
be turned off, be extinguished; stop burning.

he's going out with Kate
see, take out, be someone's boyfriend/girlfriend, be involved with; informal date, go steady with, go with; N. Amer. informal, dated step out with; dated court, woo.
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go over
go over the figures
examine, study, scrutinize, inspect, look at/over, scan, check; analyse, appraise, review.

we are going over our lines
rehearse, practise, read through, run through.
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go round
the wheels were going round
spin, revolve, turn, rotate, whirl.

a nasty rumour going round
be spread, be circulated, be put about, circulate, pass round, be broadcast.
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go through
the terrible things she has gone through
undergo, experience, face, suffer, be subjected to, live through, endure, brave, bear, tolerate, withstand, put up with, cope with, weather.

he went through hundreds of pounds
spend, use up, run through, get through, expend, deplete; waste, squander, fritter away.
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he went through Susie's bag
search, look, hunt, rummage, rifle; informal frisk.
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I have to go through the report
examine, study, scrutinize, inspect, look over, scan, check; analyse, appraise, review.
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the deal has gone through
be completed, be concluded, be brought off; be approved, be signed, be rubber-stamped.
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go under
go bankrupt, cease trading, go into receivership, go into liquidation, become insolvent, be liquidated, be wound up, be shut (down); fail; informal go broke, go to the wall, go belly up, fold. go without
I went without breakfast
abstain from, refrain from, forgo, do without, deny oneself.

the children did not go without
be deprived, be in want, go short, go hungry, be in need.
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goad

noun
he applied his goad to the cows
prod, spike, staff, crook, rod.
a goad to political change
stimulus, incentive, encouragement, inducement, fillip, spur, prod, prompt; motive, motivation.
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verb
we were goaded into action
provoke, spur, prod, egg on, hound, badger, incite, rouse, stir, move, stimulate, motivate, prompt, induce, encourage, urge, inspire; impel, pressure, pressurize, dragoon.

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go-ahead (informal)

noun
they gave the go-ahead for the scheme
permission, consent, leave, licence, dispensation, warrant, clearance; authorization, assent, agreement, approval, endorsement, sanction, blessing, the nod; informal the thumbs up, the OK, the green light.
adjective
go-ahead companies
enterprising, resourceful, innovative, ingenious, original, creative; progressive, pioneering, modern, forward-looking, enlightened; enthusiastic, ambitious, entrepreneurial, high-powered; bold, daring, audacious, adventurous, dynamic; informal go-getting.

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goal

noun
objective, aim, end, target, design, intention, intent, plan, purpose; (holy) grail; ambition, aspiration, wish, dream, desire, hope.

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goat

noun
a herd of goats
billy (goat), nanny (goat), kid.
(Brit. informal) she's always playing the goat.
See fool noun sense 1.
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be careful of that old goat
lecher, libertine, womanizer, seducer, Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario, Romeo; pervert, debauchee, rake; informal lech, dirty old man, ladykiller.
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caprine.

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gobble

verb
guzzle, bolt, gulp, devour, wolf, cram, gorge (oneself) on; informal tuck into, put away, demolish, polish off, shovel down, stuff one's face (with), pig oneself (on); Brit. informal scoff, gollop, shift; N. Amer. informal scarf (down/up).

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gobbledegook

noun
(informal) gibberish, claptrap, nonsense, rubbish, balderdash, mumbo-jumbo, blather, blether; N. Amer. garbage; informal drivel, tripe, hogwash, baloney, bilge, bosh, bull, bunk, guff, eyewash, piffle, twaddle, poppycock, phooey, hooey; Brit. informal cobblers, codswallop, double Dutch, tosh; N. Amer. informal bushwa, applesauce.

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go-between

noun
intermediary, middleman, agent, broker, liaison, linkman, contact; negotiator, interceder, intercessor, mediator.

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goblet

noun
wine glass, chalice; glass, beaker, tumbler, cup.

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goblin

noun
hobgoblin, gnome, dwarf, troll, imp, elf, brownie, fairy, pixie, leprechaun.

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god

noun
a gift from God
the Lord, the Almighty, the Creator, the Maker, the Godhead; Allah, Jehovah, Yahweh; (God) the Father, (God) the Son, the Holy Ghost/Spirit, the Holy Trinity.
sacrifices to appease the gods
deity, goddess, divine being, celestial being, divinity, immortal, avatar.
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wooden gods
idol, graven image, icon, totem, talisman, fetish, juju.
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godforsaken

adjective
wretched, miserable, dreary, dismal, depressing, grim, cheerless, bleak, desolate, gloomy; deserted, neglected, isolated, remote, backward; Brit. informal grotty. ANTONYMS :charming.

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godless

adjective
a godless society
atheistic, unbelieving, agnostic, sceptical, heretical, faithless, irreligious, ungodly, unholy, impious, profane; infidel, heathen, idolatrous, pagan; satanic, devilish.
godless pleasures
immoral, wicked, sinful, wrong, evil, bad, iniquitous, corrupt; irreligious, sacrilegious, profane, blasphemous, impious; depraved, degenerate, debauched, perverted, decadent; impure.
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ANTONYMS :religious, virtuous.

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godlike

adjective
divine, godly, superhuman; angelic, seraphic; spiritual, heavenly, celestial; sacred, holy, saintly.

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godly

adjective
religious, devout, pious, reverent, believing, God-fearing, saintly, holy, prayerful, churchgoing. ANTONYMS :irreligious.

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godsend

noun
boon, blessing, bonus, plus, benefit, advantage, help, aid, asset; stroke of luck; informal perk; formal perquisite. ANTONYMS :curse.

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goggle

verb
stare, gape, gaze, ogle; informal gawk, rubberneck; Brit. informal gawp.

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going-over

noun
(informal) his work was subjected to a going-over
examination, inspection, investigation, probe, check-up; assessment, review, analysis, appraisal, critique; informal once-over.
the flat needs a going-over
clean, dust, mop, scrub; informal vacuum, once-over.
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the thugs gave him a going-over
beating, thrashing, thumping, pummelling, battering, pelting; assault, attack; informal doing-over, belting, bashing, pasting, walloping, clobbering, hiding.
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goings-on

plural noun
events, happenings, affairs, business; mischief, misbehaviour, misconduct, funny business; informal monkey business, hanky-panky, shenanigans; Brit. informal jiggery-pokery, carry-on; N. Amer. informal monkeyshines.

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gold

noun
she won the gold
gold medal, first prize. auric, aurous.

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golden

adjective
her golden hair
blond(e), yellow, fair, flaxen, tow-coloured.
a golden time
successful, prosperous, flourishing, thriving; favourable, providential, lucky, fortunate; happy, joyful, glorious.
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a golden opportunity
excellent, fine, superb, splendid; special, unique; favourable, opportune, promising, bright, full of promise; advantageous, profitable, valuable, providential.
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the golden girl of tennis
favourite, favoured, popular, admired, beloved, pet; acclaimed, applauded, praised; brilliant, consummate, gifted; informal blue-eyed; formal lauded.
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ANTONYMS :dark, unhappy.

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gone

adjective
I wasn't gone long
away, absent, off, out; missing, unavailable.
those days are gone
past, over (and done with), no more, done, finished, ended; forgotten, dead and buried.
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the milk's all gone
used up, consumed, finished, spent, depleted; at an end.
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an aunt of mine, long since gone
dead, expired, departed, no more, passed on/away; late, lost, lamented; perished, fallen; defunct, extinct; informal six feet under, pushing up daisies; formal deceased; euphemistic with God, asleep, at peace.
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ANTONYMS :present, here, alive.

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goo

noun
(informal) sticky substance, ooze, sludge, muck; informal gunk, crud, gloop; Brit. informal gunge; N. Amer. informal glop.

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good

adjective
a good product
fine, superior, quality; excellent, superb, outstanding, magnificent, exceptional, marvellous, wonderful, first-rate, first-class, sterling; satisfactory, acceptable, up to scratch, up to standard, not bad, all right; informal great, OK, A1, ace, terrific, fantastic, fabulous, fab, top-notch, class, awesome, wicked; informal, dated capital; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill; Austral. informal beaut, bonzer; Brit. informal, dated spiffing, top hole.
a good person
virtuous, righteous, upright, upstanding, moral, ethical, high-minded, principled; exemplary, law-abiding, irreproachable, blameless, guiltless, unimpeachable, honourable, scrupulous, reputable, decent, respectable, noble, trustworthy; meritorious, praiseworthy, admirable; whiter than white, saintly, saintlike, angelic; informal squeaky clean.
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the children are good at school
well behaved, obedient, dutiful, polite, courteous, respectful, de ferential, compliant.
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a good thing to do
right, correct, proper, decorous, seemly; appropriate, fitting, apt, suitable; convenient, expedient, favourable, opportune, felicitous, timely.
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a good driver
capable, able, proficient, adept, adroit, accomplished, skilful, skilled, talented, masterly, expert; informal great, mean, wicked, nifty, ace; N. Amer. informal crackerjack.
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a good friend
close, intimate, dear, bosom, special, best, firm, valued, treasured; loving, devoted, loyal, faithful, constant, reliable, dependable, trustworthy, trusty, true, unfailing, staunch.
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the dogs are in good condition
healthy, fine, sound, tip-top, hale and hearty, fit, robust, sturdy, strong, vigorous.
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a good time was had by all
enjoyable, pleasant, agreeable, pleasurable, delightful, great, nice, lovely; amusing, diverting, jolly, merry, lively; informal super, fantastic, fabulous, fab, terrific, grand; Brit. informal brilliant, brill, smashing; N. Amer. informal peachy, ducky; Austral./NZ informal beaut, bonzer.
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it was good of you to come
kind, kind-hearted, good-hearted, generous, charitable, magnanimous, gracious; altruistic, unselfish, selfless.
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a good time to call
convenient, suitable, appropriate, fitting, fit; opportune, timely, favourable, advantageous, expedient, felicitous, happy, providential.
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milk is good for you
wholesome, healthy, healthful, nourishing, nutritious, nutritional, beneficial, salubrious.
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are these eggs good?
edible, safe to eat, fit for human consumption; fresh, wholesome, consumable; formal comestible.
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good food
delicious, tasty, mouth-watering, appetizing, flavoursome, flavourful, delectable, toothsome, palatable; succulent, luscious; informal scrumptious, delish, scrummy, yummy; Brit. informal moreish; N. Amer. informal finger-licking, nummy.
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a good reason
valid, genuine, authentic, legitimate, sound, bona fide; convincing, persuasive, telling, potent, cogent, compelling.
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we waited a good hour
whole, full, entire, complete, solid.
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a good number of them
considerable, sizeable, substantial, appreciable, significant; goodly, fair, reasonable; plentiful, abundant, great, large, generous; informal tidy.
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wear your good clothes
best, smart, smartest, finest, nicest; special, party, Sunday, formal, dressy.
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good weather
fine, fair, dry; bright, clear, sunny, cloudless; calm, windless; warm, mild, balmy, clement, pleasant, nice.
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ANTONYMS :bad, wicked, naughty, poor, terrible, inconvenient, small, scruffy.

noun
issues of good and evil
virtue, righteousness, goodness, morality, integrity, rectitude; honesty, truth, honour, probity; propriety, worthiness, merit; blamelessness, purity.
it's all for your good
benefit, advantage, profit, gain, interest, welfare, well-being; enjoyment, comfort, ease, convenience; help, aid, assistance, service; behalf.
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ANTONYMS :wickedness, disadvantage.

exclamation
good, that's settled
fine, very well, all right, right, right then, yes, agreed; informal okay, OK, okey-dokey, roger; Brit. informal righto, righty-ho.
for good those days are gone for good

forever, permanently, for always, (for) evermore, for ever and ever, for eternity, until hell freezes over, never to return; N. Amer. forevermore; informal for keeps, until doomsday, until the cows come home; archaic for aye. in good part she took the joke in good part

good-naturedly, good-humouredly, without offence, amicably, favourably, tolerantly, indulgently, cheerfully, well. make good
succeed, be successful, be a success, do well, get ahead, reach the top; prosper, flourish, thrive; informal make it, make the grade, make a name for oneself, make one's mark, get somewhere, arrive. make something good
he promised to make good any damage
repair, mend, fix, put right, see to; restore, remedy, rectify.

they made good their escape
effect, conduct, perform, implement, execute, carry out; achieve, accomplish, succeed in, realize, attain, engineer, bring about, bring off.
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he will make good his promise
fulfil, carry out, implement, discharge, honour, redeem; keep, observe, abide by, comply with, stick to, heed, follow, be bound by, live up to, stand by, adhere to.
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goodbye

exclamation
farewell, adieu, au revoir, ciao, auf Wiedersehen, adios; Austral./NZ hooray; informal bye, bye-bye, so long, see you (later), later(s); Brit. informal cheers, cheerio, ta-ta; N. English informal ta-ra; informal, dated toodle-oo, toodle-pip.

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good-for-nothing

adjective
a good-for-nothing layabout
useless, worthless, incompetent, inefficient, inept, ne'er-do-well; lazy, idle, slothful, indolent, shiftless; informal no-good, lousy. ANTONYMS :worthy.

noun
lazy good-for-nothings
ne'er-do-well, layabout, do-nothing, idler, loafer, lounger, sluggard, shirker; informal waster, slacker, lazybones, couch potato; Brit. informal skiver.

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good-humoured

adjective
genial, affable, cordial, friendly, amiable, easy-going, approachable, good-natured, cheerful, cheery; companionable, comradely, sociable, convivial, company-loving; informal chummy, pally; Brit. informal matey; N. Amer. informal clubby. ANTONYMS :grumpy.

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good-looking

adjective
attractive, beautiful, pretty, handsome, lovely, stunning, striking, arresting, gorgeous, prepossessing, fetching, captivating, bewitching, beguiling, engaging, charming, enchanting, appealing, delightful; sexy, seductive, alluring, tantalizing, irresistible, ravishing, desirable; Scottish & N. English bonny; informal fanciable, tasty, hot, easy on the eye, drop-dead gorgeous; Brit. informal fit; N. Amer. informal cute, foxy; Austral./NZ informal spunky; poetic/literary beauteous; archaic comely, fair. ANTONYMS :ugly.

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goodly

adjective
large, largish, sizeable, substantial, considerable, respectable, significant, decent, generous, handsome; informal tidy, serious. ANTONYMS :paltry.

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good-natured

adjective
warm-hearted, friendly, amiable; neighbourly, benevolent, kind, kind-hearted, generous, unselfish, considerate, thoughtful, obliging, helpful, supportive, charitable; understanding, sympathetic, easy-going, accommodating; Brit. informal decent. ANTONYMS :malicious.

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goodness

noun
he had some goodness in him
virtue, good, righteousness, morality, integrity, rectitude; honesty, truth, truthfulness, honour, probity; propriety, decency, respectability, nobility, worthiness, worth, merit, trustworthiness; blamelessness, purity.
God's goodness towards us
kindness, kindliness, tender-heartedness, humanity, mildness, benevolence, graciousness; tenderness, warmth, affection, love, goodwill; sympathy, compassion, care, concern, understanding, tolerance, generosity, charity, leniency, clemency, magnanimity.
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slow cooking retains the food's goodness
nutritional value, nutrients, wholesomeness, nourishment.
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goods

plural noun
he dispatched the goods
merchandise, wares, stock, commodities, produce, products, articles; imports, exports.
the dead man's goods
property, possessions, effects, chattels, valuables; informal things, stuff, junk, gear, kit, bits and pieces; Brit. informal clobber.
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(Brit.) most goods went by train
freight, cargo; load, consignment, delivery, shipment.
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good-tempered

adjective
equable, even-tempered, imperturbable; unruffled, unflustered, untroubled, well balanced; easy-going, mellow, mild, calm, relaxed, cool, at ease; placid, stable, level-headed; cheerful, upbeat; informal unflappable, laid-back. ANTONYMS :moody.

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goodwill

noun
benevolence, compassion, goodness, kindness, consideration, charity; cooperation, collaboration; friendliness, amity, thoughtfulness, decency, sympathy, understanding, neighbourliness. ANTONYMS :hostility.

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goody-goody

adjective
(informal) self-righteous, sanctimonious, pious; prim and proper, strait-laced, prudish, priggish, puritanical, moralistic; informal starchy, square.

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gooey

adjective
(informal) a gooey mess
sticky, viscous, viscid; gluey, tacky, gummy, treacly, syrupy; Brit. claggy; informal gloopy, gungy, icky; N. Amer. informal gloppy.
a gooey film
sentimental, mawkish, cloying, sickly, saccharine, sugary, syrupy; romantic; Brit. twee; informal slushy, sloppy, mushy, schmaltzy, lovey-dovey, cheesy, corny, sick-making; Brit. informal soppy; N. Amer. informal cornball, sappy.
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goose

noun
gander, gosling.

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gore 1

noun
the film's gratuitous gore
blood, bloodiness; bloodshed, slaughter, carnage, butchery.

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gore 2

verb
he was gored by a bull
pierce, stab, stick, impale, spear, horn.

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gorge

noun
the river runs through a gorge
ravine, canyon, gully, defile, couloir; chasm, gulf; N. English clough, gill; N. Amer. gulch, coulee.
verb
they gorged themselves on cakes
stuff, cram, fill; glut, satiate, overindulge, overfill; informal pig.
vultures gorged on the flesh
devour, guzzle, gobble, gulp (down), wolf; informal tuck into, demolish, polish off, scoff (down), down, stuff one's face (with); Brit. informal gollop; N. Amer. informal scarf (down/up).
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gorgeous

adjective
a gorgeous girl
good-looking, attractive, beautiful, pretty, handsome, lovely, stunning, striking, arresting, prepossessing, fetching, captivating, bewitching, charming, enchanting, appealing, delightful; sexy, seductive, alluring, tantalizing, irresistible, ravishing, desirable; Scottish & N. English bonny; informal fanciable, tasty, hot, easy on the eye, drop-dead gorgeous; Brit. informal fit; N. Amer. informal cute, foxy; Austral./NZ informal spunky; poetic/literary beauteous; archaic comely, fair.
a gorgeous view
spectacular, splendid, superb, wonderful, grand, impressive, awe-inspiring, awesome, amazing, stunning, breathtaking, incredible; informal sensational, fabulous, fantastic.
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gorgeous uniforms
resplendent, magnificent, sumptuous, luxurious, elegant, opulent; dazzling, brilliant.
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(informal) gorgeous weather
excellent, marvellous, superb, very good, first-rate, first-class, wonderful, magnificent, splendid; informal great, glorious, terrific, fantastic, fabulous, fab, ace; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill; Austral./NZ informal bonzer.
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ANTONYMS :ugly, drab, terrible.

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gory

adjective
a gory ritual slaughter
grisly, gruesome, violent, bloody, brutal, savage; ghastly, frightful, horrid, fearful, hideous, macabre, horrible, horrific; shocking, appalling, monstrous, unspeakable; informal blood-and-guts, sick-making.
gory pieces of flesh
bloody, bloodstained, bloodsoaked.
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gospel

noun
the Gospel was spread by missionaries
Christian teaching, Christian doctrine, Christ's teaching; the word of God, the New Testament.
don't treat this as gospel
the truth; fact, actual fact, reality, actuality, factuality, the case, a certainty.
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his gospel of non-violence
doctrine, dogma, teaching, principle, ethic, creed, credo, ideology, ideal; belief, tenet, canon.
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gossamer

noun
her dress swirled like gossamer
cobwebs; silk, gauze, chiffon.
adjective
a gossamer veil
gauzy, gossamery, fine, diaphanous, delicate, filmy, floaty, chiffony, cobwebby, wispy, thin, light, insubstantial, flimsy; translucent, transparent, see-through, sheer.

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gossip

noun
tell me all the gossip
tittle-tattle, tattle, rumour(s), whispers, canards, titbits; scandal, hearsay; informal dirt, buzz; Brit. informal goss; N. Amer. informal scuttlebutt.
they went for a gossip
chat, talk, conversation, chatter, heart-to-heart, tête-à-tête, blether, blather; discussion, dialogue; informal chit-chat, jaw, gas, confab, goss; Brit. informal natter, chinwag; N. Amer. informal gabfest; Austral./NZ informal yarn; formal confabulation.
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she's such a gossip
scandalmonger, gossipmonger, tattler, busybody, muckraker.
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verb
she gossiped about his wife
spread rumours, spread gossip, tittle-tattle, tattle, talk, whisper, tell tales; informal dish the dirt.
people sat around gossiping
chat, talk, converse, speak to each other, discuss things; informal gas, chew the fat, chew the rag, jaw, yak, yap; Brit. informal natter, chinwag; N. Amer. informal shoot the breeze, shoot the b ull; formal confabulate.
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gouge

verb
scoop out, hollow out, excavate; cut (out), dig (out), scrape (out), scratch (out).

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gourmand

noun
glutton, overeater, big eater, gobbler, gorger; informal (greedy) pig, gannet, greedy guts, gutbucket, guzzler.

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gourmet

noun
gastronome, epicure, epicurean; connoisseur; informal foodie.

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govern

verb
he governs the province
rule, preside over, reign over, control, be in charge of, command, lead, dominate; run, head, administer, manage, regulate, oversee, supervise; informal be in the driving seat.
the rules governing social behaviour
determine, decide, control, regulate, direct, rule, dictate, shape; affect, influence, sway, act on, mould, modify, impact on.
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governess

noun
tutor, instructress, duenna; teacher.

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government

noun
the government announced cuts
administration, executive, regime, authority, powers that be, directorate, council, leadership; cabinet, ministry; informal top brass.
they help him in the government of the country
rule, running, leadership, control, administration, regulation, management, supervision.
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governor

noun
leader, ruler, chief, head; premier, president, viceroy, chancellor; administrator, principal, director, chairman/woman, chair, superintendent, commissioner, controller; informal boss.

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gown

noun
dress, frock, shift, robe.

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grab

verb
Dot grabbed his arm
seize, grasp, snatch, take hold of, grip, clasp, clutch; take.
(informal) I'll grab another drink
obtain, acquire, get; buy, purchase, procure, secure, snap up; gather, collect; achieve, attain; informal get one's hands on, get one's mitts on, get hold of, bag, score, nab.
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noun
she made a grab for his gun
lunge, snatch.
up for grabs (informal)
available, obtainable, to be had, for the taking; for sale, on the market; informal for the asking, on tap, gettable.

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grace

noun
the grace of a ballerina
elegance, poise, gracefulness, finesse; suppleness, agility, nimbleness, light-footedness.
he had the grace to look sheepish
courtesy, decency, (good) manners, politeness, decorum, respect, tact.
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he fell from grace
favour, approval, approbation, acceptance, esteem, regard, respect; goodwill.
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he lived there by grace of the king
favour, goodwill, generosity, kindness, indulgence; formal benefaction.
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they have five days' grace to decide
deferment, deferral, postponement, suspension, adjournment, delay, pause; respite, stay, moratorium, reprieve.
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say grace
prayer of thanks, thanksgiving, blessing, benediction.
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ANTONYMS :inelegance, effrontery, disfavour.

verb
the occasion was graced by the prince
dignify, distinguish, honour, favour; enhance, ennoble, glorify, elevate, aggrandize, upgrade.
a mosaic graced the floor
adorn, embellish, decorate, ornament, enhance; beautify, prettify, enrich, bedeck.
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graceful

adjective
elegant, fluid, fluent, natural, neat; agile, supple, nimble, light-footed.

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graceless

adjective
gauche, maladroit, inept, awkward, unsure, unpolished, unsophisticated, uncultured, unrefined; clumsy, ungainly, ungraceful, inelegant, uncoordinated, gawky, gangling, bumbling; tactless, thoughtless, inconsiderate; informal cack-handed, ham-handed, ham-fisted.

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gracious

adjective
a gracious hostess
courteous, polite, civil, chivalrous, well mannered, mannerly, decorous; tactful, diplomatic; kind, benevolent, considerate, thoughtful, obliging, accommodating, indulgent, magnanimous; friendly, amiable, cordial, hospitable.
gracious colonial buildings
elegant, stylish, tasteful, graceful; comfortable, luxurious, sumptuous, opulent, grand, high-class; informal swanky, plush.
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God's gracious intervention
merciful, compassionate, kind; forgiving, lenient, clement, forbearing, humane, tender-hearted, sympathetic; indulgent, generous, magnanimous, benign, benevolent.
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ANTONYMS :rude, crude, cruel.

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gradation

noun
a gradation of ability
range, scale, spectrum, compass, span; progression, hierarchy, ladder, pecking order.
each pay band has a number of gradations
level, grade, rank, position, status, stage, standard, echelon, rung, step, notch; class, stratum, group, grouping, set.
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grade

noun
hotels within the same grade
category, set, class, classification, grouping, group, bracket.
his job is of the lowest grade
rank, level, echelon, standing, position, class, status, order; step, rung, stratum, tier.
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(N. Amer.) the best grades in the school
mark, score; assessment, evaluation, appraisal.
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(N. Amer.) the fifth grade
year, form, class.
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verb
eggs are graded by size
classify, class, categorize, bracket, sort, group, arrange, pigeonhole; rank, evaluate, rate, value.
(N. Amer.) the essays have been graded
assess, mark, score, judge, evaluate, appraise.
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the colours grade into one another
pass, shade, merge, blend.
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make the grade (informal)
come up to standard, come up to scratch, qualify, pass, pass muster, measure up; succeed, win through; informal be up to snuff, cut it, cut the mustard.

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gradient

noun
a steep gradient
slope, incline, hill, rise, ramp, bank; acclivity, declivity; N. Amer. grade.
the gradient of the line
steepness, angle, slant, slope, inclination.
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gradual

adjective
a gradual transition
slow, measured, unhurried, cautious; piecemeal, step-by-step, little-by-little, bit-by-bit; progressive, continuous, systematic, steady.
a gradual slope
gentle, moderate, slight, easy.
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ANTONYMS :abrupt, steep.

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gradually

adverb
slowly, slowly but surely, cautiously, gently, gingerly; piecemeal, little by little, bit by bit, inch by inch, by degrees; progressively, systematically; regularly, steadily.

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graduate

verb
he wants to teach when he graduates
qualify, pass one's exams, get one's degree, complete one's studies.
she wants to graduate to serious drama
progress, advance, move up.
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a proposal to graduate income tax
rank, grade, order, group, classify, categorize.
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a thermometer graduated in Fahrenheit
calibrate, mark off, measure out, grade.
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graft 1

noun
grafts may die from lack of water
scion, cutting, shoot, offshoot, bud, sprout, sprig.
a skin graft
transplant, implant.
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verb
graft a bud onto the stem
affix, join, insert, splice.
tissue is grafted on to the cornea
transplant, implant.
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a mansion grafted on to a farmhouse
attach, add, join.
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graft 2 (Brit.informal)

noun
hard graft.
See work noun sense 1.
verb
they often graft for each other.
See work verb sense 1.

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graft 3

noun
sweeping measures to curb official graft
corruption, bribery, subornation, dishonesty, deceit, fraud, unlawful practices, illegal means; N. Amer. payola; informal palm-greasing, hush money, kickbacks, crookedness, sharp practices. ANTONYMS :honesty.

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grain

noun
the local farmers grow grain
cereal, cereal crops.
a grain of corn
kernel, seed, grist.
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grains of sand
granule, particle, speck, mote, mite; bit, piece; scrap, crumb, fragment, morsel.
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a grain of truth
trace, hint, tinge, suggestion, shadow; bit, soupçon; scintilla, ounce, iota, jot, whit, scrap, shred; informal smidgen, smidge, tad.
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the grain of the timber
texture, surface, finish; weave, pattern.
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grammar

noun
syntax, rules of language, morphology; linguistics.

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grammatical

adjective
the grammatical structure of a sentence
syntactic, morphological; linguistic.
a grammatical sentence
well formed, correct, proper; acceptable, allowable.
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grand

adjective
a grand hotel
magnificent, imposing, impressive, awe-inspiring, splendid, resplendent, majestic, monumental; palatial, stately, large; luxurious, sumptuous, lavish, opulent; Brit. upmarket; N. Amer. upscale; informal fancy, posh, plush, classy, swanky; Brit. informal swish.
a grand scheme
ambitious, bold, epic, big, extravagant.
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a grand old lady
august, distinguished, illustrious, eminent, esteemed, honoured, venerable, dignified, respectable; pre-eminent, prominent, notable, renowned, celebrated, famous; aristocratic, noble, regal, blue-blooded, high-born, patrician; informal upper-crust; Brit. informal posh, upmarket.
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a grand total of £2,000
complete, comprehensive, all-inclusive, inclusive; final.
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the grand staircase
main, principal, central, prime; biggest, largest.
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(informal) you're doing a grand job
excellent, very good, marvellous, splendid, first-class, first-rate, wonderful, outstanding, sterling, fine; informal superb, terrific, great, super, ace; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill.
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ANTONYMS :inferior, humble, minor, poor.

noun
(informal) a cheque for ten grand
thousand pounds/dollars; informal thou, K; N. Amer. informal G, gee.

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grandeur

noun
splendour, magnificence, impressiveness, glory, resplendence, majesty, greatness; stateliness, pomp, ceremony.

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grandfather

noun
his grandfather lives here
informal grandad, grandpa, gramps, grampy, grandaddy.
the grandfather of modern liberalism
founder, inventor, originator, creator, initiator; father, founding father, pioneer.
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our Victorian grandfathers
forefather, forebear, ancestor, progenitor, antecedent.
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verb
(N. Amer. informal) some smokers have been grandfathered
exempt, excuse, free, exclude, grant immunity, spare, absolve; informal let off (the hook).

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grandiloquent

adjective
pompous, bombastic, magniloquent, pretentious, ostentatious, high-flown, orotund, florid, flowery; overwrought, overblown, overdone; informal highfalutin, purple. ANTONYMS :understated.

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grandiose

adjective
the court's grandiose facade
magnificent, impressive, grand, imposing, awe-inspiring, splendid, resplendent, majestic, glorious, elaborate; palatial, stately, luxurious, opulent; informal plush, swanky, flash.
a grandiose plan
ambitious, bold, overambitious, extravagant, high-flown, flamboyant; informal over the top, OTT.
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ANTONYMS :humble, modest.

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grandmother

noun
informal grandma, granny, gran, nan, nanna.

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grant

verb
he granted them leave of absence
allow, accord, permit, afford, vouchsafe.
he granted them £20,000
give, award, bestow on, confer on, present with, provide with, endow with, supply with.
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I grant that the difference is not absolute
admit, accept, concede, yield, allow, appreciate, recognize, acknowledge, confess; agree.
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ANTONYMS :refuse, deny.

noun
a grant from the council
endowment, subvention, award, donation, bursary, allowance, subsidy, contribution, handout, allocation, gift; scholarship.

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granular

adjective
powder, powdered, powdery, grainy, granulated, gritty.

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granulated

adjective
powdered, crushed, crumbed, ground, minced, grated, pulverized.

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granule

noun
grain, particle, fragment, bit, crumb, morsel, mote, speck.

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graph

noun
use graphs to analyse your data
chart, diagram; histogram, bar chart, pie chart, scatter diagram.
verb
we graphed the new prices
plot, trace, draw up, delineate.

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graphic

adjective
a graphic representation of language
visual, symbolic, pictorial, illustrative, diagrammatic; drawn, written.
a graphic account
vivid, explicit, expressive, detailed; uninhibited, powerful, colourful, rich, lurid, shocking; realistic, descriptive, illustrative; telling, effective.
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ANTONYMS :vague.

noun
(Computing) this printer's good enough for graphics
picture, illustration, image; diagram, graph, chart.

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grapple

verb
the policemen grappled with him
wrestle, struggle, tussle; brawl, fight, scuffle, battle.
he grappled his prey
seize, grab, catch (hold of), take hold of, grasp.
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she is grappling with the problems of exile
tackle, confront, face, deal with, cope with, get to grips with; apply oneself to, devote oneself to.
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grasp

verb
she grasped his hands
grip, clutch, clasp, hold, clench; catch, seize, grab, snatch, latch on to.
everybody grasped the important points
understand, comprehend, follow, take in, perceive, see, apprehend, assimilate, absorb; informal get, catch on to, figure out, get one's head around, take on board; Brit. informal twig, suss (out).
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he grasped the opportunity
take advantage of, act on; seize, leap at, snatch, jump at, pounce on.
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ANTONYMS :release, overlook.

noun
his grasp on her hand
grip, hold; clutch, clasp, clench.
his domineering mother's grasp
control, power, clutches, command, domination, rule, tyranny.
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a prize lay within their grasp
reach, scope, power, limits, range; sights.
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your grasp of history
understanding, comprehension, perception, apprehension, awareness, grip, knowledge; mastery, command.
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grasping

adjective
avaricious, acquisitive, greedy, rapacious, mercenary, materialistic; mean, miserly, parsimonious, niggardly, hoarding, selfish, possessive, close; informal tight-fisted, tight, stingy, money-grubbing; N. Amer. informal cheap, grabby.

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grass

noun
he sat down on the grass
turf, sod; lawn, green.
(informal) they smoked grass.
See cannabis.
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(Brit. informal) few clubs were without a grass
informer, mole, stool pigeon; informal snitch, snout, whistle-blower, rat; Brit. informal supergrass, nark; N. Amer. informal fink, stoolie.
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verb
the hill is completely grassed
grass over, turf.
(Brit. informal) he grassed on the robbers
inform, tell; give away, betray, sell out; informal split, blow the whistle, rat, peach, squeal, do the dirty, stitch up, sell down the river; Brit. informal shop; N. Amer. informal finger; Austral./NZ informal dob, pimp.
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grate

verb
she grated the cheese
shred, pulverize, mince, grind, granulate, crush, crumble.
her bones grated together
grind, rub, rasp, scrape, jar, grit, creak.
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the tune grates slightly
irritate, set someone's teeth on edge, jar; annoy, nettle, chafe, fret; informal aggravate, get on someone's nerves, get under someone's skin, get someone's goat.
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grateful

adjective
thankful, appreciative; indebted, obliged, obligated, in your debt, beholden.

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gratification

noun
satisfaction, fulfilment, indulgence, relief, appeasement; pleasure, enjoyment, relish.

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gratify

verb
it gratified him to be seen with her
please, gladden, make happy, delight, make someone feel good, satisfy; informal tickle pink, give someone a kick, buck up.
he gratified his desires
satisfy, fulfil, indulge, comply with, pander to, cater to, give in to, satiate, feed, accommodate.
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ANTONYMS :displease, frustrate.

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grating 1

adjective
the chair made a grating noise
scraping, scratching, grinding, rasping, jarring.
a grating voice
harsh, raucous, strident, piercing, shrill, screechy; discordant, cacophonous; hoarse, rough, gravelly.
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it's written in grating language
irritating, annoying, infuriating, irksome, maddening, displeasing, tiresome; jarring, discordant, inharmonious, unsuitable, inappropriate; informal aggravating.
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ANTONYMS :harmonious, pleasing, appropriate.

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grating 2

noun
a strong iron grating
grid, grate, grille, lattice, trellis, mesh.

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gratis

adverb
free (of charge), without charge, for nothing, at no cost, gratuitously; informal on the house, for free.

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gratitude

noun
gratefulness, thankfulness, thanks, appreciation, indebtedness; recognition, acknowledgement, credit.

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gratuitous

adjective
gratuitous violence
unjustified, uncalled for, unwarranted, unprovoked, undue; indefensible, unjustifiable; needless, unnecessary, inessential, unmerited, groundless, senseless, wanton, indiscriminate; excessive, immoderate, inordinate, inappropriate.
they offer gratuitous advice
free, gratis, complimentary, voluntary, unpaid; free of charge, for nothing; Law pro bono (publico); informal for free, on the house; Brit. informal buckshee.
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ANTONYMS :necessary, paid.

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gratuity

noun
(formal) tip, pourboire, baksheesh, gift, present, donation, reward, handout; bonus, extra; informal perk; formal perquisite.

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grave 1

noun
she left flowers at his grave
burying place, tomb, sepulchre, vault, burial chamber, mausoleum, crypt; last resting place.

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grave 2

adjective
a grave matter
serious, important, weighty, profound, significant, momentous; critical, acute, urgent, pressing; dire, terrible, awful, dreadful; formal exigent.
Jackie looked grave
solemn, serious, sober, unsmiling, grim, sombre; severe, stern, dour.
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ANTONYMS :trivial, cheerful.

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gravel

noun
shingle, grit, pebbles, stones.

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gravelly

adjective
a gravelly beach
shingly, pebbly, stony, gritty.
his gravelly voice
husky, gruff, throaty, deep, croaky, rasping, grating, harsh, rough.
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gravestone

noun
headstone, tombstone, stone, monument, memorial.

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graveyard

noun
cemetery, churchyard, burial ground, necropolis; informal boneyard; historical potter's field; archaic God's acre.

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gravitas

noun
dignity, seriousness, solemnity, gravity, sobriety. ANTONYMS :frivolity.

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gravitate

verb
move, head, drift, be drawn, be attracted; tend, lean, incline.

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gravity

noun
the gravity of the situation
seriousness, importance, significance, weight, consequence, magnitude; acuteness, urgency, exigence; awfulness, dreadfulness; formal moment.
the gravity of his demeanour
solemnity, seriousness, sombreness, sobriety, soberness, severity, grimness, humourlessness, dourness; gloominess.
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graze 1

verb
the deer grazed
feed, eat, crop, nibble, browse.

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graze 2

verb
he grazed his knuckles on the box
scrape, abrade, skin, scratch, chafe, bark, scuff, rasp; cut, nick.
his shot grazed the far post
touch, brush, shave, skim, kiss, scrape, clip, glance off.
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noun
grazes on the skin
scratch, scrape, abrasion, cut; Medicine trauma.

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grease

noun
guns packed in grease
oil, lubricant, lubricator, lubrication.
the kitchen was filmed with grease
fat, oil, cooking oil, animal fat; lard, suet.
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his hair was smothered with grease
gel, lotion, cream; trademark Brylcreem.
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verb
grease a baking dish
lubricate, oil, smear with oil.

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greasy

adjective
a greasy supper
fatty, oily, buttery, oleaginous; formal pinguid.
greasy hair
oily.
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the pitch was very greasy
slippery, slick, slimy, slithery, oily; informal slippy, skiddy.
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a greasy little man
ingratiating, obsequious, sycophantic, fawning, toadying, grovelling; effusive, gushing, gushy; unctuous, oily; informal smarmy, slimy, bootlicking, sucky.
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ANTONYMS :lean, dry.

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great

adjective
they showed great interest
considerable, substantial, significant, appreciable, special, serious; exceptional, extraordinary.
a great expanse of water
large, big, extensive, expansive, broad, wide, sizeable, ample; vast, immense, huge, enormous, massive; informal humongous, whopping; Brit. informal ginormous.
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a great big house
very, extremely, exceedingly, exceptionally, especially, really; informal dirty.
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you great fool!
absolute, total, utter, out-and-out, downright, thoroughgoing, complete; perfect, positive, prize, sheer, arrant, unqualified, consummate, veritable; informal thundering; Brit. informal right, proper.
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great writers
prominent, eminent, important, distinguished, illustrious, celebrated, honoured, acclaimed, admired, esteemed, revered, renowned, notable, famous, famed, well known; leading, top, major, principal, first-rate, matchless, peerless, star.
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the country is now a great power
powerful, dominant, influential, strong, potent, formidable, redoubtable; leading, important, foremost, major, chief, principal.
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a great castle
magnificent, imposing, impressive, awe-inspiring, grand, splendid, majestic, sumptuous, resplendent.
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a great sportsman
expert, skilful, skilled, adept, accomplished, talented, fine, masterly, master, brilliant, virtuoso, marvellous, outstanding, first class, superb; informal crack, ace, A1, class.
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a great fan of rugby
enthusiastic, eager, keen, zealous, devoted, ardent, fanatical, passionate, dedicated, committed.
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we had a great time
enjoyable, delightful, lovely, pleasant, congenial; exciting, thrilling; excellent, marvellous, wonderful, fine, splendid, very good; informal terrific, fantastic, fabulous, fab, super, grand, cool; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill; Austral./NZ informal bonzer, beaut; Brit. informal, dated spiffing; N. Amer. informa l, dated swell.
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ANTONYMS :little, small, minor, modest, poor, unenthusiastic, bad.

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greatly

adverb
very much, considerably, substantially, appreciably, significantly, markedly, sizeably, seriously, materially, profoundly; enormously, vastly, immensely, tremendously, mightily, abundantly, extremely, exceedingly; informal plenty, majorly. ANTONYMS :slightly.

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greatness

noun
a woman destined for greatness
eminence, distinction, illustriousness, repute, high standing; importance, significance; celebrity, fame, prominence, renown.
his greatness as a writer
brilliance, genius, prowess, talent, expertise, mastery, artistry, virtuosity, skill, proficiency; flair, finesse; calibre, distinction.
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greed greediness

noun
human greed
avarice, cupidity, acquisitiveness, covetousness, rapacity; materialism, mercenariness, Mammonism; informal money-grubbing, money-grabbing.
her mouth watered with greed
gluttony, hunger, voracity, insatiability; gourmandism, intemperance, overeating, self-indulgence; informal piggishness.
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their greed for power
desire, appetite, hunger, thirst, craving, longing, yearning, hankering; avidity, eagerness; informal yen, itch.
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ANTONYMS :generosity, temperance, indifference.

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greedy

adjective
a greedy eater
gluttonous, ravenous, voracious, intemperate, self-indulgent, insatiable, wolfish; informal piggish, piggy.
a greedy millionaire
avaricious, acquisitive, covetous, grasping, materialistic, mercenary, possessive; informal money-grubbing, money-grabbing; N. Amer. informal grabby.
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she is greedy for a title
eager, avid, hungry, craving, longing, yearning, hankering; impatient, anxious; informal dying, itching, gagging.
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green

adjective
a green scarf
viridescent; olive green, pea green, emerald green, lime green, bottle green, Lincoln green, sea green, eau de Nil; poetic/literary virescent, glaucous.
a green island
verdant, grassy, leafy, verdurous.
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he promotes Green issues
environmental, ecological, conservation, eco-.
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a green alternative to diesel
environmentally friendly, non-polluting; ozone-friendly.
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green bananas
unripe, immature.
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green timber
unseasoned, not aged, unfinished; pliable, supple.
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green bacon
raw, fresh, unsmoked, uncured.
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the new lieutenant was very green
inexperienced, unversed, callow, immature; new, raw, unseasoned, untried; inexpert, untrained, unqualified, ignorant; simple, unsophisticated, unpolished; naive, innocent, ingenuous, credulous, gullible, unworldly; informal wet behind the ears, born yesterday.
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he went green
pale, wan, pallid, ashen, ashen-faced, pasty, pasty-faced, grey, whitish, washed out, whey-faced, waxen, waxy, blanched, drained, pinched, sallow; sickly, nauseous, ill, sick, unhealthy.
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ANTONYMS :barren, dry, cured, experienced, ruddy.

noun
a canopy of green over the road
foliage, greenery, plants, leaves, leafage, vegetation.
a village green
lawn, common, grassy area, sward.
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they had roast beef and greens
vegetables, leaf vegetables; informal veg, veggies.
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Greens are against multinationals
environmentalist, conservationist, preservationist, nature-lover, eco-activist.
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greenery

noun
foliage, vegetation, plants, green, leaves, leafage, undergrowth, plant life, flora, herbage, verdure.

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greenhorn

noun
(N. Amer. informal). See novice sense 1.

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greenhouse

noun
hothouse, glasshouse, conservatory.

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greet

verb
she greeted Hank cheerily
say hello to, address, salute, hail, halloo; welcome, meet, receive.
the decision was greeted with outrage
receive, acknowledge, respond to, react to, take.
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greeting

noun
he shouted a greeting
hello, salute, salutation, address; welcome; acknowledgement.
birthday greetings
best wishes, good wishes, congratulations, felicitations; compliments, regards, respects.
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ANTONYMS :farewell.

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gregarious

adjective
he was fun-loving and gregarious
sociable, company-loving, convivial, companionable, outgoing, friendly, affable, amiable, genial, warm, comradely, clubbable; Scottish couthy; informal chummy, pally; Brit. informal matey.
gregarious fish
social, living in groups.
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ANTONYMS :unsociable.

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grey

adjective
a grey suit
silvery, silver-grey, gunmetal, slate, charcoal, smoky.
his grey hair
white, silver, hoary.
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a grey day
cloudy, overcast, dull, sunless, gloomy, dreary, dismal, sombre, bleak, murky.
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her face looked grey
ashen, wan, pale, pasty, pallid, colourless, bloodless, white, waxen; sickly, peaky, drained, drawn, deathly.
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the grey daily routine
characterless, colourless, nondescript, unremarkable, insipid, jejune, flat, bland, dry, stale; dull, uninteresting, boring, tedious, monotonous.
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a grey area
ambiguous, doubtful, unclear, uncertain, indefinite, open to question, debatable.
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the grey economy
unofficial, informal, irregular, back-door.
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ANTONYMS :sunny, ruddy, lively, certain.

verb
the population greyed
age, grow old, mature.

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grid

noun
a metal grid
grating, mesh, grille, gauze, lattice.
the grid of streets
network, matrix, reticulation.
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grief

noun
he was overcome with grief
sorrow, misery, sadness, anguish, pain, distress, heartache, heartbreak, agony, torment, affliction, suffering, woe, desolation, dejection, despair; mourning, mournfulness, bereavement, lamentation; poetic/literary dolour, dole.
(informal) the police gave me loads of grief
trouble, annoyance, bother, irritation, vexation, harassment; informal aggravation, aggro, hassle.
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ANTONYMS :joy.

come to grief
fail, meet with disaster, miscarry, go wrong, go awry, fall through, fall flat, founder, come to nothing, come to naught; informal come unstuck, come a cropper, flop, go phut; Brit. informal go pear-shaped.

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grief-stricken

adjective
sorrowful, sorrowing, miserable, sad, heartbroken, broken-hearted, anguished, pained, distressed, tormented, suffering, woeful, doleful, desolate, despairing, devastated, upset, inconsolable, wretched; mourning, grieving, mournful, bereaved, lamenting; poetic/literary dolorous, heartsick. ANTONYMS :joyful.

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grievance

noun
social and economic grievances
injustice, wrong, injury, ill, unfairness; affront, insult, indignity.
students voiced their grievances
complaint, criticism, objection, grumble, grouse; ill feeling, bad feeling, resentment, bitterness, pique; informal gripe, whinge, moan, grouch, niggle, beef, bone to pick.
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grieve

verb
she grieved for her father
mourn, lament, sorrow, be sorrowful; cry, sob, weep, shed tears, keen, weep and wail, beat one's breast.
it grieved me to leave her
sadden, upset, distress, pain, hurt, wound, break someone's heart, make someone's heart bleed.
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ANTONYMS :rejoice, please.

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grievous (formal)

adjective
his death was a grievous blow
serious, severe, grave, bad, critical, dreadful, terrible, awful, crushing, calamitous; painful, agonizing, traumatic, wounding, damaging, injurious; sharp, acute.
a grievous sin
heinous, grave, deplorable, shocking, appalling, atrocious, gross, dreadful, egregious, iniquitous.
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ANTONYMS :slight, trivial.

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grim

adjective
his grim expression
stern, forbidding, uninviting, unsmiling, dour, formidable, harsh, steely, flinty, stony; cross, churlish, crabbed, surly, sour, ill-tempered; fierce, ferocious, threatening, menacing, implacable, ruthless, merciless.
grim humour
black, dark, mirthless, bleak, cynical.
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the asylum holds some grim secrets
dreadful, dire, ghastly, horrible, horrendous, horrid, terrible, awful, appalling, frightful, shocking, unspeakable, grisly, gruesome, hideous, macabre; depressing, distressing, upsetting, worrying, unpleasant.
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a grim little hovel
bleak, dreary, dismal, dingy, wretched, miserable, depressing, cheerless, comfortless, joyless, gloomy, uninviting; informal God-awful.
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grim determination
resolute, determined, firm, decided, steadfast, dead set; obstinate, stubborn, obdurate, unyielding, intractable, uncompromising, unshakeable, unrelenting, relentless, dogged, tenacious.
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ANTONYMS :amiab le, pleasant.

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grimace

noun
his mouth twisted into a grimace
scowl, frown, sneer; face.
verb
Nina grimaced at Joe
scowl, frown, sneer, glower, lour; make a face, make faces, pull a face; Brit. girn. ANTONYMS :smile.

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grime

noun
her skirt was smeared with grime
dirt, smut, soot, dust, mud, filth, mire; informal muck, yuck, crud; Brit. informal grot, gunge.
verb
concrete grimed by diesel exhaust
blacken, dirty, stain, soil; poetic/literary begrime, besmirch.

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grimy

adjective
dirty, grubby, mucky, soiled, stained, smeared, filthy, smutty, sooty, dusty, muddy; informal yucky, cruddy; Brit. informal manky, grotty, gungy; Austral./NZ scungy; poetic/literary besmirched, begrimed. ANTONYMS :clean.

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grin

verb
he grinned at her
smile, smile broadly, beam, smile from ear to ear, grin like a Cheshire cat; smirk; informal be all smiles.
noun
a silly grin
smile, broad smile; smirk. ANTONYMS :frown, scowl.

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grind

verb
the sandstone is ground into powder
crush, pound, pulverize, mill, granulate, crumble, smash, press; technical triturate, comminute; archaic levigate, bray.
a knife being ground on a wheel
sharpen, whet, hone, file, strop; smooth, polish, sand, sandpaper.
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one tectonic plate grinds against another
rub, grate, scrape, rasp.
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noun
the daily grind
drudgery, toil, hard work, labour, donkey work, exertion, chores, slog; informal fag, sweat; poetic/literary travail.
grind away
labour, toil, work hard, slave (away), work one's fingers to the bone, work like a Trojan, work like a dog; informal slog, plug away, beaver away, work one's socks off; Brit. informal graft; poetic/literary travail; archaic drudge. grind someone down
oppress, crush, persecute, tyrannize, ill-treat, maltreat.

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grip

verb
she gripped the edge of the table
grasp, clutch, hold, clasp, take hold of, clench, grab, seize, cling to; squeeze, press.
Harry was gripped by a sneezing fit
afflict, affect, take over, beset, rack, convulse.
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we were gripped by the drama
engross, enthral, absorb, rivet, spellbind, hold spellbound, bewitch, fascinate, hold, mesmerize, enrapture; interest.
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ANTONYMS :release.

noun
a tight grip
grasp, hold.
the wheels lost their grip on the road
traction, purchase, friction, adhesion, resistance.
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he was in the grip of an obsession
control, power, hold, stranglehold, clutches, command, mastery, influence.
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I had a pretty good grip on the situation
understanding, comprehension, grasp, perception, awareness, apprehension, conception; formal cognizance.
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a leather grip
travelling bag, bag, holdall, overnight bag, flight bag, kitbag, Gladstone bag.
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come/get to grips with
deal with, cope with, handle, g rasp, grasp the nettle of, tackle, undertake, take on, grapple with, face, face up to, confront.

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gripe (informal)

verb
he's always griping about something
complain, grumble, grouse, protest, whine, bleat; informal moan, bellyache, beef, bitch, whinge; Brit. informal chunter; N. Amer. informal kvetch.
noun
employees' gripes
complaint, grumble, grouse, grievance, objection; cavil, quibble, niggle; informal moan, beef, whinge; N. Amer. informal kvetch.

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gripping

adjective
engrossing, enthralling, absorbing, riveting, captivating, spellbinding, bewitching, fascinating, compulsive, compelling, mesmerizing; thrilling, exciting, action-packed, dramatic, stimulating; informal unputdownable, page-turning. ANTONYMS :boring.

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grisly

adjective
gruesome, ghastly, frightful, horrid, horrifying, fearful, hideous, macabre, spine-chilling, horrible, horrendous, grim, awful, dire, dreadful, terrible, horrific, shocking, appalling, abominable, loathsome, abhorrent, odious, monstrous, unspeakable, disgusting, repulsive, repugnant, revolting, repellent, sickening; informal sick-making, gross; archaic disgustful.

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gristly

adjective
stringy, sinewy, fibrous; tough, leathery, chewy.

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grit

noun
the grit from the paths
gravel, pebbles, stones, shingle, sand; dust, dirt.
the true grit of a seasoned campaigner
courage, bravery, pluck, mettle, backbone, spirit, strength of character, strength of will, moral fibre, steel, nerve, fortitude, toughness, hardiness, resolve, resolution, determination, tenacity, perseverance, endurance; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle.
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verb
Gina gritted her teeth
clench, clamp together, shut tightly; grind, gnash.

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gritty

adjective
a gritty floor
sandy, gravelly, pebbly, stony; powdery, dusty.
a gritty performance
courageous, brave, plucky, mettlesome, stout-hearted, valiant, bold, spirited, intrepid, tough, determined, resolute, purposeful, dogged, tenacious; informal gutsy, spunky.
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grizzle

verb
(Brit. informal) cry, whimper, mewl, snivel, sob, wail; Scottish greet.

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grizzled

adjective
grey, greying, silver, silvery, snowy, white, salt-and-pepper; grey-haired, hoary.

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groan

verb
she groaned and rubbed her stomach
moan, whimper, cry, call out.
they were groaning about the management
complain, grumble, grouse; informal moan, niggle, beef, bellyache, bitch, whinge, gripe.
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the old wooden door groaned
creak, squeak; grate, rasp.
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noun
a groan of anguish
moan, cry, whimper.
their moans and groans
complaint, grumble, grouse, objection, protest, grievance; informal grouch, moan, beef, whinge; informal gripe.
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the groan of the elevator
creaking, creak, squeak, grating, grinding.
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groggy

adjective
dazed, muzzy, stupefied, in a stupor, befuddled, fuddled, disoriented, disorientated, dizzy, punch-drunk, shaky, unsteady, wobbly, weak, faint; informal dopey, woozy, not with it.

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groin

noun
crotch, crutch, genitals. inguinal.

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groom

verb
she groomed her pony
curry, brush, comb, clean, rub down.
his dark hair was carefully groomed
brush, comb, arrange, do; tidy, spruce up, smarten up, preen, primp; informal fix.
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they were groomed for stardom
prepare, prime, ready, condition, tailor; coach, train, instruct, drill, teach, school.
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noun
a groom took his horse
stable hand, stableman, stable lad, stable boy, stable girl; historical equerry.
the bride and groom
bridegroom; newly-married man, newly-wed.
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groove

noun
furrow, channel, trench, trough, canal, gouge, hollow, indentation, rut, gutter, cutting, cut, fissure; Carpentry rebate.

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grooved

adjective
furrowed, fluted, corrugated, ribbed, ridged.

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grope

verb
she groped for her glasses
fumble, scrabble, fish, ferret, rummage, feel, search, hunt; Brit. informal rootle.
(informal) one of the men started groping her
fondle, touch; informal paw, maul, feel up, touch up.
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gross

adjective
the man was pale and gross
obese, corpulent, overweight, fat, big, large, fleshy, flabby, portly, bloated; informal porky, pudgy, tubby, blubbery, roly-poly; Brit. informal podgy, fubsy.
men of gross natures
boorish, coarse, vulgar, loutish, oafish, thuggish, brutish, philistine, uncouth, crass, common, unrefined, unsophisticated, uncultured, uncultivated; informal cloddish; Brit. informal yobbish.
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(informal) the place smelled gross
disgusting, repellent, repulsive, abhorrent, loathsome, foul, nasty, obnoxious, sickening, nauseating, stomach-churning, unpalatable; N. Amer. vomitous; informal yucky, icky, sick-making, gut-churning; archaic disgustful.
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a gross distortion of the truth
flagrant, blatant, glaring, obvious, overt, naked, barefaced, shameless, brazen, audacious, brass-necked, undisguised, unconcealed, patent, transparent, manifest, palpable; out and out, utter, complete.
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their gross incom e
total, whole, entire, complete, full, overall, combined, aggregate; before deductions, before tax.
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ANTONYMS :slender, refined, pleasant, net.

verb
he grosses over a million dollars a month
earn, make, bring in, take, get, receive, collect; informal rake in.

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grotesque

adjective
a grotesque creature
malformed, deformed, misshapen, misproportioned, distorted, twisted, gnarled, mangled, mutilated; ugly, unsightly, monstrous, hideous, freakish, unnatural, abnormal, strange, odd, peculiar; informal weird, freaky.
grotesque mismanagement of funds
outrageous, monstrous, shocking, appalling, preposterous; ridiculous, ludicrous, farcical, unbelievable, incredible.
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ANTONYMS :normal.

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grotto

noun
cave, cavern, hollow; pothole, underground chamber.

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grouch

noun
(informal) an ill-mannered grouch
grumbler, complainer, moaner; informal grump, sourpuss, crosspatch, whinger; Brit. informal misery, bear with a sore head; N. Amer. informal sorehead, kvetch.
verb
(informal) there's not a lot to grouch about
grumble, complain, grouse, whine, bleat, carp, cavil; informal moan, whinge, gripe, beef, bellyache, bitch, sound off; Brit. informal chunter; N. Amer. informal kvetch.

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grouchy

adjective
grumpy, cross, irritable, bad-tempered, crotchety, crabby, crabbed, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, testy, tetchy, huffy, snappish, waspish, prickly; informal snappy; Brit. informal narky, ratty, like a bear with a sore head, whingy; N. Amer. informal cranky, soreheaded; informal, dated miffy.

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ground

noun
she collapsed on the ground
floor, earth, terra firma; flooring; informal deck.
the soggy ground
earth, soil, dirt, clay, loam, turf, clod, sod; land, terrain.
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the team's home ground
stadium, pitch, field, arena, track; N. Amer. bowl; Brit. informal park.
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the mansion's grounds
estate, gardens, lawns, park, parkland, land, acres, property, surroundings, holding, territory; archaic demesne.
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grounds for dismissal
reason, cause, basis, base, foundation, justification, rationale, argument, premise, occasion, excuse, pretext, motive, motivation.
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coffee grounds
sediment, precipitate, settlings, dregs, lees, deposit, residue; archaic grouts.
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verb
the boat grounded on a mud bank
run aground, run ashore, beach, land.
an assertion grounded on results of several studies
base, found, establish, root, build, construct, form.
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they were grounde d in classics and history
instruct, coach, teach, tutor, educate, school, train, drill, prime, prepare; familiarize with, acquaint with.
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groundless

adjective
baseless, without basis, without foundation, ill-founded, unfounded, unsupported, uncorroborated, unproven, empty, idle, unsubstantiated, unwarranted, unjustified, unjustifiable, without cause, without reason, without justification, unreasonable, irrational, illogical, misguided.

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groundwork

noun
preliminary work, preliminaries, preparations, spadework, legwork, donkey work; planning, arrangements, organization, homework; basics, essentials, fundamentals, underpinning, foundation.

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group

noun
the exhibits were divided into three distinct groups
category, class, classification, grouping, set, lot, batch, bracket, type, sort, kind, variety, family, species, genus, breed; grade, grading, rank, status.
a group of tourists
crowd, party, body, band, company, gathering, congregation, assembly, collection, cluster, flock, pack, troop, gang; informal bunch.
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a coup attempt by a group within the parliament
faction, division, section, clique, coterie, circle, set, ring, camp, bloc, caucus, cabal, fringe movement, splinter group.
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the women's group
association, club, society, league, guild, circle, union.
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a small group of trees
cluster, knot, collection, mass, clump.
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a local folk group
band, ensemble, act; informal line-up, combo, outfit.
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verb
patients were grouped according to their symptoms
categorize, classify, class, catalogue, sort, bracket, pigeonhole, grade, rate, rank.
wooden chairs were grouped round the table
place, arrange, assemble, organize, range, line up, dispose.
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the two parties grouped together
unite, join together/up, team up, join forces, get together, ally, form an alliance, affiliate, combine; collaborate, work together, pull together, cooperate.
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grouse

verb
she groused about the food
grumble, complain, protest, whine, bleat, carp, cavil, make a fuss; informal moan, bellyache, gripe, beef, bitch, grouch, whinge, sound off; Brit. informal chunter, create; N. Amer. informal kvetch.
noun
our biggest grouse was about the noise
grumble, complaint, grievance, objection, cavil, quibble; informal moan, beef, gripe, grouch.

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grove

noun
copse, wood, thicket, coppice; orchard, plantation; Brit. spinney; archaic hurst, holt.

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grovel

verb
George grovelled at his feet
prostrate oneself, lie, kneel, cringe.
she was not going to grovel to him
be obsequious, fawn on, kowtow, bow and scrape, toady, truckle, abase oneself, humble oneself; curry favour with, flatter, dance attendance on, make up to, play up to, ingratiate oneself with; informal crawl, creep, suck up to, lick someone's boots.
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grow

verb
the boys had grown
get bigger, get taller, get larger, increase in size.
sales and profits continue to grow
increase, swell, multiply, snowball, mushroom, balloon, build up, mount up, pile up; informal skyrocket.
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flowers grew among the rocks
sprout, germinate, shoot up, spring up, develop, bud, burst forth, bloom, flourish, thrive, run riot.
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he grew vegetables
cultivate, produce, propagate, raise, rear, nurture, tend; farm.
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the family business grew
expand, extend, develop, progress, make progress; flourish, thrive, burgeon, prosper, succeed, boom.
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the fable grew from an ancient Indian source
originate, stem, spring, arise, emerge, issue; develop, evolve.
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Leonora grew bored
become, get, turn, begin to feel.
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ANTONYMS :shrink, decline.

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growl

verb
snarl, bark, yap, bay.

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grown-up

noun
she wanted to be treated like a grown-up
adult, (grown) woman, (grown) man, mature woman, mature man. ANTONYMS :child.

adjective
she has two grown-up daughters
adult, mature, of age; fully grown, full-grown, fully developed.

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growth

noun
population growth
increase, expansion, augmentation, proliferation, multiplication, enlargement, mushrooming, snowballing, rise, escalation, build-up.
the growth of plants
development, maturation, growing, germination, sprouting; blooming.
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the marked growth of local enterprises
expansion, extension, development, progress, advance, advancement, headway, spread; rise, success, boom, upturn, upswing.
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a growth on his jaw
tumour, malignancy, cancer; lump, excrescence, outgrowth, swelling, nodule; cyst, polyp.
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ANTONYMS :decrease, decline.

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grub

noun
a small black grub
larva; maggot; caterpillar.
(informal) pub grub.
See food sense 1.
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verb
kids grubbing around in the dirt
dig, poke, scratch.
they grubbed up the old trees
dig up, unearth, uproot, root up/out, pull up/out, tear out.
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he began grubbing about in the bin
rummage, search, hunt, delve, dig, scrabble, ferret, root, rifle, fish, poke; Brit. informal rootle; Austral./NZ informal fossick through.
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grubby

adjective
dirty, grimy, filthy, mucky, unwashed, stained, soiled, smeared, spotted, muddy, dusty, sooty; unhygienic, insanitary; informal cruddy, yucky; Brit. informal manky, grotty, gungy; poetic/literary befouled, begrimed. ANTONYMS :clean.

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grudge

noun
a former employee with a grudge
grievance, resentment, bitterness, rancour, pique, umbrage, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement, bad feelings, hard feelings, ill feelings, ill will, animosity, antipathy, antagonism, enmity, animus; informal a chip on one's shoulder.
verb
he grudged the time that the meetings involved
begrudge, resent, feel aggrieved about, be resentful of, mind, object to, take exception to.
I don't grudge you your success
envy, begrudge, resent, be jealous of, be envious of, be resentful of.
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grudging

adjective
reluctant, unwilling, forced, half-hearted, unenthusiastic, hesitant; begrudging, resentful. ANTONYMS :eager.

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gruelling

adjective
exhausting, tiring, fatiguing, wearying, taxing, draining, debilitating; demanding, exacting, difficult, hard, arduous, strenuous, laborious, back-breaking, harsh, severe, stiff, punishing, crippling; informal killing, murderous, hellish; Brit. informal knackering.

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gruesome

adjective
grisly, ghastly, frightful, horrid, horrifying, hideous, horrible, horrendous, grim, awful, dire, dreadful, terrible, horrific, shocking, appalling, disgusting, repulsive, repugnant, revolting, repellent, sickening; loathsome, abhorrent, odious, monstrous, unspeakable; informal sick, sick-making, gross; archaic disgustful. ANTONYMS :pleasant.

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gruff

adjective
a gruff reply | his gruff exterior
abrupt, brusque, curt, short, blunt, bluff, no-nonsense; laconic, taciturn; surly, churlish, grumpy, crotchety, crabby, crabbed, cross, bad-tempered, short-tempered, ill-natured, crusty, tetchy, bearish, ungracious, unceremonious; informal grouchy.
a gruff voice
rough, guttural, throaty, gravelly, husky, croaking, rasping, raspy, growly, hoarse, harsh; low, thick.
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ANTONYMS :friendly, soft.

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grumble

verb
they grumbled about the disruption
complain, grouse, whine, mutter, bleat, carp, cavil, protest, make a fuss; informal moan, bellyache, beef, bitch, grouch, whinge, sound off; Brit. informal gripe, chunter, create; N. English informal mither; N. Amer. informal kvetch.
noun
his customers' grumbles
complaint, grouse, grievance, protest, cavil, quibble, criticism; informal grouch, moan, whinge, beef, bitch, gripe.

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grumpy

adjective
bad-tempered, crabby, ill-tempered, short-tempered, crotchety, tetchy, testy, crabbed, waspish, prickly, touchy, irritable, irascible, crusty, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, bearish, surly, ill-natured, churlish, ill-humoured, peevish, cross, fractious, disagreeable, pettish; informal grouchy, snappy, snappish; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, narky, ratty, eggy, like a bear with a sore head; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery, soreheaded; informal, dated miffy. ANTONYMS :good-humoured.

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guarantee

noun
all repairs have a one-year guarantee
warranty, warrant.
a guarantee that the hospital will stay open
promise, assurance, word (of honour), pledge, vow, oath, bond, commitment, covenant.
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banks usually demand a personal guarantee for loans
collateral, security, surety, guaranty, earnest.
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verb
he agreed to guarantee the loan
underwrite, put up collateral for.
can you guarantee he wasn't involved?
promise, swear, swear to the fact, pledge, vow, undertake, give one's word, give an assurance, give an undertaking, take an oath, cross one's heart (and hope to die); archaic plight.
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guard

verb
infantry guarded the barricaded bridge
protect, stand guard over, watch over, keep an eye on; cover, patrol, police, defend, shield, safeguard, keep safe, secure.
the prisoners were guarded by armed men
keep under surveillance, keep under guard, keep watch over, mind.
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forest wardens must guard against poachers
beware of, keep watch for, be alert to, keep an eye out for, be on the alert/lookout for.
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noun
border guards
sentry, sentinel, security guard, nightwatchman; protector, defender, guardian; lookout, watch; garrison; archaic watchman.
her prison guard
warder, warden, keeper; jailer; informal screw; archaic turnkey.
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he let his guard slip and they escaped
vigilance, vigil, watch, surveillance, watchfulness, caution, heed, attention, care, wariness.
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a metal guard
safety guard, safety device, protective device, shield, screen, fender; bumper, buffer.
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off (one's) guard
unprepared, unready, inattentive, unwary, with one's defences down, cold, unsuspecting; informal napping, asleep at the wheel, on the hop. on one's guard
vigilant, alert, on the alert, wary, watchful, cautious, careful, heedful, chary, circumspect, on the lookout, on the qui vive, on one's toes, prepared, ready, wideawake, attentive, observant, keeping one's eyes peeled; informal keeping a weather eye out.

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guarded

adjective
cautious, careful, circumspect, wary, chary, on one's guard, reluctant, non-committal, reticent, restrained, reserved; informal cagey.

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guardian

noun
protector, defender, preserver, custodian, warden, guard, keeper; conservator, curator, caretaker, steward, trustee. tutelary.

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guerrilla

noun
freedom fighter, irregular, member of the resistance, partisan; rebel, radical, revolutionary, revolutionist; terrorist.

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guess

verb
he guessed she was about 40
estimate, hazard a guess, reckon, gauge, judge, calculate; hypothesize, postulate, predict, speculate, conjecture, surmise; informal guesstimate.
(informal) I guess I owe you an apology
suppose, think, imagine, expect, suspect, dare say; informal reckon, figure.
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noun
my guess was right
hypothesis, theory, prediction, postulation, conjecture, surmise, estimate, belief, opinion, reckoning, judgement, supposition, speculation, suspicion, impression, feeling; informal guesstimate.

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guesswork

noun
guessing, conjecture, surmise, supposition, assumptions, presumptions, speculation, hypothesizing, theorizing, prediction; approximations, rough calculations; hunches; informal guesstimates.

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guest

noun
I have two guests coming to dinner
visitor, caller; company; archaic visitant.
hotel guests
resident, boarder, lodger, paying guest, PG; patron, client; N. Amer. roomer.
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ANTONYMS :host.

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guest house

noun
boarding house, bed and breakfast, B&B, hotel; pension, pensione.

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guff

noun
(informal). See nonsense sense 1.

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guffaw

verb
roar with laughter, laugh heartily/loudly, roar, bellow, cackle; informal laugh like a drain.

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guidance

noun
she looked to her father for guidance
advice, counsel, direction, instruction, enlightenment, information; recommendations, suggestions, tips, hints, pointers, guidelines.
work continued under the guidance of a project supervisor
direction, control, leadership, management, supervision, superintendence, charge; handling, conduct, running, overseeing.
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guide

noun
our guide took us back to the hotel
escort, attendant, courier, cicerone, dragoman; usher; chaperone.
he is my inspiration and my guide
adviser, mentor, counsellor; guru.
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the light acted as a guide for shipping
pointer, marker, indicator, signpost, mark, landmark; guiding light, sign, signal, beacon.
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the techniques outlined are meant as a guide
model, pattern, blueprint, template, example, exemplar; standard, touchstone, measure, benchmark, yardstick, gauge.
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a pocket guide of Paris
guidebook, travelogue, vade mecum; companion, handbook, directory, A to Z; informal bible.
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verb
he guided her to her seat
lead, lead the way, conduct, show, show someone the way, usher, shepherd, direct, steer, pilot, escort, accompany, attend; see, take, help, assist.
the chairman must guide the meeting
direct, steer, control, manage, command, lead, conduct, run, be in charge of, have control of, govern, preside over, superint end, supervise, oversee; handle, regulate.
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he was always there to guide me
advise, counsel, give advice to, direct, give direction to.
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guidebook

noun
guide, travel guide, travelogue, vade mecum; companion, handbook, directory, A to Z; informal bible.

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guideline

noun
recommendation, instruction, direction, suggestion, advice; regulation, rule, principle, guiding principle; standard, criterion, measure, gauge, yardstick, benchmark, touchstone; procedure, parameter.

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guild

noun
association, society, union, league, organization, company, cooperative, fellowship, club, order, lodge, brotherhood, fraternity, sisterhood, sorority.

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guile

noun
cunning, craftiness, craft, artfulness, art, artifice, wiliness, slyness, deviousness; wiles, ploys, schemes, stratagems, manoeuvres, subterfuges, tricks, ruses; deception, deceit, duplicity, underhandedness, double-dealing, trickery.ANTONYMS :honesty.

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guileless

adjective
artless, ingenuous, naive, open, genuine, natural, simple, childlike, innocent, unsophisticated, unworldly, unsuspicious, trustful, trusting; honest, truthful, sincere, straightforward. ANTONYMS :scheming.

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guilt

noun
the proof of his guilt
culpability, guiltiness, blameworthiness; wrongdoing, wrong, criminality, misconduct, sin.
a terrible feeling of guilt
self-reproach, self-condemnation, shame, a guilty conscience, pangs of conscience; remorse, remorsefulness, regret, contrition, contriteness, compunction.
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ANTONYMS :innocence.

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guiltless

adjective
innocent, blameless, not to blame, without fault, above reproach, above suspicion, in the clear, unimpeachable, irreproachable, faultless, sinless, spotless, immaculate, unsullied, uncorrupted, undefiled, untainted, unblemished, untarnished, impeccable; informal squeaky clean, whiter than white, as pure as the driven snow. ANTONYMS :guilty.

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guilty

adjective
the guilty party
culpable, to blame, at fault, in the wrong, blameworthy, responsible; erring, errant, delinquent, offending, sinful, criminal; archaic peccant.
I still feel guilty about it
ashamed, guilt-ridden, conscience-stricken, remorseful, sorry, contrite, repentant, penitent, regretful, rueful, abashed, shamefaced, sheepish, hangdog; in sackcloth and ashes.
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ANTONYMS :innocent, unrepentant.

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guise

noun
the god appeared in the guise of a swan
likeness, outward appearance, appearance, semblance, form, shape, image; disguise.
additional sums paid under the guise of consultancy fees
pretence, disguise, front, facade, cover, blind, screen, smokescreen.
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gulf

noun
our ship sailed into the gulf
inlet, bay, creek, bight, cove, fjord, estuary, sound, arm of the sea; Scottish firth, frith.
the ice gave way and a gulf widened slowly
hole, crevasse, fissure, cleft, split, rift, pit, cavity, chasm, abyss, void; ravine, gorge, canyon, gully.
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a growing gulf between rich and poor
divide, division, separation, gap, breach, rift, split, chasm, abyss; difference, contrast, polarity.
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gull

verb
hoodwink, fool, dupe, deceive, delude, hoax, trick, mislead, lead on, take in, swindle, cheat, double-cross; informal pull the wool over someone's eyes, pull a fast one on, put one over on, sell a pup to, bamboozle, con, do; N. Amer. informal sucker, snooker; Austral. informal pull a swifty on; poetic/literary cozen.

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gullet

noun
oesophagus, throat, maw, pharynx; crop, craw; archaic throttle, gorge.

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gullible

adjective
credulous, naive, over-trusting, over-trustful, easily deceived, easily taken in, exploitable, dupable, impressionable, unsuspecting, unsuspicious, unwary, ingenuous, innocent, inexperienced, unworldly, green; informal wet behind the ears, born yesterday. ANTONYMS :suspicious.

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gully

noun
a steep icy gully
ravine, canyon, gorge, pass, defile, couloir; S. English chine; N. English clough, gill; N. Amer. gulch, coulee.
water runs from the drainpipe into a gully
channel, conduit, trench, ditch, drain, culvert, cut, gutter.
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gulp

verb
she gulped her juice
swallow, quaff, swill down, down; informal swig, knock back.
he gulped down the rest of his meal
gobble, guzzle, devour, bolt, wolf, cram, stuff; informal put away, demolish, polish off, shovel down; Brit. informal scoff.
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Jenny gulped back her tears
choke back, fight back, hold back/in, suppress, stifle, smother.
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ANTONYMS :sip.

noun
a gulp of cold beer
mouthful, swallow, draught; informal swig.

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gum 1

noun
photographs stuck down with gum
glue, adhesive, fixative, paste, epoxy resin; N. Amer. mucilage.
verb
the receipts were gummed into a book
stick, glue, paste; fix, affix, attach, fasten.
gum something up
clog (up), choke (up), stop up, plug; obstruct; informal bung up; Brit. informal gunge up; technical occlude.

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gummy

adjective
sticky, tacky, gluey, adhesive, resinous, viscous, viscid, glutinous, mucilaginous; informal gooey.

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gumption

noun
(informal) initiative, resourcefulness, enterprise, ingenuity, imagination; astuteness, shrewdness, acumen, sense, common sense, wit, mother wit, native wit, practicality; spirit, backbone, pluck, mettle, nerve, courage; informal get-up-and-go, spunk, oomph, nous, savvy, horse sense; N. Amer. informal smarts.

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gun

noun
firearm, pistol, revolver, rifle, shotgun, automatic, handgun, machine gun; weapon; informal shooter; N. Amer. informal piece, shooting iron.

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gunfire

noun
gunshots, shots, shooting, firing, sniping; artillery fire, strafing, shelling.

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gunman

noun
armed robber, gangster, terrorist; sniper, gunfighter; assassin, murderer, killer; informal hit man, hired gun, gunslinger, mobster; N. Amer. informal shootist, hood.

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gurgle

verb
the water swirled and gurgled
babble, burble, tinkle, bubble, ripple, murmur, purl, splash; poetic/literary plash.
noun
the gurgle of a small brook
babbling, tinkling, bubbling, rippling, trickling, murmur, murmuring, purling, splashing; poetic/literary plashing.

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guru

noun
a Hindu guru and mystic
spiritual teacher, teacher, tutor, sage, mentor, spiritual leader, leader, master; Hinduism swami, Maharishi.
a management guru
expert, authority, pundit, leading light, master, specialist; informal whizz.
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ANTONYMS :disciple.

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gush

verb
water gushed through the weir
surge, burst, spout, spurt, jet, stream, rush, pour, spill, well out, cascade, flood; flow, run, issue; Brit. informal sloosh.
everyone gushed about the script
enthuse, rave, be enthusiastic, be effusive, rhapsodize, go into raptures, wax lyrical, praise to the skies; informal go mad/wild/crazy, go over the top; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo.
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noun
a gush of water
surge, stream, spurt, jet, spout, outpouring, outflow, burst, rush, cascade, flood, torrent; technical efflux.

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gushing gushy

adjective
effusive, enthusiastic, over-enthusiastic, unrestrained, extravagant, fulsome, lavish, rhapsodic, lyrical; informal over the top, OTT, laid on with a trowel. ANTONYMS :restrained.

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gust

noun
a sudden gust of wind
flurry, blast, puff, blow, rush; squall.
gusts of laughter
outburst, burst, eruption, fit, paroxysm; gale, peal, howl, hoot, shriek, roar.
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verb
wind gusted around the chimneys
blow, bluster, flurry, roar.

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gusto

noun
enthusiasm, relish, appetite, enjoyment, delight, glee, pleasure, satisfaction, appreciation, liking; zest, zeal, fervour, verve, keenness, avidity. ANTONYMS :apathy, distaste.

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gusty

adjective
blustery, windy, breezy; squally, stormy, tempestuous, wild, turbulent; informal blowy. ANTONYMS :calm.

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gut

noun
he had an ache in his gut
stomach, belly, abdomen, solar plexus; intestines, bowels; informal tummy, tum, insides, innards.
fish heads and guts
entrails; intestines, viscera; offal; informal insides, innards; Brit. archaic numbles.
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(informal) Nicola had the guts to say what she felt
courage, bravery, backbone, nerve, pluck, spirit, boldness, audacity, daring, grit, fearlessness, toughness, determination; informal spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie.
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visceral, enteric.
adjective
(informal) a gut feeling
instinctive, instinctual, intuitive, deep-seated; knee-jerk, automatic, involuntary, spontaneous, unthinking.
verb
clean, scale, and gut the sardines
remove the guts from, disembowel, draw; formal eviscerate.
the church was gutted by fire
devastate, destroy, demolish, wipe out, lay waste, ravage, consume, ruin, wreck.
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gutless

adjective
(informal). See cowardly.

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gutsy

adjective
(informal) brave, courageous, plucky, bold, daring, fearless, adventurous, audacious, valiant, intrepid, heroic, lionhearted, undaunted, unflinching, unshrinking, unafraid, dauntless, indomitable, doughty, stout-hearted; spirited, determined, resolute, death-or-glory; informal spunky, ballsy, have-a-go.

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gutter

noun
drain, sluice, sluiceway, culvert, spillway, sewer; channel, conduit, pipe; trough, trench, ditch, furrow, cut.

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guttersnipe

noun
(derogatory) urchin, ragamuffin, waif, stray; dated gamin; archaic mudlark, street Arab.

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guttural

adjective
throaty, husky, gruff, gravelly, growly, growling, croaky, croaking, harsh, rough, rasping, raspy; deep, low, thick.

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guy

noun
(informal) he's a handsome guy
man, fellow, gentleman; youth, boy; informal lad, fella, geezer, gent; Brit. informal chap, bloke; N. Amer. informal dude, hombre; Brit. informal, dated cove.
verb
she guyed him about his weight
make fun of, poke fun at, laugh at, mock, ridicule, jeer at, scoff at; satirize, lampoon; informal send up, take the mickey out of; N. Amer. informal goof on.

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guzzle

verb
he guzzled his burger
gobble, bolt, wolf, devour; informal tuck into, put away, pack away, demolish, polish off, stuff one's face with, pig oneself on, shovel down; Brit. informal scoff, shift; N. Amer. informal snarf down/up, scarf down/up.
she guzzled down the orange juice
gulp down, swallow, quaff, down, swill; informal knock back, swig, slug down.
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gypsy gipsy

noun
Romany, Rom, chal, gitano, gitana, tzigane; traveller, nomad, rover, roamer, wanderer; dialect didicoi; Brit. derogatory tinker.

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gyrate

verb
rotate, revolve, wheel, turn round, whirl, circle, pirouette, twirl, swirl, spin, swivel.

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H

habit

noun
it was his habit to go for a run every morning
custom, practice, routine, wont, pattern, convention, way, norm, tradition, matter of course, rule, usage.
her many irritating habits
mannerism, way, quirk, foible, trick, trait, idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, singularity, oddity, eccentricity, feature; tendency, propensity, inclination, bent, proclivity, disposition, predisposition.
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a scientific habit of mind
disposition, temperament, character, nature, make-up, constitution, frame of mind, bent.
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(informal) his cocaine habit
addiction, dependence, dependency, craving, fixation, compulsion, obsession, weakness; informal monkey on one's back; N. Amer. informal jones.
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a monk's habit
garments, dress, garb, clothes, clothing, attire, outfit, costume; informal gear; formal apparel.
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in the habit of
accustomed to, used to, given to, wont to, inclined to.

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habitable

adjective
fit to live in, inhabitable, fit to occupy, in good repair, liveable-in; formal tenantable.

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habitat

noun
natural environment, natural surroundings, home, domain, haunt; formal habitation.

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habitation

noun
a house fit for human habitation
occupancy, occupation, residence, residency, living in, tenancy; archaic inhabitancy.
(formal) his main habitation
residence, place of residence, house, home, seat, lodging place, billet, quarters, living quarters, rooms, accommodation; informal pad, digs; formal dwelling, dwelling place, abode, domicile.
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habitual

adjective
her father's habitual complaints
constant, persistent, continual, continuous, perpetual, non-stop, recurrent, repeated, frequent; interminable, incessant, ceaseless, endless, never-ending; informal eternal.
habitual drinkers
inveterate, confirmed, compulsive, obsessive, incorrigible, hardened, ingrained, dyed-in-the-wool, chronic, regular; addicted; informal pathological.
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his habitual secretiveness
customary, accustomed, regular, usual, normal, set, fixed, established, routine, common, ordinary, familiar, traditional, typical, general, characteristic, standard, time-honoured; poetic/literary wonted.
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ANTONYMS :occasional, unaccustomed.

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habituate

verb
accustom, make used, familiarize, adapt, adjust, attune, acclimatize, acculturate, condition; inure, harden; N. Amer. acclimate.

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habitué

noun
frequent visitor, regular visitor/customer/client, familiar face, regular, patron, frequenter, haunter.

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hack 1

verb
I hacked the padlock off
cut, chop, hew, lop, saw; slash.
hack it (informal)
cope, manage, get on/by, carry on, come through, muddle along/through; stand it, tolerate it, bear it, endure it, put up with it; informal handle it, abide it, stick it; Brit. informal be doing with it. hack someone off (informal). See annoy.

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hack 2

noun
a tabloid hack
journalist, reporter, newspaperman, newspaperwoman, writer, Grub Street writer; informal journo, scribbler, hackette; archaic penny-a-liner.
office hacks
drudge, menial, menial worker, factotum; informal dogsbody, gofer; Brit. informal skivvy.
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a riding-school hack
horse, pony; informal nag; N. Amer. informal plug; Austral./NZ informal moke.
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hackle

make someone's hackles rise
annoy, irritate, exasperate, anger, incense, infuriate, irk, nettle, vex, put out, provoke, gall, antagonize, get on someone's nerves, ruffle someone's feathers, rankle with; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal aggravate, peeve, needle, rile, make someone see red, make someone's blood boil, hack off, get someone's back up, get someone's goat, get up someone's nose, get someone's dander up, bug, miff; Brit. informal wind up, nark, get on someone's wick; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off, burn up; informal, dated give someone the pip.

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hackneyed

adjective
overused, overdone, overworked, worn out, time-worn, platitudinous, vapid, stale, tired, threadbare; trite, banal, hack, clichéd, hoary, commonplace, common, ordinary, stock, conventional, stereotyped, predictable; unimaginative, unoriginal, uninspired, prosaic, dull, boring, pedestrian, run-of-the-mill, routine; informal old hat, corny, played out. ANTONYMS :original.

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Hades

noun
. See hell sense 1.

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haft

noun
handle, shaft, hilt, butt, stock, grip, handgrip, helve, shank.

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hag

noun
crone, old woman, gorgon; informal witch, crow, cow, old bag, old boot; archaic beldam.

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haggard

adjective
drawn, tired, exhausted, drained, careworn, unwell, unhealthy, spent, washed out, rundown; gaunt, pinched, peaked, peaky, hollow-cheeked, hollow-eyed, thin, emaciated, wasted, cadaverous; pale, wan, grey, ashen. ANTONYMS :healthy.

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haggle

verb
barter, bargain, negotiate, dicker, quibble, wrangle; beat someone down, drive a hard bargain; archaic chaffer.

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hail 1

verb
a friend hailed him from the upper deck
call out to, shout to, halloo, address; greet, say hello to, salute.
he hailed a cab
flag down, wave down, signal to.
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critics hailed the film as a masterpiece
acclaim, praise, applaud, rave about, extol, eulogize, hymn, lionize, sing the praises of, make much of, glorify, cheer, salute, toast; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo; black English big up; formal laud.
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Rick hails from Australia
come from, be from, be a native of, have one's roots in.
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hail 2

noun
a hail of bullets
barrage, volley, shower, rain, torrent, burst, stream, storm, avalanche, onslaught; bombardment, cannonade, battery, blast, salvo; historical broadside.
verb
tons of dust hailed down on us
beat, shower, rain, fall, pour; pelt, pepper, batter, bombard, assail.

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hail-fellow-well-met

adjective
convivial, sociable, outgoing, gregarious, companionable, friendly, genial, affable, amiable, congenial, agreeable, good-humoured; extrovert, uninhibited; Scottish couthy; informal backslapping, chummy, pally, clubbable, clubby, buddy-buddy; Brit. informal matey. ANTONYMS :unsociable.

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hair

noun
her thick black hair
head of hair, shock of hair, mane, mop; locks, tresses, curls, ringlets.
I like your hair
hairstyle, haircut, cut, coiffure; informal hairdo, do, coif.
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a dog with short, blue-grey hair
fur, wool; coat, fleece, pelt; mane.
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tricho-.
a hair's breadth
the narrowest of margins, a narrow margin, the skin of one's teeth, a split second, a nose; informal a whisker. let one's hair down (informal)
enjoy oneself, have a good time, have fun, make merry, let oneself go; informal have a ball, whoop it up, paint the town red, live it up, have a whale of a time, let it all hang out. make someone's hair stand on end
horrify, shock, appal, scandalize, stun; make someone's blood run cold; informal make someone's hair curl. split hairs
quibble, cavil, carp, niggle, chop logic; informal nit-pick; archaic pettifog.

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hairdo

noun
(informal). See hairstyle.

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hairdresser

noun
hairstylist, stylist, coiffeur, coiffeuse; barber; informal crimper.

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hairless

adjective
bald, bald-headed; shaven, shaved, shorn, clean-shaven, beardless, smooth, smooth-faced, depilated; tonsured; informal baldy; technical glabrous; archaic bald-pated. ANTONYMS :hairy.

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hairpiece

noun
wig, toupee, periwig; merkin; informal rug.

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hair-raising

adjective
terrifying, frightening, petrifying, alarming, chilling, horrifying, shocking, spine-chilling, blood-curdling, fearsome, nightmarish; eerie, sinister, weird, ghostly, unearthly; Scottish eldritch; informal hairy, spooky, scary, creepy.

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hair-splitting

adjective
pedantic, pettifogging; quibbling, niggling, cavilling, carping, critical, overcritical, hypercritical; informal nit-picking, pernickety, picky; N. Amer. informal persnickety.

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hairstyle

noun
haircut, cut, style, hair, coiffure; informal hairdo, do, coif.

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hairy

adjective
animals with hairy coats
shaggy, bushy, long-haired; woolly, furry, fleecy, fuzzy; Botany & Zoology pilose.
his hairy face
bearded, bewhiskered, moustachioed; unshaven, stubbly, bristly; formal hirsute.
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(informal) a hairy situation
risky, dangerous, perilous, hazardous, touch-and-go; tricky, ticklish, difficult, awkward; informal dicey, sticky; Brit. informal dodgy.
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halcyon

adjective
happy, golden, idyllic, palmy, carefree, blissful, joyful, joyous, contented; flourishing, thriving, prosperous, successful; serene, calm, tranquil, peaceful.

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hale

adjective
healthy, fit, fighting fit, well, in good health, bursting with health, in fine fettle, as fit as a fiddle/flea; strong, robust, vigorous, hardy, sturdy, hearty, lusty, able-bodied; informal in the pink, as right as rain. ANTONYMS :unwell.

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half

adjective
a half grapefruit
halved, divided in two. ANTONYMS :whole.

adverb
half-cooked chicken
partially, partly, incompletely, inadequately, insufficiently; in part, part, slightly.
I'm half inclined to believe you
to a certain extent/degree, to some extent/degree, (up) to a point, in part, partly, in some measure.
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ANTONYMS :fully.

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half-baked

adjective
half-baked theories
ill-conceived, hare-brained, ill-judged, impractical, unrealistic, unworkable, ridiculous, absurd; informal crazy, crackpot, cock-eyed.
her half-baked young nephew
foolish, stupid, silly, idiotic, simple-minded, feeble-minded, empty-headed, feather-brained, feather-headed, brainless, witless, unintelligent, ignorant; informal dim, dopey, dumb, thick, half-witted, dim-witted, birdbrained; Brit. informal gormless, daft, divvy, dozy.
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ANTONYMS :sensible.

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half-hearted

adjective
unenthusiastic, cool, lukewarm, tepid, apathetic, indifferent, uninterested, unconcerned, languid, listless; perfunctory, cursory, superficial, desultory, feeble, lacklustre. ANTONYMS :enthusiastic.

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halfway

adjective
the halfway point
midway, middle, mid, central, centre, intermediate; Anatomy medial, mesial.
adverb
he stopped halfway down the passage
midway, in the middle, in the centre; part of the way, part-way.
he seemed halfway friendly
to some extent/degree, in some measure, relatively, comparatively, moderately, somewhat, (up) to a point; just about, almost, nearly.
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meet someone halfway
compromise, come to terms, reach an agreement, make a deal, make concessions, find the middle ground, strike a balance; give and take.

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halfwit

noun
(informal). See fool noun sense 1.

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half-witted

adjective
(informal). See stupid senses 1, 2.

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hall

noun
hang your coat in the hall
entrance hall, hallway, entry, entrance, lobby, foyer, vestibule; atrium, concourse; passageway, passage, corridor; N. Amer. entryway.
the village hall
assembly room, meeting room, chamber; auditorium, concert hall, theatre.
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hallmark

noun
the hallmark on silver
assay mark, official mark, stamp of authenticity.
the tiny bubbles are the hallmark of fine champagnes
mark, distinctive feature, characteristic, sign, sure sign, telltale sign, badge, stamp, trademark, indication, indicator.
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halloo

verb
call out, shout, cry out, yell, bawl, bellow, roar, whoop; hail, greet; informal holler, yoo-hoo, cooee.

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hallowed

adjective
holy, sacred, consecrated, sanctified, blessed; revered, venerated, honoured, sacrosanct, worshipped, divine, inviolable.

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hallucinate

verb
have hallucinations, see things, be delirious, fantasize; informal trip, see pink elephants.

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hallucination

noun
delusion, illusion, figment of the imagination, vision, apparition, mirage, chimera, fantasy; (hallucinations) delirium, phantasmagoria; informal trip, pink elephants.

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halo

noun
ring of light, nimbus, aureole, glory, crown of light, corona; technical halation; rare gloriole.

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halt

verb
Len halted and turned round
stop, come to a halt, come to a stop, come to a standstill; pull up, draw up.
a further strike has halted production
stop, bring to a stop, put a stop to, bring to an end, put an end to, terminate, end, wind up; suspend, break off, arrest; impede, check, curb, stem, staunch, block, stall, hold back; informal pull the plug on, put the kibosh on.
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ANTONYMS :start, continue.

noun
the car drew to a halt
stop, standstill.
a halt in production
stoppage, stopping, discontinuation, break, suspension, pause, interval, interruption, hiatus; cessation, termination, close, end.
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halter

noun
harness, head collar, bridle; N. Amer. headstall.

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halting

adjective
a halting conversation | halting English
hesitant, faltering, hesitating, stumbling, stammering, stuttering; broken, imperfect.
his halting gait
unsteady, awkward, faltering, stumbling, limping, hobbling.
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ANTONYMS :fluent.

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ham-fisted

adjective
clumsy, bungling, incompetent, amateurish, inept, unskilful, inexpert, maladroit, gauche, awkward, inefficient, bumbling, useless; informal cack-handed, ham-handed; Brit. informal all fingers and thumbs. ANTONYMS :expert.

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hammer

noun
a hammer and chisel
mallet, beetle, gavel, sledgehammer.
verb
the alloy is hammered into a circular shape
beat, forge, shape, form, mould, fashion, make.
Sally hammered at the door
batter, pummel, beat, bang, pound; strike, hit, knock on, thump on; cudgel, bludgeon, club; informal bash, wallop, clobber, whack, thwack.
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they hammered away at their non-smoking campaign
work hard, labour, slog away, plod away, grind away, slave away, work like a Trojan, work like a dog, keep one's nose to the grindstone; persist with, persevere with, press on with; informal stick at, peg away, beaver away, plug away, work one's socks off, soldier on; Brit. informal graft away.
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anti-racism had been hammered into her
drum, instil, inculcate, knock, drive, din; drive home to, impress upon; ingrain.
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(informal) he got hammered for an honest mistake.
See chastise sense 1.
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(informal) we've hammered them twice this season.
See trounce.
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hammer something out
thrash out, work out, agree on, sort out, decide on, bring about, effect, produce, broker, negotiate, reach an agreement on.

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hamper 1

noun
a picnic hamper
basket, pannier, wickerwork basket; box, container, holder.

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hamper 2

verb
the search was hampered by fog
hinder, obstruct, impede, inhibit, retard, baulk, thwart, foil, curb, delay, set back, slow down, hold up, interfere with; restrict, constrain, trammel, block, check, curtail, frustrate, cramp, bridle, handicap, cripple, hamstring, shackle, fetter; informal stymie; Brit. informal throw a spanner in the works of; N. Amer. informal bork, throw a monkey wrench in the works of. ANTONYMS :help.

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hamstring

verb
cattle were killed or hamstrung
cripple, lame, disable, incapacitate.
manufacturing companies were hamstrung by the economic chaos
handicap, constrain, restrict, cripple, shackle, fetter, encumber, block, frustrate; hamper, hinder, obstruct, impede, trammel, inhibit, baulk, thwart, foil; informal stymie; N. Amer. informal bork.
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ANTONYMS :help.

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hand

noun
big, strong hands
palm, fist; informal paw, mitt, duke, hook, meat hook; Zoology manus.
the clock's second hand
pointer, indicator, needle, arrow, marker.
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the frontier posts remained in government hands
control, power, charge, authority; command, responsibility, guardianship, management, care, supervision, jurisdiction; possession, keeping, custody; clutches, grasp, thrall; disposal; informal say-so.
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let me give you a hand
help, a helping hand, assistance, aid, support, succour, relief; a good turn, a favour.
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(informal) his fans gave him a big hand
round of applause, clap, handclap, ovation, standing ovation; applause, handclapping.
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a document written in his own hand
handwriting, writing, script, calligraphy.
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a factory hand
worker, factory worker, manual worker, unskilled worker, blue-collar worker, workman, labourer, operative, hired hand, roustabout; N. Amer. peon; Austral./NZ rouseabout.
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manual.
verb
he handed each man a glass
pass, give, reach, let someone have, throw, toss; present to; informal chuck, bung.
he handed him into a carriage
assist, help, give someone a hand; guide.
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at hand
keep the manual close at hand
readily available, available, handy, to hand, within reach, accessible, close (by), near, nearby, at the ready, at one's fingertips, at one's disposal, convenient; informal get-at-able.

the time for starting the campaign is at hand
imminent, approaching, coming, about to happen, on the horizon; impending.
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hand something down
pass on, pass down; bequeath, will, leave, make over, give, gift, transfer; Law demise, devise. hand in glove
in close collaboration, in close association, in close cooperation, very closely, in partnership, in league, in collusion; informal in cahoots. hand something on
give, pass, hand, transfer, grant, cede, surrender, relinquish, yield; part with, let go of; bequeath, will, leave. hand something out
distribute, hand round, give out/round, pass out/round, share out, dole out, dish out, deal out, mete out, issue, dispense; allocate, allot, apportion, disburse; circulate, disseminate. hand something over
yield, give, give up, pass, grant, entrust, surrender, relinquish, cede, turn over, deliver up, forfeit, sacrifice. hands down
easily, effortlessly, with ease, with no trouble, without effort; informal by a mile, no sweat. to hand
readily available, available, handy, at hand, within reach, accessible, ready, close (by), near, nearby, at the ready, at one's fingertips, at one's disposal, convenient; informal get-at-able. try one's hand
have a go, make an attempt, have a shot; attempt, try, try out, give something a try; informal have a stab, have a bash, give something a whirl; formal essay.

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handbag

noun
bag, shoulder bag, clutch bag, evening bag, pochette; N. Amer. purse, pocketbook; historical reticule.

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handbill

noun
notice, advertisement, flyer, leaflet, circular, handout, pamphlet, brochure; N. Amer. dodger; informal ad; Brit. informal advert.

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handbook

noun
manual, instructions, instruction manual, ABC, A to Z; almanac, companion, directory, compendium; guide, guidebook, vade mecum.

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handcuff

verb
manacle, shackle, fetter; restrain, clap/put someone in irons; informal cuff.

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handcuffs

plural noun
manacles, shackles, irons, fetters, bonds, restraints; informal cuffs, bracelets; archaic darbies, gyves.

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handful

noun
a handful of British firms
a few, a small number, a small amount, a small quantity, one or two, some, not many, a scattering, a trickle.
(informal) the child is a real handful
nuisance, problem, bother, irritant, thorn in someone's flesh/side; informal pest, headache, pain, pain in the neck/backside; Scottish informal nyaff, skelf; N. Amer. informal pain in the butt.
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handgun

noun
pistol, revolver, gun, side arm, six-shooter, thirty-eight, derringer; N. Amer. informal piece, shooting iron, Saturday night special, rod; trademark Colt.

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handicap

noun
a visual handicap
disability, physical/mental abnormality, defect, impairment, affliction, deficiency.
a handicap to the competitiveness of the industry
impediment, hindrance, obstacle, barrier, bar, obstruction, encumbrance, constraint, restriction, check, block, curb; disadvantage, drawback, stumbling block, difficulty, shortcoming, limitation; ball and chain, albatross, millstone round someone's neck; poetic/literary trammel.
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ANTONYMS :benefit, advantage.

verb
lack of funding handicapped the research
hamper, impede, hinder, impair, hamstring; restrict, check, obstruct, block, curb, bridle, hold back, constrain, trammel, limit, encumber; informal stymie; N. Amer. informal bork. ANTONYMS :help.

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handicapped

adjective
disabled, incapacitated, disadvantaged; infirm, invalid; euphemistic physically challenged, differently abled.

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handicraft

noun
craft, handiwork, craftwork; craftsmanship, workmanship, artisanship, art, skill.

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handiwork

noun
jewellery which is the handiwork of Chinese smiths
creation, product, work, achievement; handicraft, craft, craftwork.

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handkerchief

noun
pocket handkerchief, tissue, paper handkerchief; trademark Kleenex; informal hanky, nose rag, snot rag; poetic/literary kerchief.

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handle

verb
the equipment must be handled with care
hold, pick up, grasp, grip, lift; feel, touch, finger; informal paw.
a car which is easy to handle
control, drive, steer, operate, manoeuvre, manipulate.
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she handled the job formidably
deal with, manage, tackle, take care of, take charge of, attend to, see to, sort out, apply oneself to, take in hand.
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the advertising company that is handling the account
administer, manage, control, conduct, direct, guide, supervise, oversee, be in charge of, take care of, look after.
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the traders handled goods manufactured in the Rhineland
trade in, deal in, buy, sell, supply, peddle, traffic in, purvey, hawk, tout, market.
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noun
the knife's handle
haft, shank, stock, shaft, grip, handgrip, hilt, helve, butt; knob.

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hand-me-down

adjective
second-hand, used, nearly new, handed-down, passed-on, cast-off, worn, old, pre-owned; Brit. informal reach-me-down. ANTONYMS :new.

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handout

noun
she existed on handouts
charity, aid, benefit, financial support, donations, subsidies; historical alms.
a xeroxed handout
leaflet, pamphlet, brochure; handbill, flyer, notice, circular, mailshot.
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hand-picked

adjective
specially chosen, selected, invited; select, elite; choice.

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handsome

adjective
a handsome man
good-looking, attractive, personable, striking; informal hunky, dishy, tasty, fanciable; Brit. informal fit; N. Amer. informal cute; Austral./NZ informal spunky.
a handsome woman of 30
striking, imposing, prepossessing, elegant, stately, dignified, statuesque, good-looking, attractive, personable.
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a handsome profit
substantial, considerable, sizeable, princely, large, big, ample, bumper; informal tidy, whopping, not to be sneezed at; Brit. informal whacking, ginormous.
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ANTONYMS :ugly, meagre.

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handwriting

noun
writing, script, hand, pen; penmanship, calligraphy, chirography; informal scrawl, scribble.

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handy

adjective
a handy reference tool
useful, convenient, practical, easy-to-use, well-designed, user-friendly, user-oriented, helpful, functional, serviceable.
keep your credit card handy
readily available, available, at hand, to hand, near at hand, within reach, accessible, ready, close (by), near, nearby, at the ready, at one's fingertips; informal get-at-able.
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he's handy with a needle
skilful, skilled, dexterous, deft, nimble-fingered, adroit, able, adept, proficient, capable; good with one's hands; informal nifty.
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ANTONYMS :inconvenient, inept.

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handyman

noun
odd-job man, odd-jobber, factotum, jack of all trades, man of all work; DIY'er; informal Mr Fixit.

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hang

verb
lights hung from the trees
be suspended, hang down, be pendent, dangle, swing, sway; archaic depend.
hang your pictures at eye level
put up, fix, attach, affix, fasten, post, display, suspend, pin up, nail up.
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the room was hung with streamers
decorate, adorn, drape, festoon, deck out, trick out, bedeck, array, garland, swathe, cover, ornament; poetic/literary bedizen.
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he was hanged for murder
hang by the neck, send to the gallows; informal string up.
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a pall of smoke hung over the city
hover, float, drift, be suspended.
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the threat of budget cuts is hanging over us
be imminent, threaten, be close, be impending, impend, loom, be on the horizon.
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hang about (Brit. informal). See hang around. hang around/round (informal)
they spent their time hanging around in bars
loiter, linger, wait around, waste time, kill time, mark time, while away the/one's time, kick/cool one's heels, twiddle one's thumbs; frequent, be a regular visitor to, haunt; informal hang out in.

hang about, what's this?
See hang on sense 4.
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she's hanging around with a bunch of hippies
associate, mix, keep company, socialize, fraternize, consort, rub shoulders; N. Amer. rub elbows; informal hang out, run around, knock about/around, be thick, hobnob.
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hang fire
delay, hang back, hold back, hold on, stall, pause; procrastinate, vacillate, adopt Fabian tactics; informal hang about/around, sit tight, hold one's horses. hang on
he hung on to her coat
hold on, hold fast, grip, clutch, grasp, hold tightly, cling.

her future hung on his decision
depend on, be dependent on, turn on, hinge on, rest on, be contingent on, be determined by, be decided by.
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I'll hang on as long as I can
persevere, hold out, hold on, go on, carry on, keep on, keep going, keep at it, continue, persist, stay with it, struggle on, plod on, plough on; informal soldier on, stick at it, stick it out, hang in there.
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(informal) hang on, let me think
wait, wait a minute, hold on, stop; hold the line; informal hold your horses, sit tight; Brit. informal hang about.
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hangdog

adjective
shamefaced, sheepish, abashed, ashamed, guilty-looking, abject, cowed, dejected, downcast, crestfallen, woebegone, disconsolate. ANTONYMS :unabashed.

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hanger-on

noun
follower, flunkey, toady, camp follower, sycophant, parasite, leech; henchman, minion, lackey, vassal, dependant, retainer; acolyte; N. Amer. cohort; informal groupie, sponger, freeloader, passenger, sidekick.

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hanging

noun
silk wall hangings
drape, curtain; drapery.
adjective
hanging fronds of honeysuckle
pendent, dangling, trailing, tumbling; suspended.

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hang-out

noun
haunt, stamping ground, favourite spot, meeting place, territory; den, refuge, retreat; N. Amer. stomping ground.

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hang-up

noun
neurosis, phobia, preoccupation, fixation, obsession, idée fixe; inhibition, mental block, psychological block, block, difficulty; informal complex, thing, bee in one's bonnet.

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hank

noun
coil, skein, length, roll, loop, twist, piece; lock, ringlet, curl.

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hanker

verb
yearn, long, crave, desire, wish, want, hunger, thirst, lust, ache, pant, be eager, be desperate, be eating one's heart out; fancy, pine for, have one's heart set on; informal be dying, have a yen, itch.

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hankering

noun
longing, yearning, craving, desire, wish, hunger, thirst, urge, ache, lust, appetite, fancy; informal yen, itch; archaic appetency. ANTONYMS :aversion.

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hanky-panky

noun
(informal) goings-on, funny business, mischief, misbehaviour, misconduct, chicanery, dishonesty, deception, deceit, trickery, intrigue, skulduggery, subterfuge, machinations; infidelity, unfaithfulness, adultery; informal monkey business, shenanigans, carryings-on; Brit. informal jiggery-pokery.

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haphazard

adjective
random, unplanned, unsystematic, unmethodical, disorganized, disorderly, irregular, indiscriminate, chaotic, hit-and-miss, arbitrary, aimless, careless, casual, slapdash, slipshod; chance, accidental; informal higgledy-piggledy. ANTONYMS :methodical.

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hapless

adjective
unfortunate, unlucky, luckless, out of luck, ill-starred, ill-fated, jinxed, cursed, doomed; unhappy, forlorn, wretched, miserable, woebegone; informal down on one's luck; poetic/literary star-crossed. ANTONYMS :lucky.

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happen

verb
remember what happened last time he was here
occur, take place, come about; ensue, result, transpire, materialize, arise, crop up, come up, present itself, supervene; N. Amer. informal go down; formal eventuate; poetic/literary come to pass, betide; archaic hap.
I wonder what happened to Susie?
become of; poetic/literary befall, betide.
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they happened to be in London
chance, have the good/bad luck.
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he happened on a linnet's nest
discover, find, find by chance, come across, chance on, stumble on, hit on.
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happening

noun
bizarre happenings
occurrence, event, incident, proceeding, affair, circumstance, phenomenon, episode, experience, occasion, development, eventuality.
adjective
(informal) a happening nightspot
fashionable, modern, popular, new, latest, up to date, up to the minute, in fashion, in vogue, le dernier cri; informal trendy, funky, hot, cool, with it, hip, in, big, now, groovy; N. Amer. informal kicky, tony. ANTONYMS :old-fashioned.

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happily

adverb
he smiled happily
contentedly, cheerfully, cheerily, merrily, delightedly, joyfully, joyously, gaily, gleefully.
I will happily do as you ask
gladly, willingly, readily, freely, cheerfully, ungrudgingly, with pleasure; archaic fain.
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happily, we are living in enlightened times
fortunately, luckily, thankfully, mercifully, by good luck, by good fortune, as luck would have it; thank goodness, thank God, thank heavens, thank the stars.
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happiness

noun
pleasure, contentment, satisfaction, cheerfulness, merriment, gaiety, joy, joyfulness, joviality, jollity, glee, delight, good spirits, light-heartedness, well-being, enjoyment; exuberance, exhilaration, elation, ecstasy, jubilation, rapture, bliss, blissfulness, euphoria, transports of delight.

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happy

adjective
Melissa looked happy and excited
cheerful, cheery, merry, joyful, jovial, jolly, jocular, gleeful, carefree, untroubled, delighted, smiling, beaming, grinning, in good spirits, in a good mood, light-hearted, pleased, contented, content, satisfied, gratified, buoyant, radiant, sunny, blithe, joyous, beatific; thrilled, elated, exhilarated, ecstatic, blissful, euphoric, overjoyed, exultant, rapturous, in seventh heaven, on cloud nine, walking on air, jumping for joy, cock-a-hoop, jubilant; informal chirpy, over the moon, on top of the world, as happy as a sandboy, tickled pink, like a dog with two tails, as pleased as Punch, on a high; Brit. informal chuffed, as happy as Larry; N. English informal made up; N. Amer. informal as happy as a clam; Austral. informal wrapped; formal jocund; dated gay.
we will be happy to advise you
glad, pleased, delighted; willing, ready, disposed.
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a happy coincidence
fortunate, lucky, favourable, advantageous, opportune, timely, well-t imed, convenient.
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ANTONYMS :sad, unwilling, unfortunate.

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happy-go-lucky

adjective
easy-going, carefree, casual, free and easy, devil-may-care, blithe, nonchalant, insouciant, blasé, unconcerned, untroubled, unworried, light-hearted; informal laid-back. ANTONYMS :anxious.

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harangue

noun
a ten-minute harangue
tirade, diatribe, lecture, polemic, rant, fulmination, broadside, attack, onslaught; criticism, condemnation, censure, admonition; declamation, speech; informal blast; poetic/literary philippic.
verb
he harangued his erstwhile colleagues
rant at, hold forth to, lecture, shout at; berate, criticize, attack; informal earbash, sound off at, mouth off at.

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harass

verb
council tenants who harass their neighbours
persecute, intimidate, hound, harry, plague, torment, bedevil, pressurize; pester, bother, worry, disturb, trouble, provoke, stress; informal hassle, bug, give someone a hard time; N. English informal mither; N. Amer. informal devil, ride.
they were sent to harass the enemy flanks
harry, attack, beleaguer, set upon, assail.
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harassed

adjective
stressed, strained, worn out, hard-pressed, careworn, worried, troubled, beleaguered, under pressure, at the end of one's tether; N. Amer. at the end of one's rope; informal hassled. ANTONYMS :carefree.

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harassment

noun
persecution, intimidation, pressure, pressurization, force, coercion; informal hassle.

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harbinger

noun
herald, sign, indication, signal, portent, omen, augury, forewarning, presage; forerunner, precursor, messenger; poetic/literary foretoken.

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harbour

noun
a picturesque harbour
port, dock, haven, marina; mooring, moorage, anchorage, harbourage; waterfront.
a safe harbour for me
refuge, haven, safe haven, shelter, sanctuary, retreat, place of safety, port in a storm.
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verb
he is harbouring a dangerous criminal
shelter, conceal, hide, shield, protect, give sanctuary to; take in, put up, accommodate, house.
Rose had harboured a grudge against him
bear, nurse, nurture, cherish, entertain, foster, hold on to, cling to.
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hard

adjective
hard ground
firm, solid, rigid, stiff, resistant, unbreakable, inflexible, impenetrable, unyielding, solidified, hardened, compact, compacted, dense, close-packed, compressed; steely, tough, strong, stony, rock-like, flinty, as hard as iron, as hard as stone; frozen; poetic/literary adamantine.
hard physical work
arduous, strenuous, tiring, fatiguing, exhausting, wearying, back-breaking, gruelling, heavy, laborious; difficult, taxing, exacting, testing, challenging, demanding, punishing, tough, formidable, onerous, rigorous, uphill, Herculean; informal murderous, killing, hellish; Brit. informal knackering; formal exigent; archaic toilsome.
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hard workers
diligent, hard-working, industrious, sedulous, assiduous, conscientious, energetic, keen, enthusiastic, zealous, earnest, persevering, persistent, unflagging, untiring, indefatigable; studious.
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a hard problem
difficult, puzzling, perplexing, baffling, bewildering, mystifying, knotty, thorny, problematic, complicated, complex, intricate, involved; insoluble, unfathomable, impenetrable, incomprehensible, unanswerable.
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times are hard
harsh, grim, difficult, bad, bleak, dire, tough, austere, unpleasant, uncomfortable, straitened, spartan; dark, distressing, painful, awful.
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a hard taskmaster
strict, harsh, firm, severe, stern, tough, rigorous, demanding, exacting; callous, unkind, unsympathetic, cold, heartless, hard-hearted, unfeeling; intransigent, unbending, uncompromising, inflexible, implacable, stubborn, obdurate, unyielding, unrelenting, unsparing, grim, ruthless, merciless, pitiless, cruel; standing no nonsense, ruling with a rod of iron.
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a hard winter
bitterly cold, cold, bitter, harsh, severe, bleak, freezing, icy, icy-cold, arctic.
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a hard blow
forceful, heavy, strong, sharp, smart, violent, powerful, vigorous, mighty, hefty, tremendous.
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hard facts
reliable, definite, true, confirmed, substantiated, undeniable, indisputable, unquestionable, verifiable.
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hard liquor
alcoholic, strong, intoxicating, potent; formal spirituous.
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hard drugs
addictive, habit-forming; strong, harmful.
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ANTONYMS :soft, easy lazy, gentle.

adverb
George pushed her hard
forcefully, forcibly, roughly, powerfully, strongly, heavily, sharply, vigorously, energetically, with all one's might, with might and main.
they worked hard
diligently, industriously, assiduously, conscientiously, sedulously, busily, enthusiastically, energetically, doggedly, steadily; informal like mad, like crazy; Brit. informal like billy-o.
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this prosperity has been hard won
with difficulty, with effort, after a struggle, painfully, laboriously.
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her death hit him hard
severely, badly, acutely, deeply, keenly, seriously, profoundly, gravely; formal grievously.
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it was raining hard
heavily, strongly, in torrents, in sheets, cats and dogs; steadily.
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my mother looked hard at me
closely, attentively, intently, critically, carefully, keenly, searchingly, earnestly, sharply.
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hard and fast
definite, fixed, set, strict, rigid, binding, clear-cut, cast-iron; inflexible, immutable, unchangeable, incontestable. hard by
close to, right by, beside, near (to), nearby, not far from, a stone's throw from, on the doorstep of; informal within spitting distance of, (a hop, skip, and jump away from). hard feelings
resentment, animosity, ill feeling, ill will, bitterness, bad blood, resentfulness, rancour, malice, acrimony, antagonism, antipathy, animus, friction, anger, hostility, hate, hatred. hard up (informal)
poor, short of money, badly off, impoverished, impecunious, in reduced circumstances, unable to make ends meet; penniless, destitute, poverty-stricken; informal broke, strapped (for cash); Brit. informal skint.

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hardbitten

adjective
hardened, tough, cynical, unsentimental, hard-headed, case-hardened, as hard as nails; informal hard-nosed, hard-boiled. ANTONYMS :sentimental.

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hard-boiled

adjective
(informal) a hard-boiled undercover agent.
See hardbitten.

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hard-core

adjective
diehard, staunch, dedicated, committed, steadfast, dyed-in-the-wool, long-standing; hard-line, extreme, entrenched, radical, intransigent, uncompromising, rigid; informal deep-dyed.

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harden

verb
this glue will harden in four hours
solidify, set, congeal, clot, coagulate, stiffen, thicken, cake, inspissate; freeze, crystallize; ossify, petrify.
their suffering had hardened them
toughen, desensitize, inure, case-harden, harden someone's heart; deaden, numb, benumb, anaesthetize; brutalize.
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ANTONYMS :liquefy, soften.

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hardened

adjective
he was hardened to the violence he had seen
inured, desensitized, deadened; accustomed, habituated, acclimatized, used.
a hardened criminal
inveterate, seasoned, habitual, chronic, compulsive, confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool; incorrigible, incurable, irredeemable, unregenerate.
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the silos are hardened against air attack
strengthened, fortified, reinforced, toughened.
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hard-headed

adjective
unsentimental, practical, pragmatic, businesslike, realistic, sensible, rational, clear-thinking, cool-headed, down-to-earth, matter-of-fact, no-nonsense, with one's/both feet on the ground; tough, hardbitten; shrewd, astute, sharp, sharp-witted; informal hard-nosed, hard-boiled. ANTONYMS :idealistic.

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hard-hearted

adjective
unfeeling, heartless, cold, hard, callous, unsympathetic, uncaring, unloving, unconcerned, indifferent, unmoved, unkind, uncharitable, unemotional, cold-hearted, cold-blooded, mean-spirited, stony-hearted, having a heart of stone, as hard as nails, cruel. ANTONYMS :compassionate.

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hard-hitting

adjective
uncompromising, blunt, forthright, frank, honest, direct, tough; critical, unsparing, strongly worded, straight-talking, pulling no punches, not mincing one's words, not beating about the bush.

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hardihood

noun
bravery, courage, pluck, valour, intrepidity, nerve, daring, fearlessness, audacity, boldness, dauntlessness, stout-heartedness, heroism; backbone, grit, spine, spirit, mettle; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie. ANTONYMS :timidity.

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hardiness

noun
robustness, strength, toughness, ruggedness, sturdiness, resilience, stamina, vigour; healthiness, good health. ANTONYMS :frailty.

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hard-line

adjective
uncompromising, strict, extreme, tough, diehard, inflexible, intransigent, intractable, unyielding, single-minded, not giving an inch. ANTONYMS :moderate.

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hardly

adverb
we hardly know each other
scarcely, barely, only just, slightly.

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hard-nosed

adjective
(informal) tough-minded, unsentimental, no-nonsense, hard-headed, hardbitten, pragmatic, realistic, down-to-earth, practical, rational, shrewd, astute, businesslike; informal hard-boiled. ANTONYMS :sentimental.

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hard-pressed

adjective
the hard-pressed infantry
under attack, hotly pursued, harried.
the hard-pressed construction industry
in difficulties, under pressure, troubled, beleaguered, harassed, with one's back to/against the wall, in a tight corner, in a tight spot, between a rock and a hard place; overburdened, overworked, overloaded, rushed off one's feet; informal pushed, up against it.
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hardship

noun
privation, deprivation, destitution, poverty, austerity, penury, want, need, neediness, impecuniousness; misfortune, distress, suffering, affliction, trouble, pain, misery, wretchedness, tribulation, adversity, trials, trials and tribulations, dire straits; poetic/literary travails. ANTONYMS :prosperity, ease.

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hardware

noun
equipment, apparatus, gear, paraphernalia, tackle, kit, machinery; tools, articles, implements, instruments, appliances.

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hard-wearing

adjective
durable, strong, tough, resilient, lasting, long-lasting, made to last, stout, well made, rugged, heavy-duty. ANTONYMS :flimsy.

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hard-working

adjective
diligent, industrious, conscientious, assiduous, sedulous, painstaking, persevering, unflagging, untiring, tireless, indefatigable, studious; keen, enthusiastic, zealous, busy, with one's shoulder to the wheel, with one's nose to the grindstone. ANTONYMS :lazy.

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hardy

adjective
robust, healthy, fit, strong, sturdy, tough, rugged, hearty, lusty, vigorous, hale and hearty, fit as a fiddle, fighting fit, in fine fettle, in good health, in good condition; Brit. in rude health; dated stalwart. ANTONYMS :delicate.

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hare-brained

adjective
a hare-brained scheme
ill-judged, rash, foolish, foolhardy, reckless, madcap, wild, silly, stupid, ridiculous, absurd, idiotic, asinine, imprudent, impracticable, unworkable, unrealistic, unconsidered, half-baked, ill-thought-out, ill-advised, ill-conceived; informal crackpot, crackbrained, cock-eyed, crazy; Brit. informal daft, barmy.
a hare-brained young girl
foolish, silly, idiotic, unintelligent, empty-headed, scatterbrained, feather-brained, birdbrained, pea-brained, brainless, giddy; informal dippy, dizzy, dopey, dotty, airheaded.
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ANTONYMS :sensible, intelligent.

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harem

noun
seraglio, zenana; historical gynaeceum.

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hark

verb
(poetic/literary) hark, I hear a warning note
listen, lend an ear, pay attention, attend, mark; archaic hearken, give ear.
hark back to
recall, call/bring to mind, evoke, put one in mind of.

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harlequin

noun
jester, joker, merry andrew.
adjective
a harlequin pattern
multicoloured, many-coloured, colourful, particoloured, varicoloured, many-hued, rainbow, variegated, jazzy, kaleidoscopic, psychedelic, polychromatic, chequered; archaic motley.

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harlot

noun
(archaic) prostitute, whore, fille de joie, call girl; promiscuous woman, slut; informal tart, pro, member of the oldest profession; Brit. informal scrubber, slag, slapper; N. Amer. informal hooker, hustler, tramp, roundheel; dated streetwalker, hussy, woman of the streets, woman of the night, scarlet woman, loose woman, fallen woman, cocotte, wanton; archaic strumpet, courtesan, trollop, doxy, drab, trull.

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harm

noun
the voltage is not sufficient to cause harm
injury, hurt, pain, trauma; damage, impairment, mischief.
I can't see any harm in it
evil, wrong, ill, wickedness, iniquity, sin.
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ANTONYMS :benefit.

verb
he's never harmed anybody in his life
injure, hurt, wound, lay a finger on, maltreat, mistreat, misuse, ill-treat, ill-use, abuse, molest.
this could harm his World Cup prospects
damage, spoil, mar, do mischief to, impair.
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harmful

adjective
damaging, injurious, detrimental, dangerous, deleterious, unfavourable, negative, disadvantageous, unhealthy, unwholesome, hurtful, baleful, destructive; noxious, hazardous, poisonous, toxic, deadly, lethal; bad, evil, malign, malignant, malevolent, corrupting, subversive, pernicious. ANTONYMS :beneficial.

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harmless

adjective
a harmless substance
safe, innocuous, benign, gentle, mild, wholesome, non-toxic, non-poisonous, non-irritant; non-addictive.
he seems harmless enough
inoffensive, innocuous, unobjectionable, unexceptionable.
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ANTONYMS :dangerous.

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harmonious

adjective
harmonious music
tuneful, melodious, melodic, sweet-sounding, mellifluous, dulcet, lyrical; euphonious, euphonic, harmonic, polyphonic; informal easy on the ear.
their harmonious relationship
friendly, amicable, cordial, amiable, congenial, easy, peaceful, peaceable, cooperative; compatible, sympathetic, united, attuned, in harmony, in rapport, in tune, in accord, of one mind, seeing eye to eye.
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a harmonious blend of traditional and modern
congruous, coordinated, balanced, in proportion, compatible, well matched, well balanced.
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ANTONYMS :discordant, hostile, incongruous.

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harmonize

verb
colours which harmonize in a pleasing way
coordinate, go together, match, blend, mix, balance, tone in; be compatible, be harmonious, suit each other, set each other off.
the need to harmonize tax laws across Europe
coordinate, systematize, correlate, integrate, synchronize, make consistent, bring in line, bring in tune.
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ANTONYMS :clash.

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harmony

noun
musical harmony
euphony, polyphony; tunefulness, melodiousness, mellifluousness.
the harmony of the whole structure
balance, symmetry, congruity, consonance, coordination, compatibility.
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the villagers live together in harmony
accord, agreement, peace, peacefulness, amity, amicability, friendship, fellowship, cooperation, understanding, consensus, unity, sympathy, rapport, like-mindedness; unison, union, concert, oneness, synthesis; formal concord.
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ANTONYMS :dissonance, disagreement.

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harness

noun
a horse's harness
tack, tackle, equipment; trappings; yoke; archaic equipage.
verb
he harnessed his horse
hitch up, put in harness, yoke, couple.
attempts to harness solar energy
control, exploit, utilize, use, employ, make use of, put to use; channel, mobilize, apply, capitalize on.
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harp

noun
lyre, aeolian harp, wind harp, Jew's harp, Celtic harp, clarsach, triple harp, Welsh harp; historical trigon.
harp on about
keep on about, go on about, keep talking about, dwell on, make an issue of; labour the point.

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harpoon

noun
spear, trident, dart, barb, gaff, leister.

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harridan

noun
shrew, termagant, virago, harpy, vixen, nag, hag, crone, dragon, ogress; fishwife, hellcat, she-devil, gorgon; martinet, tartar; informal old bag, old bat, old cow, bitch, battleaxe, witch; archaic scold.

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harried

adjective
harassed, beleaguered, flustered, agitated, bothered, vexed, beset, plagued; informal hassled, up against it.

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harrow

verb
distress, trouble, bother, afflict, grieve, torment, pain, hurt, mortify. ANTONYMS :comfort.

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harrowing

adjective
distressing, distressful, traumatic, upsetting; shocking, disturbing, painful, haunting, appalling, horrifying.

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harry

verb
they harried the retreating enemy
attack, assail, assault; charge, rush, strike, set upon; bombard, shell, strafe.
the government was harried by a new lobby
harass, hound, pressurize, bedevil, torment, pester, bother, worry, badger, nag, plague; informal hassle, bug, lean on, give someone a hard time, get on someone's back.
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harsh

adjective
a harsh voice
grating, jarring, rasping, strident, raucous, brassy, discordant, unharmonious, unmelodious; screeching, shrill; rough, coarse, hoarse, gruff, croaky.
harsh colours
glaring, bright, dazzling; loud, garish, gaudy, lurid, bold.
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his harsh rule over them
cruel, savage, barbarous, despotic, dictatorial, tyrannical, tyrannous; ruthless, merciless, pitiless, relentless, unmerciful; severe, strict, intolerant, illiberal; hard-hearted, heartless, unkind, inhuman, inhumane.
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they took harsh measures to end the crisis
severe, stringent, firm, stiff, hard, stern, rigorous, grim, uncompromising; punitive, cruel, brutal.
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harsh words
rude, discourteous, uncivil, impolite; unfriendly, sharp, bitter, abusive, unkind, disparaging; abrupt, brusque, curt, gruff, short, surly, offhand.
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harsh conditions
austere, grim, spartan, hard, comfortless, inhospitable, stark, bleak, desolate.
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a harsh winter
hard, severe, cold, bitter, bleak, freezing, icy; arctic, polar, Siberian.
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harsh cream cleaners
abrasive, strong, caustic; coarse, rough.
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ANTONYMS :soft, subdued, kind, friendly, comfortable, balmy, mild.

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harum-scarum

adjective
reckless, impetuous, impulsive, imprudent, rash, wild; daredevil, madcap, hot-headed, hare-brained, foolhardy, incautious, careless, heedless; informal devil-may-care; poetic/literary temerarious. ANTONYMS :cautious.

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harvest

noun
we all helped with the harvest
harvesting, reaping, picking, collecting; formal ingathering.
a poor harvest
yield, crop, vintage; fruits, produce.
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the experiment yielded a meagre harvest
return, result, fruits; product, output, effect; consequence.
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verb
he harvested the wheat
gather (in), bring in, reap, pick, collect; formal ingather.
he harvested many honours
acquire, obtain, gain, get, earn; accumulate, amass, gather, collect; informal land, net, bag, scoop.
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hash 1

noun
a whole hash of excuses
mixture, assortment, variety, array, mix, miscellany, selection, medley, mishmash, hotchpotch, ragbag, gallimaufry, pot-pourri; N. Amer. hodgepodge.
make a hash of (informal)
bungle, fluff, mess up, make a mess of; mismanage, mishandle, ruin, wreck; informal botch, muff, muck up, foul up, screw up, blow; Brit. informal make a pig's ear of, cock up; N. Amer. informal flub.

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hash 2

noun
(informal) she smokes a lot of hash.
See cannabis.

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hassle (informal)

noun
parking is such a hassle
inconvenience, bother, nuisance, problem, trouble, struggle, difficulty, annoyance, irritation, thorn in one's flesh/side, fuss; informal aggravation, aggro, stress, headache, pain (in the neck).
(N. Amer.) she got into a hassle with that guy.
See quarrel noun.
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verb
they were hassling him to pay up
harass, pester, nag, keep on at, badger, hound, harry, chivvy, bother, torment, plague; informal bug, give someone a hard time, get on someone's back, breathe down someone's neck; N. English informal mither.

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hassled

adjective
(informal) harassed, agitated, stressed (out), harried, frayed, flustered; beleaguered, hounded, plagued, bothered, beset, tormented; under pressure, hot and bothered; informal up against it. ANTONYMS :calm.

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haste

noun
working with feverish haste
speed, hastiness, hurriedness, swiftness, rapidity, quickness, briskness; formal expedition. ANTONYMS :delay.

in haste
quickly, rapidly, fast, speedily, with urgency, in a rush, in a hurry.

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hasten

verb
we hastened back home
hurry, rush, dash, race, fly, shoot; scurry, scramble, dart, bolt, sprint, run, gallop; go fast, go quickly, go like lightning, go hell for leather; informal tear, hare, pelt, scoot, zip, zoom, belt, hotfoot it, leg it; Brit. informal bomb, bucket; N. Amer. informal hightail, barrel; dated make haste.
chemicals can hasten ageing
speed up, accelerate, quicken, precipitate, advance, hurry on, step up, spur on; facilitate, aid, assist, boost.
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ANTONYMS :dawdle, delay.

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hastily

adverb
Meg retreated hastily
quickly, hurriedly, fast, swiftly, rapidly, speedily, briskly, without delay, post-haste; with all speed, as fast as possible, at breakneck speed, at a run, hotfoot, on the double; informal double quick, p.d.q. (pretty damn quick), nippily, like (greased) lightning, like the wind, like a scalded cat, like a bat out of hell; Brit. informal at a rate of knots, like the clappers; N. Amer. informal lickety-split.
an agreement was hastily drawn up
hurriedly, speedily, quickly; on the spur of the moment, prematurely.
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hasty

adjective
hasty steps
quick, hurried, fast, swift, rapid, speedy, brisk; poetic/literary fleet.
hasty decisions
rash, impetuous, impulsive, reckless, precipitate, spur-of-the-moment, premature, unconsidered, unthinking; poetic/literary temerarious.
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ANTONYMS :slow, considered.

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hat

noun
cap, beret, bonnet; Brit. informal titfer.

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hatch

verb
the duck hatched her eggs
incubate, brood, sit on.
the plot that you hatched up last night
devise, conceive, concoct, brew, invent, plan, design, formulate; think up, dream up; informal cook up.
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hatchet

noun
axe, cleaver, mattock, tomahawk; Brit. chopper.

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hate

verb
they hate each other
loathe, detest, despise, dislike, abhor, execrate; be repelled by, be unable to bear/stand, find intolerable, recoil from, shrink from; formal abominate; archaic disrelish.
I hate to bother you
be sorry, be reluctant, be loath, be unwilling, be disinclined; regret, dislike.
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ANTONYMS :love.

noun
feelings of hate
hatred, loathing, detestation, dislike, distaste, abhorrence, abomination, execration, aversion; hostility, enmity, animosity, antipathy, revulsion, disgust, contempt, odium; archaic disrelish.
his pet hate is filling in forms
bugbear, bane, bête noire, bogey, aversion, thorn in one's flesh/side; N. Amer. bugaboo.
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ANTONYMS :love.

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hateful

adjective
detestable, horrible, horrid, unpleasant, awful, nasty, disagreeable, despicable, objectionable, insufferable, revolting, loathsome, abhorrent, abominable, execrable, odious, disgusting, distasteful, obnoxious, offensive, vile, heinous; informal ghastly; Brit. informal beastly, God-awful. ANTONYMS :delightful.

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hatred

noun
loathing, hate, detestation, dislike, distaste, abhorrence, abomination, execration; aversion, hostility, ill will, ill feeling, enmity, animosity, antipathy; revulsion, disgust, contempt, odium; archaic disrelish.

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haughtiness

noun
arrogance, conceit, pride, hubris, hauteur, vanity, self-importance, pomposity, condescension, disdain, contempt; snobbishness, snobbery, superciliousness; informal snootiness. ANTONYMS :modesty.

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haughty

adjective
proud, arrogant, vain, conceited, snobbish, superior, self-important, pompous, supercilious, condescending, patronizing; scornful, contemptuous, disdainful; full of oneself, above oneself; informal stuck-up, snooty, hoity-toity, uppity, uppish, big-headed, high and mighty, la-di-da; Brit. informal toffee-nosed; N. Amer. informal chesty. ANTONYMS :humble.

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haul

verb
she hauled the basket along
drag, pull, tug, heave, lug, hump, draw, tow; informal yank.
a contract to haul coal
transport, convey, carry, ship, ferry, move, shift.
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noun
the thieves abandoned their haul
booty, loot, plunder; spoils, stolen goods, ill-gotten gains; informal swag, boodle.

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haunches

plural noun
rump, hindquarters, rear (end), seat; buttocks, thighs, derrière; Brit. bottom; Anatomy nates; informal behind, backside; Brit. informal bum, botty; N. Amer. informal butt, fanny, tush, heinie; humorous fundament, posterior.

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haunt

verb
a ghost haunts this house
appear in, materialize in; visit.
he haunts street markets
frequent, patronize, visit regularly; loiter in, linger in; informal hang out in.
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the sight haunted me for years
torment, disturb, trouble, worry, plague, burden, beset, beleaguer; prey on, weigh on, gnaw at, nag at, weigh heavily on, obsess; informal bug.
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noun
a favourite haunt of artists
hang-out, stamping ground, meeting place; territory, domain, resort, retreat, spot; N. Amer. stomping ground; Brit. informal patch.

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haunted

adjective
a haunted house
possessed, cursed; ghostly, eerie; informal spooky, scary.
his haunted eyes
tormented, anguished, troubled, tortured, worried, disturbed.
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haunting

adjective
evocative, emotive, affecting, moving, touching, stirring, powerful; poignant, nostalgic, wistful; memorable, unforgettable, indelible.

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hauteur

noun
haughtiness, superciliousness, arrogance, pride, conceit, snobbery, snobbishness, superiority, self-importance; disdain, condescension; airs and graces; informal snootiness, uppishness; Brit. informal side.

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have

verb
he had a new car
possess, own, be in possession of, be the owner of; be blessed with, boast, enjoy; keep, retain, hold, occupy.
the flat has five rooms
comprise, consist of, contain, include, incorporate, be composed of, be made up of; encompass; formal comprehend.
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they had tea together
eat, consume, devour, partake of; drink, imbibe, quaff; informal demolish, dispose of, put away, get outside of, scoff (down); sink, knock back; N. Amer. informal scarf (down/up).
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she had a letter from Mark
receive, get, be given, be sent, obtain, acquire, come by, take receipt of.
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we've decided to have a party
organize, arrange, hold, give, host, throw, put on, lay on, set up, fix up.
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she's going to have a baby
give birth to, bear, be delivered of, bring into the world; informal drop; archaic be brought to bed of, beget.
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we are having guests for dinner
entertain, be host to, cater for, receive; invite round/over, ask round/over, wine and dine; accommodate, put up.
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he had trouble finding the restaurant
experience, encounter, face, meet, find, run into, go through, undergo.
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I have a headache
be suffering from, be afflicted by, be affected by, be troubled with; informal be a martyr to.
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I had a good time
experience; enjoy.
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many of them have doubts
harbour, entertain, feel, nurse, nurture, sustain, maintain.
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he had little patience
manifest, show, display, exhibit, demonstrate.
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he had them throw Chris out
make, ask to, request to, get to, tell to, require to, induce to, prevail upon someone to; order to, command to, direct to, force to.
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I can't have you insulting me
tolerate, endure, bear, support, accept, put up with, go along with, take, countenance; permit to, allow to; informal stand, abide, stomach; Brit. informal stick, be doing with; formal brook.
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I have to get up at six
must, be obliged to, be required to, be compelled to, be forced to, be bound to.
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(informal) I'd been had
trick, fool, deceive, cheat, dupe, take in, hoodwink, swindle; informal do, con, diddle, rip off, shaft; N. Amer. informal sucker, snooker.
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ANTONYMS :send, give, visit.

have done with
have finished with, be done with, be through with, want no more to do with; have given up, have turned one's back on, have washed one's hands of, have no more truck with. have had it (informal)
they admit that they've had it
have no chance, have no hope, have failed, be finished, be defeated, have lost; informal have flopped, have come a cropper.

if you tell anyone, you've had it
be in trouble, be in for a scolding; informal be for the high jump, be in hot water, be in (deep) shtook; Brit. informal be for it.
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have nothing on someone (informal)
have no evidence against, know nothing bad about, know nothing incriminating about. have someone on (Brit. informal)
play a trick on, play a joke on, joke with, trick, tease, rag, make a monkey (out) of, pull someone's leg; informal kid, rib, take for a ride, lead up the garden path; Brit. informal wind up; N. Amer. informal put on. have something on
she had a blue dress on
be wearing, be dressed in, be clothed in, be attired in, be decked out in, be robed in.

(Brit.) I have got a lot on at the moment
be committed to, have arranged, have planned, have organized, have fixed up, have on the agenda.
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haven

noun
they stopped in a small haven
anchorage, harbour, harbourage, port, moorage, mooring; road, roadstead; cove, inlet, bay.
a safe haven
refuge, retreat, shelter, sanctuary, asylum; port in a storm, oasis, sanctum.
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haversack

noun
knapsack, rucksack, backpack, pack.

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havoc

noun
the hurricane caused havoc
devastation, destruction, damage, desolation, ruination, ruin; disaster, catastrophe.
hyperactive children create havoc
disorder, chaos, disruption, mayhem, bedlam, pandemonium, turmoil, tumult, uproar; commotion, furore; N. Amer. a three-ring circus; informal hullabaloo.
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hawk

verb
peddle, sell, tout, vend, trade in, traffic in, push; Brit. informal flog.

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hawker

noun
pedlar, trader, seller, dealer, purveyor, vendor, huckster, travelling salesman; Brit. barrow boy, tout; informal pusher.

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hawk-eyed

adjective
vigilant, observant, alert, sharp-eyed, keen-eyed, eagle-eyed; on the alert, on the lookout, with one's eyes skinned/peeled; informal beady-eyed, not missing a trick, on the ball. ANTONYMS :inattentive.

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hay

noun
forage, dried grass, herbage, silage, fodder, straw.
make hay while the sun shines
make the most of an opportunity, take advantage of something, strike while the iron is hot, seize the day, carpe diem.

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haywire

adjective
(informal) out of control, erratic, faulty, malfunctioning, out of order; chaotic, confused, disorganized, disordered, topsy-turvy; informal on the blink; Brit. informal up the spout, shambolic.

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hazard

noun
the hazards of radiation
danger, risk, peril, threat, menace; problem, pitfall.
(poetic/literary) the laws of hazard
chance, probability, fortuity, luck, fate, destiny, fortune, providence.
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verb
he hazarded a guess
venture, advance, put forward, volunteer; conjecture, speculate, surmise; formal opine.
it's too risky to hazard money on
risk, jeopardize, gamble, stake, bet, chance; endanger, imperil.
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hazardous

adjective
risky, dangerous, unsafe, perilous, precarious, fraught with danger; unpredictable, uncertain, chancy, high-risk, insecure, touch-and-go; informal dicey, hairy; Brit. informal dodgy. ANTONYMS :safe, certain.

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haze

noun
a thick haze on the sea
mist, fog, cloud; smoke, vapour, steam.
a haze of euphoria
blur, daze, confusion, muddle, befuddlement.
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hazy

adjective
a hazy day
misty, foggy, cloudy, overcast; smoggy, murky.
hazy memories
vague, indistinct, unclear, faint, dim, nebulous, shadowy, blurred, fuzzy, confused.
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head

noun
her head hit the wall
skull, cranium, crown; informal nut, noodle, noggin, dome; Brit. informal bonce; informal, dated conk, noddle.
he had to use his head
brain(s), brainpower, intellect, intelligence; wit(s), wisdom, mind, sense, reasoning, common sense; informal nous, savvy, grey matter; Brit. informal loaf; N. Amer. informal smarts.
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she had a good head for business
aptitude, faculty, talent, gift, capacity, ability; mind, brain.
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the head of the church
leader, chief, controller, governor, superintendent, headman; commander, captain; director, manager; principal, president, premier; informal boss, boss man, kingpin, top dog, Mr Big, skipper, numero uno, head honcho; Brit. informal gaffer, guv'nor; N. Amer. informal sachem, big kahuna.
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the head of the queue
front, beginning, start, fore, forefront; top.
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the head of the river
source, origin, well head, heads pring, headwater; poetic/literary wellspring.
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beer with a head
froth, foam, bubbles, spume, fizz, effervescence; suds.
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ANTONYMS :back, mouth.

adjective
the head waiter
chief, principal, leading, main, first, prime, premier, top, highest, supreme, top-ranking; N. Amer. ranking; informal top-notch. ANTONYMS :subordinate.

verb
the procession was headed by the mayor
lead, be at the front of; be first, lead the way.
a team headed by a line manager
command, control, lead, run, manage, direct, supervise, superintend, oversee, preside over, rule, govern, captain; informal be the boss of.
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he was heading for the exit
move towards, make for, aim for, go in the direction of, be bound for, make a beeline for; set out for, start out for.
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at the head of
in charge of, controlling, commanding, leading, managing, running, directing, supervising, overseeing; at the wheel of, at the helm of. come to a head
reach a crisis, come to a climax, reach a critical poin t, reach a crossroads; informal come to the crunch. go to someone's head
the wine has gone to my head
intoxicate, befuddle, make drunk; informal make woozy; formal inebriate.

her victory went to her head
make conceited, make someone full of themselves, turn someone's head, puff someone up.
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head someone/something off
he went to head off the cars
intercept, divert, deflect, redirect, re-route, draw away, turn away.

they headed off a row
forestall, avert, ward off, fend off, stave off, hold off, nip in the bud, keep at bay; prevent, avoid, stop.
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keep one's head
keep/stay calm, keep one's self-control, maintain one's composure; informal keep one's cool, keep one's shirt on. lose one's head
lose control, lose one's composure, lose one's equilibrium, go to pieces; panic, get flustered, get confused, get hysterical; informal lose one's cool, freak out, crack up; Brit. informal go into a (flat) spin, throw a wobbly.

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headache

noun
I've got a headache
pain in the head, sore head, migraine; neuralgia; informal head.
(informal) their behaviour was a headache for Mr Jones
nuisance, trouble, problem, bother, bugbear, pest, worry, inconvenience, vexation, irritant, thorn in one's flesh; informal aggravation, hassle, pain (in the neck), bind.
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head case

noun
(informal) maniac, lunatic, madman, madwoman; informal loony, nut, nutcase, fruitcake, crank, crackpot; Brit. informal nutter; N. Amer. informal screwball, crazy, kook, wacko; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ informal dingbat.

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head first

adjective & adverb
she dived head first into the water
headlong, on one's head.
don't plunge head first into a relationship
without thinking, without forethought, precipitously, impetuously, rashly, recklessly, heedlessly, hastily, headlong.
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ANTONYMS :cautiously.

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heading

noun
chapter headings
title, caption, legend, subtitle, sub-heading, rubric, headline.
this topic falls under four main headings
category, division, classification, class, section, group, grouping, subject, topic.
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headland

noun
cape, promontory, point, head, foreland, peninsula, ness, bluff; Scottish mull.

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headlong

adverb
he fell headlong into the tent
head first, on one's head.
she rushed headlong to join the craze
without thinking, without forethought, precipitously, impetuously, rashly, recklessly, carelessly, heedlessly, hastily.
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ANTONYMS :cautiously.

adjective
a headlong dash
breakneck, whirlwind; reckless, precipitate, precipitous, hasty, careless, heedless. ANTONYMS :cautious.

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headman

noun
chief, chieftain, leader, head, ruler, overlord, master, commander; lord, potentate; N. Amer. sachem. ANTONYMS :underling.

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head-on

adjective
a head-on collision
direct, front-to-front.
a head-on confrontation
direct, face to face, eyeball to eyeball, personal.
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headquarters

plural noun
head office, main office, HQ, base, nerve centre, mission control, command post.

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headstone

noun
gravestone, tombstone, stone, monument, memorial.

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headstrong

adjective
wilful, strong-willed, stubborn, obstinate, unyielding, obdurate; contrary, perverse, wayward, unruly; formal refractory. ANTONYMS :tractable.

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head teacher

noun
head, headmaster, headmistress, principal, director, president, governor; Brit. master.

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headway

make headway
make progress, progress, make strides, gain ground, advance, proceed, move, get ahead, come along, take shape.

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heady

adjective
heady wine
potent, intoxicating, strong; alcoholic, vinous; formal spirituous.
the heady days of my youth
exhilarating, exciting, thrilling, stimulating, invigorating, electrifying, rousing; informal mind-blowing.
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ANTONYMS :boring.

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heal

verb
he heals sick people
make better, make well, cure, treat, restore to health.
his knee had healed
get better, get well, be cured, recover, mend, improve.
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time will heal the pain of grief
alleviate, ease, assuage, palliate, relieve, help, lessen, mitigate, attenuate, allay.
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we tried to heal the rift
put right, set right, repair, remedy, resolve, correct, settle; conciliate, reconcile, harmonize; informal patch up.
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ANTONYMS :aggravate, worsen.

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healing

adjective
curative, therapeutic, medicinal, remedial, corrective, reparative; restorative, tonic, health-giving, healthful, beneficial. ANTONYMS :harmful.

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health

noun
he was restored to health
well-being, healthiness, fitness, good condition, good shape, fine fettle; strength, vigour.
bad health forced him to retire
physical state, physical shape, condition, constitution.
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ANTONYMS :illness.

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healthful

adjective
healthy, health-giving, beneficial, good for one, salubrious; wholesome, nourishing, nutritious. ANTONYMS :unhealthy.

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healthy

adjective
a healthy baby
well, in good health, fine, fit, in good trim, in good shape, in fine fettle, in tip-top condition; blooming, thriving, hardy, robust, strong, vigorous, fighting fit, fit as a fiddle, the picture of health; Brit. in rude health; informal OK, in the pink, right as rain.
a healthy diet
health-giving, healthful, good for one; wholesome, nutritious, nourishing; beneficial, salubrious.
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ANTONYMS :ill, unwholesome.

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heap

noun
a heap of boxes
pile, stack, mound, mountain, mass, quantity, load, lot, jumble; collection, accumulation, assemblage, store, hoard.
(informal) we have heaps of room
a lot, a fair amount, much, plenty, a good deal, a great deal, an abundance, a wealth, a profusion; (a great) many, a large number, numerous, scores; informal hundreds, thousands, millions, a load, loads, loadsa, a pile, piles, oodles, stacks, lots, masses, scads, reams, wads, pots, oceans, miles, tons, zillions; Brit. informal a shedload, lashings.
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verb
she heaped logs on the fire
pile (up), stack (up), make a mound of; assemble, collect.
heap something on/upon they heaped praise on her

shower on, lavish on, load on; bestow on, confer on, give, grant, vouchsafe, favour with.

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hear

verb
she can't hear
perceive sound; have hearing.
she could hear men's voices
perceive, make out, discern, catch, get, apprehend; overhear.
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they heard that I had moved
be informed, be told, find out, discover, learn, gather, glean, ascertain, get word, get wind.
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a jury heard the case
try, judge; adjudicate (on), adjudge, pass judgement on.
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hearing

noun
acute hearing
ability to hear, auditory perception, sense of hearing, aural faculty.
she moved out of hearing
earshot, hearing distance, hearing range, auditory range.
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I had a fair hearing
chance to speak, opportunity to be heard; interview, audience.
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he gave evidence at the hearing
trial, court case, inquiry, inquest, tribunal; investigation, inquisition.
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acoustic, auditory, aural.

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hearsay

noun
rumour, gossip, tittle-tattle, tattle, idle talk; stories, tales, on dit; informal the grapevine; Brit. informal goss; N. Amer. informal scuttlebutt.

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heart

noun
his heart stopped beating
informal ticker.
he poured out his heart
emotions, feelings, sentiments; soul, mind, bosom, breast; love, affection, passion.
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he has no heart
compassion, sympathy, humanity, feeling(s), fellow feeling, brotherly love, tenderness, empathy, understanding; kindness, goodwill.
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they may lose heart
enthusiasm, keenness, eagerness, spirit, determination, resolve, purpose, courage, nerve, will power, fortitude; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle.
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the heart of the city
centre, middle, hub, core, nucleus, eye, bosom.
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the heart of the matter
essence, crux, core, nub, root, gist, meat, marrow, pith, substance, kernel; informal nitty-gritty.
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cardiac, coronary. ANTONYMS :edge.

after one's own heart
like-minded, of the same mind, kindred, compatible, congenial, sharing one's tastes; informal on the same wavelength. at heart
deep down, basicall y, fundamentally, essentially, in essence, intrinsically; really, actually, truly, in fact; informal when you get right down to it. (off) by heart
from memory, off pat, by rote, word for word, verbatim, parrot-fashion, word-perfect. do one's heart good
cheer (up), please, gladden, make one happy, delight, hearten, gratify, make one feel good, give one a lift; informal give someone a buzz, tickle someone pink, buck up. eat one's heart out
pine, long, ache, brood, mope, fret, sigh, sorrow, yearn, agonize; grieve, mourn, lament. from the (bottom of one's) heart
sincerely, earnestly, fervently, passionately, truly, genuinely, heartily, with all sincerity. give/lose one's heart to
fall in love with, fall for, be smitten by; informal fall head over heels for, be swept off one's feet by, develop a crush on. have a change of heart
change one's mind, change one's tune, have second thoughts, have a rethink, think again, think twice; informal get cold feet. have a heart
be com passionate, be kind, be merciful, be lenient, be sympathetic, be considerate, have mercy. heart and soul
wholeheartedly, enthusiastically, eagerly, zealously; absolutely, completely, entirely, fully, utterly, to the hilt, one hundred per cent. take heart
be encouraged, be heartened, be comforted; cheer up, brighten up, perk up, liven up, revive; informal buck up. with one's heart in one's mouth
in alarm, in fear, fearfully, apprehensively, on edge, with trepidation, in suspense, in a cold sweat, with bated breath, on tenterhooks; informal with butterflies in one's stomach, in a state, in a stew, in a sweat; Brit. informal having kittens; N. Amer. informal in a twit.

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heartache

noun
anguish, grief, suffering, distress, unhappiness, misery, sorrow, sadness, heartbreak, pain, hurt, agony, angst, despondency, despair, woe, desolation. ANTONYMS :happiness.

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heartbreak

noun
. See heartache.

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heartbreaking

adjective
distressing, upsetting, disturbing, heart-rending, sad, tragic, painful, traumatic, agonizing, harrowing; pitiful, poignant, plaintive, moving, tear-jerking. ANTONYMS :comforting.

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heartbroken

adjective
anguished, devastated, broken-hearted, heavy-hearted, grieving, grief-stricken, inconsolable, crushed, shattered, desolate, despairing; upset, distressed, miserable, sorrowful, sad, downcast, disconsolate, crestfallen, despondent; informal choked, down in the mouth, down in the dumps, cut up.

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heartburn

noun
indigestion, dyspepsia, pyrosis.

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hearten

verb
cheer (up), encourage, raise someone's spirits, boost, buoy up, perk up, ginger up, inspirit, uplift, elate; comfort, reassure; informal buck up, pep up.

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heartfelt

adjective
sincere, genuine, from the heart; earnest, profound, deep, wholehearted, ardent, fervent, passionate, enthusiastic, eager; honest, bona fide. ANTONYMS :insincere.

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heartily

adverb
we heartily welcome the changes
wholeheartedly, sincerely, genuinely, warmly, profoundly, with all one's heart; eagerly, enthusiastically, earnestly, ardently.
they were heartily sick of her
very, extremely, thoroughly, completely, absolutely, really, exceedingly, immensely, most, downright; N. Amer. quite; informal right, seriously; Brit. informal jolly, dead, well; N. Amer. informal real, mighty.
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heartless

adjective
unfeeling, unsympathetic, unkind, uncaring, unconcerned, insensitive, inconsiderate, hard-hearted, stony-hearted, cold-hearted, mean-spirited; cold, callous, cruel, merciless, pitiless, inhuman. ANTONYMS :compassionate.

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heart-rending

adjective
distressing, upsetting, disturbing, heartbreaking, sad, tragic, painful, traumatic, harrowing; pitiful, poignant, plaintive, moving, tear-jerking.

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heartsick

adjective
(poetic/literary) despondent, dejected, depressed, desolate, downcast, forlorn, unhappy, sad, upset, miserable, wretched, woebegone, inconsolable, grieving, grief-stricken, heavy-hearted, broken-hearted. ANTONYMS :happy.

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heart-throb

noun
(informal) idol, pin-up, star, superstar, hero; informal dreamboat.

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heart-to-heart

adjective
a heart-to-heart chat
intimate, personal, man-to-man, woman-to-woman; candid, honest, truthful, sincere.
noun
they had a long heart-to-heart
private conversation, tête-à-tête, one-to-one, head-to-head; chat, talk, word; informal confab, chinwag; Brit. informal natter.

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heart-warming

adjective
touching, moving, heartening, stirring, uplifting, pleasing, cheering, gladdening, encouraging, gratifying. ANTONYMS :distressing.

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hearty

adjective
a hearty character
exuberant, jovial, ebullient, cheerful, uninhibited, effusive, lively, loud, animated, vivacious, energetic, spirited, dynamic, enthusiastic, eager; warm, cordial, friendly, affable, amiable, good natured.
hearty congratulations
wholehearted, heartfelt, sincere, genuine, real, true; earnest, fervent, ardent, enthusiastic.
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a hearty woman of sixty-five
robust, healthy, hardy, fit, flourishing, blooming, fighting fit, fit as a fiddle; vigorous, sturdy, strong; Brit. in rude health; informal full of vim.
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a hearty meal
substantial, large, ample, sizeable, filling, generous, square, solid; healthy.
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ANTONYMS :introverted, half-hearted, frail, light.

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heat

noun
a plant sensitive to heat
warmth, hotness, warmness, high temperature; hot weather, warm weather, sultriness, mugginess, humidity; heatwave, hot spell.
he took the heat out of the dispute
passion, intensity, vehemence, warmth, fervour, fervency, ardency; enthusiasm, excitement, agitation; anger, fury.
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thermal. ANTONYMS :cold, apathy.

verb
the food was heated
warm (up), heat up, make hot, make warm; reheat, cook; Brit. informal hot up.
the pipes expand as they heat up
become hot, become warm, get hotter, get warmer, increase in temperature; Brit. informal hot up.
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he calmed down as quickly as he had heated up
become impassioned, become excited, become animated; get angry, become enraged.
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ANTONYMS :cool.

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heated

adjective
a heated swimming pool
made warm, made hot, warmed up; reheated; hot, piping hot.
a heated argument
vehement, passionate, impassioned, animated, spirited, "lively", intense, fiery; angry, bitter, furious, fierce, stormy, tempestuous.
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Robert grew heated as he spoke of the risks
excited, animated, inflamed, worked up, wound up, keyed up; informal het up, in a state.
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heater

noun
radiator, convector, fire, brazier, warmer.

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heath

noun
(Brit.) moor, heathland, moorland, scrub; common land.

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heathen

noun
bringing Christianity to the heathens
pagan, infidel, idolater, idolatress; unbeliever, non-believer, disbeliever, atheist, agnostic, sceptic, heretic; archaic paynim.
heathens who spoil good whisky with ice
philistine, boor, oaf, ignoramus, lout, yahoo, vulgarian, plebeian; informal pleb, peasant, oik.
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ANTONYMS :believer.

adjective
a heathen practice
pagan, infidel, idolatrous, heathenish; unbelieving, non-believing, atheistic, agnostic, heretical, faithless, godless, irreligious, ungodly, unholy; barbarian, barbarous, uncivilized, uncultured, primitive, ignorant, philistine.

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heave

verb
she heaved the sofa backwards
haul, pull, lug, drag, draw, tug, heft; informal hump, yank.
(informal) she heaved a brick at him
throw, fling, cast, toss, hurl, lob, pitch; informal chuck, sling; Brit. informal bung; N. English & Austral. informal hoy; NZ informal bish.
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he heaved a sigh of relief
let out, breathe, give, sigh; emit, utter.
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the sea heaved
rise and fall, roll, swell, surge, churn, seethe, swirl.
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she heaved into the sink
retch, gag; vomit, bring up, cough up; Brit. be sick; N. Amer. get sick; informal throw up, puke, chunder, chuck up, hurl, spew; Brit. informal sick up; Scottish informal boke; N. Amer. informal barf, upchuck.
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heaven

noun
the good will have a place in heaven
paradise, nirvana, Zion; the hereafter, the next world, the next life, the afterworld; Elysium, the Elysian Fields, Valhalla; poetic/literary the empyrean.
a good book is my idea of heaven
bliss, ecstasy, rapture, contentment, happiness, delight, joy, seventh heaven; paradise, Utopia, nirvana.
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he observed the heavens
the sky, the skies, the upper atmosphere, the stratosphere; poetic/literary the firmament, the vault of heaven, the blue, the (wide) blue yonder, the welkin, the empyrean, the azure, the upper regions, the sphere.
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celestial. ANTONYMS :hell, misery.

in seventh heaven
ecstatic, euphoric, thrilled, elated, delighted, overjoyed, on cloud nine, walking on air, jubilant, rapturous, jumping for joy, transported, delirious, blissful; informal over the moon, on top of the world, on a high, tickled pink, as pleased as Punch, cock-a-hoop, as happy as a sandboy; Brit. informal as happy as Larry; N. Amer. informal as happy as a clam; Austral. informal wrapped. move heaven and earth
try one's hardest, do one's best, do one's utmost, do all one can, give one's all, spare no effort, put oneself out; strive, exert oneself, work hard; informal bend over backwards, do one's damnedest, go all out, bust a gut.

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heavenly

adjective
heavenly choirs
divine, holy, celestial; angelic, seraphic, cherubic; poetic/literary empyrean.
heavenly constellations
celestial, cosmic, stellar; planetary; extraterrestrial, superterrestrial.
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(informal) a heavenly morning
delightful, wonderful, glorious, perfect, excellent, sublime, idyllic, first-class, first-rate; blissful, pleasurable, enjoyable; exquisite, beautiful, lovely, gorgeous, enchanting; informal divine, super, great, fantastic, fabulous, terrific.
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ANTONYMS :mortal, infernal, terrestrial, dreadful.

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heaven-sent

adjective
auspicious, providential, propitious, felicitous, opportune, golden, favourable, advantageous, serendipitous, lucky, happy, good, fortunate. ANTONYMS :inopportune.

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heavily

adverb
Dad walked heavily
laboriously, slowly, ponderously, woodenly, stiffly; with difficulty, painfully, awkwardly, clumsily.
we were heavily defeated
decisively, conclusively, roundly, soundly; utterly, completely, thoroughly.
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he drank heavily
excessively, to excess, immoderately, copiously, inordinately, intemperately, a great deal, too much, overmuch.
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the area is heavily planted with trees
densely, closely, thickly.
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I became heavily involved
deeply, very, extremely, greatly, exceedingly, tremendously, profoundly; informal terribly, seriously; Brit. informal jolly, ever so.
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ANTONYMS :easily, narrowly, moderately.

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heavy

adjective
a heavy box
weighty, hefty, substantial, ponderous; solid, dense, leaden; burdensome; informal hulking, weighing a ton.
a heavy man
overweight, fat, obese, corpulent, large, bulky, stout, stocky, portly, plump, paunchy, fleshy; informal hulking, tubby, beefy, porky; Brit. informal podgy.
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a heavy blow to the head
forceful, hard, strong, violent, powerful, vigorous, mighty, hefty, sharp, smart, severe.
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a gardener did the heavy work for me
arduous, hard, physical, laborious, difficult, strenuous, demanding, tough, onerous, back-breaking, gruelling; archaic toilsome.
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a heavy burden of responsibility
onerous, burdensome, demanding, challenging, difficult, formidable, weighty; worrisome, stressful, trying, crushing, oppressive.
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heavy fog
dense, thick, soupy, murky, impenetrable.
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a heavy sky
overcast, cloudy, clouded, grey, dull, gloomy, murky, d ark, black, stormy, leaden, louring.
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heavy rain
torrential, relentless, copious, teeming, severe.
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heavy soil
clay, clayey, muddy, sticky, wet; Brit. claggy; informal cloggy.
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a heavy fine
sizeable, hefty, substantial, colossal, big, considerable; stiff; informal tidy, whopping, steep, astronomical.
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heavy seas
tempestuous, turbulent, rough, wild, stormy, choppy, squally.
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heavy fighting
intense, fierce, vigorous, relentless, all-out, severe, serious.
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a heavy drinker
immoderate, excessive, intemperate, overindulgent, unrestrained, uncontrolled.
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a heavy meal
substantial, filling, hearty, large, big, ample, sizeable, generous, square, solid.
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their diet is heavy on vegetables
abounding in, abundant in, lavish with, profuse with, unstinting with, using a lot of.
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he felt heavy and very tired
lethargic, listless, sluggish, torpid, languid, apathetic.
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a heavy heart
sad, sorrowful, melancholy, gloomy, downcast, downhearted, heartbroken, dejected, disconsolate, demoralized, despondent, depressed, crestfallen, desolate, down; informal blue; poetic/literary dolorous.
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these poems are rather heavy
tedious, difficult, dull, dry, serious, heavy going, dreary, boring, turgid, uninteresting; informal deadly.
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branches heavy with blossoms
laden, loaded, covered, filled, groaning, bursting, teeming, abounding.
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a heavy crop
bountiful, plentiful, abundant, large, bumper, rich, copious, considerable, sizeable, profuse; informal whopping; poetic/literary plenteous.
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he has heavy features
coarse, rough, rough-hewn, unrefined; rugged, craggy.
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ANTONYMS :light, thin, gentle, easy, bright, friable, small, calm, moderate, energetic, cheerful, meagre, delicate.

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heavy-handed

adjective
they are heavy-handed with the equipment
clumsy, awkward, maladroit, unhandy, inept, unskilful; informal ham-handed, ham-fisted, cack-handed; Brit. informal all (fingers and) thumbs.
heavy-handed policing
insensitive, oppressive, overbearing, high-handed, harsh, stern, severe, tyrannical, despotic, ruthless, merciless; tactless, undiplomatic, inept.
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ANTONYMS :dexterous, sensitive.

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heavy-hearted

adjective
melancholy, sad, sorrowful, mournful, gloomy, depressed, desolate, despondent, dejected, downhearted, downcast, crestfallen, disconsolate, glum, miserable, wretched, dismal, morose, woeful, woebegone, doleful, unhappy; informal down in the dumps, down in the mouth, blue; poetic/literary dolorous. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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heckle

verb
jeer, taunt, jibe at, shout down, boo, hiss, harass; Brit. & Austral./NZ barrack; informal give someone a hard time. ANTONYMS :cheer.

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hectic

adjective
frantic, frenetic, frenzied, feverish, manic, busy, active, fast and furious; lively, brisk, bustling, buzzing. ANTONYMS :leisurely.

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hector

verb
bully, intimidate, browbeat, harass, torment, plague; coerce, pressurize, strong-arm; threaten, menace; informal bulldoze; N. Amer. informal bullyrag.

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hedge

noun
high hedges
hedgerow, bushes, fence; windbreak; Brit. quickset.
an excellent hedge against a fall in sterling
safeguard, protection, shield, screen, guard, buffer, cushion; insurance, security.
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his analysis is full of hedges
equivocation, evasion, fudge, quibble, qualification; temporizing, uncertainty, prevarication, vagueness.
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verb
fields hedged with hawthorn
surround, enclose, encircle, ring, border, edge, bound.
she was hedged in by her education
confine, restrict, limit, hinder, obstruct, impede, constrain, trap; hem in.
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he hedged at every new question
prevaricate, equivocate, vacillate, quibble, hesitate, stall, dodge the issue, be non-committal, be evasive, be vague, beat about the bush, pussyfoot around, mince one's words; Brit. hum and haw; informal sit on the fence, duck the question.
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the company hedged its position on the market
safeguard, protect, shield, guard, cushion; cover, insure.
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hedonism

noun
self-indulgence, pleasure-seeking, self-gratification, lotus-eating, sybaritism; intemperance, immoderation, extravagance, luxury, high living. ANTONYMS :self-restraint.

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hedonist

noun
sybarite, sensualist, voluptuary, pleasure-seeker, bon viveur, bon vivant; epicure, gastronome. ANTONYMS :ascetic.

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hedonistic

adjective
self-indulgent, pleasure-seeking, sybaritic, lotus-eating, epicurean; unrestrained, intemperate, immoderate, extravagant, decadent.

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heed

verb
heed the warnings
pay attention to, take notice of, take note of, pay heed to, attend to, listen to; bear in mind, be mindful of, mind, mark, consider, take into account, follow, obey, adhere to, abide by, observe, take to heart, be alert to. ANTONYMS :disregard.

noun
he paid no heed
attention, notice, note, regard; consideration, thought, care.

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heedful

adjective
attentive, careful, mindful, cautious, prudent, circumspect; alert, aware, wary, chary, watchful, vigilant, on guard, on the alert.

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heedless

adjective
unmindful, taking no notice, paying no heed, unheeding, disregardful, neglectful, oblivious, inattentive, blind, deaf; incautious, imprudent, rash, reckless, foolhardy, improvident, unwary.

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heel 1

noun
shoes with low heels
heel piece; wedge, stiletto.
the heel of a loaf
tail end, end, crust, remnant, remainder, remains.
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(informal, dated) you're such a heel
scoundrel, rogue, rascal, reprobate, miscreant; informal beast, rat, louse, swine, snake, scumbag, stinker; Brit. informal, dated rotter, bounder, blighter; dated cad, blackguard.
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take to one's heels
run away, run off, make a run for it, take flight, take off, make a break for it, flee, make one's getaway, escape; informal beat it, clear off, vamoose, skedaddle, split, cut and run, leg it, hotfoot it, show a clean pair of heels, scram; Brit. informal do a runner, scarper, do a bunk; N. Amer. informal light out, bug out; Austral. informal shoot through.

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heel 2

verb
the ship heeled to starboard
lean over, list, careen, tilt, tip, incline, keel over.

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heft

verb
lift (up), raise (up), heave, hoist, haul; carry, lug, tote; informal cart, hump.

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hefty

adjective
a hefty young man
burly, heavy, sturdy, strapping, bulky, brawny, husky, strong, muscular, large, big, solid, well built; portly, stout; informal hulking, hunky, beefy.
a hefty kick
powerful, violent, hard, forceful, heavy, mighty.
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hefty loads of timber
heavy, weighty, bulky, big, large, substantial, massive, ponderous; unwieldy, cumbersome, burdensome; informal hulking.
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a hefty fine
substantial, sizeable, considerable, stiff, extortionate, large, excessive; informal steep, astronomical, whopping.
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ANTONYMS :slight, feeble, light, small.

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hegemony

noun
leadership, dominance, dominion, supremacy, authority, mastery, control, power, sway, rule, sovereignty.

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height

noun
the height of the wall
highness, tallness, extent upwards, vertical measurement, elevation, stature, altitude.
the mountain heights
summit, top, peak, crest, crown, tip, cap, pinnacle, apex, brow, ridge.
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the height of their fame
highest point, crowning moment, peak, acme, zenith, apogee, pinnacle, climax, high water mark.
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the height of bad manners
epitome, acme, zenith, quintessence, very limit; ultimate, utmost.
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he is terrified of heights
high places, high ground; precipices, cliffs.
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ANTONYMS :width, nadir.

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heighten

verb
the roof had to be heightened
make higher, raise, lift (up), elevate.
her pleasure was heightened by guilt
intensify, increase, enhance, add to, augment, boost, strengthen, deepen, magnify, amplify, reinforce.
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ANTONYMS :lower, reduce.

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heinous

adjective
odious, wicked, evil, atrocious, monstrous, abominable, detestable, contemptible, reprehensible, despicable, egregious, horrific, terrible, awful, abhorrent, loathsome, hideous, unspeakable, execrable; iniquitous, villainous, beyond the pale. ANTONYMS :admirable.

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heir heiress

noun
successor, next in line, inheritor, beneficiary, legatee; descendant, scion; Law devisee; English Law coparcener; Scottish Law heritor.

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helix

noun
spiral, coil, corkscrew, curl, twist, gyre, whorl, convolution.

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hell

noun
they feared hell
the netherworld, the Inferno, the infernal regions, the abyss; eternal damnation, perdition; hellfire, fire and brimstone; Hades, Acheron, Gehenna, Tophet, Sheol; poetic/literary the pit.
he made her life hell
a misery, torture, agony, a torment, a nightmare, an ordeal; anguish, wretchedness, woe.
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infernal. ANTONYMS :heaven, paradise.

give someone hell (informal)
when I found out I gave him hell
reprimand severely, rebuke, admonish, chastise, chide, upbraid, reprove, scold, berate, remonstrate with, reprehend, take to task, lambaste; read someone the Riot Act, give someone a piece of one's mind, haul over the coals; informal tell off, dress down, give someone an earful, give someone a roasting, rap over the knuckles, let someone have it, bawl out, come down hard on, lay into, blast; Brit. informal tick off, have a go at, carpet, give someone a rollicking, give someone a mouthful, tear someone off a strip, give someone what for; N. Amer. informal chew out; formal castigate.

she gave me hell when I was her junior
harass, hound, plague, harry, bother, trouble, bully, intimidate, pick on, victimize, terrorize; informal hassle, give someone a hard time.
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hell for leather
very fast, very quickly, rapidly, speedily, swiftly, hurriedly, at full tilt, at full pelt, headlong, hotfoot, post-haste, helter-skelter, at the speed of light, at breakneck speed; informal like a bat out of hell, like the wind, like greased lightning, like a bomb; Brit. informal like the clappers, at a rate of knots; N. Amer. informal lickety-split. raise hell (informal)
they were hollering and raising hell
cause a disturbance, cause a commotion, be noisy, run riot, run wild, go on the rampage, be out of control; informal raise the roof.

he raised hell with the planners
remonstrate, expostulate, be angry, be furious; argue; informal kick up a fuss, kick up a stink.
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hell-bent

adjective
intent, bent, determined, (dead) set, insistent, fixed, resolved; single-minded, fixated. ANTONYMS :half-hearted.

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hellish

adjective
the hellish face of Death
infernal, Hadean; diabolical, fiendish, satanic, demonic; evil, wicked.
(informal) a hellish week
horrible, rotten, awful, terrible, dreadful, ghastly, horrid, vile, foul, appalling, atrocious, horrendous, frightful; difficult, unpleasant, nasty, disagreeable; stressful, taxing, tough, hard, frustrating, fraught, traumatic, gruelling; informal murderous, lousy; Brit. informal beastly; N. Amer. informal hellacious.
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ANTONYMS :angelic, wonderful.

adverb
(Brit. informal) it's hellish hard work
extremely, very, exceedingly, exceptionally, tremendously, immensely, intensely, unusually, decidedly, particularly, really, truly, mightily; most, so; N. English right; informal terrifically, awfully, fearfully, terribly, devilishly, majorly, seriously, ultra, oh-so, damn, damned; Brit. informal ever so, well, bloody, dead; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful; i nformal, dated devilish; archaic exceeding. ANTONYMS :moderately.

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helm

noun
he took the helm
tiller, wheel; steering gear, rudder.
at the helm
in charge, in command, in control, responsible, in authority, at the wheel, in the driving seat, in the saddle; informal holding the reins, running the show, calling the shots.

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help

verb
can you help me please?
assist, aid, lend a (helping) hand to, give assistance to, come to the aid of; be of service to, be of use to; do someone a favour, do someone a service, do someone a good turn, bail someone out, come to the rescue, give someone a leg up; rally round, pitch in; informal get someone out of a tight spot, save someone's bacon, save someone's skin.
this credit card helps cancer research
support, contribute to, give money to, donate to; promote, boost, back; further the interests of; N. Amer. informal bankroll.
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sore throats are helped by lozenges
relieve, soothe, ease, alleviate, make better, improve, assuage, lessen; remedy, cure, heal.
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ANTONYMS :hinder, impede, worsen.

noun
this could be of help to you
assistance, aid, a helping hand, support, succour, advice, guidance; benefit, use, advantage, service, comfort; informal a shot in the arm.
he sought help for his eczema
relief, alleviation, improvement, assuagement, healing; a remedy, a cure, a restorative.
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they treated the help badly
domestic worker, domestic servant, cleaner, cleaning lady, home help, maid, housemaid, hired help, helper; Brit. informal daily (woman), skivvy, Mrs Mop; Brit. dated charwoman, charlady, char.
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cannot help he could not help laughing

be unable to stop, be unable to refrain from, be unable to keep from. help oneself to
steal, take, appropriate, "borrow", "liberate", pocket, purloin, commandeer; informal swipe, nab, filch, snaffle, walk off with, run off with; Brit. informal nick, pinch, whip, knock off.

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helper

noun
assistant, aide, helpmate, helpmeet, deputy, auxiliary, second, right-hand man/woman, attendant, acolyte; co-worker, workmate, teammate, associate, colleague, partner; informal sidekick.

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helpful

adjective
the staff are helpful
obliging, eager to please, kind, accommodating, supportive, cooperative; sympathetic, neighbourly, charitable.
we found your comments helpful
useful, of use, beneficial, valuable, profitable, fruitful, advantageous, worthwhile, constructive; informative, instructive.
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a helpful new tool
handy, useful, convenient, practical, easy-to-use, functional, serviceable; informal neat, nifty.
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ANTONYMS :unsympathetic, useless, inconvenient.

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helping

noun
portion, serving, piece, slice, share, ration, allocation; informal dollop.

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helpless

adjective
dependent, incapable, powerless, impotent, weak; defenceless, vulnerable, exposed, unprotected, open to attack; paralysed, disabled. ANTONYMS :independent.

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helpmate helpmeet

noun
helper, assistant, attendant; supporter, friend, companion; spouse, partner, mate, husband, wife.

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helter-skelter

adverb
they ran helter-skelter down the hill
headlong, pell-mell, hotfoot, post-haste, hastily, hurriedly, at full pelt, at full tilt, hell for leather; recklessly, precipitately, heedlessly, wildly; informal like a bat out of hell, like the wind, like greased lightning, like a bomb; Brit. informal like the clappers, at a rate of knots; N. Amer. informal lickety-split.
adjective
a helter-skelter collection of houses
disordered, disorderly, chaotic, muddled, jumbled, untidy, haphazard, disorganized, topsy-turvy; informal higgledy-piggledy; Brit. informal shambolic. ANTONYMS :orderly.

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hem

noun
the hem of her dress
edge, edging, border, trim, trimming.
verb
Nan taught me to hem skirts
edge, trim.
hem someone/something in
a bay hemmed in by pine trees
surround, border, edge, encircle, circle, ring, enclose, skirt, fringe, encompass.

we were hemmed in by the rules
restrict, confine, trap, hedge in, fence in; constrain, restrain, limit, curb, check.
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he-man

noun
(informal) muscleman, strongman, macho man, iron man; Hercules, Samson, Tarzan; informal hunk, tough guy, beefcake, bruiser. ANTONYMS :wimp.

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hence

adverb
consequently, as a consequence, for this reason, therefore, ergo, thus, so, accordingly, as a result, because of that, that being so.

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henceforth henceforward

adverb
from now on, as of now, in (the) future, hence, subsequently, from this day on, from this day forth; formal hereafter.

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henchman

noun
right-hand man, assistant, aide, helper; underling, minion, man Friday, lackey, flunkey, stooge; bodyguard, minder; informal sidekick, crony, heavy.

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henpecked

adjective
browbeaten, downtrodden, bullied, dominated, subjugated, oppressed, intimidated; meek, timid, cringing; informal under someone's thumb, led by the nose. ANTONYMS :domineering.

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herald

noun
(historical) a herald announced the armistice
messenger, courier; proclaimer, announcer, crier.
the first herald of spring
harbinger, sign, indicator, indication, signal, prelude, portent, omen; forerunner, precursor; poetic/literary foretoken.
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verb
shouts heralded their approach
proclaim, announce, broadcast, publicize, declare, trumpet, blazon, advertise.
the speech heralded a policy change
signal, indicate, announce, spell, presage, augur, portend, promise, foretell; usher in, pave the way for, be a harbinger of; poetic/literary foretoken, betoken.
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Herculean

adjective
a Herculean task
arduous, gruelling, laborious, back-breaking, onerous, strenuous, difficult, formidable, hard, tough, huge, massive, uphill; demanding, exhausting, taxing; archaic toilsome.
his Herculean build
strong, muscular, muscly, powerful, robust, solid, strapping, brawny, burly; informal hunky, beefy, hulking.
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ANTONYMS :easy, puny.

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herd

noun
a herd of cows
drove, flock, pack, fold; group, collection.
a herd of actors
crowd, group, bunch, horde, mob, host, pack, multitude, throng, swarm, company.
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they consider themselves above the herd
the common people, the masses, the rank and file, the crowd, the commonality, the commonalty, the plebeians; the hoi polloi, the mob, the proletariat, the rabble, the riff-raff, the great unwashed; informal the proles, the plebs.
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verb
we herded the sheep into the pen
drive, shepherd, guide; round up, gather, collect.
we all herded into the room
crowd, pack, flock; cluster, huddle.
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they herd reindeer
tend, look after, keep, watch (over), mind, guard.
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herdsman herdswoman

noun
stockman, herder, drover, cattleman, cowherd, cowhand, cowman, cowboy, rancher, shepherd; N. Amer. ranchero; N. Amer. informal cowpuncher, cowpoke; archaic herd.

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here

adverb
they lived here
at/in this place, at/in this spot, at/in this location.
I am here now
present, in attendance, attending, at hand; available.
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come here tomorrow
to this place, to this spot, to this location, over here, nearer, closer; poetic/literary hither.
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here is your opportunity
now, at this moment, at this point (in time), at this juncture, at this stage.
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ANTONYMS :absent.

here and there
clumps of heather here and there
in various places, in different places; at random.

they darted here and there
hither and thither, around, about, to and fro, back and forth, in all directions.
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hereafter

adverb
(formal) nothing I say hereafter is intended to offend
from now on, after this, as of now, from this moment forth, from this day forth, from this day forward, subsequently, in (the) future, hence, henceforth, henceforward; formal hereinafter.
noun
our preparation for the hereafter
life after death, the afterlife, the afterworld, the next world; eternity, heaven, paradise.

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hereditary

adjective
a hereditary right
inherited; bequeathed, willed, handed-down, passed-down, passed-on, transferred; ancestral, family, familial.
a hereditary disease
genetic, genetical, congenital, inborn, inherited, inbred, innate; in the family, in the blood, in the genes.
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heredity

noun
congenital traits, genetic make-up, genes; ancestry, descent, extraction, parentage.

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heresy

noun
dissension, dissent, nonconformity, heterodoxy, unorthodoxy, apostasy, blasphemy, freethinking; agnosticism, atheism, non-belief; idolatry, paganism.

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heretic

noun
dissenter, nonconformist, apostate, freethinker, iconoclast; agnostic, atheist, non-believer, unbeliever, idolater, idolatress, pagan, heathen; archaic paynim. ANTONYMS :conformist, believer.

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heritage

noun
they stole his heritage
inheritance, birthright, patrimony; legacy, bequest; Law, dated hereditament.
Europe's cultural heritage
tradition, history, past, background; culture, customs.
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his Greek heritage
ancestry, lineage, descent, extraction, parentage, roots, background, heredity.
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hermaphrodite

noun
androgyne, intersex, epicene; Biology bisexual, gynandromorph.
adjective
hermaphrodite creatures
androgynous, intersex, hermaphroditic, hermaphroditical, epicene; Biology bisexual, gynandrous, gynandromorphic.

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hermetic

adjective
airtight, tight, sealed; watertight, waterproof.

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hermit

noun
recluse, solitary, loner, ascetic; historical anchorite, anchoress; archaic eremite.

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hermitage

noun
retreat, refuge, hideaway, hideout, shelter; informal hidey-hole.

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hero

noun
a war hero
brave man, man of courage, man of the hour, lionheart, warrior; champion, victor, conqueror.
a football hero
star, superstar, megastar, idol, celebrity, luminary; ideal, paragon, shining example; favourite, darling; informal celeb.
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the hero of the film
male protagonist, principal male character/role, starring role, star part; male lead, lead (actor), leading man.
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ANTONYMS :coward, loser, villain.

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heroic

adjective
heroic rescuers
brave, courageous, valiant, valorous, lionhearted, intrepid, bold, fearless, daring, audacious; unafraid, undaunted, dauntless, doughty, plucky, stout-hearted, mettlesome; gallant, chivalrous, noble; informal gutsy, spunky.
obelisks on a heroic scale
prodigious, grand, enormous, huge, massive, titanic, colossal, monumental; epic; informal mega.
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heroine

noun
she's a heroine she saved my baby
brave woman, hero, woman of courage, woman of the hour; victor, winner, conqueror.
the literary heroine of Moscow
star, superstar, megastar, idol, celebrity, luminary; ideal, paragon, shining example; favourite, darling; informal celeb.
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the film's heroine
female protagonist, principal female character/role; female lead, lead (actress), leading lady; prima donna, diva.
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heroism

noun
bravery, courage, valour, intrepidity, boldness, daring, audacity, fearlessness, dauntlessness, pluck, stout-heartedness, lionheartedness; backbone, spine, grit, spirit, mettle; gallantry, chivalry; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie.

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hero-worship

noun
idolization, adulation, admiration, lionization, idealization, worship, adoration, veneration.

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hesitancy

noun
. See hesitation.

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hesitant

adjective
she is hesitant about buying
uncertain, undecided, unsure, doubtful, dubious, sceptical; tentative, nervous, reluctant; indecisive, irresolute, hesitating, dithering, vacillating, blowing hot and cold; ambivalent, in two minds; Brit. havering, humming and hawing; informal iffy.
a hesitant child
lacking confidence, diffident, timid, shy, bashful, insecure.
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ANTONYMS :certain, decisive, confident.

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hesitate

verb
she hesitated, unsure of what to say
pause, delay, wait, shilly-shally, dither, stall, temporize; be in two minds, be uncertain, be unsure, be doubtful, be indecisive, equivocate, vacillate, waver, blow hot and cold, have second thoughts; Brit. haver, hum and haw; informal dilly-dally.
don't hesitate to contact me
be reluctant, be unwilling, be disinclined, scruple; have misgivings about, have qualms about, shrink from, demur from, think twice about, baulk at.
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hesitation

noun
hesitancy, hesitance, uncertainty, unsureness, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiousness; irresolution, irresoluteness, indecision, indecisiveness; equivocation, vacillation, second thoughts; dithering, stalling, temporization, delay; reluctance, disinclination, unease, ambivalence; formal dubiety.

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heterodox

adjective
unorthodox, nonconformist, dissenting, dissident, rebellious, renegade; heretical, blasphemous, apostate, sceptical. ANTONYMS :orthodox.

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heterogeneous

adjective
diverse, varied, varying, miscellaneous, assorted, mixed, sundry, disparate, different, differing, unrelated; motley; poetic/literary divers. ANTONYMS :homogeneous.

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heterosexual

adjective
informal straight, hetero, het. ANTONYMS :homosexual, gay.

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hew

verb
chop, hack, cut, lop, axe, cleave; fell; carve, shape, fashion, sculpt, model.

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heyday

noun
prime, peak, height, pinnacle, acme, zenith; day, time, bloom; prime of life, salad days.

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hiatus

noun
pause, break, gap, lacuna, interval, intermission, interlude, interruption, suspension, lull, respite, time out; N. Amer. recess; informal breather, let-up.

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hibernate

verb
lie dormant, lie torpid, sleep; overwinter.

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hidden

adjective
a hidden camera
concealed, secret, invisible, unseen, out of sight; camouflaged, disguised, masked.
a hidden meaning
obscure, unclear, concealed, indistinct, indefinite, vague, unfathomable, inexplicable; cryptic, mysterious, secret, covert, abstruse, arcane; ulterior, deep, subliminal, coded.
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ANTONYMS :visible, obvious.

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hide 1

verb
he hid the money
conceal, secrete, put out of sight; camouflage; lock up, stow away, cache; informal stash.
they hid in an air vent
conceal oneself, secrete oneself, hide out, take cover, keep out of sight; lie low, go to ground, go to earth; informal hole up; Brit. informal, dated lie doggo.
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clouds hid the moon
obscure, block out, blot out, obstruct, cloud, shroud, veil, blanket, envelop, eclipse.
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he could not hide his dislike
conceal, keep secret, cover up, keep dark, keep quiet about, hush up, bottle up, suppress; disguise, mask, camouflage; informal keep under one's hat, keep a/the lid on.
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ANTONYMS :flaunt, reveal.

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hide 2

noun
the hide should be tanned quickly
skin, pelt, coat; leather.

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hideaway

noun
retreat, refuge, hiding place, hideout, den, bolt-hole, shelter, sanctuary, sanctum; hermitage; informal hidey-hole.

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hidebound

adjective
conservative, reactionary, conventional, orthodox; fundamentalist, diehard, hard-line, dyed-in-the-wool, set in one's ways; narrow-minded, small-minded, intolerant, uncompromising, rigid; prejudiced, bigoted; Brit. blimpish. ANTONYMS :liberal.

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hideous

adjective
a hideous smile
ugly, repulsive, repellent, unsightly, revolting, gruesome, grotesque, monstrous, ghastly, reptilian; informal as ugly as sin.
hideous cases of torture
horrific, terrible, appalling, awful, dreadful, frightful, horrible, horrendous, horrifying, shocking, sickening, gruesome, ghastly, unspeakable, abhorrent, monstrous, heinous, abominable, foul, vile, odious, execrable.
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ANTONYMS :beautiful, pleasant.

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hideout

noun
hiding place, hideaway, retreat, refuge, shelter, bolt-hole, safe house, sanctuary, sanctum; informal hidey-hole.

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hiding 1

noun
(informal) they gave him a hiding
beating, battering, thrashing, thumping, drubbing, pelting; flogging, whipping, caning, birching; informal licking, belting, bashing, pasting, walloping, clobbering, tanning.

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hiding 2

in hiding the fugitive is in hiding

hidden, concealed, lying low, gone to ground, gone to earth, in a safe house; Brit. informal, dated lying doggo.

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hiding place

noun
hideaway, hideout, retreat, refuge, shelter, sanctuary, sanctum, bolt-hole, safe house; informal hidey-hole.

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hie

verb
(archaic). See hurry verb sense 1.

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hierarchy

noun
pecking order, ranking, grading, ladder, scale.

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hieroglyphic

noun
hieroglyphics on a stone monument
symbols, signs, ciphers, code; cryptograms.
notebooks filled with hieroglyphics
scribble, scrawl, illegible writing; shorthand.
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adjective
hieroglyphic brass ornamentation
symbolic, stylized, emblematic.
hieroglyphic handwriting
illegible, indecipherable, unreadable, scribbled, scrawled.
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higgledy-piggledy (informal)

adjective
a higgledy-piggledy pile of papers
disordered, disorderly, disorganized, untidy, messy, chaotic, jumbled, muddled, confused, unsystematic, irregular; out of order, in disarray, in a mess, in a muddle, haphazard; informal all over the place; Brit. informal shambolic. ANTONYMS :tidy.

adverb
the cars were parked higgledy-piggledy
in disorder, in a muddle, in a jumble, in disarray, untidily, haphazardly, anyhow; informal all over the place, topsy-turvy, every which way, any old how; Brit. informal all over the shop; N. Amer. informal all over the map, all over the lot.

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high

adjective
a high mountain
tall, lofty, towering, elevated, giant, big; multi-storey, high-rise.
a high position in the government
high-ranking, high-level, leading, top, top-level, prominent, pre-eminent, foremost, senior; influential, powerful, important, elevated, prime, premier, exalted; N. Amer. ranking; informal top-notch.
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high principles
high-minded, noble, lofty, moral, ethical, honourable, admirable, upright, honest, virtuous, righteous.
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high prices
inflated, excessive, unreasonable, expensive, dear, costly, exorbitant, extortionate, prohibitive; Brit. over the odds; informal steep, stiff, pricey.
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high standards
excellent, outstanding, exemplary, exceptional, admirable, fine, good, first-class, first-rate, superior, superlative, superb; impeccable, irreproachable, unimpeachable, perfect, flawless; informal A1, top-notch.
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high winds
strong, powerful, violent, intense, extreme, forceful, stiff; blustery, gusty, squally, tempestuous, turbulent.
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the high life
luxurious, lavish, extravagant, grand, opulent; sybaritic, hedonistic; Brit. upmarket; N. Amer. upscale; informal fancy, classy, swanky.
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I have a high opinion of you
favourable, good, positive, approving, admiring, complimentary, commendatory, flattering, glowing, adulatory, rapturous.
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a high note
high-pitched, high-frequency; soprano, treble, falsetto, shrill, sharp, piercing, penetrating.
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(informal) they are high on drugs
intoxicated, inebriated, drugged, stupefied, befuddled, delirious, hallucinating; informal high as a kite, stoned, tripping, hyped up, spaced out, wasted, wrecked, off one's head.
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the partridges were high
gamy, smelly, strong-smelling; stinking, reeking, rank, malodorous, bad, off, rotting; Brit. informal pongy, niffy, whiffy; N. Amer. informal funky.
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ANTONYMS :short, lowly, amoral, cheap, low, light, abstemious, unfavourable, deep, sober, fresh.

noun
prices were at a rare high
high level, high point, peak, high water mark; pinnacle, zenith, acme, height. ANTONYMS :low.

adverb
a jet flew high overhead
at great height, high up, far up, way up, at altitude; in the air, in the sky, on high, aloft, overhead. ANTONYMS :low.

high and dry
destitute, bereft, helpless, in the lurch, in difficulties; abandoned, stranded, marooned. high and low
everywhere, all over, all around, far and wide, (here, there, and everywhere), extensively, thoroughly, widely, in every nook and cranny; informal all over the place; Brit. informal all over the shop; N. Amer. informal all over the map. high and mighty (informal)
self-important, condescending, patronizing, disdainful, supercilious, superior, snobbish, snobby, haughty, conceited, above oneself; informal stuck-up, snooty, hoity-toity, la-di-da, uppity; Brit. informal toffee-nosed. on a high (informal)
ecstatic, euphoric, delirious, elated, thrilled, overjoyed, beside oneself, walking on air, on cloud nine, in seventh heaven, jumping for joy, in raptures, exultant, jubilant; excited, overexcited; informal blissed out, over the moon, on top of the world; Austral./NZ informal wrapped.

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high-born

adjective
noble, aristocratic, well born, titled, patrician, blue-blooded, upper-class; informal upper-crust, top-drawer; Brit. informal posh; archaic gentle. ANTONYMS :lowly.

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highbrow

adjective
his work has a highbrow following
intellectual, scholarly, bookish, academic, educated, donnish, bluestocking; sophisticated, erudite, learned; informal brainy, egghead. ANTONYMS :lowbrow.

noun
highbrows who hate pop music
intellectual, scholar, academic, bluestocking, bookish person, thinker; informal egghead, brain, bookworm; Brit. informal brainbox, boffin; N. Amer. informal brainiac.

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high-class

adjective
superior, upper-class, first-rate; excellent, select, elite, choice, premier, top, top-flight; luxurious, de luxe, high-quality, top-quality; Brit. upmarket; informal top-notch, top-drawer, A1, classy, posh.

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highfalutin

adjective
(informal). See pretentious.

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high-flown

adjective
grand, extravagant, elaborate, flowery, ornate, overblown, overdone, overwrought, grandiloquent, magniloquent, grandiose, inflated, affected, pretentious, turgid; informal windy, purple, highfalutin, la-di-da. ANTONYMS :plain.

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high-handed

adjective
imperious, arbitrary, peremptory, arrogant, haughty, domineering, pushy, overbearing, heavy-handed, lordly; inflexible, rigid; autocratic, authoritarian, dictatorial, tyrannical; informal bossy, high and mighty. ANTONYMS :liberal.

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high jinks

plural noun
antics, pranks, larks, escapades, stunts, practical jokes, tricks; fun (and games), skylarking, mischief, horseplay, tomfoolery, clowning; informal shenanigans, capers, monkey business; Brit. informal monkey tricks.

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highland

noun
uplands, highlands, mountains, hills, heights, moors; upland, tableland, plateau; Brit. wolds.

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highlight

noun
the highlight of his career
high point, high spot, best part, climax, peak, pinnacle, height, acme, zenith, summit, crowning moment, high water mark. ANTONYMS :nadir.

verb
he has highlighted shortcomings in the plan
spotlight, call attention to, focus on, underline, feature, play up, show up, bring out, accentuate, accent, give prominence to, zero in on, stress, emphasize.

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highly

adverb
a highly dangerous substance
very, extremely, exceedingly, particularly, most, really, thoroughly, decidedly, distinctly, exceptionally, immensely, inordinately, singularly, extraordinarily; N. English right; informal terrifically, awfully, terribly, majorly, seriously, desperately, mega, ultra, oh-so, damn, damned; Brit. informal ever so, well, dead, jolly; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful; dated frightfully.
he was highly regarded
favourably, well, appreciatively, admiringly, approvingly, positively, glowingly, enthusiastically.
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ANTONYMS :slightly, unfavourably.

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highly strung

adjective
nervous, nervy, excitable, temperamental, sensitive, unstable; brittle, on edge, edgy, jumpy, restless, anxious, tense, stressed, overwrought, neurotic; informal uptight, twitchy, wired, wound up, het up. ANTONYMS :easy-going.

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high-minded

adjective
high-principled, principled, honourable, moral, upright, upstanding, right-minded, noble, good, honest, decent, ethical, righteous, virtuous, worthy, idealistic. ANTONYMS :unprincipled.

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high-pitched

adjective
high, high-frequency, shrill, sharp, piping, piercing; soprano, treble, falsetto. ANTONYMS :deep.

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high-powered

adjective
dynamic, ambitious, energetic, assertive, enterprising, vigorous; forceful, aggressive, pushy, high-octane; informal go-ahead, go-getting; N. Amer. informal go-go.

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high-pressure

adjective
forceful, insistent, persistent, pushy; intensive, high-powered, aggressive, coercive, compelling, thrusting, not taking no for an answer.

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high-priced

adjective
expensive, costly, dear; overpriced, exorbitant, extortionate; Brit. over the odds; informal pricey, steep, stiff.

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high-sounding

adjective
grand, high-flown, extravagant, elaborate, flowery, ornate, overblown, overdone, overwrought, grandiloquent, magniloquent, grandiose, inflated, affected, pretentious, turgid; informal windy, purple, highfalutin, la-di-da. ANTONYMS :plain.

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high-speed

adjective
fast, quick, rapid, speedy, swift, breakneck, lightning, brisk; express, non-stop, whistle-stop; informal nippy, zippy, supersonic; poetic/literary fleet. ANTONYMS :slow.

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high-spirited

adjective
lively, spirited, full of fun, fun-loving, animated, zestful, bouncy, bubbly, sparkling, vivacious, buoyant, cheerful, joyful, exuberant, ebullient, jaunty, irrepressible; informal chirpy, peppy, sparky, bright and breezy, full of beans; poetic/literary frolicsome.

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high spirits

plural noun
liveliness, vitality, spirit, zest, energy, bounce, sparkle, vivacity, buoyancy, cheerfulness, good humour, joy, joyfulness, exuberance, ebullience, joie de vivre; informal pep, zing.

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highwayman

noun
(historical) bandit, robber, outlaw, ruffian, marauder, raider; historical footpad; poetic/literary brigand.

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hijack

verb
commandeer, seize, take over; skyjack; appropriate, expropriate, confiscate; informal snatch.

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hike

noun
a five-mile hike
walk, trek, tramp, trudge, slog, footslog, march; ramble; Brit. informal yomp.
verb
they hiked across the moors
walk, trek, tramp, trudge, slog, footslog, march; ramble; informal hoof it, leg it; Brit. informal yomp.
hike something up
Roy hiked up his trousers
hitch up, pull up, hoist, lift, raise; informal yank up.

they hiked up the price
increase, raise, up, put up, mark up, push up, inflate; informal jack up, bump up.
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hilarious

adjective
a hilarious story
very funny, hysterically funny, hysterical, uproarious, riotous, farcical, rib-tickling; humorous, comic, amusing, entertaining; informal side-splitting, priceless, a scream, a hoot.
a hilarious evening
amusing, entertaining, animated, high-spirited, lively, funny, merry, jolly, mirthful, cheerful, uproarious, boisterous; informal wacky.
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ANTONYMS :sad, serious.

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hilarity

noun
amusement, mirth, laughter, merriment, light-heartedness, levity, fun, humour, jocularity, jollity, gaiety, delight, glee, exuberance, high spirits; comedy.

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hill

noun
the top of the hill
high ground, prominence, hillock, foothill, hillside, rise, mound, mount, knoll, hummock, tor, tump, fell, pike, mesa; bank, ridge, slope, incline, gradient; (hills) heights, downs; Scottish & Irish drum; Scottish brae; Geology drumlin; formal eminence.
a hill of rubbish
heap, pile, stack, mound, mountain, mass; Scottish, Irish, & N. English rickle.
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hillock

noun
mound, small hill, prominence, elevation, rise, knoll, hummock, hump, tump, dune; bank, ridge; N. English howe; N. Amer. knob; formal eminence.

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hilt

noun
handle, haft, handgrip, grip, shaft, shank, stock, helve.
to the hilt
completely, fully, wholly, totally, entirely, utterly, unreservedly, unconditionally, in every respect, in all respects, one hundred per cent, every inch, to the full, to the maximum extent, all the way, body and soul, heart and soul.

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hind

adjective
back, rear, hinder, hindmost, posterior. ANTONYMS :fore, front.

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hinder

verb
hamper, obstruct, impede, inhibit, retard, baulk, thwart, foil, curb, delay, arrest, interfere with, set back, slow down, hold back, hold up, stop, halt; restrict, restrain, constrain, block, check, curtail, frustrate, cramp, handicap, cripple, hamstring; informal stymie; Brit. informal throw a spanner in the works. ANTONYMS :facilitate.

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hindmost

adjective
furthest back, last, rear, rearmost, end, endmost, final, tail. ANTONYMS :leading.

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hindrance

noun
impediment, obstacle, barrier, bar, obstruction, handicap, block, hurdle, restraint, restriction, limitation, encumbrance; complication, delay, drawback, setback, difficulty, inconvenience, snag, catch, hitch, stumbling block; informal fly in the ointment, hiccup, facer; Brit. informal spanner in the works. ANTONYMS :help.

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hinge

verb
our future hinges on the election
depend, hang, rest, turn, centre, be contingent, be dependent, be conditional; be determined by, be decided by, revolve around.

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hint

noun
a hint that he would leave
clue, inkling, suggestion, indication, indicator, sign, signal, pointer, intimation, insinuation, innuendo, mention, whisper.
handy hints about painting
tip, suggestion, pointer, clue, guideline, recommendation; advice, help; informal how-to, wrinkle.
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a hint of mint
trace, touch, suspicion, suggestion, dash, soupçon, tinge, modicum, whiff, taste, undertone; informal smidgen, tad.
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verb
what are you hinting at?
imply, insinuate, intimate, suggest, indicate, signal; allude to, refer to, drive at, mean; informal get at.

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hinterland

noun
the backwoods, a backwater, the wilds, the bush, the back of beyond; Austral./NZ the outback, the backblocks, the booay; informal the sticks, the middle of nowhere; N. Amer. informal the boondocks, the tall timbers.

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hip

adjective
(informal). See fashionable.

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hippy

noun
flower child, bohemian, dropout, free spirit, nonconformist.

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hips

plural noun
pelvis, hindquarters, haunches, thighs. sciatic.

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hire

verb
we hired a car
rent, lease, charter.
they hire labour in line with demand
employ, engage, recruit, appoint, take on, sign up, enrol, commission, enlist.
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ANTONYMS :dismiss.

noun
the hire of the machine
rental, rent, hiring, lease, leasing, charter.

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hire purchase

noun
instalment plan, deferred payment, HP, credit, finance, easy terms; Brit. informal the never-never.

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hirsute

adjective
(formal) hairy, shaggy, bushy, hair-covered; woolly, furry, fleecy, fuzzy; bearded, unshaven, bristly.

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hiss

verb
the escaping gas hissed
fizz, fizzle, whistle, wheeze; rare sibilate.
the audience hissed
jeer, catcall, whistle, hoot; scoff, jibe.
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noun
the hiss of the steam
fizz, fizzing, whistle, hissing, sibilance, wheeze; rare sibilation.
the speaker received hisses
jeer, catcall, whistle; abuse, scoffing, taunting, derision.
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historian

noun
chronicler, annalist, archivist, recorder; historiographer, antiquarian, chronologist.

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historic

adjective
significant, notable, important, momentous, consequential, memorable, unforgettable, remarkable; famous, famed, celebrated, renowned; landmark, ground-breaking, epoch-making, red-letter, earth-shattering. ANTONYMS :insignificant.

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historical

adjective
historical evidence
documented, recorded, chronicled, archival; authentic, factual, actual, true.
historical figures
past, bygone, ancient, old, former; poetic/literary of yore.
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ANTONYMS :contemporary.

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history

noun
my interest in history
the past, former times, historical events, the olden days, the old days, bygone days, yesterday, antiquity; poetic/literary days of yore, yesteryear.
a history of the Civil War
chronicle, archive, record, report, narrative, account, study, tale; memoir.
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she gave details of her history
background, past, life story, experiences; antecedents.
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histrionic

adjective
melodramatic, theatrical, dramatic, exaggerated, actressy, stagy, showy, affected, artificial, overacted, overdone; informal hammy, ham, camp.

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histrionics

plural noun
dramatics, theatricals, theatrics, tantrums; affectation, staginess, artificiality.

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hit

verb
she hit her child
strike, slap, smack, cuff, punch, thump, swat; beat, thrash, batter, belabour, pound, welt, pummel, box someone's ears; whip, flog, cane; informal whack, wallop, bash, biff, bop, lam, clout, clip, clobber, sock, swipe, crown, beat the living daylights out of, give someone a (good) hiding, belt, tan, lay into, let someone have it, deck, floor; Brit. informal stick one on, dot, slosh; N. Amer. informal slug, boff; Austral./NZ informal dong; poetic/literary smite.
a car hit the barrier
crash into, run into, smash into, smack into, knock into, bump into, cannon into, plough into, collide with, meet head-on; N. Amer. impact.
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the tragedy hit her hard
devastate, affect badly, hurt, harm, leave a mark on; upset, shatter, crush, shock, overwhelm, traumatize; informal knock sideways, knock the stuffing out of; Brit. informal knock for six.
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(informal) spending will hit £1,800 million
reach, touch, arrive at, rise to, climb to.
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it hit me that I had forgotten
occur to, strike, dawn on, come to; enter one's head, cross one's mind, come to mind, spring to mind.
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noun
he received a hit from behind
blow, thump, punch, knock, bang, box, cuff, slap, smack, tap, crack, stroke, welt; impact, collision, bump, crash; informal whack, thwack, wallop, bash, belt, biff, clout, sock, swipe, clip; Brit. informal slosh; N. Amer. informal boff, slug; Austral./NZ dong.
a hit at his friend's religion
jibe, taunt, jeer, sneer, barb; informal dig, crack, wisecrack, put-down.
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he directed many big hits
success, box-office success, sell-out, winner, triumph, sensation; best-seller; informal smash (hit), knockout, crowd-puller, wow, biggie; Brit. informal smasher.
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ANTONYMS :compliment, failure.

hit back
retaliate, respond, reply, react, counter, defend oneself. hit home
have the intended effect, strike home, hit the mark, register, be understood, get through, sink in. hit it off (informal)
get on (well), get along, be friends, be friendly, be compatible, feel a rapport, see eye to eye, take to each other, warm to each other; informal click, get on like a house on fire, be on the same wavelength. hit on/upon
discover, come up with, think of, conceive of, dream up, work out, invent, create, devise, design, pioneer; uncover, stumble on, chance on, light on, come upon. hit out at
criticize, attack, censure, denounce, condemn, lambaste, pillory, rail against, inveigh against, arraign, cast aspersions on, pour scorn on, disparage, denigrate, give a bad press to, run down; informal knock, pan, slam, hammer, lay into, pull to pieces, pick holes in; Brit. informal slag off, slate, rubbish; N. Amer. informal pummel, trash; formal excoriate.

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hitch

verb
she hitched the blanket around her
pull, jerk, hike, lift, raise; informal yank.
Tom hitched the pony to his cart
harness, yoke, couple, fasten, connect, attach, tether.
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(informal) they hitched to college
hitch-hike; informal thumb a lift, hitch a lift.
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noun
it went without a hitch
problem, difficulty, snag, setback, hindrance, obstacle, obstruction, complication, impediment, stumbling block, barrier; hold-up, interruption, delay; informal headache, glitch, hiccup.

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hither

adverb
(poetic/literary) here, to this place, to here, over here, near, nearer, close, closer.

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hitherto

adverb
previously, formerly, earlier, before, beforehand; so far, thus far, to date, as yet, until now, until then, till now, till then, up to now, up to then; formal heretofore.

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hit-or-miss hit-and-miss

adjective
erratic, haphazard, disorganized, undisciplined, unmethodical, uneven; careless, slapdash, slipshod, casual, cursory, lackadaisical, perfunctory, random, aimless, undirected, indiscriminate; informal sloppy, slap-happy. ANTONYMS :meticulous.

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hoard

noun
a secret hoard of gold
cache, stockpile, stock, store, collection, supply, reserve, reservoir, fund, accumulation; treasure house, treasure trove; informal stash.
verb
they hoarded rations
stockpile, store (up), stock up on, put aside, put by, lay by, lay up, set aside, stow away, buy up; cache, amass, collect, save, gather, garner, accumulate, squirrel away, put aside for a rainy day; informal stash away, salt away. ANTONYMS :squander.

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hoarse

adjective
rough, harsh, croaky, throaty, gruff, husky, guttural, growly, gravelly, grating, rasping. ANTONYMS :mellow, clear.

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hoary

adjective
hoary cobwebs
greyish-white, grey, white, silver, silvery; frosty; poetic/literary rimy.
a hoary ancient
grey-haired, white-haired, silver-haired, grizzled; elderly, aged, old, long in the tooth; informal getting on, over the hill.
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a hoary old adage
trite, hackneyed, clichéd, banal, commonplace, predictable, overused, stale, time-worn, tired, unimaginative, unoriginal, uninspired; informal old hat, corny; N. Amer. informal cornball.
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ANTONYMS :young, original.

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hoax

noun
the call was a hoax
practical joke, joke, jest, prank, trick; ruse, deception, fraud, bluff, humbug, confidence trick; informal con, spoof, scam.
verb
the DJ hoaxed his listeners
play a (practical) joke on, play a prank on, trick, fool; deceive, hoodwink, delude, dupe, take in, lead on, bluff, gull, humbug; informal con, kid, have on, pull a fast one on, put one over on, take for a ride, lead up the garden path; N. Amer. informal sucker, snooker.

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hoaxer

noun
(practical) joker, prankster, trickster; fraudster, hoodwinker, swindler; informal spoofer, con man.

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hobble

verb
limp, walk with difficulty, move unsteadily, walk haltingly; shamble, totter, dodder, stagger, stumble; Scottish hirple.

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hobby

noun
pastime, leisure activity, leisure pursuit; sideline, diversion, avocation; recreation, entertainment, amusement, enthusiasm.

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hobgoblin

noun
goblin, imp, sprite, elf, brownie, pixie, leprechaun, gnome; Scottish kelpie.

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hobnob

verb
(informal) associate, mix, fraternize, socialize, keep company, spend time, go around, mingle, consort, rub shoulders; N. Amer. rub elbows; informal hang around/round/out, knock about/around, be thick with.

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hocus-pocus

noun
jargon, mumbo-jumbo, argle-bargle, gibberish, balderdash, claptrap, nonsense, rubbish, twaddle, garbage; informal gobbledegook, double Dutch, hokum; N. Amer. informal flapdoodle; informal, dated bunkum.

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hodgepodge

noun
(N. Amer.). See hotchpotch.

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hog

noun
pig, sow, swine, porker, piglet, boar; informal piggy.
verb
(informal) he hogged the limelight
monopolize, dominate, take over, corner, control. ANTONYMS :share.

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hogwash

noun
(informal). See nonsense sense 1.

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hoi polloi

noun
the masses, the common people, the populace, the public, the multitude, the rank and file, the lower orders, the commonality, the commonalty, the third estate, the plebeians, the proletariat; the mob, the herd, the rabble, the riff-raff, the great unwashed; informal the plebs, the proles.

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hoist

verb
we hoisted the mainsail
raise, lift (up), haul up, heave up, jack up, hike up, winch up, pull up, upraise, uplift, elevate, erect. ANTONYMS :lower.

noun
a mechanical hoist
lifting gear, crane, winch, block and tackle, pulley, windlass, derrick.

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hoity-toity

adjective
(informal) snobbish, snobby, haughty, disdainful, conceited, proud, arrogant, supercilious, superior, imperious, above oneself, self-important; informal high and mighty, snooty, uppity, uppish, la-di-da; Brit. informal toffee-nosed.

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hold

verb
she held a suitcase
clasp, clutch, grasp, grip, clench, cling to, hold on to; carry, bear.
I wanted to hold her
embrace, hug, clasp, cradle, enfold, squeeze, fold in one's arms.
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do you hold a driving licence?
possess, have, own, bear, carry, have to one's name.
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the branch held my weight
support, bear, carry, take, keep up, sustain, prop up, shore up.
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the police were holding him
detain, hold in custody, imprison, lock up, put behind bars, put in prison, put in jail, incarcerate, keep under lock and key, confine, intern; informal put away, put inside.
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try to hold the audience's attention
maintain, keep, occupy, engross, absorb, interest, captivate, fascinate, enthral, rivet; engage, catch, capture, arrest.
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he held a senior post
occupy, have, fill; informal hold down.
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the tank held 250 gallons
take, contain, accommodate, fit; have a capacity of, have room for.
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the court held that there was no evidence
maintain, consider, take the view, believe, think, feel, deem, be of the opinion; judge, rule, decide; informal reckon; formal opine.
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let's hope the weather holds
persist, continue, carry on, go on, hold out, keep up, last, endure, stay, remain.
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the offer still holds
be available, be valid, hold good, stand, apply, remain, exist, be the case, be in force, be in effect.
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they held a meeting
convene, call, summon; conduct, have, organize, run; formal convoke.
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ANTONYMS :release, lose, end.

noun
she kept a hold on my hand
grip, grasp, clasp, clutch.
Tom had a hold over his father
influence, power, control, dominance, authority, leverage, sway, mastery.
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the military tightened their hold on the capital
control, grip, power, stranglehold, dominion, authority.
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get hold of (informal)
I just can't get hold of saffron
obtain, acquire, get, find, come by, pick up, procure; buy, purchase; informal get one's hands on.

I'll try to get hold of Mark
contact, get in touch with, communicate with, make contact with, reach, notify; phone, call, speak to, talk to; Brit. ring (up), get on to.
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hold back
hesitate, pause, stop oneself, desist, forbear. hold someone back
hinder, hamper, impede, obstruct, check, curb, block, thwart, baulk, hamstring, restrain, frustrate, stand in someone's way. hold something back
Jane held back the tears
suppress, fight back, choke back, stifle, smother, subdue, rein in, repress, curb, control, keep a tight rein on; informal keep a/the lid on.

don't hold anything back from me
withhold, hide, conceal, keep secret, keep hidden, keep quiet about, hush up; informal sit on, keep under one's hat.
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hold someone/something dear
cherish, treasure, prize, appreciate, value highly, care for/about, set great store by; informal put on a pedestal. hold someone down
oppress, repress, suppress, subdue, subjugate, keep down, keep under, tyrannize, dominate. hold something down
they will hold down inflation
keep down, keep low, freeze, fix.

(informal) she held down two jobs
occupy, hold, have, do, fill.
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hold forth
speak at length, talk at length, go on, sound off; declaim, spout, pontificate, orate, preach, sermonize; informal speechify, preachify, drone on. hold off the rain held off

stay away, keep off, not come. hold something off
resist, repel, repulse, rebuff, parry, deflect, fend off, stave off, ward off, keep at bay. hold on
hold on a minute
wait (a minute), just a moment, just a second; stay here, stay put; hold the line; informal hang on, sit tight, hold your horses; Brit. informal hang about.

if only they could hold on a while
keep going, persevere, survive, last, continue, struggle on, carry on, go on, hold out, see it through, stay the course; informal soldier on, stick at it, hang in there.
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hold on to
he held on to the chair
clutch, hold, hang on to, clasp, grasp, grip, cling to.

they can't hold on to their staff
retain, keep, hang on to.
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hold one's own. See own. hold out
we held out against the attacks
resist, withstand, hold off, fight off, fend off, keep off, keep at bay, stand up to, stand firm against.

our supplies will hold out
last, remain, be extant, continue.
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hold something out
extend, proffer, offer, present; outstretch, reach out, stretch out, put out. hold something over
postpone, put off, put back, delay, defer, suspend, shelve, hold in abeyance; N. Amer. put over, table, take a rain check on; informal put on ice, put on the back burner, put in cold storage, mothball. hold up the argument doesn't hold up

be convincing, be logical, hold water, bear examination, be sound. hold something up
they held up the trophy
display, hold aloft, exhibit, show (off), flourish, brandish; informal flash.

concrete pillars hold up the bridge
support, hold, bear, carry, take, keep up, prop up, shore up, buttress.
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our flight was held up for hours
delay, detain, make late, set back, keep back, retard, slow up.
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a lack of cash has held up progress
obstruct, impede, hinder, hamper, inhibit, baulk, thwart, curb, hamstring, frustrate, foil, interfere with, stop; informal stymie; Brit. informal throw a spanner in the works of.
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a raider held up the bank
rob; informal stick up, mug.
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hold water. See water. hold with
approve of, agree with, be in favour of, endorse, accept, countenance, support, subscribe to, give one's blessing to, take kindly to; informal stand for; Brit. informal be doing with.

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holder

noun
a knife holder
container, receptacle, case, casing, cover, covering, housing, sheath; stand, rest, rack.
a British passport holder
bearer, owner, possessor, keeper; custodian.
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holdings

plural noun
assets, funds, capital, resources, savings, investments, securities, equities, bonds, stocks and shares, reserves; property, possessions.

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hold-up

noun
I ran into a series of hold-ups
delay, setback, hitch, snag, difficulty, problem, trouble; traffic jam, tailback, gridlock; informal snarl-up, glitch, hiccup.
a bank hold-up
(armed) robbery, (armed) raid; theft, burglary, mugging; informal stick-up; N. Amer. informal heist.
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hole

noun
a hole in the roof
opening, aperture, gap, space, orifice, vent, chink, breach; crack, leak, rift, rupture; puncture, perforation, cut, split, gash, slit, crevice, fissure.
a hole in the ground
pit, ditch, trench, cavity, crater, depression, hollow; well, borehole, excavation, dugout; cave, cavern, pothole.
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the badger's hole
burrow, lair, den, earth, sett; retreat, shelter.
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there are holes in their argument
flaw, fault, defect, weakness, shortcoming, inconsistency, discrepancy, loophole; error, mistake.
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(informal) I was living in a real hole
hovel, slum, shack, mess; informal dump, dive, pigsty, tip.
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(informal) they steal when they are in a hole
predicament, difficult situation, awkward situation, (tight) corner, quandary, dilemma; crisis, emergency, difficulty, trouble, plight, dire straits; informal fix, jam, bind, (tight) spot, pickle, sticky situation, hot water; Brit. informal spot of bother.
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verb
a fuel tank was holed by the attack
puncture, perforate, pierce, penetrate, rupture, split, rent, lacerate, gash.
hole up
the bears hole up in winter
hibernate, lie dormant.

(informal) the snipers holed up in a farmhouse
hide (out), conceal oneself, secrete oneself, shelter, take cover, lie low, go to ground, go to earth; Brit. informal, dated lie doggo.
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pick holes in (informal). See criticize.

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hole-and-corner

adjective
secret, secretive, clandestine, covert, furtive, surreptitious; underhand, devious, stealthy, sneaky, backstairs, hugger-mugger, cloak-and-dagger, under-the-counter; informal hush-hush.

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holiday

noun
a ten-day holiday
vacation, break, rest, recess; time off, time out, leave, furlough, sabbatical; trip, tour, journey, voyage; informal hols, vac; formal sojourn.
the twenty-fourth of May is a holiday
public holiday, bank holiday, festival, feast day, fête, fiesta, celebration, anniversary, jubilee; saint's day, holy day.
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holier-than-thou

adjective
sanctimonious, self-righteous, smug, self-satisfied; priggish, pious, pietistic, Pharisaic; informal goody-goody, preachy. ANTONYMS :humble.

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holler (informal)

verb
he hollers when he wants feeding
shout, yell, cry (out), vociferate, call (out), roar, bellow, bawl, bark, howl; boom, thunder. ANTONYMS :whisper.

noun
a euphoric holler
shout, cry, yell, roar, bellow, bawl, howl; whoop. ANTONYMS :whisper.

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hollow

adjective
each fibre has a hollow core
empty, void, unfilled, vacant.
hollow cheeks
sunken, deep-set, concave, depressed, indented.
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a hollow voice
dull, low, flat, toneless, expressionless; muffled, muted.
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a hollow victory
meaningless, empty, valueless, worthless, useless, pyrrhic, futile, fruitless, profitless, pointless.
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a hollow promise
insincere, hypocritical, feigned, false, sham, deceitful, cynical, spurious, untrue, two-faced; informal phoney, pretend.
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ANTONYMS :solid, worthwhile, sincere.

noun
a hollow under the tree
hole, pit, cavity, crater, trough, cave, cavern; depression, indentation, dip; niche, nook, cranny, recess.
the village lay in a hollow
valley, vale, dale; Brit. dene, combe; N. English clough; Scottish glen, strath; poetic/literary dell.
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verb
a tunnel hollowed out of a mountain
gouge, scoop, dig, cut; excavat e, channel.
beat someone hollow
trounce, defeat utterly, crush, rout, overwhelm, outclass; informal annihilate, drub, hammer, clobber, thrash, lick, paste, crucify, slaughter, massacre, flatten, demolish, destroy, walk over, wipe the floor with, make mincemeat of; Brit. informal stuff; N. Amer. informal shellac, cream, skunk.

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holocaust

noun
cataclysm, disaster, catastrophe; destruction, devastation, annihilation; massacre, slaughter, mass murder, carnage, butchery; genocide, ethnic cleansing.

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holy

adjective
holy men
saintly, godly, saintlike, pious, pietistic, religious, devout, God-fearing, spiritual; righteous, good, virtuous, sinless, pure; canonized, beatified, ordained.
a Jewish holy place
sacred, consecrated, hallowed, sanctified, venerated, revered, divine, religious, blessed, dedicated.
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ANTONYMS :sinful, irreligious, cursed.

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homage

noun
respect, honour, reverence, worship, admiration, esteem, adulation, acclaim; tribute, acknowledgement, recognition; accolade, panegyric, paean, salute.
pay homage to
honour, acclaim, applaud, salute, praise, commend, pay tribute to, take one's hat off to; formal laud.

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home

noun
they fled their homes
residence, place of residence, house, flat, apartment, bungalow, cottage; accommodation, property, quarters, lodgings, rooms; a roof over one's head; address, place; informal pad, digs, semi; formal domicile, abode, dwelling (place), habitation.
I am far from my home
homeland, native land, home town, birthplace, roots, fatherland, motherland, mother country, country of origin, the old country.
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a home for the elderly
institution, nursing home, retirement home, rest home, children's home; hospice, shelter, refuge, retreat, asylum, hostel.
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the home of fine wines
domain, realm, origin, source, cradle, fount, fountainhead.
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adjective
the UK home market
domestic, internal, local, national, interior.
home produce
home-made, home-grown, local, family.
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ANTONYMS :foreign, international.

at home
I was at home all day
in, in one's house, present, available, indoors, inside, here.

she felt very much at home
at ease, comfortable, relaxed, content; in one's element.
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he is at home with mathematics
confident with, conversant with, proficient in; used to, familiar with, au fait with, au courant with, skilled in, experienced in, well versed in; informal well up on.
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she was not at home to friends
entertaining, receiving; playing host to.
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bring something home to someone
make someone realize, make someone understand, make someone aware, make something clear to someone; drive home, press home, impress upon someone, draw attention to, focus attention on, underline, highlight, spotlight, emphasize, stress. hit home. See hit. home in on
focus on, concentrate on, zero in on, centre on, fix on; highlight, spotlight, underline, pinpoint; informal zoom in on. nothing to write home about (informal)
unexceptional, mediocre, ordinary, commonplace, indifferent, average, middle-of-the-road, run-of-the-mill; tolerable, passable, adequate, fair; informal OK, so-so, bog-standard, (plain) vanilla, no great shakes, not so hot, not up to much; Brit. informal common or garden; N. Amer. informal ornery.

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homeland

noun
native land, country of origin, home, fatherland, motherland, mother country, land of one's fathers, the old country.

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homeless

adjective
homeless people
of no fixed abode, without a roof over one's head, on the streets, vagrant, sleeping rough; destitute, down and out.
noun
charities for the homeless
people of no fixed abode, vagrants, down-and-outs, tramps, vagabonds, itinerants, transients, migrants, derelicts, drifters; N. Amer. hoboes; Austral. bagmen; informal bag ladies; Brit. informal dossers; N. Amer. informal bums.

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homely

adjective
a homely atmosphere
cosy, homelike, homey, comfortable, snug, welcoming, friendly, congenial, intimate, warm, hospitable, informal, relaxed, pleasant, cheerful; informal comfy.
homely pursuits
unsophisticated, everyday, ordinary, domestic, simple, modest, unpretentious, unassuming; homespun, folksy.
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(N. Amer.) she's rather homely
unattractive, plain, unprepossessing, unlovely, ill-favoured, ugly; informal not much to look at; Brit. informal no oil painting.
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ANTONYMS :uncomfortable, formal, sophisticated, attractive.

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homespun

adjective
unsophisticated, plain, simple, unpolished, unrefined, rustic, folksy; coarse, rough, crude, rudimentary. ANTONYMS :sophisticated.

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homey

adjective
the house is homey yet elegant
cosy, homelike, homely, comfortable, snug, welcoming, informal, relaxed, intimate, warm, pleasant, cheerful; informal comfy.
peasant life was simple and homey
unsophisticated, homely, unrefined, unpretentious, plain, simple, modest.
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ANTONYMS :uncomfortable, formal, sophisticated.

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homicidal

adjective
murderous, violent, brutal, savage, ferocious, vicious, bloody, bloodthirsty, barbarous, barbaric; deadly, lethal, mortal, death-dealing; poetic/literary fell; archaic sanguinary.

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homicide

noun
he was charged with homicide
murder, killing, slaughter, butchery, massacre; assassination, execution, extermination; patricide, matricide, infanticide; poetic/literary slaying.
(dated) a convicted homicide
killer, assassin, serial killer, butcher, slaughterer; patricide, matricide, infanticide; informal hit man, hired gun; dated cut-throat; poetic/literary slayer.
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homily

noun
sermon, lecture, discourse, address, lesson, talk, speech, oration.

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homogeneous

adjective
a homogeneous group
uniform, identical, unvaried, consistent, undistinguishable; alike, similar, (much) the same, all of a piece; informal much of a muchness.
we have to compete with homogeneous products
similar, comparable, equivalent, like, analogous, corresponding, parallel, matching, related; formal cognate.
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ANTONYMS :different.

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homogenize

verb
make uniform, make similar, unite, integrate, fuse, merge, blend, meld, coalesce, amalgamate, combine. ANTONYMS :diversify.

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homogenous

adjective
. See homogeneous.

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homologous

adjective
similar, comparable, equivalent, like, analogous, corresponding, correspondent, parallel, matching, related, congruent; formal cognate. ANTONYMS :different.

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homosexual

adjective
gay, lesbian; informal queer, camp, pink, swinging the other way, homo, dykey; Brit. informal bent, poofy. ANTONYMS :heterosexual.

noun
gay, lesbian; informal queer, homo, queen, friend of Dorothy, pansy, nancy, dyke, les, lezzy, butch, femme; Brit. informal poof, ponce, woofter. ANTONYMS :heterosexual.

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hone

verb
sharpen, whet, strop, grind, file. ANTONYMS :blunt.

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honest

adjective
an honest man
upright, honourable, moral, ethical, principled, righteous, right-minded, respectable; virtuous, good, decent, law-abiding, high-minded, upstanding, incorruptible, truthful, trustworthy, trusty, reliable, conscientious, scrupulous, reputable; informal on the level.
I haven't been honest with you
truthful, sincere, candid, frank, open, forthright, straight; straightforward, plain-speaking, matter-of-fact; informal upfront.
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an honest mistake
genuine, real, authentic, actual, true, bona fide, legitimate, fair and square; informal legit, kosher, on the level, honest-to-goodness.
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ANTONYMS :unscrupulous, insincere.

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honestly

adverb
he earned the money honestly
fairly, lawfully, legally, legitimately, honourably, decently, ethically, in good faith, by the book; informal on the level.
we honestly believe this is for the best
sincerely, genuinely, truthfully, truly, wholeheartedly; really, actually, to be honest, to tell you the truth, to be frank, in all honesty, in all sincerity; informal Scouts' honour.
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honesty

noun
I can attest to his honesty
integrity, uprightness, honourableness, honour, morality, morals, ethics, (high) principles, righteousness, right-mindedness; virtue, goodness, probity, high-mindedness, fairness, incorruptibility, truthfulness, trustworthiness, reliability, dependability.
they spoke with honesty about their fears
sincerity, candour, frankness, directness, truthfulness, truth, openness, straightforwardness.
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honeyed

adjective
sweet, sugary, saccharine, pleasant, flattering, adulatory, unctuous; dulcet, soothing, soft, mellow, mellifluous. ANTONYMS :harsh.

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honorarium

noun
fee, payment, consideration, allowance; remuneration, pay, expenses, compensation, recompense, reward; formal emolument.

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honorary

adjective
an honorary doctorate
titular, nominal, in name only, unofficial, token.
(Brit.) an honorary treasurer
unpaid, unsalaried, voluntary, volunteer; N. Amer. pro bono (publico).
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honour

noun
a man of honour
integrity, honesty, uprightness, ethics, morals, morality, (high) principles, righteousness, high-mindedness; virtue, goodness, decency, probity, scrupulousness, worth, fairness, justness, trustworthiness, reliability, dependability.
a mark of honour
distinction, privilege, glory, kudos, cachet, prestige, merit, credit; importance, illustriousness, notability; respect, esteem, approbation.
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our honour is at stake
reputation, (good) name, character, repute, image, kudos, standing, stature, status.
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he was welcomed with honour
acclaim, acclamation, applause, accolades, tributes, compliments, salutes, bouquets; homage, praise, glory, reverence, adulation, exaltation.
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she had the honour of meeting the Queen
privilege, pleasure, pride, joy; compliment, favour.
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military honours
accolade, award, reward, prize, decoration, distinction, medal, ribbon, star, laurel; Military, informal fruit salad; Brit. informal gong.
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(dated) she died defending her honour
chastity, virginity, maidenhead, purity, innocence, modesty; informal cherry; archaic virtue, maidenhood.
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ANTONYMS :unscrupulousness, shame.

verb
we should honour our parents
esteem, respect, admire, defer to, look up to; appreciate, value, cherish; reverence, revere, venerate, worship; informal put on a pedestal.
they were honoured at a special ceremony
applaud, acclaim, praise, salute, recognize, celebrate, commemorate, commend, hail, lionize, exalt, eulogize, pay homage to, pay tribute to, sing the praises of; formal laud.
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he honoured the contract
fulfil, observe, keep, obey, heed, follow, carry out, discharge, implement, execute, effect; keep to, abide by, adhere to, comply with, conform to, be true to, live up to.
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the cheque was not honoured
accept, take, clear, pass, cash; Brit. encash.
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ANTONYMS :disgrace, criticize, disobey.

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honourable

adjective
an honourable man
honest, moral, ethical, principled, righteous, right-minded; decent, respectable, virtuous, good, upstanding, upright, worthy, noble, fair, just, truthful, trustworthy, trusty, law-abiding, reliable, reputable, dependable.
an honourable career
illustrious, distinguished, eminent, great, glorious, prestigious, noble, creditable.
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ANTONYMS :crooked, deplorable.

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hoodlum

noun
hooligan, thug, lout, delinquent, tearaway, vandal, ruffian; gangster, mobster, criminal, Mafioso; Austral. larrikin; informal tough, bruiser, roughneck, heavy, hit man; Brit. informal yob, yobbo, bovver boy, lager lout; N. Amer. informal hood.

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hoodoo

noun
witchcraft, magic, black magic, sorcery, wizardry, devilry, voodoo, necromancy; N. Amer. mojo.

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hoodwink

verb
deceive, trick, dupe, outwit, fool, delude, cheat, take in, hoax, mislead, lead on, defraud, double-cross, swindle, gull; informal con, bamboozle, do, have, sting, gyp, diddle, shaft, rip off, lead up the garden path, pull a fast one on, put one over on, take for a ride, pull the wool over someone's eyes; N. Amer. informal sucker, snooker; Austral. informal pull a swifty on; poetic/literary cozen.

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hoof

noun
trotter, foot; Zoology ungula.

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hook

noun
she hung her jacket on the hook
peg.
the dress has six hooks
fastener, fastening, catch, clasp, hasp, clip, pin.
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I had a fish on the end of my hook
fish-hook, barb, snare.
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a right hook to the chin
punch, blow, hit, cuff, thump, smack; Scottish & N. English skelp; informal belt, bop, biff, sock, clout, whack, wallop, slug; N. Amer. informal boff.
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verb
they hooked baskets onto the ladder
attach, hitch, fasten, fix, secure, clasp.
he hooked his thumbs in his belt
curl, bend, crook, loop, curve.
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he hooked a 24 lb pike
catch, land, net, take, bag, snare, trap.
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by hook or by crook
by any means, somehow (or other), no matter how, in one way or another, by fair means or foul. hook, line, and sinker
completely, totally, utterly, entirely, wholly, absolutely, through and through, one hundred per cent, (lock, stock, and barrel). off the hook (informal)
out of trouble, in the clear, free; acquitted, cleared, reprieved, exonerated, absolved; informal let off.

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hooked

adjective
a hooked nose
curved, hook-shaped, hook-like, aquiline, angular, bent; Biology falcate, falciform, uncinate.
(informal) they are hooked on cocaine
addicted to, dependent on; informal using; N. Amer. informal have a jones for.
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(informal) he is hooked on crosswords
keen on, enthusiastic about, addicted to, obsessed with, fixated on, fanatical about; informal mad about, crazy about, wild about, nuts about; Brit. informal potty about.
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ANTONYMS :straight.

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hooligan

noun
hoodlum, thug, lout, delinquent, tearaway, vandal, ruffian, troublemaker; Austral. larrikin; informal tough, rough, bruiser, roughneck; Brit. informal yob, yobbo, bovver boy, lager lout; Scottish informal ned.

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hoop

noun
ring, band, circle, circlet, loop; technical annulus.

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hoot

noun
the hoot of an owl
screech, shriek, call, cry; tu-whit tu-whoo.
the hoot of a horn
beep, honk, toot, blast, blare.
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hoots of derision
shout, yell, cry, howl, shriek, whoop, whistle; boo, hiss, jeer, catcall.
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(informal) your mum's a real hoot
amusing person, character, clown; informal scream, laugh, card, case, one, riot, giggle, barrel of laughs; informal, dated caution.
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verb
an owl hooted
screech, shriek, cry, call; tu-whit tu-whoo.
a car horn hooted
beep, honk, toot, blare, blast, sound.
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they hooted in disgust
shout, yell, cry, howl, shriek, whistle; boo, hiss, jeer, catcall.
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give a hoot (informal)
care, be concerned, mind, be interested, be bothered, get worked up; informal give a damn, give a rap, give a monkey's.

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hop

verb
he hopped along the road
jump, bound, spring, bounce, skip, jig, leap; prance, dance, frolic, gambol.
(informal) she hopped over the Atlantic
go, dash; travel; informal pop, whip; Brit. informal nip.
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noun
the rabbit had a hop around
jump, bound, bounce, prance, leap, spring, gambol.
(informal) a short hop by taxi
journey, distance, ride, drive, run, trip; flight.
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(informal) come to the hop on Saturday
dance, social, party, disco; informal bash, bop, shindig, do; Brit. informal rave-up, knees-up.
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on the hop (Brit. informal)
he was caught on the hop
unprepared, unready, off guard, unawares, by surprise, with one's defences down; informal napping; Brit. informal with one's trousers down.

we were always kept on the hop
busy, occupied, employed, working, at work, on the job; rushed off one's feet; informal on the go.
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hope

noun
I had high hopes
aspiration, desire, wish, expectation, ambition, aim, plan; dream, daydream, pipe dream.
a life filled with hope
hopefulness, optimism, expectation, expectancy; confidence, faith, trust, belief, conviction, assurance; promise.
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ANTONYMS :pessimism.

verb
he's hoping for a medal
expect, anticipate, look for, be hopeful of, pin one's hopes on, want; wish for, dream of.
we're hoping to address the issue
aim, intend, be looking, have the intention, have in mind, plan, aspire.
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hopeful

adjective
he remained hopeful
optimistic, full of hope, confident, positive, buoyant, sanguine, bullish, cheerful; informal upbeat.
hopeful signs
promising, encouraging, heartening, reassuring, auspicious, favourable, optimistic, propitious, bright, rosy.
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hopefully

adverb
he rode on hopefully
optimistically, full of hope, confidently, buoyantly, sanguinely; expectantly.
hopefully it should finish soon
all being well, if all goes well, God willing, with luck; most likely, probably; conceivably, feasibly; informal touch wood, fingers crossed.
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hopeless

adjective
her hopeless appeal
despairing, desperate, wretched, forlorn, pessimistic, defeatist, resigned; dejected, downhearted, despondent, demoralized.
a hopeless case
irremediable, beyond hope, lost, beyond repair, irreparable, irreversible; past cure, incurable; impossible, no-win, futile, forlorn, unworkable, impracticable; archaic bootless.
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Joseph was hopeless at maths
bad, poor, awful, terrible, dreadful, appalling, atrocious; inferior, incompetent, unskilled; informal pathetic, useless, lousy, rotten; Brit. informal duff, rubbish.
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hopelessly

adverb
she began to cry hopelessly
despairingly, in despair, in distress, desperately; dejectedly, downheartedly, despondently, wretchedly, miserably, forlornly.
she was hopelessly lost
utterly, completely, irretrievably, impossibly; extremely, very, desperately, totally, dreadfully; informal terribly.
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horde

noun
crowd, mob, pack, gang, troop, army, swarm, mass; throng, multitude, host, band, flock; informal crew, tribe, load.

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horizon

noun
the sun rose above the horizon
skyline.
she wanted to broaden her horizons
outlook, perspective, perception; range of experience, scope, ambit, orbit.
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on the horizon
imminent, impending, close, near, approaching, coming, forthcoming, in prospect, at hand, on the way, about to happen, upon us, in the offing, in the pipeline, in the air, just around the corner; brewing, looming, threatening, menacing; informal on the cards.

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horizontal

adjective
a horizontal surface
level, flat, plane, smooth, even; straight, parallel.
she was stretched horizontal on a sunbed
flat, supine, prone, prostrate.
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ANTONYMS :vertical.

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horny

adjective
(informal) (sexually) aroused, excited, stimulated, titillated, inflamed; informal turned on, hot, sexed up; Brit. informal randy.

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horrendous

adjective
. See horrible.

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horrible

adjective
a horrible murder
dreadful, awful, terrible, shocking, appalling, horrifying, horrific, horrendous, grisly, ghastly, gruesome, harrowing, heinous, vile, unspeakable; nightmarish, macabre, spine-chilling; loathsome, monstrous, abhorrent, hateful, execrable, abominable, atrocious, sickening.
(informal) a horrible little man
nasty, horrid, disagreeable, unpleasant, awful, dreadful, terrible, appalling, foul, repulsive, repellent, ghastly; obnoxious, hateful, odious, objectionable, insufferable, vile, loathsome, abhorrent; informal frightful, God-awful; Brit. informal beastly.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant, agreeable.

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horrid

adjective
horrid apparitions.
See horrible sense 1.
(informal) the teachers were horrid.
See horrible sense 2.
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horrific

adjective
dreadful, horrendous, horrible, frightful, awful, terrible, atrocious; horrifying, shocking, appalling, harrowing, gruesome; hideous, grisly, ghastly, unspeakable, monstrous, nightmarish, sickening.

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horrify

verb
she horrified us with ghastly tales
frighten, scare, terrify, petrify, alarm, panic, terrorize, fill with fear, scare someone out of their wits, frighten the living daylights out of, make someone's hair stand on end, make someone's blood run cold; informal scare the pants off; Brit. informal put the wind up; N. Amer. informal spook; archaic affright.
he was horrified by her remarks
shock, appal, outrage, scandalize, offend; disgust, revolt, nauseate, sicken.
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horror

noun
children screamed in horror
terror, fear, fright, alarm, panic; dread, trepidation.
to her horror she found herself alone
dismay, consternation, perturbation, alarm, distress; disgust, outrage, shock.
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the horror of the tragedy
awfulness, frightfulness, savagery, barbarity, hideousness; atrocity, outrage.
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(informal) he's a little horror
rascal, devil, imp, monkey; informal terror, scamp, scallywag, tyke; Brit. informal perisher; N. Amer. informal varmint.
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ANTONYMS :delight, satisfaction.

have a horror of
hate, detest, loathe, abhor; formal abominate.

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horror-struck horror-stricken

adjective
horrified, terrified, petrified, frightened, afraid, fearful, scared, panic-stricken, scared/frightened to death, scared witless; informal scared stiff.

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horse

noun
mount, charger, cob, nag, hack; pony, foal, yearling, colt, stallion, gelding, mare, filly; N. Amer. bronco; Austral./NZ moke, yarraman; informal gee-gee; archaic steed. equine.
horse around/about (informal)
fool around/about, play the fool, act the clown, clown about/around, monkey about/around; informal mess about/around, lark about/around; Brit. informal muck about/around; dated play the giddy goat.

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horseman horsewoman

noun
rider, equestrian, jockey; cavalryman, trooper; historical hussar, dragoon; archaic cavalier.

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horseplay

noun
tomfoolery, fooling around, foolish behaviour, clowning, buffoonery; pranks, antics, high jinks; informal shenanigans, monkey business; Brit. informal monkey tricks.

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horse sense

noun
(informal). See common sense.

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horticulture

noun
gardening, floriculture, arboriculture, agriculture, cultivation.

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hosanna

noun
shout of praise, alleluia, hurrah, hurray, cheer, paean; formal laudation.

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hose

noun
a garden hose
pipe, piping, tube, tubing, duct, outlet, pipeline, siphon.
her hose had laddered.
See hosiery.
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hosiery

noun
stockings, tights, stay-ups, nylons, hose; socks; N. Amer. pantyhose.

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hospitable

adjective
welcoming, friendly, congenial, genial, sociable, convivial, cordial; gracious, well disposed, amenable, helpful, obliging, accommodating, neighbourly, warm, kind, generous, bountiful.

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hospital

noun
infirmary, sanatorium, hospice, medical centre, health centre, clinic; Brit. cottage hospital; Military field hospital.

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hospitality

noun
he is renowned for his hospitality
friendliness, hospitableness, warm reception, helpfulness, neighbourliness, warmth, kindness, congeniality, geniality, cordiality, amenability, generosity.
corporate hospitality
entertainment; catering, food.
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host 1

noun
the host greeted the guests
party-giver, hostess, entertainer.
the host of a TV series
presenter, compère, anchor, anchorman, anchorwoman, announcer.
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ANTONYMS :guest.

verb
the Queen hosted a dinner
give, have, hold, throw, put on, provide, arrange, organize.
the show is hosted by Angus
present, introduce, compère, front, anchor.
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host 2

noun
a host of memories
multitude, lot, abundance, wealth, profusion; informal load, heap, mass, pile, ton; Brit. informal shedload; poetic/literary myriad.
a host of film stars
crowd, throng, flock, herd, swarm, horde, mob, army, legion; assemblage, gathering.
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hostage

noun
captive, prisoner, detainee, internee.

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hostel

noun
cheap hotel, YMCA, YWCA, bed and breakfast, B&B, boarding house, guest house, pension.

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hostile

adjective
a hostile attack
unfriendly, unkind, bitter, unsympathetic, malicious, vicious, rancorous, venomous; antagonistic, aggressive, confrontational, belligerent, truculent.
hostile climatic conditions
unfavourable, adverse, bad, harsh, grim, hard, tough, inhospitable, forbidding.
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they are hostile to the idea
opposed, averse, antagonistic, ill-disposed, unsympathetic, antipathetic; opposing, against; informal anti, down on.
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ANTONYMS :friendly, favourable.

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hostility

noun
he glared at her with hostility
antagonism, unfriendliness, malevolence, malice, unkindness, rancour, venom, hatred; aggression, belligerence.
their hostility to the present regime
opposition, antagonism, animosity, antipathy, ill will, ill feeling, resentment, aversion, enmity.
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a cessation of hostilities
fighting, (armed) conflict, combat, warfare, war, bloodshed, violence.
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hot

adjective
hot food
heated, piping (hot), sizzling, steaming, roasting, boiling (hot), searing, scorching, scalding, red-hot.
a hot day
very warm, balmy, summery, tropical, scorching, searing, blistering; sweltering, torrid, sultry, humid, muggy, close; informal boiling, baking, roasting.
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she felt very hot
feverish, fevered, febrile; burning, flushed.
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a hot chilli
spicy, spiced, highly seasoned, peppery, fiery, strong; piquant, pungent, aromatic.
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the competition was too hot
fierce, intense, keen, competitive, cut-throat, dog-eat-dog, ruthless, aggressive, strong.
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(informal) the hottest story in Fleet Street
new, fresh, recent, late, up to date, up to the minute; just out, hot off the press.
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(informal) this band is hot
popular, in demand, sought-after, in favour; fashionable, in vogue, all the rage; informal big, in, now, hip, trendy, cool.
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(informal) she is hot on local history
knowledgeable about, well informed about, au fait with, up on, well versed in, au courant with; informal clued up about, genned up about.
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(informal) hot goods
stolen, illegally obtained, illegal, illicit, unlawful; smuggled, bootleg, contraband; Brit. informal dodgy.
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ANTONYMS :cold, chilly, mild, dispassionate, weak, old, lawful.

blow hot and cold
vacillate, dither, shilly-shally, waver, be indecisive, change one's mind, be undecided, be uncertain, be unsure; Brit. haver, hum and haw; Scottish swither. hot on the heels of
close behind, directly after, right after, straight after, hard on the heels of, following closely. hot under the collar (informal). See angry sense 1. make it/things hot for someone (informal)
harass, hound, plague, badger, harry; bully, intimidate, pick on, persecute, victimize, terrorize; N. Amer. devil; informal hassle, give someone a hard time, get on someone's back.

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hot air

noun
(informal) nonsense, rubbish, garbage, empty talk, wind, blather, claptrap, drivel, balderdash, gibberish; pomposity, bombast; informal guff, bosh, hogwash, poppycock, bilge, twaddle; Brit. informal cobblers, codswallop, tosh; N. Amer. informal flapdoodle.

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hotbed

noun
a hotbed of crime
breeding ground, den, cradle, nest.

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hot-blooded

adjective
passionate, amorous, amatory, ardent, lustful, libidinous, lecherous, sexy; informal horny, randy. ANTONYMS :cold.

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hotchpotch

noun
mixture, mix, mixed bag, assortment, random collection, jumble, ragbag, miscellany, medley, pot-pourri; melange, mishmash, confusion, farrago, gallimaufry; N. Amer. hodgepodge.

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hotel

noun
inn, motel, boarding house, guest house, bed and breakfast, B&B, hostel; pension, auberge.

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hotfoot

adverb
hastily, hurriedly, speedily, quickly, fast, rapidly, swiftly, without delay; at top speed, at full tilt, headlong, post-haste, pell-mell, helter-skelter; informal like the wind, like greased lightning, like blazes; Brit. informal like the clappers, like billy-o; N. Amer. informal lickety-split. ANTONYMS :slowly.

hotfoot it (informal)
hurry, dash, run, race, sprint, bolt, dart, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, fly, speed, zoom, streak; informal tear, belt, pelt, scoot, clip, leg it, go like a bat out of hell; Brit. informal bomb; N. Amer. informal hightail it.

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hot-headed

adjective
impetuous, impulsive, headstrong, reckless, rash, irresponsible, foolhardy, madcap; excitable, volatile, fiery, hot-tempered, quick-tempered, unruly, harum-scarum.

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hothouse

noun
greenhouse, glasshouse, conservatory, orangery, vinery, winter garden.
adjective
the school has a hothouse atmosphere
intense, oppressive, stifling; overprotected, pampered, shielded.

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hotly

adverb
the rumours were hotly denied
vehemently, vigorously, strenuously, fiercely, passionately, heatedly; angrily, indignantly.
he was hotly pursued by Boris
closely, swiftly, quickly, hotfoot; eagerly, enthusiastically.
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ANTONYMS :calmly.

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hot-tempered

adjective
irascible, quick-tempered, short-tempered, irritable, fiery, bad-tempered; touchy, volatile, testy, tetchy, fractious, prickly, peppery; informal snappish, snappy, chippy, on a short fuse; Brit. informal narky, ratty, like a bear with a sore head; N. Amer. informal soreheaded. ANTONYMS :easy-going.

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hound

noun
(hunting) dog, canine, mongrel, cur; informal doggy, pooch, mutt; Austral./NZ informal mong, bitzer.
(informal, dated) you monstrous hound!
See scoundrel.
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verb
she was hounded by the press
pursue, chase, follow, shadow, be hot on someone's heels, hunt (down), stalk, track, trail; harass, persecute, harry, pester, bother, badger, torment, bedevil; informal hassle, bug, give someone a hard time; N. Amer. informal devil.
they hounded him out of office
force, drive, pressure, pressurize, push, urge, coerce, impel, dragoon, strong-arm; nag, bully, browbeat, chivvy; informal bulldoze, railroad; Brit. informal bounce; N. Amer. informal hustle.
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house

noun
an estate of 200 houses
residence, home, place of residence; homestead; a roof over one's head; formal habitation, dwelling (place), abode, domicile.
you'll wake the whole house!
household, family, clan, tribe; informal brood.
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the house of Stewart
family, clan, tribe; dynasty, line, bloodline, lineage, ancestry, family tree.
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a printing house
firm, business, company, corporation, enterprise, establishment, institution, concern, organization, operation; informal outfit, set-up.
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the country's upper house
legislative assembly, legislative body, chamber, council, parliament, congress, senate, diet.
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the house applauded
audience, crowd, spectators, viewers; congregation; gallery, stalls; Brit. informal punters.
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verb
they can house twelve employees
accommodate, provide accommodation for, give someone a roof over their head, lodge, quarter, board, billet, take in, sleep, put up; harbour, shelter.
this panel houses the main switc h
contain, hold, store; cover, protect, enclose.
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on the house (informal)
free (of charge), without charge, at no cost, for nothing, gratis; courtesy, complimentary; informal for free; N. Amer. informal comp.

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household

noun
the household was asleep
family, house, occupants; clan, tribe; informal brood.
adjective
household goods
domestic, family; everyday, workaday.

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householder

noun
homeowner, owner, occupant, resident; tenant, leaseholder; proprietor, landlady, landlord, freeholder; Brit. occupier, owner-occupier.

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housekeeping

noun
household management, domestic work, home-making, housewifery; home economics; Brit. housecraft.

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houseman

noun
(Brit.) junior doctor, house doctor, newly qualified doctor; Brit. house officer; N. Amer. intern, resident.

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house-trained

adjective
(Brit.) domesticated, trained; N. Amer. housebroken.

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housing

noun
they invested in housing
houses, homes, residences, buildings; accommodation, living quarters; formal dwellings, dwelling places, habitations.
the housing for the antennae
casing, covering, case, cover, holder, sheath, jacket, shell, capsule.
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hovel

noun
shack, slum, shanty, hut; informal dump, hole.

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hover

verb
helicopters hovered overhead
be suspended, be poised, hang, levitate; fly.
she hovered anxiously nearby
linger, loiter, wait about; informal hang around, stick around; Brit. informal hang about.
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however

adverb
however, gaining weight is not inevitable
nevertheless, nonetheless, but, still, yet, though, although, even so, for all that, despite that, in spite of that; anyway, anyhow, be that as it may, having said that, notwithstanding; informal still and all.
however you look at it
in whatever way, regardless of how, no matter how.
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howl

noun
the howl of a wolf
baying, howling, bay, cry, yowl, bark, yelp.
a howl of anguish
wail, cry, yell, yelp, yowl; bellow, roar, shout, shriek, scream, screech.
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verb
dogs howled in the distance
bay, cry, yowl, bark, yelp.
a baby started to howl
wail, cry, yell, yowl, bawl, bellow, shriek, scream, screech, caterwaul; informal holler.
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we howled with laughter
laugh, guffaw, roar; be creased up, be doubled up, split one's sides; informal fall about, crack up, be in stitches, be rolling in the aisles.
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howler

noun
(informal) mistake, error, blunder, fault, gaffe, slip; informal slip-up, boo-boo, botch, clanger; Brit. informal boob; N. Amer. informal blooper.

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hub

noun
the hub of the wheel
pivot, axis, fulcrum, centre, middle.
the hub of family life
centre, core, heart, focus, focal point, nucleus, kernel, nerve centre.
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ANTONYMS :periphery.

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hubbub

noun
her voice was lost in the hubbub
noise, din, racket, commotion, clamour, cacophony, babel, rumpus; Brit. informal row.
she fought through the hubbub
confusion, chaos, pandemonium, bedlam, mayhem, disorder, turmoil, tumult, fracas, hurly-burly.
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hubris

noun
arrogance, conceit, haughtiness, hauteur, pride, self-importance, pomposity, superciliousness, superiority; informal big-headedness. ANTONYMS :humility.

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huckster

noun
trader, dealer, seller, purveyor, vendor, salesman, pedlar, hawker; informal pusher.

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huddle

verb
they huddled together
crowd, cluster, gather, bunch, throng, flock, herd, collect, group, congregate; press, pack, squeeze.
he huddled beneath the sheets
curl up, snuggle, nestle, hunch up.
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ANTONYMS :disperse.

noun
a huddle of passengers
crowd, cluster, bunch, knot, group, throng, flock, press, pack; collection, assemblage; informal gaggle.
the team went into a huddle
consultation, discussion, debate, talk, parley, meeting, conference; informal confab, powwow.
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hue

noun
paints in a variety of hues
colour, shade, tone, tint.
men of all political hues
complexion, type, kind, sort, cast, stamp, character, nature.
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hue and cry

noun
commotion, outcry, uproar, fuss, clamour, storm, stir, furore, ruckus, brouhaha, palaver, rumpus; informal hoo-ha, hullabaloo, ballyhoo, kerfuffle, to-do, song and dance; Brit. informal row, stink.

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huff

noun
bad mood, sulk, fit of pique, pet; temper, tantrum, rage; informal grump; Brit. informal strop, paddy; N. Amer. informal snit; Brit. informal, dated bate, wax.

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huffy

adjective
irritable, irritated, annoyed, cross, grumpy, bad-tempered, crotchety, crabby, cantankerous, moody, petulant, sullen, surly; touchy, testy, tetchy, snappish; informal snappy, cranky; Brit. informal narky, miffed, ratty, eggy, shirty, like a bear with a sore head; N. Amer. informal soreheaded.

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hug

verb
they hugged each other
embrace, cuddle, squeeze, clasp, clutch, cling to, hold close, hold tight, take someone in one's arms, clasp someone to one's bosom; poetic/literary embosom.
our route hugged the coastline
follow closely, keep close to, stay near to, follow the course of.
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we hugged the comforting thought
cling to, hold on to, cherish, harbour, nurse, foster, retain, keep in mind.
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noun
there were hugs as we left
embrace, cuddle, squeeze, bear hug, clinch.

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huge

adjective
enormous, vast, immense, large, big, great, massive, colossal, prodigious, gigantic, gargantuan, mammoth, monumental; giant, towering, elephantine, mountainous, titanic; epic, Herculean, Brobdingnagian; informal jumbo, mega, monster, whopping, humongous, hulking, bumper, astronomical; Brit. informal ginormous. ANTONYMS :tiny.

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hugely

adverb
very, extremely, exceedingly, most, really, particularly, tremendously, greatly, decidedly, exceptionally, immensely, inordinately, extraordinarily, vastly; very much, to a great extent; N. English right; informal terrifically, awfully, terribly, majorly, seriously, mega, ultra, oh-so, damn, damned; Brit. informal ever so, well, dead, jolly; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful; informal, dated devilish, frightfully; archaic exceeding.

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hugger-mugger

adjective
at home, all was hugger-mugger
disorderly, confused, disorganized, chaotic, muddled, haphazard, in a mess, in disarray, topsy-turvy; informal higgledy-piggledy; Brit. informal shambolic.
hugger-mugger dealings
clandestine, secret, covert, furtive, cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner, sneaky, sly, underhand; undercover, underground; informal hush-hush.
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ANTONYMS :orderly, overt.

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hulk

noun
the rusting hulks of ships
wreck, shipwreck, ruin, derelict; shell, skeleton, hull.
a great hulk of a man
giant, lump; oaf; informal clodhopper, ape, gorilla; N. Amer. informal lummox.
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hulking

adjective
(informal) large, big, heavy, sturdy, burly, brawny, hefty, strapping; bulky, weighty, massive, ponderous; clumsy, awkward, ungainly, lumbering, lumpish, oafish; informal hunky, beefy, clodhopping. ANTONYMS :small.

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hull 1

noun
the ship's hull
framework, body, shell, frame, skeleton, structure.

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hull 2

noun
seed hulls
shell, husk, pod, case, covering, integument, shuck; Botany pericarp, legume.
verb
the bird uses its beak to hull seeds
shell, husk, peel, pare, skin, shuck; technical decorticate.

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hullabaloo

noun
(informal) fuss, commotion, hue and cry, uproar, outcry, clamour, storm, furore, hubbub, ruckus, brouhaha; pandemonium, mayhem, tumult, turmoil, hurly-burly; informal hoo-ha, to-do, kerfuffle, song and dance; Brit. informal carry-on, row, stink.

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hum

verb
the engine was humming
purr, drone, murmur, buzz, thrum, whirr, throb, vibrate; poetic/literary bombinate.
she hummed a tune
sing, croon, murmur, drone.
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the workshops are humming
be busy, be active, be lively, buzz, bustle, be a hive of activity, throb.
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(Brit. informal) this stuff really hums.
See reek verb.
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noun
a low hum of conversation
murmur, drone, purr, buzz; poetic/literary bombination.
hum and haw (Brit.)
hesitate, dither, vacillate, be indecisive, equivocate, prevaricate, waver, blow hot and cold; Brit. haver; Scottish swither; informal shilly-shally.

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human

adjective
the human race
anthropoid.
they're only human
mortal, flesh and blood; fallible, weak, frail, imperfect, vulnerable, susceptible, erring, error-prone; physical, bodily, fleshly.
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the human side of politics
compassionate, humane, kind, considerate, understanding, sympathetic, tolerant; approachable, accessible.
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ANTONYMS :infallible.

noun
the link between humans and animals
person, human being, personage, mortal, member of the human race; man, woman; individual, (living) soul, being; Homo sapiens; earthling.

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humane

adjective
compassionate, kind, considerate, understanding, sympathetic, tolerant; lenient, forbearing, forgiving, merciful, mild, tender, clement, benign, humanitarian, benevolent, charitable. ANTONYMS :cruel.

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humanitarian

adjective
a humanitarian act
compassionate, humane; unselfish, altruistic, generous, magnanimous, benevolent, merciful, kind, sympathetic.
a humanitarian organization
charitable, philanthropic, public-spirited, socially concerned, welfare.
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ANTONYMS :selfish.

noun
philanthropist, altruist, benefactor, social reformer, good Samaritan; do-gooder; archaic philanthrope.

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humanities

plural noun
(liberal) arts, literature; classics, classical studies, classical literature.

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humanity

noun
humanity evolved from the apes
humankind, mankind, man, people, the human race; Homo sapiens.
the humanity of Christ
human nature, humanness, mortality.
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he praised them for their humanity
compassion, brotherly love, fellow feeling, humaneness, kindness, consideration, understanding, sympathy, tolerance; leniency, mercy, mercifulness, pity, tenderness; benevolence, charity.
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humanize

verb
civilize, improve, better; educate, enlighten, instruct; sophisticate, socialize, refine, polish; formal edify.

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humankind

noun
the human race, the human species, humanity, human beings, mankind, man, people, mortals; Homo sapiens.

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humble

adjective
her bearing was humble
meek, deferential, respectful, submissive, self-effacing, unassertive; unpresuming, modest, unassuming, self-deprecating; Scottish mim.
a humble background
lowly, working-class, lower-class, poor, undistinguished, mean, ignoble, low-born; common, ordinary, simple, inferior, unremarkable, insignificant, inconsequential; informal plebby.
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my humble abode
modest, plain, simple, ordinary, unostentatious, unpretentious.
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ANTONYMS :proud, noble, grand.

verb
he humbled himself to ask for help
humiliate, abase, demean, lower, degrade, debase; mortify, shame, eat humble pie; take someone down a peg or two; informal cut down to size, settle someone's hash; N. Amer. informal make someone eat crow.
Wales were humbled at by Romania
defeat, beat, trounce, rout, overwhelm, get the better of, bring to one's knees; informal lick, clobber, slaughter, massacre, crucify, walk all over; N. Amer. informal shellac, cream.
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humbug

noun
that is sheer humbug
hypocrisy, hypocritical talk, sanctimoniousness, posturing, cant, empty talk; insincerity, dishonesty, falseness, deceit, deception, fraud.
you see what a humbug I am?
hypocrite, fraud, fake, plaster saint; charlatan, cheat, deceiver, dissembler; informal phoney; poetic/literary whited sepulchre.
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verb
Dave is easily humbugged
deceive, trick, delude, mislead, fool, hoodwink, dupe, take in, beguile, bamboozle, gull; informal con, kid, have on, put one over on someone.

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humdrum

adjective
mundane, dull, dreary, boring, tedious, monotonous, prosaic; unexciting, uninteresting, uneventful, unvaried, unremarkable; routine, ordinary, everyday, day-to-day, quotidian, run-of-the-mill, commonplace, workaday, pedestrian; informal (plain) vanilla. ANTONYMS :remarkable, exciting.

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humid

adjective
muggy, close, sultry, sticky, steamy, oppressive, airless, stifling, suffocating, stuffy, clammy, heavy. ANTONYMS :fresh.

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humiliate

verb
embarrass, mortify, humble, shame, put to shame, disgrace; discomfit, chasten, abash, deflate, crush, squash; abase, debase, demean, degrade; cause to feel small, cause to lose face, take down a peg or two; informal show up, put down, cut down to size, settle someone's hash; N. Amer. informal make someone eat crow.

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humiliating

adjective
embarrassing, mortifying, humbling, ignominious, inglorious, shameful; discreditable, undignified, chastening, demeaning, degrading, deflating.

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humiliation

noun
embarrassment, mortification, shame, indignity, ignominy, disgrace, dishonour, degradation, discredit, obloquy, opprobrium; loss of pride, loss of face; blow to one's pride, slap in the face, kick in the teeth. ANTONYMS :honour.

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humility

noun
modesty, humbleness, meekness, diffidence, unassertiveness; lack of pride, lack of vanity. ANTONYMS :pride.

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hummock

noun
hillock, hump, mound, knoll, tump, prominence, elevation, rise, dune; N. Amer. knob; formal eminence.

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humorist

noun
comic writer, wit, wag; comic, funny man/woman, comedian, comedienne, joker, jokester; clown.

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humorous

adjective
amusing, funny, comic, comical, entertaining, diverting, witty, jocular, light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek, wry; hilarious, uproarious, riotous, zany, farcical, droll; informal priceless, side-splitting, rib-tickling, a scream, a hoot, a barrel of laughs, waggish; informal, dated killing. ANTONYMS :serious.

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humour

noun
the humour of the situation
comedy, comical aspect, funny side, funniness, hilarity; absurdity, ludicrousness, drollness; satire, irony.
the stories are spiced up with humour
jokes, jests, jesting, quips, witticisms, funny remarks, puns; wit, wittiness, comedy, drollery; informal gags, wisecracks, cracks, waggishness, one-liners.
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his good humour was infectious
mood, temper, disposition, temperament, state of mind; spirits.
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verb
she was always humouring him
indulge, accommodate, pander to, cater to, yield to, give way to, give in to, go along with; pamper, spoil, overindulge, mollify, placate, gratify, satisfy.

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humourless

adjective
serious, solemn, sober, sombre, grave, grim, dour, unsmiling, stony-faced; gloomy, glum, sad, melancholy, dismal, joyless, cheerless, lugubrious; boring, tedious, dull, dry. ANTONYMS :jovial.

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hump

noun
a hump at the base of the spine
protuberance, prominence, lump, bump, knob, protrusion, projection, bulge, swelling, hunch; growth, outgrowth.
verb
he humped his body to avoid a blow
arch, hunch, bend, bow, curve.
(informal) he humped boxes up the stairs
heave, carry, lug, lift, hoist, heft, tote; informal schlep.
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ANTONYMS :straighten.

give someone the hump (informal). See annoy.

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hunch

verb
he hunched his shoulders
arch, curve, hump, bow.
I hunched up as small as I could
crouch, huddle, curl; hunker down, bend, stoop, squat.
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ANTONYMS :straighten.

noun
the hunch on his back
protuberance, hump, lump, bump, knob, protrusion, prominence, bulge, swelling; growth, outgrowth.
my hunch is that he'll be back
feeling, feeling in one's bones, guess, suspicion, impression, inkling, idea, notion, fancy, intuition; informal gut feeling.
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hundred

cardinal number
century; informal ton. centi-, hecto-, centenary, centennial.

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hunger

noun
she was faint with hunger
lack of food, hungriness, ravenousness, emptiness; starvation, malnutrition, malnourishment, undernourishment.
a hunger for news
desire, craving, longing, yearning, hankering, appetite, thirst; want, need; informal itch, yen.
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hunger after/for
desire, crave; long for, yearn for, pine for, ache for, hanker after, thirst for, lust for; want, need; informal have a yen for, itch for, be dying for, be gagging for.

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hungry

adjective
I was really hungry
ravenous, empty, in need of food, hollow, faint from hunger; starving, starved, famished; malnourished, undernourished, underfed; informal peckish, able to eat a horse; archaic esurient.
they are hungry for success
eager, keen, avid, longing, yearning, aching, greedy; craving, desirous of, hankering after; informal itching, dying, gagging, hot.
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ANTONYMS :full.

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hunk

noun
a hunk of bread
chunk, wedge, block, slab, lump, square, gobbet; Brit. informal wodge.
(informal) he's such a hunk
muscleman, strongman, macho man, iron man, Hercules; informal tough guy, he-man, beefcake, stud; N. Amer. informal studmuffin.
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ANTONYMS :wimp.

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hunt

verb
they hunted deer
chase, stalk, pursue, course, run down; track, trail, follow, shadow; informal tail.
police are hunting for her
search, look (high and low), scour the area; seek, try to find; cast about/around/round, rummage (about/around/round), root about/around, fish about/around.
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noun
the thrill of the hunt
chase, pursuit.
police have stepped up their hunt
search, look, quest.
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hunted

adjective
harassed, persecuted, harried, hounded, beleaguered, troubled, stressed, tormented; careworn, haggard; distraught, desperate; informal hassled. ANTONYMS :carefree.

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hunter

noun
huntsman, huntswoman, trapper, stalker, woodsman; nimrod; predator.

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hunting

noun
blood sports, field sports, coursing, fox-hunting; trapping; the chase.

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hurdle

noun
his leg hit a hurdle
fence, jump, barrier, barricade, bar, railing, rail.
the final hurdle to overcome
obstacle, difficulty, problem, barrier, bar, snag, stumbling block, impediment, obstruction, complication, hindrance; informal headache, fly in the ointment; Brit. informal spanner in the works.
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hurl

verb
throw, toss, fling, pitch, cast, lob, bowl, launch, catapult; project, propel, let fly; informal chuck, heave, sling, buzz, bung; N. Amer. informal peg; Austral. & N. English informal hoy; NZ informal bish; dated shy.

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hurly-burly

noun
bustle, hustle and bustle, hubbub, confusion, disorder, uproar, tumult, pandemonium, mayhem, rumpus; informal hoo-ha, hullabaloo, ballyhoo, kerfuffle. ANTONYMS :calm, order.

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hurricane

noun
cyclone, typhoon, tornado, storm, tempest, windstorm, whirlwind, gale; Austral. willy-willy; N. Amer. informal twister.

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hurried

adjective
hurried glances
quick, fast, swift, rapid, speedy, brisk, hasty; cursory, perfunctory, brief, short, fleeting, passing, superficial.
a hurried decision
hasty, rushed, speedy, quick; impetuous, impulsive, precipitate, precipitous, rash, incautious, imprudent, spur-of-the-moment.
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ANTONYMS :slow, considered.

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hurriedly

adverb
hastily, speedily, quickly, fast, rapidly, swiftly, briskly; without delay, at top speed, at full tilt, at the double; headlong, hotfoot, post-haste; informal like the wind, like greased lightning, in double quick time; Brit. informal like the clappers, at a rate of knots, like billy-o; N. Amer. informal lickety-split.

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hurry

verb
hurry or you'll be late
be quick, hurry up, hasten, speed up, press on, push on; run, dash, rush, race, fly; scurry, scramble, scuttle, sprint; informal get a move on, step on it, get cracking, get moving, shake a leg, tear, hare, zip, zoom, hotfoot it, leg it; Brit. informal shift, get one's skates on, stir one's stumps; N. Amer. informal get the lead out, get a wiggle on; dated make haste; archaic hie.
she hurried him out
hustle, hasten, push, urge, drive, spur, goad, prod; informal gee up.
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ANTONYMS :dawdle, delay.

noun
in all the hurry, we forgot
rush, haste, flurry, hustle and bustle, confusion, commotion, hubbub, turmoil; race, scramble, scurry.

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hurt

verb
my back hurts
be painful, be sore, be tender, cause pain, cause discomfort; ache, smart, sting, burn, throb; informal be killing; Brit. informal be playing up.
Dad hurt his leg
injure, wound, damage, disable, incapacitate, maim, mutilate; bruise, cut, gash, graze, scrape, scratch, lacerate.
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his words hurt her
distress, pain, wound, sting, upset, sadden, devastate, grieve, mortify; cut to the quick.
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high interest rates are hurting the economy
harm, damage, be detrimental to, weaken, blight, impede, jeopardize, undermine, ruin, wreck, sabotage, cripple.
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ANTONYMS :heal, comfort, benefit.

noun
falling properly minimizes hurt
harm, injury, wounding, pain, suffering, discomfort, soreness; aching, smarting, stinging, throbbing.
all the hurt he had caused
distress, pain, suffering, grief, misery, anguish, trauma, woe, upset, sadness, sorrow; harm, damage, trouble.
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ANTONYMS :joy.

adjective
my hurt hand
injured, wounded, bruised, grazed, cut, gashed, sore, painful, aching, smarting, throbbing.
Anne's hurt expression
pained, distressed, anguished, upset, sad, mortified, offended; informal miffed, peeved, sore.
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ANTONYMS :pleased.

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hurtful

adjective
hurtful words
upsetting, distressing, wounding, painful; unkind, cruel, nasty, mean, malicious, spiteful; cutting, barbed; informal catty, bitchy.
this is hurtful to the interests of women
detrimental, harmful, damaging, injurious, disadvantageous, unfavourable, prejudicial, deleterious, ruinous.
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hurtle

verb
speed, rush, run, race, bolt, dash, career, whizz, zoom, charge, shoot, streak, gallop, hare, fly, scurry, go like the wind; informal belt, pelt, tear, scoot, go like a bat out of hell; Brit. informal bomb, bucket, go like the clappers; N. Amer. informal hightail, barrel.

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husband

noun
spouse, partner, mate, consort, man, helpmate, helpmeet; groom, bridegroom; informal hubby, old man, one's better half; Brit. informal other half.
verb
oil reserves should be husbanded
conserve, preserve, save, safeguard, save for a rainy day, put aside, put by, lay in, reserve, stockpile, hoard; use economically, use sparingly, be frugal with. ANTONYMS :squander.

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husbandry

noun
farmers have new methods of husbandry
farm management, land management, farming, agriculture, agronomy; cultivation; animal husbandry.
the careful husbandry of their resources
conservation, management; economy, thrift, thriftiness, frugality.
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hush

verb
he tried to hush her
silence, quieten (down), shush; gag, muzzle; informal shut up.
the crowd hushed
fall silent, stop talking, quieten down; informal pipe down, shut up.
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they hushed up the dangers
keep secret, conceal, hide, suppress, cover up, keep dark, keep quiet about; obscure, veil, sweep under the carpet; informal sit on, keep under one's hat.
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ANTONYMS :disclose.

exclamation
Hush! Someone will hear you
be quiet, keep quiet, quieten down, be silent, stop talking, hold your tongue; informal shut up, shut your mouth, shut your face, shut your trap, button your lip, pipe down, put a sock in it, give it a rest, save it, not another word; Brit. informal shut your gob.
noun
a hush descended
silence, quiet, quietness; stillness, peace, peacefulness, calm, tranquillity. ANTONYMS :noise.

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hush-hush

adjective
(informal). See secret adjective sense 1.

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husk

noun
shell, hull, pod, case, covering, integument, shuck; Botany pericarp, legume.

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husky

adjective
a husky voice
throaty, gruff, gravelly, hoarse, croaky, rough, guttural, harsh, rasping, raspy.
Paddy was a husky guy
strong, muscular, muscly, muscle-bound, brawny, hefty, burly, hulking, chunky, strapping, thickset, solid, powerful, heavy, robust, sturdy, Herculean, well built; informal beefy, hunky.
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ANTONYMS :shrill, soft, puny.

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hussy

noun
(dated) minx, coquette, tease, seductress, Lolita, Jezebel; slut, loose woman; informal floozie, tart, vamp; Brit. informal scrubber, slapper, slag; N. Amer. informal tramp; dated trollop; archaic jade, strumpet.

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hustle

verb
they were hustled as they went
jostle, shove, push, bump, knock, nudge, elbow, shoulder.
I was hustled away
manhandle, push, shove, thrust, frogmarch; rush, hurry, whisk; informal bundle.
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(informal) don't be hustled into anything
coerce, force, pressure, pressurize, badger, pester, hound, nag, goad, prod; browbeat, bulldoze, steamroller, dragoon; informal railroad, fast-talk.
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hustle and bustle
hurly-burly, bustle, tumult, hubbub, activity, action, liveliness, animation, excitement, agitation, flurry, whirl; informal toing and froing, comings and goings, ballyhoo, hoo-ha, hullabaloo.

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hut

noun
shack, shanty, (log) cabin, shelter, shed, lean-to; hovel; Scottish bothy, shieling; N. Amer. cabana.

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hybrid

noun
a hybrid between a brown and albino mouse
cross, cross-breed, mixed-breed, half-breed, half-blood; mixture, blend, amalgamation, combination, composite, fusion.
adjective
hybrid roses
composite, cross-bred, interbred, mongrel; mixed, blended, compound.

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hybridize

verb
cross-breed, cross, interbreed, cross-fertilize, cross-pollinate; mix, blend, combine, amalgamate.

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hygiene

noun
cleanliness, sanitation, sterility, purity, disinfection; public health, environmental health.

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hygienic

adjective
sanitary, clean, germ-free, disinfected, sterilized, sterile, antiseptic, aseptic, unpolluted, uncontaminated, salubrious, healthy, wholesome; informal squeaky clean. ANTONYMS :insanitary.

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hymn

noun
religious song, song of praise, anthem, canticle, chorale, psalm, carol; spiritual.

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hype (informal)

noun
her work relies on hype and headlines
publicity, advertising, promotion, marketing, propaganda, exposure; informal plugging, ballyhoo; Brit. informal puff.
verb
a stunt to hype a new product
publicize, advertise, promote, push, puff, boost, merchandise, build up, bang the drum for; informal plug.

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hyperbole

noun
exaggeration, overstatement, magnification, embroidery, embellishment, excess, overkill; informal purple prose, puffery. ANTONYMS :understatement.

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hypercritical

adjective
overcritical, fault-finding, hair-splitting, carping, cavilling, captious, niggling, quibbling, pedantic, pettifogging, fussy, finicky; informal picky, nit-picking, pernickety; N. Amer. informal persnickety; archaic nice.

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hypnosis

noun
mesmerism, hypnotism, hypnotic suggestion, auto-suggestion.

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hypnotic

adjective
mesmerizing, mesmeric, spellbinding, entrancing, bewitching, irresistible, compelling; soporific, sedative, numbing; Medicine stupefacient.

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hypnotism

noun
mesmerism, hypnosis, hypnotic suggestion, auto-suggestion.

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hypnotize

verb
he had been hypnotized
mesmerize, put into a trance.
they were hypnotized by the dancers
entrance, spellbind, enthral, transfix, captivate, bewitch, enrapture, grip, rivet, absorb, magnetize.
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hypochondria

noun
valetudinarianism, imagined ill health, health obsession; neurosis; technical hypochondriasis.

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hypochondriac

noun
a hypochondriac who depends on her pills
valetudinarian, valetudinary; neurotic.
adjective
her hypochondriac husband
valetudinarian, valetudinary, hypochondriacal, malingering, health-obsessed, neurotic.

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hypocrisy

noun
sanctimoniousness, sanctimony, pietism, piousness, false virtue, cant, posturing, speciousness, empty talk; insincerity, falseness, deceit, dishonesty, dissimulation, duplicity; informal phoneyness. ANTONYMS :sincerity.

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hypocrite

noun
sanctimonious person, pietist, plaster saint, humbug, pretender, deceiver, dissembler; informal phoney; poetic/literary whited sepulchre.

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hypocritical

adjective
sanctimonious, pietistic, pious, self-righteous, holier-than-thou, superior; insincere, specious, false; deceitful, dishonest, dissembling, two-faced; informal phoney.

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hypodermic

noun
needle, syringe; informal hype, spike.

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hypothesis

noun
theory, theorem, thesis, conjecture, supposition, postulation, postulate, proposition, premise, assumption; notion, concept, idea.

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hypothetical

adjective
theoretical, speculative, conjectured, notional, suppositional, supposed, assumed; academic. ANTONYMS :actual.

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hysteria

noun
frenzy, feverishness, hysterics, fit of madness, derangement, mania; panic, alarm, distress; Brit. informal the screaming abdabs. ANTONYMS :calm.

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hysterical

adjective
Janet became hysterical
overwrought, overemotional, out of control, frenzied, frantic, wild, feverish; beside oneself, driven to distraction, agitated, berserk, manic, delirious, unhinged, deranged, out of one's mind, raving; informal in a state.
(informal) her attempts to dance were hysterical
hilarious, uproarious, very funny, very amusing, comical, farcical; informal hysterically funny, side-splitting, rib-tickling, a scream, a hoot, a barrel of laughs; dated killing.
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hysterics

plural noun
(informal) a fit of hysterics
hysteria, wildness, feverishness, irrationality, frenzy, loss of control, delirium, derangement, mania; Brit. informal the screaming abdabs.
the girls collapsed in hysterics
fits of laughter, gales of laughter, uncontrollable laughter, convulsions, fits; informal stitches.
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I

ice

noun
a lake covered with ice
frozen water, icicles; black ice, verglas, frost, rime; N. Amer. glaze.
assorted ices
ice cream, water ice, sorbet; N. Amer. sherbet.
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the ice in her voice
coldness, coolness, frostiness, iciness; hostility, unfriendliness.
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gelid, glacial.
verb
the lake has iced over
freeze (over), turn into ice, harden, solidify.
I'll ice the drinks
cool, chill, refrigerate.
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she had iced the cake
cover with icing, glaze; N. Amer. frost.
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ANTONYMS :thaw, heat.

on ice (informal). See pending adjective sense 1.

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ice-cold

adjective
icy, freezing, glacial, gelid, sub-zero, frozen, wintry; arctic, polar, Siberian; bitter, biting, raw, chilly; poetic/literary frore, rimy. ANTONYMS :hot.

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icing

noun
glaze, sugar paste; N. Amer. frosting.

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icon

noun
image, idol, portrait, representation, symbol; figure, statue.

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iconoclast

noun
critic, sceptic; heretic, unbeliever, dissident, dissenter; rebel, renegade, mutineer.

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icy

adjective
icy roads
frosty, frozen (over), iced over, ice-bound, ice-covered, iced up; slippery; poetic/literary rimy.
an icy wind
freezing, chill, chilly, biting, bitter, raw, arctic, glacial, Siberian, polar, gelid.
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an icy voice
unfriendly, hostile, forbidding; cold, cool, chilly, frigid, frosty, glacial, gelid; haughty, stern, hard.
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idea

noun
the idea of death scares her
concept, notion, conception, thought; image, visualization; hypothesis, postulation.
our idea is to open a new shop
plan, scheme, design, proposal, proposition, suggestion; aim, intention, objective, object, goal, target.
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Liz had other ideas on the subject
thought, theory, view, opinion, feeling, belief, conclusion.
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I had an idea that it might happen
sense, feeling, suspicion, fancy, inkling, hunch, theory, notion, impression.
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an idea of the cost
estimate, estimation, approximation, guess, conjecture, rough calculation; informal guesstimate.
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ideal

adjective
ideal flying weather
perfect, best possible, consummate, supreme, flawless, faultless, exemplary, classic, model, ultimate, quintessential.
an ideal concept
abstract, theoretical, conceptual, notional; hypothetical, speculative, conjectural, suppositional.
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an ideal world
unattainable, unachievable, impracticable; unreal, fictitious, hypothetical, theoretical, ivory-towered, imaginary, idealized, Utopian, fairy-tale.
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ANTONYMS :bad, concrete, real.

noun
she tried to be his ideal
perfection, paragon, epitome, ne plus ultra, nonpareil, dream; informal one in a million, the tops, the bee's knees.
an ideal to aim at
model, pattern, exemplar, example, paradigm, archetype; yardstick.
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liberal ideals
principle, standard, value, belief, conviction, persuasion; (ideals) morals, morality, ethics, ideology, creed.
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idealist

noun
Utopian, visionary, fantasist, romantic, dreamer, daydreamer; Walter Mitty, Don Quixote; N. Amer. fantast. ANTONYMS :realist.

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idealistic

adjective
Utopian, visionary, romantic, quixotic, dreamy, unrealistic, impractical.

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idealize

verb
romanticize, be unrealistic about, look at something through rose-tinted spectacles, paint a rosy picture of, glamorize.

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ideally

adverb
in a perfect world; preferably, if possible, for preference, by choice, as a matter of choice, (much) rather; all things being equal, theoretically, hypothetically, in theory, in principle, on paper.

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idée fixe

noun
obsession, fixation, (consuming) passion, mania, compulsion, preoccupation, infatuation, addiction, fetish; phobia, complex, neurosis; informal bee in one's bonnet, hang-up, thing.

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identical

adjective
identical badges
similar, (exactly) the same, indistinguishable, uniform, twin, interchangeable, undifferentiated, homogeneous, of a piece, cut from the same cloth; alike, like, matching, like (two) peas in a pod; informal much of a muchness.
I used the identical technique
the (very) same, the selfsame, the very, one and the same; aforementioned, aforesaid, aforenamed, above, above-stated; foregoing, preceding.
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ANTONYMS :different.

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identifiable

adjective
distinguishable, recognizable, known; noticeable, perceptible, discernible, appreciable, detectable, observable, perceivable, visible; distinct, marked, conspicuous, unmistakable, clear. ANTONYMS :unrecognizable.

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identification

noun
the identification of the suspect
recognition, singling out, pinpointing, naming; discerning, distinguishing; informal fingering.
early identification of problems
determination, establishment, ascertainment, discovery, diagnosis, divination; verification, confirmation.
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may I see your identification?
ID, (identity/identification) papers, bona fides, documents, credentials; ID card, identity card, pass, badge, warrant, licence, permit, passport.
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the identification of the party with high taxes
association, link, linkage, connection, bracketing.
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his identification with the music
empathy, rapport, unity, togetherness, bond, sympathy, understanding.
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identify

verb
Gail identified her attacker
recognize, single out, pick out, spot, point out, pinpoint, put one's finger on, put a name to, name, know; discern, distinguish; remember, recall, recollect; informal finger.
I identified four problem areas
determine, establish, ascertain, make out, diagnose, discern, distinguish; verify, confirm; informal figure out, get a fix on.
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we identify sport with glamour
associate, link, connect, relate, bracket, couple; mention in the same breath as, set side by side with.
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Peter identifies with the hero
empathize, be in tune, have a rapport, feel at one, sympathize; be on the same wavelength as, speak the same language as; understand, relate to, feel for.
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they identify him with this painter of the same name
equate with, identify as, consider to be, regard as being the same as.
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identity

noun
the identity of the owner
name; specification.
she was afraid of losing her identity
individuality, self, selfhood; personality, character, originality, distinctiveness, singularity, uniqueness.
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a case of mistaken identity
identification, recognition, naming, singling out.
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we share an identity of interests
congruity, congruence, sameness, oneness, interchangeability; likeness, uniformity, similarity, closeness, accordance, alignment.
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ideology

noun
beliefs, ideas, ideals, principles, ethics, morals; doctrine, creed, credo, teaching, theory; tenets, canon(s); conviction(s), persuasion.

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idiocy

noun
stupidity, folly, foolishness, foolhardiness; madness, insanity, lunacy; silliness, brainlessness, thoughtlessness, senselessness, irresponsibility, imprudence, ineptitude, inanity, absurdity, ludicrousness, fatuousness; informal craziness; Brit. informal daftness. ANTONYMS :sense.

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idiom

noun
a rather dated idiom
expression, phrase, turn of phrase, locution.
the poet's idiom is terse
language, mode of expression, style, speech, locution, usage, phraseology, phrasing, vocabulary, parlance, jargon, patter; informal lingo.
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idiomatic

adjective
vernacular, colloquial, everyday, conversational; natural, grammatical, correct.

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idiosyncrasy

noun
peculiarity, oddity, eccentricity, mannerism, quirk, whim, vagary, caprice, kink; fetish, foible, crotchet, habit, characteristic; individuality; unconventionality, unorthodoxy; archaic megrim, freak.

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idiosyncratic

adjective
distinctive, individual, individualistic, characteristic, peculiar, typical, special, specific, unique, personal; eccentric, unconventional, irregular, anomalous, odd, quirky, queer, strange, weird, bizarre, freakish; informal freaky.

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idiot

noun
fool, ass, halfwit, blockhead, dunce, dolt, ignoramus, simpleton; informal dope, ninny, nincompoop, chump, dimwit, dumbo, dummy, loon, dork, jackass, bonehead, fathead, numbskull, dunderhead, thickhead, woodenhead, airhead, pinhead, lamebrain, cretin, moron, imbecile, pea-brain, birdbrain, jerk, nerd, donkey; Brit. informal nit, nitwit, twit, clot, plonker, berk, prat, pillock, wally, divvy, twerp, charlie; Scottish informal nyaff, balloon; N. Amer. informal schmuck, bozo, turkey, chowderhead, dingbat; Austral./NZ informal drongo, dill, alec, galah. ANTONYMS :genius.

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idiotic

adjective
stupid, silly, foolish, witless, brainless, mindless, thoughtless, unintelligent; imprudent, unwise, ill-advised, ill-considered, half-baked, foolhardy; absurd, senseless, pointless, nonsensical, inane, fatuous, ridiculous; informal dumb, dim, dim-witted, half-witted, dopey, gormless, hare-brained, pea-brained, wooden-headed, thickheaded; Brit. informal barmy, daft; Scottish & N. English informal glaikit; N. Amer. informal dumb-ass.

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idle

adjective
an idle fellow
lazy, indolent, slothful, work-shy, shiftless, inactive, sluggish, lethargic, listless; slack, lax, lackadaisical, good-for-nothing; informal bone idle.
I was bored with being idle
unemployed, jobless, out of work, redundant, between jobs, workless, unwaged, unoccupied; Brit. informal on the dole, "resting".
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they left the machine idle
inactive, unused, unoccupied, unemployed, disused; out of action, inoperative, out of service.
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their idle hours
unoccupied, spare, empty, vacant, unfilled, available.
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idle remarks
frivolous, trivial, trifling, minor, petty, lightweight, shallow, superficial, insignificant, unimportant, worthless, paltry, niggling, peripheral, inane, fatuous; unnecessary, time-wasting.
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idle threats
empty, meaningless, pointless, worthless, vain, insubstantial, futile, ineffective, ineffectual; groundless, baseless.
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ANTONYMS :industrious, employed, working, busy, serious.

verb
Lily idled on the window seat
do nothing, be inactive, vegetate, take it easy, mark time, kick one's heels, twiddle one's thumbs, kill time, languish, laze, lounge, loll, loaf, slouch; informal hang around, veg out; Brit. informal hang about; N. Amer. informal bum around, lollygag.
Rob idled along the pavement
saunter, stroll, dawdle, drift, potter, amble, maunder, wander, straggle; informal mosey, tootle; Brit. informal pootle, mooch.
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he let the engine idle
tick over.
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idler

noun
loafer, layabout, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, lounger, shirker, sluggard; informal skiver, waster, slacker, slowcoach, slob, lazybones; N. Amer. informal slowpoke; poetic/literary wastrel. ANTONYMS :workaholic.

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idol

noun
an idol in a shrine
icon, effigy, statue, figure, figurine, fetish, totem; graven image, false god, golden calf.
the pop world's latest idol
hero, heroine, star, superstar, icon, celebrity; favourite, darling; informal pin-up, heart throb, blue-eyed boy/girl, golden boy/girl.
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idolatry

noun
he preached against idolatry
idol worship, fetishism, iconolatry; paganism, heathenism.
our idolatry of art
idolization, fetishization, worship, adulation, adoration, reverence, glorification, lionization, hero-worshipping.
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idolize

verb
hero-worship, worship, revere, venerate, deify, lionize; stand in awe of, reverence, look up to, admire, exalt; informal put on a pedestal.

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idyll

noun
an idyll unspoilt by machines
perfect time, ideal time, moment of bliss; paradise, heaven (on earth), Shangri-La, Utopia; poetic/literary Arcadia.
the poem began as a two-part idyll
pastoral, eclogue, georgic, rural poem.
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idyllic

adjective
perfect, wonderful, blissful, halcyon, happy; ideal, idealized; heavenly, paradisal, Utopian, Elysian; peaceful, picturesque; poetic/literary Arcadian.

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if

conjunction
if the weather is fine, we can walk
on condition that, provided (that), providing (that), presuming (that), supposing (that), assuming (that), as long as, given that, in the event that.
if I go out she gets nasty
whenever, every time.
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I wonder if he noticed
whether, whether or not.
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a useful, if unintended innovation
although, albeit, but, yet, whilst; even though, despite being.
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noun
there is one if in all this
uncertainty, doubt; condition, stipulation, provision, proviso, constraint, precondition, requirement, specification, restriction.

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iffy

adjective
(informal) the windscreen's a bit iffy, but it's a good car
substandard, second-rate, low-grade, low-quality; doubtful, dubious, questionable; informal not up to much; Brit. informal dodgy, ropy.
that date is a bit iffy
tentative, undecided, unsettled, unsure, unresolved, in doubt; informal up in the air.
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ignite

verb
he got to safety moments before the petrol ignited
catch fire, burst into flames; be set off, explode.
a cigarette ignited the fumes
light, set fire to, set on fire, set alight, kindle, touch off; informal set/put a match to.
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the campaign failed to ignite voter interest
arouse, kindle, trigger, spark, instigate, excite, provoke, stimulate, stir up, whip up, incite, fuel.
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ANTONYMS :go out, extinguish.

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ignoble

adjective
dishonourable, unworthy, base, shameful, contemptible, despicable, shabby, sordid; improper, unprincipled, discreditable.

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ignominious

adjective
humiliating, undignified, embarrassing, ignoble, inglorious. ANTONYMS :glorious.

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ignominy

noun
shame, humiliation, embarrassment; disgrace, dishonour, discredit, degradation, scandal, infamy, indignity, ignobility, loss of face.

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ignoramus

noun
fool, ass, halfwit, blockhead, dunce, simpleton; informal dope, ninny, nincompoop, chump, dimwit, imbecile, moron, dumbo, dummy, fathead, numbskull, thickhead, woodenhead, airhead, birdbrain; Brit. informal nit, nitwit, twit, clot, plonker, berk, divvy; Scottish informal balloon; N. Amer. informal schmuck, bozo, turkey; Austral./NZ informal drongo.

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ignorance

noun
his ignorance of economics
incomprehension, unawareness, unconsciousness, unfamiliarity, inexperience, innocence, lack of knowledge; informal cluelessness; poetic/literary nescience.
their attitudes are based on ignorance
lack of knowledge, lack of education; unenlightenment, benightedness; lack of intelligence, stupidity, foolishness, idiocy.
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ANTONYMS :knowledge, education.

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ignorant

adjective
an ignorant country girl
uneducated, unknowledgeable, untaught, unschooled, untutored, untrained, illiterate, unlettered, unlearned, unread, uninformed, unenlightened, benighted; inexperienced, unworldly, unsophisticated; informal pig-ignorant, thick.
they were ignorant of working-class life
without knowledge, unaware, unconscious, unfamiliar, unacquainted, uninformed, unenlightened, unconversant, inexperienced, naive, innocent, green; informal in the dark, clueless; poetic/literary nescient.
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ANTONYMS :educated, knowledgeable.

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ignore

verb
he ignored the customers
disregard, take no notice of, pay no attention to, pay no heed to; turn a blind eye to, turn a deaf ear to.
he was ignored by the countess
snub, slight, spurn, shun, look right through, cold-shoulder, freeze out; Brit. send to Coventry; informal give someone the brush-off, cut (dead); Brit. informal blank.
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doctors ignored her husband's instructions
set aside, pay no attention to, take no account of; break, contravene, fail to comply with, fail to observe, disregard, disobey, breach, defy, flout.
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ANTONYMS :acknowledge, obey.

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ilk

noun
type, sort, class, category, group, set, bracket, genre, vintage, make, model, brand, stamp, variety.

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ill

adjective
she was feeling rather ill
unwell, sick, not (very) well, ailing, poorly, sickly, peaky, indisposed, infirm; out of sorts, not oneself, under/below par, bad, in a bad way; bedridden, invalided, on the sick list, valetudinarian; queasy, nauseous, nauseated; Brit. off colour; informal under the weather, laid up, lousy, rough; Brit. informal ropy, grotty; Austral./NZ informal crook; Brit. informal, dated queer.
the ill effects of smoking
harmful, damaging, detrimental, deleterious, adverse, injurious, hurtful, destructive, pernicious, dangerous; unhealthy, unwholesome, poisonous, noxious; poetic/literary malefic, maleficent, nocuous; archaic baneful.
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ill feeling
hostile, antagonistic, acrimonious, inimical, antipathetic; unfriendly, unsympathetic; resentful, spiteful, malicious, vindictive, malevolent, bitter.
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an ill omen
unlucky, adverse, unfavourable, unfortunate, unpropitious, inauspicious, unpromising, infelicitous, ominous, si nister; poetic/literary direful.
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ill manners
rude, discourteous, impolite; impertinent, insolent, impudent, uncivil, disrespectful; informal ignorant.
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ill management
bad, poor, unsatisfactory, incompetent, deficient, defective, inexpert.
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ANTONYMS :well, healthy, beneficial, auspicious, polite.

noun
the ills of society
problems, troubles, difficulties, misfortunes, trials, tribulations; worries, anxieties, concerns; informal headaches, hassles.
he wished them no ill
harm, hurt, injury, damage, pain, trouble, misfortune, suffering, distress.
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the body's ills
illnesses, ailments, disorders, complaints, afflictions, sicknesses, diseases, maladies, infirmities.
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adverb
such behaviour ill became the king
poorly, badly, imperfectly.
the look on her face boded ill
unfavourably, adversely, badly, inauspiciously.
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he can ill afford the loss of income
barely, scarcely, hardly, only just, just possibly.
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things are going ill
badly , adversely, unsuccessfully, unfavourably; unfortunately, unluckily, inauspiciously.
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we are ill prepared
inadequately, unsatisfactorily, insufficiently, imperfectly, poorly, badly.
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ANTONYMS :well, auspiciously, satisfactorily.

ill at ease
awkward, uneasy, uncomfortable, embarrassed, self-conscious, out of place, inhibited, gauche; restless, restive, fidgety, discomfited, worried, anxious, on edge, edgy, nervous, tense; informal twitchy, jittery; N. Amer. informal discombobulated, antsy. speak ill of
denigrate, disparage, criticize, be critical of, speak badly of, be malicious about, blacken the name of, run down, insult, abuse, attack, revile, malign, vilify; N. Amer. slur; informal bad-mouth, bitch about, pull to pieces; Brit. informal rubbish, slate, slag off; formal derogate; rare asperse.

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ill-advised

adjective
unwise, injudicious, misguided, imprudent, ill-considered, ill-judged; foolhardy, hare-brained, rash, reckless; informal crazy, crackpot. ANTONYMS :judicious.

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ill-assorted

adjective
mismatched, incongruous, ill-matched, incompatible; dissimilar, unalike, varied, disparate.

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ill-bred

adjective
ill-mannered, bad-mannered, rude, impolite, discourteous, uncivil; boorish, churlish, loutish, vulgar, coarse, crass, uncouth, uncivilized, ungentlemanly, indecorous, unseemly; informal ignorant; Brit. informal yobbish.

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ill-considered

adjective
rash, ill-advised, ill-judged, injudicious, imprudent, unwise, hasty; misjudged, ill-conceived, badly thought out, hare-brained; poetic/literary temerarious. ANTONYMS :judicious.

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ill-defined

adjective
vague, indistinct, unclear, imprecise; blurred, fuzzy, hazy, woolly.

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ill-disposed

adjective
hostile, antagonistic, unfriendly, unsympathetic, antipathetic, inimical, unfavourable, averse, at odds; informal anti. ANTONYMS :friendly.

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illegal

adjective
unlawful, illicit, illegitimate, criminal, felonious; unlicensed, unauthorized, unsanctioned; outlawed, banned, forbidden, prohibited, proscribed; contraband, black-market, bootleg; Law malfeasant; informal crooked, shady; Brit. informal bent, dodgy. ANTONYMS :lawful, legitimate.

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illegible

adjective
unreadable, indecipherable, unintelligible; scrawled, scribbled, crabbed.

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illegitimate

adjective
illegitimate share trading
illegal, unlawful, illicit, criminal, felonious; unlicensed, unauthorized, unsanctioned; prohibited, outlawed, banned, forbidden, proscribed; fraudulent, corrupt, dishonest; Law malfeasant; informal crooked, shady; Brit. informal bent, dodgy.
an illegitimate child
born out of wedlock; dated born on the wrong side of the blanket, unfathered; archaic bastard, natural, misbegotten, baseborn, nameless, spurious.
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ANTONYMS :legal, lawful.

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ill-fated

adjective
doomed, blighted, damned, cursed, ill-starred, jinxed; poetic/literary star-crossed.

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ill-favoured

adjective
unattractive, plain, ugly; N. Amer. homely; informal not much to look at; Austral./NZ informal drack. ANTONYMS :attractive.

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ill-founded

adjective
baseless, groundless, without foundation, unjustified; questionable, misinformed, misguided.

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ill humour

noun
bad mood, bad temper, irritability, irascibility, cantankerousness, petulance, peevishness, pettishness, pique, crabbiness, testiness, tetchiness, fractiousness, snappishness, waspishness, touchiness, moodiness, sullenness, sulkiness, surliness, annoyance, anger, crossness.

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ill-humoured

adjective
bad-tempered, ill-tempered, short-tempered, in a (bad) mood, cross; irritable, irascible, tetchy, testy, crotchety, touchy, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, peevish, fractious, waspish, prickly, pettish; grumpy, grouchy, crabbed, crabby, splenetic, dyspeptic, choleric; informal snappish, snappy, chippy, on a short fuse; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, ratty, like a bear with a sore head; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery, peckish; Austral./NZ informal snaky; informal, dated waxy, miffy. ANTONYMS :amiable.

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illiberal

adjective
intolerant, conservative, unenlightened, reactionary, undemocratic, authoritarian, repressive, totalitarian, despotic, tyrannical, oppressive.

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illicit

adjective
illicit drugs
illegal, unlawful, illegitimate, criminal, felonious; outlawed, banned, forbidden, prohibited, proscribed; unlicensed, unauthorized, unsanctioned; contraband, black-market, bootleg; Law malfeasant.
an illicit love affair
taboo, forbidden, impermissible, unacceptable, tapu, haram; secret, clandestine.
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ANTONYMS :lawful, legal.

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illimitable

adjective
limitless, unlimited, unbounded; endless, unending, never-ending, infinite, immeasurable.

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illiteracy

noun
illiteracy was widespread
illiterateness, inability to read or write.
economic illiteracy
ignorance, unawareness, inexperience, unenlightenment, lack of knowledge/education; poetic/literary nescience.
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illiterate

adjective
an illiterate peasant
unable to read or write, unlettered.
politically illiterate
ignorant, unknowledgeable, uneducated, unschooled, untutored, untrained, uninstructed, uninformed; poetic/literary nescient.
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ill-judged

adjective
ill-considered, unwise, ill-thought-out; imprudent, incautious, injudicious, misguided, ill-advised, impolitic, inexpedient; rash, hasty, thoughtless, careless, reckless. ANTONYMS :judicious.

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ill-mannered

adjective
bad-mannered, discourteous, rude, impolite, uncivil, abusive; insolent, impertinent, impudent, cheeky, presumptuous, disrespectful; badly behaved, ill-behaved, loutish, oafish, uncouth, uncivilized, ill-bred; informal ignorant. ANTONYMS :polite.

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ill-natured

adjective
mean, nasty, spiteful, malicious, disagreeable; ill-tempered, bad-tempered, moody, irritable, irascible, surly, sullen, peevish, petulant, fractious, crabbed, crabby, tetchy, testy, grouchy.

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illness

noun
sickness, disease, ailment, complaint, malady, affliction, infection, indisposition; ill health, poor health, infirmity; informal bug, virus; Brit. informal lurgy; Austral. informal wog; dated contagion. -pathy. ANTONYMS :good health.

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illogical

adjective
irrational, unreasonable, unsound, unreasoned, unjustifiable; incorrect, erroneous, invalid, spurious, faulty, flawed, fallacious, unscientific; specious, sophistic, casuistic; absurd, preposterous, untenable; informal off beam, way out.

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ill-starred

adjective
ill-fated, doomed, ill-omened, blighted, damned, cursed, jinxed; unlucky, luckless, unfortunate, hapless; poetic/literary star-crossed. ANTONYMS :blessed.

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ill temper

noun
bad mood, irritation, vexation, exasperation, indignation, huff, moodiness, pet, pique; anger, crossness, bad temper; irritability, irascibility, peevishness, tetchiness, testiness; informal grump; Brit. informal paddy, strop; N. Amer. informal blowout, hissy fit; Brit. informal, dated bate, wax.

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ill-tempered

adjective
bad-tempered, short-tempered, ill-humoured, moody; in a (bad) mood, cross, irritable, irascible, tetchy, testy, crotchety, touchy, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, peevish, fractious, waspish, prickly, pettish; grumpy, grouchy, crabbed, crabby, splenetic, dyspeptic, choleric; informal snappish, snappy, chippy, on a short fuse; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery, peckish; Austral./NZ informal snaky; informal, dated waxy, miffy.

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ill-timed

adjective
untimely, mistimed, badly timed; premature, early, hasty, inopportune. ANTONYMS :timely.

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ill-treat

verb
abuse, mistreat, maltreat, ill-use, misuse; manhandle, handle roughly, molest; harm, injure, damage; informal knock about/around. ANTONYMS :pamper.

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ill-treatment

noun
abuse, mistreatment, maltreatment, ill use, ill usage, misuse; manhandling, rough treatment.

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illuminate

verb
the bundle was illuminated by the torch
light (up), throw light on, brighten, shine on; poetic/literary illumine.
the manuscripts were illuminated
decorate, illustrate, embellish, adorn, ornament.
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documents often illuminate people's thought processes
clarify, elucidate, explain, reveal, shed light on, give insight into.
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ANTONYMS :darken, conceal.

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illuminating

adjective
informative, enlightening, revealing, explanatory, instructive, helpful, educational.

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illumination

noun
a floodlamp provided illumination
light, lighting, radiance, gleam, glow, glare; shining, gleaming, glowing; poetic/literary illumining, irradiance, lucency, lambency, effulgence, refulgence.
the illumination of a manuscript
decoration, illustration, embellishment, adornment, ornamentation.
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these books give illumination on the subject
clarification, elucidation, explanation, revelation, explication.
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moments of real illumination
enlightenment, insight, understanding, awareness; learning, education, edification.
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illusion

noun
he had destroyed her illusions
delusion, misapprehension, misconception, false impression; fantasy, fancy, dream, chimera.
the lighting increases the illusion of depth
appearance, impression, semblance.
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it's just an illusion
mirage, hallucination, apparition, figment of the imagination, trick of the light.
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magical illusions
(magic) trick, conjuring trick; (illusions) magic, conjuring, sleight of hand, legerdemain.
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illusory

adjective
delusory, delusive; illusionary, imagined, imaginary, fanciful, fancied, unreal; sham, false, fallacious, fake, bogus, mistaken, erroneous, misguided, untrue. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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illustrate

verb
the photographs that illustrate the book
decorate, adorn, ornament, accompany; add pictures/drawings to, provide artwork for.
this can be illustrated through a brief example
explain, elucidate, clarify, make plain, demonstrate, show, emphasize; informal get across/over.
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his wit was illustrated by his remark to Lucy
exemplify, show, demonstrate, display, represent.
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illustrated

adjective
with illustrations, with pictures, with drawings, pictorial.

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illustration

noun
the illustrations in children's books
picture, drawing, sketch, figure, plate, print.
by way of illustration
exemplification, demonstration, showing; example, typical case, case in point, analogy.
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a career in illustration
artwork, (graphic) design; ornamentation, decoration, embellishment.
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illustrative

adjective
exemplifying, explanatory, elucidatory, elucidative, explicative, expository, illuminative, exegetic.

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illustrious

adjective
eminent, distinguished, acclaimed, notable, noteworthy, prominent, pre-eminent, foremost, leading, important, influential; renowned, famous, famed, well known, celebrated; esteemed, honoured, respected, venerable, august, highly regarded, well thought of, of distinction. ANTONYMS :unknown.

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ill will

noun
animosity, hostility, enmity, acrimony, animus, hatred, hate, loathing, antipathy; ill feeling, bad blood, antagonism, unfriendliness, dislike; spite, spitefulness, resentment, hard feelings, bitterness; archaic disrelish. ANTONYMS :goodwill.

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image

noun
an image of the Madonna
likeness, resemblance; depiction, portrayal, representation; statue, statuette, sculpture, bust, effigy; painting, picture, portrait, drawing, sketch.
images of the planet Neptune
picture, photograph, snapshot, photo.
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he contemplated his image in the mirror
reflection, mirror image, likeness.
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the image of this country as democratic
conception, impression, idea, perception, notion; mental picture, vision.
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biblical images
simile, metaphor, metonymy; figure of speech, trope, turn of phrase.
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his heart-throb image
public perception, persona, profile, face, front, facade, mask, guise.
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I'm the image of my grandfather
double, living image, lookalike, clone, copy, twin, duplicate, exact likeness, mirror-image; informal spitting image, dead ringer; archaic similitude.
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a graven image
idol, icon, fetish, totem.
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icono-.
verb
she imaged imposing castles
envisage, envision, imagine, picture, see in one's mind's eye.

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imaginable

adjective
thinkable, conceivable, supposable, believable, credible, creditable; possible, plausible, feasible; rare cogitable.

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imaginary

adjective
unreal, non-existent, fictional, fictitious, pretend, make-believe, mythical, fabulous, fanciful, illusory; made-up, dreamed-up, invented, fancied; archaic visionary. ANTONYMS :real.

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imagination

noun
a vivid imagination
creative power, fancy; informal mind's eye.
you need imagination in dealing with these problems
creativity, imaginativeness, creativeness; vision, inspiration, inventiveness, invention, resourcefulness, ingenuity; originality, innovation, innovativeness.
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the album captured the public's imagination
interest, fascination, attention, passion, curiosity.
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imaginative

adjective
creative, visionary, inspired, inventive, resourceful, ingenious; original, innovative, innovatory, unorthodox, unconventional; fanciful, whimsical.

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imagine

verb
one can imagine the cloud-capped castle
visualize, envisage, envision, picture, see in the mind's eye; dream up, think up/of, conceive.
I imagine he was at home
assume, presume, expect, take it (as read), presuppose; suppose, think (it likely), dare say, surmise, believe, be of the view; N. Amer. figure; informal guess, reckon; formal opine.
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imbalance

noun
disparity, variance, variation, polarity, contrast, lack of harmony; gulf, breach, gap.

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imbed

verb
. See embed.

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imbibe

verb
(formal) they'd imbibed too much whisky
drink, consume, quaff, guzzle, gulp (down); informal knock back, down, sink.
he had imbibed liberally
drink (alcohol), take strong drink, tipple; informal booze, knock a few back; N. Amer. informal bend one's elbow; archaic tope.
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imbibing local history
assimilate, absorb, soak up, take in, drink in, learn, acquire, grasp, pick up, familiarize oneself with.
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imbroglio

noun
a political imbroglio
complicated situation, complication, problem, difficulty, predicament, trouble, confusion, entanglement, muddle, mess; informal bind, jam, pickle, fix, corner, hole.
(archaic) an imbroglio of papers
jumble, muddle, mess, clutter, hotchpotch, mishmash; N. Amer. hodgepodge.
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imbue

verb
permeate, saturate, diffuse, suffuse, pervade; impregnate, inject, inculcate, ingrain, inspire; fill.

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imitate

verb
other artists have imitated his style
emulate, copy, model oneself on, follow, echo, parrot; informal rip off.
he imitated Winston Churchill
mimic, do an impression of, impersonate, ape; parody, caricature, burlesque, travesty; informal take off, send up; N. Amer. informal make like; formal personate; archaic monkey.
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the tombs imitated houses
resemble, look like, be like; echo, mirror; bring to mind, remind one of.
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imitation

noun
an imitation of a sailor's hat
copy, simulation, reproduction, replica.
learning by imitation
emulation, copying, echoing, parroting.
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a perfect imitation of Francis
impersonation, impression, parody, mockery, caricature, burlesque, travesty, lampoon, pastiche; mimicry, mimicking, imitating, aping; informal send-up, take-off, spoof.
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adjective
imitation ivory
artificial, synthetic, simulated, man-made, manufactured, ersatz, substitute; mock, sham, fake, bogus; informal pseudo, phoney. ANTONYMS :real, genuine.

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imitative

adjective
imitative crime
similar, like, mimicking; informal copycat.
I found the film empty and imitative
derivative, unoriginal, unimaginative, uninspired, plagiarized, plagiaristic; clichéd, hackneyed, stale, trite, banal; informal cribbed, old hat.
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imitative words
onomatopoeic, echoic.
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imitator

noun
the show's success has sparked off many imitators
copier, copyist, emulator, follower, mimic, plagiarist, ape, parrot; informal copycat.
an Elvis imitator
impersonator, impressionist, mimicker; parodist, caricaturist, lampooner.
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immaculate

adjective
an immaculate white shirt
clean, spotless, pristine, unsoiled, unstained, unsullied; shining, shiny, gleaming; neat, tidy, spick and span; informal squeaky clean.
immaculate condition
perfect, pristine, mint; flawless, faultless, unblemished, unspoiled, undamaged; excellent, impeccable; informal tip-top, A1.
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his immaculate record
unblemished, spotless, impeccable, unsullied, undefiled, untarnished, stainless; informal squeaky clean.
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ANTONYMS :dirty, damaged.

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immanent

adjective
the protection of liberties immanent in the constitution
inherent, intrinsic, innate, latent, essential, fundamental, basic.
God is immanent in His creation
pervasive, pervading, permeating; omnipresent.
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immaterial

adjective
the difference in our ages was immaterial
irrelevant, unimportant, inconsequential, insignificant, of no matter/moment, of little account, beside the point, neither here nor there.
the immaterial soul
intangible, incorporeal, bodiless, disembodied, impalpable, ethereal, insubstantial; spiritual, unearthly, supernatural.
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ANTONYMS :significant, physical.

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immature

adjective
an immature Stilton
unripe, not mature, unmellowed; undeveloped, unformed, unfinished.
an extremely immature girl
childish, babyish, infantile, juvenile, puerile, jejune, callow, green, inexperienced, unsophisticated, unworldly, naive; informal wet behind the ears.
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ANTONYMS :ripe.

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immeasurable

adjective
incalculable, inestimable, innumerable, untold; limitless, boundless, unbounded, unlimited, illimitable, infinite, never-ending, interminable, endless, inexhaustible; vast, immense, great, abundant; informal no end of; poetic/literary myriad.

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immediate

adjective
the UN called for immediate action
instant, instantaneous, swift, prompt, speedy, rapid, quick, expeditious; sudden, hurried, hasty, precipitate; informal snappy; poetic/literary rathe.
their immediate concerns
current, present, existing, actual; urgent, pressing.
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the immediate past
recent, not long past, just gone; occurring recently.
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our immediate neighbours
nearest, near, close, closest, next-door; adjacent, adjoining.
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the immediate cause of death
direct, primary.
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ANTONYMS :delayed, distant.

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immediately

adverb
it was necessary to make a decision immediately
straight away, at once, right away, instantly, now, directly, promptly, forthwith, this/that (very) minute, this/that instant, there and then, here and now, without delay, without further ado, post-haste; quickly, as fast as possible, speedily, as soon as possible, a.s.a.p.; informal pronto, in double-quick time, pretty damn quick, p.d.q., toot sweet; archaic instanter, forthright.
I sat immediately behind him
directly, right, exactly, precisely, squarely, just, dead; informal slap bang; N. Amer. informal smack dab.
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immemorial

adjective
ancient, (very) old, age-old, antediluvian, timeless, archaic, long-standing, time-worn, time-honoured; traditional; poetic/literary of yore.

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immense

adjective
huge, vast, massive, enormous, gigantic, colossal, great, very large/big, monumental, towering, tremendous; giant, elephantine, monstrous, mammoth, titanic, king-sized; informal mega, monster, whopping (great), thumping (great), humongous, jumbo; Brit. informal whacking (great), ginormous. ANTONYMS :tiny.

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immensely

adverb
extremely, very, exceedingly, exceptionally, extraordinarily, tremendously, hugely, singularly, distinctly, outstandingly, uncommonly, unusually, decidedly, particularly, eminently, supremely, highly, remarkably, really, truly, mightily, thoroughly, in the extreme; informal terrifically, awfully, fearfully, terribly, devilishly, seriously, mega, damn, damned; Brit. informal ever so, well, bloody, hellish, dead, jolly; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, powerful, awful, darned; informal, dated devilish, frightfully; archaic exceeding. ANTONYMS :slightly.

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immerse

verb
litmus paper turns red on being immersed in acid
submerge, dip, dunk, duck, sink; soak, drench, saturate, wet.
new Christians were immersed in the river
baptize, christen; informal, dated dip; rare lustrate.
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Elliot was immersed in his work
absorb, engross, occupy, engage, involve, bury; busy, employ, preoccupy; informal lose oneself in.
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immigrant

noun
newcomer, settler, incomer, migrant, emigrant; non-native, foreigner, alien. ANTONYMS :native.

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imminent

adjective
impending, close (at hand), near, (fast) approaching, coming, forthcoming, on the way, in the offing, in the pipeline, on the horizon, in the air/wind, expected, anticipated, brewing, looming; informal on the cards.

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immobile

adjective
she sat immobile for a long time
motionless, without moving, still, stock-still, static, stationary; rooted to the spot, rigid, frozen, transfixed, like a statue, not moving a muscle.
she dreaded being immobile
unable to move, immobilized; paralysed, crippled.
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ANTONYMS :moving.

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immobilize

verb
put out of action, disable, make inoperative, inactivate, deactivate, paralyse, cripple; bring to a standstill, halt, stop; clamp, wheel-clamp.

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immoderate

adjective
excessive, heavy, intemperate, unrestrained, unrestricted, uncontrolled, unlimited, unbridled, uncurbed, overindulgent, imprudent, reckless; undue, inordinate, unreasonable, unjustified, unwarranted, uncalled for, outrageous; extravagant, lavish, prodigal, profligate.

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immodest

adjective
indecorous, improper, indecent, indelicate, immoral; forward, bold, brazen, impudent, shameless, loose, wanton; informal fresh, cheeky, saucy.

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immolate

verb
sacrifice, offer up; kill, slaughter, burn.

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immoral

adjective
unethical, bad, morally wrong, wrongful, wicked, evil, unprincipled, unscrupulous, dishonourable, dishonest, unconscionable, iniquitous, disreputable, corrupt, depraved, vile, villainous, nefarious, base, miscreant; sinful, impure, unchaste, unvirtuous, shameless, degenerate, debauched, dissolute, reprobate, lewd, licentious, wanton, promiscuous; informal shady, low-down; Brit. informal dodgy, crooked. ANTONYMS :ethical, chaste.

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immorality

noun
wickedness, immoral behaviour, badness, evil, vileness, corruption, dishonesty, dishonourableness; sinfulness, unchastity, sin, depravity, vice, degeneracy, debauchery, dissolution, perversion, lewdness, wantonness, promiscuity; informal shadiness; Brit. informal crookedness; formal turpitude.

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immortal

adjective
our souls are immortal
undying, deathless, eternal, everlasting, never-ending, endless, lasting, enduring; imperishable, indestructible, inextinguishable, immutable.
an immortal children's classic
timeless, perennial, classic, time-honoured, enduring; famous, famed, renowned, great, eminent, outstanding, acclaimed, celebrated.
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noun
Greek temples of the immortals
god, goddess, deity, divine being, supreme being, divinity.
one of the immortals of soccer
great, hero, Olympian.
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immortality

noun
the immortality of the gods
eternal life, everlasting life, deathlessness; indestructibility, imperishability.
the book has achieved immortality
timelessness, legendary status, lasting fame/renown.
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immortalize

verb
commemorate, memorialize, eternalize; celebrate, eulogize, pay tribute to, honour, salute, exalt, glorify; poetic/literary eternize.

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immovable

adjective
lock your bike to something immovable
fixed, secure, stable, moored, anchored, braced, set firm, set fast; stuck, jammed, stiff, unbudgeable.
he sat immovable
motionless, unmoving, stationary, still, stock-still, not moving a muscle, rooted to the spot; transfixed, paralysed, frozen.
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she was immovable in her loyalties
steadfast, unwavering, unswerving, resolute, determined, firm, unshakeable, unfailing, dogged, tenacious, inflexible, unyielding, unbending, uncompromising, iron-willed; N. Amer. rock-ribbed.
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ANTONYMS :mobile, moving.

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immune

adjective
resistant, not subject, not liable, unsusceptible, not vulnerable; protected from, safe from, secure against, not in danger of. ANTONYMS :susceptible.

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immunity

noun
an immunity to malaria
resistance, non-susceptibility; ability to fight off, protection against, defences against; immunization against, inoculation against.
immunity from prosecution
exemption, exception, freedom, release, dispensation; informal a let-off.
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diplomatic immunity
indemnity, privilege, prerogative, right, liberty, licence; legal exemption, impunity, protection.
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immunize

verb
vaccinate, inoculate, inject; protect from, safeguard against; informal give someone a jab/shot.

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immure

verb
confine, intern, shut up, lock up, incarcerate, imprison, jail, put behind bars, put under lock and key, hold captive, hold prisoner; detain, hold.

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immutable

adjective
fixed, set, rigid, inflexible, permanent, established; unchanging, unchanged, unvarying, unvaried, static, constant, lasting, enduring. ANTONYMS :variable.

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imp

noun
imps are thought to sprout from Satan
demon, devil, fiend; hobgoblin, goblin, elf, sprite, puck, cacodemon; archaic bugbear.
a cheeky young imp
rascal, monkey, devil, troublemaker, wretch, urchin, tearaway; informal scamp, brat, monster, horror, tyke, whippersnapper; Brit. informal perisher; N. Amer. informal hellion, varmint; archaic scapegrace, rapscallion.
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impact

noun
the force of the impact
collision, crash, smash, bump, bang, knock.
the job losses will have a major impact
effect, influence; consequences, repercussions, ramifications, reverberations.
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verb
(N. Amer.) a comet impacted the earth sixty million years ago
crash into, smash into, collide with, hit, strike, smack into, bang into.
high interest rates have impacted on retail spending
affect, influence, have an effect, make an impression; hit, touch, change, alter, modify, transform, shape.
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impair

verb
have a negative effect on, damage, harm, diminish, reduce, weaken, lessen, decrease, impede, hinder; undermine, compromise; formal vitiate. ANTONYMS :improve, enhance.

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impaired

adjective
disabled, handicapped, incapacitated; euphemistic challenged, differently abled.

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impairment

noun
disability, handicap, abnormality, defect, dysfunction.

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impale

verb
stick, skewer, spear, spike, transfix; pierce, stab, run through; poetic/literary transpierce.

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impalpable

adjective
intangible, insubstantial, incorporeal; indefinable, elusive, undescribable.

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impart

verb
she had news to impart
communicate, pass on, convey, transmit, relay, relate, recount, tell, make known, make public, report, announce, proclaim, spread, disseminate, circulate, promulgate, broadcast; disclose, reveal, divulge; informal let on about, blab; archaic discover, unbosom.
the brush imparts a good sheen
give, bestow, confer, grant, lend, afford, provide, supply.
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impartial

adjective
unbiased, unprejudiced, neutral, non-partisan, disinterested, detached, dispassionate, objective, open-minded, equitable, even-handed, fair, just. ANTONYMS :biased, partisan.

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impassable

adjective
unpassable, unnavigable, untraversable; closed, blocked.

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impasse

noun
deadlock, dead end, stalemate, checkmate, stand-off; standstill, halt, (full) stop.

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impassioned

adjective
emotional, heartfelt, wholehearted, earnest, sincere, fervent, ardent, passionate, fervid; poetic/literary perfervid; rare passional.

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impassive

adjective
expressionless, inexpressive, inscrutable, blank, deadpan, poker-faced, straight-faced; stony, wooden, unresponsive. ANTONYMS :expressive.

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impatience

noun
he was shifting in his seat with impatience
restlessness, restiveness, agitation, nervousness; eagerness, keenness; informal jitteriness.
a burst of impatience
irritability, testiness, tetchiness, irascibility, querulousness, peevishness, frustration, exasperation, annoyance, pique.
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impatient

adjective
Melissa grew impatient
restless, restive, agitated, nervous, anxious, ill at ease, edgy, jumpy, keyed up; Brit. nervy; informal twitchy, jittery, uptight.
they are impatient to get back home
anxious, eager, keen, yearning, longing, aching; informal itching, dying.
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an impatient gesture
irritated, annoyed, angry, testy, tetchy, snappy, cross, querulous, peevish, piqued, short-tempered; abrupt, curt, brusque, terse, short; informal peeved.
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ANTONYMS :calm, reluctant.

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impeach

verb
(N. Amer.) moves to impeach the president
indict, charge, accuse, lay charges against, arraign, take to court, put on trial, prosecute.
the headlines impeached their clean image
challenge, question, call into question, raise doubts about.
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impeccable

adjective
flawless, faultless, unblemished, spotless, stainless, perfect, exemplary; sinless, irreproachable, blameless, guiltless; informal squeaky clean. ANTONYMS :imperfect, sinful.

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impecunious

adjective
penniless, poor, impoverished, indigent, insolvent, hard up, poverty-stricken, needy, destitute; in straitened circumstances, unable to make ends meet; Brit. on the breadline; informal (flat) broke, strapped (for cash), on one's uppers; Brit. informal skint, stony broke, in Queer Street; N. Amer. informal stone broke; formal penurious. ANTONYMS :wealthy.

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impede

verb
hinder, obstruct, hamper, hold back/up, delay, interfere with, disrupt, retard, slow (down); block, check, stop, thwart, frustrate, baulk, foil, derail; informal stymie; Brit. informal scupper, throw a spanner in the works; N. Amer. informal bork, throw a monkey wrench in the works; dated cumber. ANTONYMS :facilitate.

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impediment

noun
an impediment to economic improvement
hindrance, obstruction, obstacle, barrier, bar, block, check, curb, restriction, limitation; setback, difficulty, snag, hitch, stumbling block; informal fly in the ointment, hiccup; Brit. informal spanner in the works; N. Amer. informal monkey wrench in the works; archaic cumber.
a speech impediment
defect; stammer, stutter, lisp.
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impedimenta

plural noun
paraphernalia, trappings, equipment, accoutrements, appurtenances, accessories, bits and pieces, tackle; informal stuff, gear; Brit. informal clobber, gubbins; archaic equipage.

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impel

verb
financial difficulties impelled her to seek work
force, compel, constrain, oblige, require, make, urge, press, pressurize, drive, push, spur, prod, goad, incite, prompt, persuade.
vital energies impel him in unforeseen directions
propel, drive, move, get going, get moving.
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impending

adjective
imminent, close (at hand), near, nearing, approaching, coming, forthcoming, upcoming, to come, on the way, about to happen, in store, in the offing, on the horizon, in the air/wind, brewing, looming, threatening, menacing.

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impenetrable

adjective
impenetrable armoured plating
unbreakable, indestructible, solid, thick, unyielding; impregnable, inviolable, unassailable, unpierceable.
a dark, impenetrable forest
impassable, unpassable, inaccessible, unnavigable, untraversable; dense, thick, overgrown.
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an impenetrable clique
exclusive, closed, secretive, secret, private; restrictive, restricted, limited.
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impenetrable statistics
incomprehensible, unfathomable, inexplicable, unintelligible, unclear, baffling, bewildering, puzzling, perplexing, confusing, abstruse, opaque; complex, complicated, difficult; archaic wildering.
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impenitent

adjective
unrepentant, unrepenting, uncontrite, remorseless, unashamed, unapologetic, unabashed.

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imperative

adjective
it is imperative that you find him
vitally important, of vital importance, all-important, vital, crucial, critical, essential, necessary, indispensable, urgent.
the imperative note in her voice
peremptory, commanding, imperious, authoritative, masterful, dictatorial, assertive, firm, insistent.
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ANTONYMS :unimportant, submissive.

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imperceptible

adjective
unnoticeable, undetectable, indistinguishable, indiscernible, invisible, inaudible, impalpable, unobtrusive; slight, small, subtle, faint, fine, negligible; indistinct, unclear, obscure, vague, indefinite, hard to make out. ANTONYMS :noticeable.

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imperfect

adjective
the good were returned as imperfect
faulty, flawed, defective, shoddy, unsound, inferior, second-rate, below standard, substandard; damaged, blemished, torn, broken, cracked, scratched; informal not up to scratch, tenth-rate, crummy; Brit. informal duff.
an imperfect form of the manuscript
incomplete, unfinished, half-done; unpolished, unrefined, rough.
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she spoke imperfect Arabic
broken, faltering, halting, hesitant, rudimentary, limited.
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ANTONYMS :flawless.

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imperfection

noun
the glass is free from imperfections
defect, fault, flaw, deformity, discoloration, disfigurement; crack, scratch, chip, dent, blemish, stain, spot, mark.
he was aware of his imperfections
flaw, fault, failing, deficiency, weakness, weak point, shortcoming, foible, inadequacy, limitation.
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the imperfection of the fossil record
incompleteness, patchiness, deficiency; roughness, crudeness.
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ANTONYMS :strength.

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imperial

adjective
imperial banners
royal, regal, monarchal, monarchial, monarchical, sovereign, kingly, queenly, princely.
her imperial bearing
majestic, grand, dignified, proud, stately, noble, aristocratic, regal; magnificent, imposing, impressive.
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our customers thought we were imperial
imperious, high-handed, peremptory, dictatorial, domineering, bossy, arrogant, overweening, overbearing.
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imperil

verb
endanger, jeopardize, risk, put in danger, put in jeopardy, expose to danger; threaten, pose a threat to; archaic peril.

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imperious

adjective
peremptory, high-handed, commanding, imperial, overbearing, overweening, domineering, authoritarian, dictatorial, authoritative, lordly, assertive, bossy, arrogant; informal pushy, high and mighty.

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imperishable

adjective
enduring, everlasting, undying, immortal, perennial, long-lasting; indestructible, inextinguishable, ineradicable, unfading, permanent, never-ending, never dying; poetic/literary sempiternal, perdurable.

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impermanent

adjective
temporary, transient, transitory, passing, fleeting, momentary, ephemeral, fugitive; short-lived, brief, here today and gone tomorrow; poetic/literary evanescent.

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impermeable

adjective
watertight, waterproof, damp-proof, airtight, (hermetically) sealed.

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impersonal

adjective
the hand of fate is impersonal
neutral, unbiased, non-partisan, unprejudiced, objective, detached, disinterested, dispassionate, without favouritism.
he remained strangely impersonal
aloof, distant, remote, reserved, withdrawn, unemotional, unsentimental, dispassionate, cold, cool, indifferent, unconcerned; formal, stiff, businesslike; informal starchy, stand-offish.
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ANTONYMS :biased, warm.

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impersonate

verb
imitate, mimic, do an impression of, ape; parody, caricature, burlesque, travesty, satirize, lampoon; masquerade as, pose as, pass oneself off as; informal take off, send up; N. Amer. informal make like; formal personate; archaic monkey.

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impersonation

noun
impression, imitation; parody, caricature, burlesque, travesty, lampoon, pastiche; informal take-off, send-up; formal personation.

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impertinence

noun
rudeness, insolence, impoliteness, bad manners, discourtesy, discourteousness, disrespect, incivility; impudence, cheek, cheekiness, audacity, temerity, effrontery, nerve, gall, boldness, cockiness, brazenness; informal brass (neck); Brit. informal sauce; N. Amer. informal sass, sassiness, chutzpah; archaic assumption.

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impertinent

adjective
she asked a lot of impertinent questions
rude, insolent, impolite, ill-mannered, bad-mannered, uncivil, discourteous, disrespectful; impudent, cheeky, audacious, bold, brazen, brash, presumptuous, forward; tactless, undiplomatic; informal brass-necked, saucy; N. Amer. informal sassy; archaic contumelious.
(formal) talk of "rhetoric" is impertinent to this process
irrelevant, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, immaterial, unrelated, unconnected, not germane; beside the point, out of place.
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ANTONYMS :polite, relevant.

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imperturbable

adjective
self-possessed, composed, (cool, calm, and collected), cool-headed, self-controlled, serene, relaxed, unexcitable, even-tempered, placid, phlegmatic; unperturbed, unflustered, unruffled; informal unflappable, unfazed, laid-back. ANTONYMS :excitable.

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impervious

adjective
he seemed impervious to the chill wind
unaffected, untouched, immune, invulnerable, insusceptible, resistant, indifferent, heedless, oblivious; proof against.
an impervious damp-proof course
impermeable, impenetrable, impregnable, waterproof, watertight; (hermetically) sealed.
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ANTONYMS :susceptible, permeable.

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impetuous

adjective
an impetuous decision
impulsive, rash, hasty, overhasty, reckless, heedless, foolhardy, incautious, imprudent, injudicious, ill-considered, unthought-out; spontaneous, impromptu, spur-of-the-moment, precipitate, precipitous, hurried, rushed.
an impetuous flow of water
torrential, powerful, forceful, vigorous, violent, raging, relentless, uncontrolled; rapid, fast, fast-flowing.
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ANTONYMS :considered, sluggish.

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impetus

noun
the flywheel lost all its impetus
momentum, propulsion, impulsion, motive force, driving force, drive, thrust; energy, force, power, push, strength.
the sales force were given fresh impetus
motivation, stimulus, incitement, incentive, inducement, inspiration, encouragement, boost; informal a shot in the arm.
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impiety

noun
a world of impiety and immorality
godlessness, ungodliness, unholiness, irreligion, sinfulness, sin, vice, immorality, unrighteousness; apostasy, atheism, agnosticism, paganism, heathenism, non-belief, unbelief.
one impiety will cost me my eternity in paradise
sin, transgression, wrongdoing, evil-doing, wrong, misdeed, misdemeanour.
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ANTONYMS :faith.

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impinge

verb
these issues impinge on all of us
affect, have an effect, touch, influence, make an impact, leave a mark.
the proposed fencing would impinge on a public bridleway
encroach, intrude, infringe, invade, trespass, obtrude, cut through, interfere with; violate; archaic entrench on.
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(Physics) electrically charged particles impinge on the lunar surface
strike, hit, collide with.
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impious

adjective
godless, ungodly, unholy, irreligious, sinful, immoral, unrighteous, sacrilegious, profane, blasphemous, irreverent; apostate, atheistic, agnostic, pagan, heathen, faithless, non-believing, unbelieving; rare nullifidian.

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impish

adjective
he takes an impish delight in shocking the press
mischievous, naughty, wicked, rascally, roguish, playful, sportive; mischief-making, full of mischief.
an impish grin
elfin, elflike, pixie-like, puckish; mischievous, roguish.
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implacable

adjective
unappeasable, unpacifiable, unplacatable, unmollifiable, unforgiving; intransigent, inflexible, unyielding, unbending, uncompromising, unrelenting, ruthless, remorseless, merciless, heartless, pitiless, cruel, hard, harsh, stern, tough.

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implant

verb
the collagen is implanted under the skin
insert, embed, bury, lodge, place; graft.
he implanted the idea in my mind
instil, inculcate, insinuate, introduce, inject, plant, sow, root, lodge.
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noun
a silicone implant
transplant, graft, implantation, insert.

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implausible

adjective
unlikely, improbable, questionable, doubtful, debatable; unrealistic, unconvincing, far-fetched, incredible, unbelievable, unimaginable, inconceivable, fantastic, fanciful, ridiculous, absurd, preposterous; informal cock and bull. ANTONYMS :convincing.

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implement

noun
garden implements
tool, utensil, instrument, device, apparatus, gadget, contraption, appliance, machine, contrivance; informal gizmo.
verb
the cost of implementing the new law
execute, apply, put into effect/action, put into practice, carry out/through, perform, enact; fulfil, discharge, accomplish, bring about, achieve, realize; formal effectuate.

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implicate

verb
he had been implicated in a financial scandal
incriminate, compromise; involve, connect, embroil, enmesh; archaic inculpate.
viruses are implicated in the development of cancer
involve in, concern with, associate with, connect with.
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when one asks a question one implicates that one desires an answer.
See imply sense 1.
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implication

noun
he was smarting at their implication
suggestion, inference, insinuation, innuendo, hint, intimation, imputation.
important political implications
consequence, result, ramification, repercussion, reverberation, effect.
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his implication in the murder case
incrimination, involvement, connection, entanglement, association; archaic inculpation.
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implicit

adjective
implicit assumptions
implied, inferred, understood, hinted at, suggested, deducible; unspoken, unexpressed, undeclared, unstated, tacit, unacknowledged, taken for granted.
assumptions implicit in the way questions are asked
inherent, latent, underlying, inbuilt, incorporated.
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an implicit trust in human nature
absolute, complete, total, wholehearted, perfect, utter; unqualified, unconditional; unshakeable, unquestioning, firm, steadfast.
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ANTONYMS :explicit.

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implicitly

adverb
completely, absolutely, totally, wholeheartedly, utterly, unconditionally, unreservedly, without reservation.

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implied

adjective
implicit, hinted at, suggested, insinuated, inferred, understood, deducible; unspoken, unexpressed, undeclared, unstated, tacit, unacknowledged, taken for granted. ANTONYMS :explicit.

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implore

verb
his mother implored him to continue studying
plead with, beg, entreat, beseech, appeal to, ask, request, call on; exhort, urge, enjoin, press, push, petition, bid.
(archaic) she implored pity
beg for, plead for, appeal for, call for; ask for, request, sue for.
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imply

verb
are you implying he is mad?
insinuate, suggest, hint, intimate, say indirectly, indicate, give someone to understand, make out.
the forecasted traffic increase implies more roads
involve, entail; mean, point to, signify, indicate, signal; necessitate, require.
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impolite

adjective
rude, bad-mannered, ill-mannered, discourteous, uncivil, disrespectful, inconsiderate, boorish, churlish, ill-bred, ungentlemanly, unladylike, ungracious; insolent, impudent, impertinent, cheeky; loutish, rough, crude, indelicate, indecorous; informal ignorant, lippy; archaic malapert, contumelious.

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impolitic

adjective
imprudent, unwise, injudicious, incautious, irresponsible; ill-judged, ill-advised, misguided, rash, reckless, foolhardy, foolish, short-sighted; undiplomatic, tactless. ANTONYMS :prudent.

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import

verb
the UK imports iron ore
buy from abroad, bring in, buy in, ship in. ANTONYMS :export.

noun
a tax on imports
imported commodity, foreign commodity.
the import of foreign books
importation, importing, bringing in, bringing from abroad, shipping in.
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a matter of great import
importance, significance, consequence, momentousness, magnitude, substance, weight, note, gravity, seriousness; formal moment.
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the full import of her words
meaning, sense, essence, gist, drift, purport, message, thrust, substance, implication.
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ANTONYMS :export, insignificance.

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importance

noun
an event of immense importance
significance, momentousness, import, consequence, note, noteworthiness, substance; seriousness, gravity, weightiness, urgency.
she had a fine sense of her own importance
power, influence, authority, sway, weight, dominance; prominence, eminence, pre-eminence, notability, worth.
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ANTONYMS :insignificance.

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important

adjective
an important meeting
significant, consequential, momentous, of great import, major; critical, crucial, vital, pivotal, decisive, urgent, historic; serious, grave, weighty, material; formal of great moment.
the important thing is that you do well in your exams
main, chief, principal, key, major, salient, prime, foremost, paramount, overriding, crucial, vital, critical, essential, significant; central, fundamental; informal number-one.
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the school was important to the community
of value, valuable, beneficial, necessary, essential, indispensable, vital; of concern, of interest, relevant, pertinent.
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he was an important man
powerful, influential, of influence, well-connected, high-ranking; prominent, eminent, pre-eminent, notable, noteworthy, of note; distinguished, esteemed, respected, prestigious, celebrated, famous, great; informal major league.
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ANTONYMS :trivial, insignificant.

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importunate

adjective
persistent, insistent, tenacious, persevering, dogged, unrelenting, tireless, indefatigable; aggressive, high-pressure; informal pushy; formal exigent, pertinacious.

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importune

verb
he importuned her for some spare change
beg, beseech, entreat, implore, plead with, appeal to, call on; harass, pester, press, badger, bother, nag, harry; informal hassle.
they arrested me for importuning
solicit; informal proposition; N. Amer. informal hustle.
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impose

verb
he imposed his ideas on the art director
foist, force, inflict, press, urge; informal saddle someone with, land someone with.
new taxes will be imposed
levy, charge, apply, enforce; set, establish, institute, introduce, bring into effect.
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how dare you impose on me like this!
take advantage of, exploit, take liberties with, treat unfairly; bother, trouble, disturb, inconvenience, put out, put to trouble.
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impose oneself
force oneself, foist oneself; control, take charge of; informal call the shots/tune, be in the driving seat, be in the saddle, run the show.

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imposing

adjective
impressive, striking, arresting, eye-catching, dramatic, spectacular, stunning, awesome, formidable, splendid, grand, majestic. ANTONYMS :modest.

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imposition

noun
the imposition of an alien culture
imposing, foisting, forcing, inflicting.
the imposition of VAT
levying, charging, application, applying, enforcement, enforcing; setting, establishment, introduction, institution.
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it would be no imposition
burden, encumbrance, strain, bother, worry; informal hassle.
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the levying of special impositions
tax, levy, duty, charge, tariff, toll, impost; formal mulct, exaction.
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impossible

adjective
gale force winds made fishing impossible
not possible, out of the question, unfeasible, impractical, impracticable, non-viable, unworkable; unthinkable, unimaginable, inconceivable.
an impossible dream
unattainable, unachievable, unobtainable, hopeless, impractical, implausible, far-fetched, impracticable, unworkable.
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food shortages made life impossible
unbearable, intolerable, unendurable.
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(informal) an impossible woman
unreasonable, objectionable, difficult, awkward; intolerable, unbearable, unendurable; exasperating, maddening, infuriating.
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ANTONYMS :attainable, bearable.

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impostor

noun
impersonator, masquerader, pretender, deceiver, hoaxer, trickster, fraudster; fake, fraud, sham; informal phoney.

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imposture

noun
misrepresentation, pretence, deceit, deception, trickery, artifice, subterfuge; hoax, trick, ruse, dodge; informal con (trick), scam, flimflam; Brit. informal wheeze.

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impotent

adjective
the legal sanctions are impotent
powerless, ineffective, ineffectual, inadequate, weak, useless, worthless, futile; poetic/literary impuissant.
forces which man is impotent to control
unable, incapable, powerless.
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an impotent opposition party
weak, powerless, ineffective, feeble.
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ANTONYMS :powerful, effective.

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impound

verb
officials began impounding documents
confiscate, appropriate, take possession of, seize, commandeer, expropriate, requisition, sequester, sequestrate; Law distrain.
the cattle were impounded
pen in, shut up/in, fence in, enclose, confine; N. Amer. corral.
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unfortunates impounded in prison
lock up, incarcerate, imprison, confine, intern, immure, hold captive, hold prisoner.
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impoverish

verb
the widow had been impoverished
make poor, make penniless, reduce to penury, bankrupt, ruin, make insolvent, pauperize.
the trees were impoverishing the soil
weaken, sap, exhaust, deplete.
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impoverished

adjective
an impoverished peasant farmer
poor, poverty-stricken, penniless, destitute, indigent, impecunious, needy, pauperized, down and out, on the breadline; bankrupt, ruined, insolvent; informal (flat) broke, stony broke, on one's uppers, hard up, without a bean, on skid row; Brit. informal skint; N. Amer. informal stone broke; formal penurious.
the soil is impoverished
weakened, exhausted, drained, sapped, depleted, spent; barren, unproductive, unfertile.
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ANTONYMS :rich.

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impracticable

adjective
unworkable, unfeasible, non-viable, unachievable, unattainable, unrealizable; impractical. ANTONYMS :workable, feasible.

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impractical

adjective
an impractical suggestion
unrealistic, unworkable, unfeasible, non-viable, impracticable; ill-thought-out, impossible, absurd, wild; informal cock-eyed, crackpot, crazy.
impractical white ankle boots
unsuitable, not sensible, inappropriate, unserviceable.
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an impractical scholar
idealistic, unrealistic, romantic, dreamy, fanciful, quixotic; informal airy-fairy.
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ANTONYMS :practical, sensible.

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imprecation

noun
(formal) the most dreadful imprecations
curse, malediction; N. Amer. hex; poetic/literary anathema; archaic execration.
a stream of imprecations
swear word, curse, expletive, oath, profanity, four-letter word, obscenity; (imprecations) swearing, cursing, foul language, strong language; N. Amer. informal cuss word; archaic execration.
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ANTONYMS :blessing.

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imprecise

adjective
a rather imprecise definition
vague, loose, indefinite, inexplicit, indistinct, non-specific, unspecific, sweeping, broad, general; hazy, fuzzy, woolly, nebulous, ambiguous, equivocal, uncertain.
an imprecise estimate
inexact, approximate, estimated, rough; N. Amer. informal ballpark.
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ANTONYMS :exact.

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impregnable

adjective
an impregnable castle
invulnerable, impenetrable, unassailable, inviolable, secure, strong, well fortified, well defended; invincible, unconquerable, unbeatable, indestructible.
an impregnable parliamentary majority
unassailable, unbeatable, undefeatable, unshakeable, invincible, unconquerable, invulnerable.
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ANTONYMS :vulnerable.

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impregnate

verb
a pad impregnated with natural oils
infuse, soak, steep, saturate, drench.
the woman he had impregnated
make pregnant, inseminate, fertilize; informal put in the family way; Brit. informal get up the duff/spout, put in the club; N. Amer. informal knock up; informal, dated get into trouble; archaic get with child.
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impresario

noun
organizer, (stage) manager, producer; promoter, publicist, showman; director, conductor, maestro.

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impress

verb
Hazel had impressed him mightily
make an impression on, have an impact on, influence, affect, move, stir, rouse, excite, inspire; dazzle, awe, overawe, take someone's breath away, amaze, astonish; informal grab, stick in someone's mind.
goldsmiths impressed his likeness on medallions
imprint, print, stamp, mark, emboss, punch.
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you must impress upon her the need to save
emphasize to, stress to, bring home to, instil in, inculcate into, drum into, knock into, din into.
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ANTONYMS :disappoint.

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impression

noun
he got the impression that she was hiding something
feeling, feeling in one's bones, sense, fancy, (sneaking) suspicion, inkling, intuition, hunch; notion, idea, funny feeling; informal gut feeling.
a favourable impression
opinion, view, image, picture, perception, judgement, verdict, estimation.
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school made a profound impression on me
impact, effect, influence.
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the cap had left a circular impression
indentation, dent, mark, outline, imprint.
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he did a good impression of their science teacher
impersonation, imitation; parody, caricature, burlesque, travesty, lampoon; informal take-off, send-up, spoof; formal personation.
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an artist's impression of the gardens
representation, portrayal, depiction, rendition, interpretation, picture, drawing.
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a revised impression of the 1981 edition
print run, imprint, reprint, issue, edition.
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impressionable

adjective
easily influenced, suggestible, susceptible, persuadable, pliable, malleable, pliant, ingenuous, trusting, naive, gullible.

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impressive

adjective
an impressive building
magnificent, majestic, imposing, splendid, spectacular, grand, awe-inspiring, stunning, breathtaking; stately, palatial.
they played some impressive football
admirable, masterly, accomplished, expert, skilled, skilful, consummate; excellent, outstanding, first-class, first-rate, fine; informal great, mean, nifty, cracking, ace, wizard; N. Amer. informal crackerjack.
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ANTONYMS :ordinary, mediocre.

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imprint

verb
patterns can be imprinted in the clay
stamp, print, impress, mark, emboss.
the image was imprinted on his mind
fix, establish, stick, lodge, implant, embed.
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noun
her feet left imprints on the floor
impression, print, mark, indentation.
colonialism has left its imprint
impact, lasting effect, influence, impression.
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imprison

verb
incarcerate, send to prison, jail, lock up, put away, intern, detain, hold prisoner, hold captive; informal send down, put behind bars, put inside; Brit. informal bang up. ANTONYMS :free, release.

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imprisoned

adjective
incarcerated, in prison, in jail, jailed, locked up, interned, detained, held prisoner, held captive; informal sent down, behind bars, doing time, inside; Brit. informal doing porridge, doing bird, banged up.

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imprisonment

noun
incarceration, internment, confinement, detention, captivity; informal time; Brit. informal porridge, bird; archaic durance.

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improbability

noun
unlikelihood, implausibility; doubtfulness, uncertainty, dubiousness.

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improbable

adjective
it seemed improbable that the hot weather should continue
unlikely, doubtful, dubious, debatable, questionable, uncertain; unthinkable, inconceivable, unimaginable, incredible.
an improbable exaggeration
unconvincing, unbelievable, incredible, ridiculous, absurd, preposterous.
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ANTONYMS :certain, believable.

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impromptu

adjective
an impromptu lecture
unrehearsed, unprepared, unscripted, extempore, extemporized, extemporaneous, improvised, spontaneous, unplanned; informal off-the-cuff. ANTONYMS :prepared, rehearsed.

adverb
they played the song impromptu
extempore, spontaneously, extemporaneously, without preparation, without rehearsal; informal off the cuff, off the top of one's head.

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improper

adjective
it is improper for policemen to accept gifts
inappropriate, unacceptable, unsuitable, unprofessional, irregular; unethical, corrupt, immoral, dishonest, dishonourable; informal not cricket.
it was improper for young ladies to drive a young man home
unseemly, indecorous, unfitting, unladylike, ungentlemanly, indelicate, impolite; indecent, immodest, immoral.
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an extremely improper poem
indecent, risqué, off colour, suggestive, naughty, ribald, earthy, smutty, dirty, filthy, vulgar, crude, rude, obscene, lewd; informal blue, raunchy, steamy; Brit. informal fruity, saucy.
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ANTONYMS :acceptable, decent.

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impropriety

noun
a suggestion of impropriety
wrongdoing, misconduct, dishonesty, corruption, unscrupulousness, unprofessionalism, irregularity; unseemliness, indecorousness, indelicacy, indecency, immorality.
fiscal improprieties
transgression, misdemeanour, offence, misdeed, crime; indiscretion, mistake, peccadillo; archaic trespass.
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improve

verb
ways to improve the service
make better, ameliorate, upgrade, refine, enhance, boost, build on, raise; informal tweak; formal meliorate.
communications improved during the 18th century
get better, advance, progress, develop; make headway, make progress, pick up, look up.
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the dose is not repeated if patient improves
recover, get better, recuperate, gain strength, rally, revive, get back on one's feet, get over something; be on the road to recovery, be on the mend; informal turn the corner, take a turn for the better.
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resources are needed to improve the offer
increase, make larger, raise, augment, supplement, top up; informal up, hike up, bump up.
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ANTONYMS :worsen, deteriorate.

improve on
surpass, better, do better than, outdo, exceed, beat, top, cap.

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improvement

noun
advance, development, upgrade, refinement, enhancement, advancement, upgrading, amelioration; boost, augmentation, raising; rally, recovery, upswing.

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improvident

adjective
spendthrift, thriftless, wasteful, prodigal, profligate, extravagant, free-spending, lavish, immoderate, excessive; imprudent, irresponsible, careless, reckless. ANTONYMS :thrifty.

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improvise

verb
she was improvising in front of the cameras
extemporize, ad-lib, speak impromptu; informal speak off the cuff, speak off the top of one's head, busk it, wing it.
she improvised a sandpit
contrive, devise, throw together, cobble together, rig up; Brit. informal knock up; informal whip up, rustle up.
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improvised

adjective
an improvised speech
impromptu, unrehearsed, unprepared, unscripted, extempore, extemporized, spontaneous, unplanned; informal off-the-cuff.
an improvised shelter
makeshift, thrown together, cobbled together, rough and ready, make-do.
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ANTONYMS :prepared, rehearsed.

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imprudent

adjective
unwise, injudicious, incautious, misguided, ill-advised; thoughtless, unthinking, improvident, irresponsible, short-sighted, foolish. ANTONYMS :sensible.

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impudence

noun
impertinence, insolence, effrontery, cheek, cockiness, brazenness; presumption, presumptuousness, disrespect, flippancy, bumptiousness, brashness; rudeness, impoliteness, ill manners, discourteousness, gall; informal brass neck, chutzpah, nerve; Brit. informal sauce; N. Amer. informal sassiness.

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impudent

adjective
impertinent, insolent, cheeky, cocky, brazen; presumptuous, forward, disrespectful, insubordinate, flippant, bumptious, brash; rude, impolite, ill-mannered, discourteous, ill-bred; informal brass-necked, saucy, lippy; N. Amer. informal sassy; archaic malapert, contumelious. ANTONYMS :polite.

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impugn

verb
call into question, challenge, question, dispute, query, take issue with.

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impulse

noun
she had an impulse to run and hide
urge, instinct, drive, compulsion, itch; whim, desire, fancy, notion.
a man of impulse
spontaneity, impetuosity, recklessness, rashness.
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passions provide the main impulse of poetry
inspiration, stimulation, stimulus, incitement, motivation, encouragement, spur, catalyst.
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impulses from the spinal cord to the muscles
pulse, current, wave, signal.
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on (an) impulse
impulsively, spontaneously, on the spur of the moment, without forethought, without premeditation.

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impulsive

adjective
he had an impulsive nature
impetuous, spontaneous, hasty, passionate, emotional, uninhibited; rash, reckless, foolhardy, unwise, madcap, devil-may-care, daredevil.
an impulsive decision
impromptu, snap, spontaneous, unpremeditated, spur-of-the-moment, extemporaneous; impetuous, precipitate, hasty, rash; sudden, ill-considered, ill-thought-out.
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ANTONYMS :cautious, premeditated.

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impunity

noun
the impunity enjoyed by military officers
immunity, indemnity, exemption (from punishment), non-liability, licence; privilege, special treatment. ANTONYMS :liability.

with impunity
without punishment, scot-free, unpunished.

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impure

adjective
impure gold
adulterated, mixed, combined, blended, alloyed; technical admixed.
the water was impure
contaminated, polluted, tainted, unwholesome, poisoned; dirty, filthy, foul; unhygienic, unsanitary, insanitary; poetic/literary befouled.
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impure thoughts
immoral, sinful, wrongful, wicked; unchaste, lustful, lecherous, lewd, lascivious, prurient, obscene, indecent, ribald, risqué, improper, crude, coarse; formal concupiscent.
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ANTONYMS :clean, chaste.

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impurity

noun
the impurity of the cast iron
adulteration, debasement, degradation.
the impurity of the air
contamination, pollution; dirtiness, filthiness, uncleanliness, foulness, unwholesomeness.
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the impurities in beer
contaminant, pollutant, foreign body; dross, dirt, filth.
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sin and impurity
immorality, sin, sinfulness, wickedness; unchastity, lustfulness, lechery, lecherousness, lewdness, lasciviousness, prurience, obscenity, dirtiness, crudeness, indecency, ribaldry, impropriety, vulgarity, coarseness; formal concupiscence.
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impute

verb
attribute, ascribe, assign, credit; connect with, associate with.

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in

preposition
she was hiding in a wardrobe
inside, within, in the middle of; surrounded by, enclosed by.
he was covered in mud
with, by.
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he put a fruit gum in his mouth
into, inside.
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they met in 1921
during, in the course of, over.
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I'll see you in half an hour
after, at the end of, following; within, in less than, in under.
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a tax of ten pence in the pound
to, per, every, each.
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ANTONYMS :outside.

adverb
his mum walked in
inside, indoors, into the room, into the house/building.
the tide's in
high, at its highest level, rising.
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ANTONYMS :out.

adjective
there was no one in
present, (at) home; inside, indoors, in the house/room.
(informal) beards are in
fashionable, in fashion, in vogue, popular, (bang) up to date, modern, modish, chic, à la mode, de rigueur; informal trendy, all the rage, with it, cool, the in thing, hip.
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(informal) I was in with all the right people
in favour, popular, friendly, friends; liked, admired, accepted; informal in someone's good books.
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ANTONYMS :out, unfashionable, unpopular.

in for
due for, in line for; expecting, about to receive. in for it
in trouble, about to be punished; informal for the high jump, in hot/deep water, in (deep) shtook; Brit. informal for it. in on
privy to, aware of, acquainted with, informed about/of, apprised of; informal wise to, in the know about, hip to; archaic ware of. ins and outs (informal)
details, particulars, facts, features, characteristics, nuts and bolts; informal nitty gritty.

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inability

noun
lack of ability, incapability, incapacity, powerlessness, impotence, helplessness; incompetence, ineptitude, unfitness.

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inaccessible

adjective
an inaccessible woodland site
unreachable, out of reach; cut-off, isolated, remote, in the back of beyond, out of the way, lonely, godforsaken.
the book was elitist and inaccessible
esoteric, obscure, abstruse, recondite, arcane; elitist, exclusive, pretentious.
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inaccuracy

noun
the inaccuracy of recent opinion polls
incorrectness, inexactness, imprecision, erroneousness, mistakenness, fallaciousness, faultiness.
the article contained a number of inaccuracies
error, mistake, fallacy, slip, oversight, fault, blunder, gaffe; erratum; Brit. literal; informal howler, boo-boo, typo; Brit. informal boob; N. Amer. informal blooper, goof.
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ANTONYMS :correctness.

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inaccurate

adjective
inexact, imprecise, incorrect, wrong, erroneous, faulty, imperfect, flawed, defective, unsound, unreliable; fallacious, false, mistaken, untrue; informal off beam; Brit. informal adrift.

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inaction

noun
inactivity, non-intervention; neglect, negligence, apathy, inertia, indolence.

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inactivate

verb
disable, deactivate, make inoperative, immobilize.

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inactive

adjective
over the next few days I was horribly inactive
idle, indolent, lazy, lifeless, slothful, lethargic, inert, sluggish, unenergetic, listless, torpid.
the device remains inactive while the computer is started up
inoperative, non-functioning, idle; not working, out of service, unused, not in use.
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inactivity

noun
years of inactivity
idleness, indolence, laziness, lifelessness, slothfulness, lethargy, inertia, sluggishness, listlessness.
government inactivity
inaction, non-intervention; neglect, negligence, apathy.
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ANTONYMS :action.

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inadequacy

noun
the inadequacy of available resources
insufficiency, deficiency, scarcity, scarceness, sparseness, dearth, paucity, shortage, want, lack, undersupply; paltriness, meagreness; formal exiguity.
her feelings of personal inadequacy
incompetence, incapability, unfitness, ineffectiveness, inefficiency, inefficacy, inexpertness, ineptness, uselessness, impotence, powerlessness.
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the inadequacies of the present system
shortcoming, defect, fault, failing, weakness, weak point, limitation, flaw, imperfection.
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ANTONYMS :abundance, competence.

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inadequate

adjective
inadequate water supplies
insufficient, deficient, poor, scant, scanty, scarce, sparse, in short supply; paltry, meagre, niggardly, limited; informal measly, pathetic; formal exiguous.
inadequate staff
incompetent, incapable, unsatisfactory, not up to scratch, unfit, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficient, unskilful, inexpert, inept, amateurish, substandard, poor, useless, inferior; informal not up to snuff; Brit. informal duff, not much cop, no great shakes.
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ANTONYMS :sufficient, competent.

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inadmissible

adjective
unallowable, invalid, unacceptable, impermissible, disallowed, forbidden, prohibited, precluded.

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inadvertent

adjective
unintentional, unintended, accidental, unpremeditated, unplanned, innocent, uncalculated, unconscious, unthinking, unwitting, involuntary. ANTONYMS :deliberate.

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inadvertently

adverb
accidentally, by accident, unintentionally, unwittingly.

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inadvisable

adjective
unwise, ill-advised, imprudent, ill-judged, ill-considered, injudicious, impolitic, foolish, misguided. ANTONYMS :shrewd.

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inalienable

adjective
inviolable, absolute, sacrosanct; untransferable, non-transferable, non-negotiable; Law indefeasible.

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inane

adjective
silly, foolish, stupid, fatuous, idiotic, ridiculous, ludicrous, asinine, frivolous, vapid; childish, puerile; informal dumb, gormless, moronic; Brit. informal daft. ANTONYMS :sensible.

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inanimate

adjective
lifeless, insentient, without life; dead, defunct. ANTONYMS :living.

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inapplicable

adjective
irrelevant, immaterial, not germane, not pertinent, unrelated, unconnected, extraneous, beside the point; formal impertinent. ANTONYMS :relevant.

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inapposite

adjective
inappropriate, unsuitable, inapt, out of place, infelicitous, misplaced, ill-judged, ill-advised. ANTONYMS :appropriate.

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inappreciable

adjective
imperceptible, minute, tiny, slight, small; insignificant, inconsequential, unimportant, negligible, trivial, minor; informal piddling, piffling; formal exiguous. ANTONYMS :considerable.

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inappropriate

adjective
unsuitable, unfitting, unseemly, unbecoming, unbefitting, improper; incongruous, out of place/keeping, inapposite, inapt; informal out of order; formal malapropos. ANTONYMS :suitable.

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inapt

adjective
. See inappropriate.

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inarticulate

adjective
an inarticulate young man
tongue-tied, lost for words, unable to express oneself; archaic mumchance.
an inarticulate reply
unintelligible, incomprehensible, incoherent, unclear, indistinct, mumbled, muffled.
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inarticulate rage
unspoken, silent, unexpressed, wordless, unvoiced.
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ANTONYMS :silver-tongued, fluent.

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inattention

noun
a moment of inattention
distraction, inattentiveness, preoccupation, absent-mindedness, daydreaming, abstraction.
his inattention to duty
negligence, neglect, disregard; forgetfulness, carelessness, thoughtlessness, heedlessness.
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ANTONYMS :concentration.

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inattentive

adjective
an inattentive pupil
distracted, lacking concentration, preoccupied, absent-minded, daydreaming, dreamy, abstracted, distrait; informal miles away.
inattentive service
negligent, neglectful, remiss, slack, sloppy, slapdash, lax; forgetful, careless, thoughtless, heedless.
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ANTONYMS :alert.

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inaudible

adjective
unheard, out of earshot; indistinct, faint, muted, soft, low, muffled, whispered, muttered, murmured, mumbled.

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inaugural

adjective
first, opening, initial, introductory, initiatory. ANTONYMS :final.

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inaugurate

verb
he inaugurated a new policy
initiate, begin, start, institute, launch, start off, get going, get under way, establish, lay the foundations of; bring in, usher in; informal kick off.
the new President will be inaugurated
admit to office, install, instate, swear in; invest, ordain, crown.
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the museum was inaugurated in September
open, declare open, unveil; dedicate, consecrate; N. Amer. hansel.
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inauspicious

adjective
unpromising, unpropitious, unfavourable, unfortunate, infelicitous, ominous; discouraging, disheartening, bleak. ANTONYMS :promising.

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inborn

adjective
innate, congenital, connate, connatural; inherent, natural, inbred, inherited, hereditary, in one's genes.

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inbred

adjective
. See inborn.

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inbuilt

adjective
an inbuilt CD-ROM drive
built-in, integral, incorporated.
our inbuilt survival instinct
inherent, intrinsic, innate, congenital, natural, connatural, connate.
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incalculable

adjective
inestimable, indeterminable, untold, immeasurable, incomputable; infinite, endless, limitless, boundless, measureless; enormous, immense, huge, vast, innumerable.

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incandescent

adjective
incandescent fragments of lava
white-hot, red-hot, burning, fiery, blazing, ablaze, aflame; glowing, aglow, radiant, bright, brilliant, luminous; poetic/literary fervid, rutilant, lucent.
the minister was incandescent
furious, enraged, raging, very angry, incensed, seething, infuriated, fuming, irate, in a temper, beside oneself; informal livid, foaming at the mouth, (hopping) mad, wild, apoplectic, steamed up, in a lather, in a paddy; poetic/literary wrathful; archaic wroth.
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incantation

noun
he muttered some weird incantations
chant, invocation, conjuration, magic spell/formula, rune; N. Amer. hex, mojo; NZ makutu.
ritual incantation
chanting, intonation, recitation.
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incapable

adjective
an incapable government
incompetent, inept, inadequate, not good enough, leaving much to be desired, inexpert, unskilful, ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, feeble, unfit, unqualified, unequal to the task; informal out of one's depth, not up to it, not up to snuff, useless, hopeless, pathetic, a dead loss.
he was mentally incapable
incapacitated, helpless, powerless, impotent.
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ANTONYMS :competent.

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incapacitated

adjective
disabled, debilitated, indisposed, unfit; immobilized, out of action, out of commission, hors de combat; informal laid up. ANTONYMS :fit.

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incapacity

noun
mental incapacity
disability, incapability, inability, debility, impairment, indisposition; impotence, powerlessness, helplessness; incompetence, inadequacy, ineffectiveness.
legal incapacity
disqualification, lack of entitlement.
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ANTONYMS :capability.

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incarcerate

verb
imprison, put in prison, send to prison, jail, lock up, put under lock and key, put away, intern, confine, detain, hold, immure, put in chains, clap in irons, hold prisoner, hold captive; Brit. detain at Her Majesty's pleasure; informal send down, put behind bars, put inside; Brit. informal bang someone up. ANTONYMS :release.

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incarceration

noun
imprisonment, internment, confinement, detention, custody, captivity, restraint; informal time; Brit. informal porridge; archaic durance, duress.

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incarnate

adjective
in human form, in the flesh, in physical form, in bodily form, made flesh; corporeal, physical, fleshly, embodied.

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incarnation

noun
the incarnation of artistic genius
embodiment, personification, exemplification, type, epitome; manifestation, bodily form, avatar.
a previous incarnation
lifetime, life, existence.
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incautious

adjective
rash, unwise, careless, heedless, thoughtless, reckless, unthinking, imprudent, misguided, ill-advised, ill-judged, injudicious, impolitic, unguarded, foolhardy, foolish; unwary, off-guard, inattentive; informal asleep on the job. ANTONYMS :circumspect.

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incendiary

adjective
an incendiary bomb
combustible, flammable, inflammable.
an incendiary speech
inflammatory, rabble-rousing, provocative, seditious, subversive; contentious, controversial.
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noun
an aircraft loaded with incendiaries
explosive, bomb, incendiary device.
incendiaries set the village on fire
arsonist, fire-bomber, fire-setter; pyromaniac; Brit. fire-raiser; informal firebug, pyro; N. Amer. informal torch.
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a political incendiary
agitator, demagogue, rabble-rouser, firebrand, troublemaker, agent provocateur, revolutionary, insurgent, subversive.
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incense 1

verb
his taunts used to incense me
enrage, infuriate, anger, madden, outrage, inflame, exasperate, antagonize, provoke; informal make someone see red, make someone's blood boil, make someone's hackles rise, drive mad/crazy; N. Amer. informal burn up. ANTONYMS :placate, please.

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incense 2

noun
a whiff of incense
perfume, fragrance, scent.

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incensed

adjective
enraged, very angry, furious, infuriated, irate, in a temper, raging, incandescent, fuming, seething, beside oneself, outraged; informal mad, hopping mad, wild, livid, apoplectic, hot under the collar, foaming at the mouth, steamed up, in a paddy, fit to be tied; poetic/literary wrathful; archaic wroth.

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incentive

noun
inducement, motivation, motive, reason, stimulus, stimulant, spur, impetus, encouragement, impulse; incitement, goad, provocation; attraction, lure, bait; informal carrot, sweetener, come-on. ANTONYMS :deterrent.

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inception

noun
establishment, institution, foundation, founding, formation, initiation, setting up, origination, constitution, inauguration, opening, day one; beginning, commencement, start, birth, dawn, genesis, origin; informal kick-off. ANTONYMS :end.

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incessant

adjective
ceaseless, unceasing, constant, continual, unabating, interminable, endless, unending, never-ending, everlasting, eternal, perpetual, continuous, non-stop, uninterrupted, unbroken, unremitting, persistent, relentless, unrelenting, unrelieved, sustained. ANTONYMS :intermittent.

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incessantly

adverb
constantly, continually, all the time, non-stop, without stopping, without a break, round the clock, (morning, noon, and night), interminably, unremittingly, ceaselessly, endlessly; informal 24-7. ANTONYMS :occasionally.

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incidence

noun
occurrence, prevalence; rate, frequency; amount, degree, extent.

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incident

noun
incidents in his youth
event, occurrence, episode, experience, happening, occasion, proceeding, eventuality, affair, business; adventure, exploit, escapade; matter, circumstance, fact, development.
police are investigating the incident
disturbance, fracas, melee, commotion, rumpus, scene; fight, skirmish, clash, brawl, free-for-all, encounter, conflict, ruckus, confrontation, altercation, contretemps; informal ruction; Law, dated affray.
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the journey was not without incident
excitement, adventure, drama; danger, peril.
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incidental

adjective
incidental details
less important, secondary, subsidiary; minor, peripheral, background, by-the-way, by-the-by, non-essential, inessential, unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, tangential, extrinsic, extraneous.
an incidental discovery
chance, accidental, random; fluky, fortuitous, serendipitous, adventitious, coincidental, unlooked-for.
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the risks incidental to the job
connected with, related to, associated with, accompanying, attending, attendant on, concomitant with.
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ANTONYMS :essential, deliberate.

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incidentally

adverb
incidentally, I haven't had a reply yet
by the way, by the by(e), in passing, en passant, speaking of which; parenthetically; informal btw, as it happens.
the infection was discovered incidentally
by chance, by accident, accidentally, fortuitously, by a fluke, by happenstance; coincidentally, by coincidence.
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incinerate

verb
burn, reduce to ashes, consume by fire, carbonize; cremate.

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incipient

adjective
developing, growing, emerging, emergent, dawning, just beginning, inceptive, initial; nascent, embryonic, fledgling, in its infancy, germinal. ANTONYMS :full-blown.

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incise

verb
the wound was incised
cut (open), make an incision in, slit (open), lance.
an inscription incised in Roman letters
engrave, etch, carve, cut, chisel, inscribe, score, chase.
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incision

noun
a surgical incision
cut, opening, slit.
incisions on the marble
notch, nick, snick, scratch, scarification.
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incisive

adjective
penetrating, acute, sharp, sharp-witted, razor-sharp, keen, astute, trenchant, shrewd, piercing, perceptive, insightful, percipient, perspicacious, discerning, analytical, clever, smart, quick; concise, succinct, pithy, to the point, crisp, clear; informal punchy. ANTONYMS :rambling, vague.

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incite

verb
he was arrested for inciting racial hatred
stir up, whip up, encourage, fan the flames of, stoke up, fuel, kindle, ignite, inflame, stimulate, instigate, provoke, excite, arouse, awaken, inspire, trigger, spark off, ferment, foment; poetic/literary enkindle, waken.
she incited him to commit murder
egg on, encourage, urge, goad, provoke, spur on, drive, stimulate, push, prod, prompt, induce, impel; arouse, rouse, excite, inflame, sting, prick; informal put up to.
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ANTONYMS :discourage, deter.

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incivility

noun
rudeness, discourtesy, discourteousness, impoliteness, bad manners, disrespect, boorishness, ungraciousness; insolence, impertinence, impudence. ANTONYMS :politeness.

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inclement

adjective
cold, chilly, bleak, wintry, freezing, snowy, icy; wet, rainy, drizzly, damp; stormy, blustery, wild, rough, squally, windy; unpleasant, bad, foul, nasty, filthy, severe, extreme, harsh. ANTONYMS :fine.

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inclination

noun
his political inclinations
tendency, propensity, proclivity, leaning, predisposition, disposition, predilection, desire, wish, impulse, bent; liking, penchant, partiality, preference, appetite, fancy, interest, affinity; stomach, taste; informal yen; formal velleity; archaic list, humour.
an inclination of his head
bowing, bow, bending, nod, nodding, lowering.
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an inclination of ninety degrees.
See incline noun.
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ANTONYMS :aversion.

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incline

verb
his prejudice inclines him to overlook obvious facts
predispose, lead, make, make of a mind to, dispose, prejudice; prompt, induce, influence, sway; persuade, convince.
I incline to the opposite view
prefer, favour, go for; tend, lean, swing, veer, gravitate, be drawn.
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he inclined his head
bend, bow, nod, bob, lower, dip.
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the columns incline away from the vertical
lean, tilt, angle, tip, slope, slant, bend, curve, bank, cant, bevel; list, heel.
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noun
a steep incline
slope, gradient, pitch, ramp, bank, ascent, rise, acclivity, upslope, dip, descent, declivity, downslope; hill; N. Amer. grade, downgrade, upgrade.

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inclined

adjective
I'm inclined to believe her
disposed, minded, of a mind, willing, ready, prepared; predisposed.
she's inclined to gossip
prone, given, in the habit of, liable, likely, apt, wont.
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include

verb
activities include sports, drama, music, and chess
incorporate, comprise, encompass, cover, embrace, involve, take in, number, contain; consist of, be made up of, be composed of; formal comprehend.
don't forget to include the cost of repairs
allow for, count, take into account, take into consideration.
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ANTONYMS :exclude.

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including

preposition
inclusive of, counting; as well as, plus, together with.

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inclusive

adjective
an inclusive price | an inclusive definition
all-in, all-inclusive, comprehensive, in toto, overall, full, all-round, umbrella, catch-all, all-encompassing.
prices are inclusive of VAT
including, incorporating, taking in, counting; comprising, covering.
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incognito

adverb & adjective
under an assumed name, under a false name, in disguise, disguised, under cover, in plain clothes, camouflaged; secretly, anonymously.

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incoherent

adjective
a long, incoherent speech
unclear, confused, muddled, unintelligible, incomprehensible, hard to follow, disjointed, disconnected, disordered, mixed up, garbled, jumbled, scrambled; rambling, wandering, discursive, disorganized, illogical; inarticulate, mumbling, slurred.
she was incoherent and shivering violently
delirious, raving, babbling, hysterical, irrational.
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ANTONYMS :lucid.

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incombustible

adjective
non-flammable, non-combustible; fireproof, flameproof, fire/flame resistant, fire/flame retardant; heatproof, ovenproof. ANTONYMS :flammable, inflammable.

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income

noun
earnings, salary, pay, remuneration, wages, stipend; revenue, receipts, takings, profits, gains, proceeds, turnover, yield, dividend, incomings; means; N. Amer. take; formal emolument. ANTONYMS :expenditure, outgoings.

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incoming

adjective
the incoming train
arriving, entering; approaching, coming (in).
the incoming president
newly elected, newly appointed, succeeding, new, next, future; elect, to-be, designate.
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ANTONYMS :outgoing.

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incommensurate

adjective
out of proportion, not in proportion, disproportionate, inappropriate, out of keeping; insufficient, inadequate; excessive, inordinate, unreasonable, uncalled for, undue, unfair. ANTONYMS :proportional.

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incommunicable

adjective
indescribable, inexpressible, unutterable, unspeakable, undefinable, ineffable, beyond words, beyond description; overwhelming, intense, profound.

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incomparable

adjective
without equal, beyond compare, unparalleled, matchless, peerless, unmatched, without parallel, beyond comparison, second to none, in a class of its own, unequalled, unrivalled, inimitable, nonpareil, par excellence; transcendent, superlative, surpassing, unsurpassed, unsurpassable, supreme, top, outstanding, consummate, singular, unique, rare, perfect; informal one-in-a-million; formal unexampled.

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incomparably

adverb
far and away, by far, infinitely, immeasurably, easily; inimitably, supremely, superlatively, uniquely, transcendently.

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incompatible

adjective
she and McBride are totally incompatible
unsuited, mismatched, ill-matched, poles apart, worlds apart, like day and night; Brit. like chalk and cheese.
incompatible economic objectives
irreconcilable, conflicting, opposed, opposite, contradictory, antagonistic, antipathetic; clashing, inharmonious, discordant; mutually exclusive.
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a theory incompatible with that of his predecessor
inconsistent with, at odds with, out of keeping with, at variance with, inconsonant with, different to, divergent from, contrary to, in conflict with, in opposition to, (diametrically) opposed to, counter to, irreconcilable with.
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ANTONYMS :well matched, harmonious, consistent.

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incompetent

adjective
inept, unskilful, unskilled, inexpert, amateurish, unprofessional, bungling, blundering, clumsy, inadequate, substandard, inferior, ineffective, deficient, inefficient, ineffectual, wanting, lacking, leaving much to be desired; incapable, unfit, unqualified; informal useless, pathetic, cack-handed, ham-fisted, not up to it, not up to scratch; Brit. informal not much cop.

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incomplete

adjective
the project is still incomplete
unfinished, uncompleted, partial, half-finished, half-done, half-completed.
inaccurate or incomplete information
deficient, insufficient, imperfect, defective, partial, patchy, sketchy, fragmentary, fragmented, scrappy, bitty; abridged, shortened; expurgated, bowdlerized.
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incomprehensible

adjective
unintelligible, impossible to understand, impenetrable, unclear, indecipherable, beyond one's comprehension, beyond one, beyond one's grasp, complicated, complex, involved, baffling, bewildering, mystifying, puzzling, confusing, perplexing; abstruse, esoteric, recondite, arcane, mysterious, Delphic; informal over one's head, all Greek to someone; Brit. informal double Dutch. ANTONYMS :intelligible, clear.

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inconceivable

adjective
unbelievable, beyond belief, incredible, unthinkable, unimaginable, extremely unlikely; impossible, beyond the bounds of possibility, out of the question, preposterous, ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, incomprehensible; informal hard to swallow. ANTONYMS :likely.

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inconclusive

adjective
indecisive, proving nothing; indefinite, indeterminate, unresolved, unproved, unsettled, still open to question/doubt, debatable, unconfirmed; moot; vague, ambiguous; informal up in the air, left hanging.

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incongruous

adjective
the women looked incongruous in their smart hats and fur coats
out of place, out of keeping, inappropriate, unsuitable, unsuited; wrong, strange, odd, absurd, bizarre, off-key, extraneous.
an incongruous collection of objects
ill-matched, ill-assorted, mismatched, unharmonious, discordant, dissonant, conflicting, clashing, jarring, incompatible, different, dissimilar, contrasting, disparate.
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ANTONYMS :appropriate, harmonious.

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inconsequential

adjective
insignificant, unimportant, of little no/consequence, neither here nor there, incidental, inessential, non-essential, immaterial, irrelevant; negligible, inappreciable, inconsiderable, slight, minor, trivial, trifling, petty; informal piddling, piffling. ANTONYMS :important.

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inconsiderable

adjective
insignificant, negligible, trifling, small, tiny, little, minuscule, nominal, token, petty, slight, minor, inappreciable, insubstantial, inconsequential; informal piffling; formal exiguous.

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inconsiderate

adjective
thoughtless, unthinking, insensitive, selfish, self-centred, unsympathetic, uncaring, heedless, unmindful, unkind, uncharitable, ungracious, impolite, discourteous, rude, disrespectful; tactless, undiplomatic, indiscreet, indelicate; informal ignorant. ANTONYMS :thoughtful.

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inconsistent

adjective
his inconsistent behaviour
erratic, changeable, unpredictable, variable, varying, changing, changeful, inconstant, unstable, irregular, fluctuating, unsteady, unsettled, uneven; self-contradictory, contradictory, paradoxical; capricious, fickle, flighty, whimsical, unreliable, mercurial, volatile, blowing hot and cold, ever-changing, chameleon-like; informal up and down; technical labile.
he had done nothing inconsistent with his morality
incompatible with, conflicting with, in conflict with, at odds with, at variance with, differing from, contrary to, in opposition to, (diametrically) opposed to, irreconcilable with, out of keeping with, out of step with; antithetical to.
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inconsolable

adjective
heartbroken, broken-hearted, grief-stricken, beside oneself with grief, devastated, wretched, sick at heart, desolate, despairing, distraught, comfortless; miserable, unhappy, sad; poetic/literary heartsick.

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inconspicuous

adjective
unobtrusive, unnoticeable, unremarkable, unspectacular, unostentatious, undistinguished, unexceptional, modest, unassuming, discreet, hidden, concealed; unseen, in the background, low-profile. ANTONYMS :noticeable.

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inconstant

adjective
fickle, faithless, unfaithful, false, false-hearted; wayward, unreliable, untrustworthy, capricious, volatile, flighty, unpredictable, erratic, blowing hot and cold; informal cheating, two-timing. ANTONYMS :faithful.

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incontestable

adjective
incontrovertible, indisputable, undeniable, irrefutable, unassailable, beyond dispute, unquestionable, beyond question, indubitable, beyond doubt; airtight, watertight, unarguable, undebatable, emphatic, categorical, certain, definite, definitive, proven, demonstrable, decisive, conclusive. ANTONYMS :questionable.

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incontinent

adjective
unrestrained, uncontrolled, lacking self-restraint, unbridled, unchecked; uncontrollable, ungovernable.

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incontrovertible

adjective
indisputable, incontestable, undeniable, irrefutable, unassailable, beyond dispute, unquestionable, beyond question, indubitable, beyond doubt, unarguable, undebatable; certain, sure, definite, definitive, proven, decisive, conclusive, demonstrable, emphatic, categorical, airtight, watertight. ANTONYMS :questionable.

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inconvenience

noun
we apologize for any inconvenience caused
trouble, bother, problems, disruption, difficulty, disturbance; vexation, irritation, annoyance; informal aggravation, hassle.
his early arrival was clearly an inconvenience
nuisance, trouble, bother, problem, vexation, worry, trial, bind, bore, irritant, thorn in someone's flesh; informal headache, pain, pain in the neck, pain in the backside, drag, aggravation, hassle; N. Amer. informal pain in the butt.
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verb
I don't want to inconvenience you
trouble, bother, put out, put to any trouble, disturb, impose on, burden; vex, annoy, irritate; informal hassle; formal discommode.

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inconvenient

adjective
awkward, difficult, inopportune, untimely, ill-timed, unsuitable, inappropriate, unfortunate; tiresome, irritating, annoying, vexing, bothersome; informal aggravating.

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incorporate

verb
the region was incorporated into Moldavian territory
absorb, include, subsume, assimilate, integrate, take in, swallow up.
the model incorporates some advanced features
include, contain, comprise, embody, embrace, build in, encompass.
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a small amount of salt is incorporated with the butter
blend, mix, mingle, meld, combine; fold in, stir in.
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incorporeal

adjective
intangible, impalpable, non-physical; bodiless, disembodied, discarnate; spiritual, ethereal, unsubstantial, insubstantial, transcendental; ghostly, spectral, supernatural. ANTONYMS :tangible.

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incorrect

adjective
an incorrect answer
wrong, erroneous, in error, mistaken, inaccurate, wide of the mark, off target; untrue, false, fallacious; informal off beam, out, way out, full of holes.
incorrect behaviour
inappropriate, wrong, unsuitable, inapt, inapposite; ill-advised, ill-considered, ill-judged, injudicious, unacceptable, unfitting, out of keeping, improper, unseemly, unbecoming, indecorous; informal out of order.
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incorrigible

adjective
inveterate, habitual, confirmed, hardened, incurable, irredeemable, hopeless, beyond hope, beyond redemption; impenitent, uncontrite, unrepentant, unapologetic, unashamed.

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incorruptible

adjective
an incorruptible man
honest, honourable, trustworthy, principled, high-principled, unbribable, moral, ethical, good, virtuous.
an incorruptible substance
imperishable, indestructible, indissoluble, enduring, everlasting.
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ANTONYMS :venal.

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increase

verb
demand is likely to increase
grow, get bigger, get larger, enlarge, expand, swell; rise, climb, escalate, soar, surge, rocket, shoot up, spiral; intensify, strengthen, extend, heighten, stretch, spread, widen; multiply, snowball, mushroom, proliferate, balloon, build up, mount up, pile up, accrue, accumulate; poetic/literary wax.
higher expectations will increase user demand
add to, make larger, make bigger, augment, supplement, top up, build up, extend, raise, swell, inflate; magnify, intensify, strengthen, heighten, amplify; informal up, jack up, hike up, bump up, crank up.
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ANTONYMS :decrease, reduce.

noun
the increase in size | an increase in demand
growth, rise, enlargement, expansion, extension, multiplication, elevation, inflation; increment, addition, augmentation; magnification, intensification, amplification, step up, climb, escalation, surge, upsurge, upswing, spiral, spurt; informal hike.

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increasingly

adverb
more and more, progressively, to an increasing extent, ever more.

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incredible

adjective
I find his story incredible
unbelievable, beyond belief, hard to believe, unconvincing, far-fetched, implausible, improbable, highly unlikely, dubious, doubtful; inconceivable, unthinkable, unimaginable, impossible; feeble, weak, thin, lame; informal hard to swallow/take, cock-and-bull.
an incredible feat of engineering
magnificent, wonderful, marvellous, spectacular, remarkable, phenomenal, prodigious, breathtaking, extraordinary, unbelievable, amazing, stunning, astounding, astonishing, awe-inspiring, staggering, formidable, impressive, supreme, great, awesome, superhuman; informal fantastic, terrific, tremendous, stupendous, mind-boggling, mind-blowing, out of this world; poetic/literary wondrous.
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incredulity

noun
disbelief, incredulousness, scepticism, distrust, mistrust, suspicion, doubt, doubtfulness, dubiousness, lack of conviction; cynicism.

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incredulous

adjective
disbelieving, sceptical, unbelieving, distrustful, mistrustful, suspicious, doubtful, dubious, unconvinced; cynical.

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increment

noun
increase, addition, supplement, gain, augmentation, boost; informal hike. ANTONYMS :reduction.

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incriminate

verb
implicate, involve, enmesh; blame, accuse, denounce, inform against, point the finger at; entrap; informal frame, set up, stick/pin the blame on, rat on; Brit. informal fit up, grass on; archaic inculpate.

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inculcate

verb
the beliefs inculcated in him by his father
instil, implant, fix, impress, imprint; hammer into, drum into, drive into, drill into, din into.
they will try to inculcate you with a respect for culture
imbue, infuse, inspire, teach.
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inculpate

verb
(archaic). See incriminate.

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incumbent

adjective
it is incumbent on the government to give a clear lead
necessary, essential, required, imperative; compulsory, binding, obligatory, mandatory.
the incumbent president
current, present, in office, in power; reigning.
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noun
the first incumbent of the post
holder, bearer, occupant.

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incur

verb
bring upon oneself, expose oneself to, lay oneself open to; run up; attract, invite, earn, arouse, cause, give rise to, be liable/subject to, meet with, sustain, experience.

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incurable

adjective
an incurable illness
untreatable, inoperable, irremediable; terminal, fatal, mortal; chronic.
an incurable romantic
inveterate, dyed-in-the-wool, confirmed, established, long-established, long-standing, absolute, complete, utter, thorough, thoroughgoing, out-and-out, through and through; unashamed, unapologetic, unrepentant, incorrigible, hopeless.
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incursion

noun
attack, assault, raid, invasion, storming, foray, blitz, sortie, sally, advance, push, thrust. ANTONYMS :retreat.

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indebted

adjective
beholden, under an obligation, obliged, obligated, grateful, thankful, in someone's debt, owing a debt of gratitude.

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indecent

adjective
indecent photographs
obscene, dirty, filthy, rude, coarse, naughty, vulgar, gross, crude, lewd, salacious, improper, smutty, off colour; pornographic, offensive, prurient, sordid, scatological; ribald, risqué, racy; informal blue, nudge-nudge, porn, porno, X-rated, raunchy, skin; Brit. informal saucy; euphemistic adult.
indecent clothes
revealing, short, brief, skimpy, scanty, low-cut, flimsy, thin, see-through; erotic, arousing, sexy, suggestive, titillating.
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indecent haste
unseemly, improper, indecorous, unceremonious, indelicate, unbecoming, ungentlemanly, unladylike, unfitting, unbefitting; untoward, unsuitable, inappropriate; in bad taste, tasteless, unacceptable, offensive, crass.
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indecipherable

adjective
illegible, unreadable, hard to read, unintelligible, unclear; scribbled, scrawled, hieroglyphic, squiggly, cramped, crabbed.

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indecision

noun
indecisiveness, irresolution, hesitancy, hesitation, tentativeness; ambivalence, doubt, doubtfulness, uncertainty, incertitude; vacillation, equivocation, second thoughts; shilly-shallying, dithering, temporizing; Brit. humming and hawing; Scottish swithering; informal dilly-dallying, sitting on the fence; formal dubiety.

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indecisive

adjective
an indecisive result
inconclusive, proving nothing, settling nothing, open, indeterminate, undecided, unsettled, borderline, indefinite, unclear, ambiguous; informal up in the air.
an indecisive leader
irresolute, hesitant, tentative, weak; vacillating, equivocating, dithering, wavering, faltering, shilly-shallying; ambivalent, divided, blowing hot and cold, in two minds, in a dilemma, in a quandary, torn; doubtful, unsure, uncertain; undecided, uncommitted; informal iffy, sitting on the fence.
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indecorous

adjective
improper, unseemly, unbecoming, undignified, immodest, indelicate, indecent, unladylike, ungentlemanly; inappropriate, incorrect, unsuitable, undesirable, unfitting, in bad taste, ill-bred.

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indecorum

noun
impropriety, unseemliness, immodesty, indecency, indelicacy; inappropriateness, unsuitability, undesirability, unacceptability, bad taste.

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indeed

adverb
there was, indeed, quite a furore
as expected, to be sure; in fact, in point of fact, as a matter of fact, in truth, actually, as it happens/happened, if truth be told; archaic in sooth.
"May I join you?" "Indeed you may."
yes, certainly, assuredly, of course, naturally, without (a) doubt, without question, by all means; informal you bet, I'll say.
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Ian's future with us looked rosy indeed
very, extremely, exceedingly, tremendously, immensely, singularly, decidedly, particularly, remarkably, really.
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indefatigable

adjective
tireless, untiring, unwearied, unwearying, unflagging; determined, tenacious, dogged, single-minded, assiduous, industrious, unswerving, unfaltering, unshakeable, indomitable; persistent, relentless, unremitting.

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indefensible

adjective
indefensible cruelty
inexcusable, unjustifiable, unjustified, unpardonable, unforgivable; uncalled for, unprovoked, gratuitous, unreasonable, unnecessary.
an indefensible system of dual justice
untenable, unsustainable, insupportable, unwarranted, unwarrantable, unjustifiable, unjustified, flawed, unacceptable.
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an indefensible island
defenceless, vulnerable, exposed, open to attack, pregnable, undefended, unfortified, unguarded, unprotected, unarmed.
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indefinable

adjective
hard to define, hard to describe, indescribable, inexpressible, nameless; vague, obscure, impalpable, elusive.

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indefinite

adjective
an indefinite period
indeterminate, unspecified, unlimited, unrestricted, undecided, undetermined, undefined, unfixed, unsettled, unknown, uncertain; limitless, infinite, endless, immeasurable.
an indefinite meaning
vague, ill-defined, unclear, loose, general, imprecise, inexact, nebulous, blurred, fuzzy, hazy, obscure, ambiguous, equivocal.
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ANTONYMS :fixed, clear.

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indefinitely

adverb
for an unspecified period, for an unlimited period, without limit, sine die.

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indelible

adjective
ineradicable, permanent, lasting, persisting, enduring, unfading, unforgettable, haunting, never to be forgotten.

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indelicate

adjective
an indelicate question
insensitive, tactless, undiplomatic, impolitic, indiscreet.
an indelicate sense of humour
vulgar, rude, crude, bawdy, racy, risqué, ribald, earthy, indecent, improper, naughty, indecorous, off colour, dirty, smutty, salacious; informal blue, nudge-nudge, raunchy; Brit. informal saucy.
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indemnify

verb
he should be indemnified for his losses
reimburse, compensate, recompense, repay, pay back, remunerate, recoup.
they are indemnified against breach of contract
insure, guarantee, protect, secure, underwrite.
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indemnity

noun
no indemnity will be given for loss of cash
insurance, assurance, protection, security, indemnification, surety, guarantee, warranty, safeguard.
indemnity from prosecution
immunity, exemption, dispensation, freedom; special treatment, privilege.
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the company was paid $100,000 in indemnity
compensation, reimbursement, recompense, repayment, restitution, payment, redress, reparation(s), damages.
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indent

verb
a coastline indented by many fjords
notch, make an indentation in, scallop, groove, furrow.
you'll have to indent for a new uniform
order, put in an order for, requisition, apply for, put in for, request, ask for, claim, put in a request/claim for, call for.
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noun
(Brit.) an indent for silk scarves
order, requisition, purchase order, request, call, application; claim.

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indentation

noun
hollow, depression, dip, dent, dint, cavity, concavity, pit, trough; dimple, cleft; snick, nick, notch; recess, bay, inlet, cove.

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indenture

noun
contract, agreement, compact, covenant, bond, warrant; certificate, deed, document, instrument.

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independence

noun
the struggle for American independence
self-government, self-rule, home rule, self-determination, sovereignty, autonomy, non-alignment, freedom, liberty.
he valued his independence
self-sufficiency, self-reliance.
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the adviser's independence
impartiality, neutrality, disinterest, disinterestedness, detachment, objectivity.
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independence of spirit
freedom, individualism, unconventionality, unorthodoxy.
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independent

adjective
an independent country
self-governing, self-ruling, self-determining, sovereign, autonomous, autarchic, free, non-aligned.
two independent groups of biologists verified the results
separate, different, unconnected, unrelated, dissociated, discrete.
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an independent school
private, non-state-run, private-sector, fee-paying; privatized, denationalized.
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her grown-up, independent children
self-sufficient, self-supporting, self-reliant, standing on one's own two feet.
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independent advice
impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced, neutral, disinterested, uninvolved, uncommitted, detached, dispassionate, objective, non-partisan, non-discriminatory, with no axe to grind, without fear or favour.
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an independent spirit
freethinking, free, individualistic, unconventional, maverick, bold, unconstrained, unfettered, untrammelled.
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ANTONYMS :subservient, related, public, biased.

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independently

adverb
alone, on one's own, separately, unaccompanied, solo; unaided, unassisted, without help, by one's own efforts, under one's own steam, single-handed(ly), off one's own bat, on one's own initiative.

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indescribable

adjective
inexpressible, indefinable, beyond words/description, incommunicable, ineffable; unutterable, unspeakable; intense, extreme, acute, strong, powerful, profound; incredible, extraordinary, remarkable, prodigious.

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indestructible

adjective
unbreakable, shatterproof, durable; lasting, enduring, everlasting, perennial, deathless, undying, immortal, inextinguishable, imperishable; poetic/literary adamantine. ANTONYMS :fragile.

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indeterminate

adjective
an indeterminate period of time
undetermined, uncertain, unknown, unspecified, unstipulated, indefinite, unfixed.
some indeterminate background noise
vague, indefinite, unspecific, unclear, nebulous, indistinct; amorphous, shapeless, formless; hazy, faint, shadowy, dim.
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index

noun
the library's subject index
list, listing, inventory, catalogue, register, directory.
literature is an index to the condition of civilization
guide, sign, indication, indicator, measure, signal, mark, evidence, symptom, token; clue, hint.
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the index jumped up the dial
pointer, indicator, needle, hand, finger, marker.
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indicate

verb
sales indicate a growing market for such art
point to, be a sign of, be evidence of, evidence, demonstrate, show, testify to, bespeak, be a symptom of, be symptomatic of, denote, connote, mark, signal, signify, suggest, imply; manifest, reveal, betray, display, reflect, represent; formal evince; poetic/literary betoken.
the president indicated his willingness to use force
state, declare, make known, communicate, announce, mention, reveal, divulge, disclose; put it on record; admit.
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please indicate your choice of prize on the form
specify, designate, stipulate; show.
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he indicated the room with a sweep of his arm
point to, point out, gesture towards.
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indicated

adjective
in such cases surgery is indicated
advisable, recommended, suggested, desirable, preferable, best, sensible, wise, commonsensical, prudent, in someone's (best) interests; necessary, needed, required, called for.

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indication

noun
sign, signal, indicator, symptom, mark, manifestation, demonstration, show, evidence; pointer, guide, hint, clue, intimation, omen, augury, portent, warning, forewarning.

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indicative

adjective
symptomatic, expressive, suggestive, representative, emblematic, symbolic; typical, characteristic; rare indicatory.

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indicator

noun
these tests are a reliable indicator of performance
measure, gauge, barometer, guide, index, mark, sign, signal; standard, touchstone, yardstick, benchmark, criterion, point of reference, guideline, test, litmus test.
the depth indicator
meter, measuring device, measure, gauge, dial.
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a position indicator
pointer, needle, hand, arrow, marker.
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indict

verb
charge, accuse, arraign, take to court, put on trial, prosecute; summons, cite, prefer charges against; N. Amer. impeach. ANTONYMS :acquit.

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indictment

noun
charge, accusation, arraignment; citation, summons; Brit. plaint; N. Amer. impeachment.

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indifference

noun
his apparent indifference infuriated her
lack of concern, unconcern, disinterest, lack of interest, lack of enthusiasm, apathy, nonchalance; boredom, unresponsiveness, impassivity, dispassion, detachment, coolness.
the indifference of the midfield players
mediocrity, lack of distinction, amateurism, amateurishness, lack of inspiration.
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indifferent

adjective
an indifferent shrug
unconcerned, uninterested, uncaring, casual, nonchalant, offhand, uninvolved, unenthusiastic, apathetic, lukewarm, phlegmatic; unimpressed, bored, unmoved, unresponsive, impassive, dispassionate, detached, cool.
an indifferent performance
mediocre, ordinary, average, middling, middle-of-the-road, uninspired, undistinguished, unexceptional, unexciting, unremarkable, run-of-the-mill, pedestrian, prosaic, lacklustre, forgettable, amateur, amateurish; informal OK, so-so, fair-to-middling, no great shakes, not up to much; Brit. informal not much cop; N. Amer. informal bush-league; NZ informal half-pie.
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ANTONYMS :enthusiastic, brilliant.

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indigenous

adjective
native, original, aboriginal, autochthonous; earliest, first.

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indigent

adjective
poor, impecunious, destitute, penniless, impoverished, insolvent, poverty-stricken; needy, in need, hard up, on the breadline, deprived, disadvantaged, badly off; informal on one's uppers, broke, flat broke, strapped (for cash), without a brass farthing, without a bean/sou, as poor as a church mouse, on one's beam-ends; Brit. informal stony broke, skint, boracic; N. Amer. informal on skid row; formal penurious. ANTONYMS :rich.

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indigestion

noun
dyspepsia, heartburn, pyrosis, acidity, stomach ache; (an) upset stomach, (a) stomach upset; informal bellyache, tummy ache, collywobbles.

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indignant

adjective
aggrieved, resentful, affronted, disgruntled, displeased, cross, angry, annoyed, offended, exasperated, irritated, piqued, nettled, in high dudgeon, chagrined; informal peeved, vexed, irked, put out, miffed, aggravated, riled, in a huff; Brit. informal narked; N. Amer. informal sore.

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indignation

noun
resentment, umbrage, affront, disgruntlement, displeasure, anger, annoyance, irritation, exasperation, vexation, offence, pique; informal aggravation; poetic/literary ire.

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indignity

noun
shame, humiliation, loss of self-respect, loss of pride, loss of face, embarrassment, mortification; disgrace, dishonour, stigma, discredit; affront, insult, abuse, mistreatment, injury, offence, injustice, slight, snub, discourtesy, disrespect; informal slap in the face, kick in the teeth.

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indirect

adjective
an indirect effect
incidental, accidental, unintended, secondary, subordinate, ancillary, collateral, concomitant, contingent.
the indirect route
roundabout, circuitous, wandering, meandering, serpentine, winding, tortuous, zigzag.
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an indirect attack
oblique, inexplicit, implicit, implied, allusive.
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indirectly

adverb
I heard of the damage indirectly
second-hand, at second hand, from others; informal on the grapevine, on the bush/jungle telegraph.
he referred to the subject indirectly
obliquely, by implication, allusively.
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indiscernible

adjective
an almost indiscernible change
unnoticeable, imperceptible, invisible, hidden, undetectable, indistinguishable, inappreciable; tiny, minute, minuscule, microscopic, infinitesimal, negligible, inconsequential.
an indiscernible shape
indistinct, nebulous, unclear, fuzzy, obscure, vague, indefinite, amorphous, shadowy, dim, hard to make out.
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ANTONYMS :distinct.

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indiscreet

adjective
an indiscreet remark
imprudent, unwise, impolitic, injudicious, incautious, irresponsible, ill-judged, ill-advised, misguided, ill-considered, careless, rash, unwary, hasty, reckless, precipitate, impulsive, foolhardy, foolish, short-sighted; undiplomatic, indelicate, tactless, insensitive; inexpedient, untimely, infelicitous.
her indiscreet behaviour
immodest, indecorous, unseemly, improper, indecent, indelicate.
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indiscretion

noun
he was prone to indiscretion
imprudence, injudiciousness, incaution, irresponsibility; carelessness, rashness, recklessness, precipitateness, impulsiveness, foolhardiness, foolishness, folly; tactlessness, insensitivity.
his past indiscretions
blunder, lapse, gaffe, mistake, faux pas, error, slip, miscalculation, impropriety; misdemeanour, transgression, peccadillo, misdeed; informal slip-up.
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indiscriminate

adjective
non-selective, unselective, undiscriminating, uncritical, aimless, hit-or-miss, haphazard, random, arbitrary, unsystematic, undirected; wholesale, general, sweeping, blanket; thoughtless, unthinking, unconsidered, casual, careless. ANTONYMS :selective.

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indispensable

adjective
essential, necessary, all-important, of the utmost importance, of the essence, vital, crucial, key, needed, required, requisite; invaluable. ANTONYMS :superfluous.

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indisposed

adjective
my wife is indisposed
ill, unwell, sick, on the sick list, poorly, ailing, not (very) well, out of sorts, under/below par; out of action, hors de combat; Brit. off colour; informal under the weather.
she was indisposed to help him
reluctant, unwilling, disinclined, loath, unprepared, not disposed, not minded, averse.
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ANTONYMS :well, willing.

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indisposition

noun
a mild indisposition
illness, malady, ailment, disorder, sickness, disease, infection; condition, complaint, problem; informal bug, virus; Brit. informal lurgy.
his indisposition to leave the house
reluctance, unwillingness, disinclination, aversion.
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indisputable

adjective
incontrovertible, incontestable, undeniable, irrefutable, beyond dispute, unassailable, unquestionable, beyond question, indubitable, not in doubt, beyond doubt, beyond a shadow of a doubt, unarguable, undebatable, airtight, watertight; unequivocal, unmistakable, certain, sure, definite, definitive, proven, decisive, conclusive, demonstrable, self-evident, clear, clear-cut, plain, obvious, manifest, patent, palpable. ANTONYMS :questionable.

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indistinct

adjective
the distant shoreline was indistinct
blurred, out of focus, fuzzy, hazy, misty, foggy, cloudy, shadowy, dim, nebulous; unclear, obscure, vague, faint, indistinguishable, barely perceptible, hard to see, hard to make out.
the last two digits are indistinct
indecipherable, illegible, unreadable, hard to read.
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indistinct sounds
muffled, muted, low, quiet, soft, faint, inaudible, hard to hear; muttered, mumbled.
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ANTONYMS :clear.

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indistinguishable

adjective
the two girls were indistinguishable
identical, difficult to tell apart, like (two) peas in a pod, like Tweedledum and Tweedledee, very similar, two of a kind.
his words were indistinguishable
unintelligible, incomprehensible, hard to make out, indistinct, unclear; inaudible.
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ANTONYMS :unalike, clear.

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individual

adjective
exhibitions devoted to individual artists
single, separate, discrete, independent; sole, lone, solitary, isolated.
he had his own individual style of music
characteristic, distinctive, distinct, typical, particular, peculiar, personal, personalized, special.
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a chic and highly individual apartment
original, unique, exclusive, singular, idiosyncratic, different, unusual, novel, unorthodox, atypical, out of the ordinary.
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noun
Peter was a rather stuffy individual
person, human being, mortal, soul, creature; man, boy, woman, girl; character, personage; informal type, sort, beggar, cookie, customer, guy, geezer, devil, bastard; Brit. informal bod, gent, punter; informal, dated body, cove; archaic wight.
she was a real individual
individualist, free spirit, nonconformist, original, eccentric, character, maverick, rare bird; Brit. informal one-off.
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individualism

noun
independence, freethinking, freedom of thought, originality; unconventionality, eccentricity.

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individualist

noun
free spirit, individual, nonconformist, original, eccentric, maverick, rare bird; Brit. informal one-off. ANTONYMS :conformist.

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individualistic

adjective
unconventional, unorthodox, atypical, singular, unique, original, nonconformist, independent, freethinking; eccentric, maverick, strange, odd, peculiar, idiosyncratic.

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individuality

noun
distinctiveness, distinction, uniqueness, originality, singularity, particularity, peculiarity, differentness, separateness; personality, character, identity, self.

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individually

adverb
one at a time, one by one, singly, separately, severally, independently, apart. ANTONYMS :together.

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indoctrinate

verb
brainwash, propagandize, proselytize, inculcate, re-educate, persuade, convince, condition, mould, discipline; instruct, teach, school, drill.

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indolence

noun
laziness, idleness, slothfulness, sloth, shiftlessness, inactivity, inaction, inertia, sluggishness, lethargy, languor, languidness, torpor; poetic/literary hebetude.

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indolent

adjective
lazy, idle, slothful, loafing, work-shy, do-nothing, sluggardly, shiftless, lackadaisical, languid, inactive, inert, sluggish, lethargic, torpid; slack, lax, remiss, negligent, good-for-nothing, feckless; informal bone idle. ANTONYMS :industrious, energetic.

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indomitable

adjective
invincible, unconquerable, unbeatable, unassailable, invulnerable, unshakeable; indefatigable, unyielding, unbending, stalwart, stout-hearted, lionhearted, strong-willed, strong-minded, steadfast, staunch, resolute, firm, determined, intransigent, inflexible, adamant; unflinching, courageous, brave, valiant, heroic, intrepid, fearless, plucky, mettlesome, gritty, steely. ANTONYMS :submissive.

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indubitable

adjective
unquestionable, undoubtable, indisputable, unarguable, undebatable, incontestable, undeniable, irrefutable, incontrovertible, unmistakable, unequivocal, certain, sure, positive, definite, absolute, conclusive, watertight; beyond doubt, beyond the shadow of a doubt, beyond dispute, beyond question, not in question, not in doubt. ANTONYMS :doubtful.

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induce

verb
the pickets induced many workers to stay away
persuade, convince, prevail upon, get, make, prompt, move, inspire, influence, encourage, motivate; coax into, wheedle into, cajole into, talk into, prod into; informal twist someone's arm.
these activities induce a feeling of togetherness
bring about, cause, produce, effect, create, give rise to, generate, instigate, engender, occasion, set in motion, lead to, result in, trigger off, spark off, whip up, stir up, kindle, arouse, rouse, foster, promote, encourage; poetic/literary beget, enkindle.
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ANTONYMS :dissuade, prevent.

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inducement

noun
incentive, encouragement, attraction, temptation, stimulus, bait, lure, pull, draw, spur, goad, impetus, motive, motivation, provocation; bribe, reward; informal carrot, come-on, sweetener. ANTONYMS :deterrent.

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induct

verb
the new ministers were inducted into the government
admit to, allow into, introduce to, initiate into, install in, instate in, swear into; appoint to.
he inducted me into the skills of magic
introduce to, acquaint with, familiarize with, make conversant with; ground in, instruct in, teach in, educate in, school in.
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indulge

verb
Sally indulged her passion for long walks
satisfy, gratify, fulfil, feed, accommodate; yield to, give in to, give way to.
she indulged in a fit of sulks
wallow in, give oneself up to, give way to, yield to, abandon oneself to, give free rein to; luxuriate in, revel in, lose oneself in.
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she did not like her children to be indulged
pamper, spoil, overindulge, coddle, mollycoddle, cosset, baby, pet, spoon-feed, feather-bed, wrap in cotton wool; pander to, wait on hand and foot, cater to someone's every whim, kill with kindness; archaic cocker.
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ANTONYMS :frustrate.

indulge oneself
treat oneself, give oneself a treat; have a spree, splash out; informal go to town, splurge.

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indulgence

noun
the indulgence of all his desires
satisfaction, gratification, fulfilment.
excess indulgence contributed to his ill-health
self-gratification, self-indulgence, overindulgence, intemperance, immoderation, excess, excessiveness, lack of restraint, extravagance, decadence, pleasure-seeking, sybaritism.
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they viewed holidays as an indulgence
extravagance, luxury, treat, non-essential, extra, frill.
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her indulgence left him spoilt
pampering, coddling, mollycoddling, cosseting, babying.
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his parents view his lapses with indulgence
tolerance, forbearance, understanding, kindess, compassion, sympathy, forgiveness, leniency.
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indulgent

adjective
generous, permissive, easy-going, liberal, tolerant, forgiving, forbearing, lenient, kind, kindly, soft-hearted, compassionate, understanding, sympathetic; fond, doting, soft; compliant, obliging, accommodating. ANTONYMS :strict.

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industrial

adjective
industrial areas of the city
manufacturing, factory; commercial, business, trade.
(Brit.) industrial action
strike, protest.
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industrialist

noun
manufacturer, producer, factory owner; captain of industry, big businessman, magnate, tycoon, capitalist, financier; informal, derogatory fat cat.

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industrious

adjective
hard-working, diligent, assiduous, conscientious, steady, painstaking, sedulous, persevering, unflagging, untiring, tireless, indefatigable, studious; busy, as busy as a bee, active, bustling, energetic, on the go, vigorous, determined, dynamic, zealous, productive; with one's shoulder to the wheel, with one's nose to the grindstone. ANTONYMS :indolent.

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industry

noun
British industry
manufacturing, production; construction.
the publishing industry
business, trade, field, line (of business); informal racket.
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the kitchen was a hive of industry
activity, busyness, energy, vigour, productiveness; hard work, industriousness, diligence, application, dedication.
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inebriated

adjective
drunk, intoxicated, drunken, incapable, tipsy, the worse for drink, under the influence; informal tight, merry, in one's cups, three sheets to the wind, pie-eyed, plastered, smashed, wrecked, wasted, sloshed, soused, sozzled, blotto, stewed, pickled, tanked (up), off one's face, out of one's head, ratted; Brit. informal legless, bevvied, paralytic, Brahms and Liszt, half cut, out of it, bladdered, trolleyed, squiffy, tiddly; N. Amer. informal loaded, trashed, juiced, sauced, out of one's gourd, in the bag, zoned; euphemistic tired and emotional; informal, dated lit up. ANTONYMS :sober.

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inedible

adjective
uneatable, indigestible, unsavoury, unpalatable, unwholesome; stale, rotten, off, bad.

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ineffable

adjective
the ineffable beauty of the Everglades
indescribable, inexpressible, beyond words; undefinable, unutterable, untold, unimaginable; overwhelming, breathtaking, awesome, staggering, amazing.
the ineffable name of God
unutterable, unmentionable; taboo, forbidden, off limits; informal no go.
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ineffective

adjective
an ineffective scheme
unsuccessful, unproductive, fruitless, unprofitable, abortive, futile, purposeless, useless, worthless, ineffectual, inefficient, inefficacious, inadequate; feeble, inept, lame; archaic bootless.
an ineffective president
ineffectual, inefficient, inefficacious, unsuccessful, powerless, impotent, inadequate, incompetent, incapable, unfit, inept, weak, poor; informal useless, hopeless.
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ineffectual

adjective
. See ineffective senses 1, 2.

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inefficacious

adjective
. See ineffective sense 1.

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inefficient

adjective
an inefficient worker
ineffective, ineffectual, incompetent, inept, incapable, unfit, unskilful, inexpert, amateurish; disorganized, unprepared; negligent, lax, sloppy, slack, careless; informal lousy, useless.
inefficient processes
uneconomical, wasteful, unproductive, time-wasting, slow; deficient, disorganized, unsystematic.
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inelegant

adjective
an inelegant bellow of laughter
unrefined, uncouth, unsophisticated, unpolished, uncultivated; ill-bred, coarse, vulgar, rude, impolite, unmannerly.
inelegant dancing
graceless, ungraceful, ungainly, uncoordinated, awkward, clumsy, lumbering; inept, unskilful, inexpert; informal having two left feet.
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ANTONYMS :refined, graceful.

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ineligible

adjective
we are ineligible for a grant
unqualified, ruled out, disqualified, disentitled; Law incompetent.
(dated) she was in love with someone ineligible
unmarriageable, unavailable; unsuitable, unacceptable, undesirable, inappropriate, unworthy.
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ANTONYMS :suitable.

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inept

adjective
incompetent, unskilful, unskilled, inexpert, amateurish; clumsy, awkward, maladroit, unhandy, bungling, blundering; unproductive, unsuccessful, ineffectual, not up to scratch; informal cack-handed, ham-fisted, butterfingered, klutzy; Brit. informal all (fingers and) thumbs. ANTONYMS :competent.

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inequality

noun
imbalance, inequity, inconsistency, variation, variability; divergence, polarity, disparity, discrepancy, dissimilarity, difference; bias, prejudice, discrimination, unfairness.

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inequitable

adjective
unfair, unjust, unequal, uneven, unbalanced, one-sided, discriminatory, preferential, biased, partisan, partial, prejudiced. ANTONYMS :fair.

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inequity

noun
unfairness, injustice, unjustness, discrimination, partisanship, partiality, favouritism, bias, prejudice.

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inert

adjective
unmoving, motionless, immobile, inanimate, still, stationary, static; dormant, sleeping; unconscious, comatose, lifeless, insensible, insensate, insentient; idle, inactive, sluggish, lethargic, stagnant, listless, torpid. ANTONYMS :active.

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inertia

noun
inactivity, inaction, inertness; apathy, accidie, malaise, stagnation, enervation, lethargy, listlessness, torpor, idleness, sloth; motionlessness, immobility, lifelessness; formal stasis.

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inescapable

adjective
unavoidable, inevitable, ineluctable, inexorable; assured, sure, certain; necessary, required, compulsory, mandatory; rare ineludible. ANTONYMS :avoidable.

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inessential

adjective
unnecessary, non-essential, unwanted, uncalled-for, needless, redundant, superfluous, excessive, surplus, dispensable, expendable; unimportant, peripheral, minor, secondary.

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inestimable

adjective
immeasurable, incalculable, innumerable, unfathomable, indeterminable, measureless, untold; limitless, boundless, unlimited, infinite, endless, inexhaustible; informal no end of; poetic/literary myriad. ANTONYMS :few.

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inevitable

adjective
unavoidable, inescapable, inexorable, ineluctable; assured, certain, sure; fated, predestined, predetermined; rare ineludible. ANTONYMS :uncertain.

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inevitably

adverb
naturally, necessarily, automatically, as a matter of course, of necessity, inescapably, unavoidably, certainly, surely, definitely, undoubtedly; informal like it or not; formal perforce.

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inexact

adjective
imprecise, inaccurate, approximate, rough, crude, general, vague; incorrect, erroneous, wrong, false; off, out; N. Amer. informal ballpark.

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inexcusable

adjective
indefensible, unjustifiable, unwarranted, unpardonable, unforgivable; blameworthy, censurable, reprehensible, deplorable, unconscionable, unacceptable, unreasonable; uncalled-for, unprovoked, gratuitous.

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inexhaustible

adjective
her patience is inexhaustible
unlimited, limitless, illimitable, infinite, boundless, endless, never-ending, unfailing, everlasting; immeasurable, incalculable, inestimable, untold; copious, abundant.
the dancers were inexhaustible
tireless, indefatigable, untiring, unfaltering, unflagging, unremitting, persevering, persistent, dogged.
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ANTONYMS :limited, weary.

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inexorable

adjective
the inexorable advance of science
relentless, unstoppable, inescapable, inevitable, unavoidable, irrevocable; persistent, continuous, non-stop, steady, interminable, incessant, unceasing, unremitting, unrelenting.
inexorable creditors
intransigent, unbending, unyielding, inflexible, adamant, obdurate, immovable, unshakeable; implacable, unappeasable, unforgiving, unsparing, uncompromising, ruthless, relentless, pitiless, merciless.
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inexpedient

adjective
unadvisable, injudicious, unwise, impolitic, imprudent, incautious; irresponsible, foolhardy, foolish, ill-advised, ill-considered, inappropriate; disadvantageous, prejudicial. ANTONYMS :wise.

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inexpensive

adjective
cheap, low-priced, low-cost, economical, competitive, affordable, reasonable, budget, economy, bargain, cut-price, reduced, discounted, discount, rock-bottom, giveaway, bargain-basement; informal dirt cheap.

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inexperience

noun
ignorance, unworldliness, naivety, naiveness, innocence, greenness, immaturity; poetic/literary nescience.

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inexperienced

adjective
inexpert, unpractised, untrained, unschooled, unqualified, unskilled, amateur; ignorant, unversed, unseasoned; naive, unsophisticated, callow, immature, green; informal wet behind the ears, wide-eyed.

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inexpert

adjective
unskilled, unskilful, amateur, amateurish, unprofessional, inexperienced; inept, incompetent, maladroit, clumsy, bungling, blundering, unhandy; informal cack-handed, ham-fisted, butterfingered.

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inexplicable

adjective
unaccountable, unexplainable, incomprehensible, unfathomable, impenetrable, insoluble; baffling, puzzling, perplexing, mystifying, bewildering; mysterious, strange. ANTONYMS :understandable.

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inexpressible

adjective
indescribable, undefinable, unutterable, unspeakable, ineffable, beyond words; unimaginable, inconceivable, unthinkable, untold.

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inexpressive

adjective
expressionless, impassive, emotionless; inscrutable, unreadable, blank, vacant, glazed, lifeless, deadpan, wooden, stony; poker-faced, straight-faced.

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inextinguishable

adjective
irrepressible, unquenchable, indestructible, undying, unfailing, unceasing, ceaseless, enduring, everlasting, eternal, persistent.

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inextricable

adjective
our lives are inextricable
inseparable, indivisible, entangled, tangled, mixed up.
an inextricable situation
inescapable, unavoidable, ineluctable.
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infallible

adjective
an infallible sense of timing
unerring, unfailing, faultless, flawless, impeccable, perfect, precise, accurate, meticulous, scrupulous; Brit. informal spot on.
infallible cures
unfailing, guaranteed, dependable, trustworthy, reliable, sure, certain, safe, foolproof, effective; informal sure-fire; formal efficacious.
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infamous

adjective
an infamous mass murderer
notorious, disreputable; legendary, fabled.
infamous misconduct
abominable, outrageous, shocking, shameful, disgraceful, dishonourable, discreditable, unworthy; monstrous, atrocious, appalling, dreadful, terrible, heinous, egregious, detestable, loathsome, hateful, vile, unspeakable, unforgivable, iniquitous, scandalous; informal dirty, filthy, low-down; Brit. informal beastly.
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ANTONYMS :reputable, honourable.

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infamy

noun
these acts brought him infamy
notoriety, disrepute, ill fame, disgrace, discredit, shame, dishonour, ignominy, scandal, censure, blame, disapprobation, condemnation.
she was punished for her infamy
wickedness, evil, vileness, iniquity, depravity, degeneracy, immorality; sin, wrongdoing, offence, abuse; formal turpitude.
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infancy

noun
she died in infancy
babyhood, early childhood.
the infancy of broadcasting
beginnings, early days, early stages; seeds, roots; start, commencement, launch, debut, rise, emergence, dawn, birth, inception.
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ANTONYMS :end.

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infant

noun
a fretful infant
baby, newborn, young child, (tiny) tot, little one; Medicine neonate; Scottish & N. English bairn, wean; informal tiny, sprog; poetic/literary babe.
adjective
infant industries
developing, emergent, emerging, embryonic, nascent, new, fledgling, budding, up-and-coming.

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infantile

adjective
childish, babyish, immature, puerile, juvenile, adolescent; silly, inane, fatuous.

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infantry

noun
infantrymen, foot soldiers, foot guards; the ranks; cannon fodder; US GIs; Brit. informal Tommies; Military slang infanteers, grunts; US informal, dated dogfaces; historical footmen.

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infatuated

adjective
besotted, in love, head over heels, obsessed, taken; enamoured of, attracted to, devoted to, captivated by, enchanted by, bewitched by, under the spell of; informal smitten with, sweet on, keen on, gone on, mad about, crazy about, stuck on, bowled over by, carrying a torch for.

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infatuation

noun
passion, love, adoration, desire, feeling, devotion; obsession, fixation; fancy; informal crush, thing, hang-up, pash.

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infect

verb
the ill can infect their partners
pass infection to, spread disease to, contaminate.
nitrates were infecting rivers
contaminate, pollute, taint, foul, dirty, blight, damage, ruin; poison.
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his high spirits infected everyone
affect, influence, impact on, touch; excite, inspire, stimulate, animate.
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infection

noun
a kidney infection
disease, virus; disorder, condition, affliction, complaint, illness, ailment, sickness, infirmity; informal bug; Brit. informal lurgy; dated contagion.
the infection in his wounds
contamination, poison; septicity, septicaemia, suppuration, inflammation; germs, bacteria; Medicine sepsis.
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infectious

adjective
infectious disease
contagious, communicable, transmittable, transmissible, transferable, spreadable; epidemic; informal catching; dated infective.
infectious fluids
contaminating, germ-laden, polluting; poisonous, toxic, noxious.
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her laughter is infectious
irresistible, compelling, contagious, catching.
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infelicitous

adjective
unfortunate, unsuitable, inappropriate, inapposite, inapt; untimely, inopportune; injudicious, imprudent, indiscreet, indelicate. ANTONYMS :appropriate.

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infelicity

noun
mistake, error, blunder, slip, lapse, solecism.

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infer

verb
deduce, conclude, conjecture, surmise, reason; gather, understand, presume, assume, take it; read between the lines; N. Amer. figure; Brit. informal suss (out).

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inference

noun
deduction, conclusion, reasoning, conjecture, speculation, presumption, assumption, supposition, reckoning, extrapolation; guesswork.

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inferior

adjective
she regards him as inferior
second-class, lower-ranking, subordinate, second-fiddle, junior, minor, lowly, humble, menial, beneath one.
inferior accommodation
second-rate, substandard, low-quality, low-grade, unsatisfactory, shoddy, deficient; poor, bad, awful, dreadful, wretched; Brit. downmarket; informal crummy, dire, rotten, lousy, third-rate; Brit. informal duff, rubbish, ropy, dodgy.
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ANTONYMS :superior, luxury.

noun
how dare she treat him as an inferior?
subordinate, junior, underling, minion.

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infernal

adjective
the infernal regions
hellish, lower, nether, subterranean, underworld, chthonic; Hadean, Tartarean.
(informal) an infernal nuisance
damnable, wretched; annoying, irritating, infuriating, exasperating; informal damned, damn, flaming, blasted, blessed, pesky, aggravating; Brit. informal blinking, blooming, flipping; Brit. informal, dated bally, ruddy.
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infertile

adjective
infertile soil
barren, unfruitful, unproductive, uncultivatable; sterile, impoverished, arid.
she was infertile
sterile, barren; childless; Medicine infecund.
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infest

verb
overrun, spread through, invade, infiltrate, pervade, permeate, inundate, overwhelm; beset, plague.

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infested

adjective
overrun, swarming, teeming, crawling, alive, ridden; plagued, beset.

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infidel

noun
unbeliever, disbeliever, non-believer, agnostic, atheist; heathen, pagan, idolater, idolatress, heretic, freethinker, dissenter, nonconformist; archaic paynim; rare nullifidian.

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infidelity

noun
unfaithfulness, adultery, unchastity; faithlessness, disloyalty, treachery, double-dealing, duplicity, deceit; affair; informal playing around, fooling around, cheating, two-timing; formal fornication; dated cuckoldry.

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infiltrate

verb
he infiltrated the smuggling operation
insinuate oneself into, worm one's way into, sneak into, invade, intrude on, butt into; informal gatecrash, muscle in on.
mineral solutions infiltrate the rocks
permeate, penetrate, pervade, seep into/through, soak into, get into, enter.
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infiltrator

noun
spy, (secret) agent, plant, intruder, interloper, subversive, informant, informer, mole, entrist, entryist; N. Amer. informal spook.

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infinite

adjective
the universe is infinite
boundless, unbounded, unlimited, limitless, never-ending, interminable; immeasurable, fathomless; extensive, vast.
an infinite number of birds
countless, uncountable, inestimable, innumerable, numberless, immeasurable, incalculable, untold; great, huge, enormous.
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she bathed him with infinite care
great, immense, supreme, absolute, real; informal no end of.
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ANTONYMS :limited, small.

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infinitesimal

adjective
minute, tiny, minuscule, very small; microscopic, imperceptible, indiscernible; Scottish wee; informal teeny, teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy, tiddly; Brit. informal titchy; N. Amer. informal little-bitty. ANTONYMS :huge.

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infinity

noun
the infinity of space
endlessness, infinitude, infiniteness, boundlessness, limitlessness; vastness, immensity.
an infinity of different molecules
infinite number; abundance, profusion, host, multitude, mass, wealth; informal heap, stack.
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infirm

adjective
she cares for infirm people
frail, weak, feeble, debilitated, decrepit, disabled; ill, unwell, sick, sickly, poorly, indisposed, ailing.
(archaic) he was infirm of purpose
weak, uncertain, indefinite, indecisive, irresolute, unresolved, undecided; wavering, vacillating.
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ANTONYMS :healthy, strong.

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infirmity

noun
they were excused due to infirmity
frailty, weakness, feebleness, delicacy, debility, decrepitude; disability, impairment; illness, sickness, indisposition, poor health.
the infirmities of old age
ailment, malady, illness, disease, disorder, sickness, affliction, complaint, indisposition.
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inflame

verb
the play inflames anti-semitism
incite, arouse, rouse, provoke, stir up, whip up, kindle, ignite, touch off, foment, inspire, stimulate, agitate.
he inflamed a sensitive situation
aggravate, exacerbate, intensify, worsen, compound.
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his opinions inflamed his rival
enrage, incense, anger, madden, infuriate, exasperate, provoke, antagonize, rile; informal make someone see red, make someone's blood boil.
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ANTONYMS :calm, soothe, placate.

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inflamed

adjective
swollen, puffed up; red, hot, burning, itchy; raw, sore, painful, tender; infected, septic.

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inflammable

adjective
flammable, combustible, incendiary, ignitable; volatile, unstable. ANTONYMS :fireproof.

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inflammation

noun
swelling, puffiness; redness, heat, burning; rawness, soreness, tenderness; infection, festering, septicity.

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inflammatory

adjective
an inflammatory lung condition
causing inflammation; Medicine erythrogenic.
inflammatory language
provocative, incendiary, stirring, rousing, rabble-rousing, seditious, mutinous; like a red rag to a bull; fiery, passionate; controversial, contentious.
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inflate

verb
the mattress inflated
blow up, fill up, fill with air, aerate, puff up/out, pump up; dilate, distend, swell.
the demand inflated prices
increase, raise, boost, escalate, put up; informal hike up, jack up, bump up.
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the figures were inflated by the press
exaggerate, magnify, overplay, overstate, enhance, embellish, touch up; increase, amplify, augment.
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ANTONYMS :decrease, understate.

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inflated

adjective
an inflated balloon
blown up, aerated, filled, puffed up/out, pumped up; distended, expanded, engorged, swollen.
inflated prices
high, sky-high, excessive, unreasonable, prohibitive, outrageous, exorbitant, extortionate; Brit. over the odds; informal steep.
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an inflated opinion of himself
exaggerated, magnified, aggrandized, immoderate, overblown, overstated.
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inflated language
high-flown, extravagant, exaggerated, elaborate, flowery, ornate, overblown, overwrought, grandiloquent, magniloquent, lofty, grandiose; affected, pretentious; informal windy, highfalutin.
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inflection

noun
(Grammar) verbal inflections
conjugation, declension; form, ending, case.
his voice was without inflection
stress, cadence, rhythm, accentuation, intonation, emphasis, modulation, lilt.
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inflexible

adjective
his inflexible attitude
stubborn, obstinate, obdurate, intractable, intransigent, unbending, immovable, unaccommodating; hidebound, single-minded, pig-headed, mulish, uncompromising, adamant, firm, resolute, diehard, dyed-in-the-wool; formal refractory.
inflexible rules
unalterable, unchangeable, immutable, unvarying; firm, fixed, set, established, entrenched, hard and fast; stringent, strict.
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an inflexible structure
rigid, stiff, unyielding, unbending, unbendable; hard, firm, inelastic.
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ANTONYMS :accommodating, pliable.

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inflict

verb
he inflicted an injury on Frank
impose, exact, wreak; administer to, deal out to, mete out to, cause to, give to.
I won't inflict my pain on my children
impose, force, thrust, foist; saddle someone with, burden someone with.
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infliction

noun
the infliction of pain
administration, delivery, application; imposition, perpetration; formal exaction.
(informal, dated) they bore the infliction with heroism
affliction, trial, problem, nuisance, trouble, annoyance, bother, irritant; suffering, torment, tribulation.
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influence

noun
the influence of parents on their children
effect, impact; control, sway, hold, power, authority, mastery, domination, supremacy; guidance, direction; pressure.
a bad influence on young girls
example to, (role) model for, guide for, inspiration to.
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political influence
power, authority, sway, leverage, weight, pull, standing, prestige, stature, rank; informal clout, muscle, teeth; N. Amer. informal drag.
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verb
bosses can influence our careers
affect, have an impact on, determine, guide, control, shape, govern, decide; change, alter, transform.
an attempt to influence the jury
sway, bias, prejudice, suborn; pressurize, coerce; dragoon, intimidate, browbeat, brainwash; informal twist someone's arm, lean on; Brit. informal nobble.
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influential

adjective
an influential leader
powerful, dominant, controlling, strong, authoritative; important, prominent, distinguished.
he was influential in shaping her career
instrumental, significant, important, crucial, pivotal.
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influx

noun
an influx of tourists
inundation, rush, stream, flood, incursion; invasion, intrusion.
influxes of river water
inflow, inrush, flood, inundation.
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inform

verb
she informed him that she was ill
tell, notify, apprise, advise, impart to, communicate to, let someone know; brief, prime, enlighten, send word to; informal fill in, clue in/up.
he informed on two villains
denounce, give away, betray, incriminate, inculpate, report; sell out, stab in the back; informal rat, squeal, split, tell, blow the whistle, sell down the river, snitch, peach, stitch up; Brit. informal grass, shop, sneak; Scottish informal clype; N. Amer. informal rat out, finger; Austral./NZ informal dob.
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the articles were informed by feminism
suffuse, pervade, permeate, infuse, imbue; characterize, typify.
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informal

adjective
an informal discussion
unofficial, casual, relaxed, easy-going, unceremonious; open, friendly, intimate; simple, unpretentious, easy, homely, cosy; informal unstuffy, laid-back, chummy, pally, matey.
an informal speech style
colloquial, vernacular, idiomatic, demotic, popular; familiar, everyday, unofficial; simple, natural, unpretentious; informal slangy, chatty, folksy.
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informal clothes
casual, relaxed, comfortable, everyday, sloppy, leisure; informal comfy.
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ANTONYMS :formal, official, literary, smart.

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informality

noun
lack of ceremony, casualness, unceremoniousness, unpretentiousness; homeliness, cosiness; ease, naturalness, approachability.

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information

noun
details, particulars, facts, figures, statistics, data; knowledge, intelligence; instruction, advice, guidance, direction, counsel, enlightenment; news; informal info, gen, the low-down, the dope, the inside story.

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informative

adjective
instructive, instructional, illuminating, enlightening, revealing, explanatory; factual, educational, educative, edifying, didactic; informal newsy.

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informed

adjective
knowledgeable, enlightened, literate, educated; sophisticated, cultured; briefed, up to date, up to speed, in the picture, in the know, au courant, au fait; informal clued up, genned up; Brit. informal switched-on, sussed. ANTONYMS :ignorant.

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informer

noun
informant, betrayer, traitor, Judas, collaborator, stool pigeon, fifth columnist, spy, double agent, infiltrator, plant; telltale, taleteller; N. Amer. tattletale; informal rat, squealer, whistle-blower, snake in the grass, snitch; Brit. informal grass, supergrass, nark, snout; Scottish informal clype; N. Amer. informal fink, stoolie.

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infraction

noun
infringement, contravention, breach, violation, transgression; neglect, dereliction, non-compliance; Law delict, contumacy.

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infrequent

adjective
rare, uncommon, unusual, exceptional, few (and far between), like gold dust, as scarce as hens' teeth; unaccustomed, unwonted; isolated, scarce, scattered; sporadic, irregular, intermittent; informal once in a blue moon; dated seldom. ANTONYMS :common.

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infringe

verb
the bid infringed EU rules
contravene, violate, transgress, break, breach; disobey, defy, flout, fly in the face of; disregard, ignore, neglect; go beyond, overstep, exceed; Law infract.
surveillance could infringe personal liberties
undermine, erode, diminish, weaken, impair, damage, compromise; limit, curb, check, encroach on.
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ANTONYMS :obey, preserve.

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infuriate

verb
enrage, incense, anger, madden, inflame; exasperate, antagonize, provoke, rile, annoy, irritate, nettle, gall, irk, vex, pique, get on someone's nerves, try someone's patience; N. Amer. rankle; informal aggravate, make someone see red, get someone's back up, make someone's blood boil, get up someone's nose, needle, hack off, brown off; Brit. informal wind up, get to, nark, cheese off; N. Amer. informal bug, tick off. ANTONYMS :please.

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infuriating

adjective
exasperating, maddening, annoying, irritating, irksome, vexatious, trying, tiresome; informal aggravating, pesky.

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infuse

verb
she was infused with a sense of hope
fill, suffuse, imbue, inspire, charge, pervade, permeate.
he infused new life into the group
instil, breathe, inject, impart, inculcate, introduce, add.
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infuse the dried leaves
steep, brew, stew, soak, immerse, souse; Brit. informal mash.
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ingenious

adjective
inventive, creative, imaginative, original, innovative, pioneering, resourceful, enterprising, inspired; clever, intelligent, smart, brilliant, masterly, talented, gifted, skilful; astute, sharp-witted, quick-witted, shrewd; elaborate, sophisticated.

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ingenuous

adjective
naive, innocent, simple, childlike, trusting, trustful, over-trusting, unwary; unsuspicious, unworldly, wide-eyed, inexperienced, green; open, sincere, honest, frank, candid, forthright, artless, guileless, genuine. ANTONYMS :artful.

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inglorious

adjective
shameful, dishonourable, ignominious, discreditable, disgraceful, scandalous; humiliating, mortifying, demeaning, ignoble, undignified, wretched.

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ingrained engrained

adjective
ingrained attitudes
entrenched, established, deep-rooted, deep-seated, fixed, firm, unshakeable, ineradicable; inveterate, dyed-in-the-wool, abiding, enduring, stubborn.
ingrained dirt
ground-in, fixed, implanted, embedded; permanent, indelible, ineradicable, inexpungible.
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ANTONYMS :transient, superficial.

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ingratiate

ingratiate oneself
curry favour with, cultivate, win over, get in someone's good books; toady to, crawl to, grovel to, fawn over, kowtow to, play up to, pander to, flatter, court; informal suck up to, rub up the right way, lick someone's boots.

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ingratiating

adjective
sycophantic, toadying, fawning, unctuous, obsequious; flattering, insincere; smooth-tongued, silver-tongued, slick; greasy, oily, saccharine; informal smarmy, slimy, creepy, sucky.

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ingratitude

noun
ungratefulness, thanklessness, unthankfulness, non-recognition.

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ingredient

adjective
constituent, component, element; part, piece, bit, strand, portion, unit, feature, aspect, attribute; (ingredients) contents, makings.

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ingress

noun
the doors gave ingress to the station
entry, entrance, access, admittance, admission; way in, approach.
the ingress of water
seepage, leakage, inundation, inrush, intrusion, incursion, entry, entrance.
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ANTONYMS :exit.

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inhabit

verb
live in, occupy; settle (in), people, populate, colonize; dwell in, reside in, tenant, lodge in, have one's home in; formal be domiciled in, abide in.

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inhabitable

adjective
habitable, fit to live in, usable; informal liveable-in; formal tenantable.

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inhabitant

noun
resident, occupant, occupier, dweller, settler; local, native; (inhabitants) population, populace, people, public, community, citizenry, townsfolk, townspeople; formal denizen; archaic burgher, habitant.

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inhale

verb
breathe in, inspire, draw in, suck in, sniff in, drink in; poetic/literary inbreathe.

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inharmonious

adjective
inharmonious sounds
unmelodious, unharmonious, unmusical, tuneless, discordant, dissonant, off-key; harsh, grating, jarring, cacophonous; archaic absonant.
an inharmonious modern building
out of place, unsuitable, inappropriate, clashing, conflicting, incompatible, mismatched; jarring, discordant.
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his relationships are inharmonious
antagonistic, quarrelsome, argumentative, disputatious, cantankerous, confrontational, belligerent.
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ANTONYMS :musical, fitting, congenial.

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inherent

adjective
intrinsic, innate, connate, connatural, immanent, built-in, inborn, ingrained, deep-rooted; essential, fundamental, basic, structural, organic; natural, instinctive, instinctual, congenital, native. ANTONYMS :acquired.

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inherit

verb
she inherited his farm
become heir to, come into/by, be bequeathed, be left, be willed; Law be devised.
Richard inherited the title
succeed to, assume, take over, come into; formal accede to.
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inheritance

noun
a comfortable inheritance
legacy, bequest, endowment, bestowal, bequeathal, provision; birthright, heritage, patrimony; Law devise.
his inheritance of the title
succession to, accession to, assumption of, elevation to.
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inheritor

noun
heir, heiress, legatee; successor, next in line; Law devisee, grantee, cestui que trust; Scottish Law heritor.

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inhibit

verb
the obstacles which inhibit change
impede, hinder, hamper, hold back, discourage, interfere with, obstruct, slow down, retard; curb, check, suppress, restrict, fetter, cramp, frustrate, stifle, prevent, block, thwart, foil, stop, halt.
she feels inhibited from taking part
prevent, disallow, exclude, forbid, prohibit, preclude, ban, bar, interdict.
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ANTONYMS :assist, encourage, allow.

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inhibited

adjective
shy, reticent, reserved, self-conscious, diffident, bashful, coy; wary, reluctant, hesitant, insecure, unconfident, unassertive, timid; withdrawn, repressed, undemonstrative; informal uptight.

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inhibition

noun
they overcame their inhibitions
shyness, reticence, self-consciousness, reserve, diffidence; wariness, hesitance, hesitancy, insecurity; unassertiveness, timidity; repression, reservation; psychological block; informal hang-up.
the inhibition of publishing
hindrance, hampering, discouragement, obstruction, impediment, retardation; suppression, repression, restriction, restraint, constraint, cramping, stifling, prevention; curb, check, bar, barrier.
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inhospitable

adjective
the inhospitable landscape
uninviting, unwelcoming; bleak, forbidding, cheerless, hostile, harsh, inimical; uninhabitable, barren, bare, desolate, stark.
forgive me if I seem inhospitable
unwelcoming, unfriendly, unsociable, unsocial, antisocial, unneighbourly, uncongenial; aloof, cool, cold, frosty, distant, remote, indifferent, offhand; uncivil, discourteous, ungracious; ungenerous, unkind, unsympathetic; informal stand-offish.
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ANTONYMS :welcoming.

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inhuman

adjective
inhuman treatment
cruel, harsh, inhumane, brutal, callous, sadistic, severe, savage, vicious, barbaric; monstrous, heinous, egregious; merciless, ruthless, pitiless, remorseless, cold-blooded, heartless, hard-hearted; unkind, inconsiderate, unfeeling, uncaring; Brit. informal beastly; dated dastardly.
hellish and inhuman shapes
non-human, non-mortal, monstrous, devilish, ghostly; subhuman, animal; strange, odd, unearthly.
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ANTONYMS :humane.

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inhumane

adjective
. See inhuman sense 1.

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inhume

verb
(poetic/literary) bury, inter, lay to rest, entomb; informal plant; poetic/literary sepulchre.

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inimical

adjective
this is inimical to genuine democracy
harmful, injurious, detrimental, deleterious, prejudicial, damaging, hurtful, destructive, ruinous; antagonistic, contrary, antipathetic, unfavourable, adverse, opposed, hostile; poetic/literary malefic.
he fixed her with an inimical gaze
hostile, unfriendly, antagonistic, unkind, unsympathetic, malevolent; unwelcoming, cold, frosty.
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ANTONYMS :advantageous, friendly.

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inimitable

adjective
unique, exclusive, distinctive, individual, special, idiosyncratic; incomparable, unparalleled, unrivalled, peerless, matchless, unequalled, unsurpassable, superlative, supreme, beyond compare, second to none, in a class of one's own; formal unexampled.

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iniquity

noun
the iniquity of his conduct
wickedness, sinfulness, immorality, impropriety; vice, evil, sin; villainy, criminality; odiousness, atrocity, egregiousness; , outrage, monstrosity, obscenity, reprehensibility.
I will forgive their iniquity
sin, crime, transgression, wrongdoing, wrong, violation, offence, vice; atrocity, outrage.
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ANTONYMS :goodness, virtue.

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initial

adjective
the initial stages
beginning, opening, commencing, starting, inceptive, embryonic, fledgling; first, early, primary, preliminary, elementary, foundational, preparatory; introductory, inaugural. ANTONYMS :final.

noun
what do the initials stand for?
initial letter; (initials) acronym, abbreviation, initialism.
verb
he initialled the warrant
put one's initials on, sign, countersign, autograph, endorse, inscribe, witness.
they initialled a new agreement
ratify, accept, approve, authorize, validate, recognize.
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initially

adverb
at first, at the start, at the outset, in/at the beginning, to begin with, to start with, originally.

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initiate

verb
the government initiated the scheme
begin, start (off), commence; institute, inaugurate, launch, instigate, establish, set up, sow the seeds of, start the ball rolling; originate, pioneer; informal kick off.
he was initiated into a cult
introduce, admit, induct, install, incorporate, enlist, enrol, recruit, sign up, swear in; ordain, invest.
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they were initiated into the world of maths
teach about, instruct in, tutor in, school in, prime in, ground in; familiarize with, acquaint with; indoctrinate, inculcate; informal show someone the ropes.
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ANTONYMS :finish, expel.

noun
an initiate on the team
novice, starter, beginner, newcomer; learner, student, pupil, trainee, apprentice; new boy, new girl, recruit, tyro, neophyte; postulant, novitiate; informal rookie, new kid (on the block), newie, newbie, greenhorn.

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initiative

noun
employers are looking for initiative
enterprise, resourcefulness, inventiveness, imagination, ingenuity, originality, creativity; drive, dynamism, ambition, motivation, spirit, energy, vision; informal get-up-and-go, pep, punch.
he has lost the initiative
advantage, upper hand, edge, lead, whip hand, trump card.
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a recent initiative on recycling
plan, scheme, strategy, stratagem, measure, proposal, step, action, approach.
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inject

verb
he injected a dose of codeine
administer, introduce; inoculate, vaccinate; informal shoot (up), mainline, fix (up).
a pump injects air into the valve
insert, introduce, feed, push, force, shoot.
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he injected new life into the team
introduce, instil, infuse, imbue, breathe.
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injection

noun
inoculation, vaccination, vaccine, immunization, booster; dose; informal jab, shot, hype.

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injudicious

adjective
imprudent, unwise, inadvisable, ill-advised, misguided; ill-considered, ill-judged, incautious, hasty, rash, foolish, foolhardy, hare-brained; inappropriate, impolitic, inexpedient; informal dumb. ANTONYMS :prudent.

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injunction

noun
order, ruling, direction, directive, command, instruction; decree, edict, dictum, dictate, fiat, mandate.

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injure

verb
he injured his foot
hurt, wound, damage, harm; cripple, lame, disable; maim, mutilate, deform, mangle, break; Brit. informal knacker; archaic scathe.
a libel injured her reputation
damage, mar, spoil, ruin, blight, blemish, tarnish, blacken.
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(archaic) I have injured no one by my folly
wrong, do an injustice to, offend against, maltreat, mistreat, ill-use; informal do the dirty on.
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injured

adjective
his injured arm
hurt, wounded, damaged, sore, bruised; crippled, lame, game, disabled; maimed, mutilated, deformed, mangled, broken, fractured; Brit. informal gammy.
the injured party
wronged, offended, maltreated, mistreated, ill-used, harmed; defamed, maligned, insulted, dishonoured.
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an injured tone
upset, hurt, wounded, offended, reproachful, pained, aggrieved, unhappy, put out.
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ANTONYMS :healthy, offending.

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injurious

adjective
harmful, damaging, deleterious, detrimental, hurtful; disadvantageous, unfavourable, undesirable, adverse, inimical, unhealthy, pernicious; poetic/literary malefic.

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injury

noun
minor injuries
wound, bruise, cut, gash, scratch, graze, abrasion, contusion, lesion; Medicine trauma.
they escaped without injury
harm, hurt, damage, pain, suffering, impairment, affliction, incapacity.
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the injury to her feelings
offence, abuse; affront, insult, slight, snub; wrong, wrongdoing, injustice.
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injustice

noun
the injustice of the world
unfairness, unjustness, inequity; cruelty, tyranny, repression, exploitation, corruption; bias, prejudice, discrimination, intolerance.
his sacking was an injustice
wrong, offence, crime, sin, misdeed, outrage, atrocity, scandal, disgrace, affront.
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inkling

noun
idea, notion, sense, impression, suggestion, indication, whisper, glimmer, (sneaking) suspicion, fancy, hunch; hint, clue, intimation, sign; informal the foggiest (idea), the faintest (idea).

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inky

adjective
the inky darkness
black, jet-black, pitch-black; sable, ebony, dark; poetic/literary Stygian.
inky fingers
ink-stained, stained, blotchy.
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inlaid

adjective
inset, set, studded, lined, panelled; ornamented, decorated; mosaic, intarsia, marquetry.

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inland

adjective
inland areas
interior, inshore, central, internal, upcountry.
inland trade
domestic, internal, home, local.
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ANTONYMS :coastal, international.

adverb
the goods were carried inland
upcountry, inshore, to the interior.

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inlet

noun
cove, bay, bight, creek, estuary, fjord, sound; Scottish firth.
a fresh air inlet
vent, flue, shaft, duct, channel, pipe, pipeline.
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inmate

noun
the inmates of the hospital
patient, inpatient; convalescent; resident, inhabitant, occupant.
the prison's inmates
prisoner, convict, captive, detainee, internee; informal jailbird, con; Brit. informal lag; N. Amer. informal yardbird.
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inmost

adjective
. See innermost.

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inn

noun
tavern, bar, hostelry, taproom; hotel, guest house; Brit. pub, public house; Canadian beer parlour; informal watering hole; dated alehouse.

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innards

plural noun
(informal) entrails, internal organs, viscera, intestines, bowels, guts; informal insides.

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innate

adjective
inborn, inbred, congenital, inherent, natural, intrinsic, instinctive, intuitive, unlearned; hereditary, inherited, in the blood, in the family; inbuilt, deep-rooted, deep-seated, connate, connatural. ANTONYMS :acquired.

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inner

adjective
inner London
central, innermost, mid, middle.
the inner gates
internal, interior, inside, inmost, innermost, intramural.
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the Queen's inner circle
privileged, restricted, exclusive, private, confidential, intimate.
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the inner meaning
hidden, secret, deep, underlying, unapparent; veiled, esoteric, unrevealed.
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one's inner life
mental, intellectual, psychological, spiritual, emotional.
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ANTONYMS :external, apparent.

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innermost

adjective
the innermost shrine
central, middle, internal, interior.
her innermost feelings
deepest, deep-seated, inward, underlying, intimate, private, personal, secret, hidden, concealed, unexpressed, unrevealed, unapparent; true, real, honest.
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innkeeper

noun
landlord, landlady, hotelier, hotel owner, proprietor, manager, manageress; licensee, barman, barmaid; Brit. publican.

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innocence

noun
he protested his innocence
guiltlessness, blamelessness, irreproachability.
the innocence of his bride
virginity, chastity, chasteness, purity; integrity, morality, decency; dated honour; archaic virtue.
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she took advantage of his innocence
naivety, ingenuousness, credulity, inexperience, gullibility, simplicity, unworldliness, guilelessness, greenness.
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innocent

adjective
he was entirely innocent
guiltless, blameless, in the clear, unimpeachable, irreproachable, above suspicion, faultless; honourable, honest, upright, law-abiding; informal squeaky clean.
innocent fun
harmless, innocuous, safe, inoffensive.
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nice innocent girls
virtuous, pure, moral, decent, righteous, upright, wholesome; demure, modest, chaste, virginal; impeccable, spotless, sinless, unsullied, incorrupt, undefiled; informal squeaky clean, whiter than white.
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she is innocent of guile
free from, without, lacking (in), clear of, ignorant of, unaware of, untouched by; poetic/literary nescient of.
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innocent foreigners
naive, ingenuous, trusting, credulous, unsuspicious, unwary, unguarded; impressionable, gullible, easily led; inexperienced, unworldly, unsophisticated, green; simple, artless, guileless; informal wet behind the ears, born yesterday.
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ANTONYMS :guilty, sinful, worldly, malignant.

noun
an innocent in a strange land
ingénue, un worldly person; child; novice; N. Amer. informal greenhorn; poetic/literary babe in arms.

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innocuous

adjective
an innocuous fungus
harmless, safe, non-toxic, innocent; edible, eatable.
an innocuous comment
inoffensive, unobjectionable, unexceptionable, harmless, mild, tame; anodyne, unremarkable, commonplace, run-of-the-mill.
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ANTONYMS :harmful, offensive.

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innovation

noun
change, alteration, revolution, upheaval, transformation, metamorphosis; reorganization, restructuring, rearrangement, remodelling; new measures, new methods, modernization, modernism; novelty, newness; informal a shake up, a shakedown.

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innovative

adjective
original, innovatory, innovational, new, novel, fresh, unusual, unprecedented, avant-garde, experimental, inventive, ingenious; advanced, modern, state-of-the-art, pioneering, ground-breaking, revolutionary, radical, newfangled.

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innovator

noun
pioneer, trailblazer, pathfinder, ground-breaker; developer, modernizer, reformer, reformist, progressive; experimenter, inventor, creator.

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innuendo

noun
insinuation, suggestion, intimation, implication, hint, overtone, undertone, allusion, reference; aspersion, slur.

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innumerable

adjective
countless, numerous, untold, legion, without number, numberless, unnumbered, multitudinous, incalculable, limitless; informal umpteen, a slew of, no end of, loads of, stacks of, heaps of, masses of, oodles of, zillions of; N. Amer. informal gazillions of; poetic/literary myriad. ANTONYMS :few.

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inoculate

verb
immunize, vaccinate, inject; protect from, safeguard against; informal give someone a jab/shot.

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inoculation

noun
immunization, vaccination, vaccine; injection, booster; informal jab, shot.

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inoffensive

adjective
harmless, innocuous, unobjectionable, unexceptionable; non-violent, non-aggressive, mild, peaceful, peaceable, gentle; tame, innocent.

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inoperable

adjective
an inoperable tumour
untreatable, incurable, irremediable; malignant; terminal, fatal, deadly, lethal; archaic immedicable.
the airfield was left inoperable
unusable, out of action, out of service, non-active.
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the agreement is now inoperable
impractical, unworkable, unfeasible, unrealistic, non-viable, impracticable, unsuitable.
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ANTONYMS :curable, workable.

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inoperative

adjective
the fan is inoperative
out of order, out of service, broken, out of commission, unserviceable, faulty, defective; down; informal bust, kaput, on the blink, acting up, shot; Brit. informal knackered.
the contract is inoperative
void, null and void, invalid, ineffective, non-viable; cancelled, revoked, terminated; worthless, valueless, unproductive, abortive.
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ANTONYMS :working, valid.

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inopportune

adjective
inconvenient, unsuitable, inappropriate, unfavourable, unfortunate, infelicitous, inexpedient; untimely, ill-timed, unseasonable; awkward, difficult. ANTONYMS :convenient.

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inordinate

adjective
excessive, undue, unreasonable, unjustifiable, unwarrantable, disproportionate, unwarranted, unnecessary, needless, uncalled for, exorbitant, extreme; immoderate, extravagant; informal over the top, OTT. ANTONYMS :moderate.

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inorganic

adjective
inanimate, inert; lifeless, dead, defunct, extinct; mineral.

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input

noun
an error resulted from invalid input
data, details, information, material; facts, figures, statistics, particulars, specifics; informal info.
verb
she input data into the file
feed in, put in, load, insert; key in, type in; code, store.

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inquest

noun
inquiry, investigation, inquisition, probe, examination, review, analysis; hearing.

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inquire

verb
. See enquire.

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inquiring

adjective
. See enquiring.

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inquiry

noun
. See enquiry.

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inquisition

noun
interrogation, questioning, quizzing, cross-examination; investigation, inquiry, inquest; informal grilling; Law examination.

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inquisitive

adjective
curious, interested, intrigued, agog; prying, spying, eavesdropping, intrusive, busybody, meddlesome; inquiring, questioning, probing; informal nosy, nosy-parker, snoopy. ANTONYMS :uninterested.

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insalubrious

adjective
seedy, unsavoury, sordid, seamy, sleazy, unpleasant, dismal, wretched; slummy, squalid, shabby, ramshackle, tumbledown, dilapidated, neglected, crumbling, decaying; informal scruffy, scuzzy, crummy; Brit. informal grotty; N. Amer. informal shacky. ANTONYMS :smart.

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insane

adjective
she was declared insane
mentally ill, mentally disordered, of unsound mind, certifiable; psychotic, schizophrenic; mad, deranged, demented, out of one's mind, non compos mentis, sick in the head, unhinged, unbalanced, unstable, disturbed, crazed; informal crazy, (stark) raving mad, not all there, bonkers, cracked, batty, cuckoo, loony, loopy, nuts, screwy, bananas, wacko, off one's rocker, off one's head, round the bend; Brit. informal crackers, barmy, barking (mad), off one's trolley, round the twist, not the full shilling; N. Amer. informal buggy, nutso, out of one's tree; Austral./NZ informal bushed.
an insane suggestion
foolish, idiotic, stupid, silly, senseless, nonsensical, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, preposterous, fatuous, inane, asinine, hare-brained, half-baked; impracticable, implausible, irrational, illogical; informal crazy, mad, cock-eyed; Brit. informal daft, barmy.
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ANTONYMS :sensible, calm.

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insanitary

adjective
unhygienic, unsanitary, unhealthy, insalubrious, dirty, filthy, unclean, impure, contaminated, polluted, foul; infected, infested, germ-ridden; informal germy. ANTONYMS :hygienic.

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insanity

noun
insanity runs in her family
mental illness, madness, dementia; lunacy, instability; mania, psychosis; informal craziness.
it would be insanity to take this loan
folly, foolishness, madness, idiocy, stupidity, lunacy, silliness; informal craziness.
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insatiable

adjective
unquenchable, unappeasable, uncontrollable; voracious, gluttonous, greedy, hungry, ravenous, wolfish; avid, eager, keen; informal piggy; poetic/literary insatiate.

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inscribe

verb
his name was inscribed above the door
carve, write, engrave, etch, cut; imprint, stamp, impress, mark.
a book inscribed to him by the author
dedicate, address, name, sign.
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inscription

noun
the inscription on the sarcophagus
engraving, etching; wording, writing, lettering, legend, epitaph, epigraph.
the book had an inscription
dedication, message; signature, autograph.
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inscrutable

adjective
her inscrutable face
enigmatic, unreadable, mysterious; unexpressive, inexpressive, emotionless, unemotional, expressionless, impassive, blank, vacant, deadpan, dispassionate; informal poker-faced.
God's ways are inscrutable
mysterious, inexplicable, unexplainable, incomprehensible, impenetrable, unfathomable, opaque, abstruse, arcane, obscure, cryptic.
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ANTONYMS :expressive, transparent.

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insecure

adjective
an insecure young man
unconfident, uncertain, unsure, doubtful, hesitant, self-conscious, unassertive, diffident, unforthcoming, shy, timid, retiring, timorous, inhibited, introverted; anxious, fearful, worried; informal mousy.
insecure windows
unguarded, unprotected, vulnerable, defenceless, unshielded, exposed, assailable, pregnable; unlocked, unsecured.
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an insecure footbridge
unstable, rickety, rocky, wobbly, shaky, unsteady, precarious; weak, flimsy, unsound, unsafe; informal jerry-built; Brit. informal dicky, dodgy.
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ANTONYMS :confident, stable.

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insecurity

noun
he hid his insecurity
lack of confidence, self-doubt, diffidence, unassertiveness, timidity, uncertainty, nervousness, inhibition; anxiety, worry, unease.
the insecurity of our situation
vulnerability, defencelessness, peril, danger; instability, fragility, frailty, shakiness, unreliability.
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insensate

adjective
. See insensible sense 1.

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insensible

adjective
she was insensible on the floor
unconscious, insensate, senseless, insentient, inert, comatose, knocked out, passed out, blacked out; stunned, numb, numbed; informal out (cold), out for the count, out of it, zonked (out), dead to the world; Brit. informal spark out.
he was insensible to the risks
unaware of, ignorant of, unconscious of, unmindful of, oblivious to; indifferent to, impervious to, deaf to, blind to, unaffected by; informal in the dark about.
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he scared even the most insensible person
insensitive, dispassionate, cool, emotionless, unfeeling, unconcerned, detached, indifferent, hardened, tough; informal hard-boiled.
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ANTONYMS :conscious, aware, sensitive.

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insensitive

adjective
an insensitive bully
heartless, unfeeling, inconsiderate, thoughtless, thick-skinned; hard-hearted, cold-blooded, uncaring, unconcerned, unsympathetic, unkind, callous, cruel, merciless, pitiless.
he was insensitive to her feelings
impervious to, oblivious to, unaware of, unresponsive to, indifferent to, unaffected by, unmoved by, untouched by; informal in the dark about.
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ANTONYMS :compassionate.

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insentient

adjective
inanimate, lifeless, inorganic, inert; insensate, unconscious, comatose, anaesthetized, desensitized, numb; informal dead to the world, out (cold).

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inseparable

adjective
inseparable friends
devoted, bosom, close, fast, firm, good, best, intimate, boon, faithful; informal as thick as thieves.
the laws are inseparable
indivisible, indissoluble, inextricable, entangled; (one and) the same.
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insert

verb
he inserted a tape in the machine
put, place, push, thrust, slide, slip, load, fit, slot, lodge, install; informal pop, stick, bung.
she inserted a clause
enter, introduce, incorporate, interpolate, interpose, interject.
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ANTONYMS :extract, remove.

noun
the newspaper carried an insert
enclosure, insertion, inlay, supplement; circular, advertisement, pamphlet, leaflet; informal ad.

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inside

noun
the inside of a volcano
interior, inner part; centre, core, middle, heart.
(informal) my insides are out of order
stomach, gut, bowels, intestines; informal belly, tummy, guts.
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ANTONYMS :exterior.

adjective
his inside pocket
inner, interior, internal, innermost.
inside information
confidential, classified, restricted, privileged, private, secret, exclusive; informal hush-hush.
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ANTONYMS :outer, public.

adverb
she ushered me inside
indoors, within, in.
how do you feel inside?
inwardly, within, secretly, privately, deep down, at heart, emotionally, intuitively, instinctively.
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(informal) if I burgle again I'll be back inside
in prison, in jail, in custody; locked up, imprisoned, incarcerated; informal behind bars, doing time; Brit. informal banged up.
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insider

noun
member, worker, employee, representative; person in the know.

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insidious

adjective
stealthy, subtle, surreptitious, cunning, crafty, artful, sly, wily, underhand, backhanded, indirect; informal sneaky.

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insight

noun
your insight has been invaluable
intuition, discernment, perception, awareness, understanding, comprehension, apprehension, appreciation, penetration, acumen, perspicacity, judgement, acuity; vision, prescience, imagination; informal nous, savvy.
an insight into the government
understanding of, appreciation of, revelation about; introduction to; informal eye-opener.
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insignia

noun
badge, crest, emblem, symbol, sign, device, mark, seal, colours.

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insignificant

adjective
unimportant, trivial, trifling, negligible, inconsequential, of no account, inconsiderable; nugatory, paltry, petty, insubstantial, frivolous, pointless, worthless, irrelevant, immaterial, peripheral; informal piddling.

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insincere

adjective
false, fake, hollow, artificial, feigned, pretended, put-on; disingenuous, hypocritical, cynical, deceitful, deceptive, duplicitous, double-dealing, two-faced, lying, untruthful, mendacious; informal phoney, pretend, pseud.

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insinuate

verb
he insinuated that she lied
imply, suggest, hint, intimate, indicate, let it be known, give someone to understand; informal make out, tip someone the wink.
he insinuated his hand under hers
slide, slip, manoeuvre, insert, edge.
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insinuate oneself into
worm one's way into, ingratiate oneself with, curry favour with; foist oneself on, introduce oneself into; infiltrate, invade, sneak into, intrude on, impinge on; informal muscle in on.

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insinuation

noun
implication, inference, suggestion, hint, intimation, innuendo, reference, allusion, indication, undertone, overtone; aspersion, slur, allegation.

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insipid

adjective
insipid coffee
tasteless, flavourless, savourless, bland, weak, wishy-washy; unappetizing, unpalatable.
insipid pictures
unimaginative, uninspired, uninspiring, characterless, flat, uninteresting, lacklustre, dull, boring, dry (as dust), jejune, humdrum, run-of-the-mill, commonplace, pedestrian, trite, tired, hackneyed, stale, lame, tame, poor, inadequate, sterile, anaemic.
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ANTONYMS :tasty, interesting.

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insist

verb
be prepared to insist
stand firm, stand one's ground, be resolute, be determined, hold out, be emphatic, not take no for an answer; persevere, persist; informal stick to one's guns.
she insisted that they pay up
demand, command, require, dictate; urge, exhort.
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he insisted that he knew nothing
maintain, assert, hold, contend, argue, protest, claim, vow, swear, declare, stress, repeat, reiterate; formal aver.
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insistence

noun
she sat down at Anne's insistence
demand, bidding, command, dictate, instruction, requirement, request, entreaty, exhortation; informal say-so; poetic/literary behest.
his insistence that he loved her
assertion, declaration, contention, claim, pronouncement, assurance, affirmation, avowal, profession.
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insistent

adjective
Tony's insistent questioning
persistent, determined, adamant, importunate, tenacious, unyielding, dogged, unrelenting, inexorable; demanding, pushy, urgent; emphatic, firm, assertive.
an insistent buzzing
incessant, constant, unremitting, repetitive; obtrusive, intrusive.
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insobriety

noun
drunkenness, intoxication, inebriation, tipsiness; informal tightness; poetic/literary crapulence.

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insolent

adjective
impertinent, impudent, cheeky, ill-mannered, bad mannered, unmannerly, rude, impolite, uncivil, discourteous, disrespectful, insubordinate, contemptuous; audacious, bold, cocky, brazen; insulting, abusive; informal fresh, flip, lippy, saucy; N. Amer. informal sassy; archaic contumelious, malapert. ANTONYMS :polite.

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insoluble

adjective
some problems are insoluble
unsolvable, unanswerable, unresolvable; unfathomable, impenetrable, unexplainable, inscrutable, inexplicable.
these minerals are insoluble
indissoluble.
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insolvency

noun
bankruptcy, liquidation, failure, collapse, (financial) ruin; pennilessness, penury; Brit. receivership.

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insolvent

adjective
bankrupt, ruined, liquidated, wiped out; penniless, impoverished, impecunious; Brit. in receivership, without a penny (to one's name); informal bust, (flat) broke, belly-up, gone to the wall, on the rocks, in the red, hard up, strapped for cash; Brit. informal skint, in Queer Street, stony broke, cleaned out; formal penurious.

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insomnia

noun
sleeplessness, wakefulness, restlessness; archaic watchfulness.

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insouciance

noun
nonchalance, unconcern, indifference, heedlessness, calm, equanimity, composure, ease, airiness; informal cool. ANTONYMS :anxiety.

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insouciant

adjective
nonchalant, untroubled, unworried, unruffled, unconcerned, indifferent, blasé, heedless; relaxed, calm, equable, equanimous, serene, composed, easy, carefree, free and easy, happy-go-lucky, light-hearted; informal cool, laid back.

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inspect

verb
examine, check, scrutinize, investigate, vet, test, monitor, survey, study, look over, scan, explore, probe; assess, appraise, review; informal check out, give something a/the once-over.

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inspection

noun
examination, check-up, survey, scrutiny, probe, exploration, observation, investigation; assessment, appraisal, review, evaluation; informal once-over, going-over, look-see, overhaul.

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inspector

noun
examiner, checker, scrutinizer, scrutineer, investigator, surveyor, assessor, appraiser, reviewer, analyst; observer, overseer, supervisor, monitor, watchdog, ombudsman; auditor.

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inspiration

noun
she's a real inspiration to others
stimulus, stimulation, motivation, fillip, encouragement, influence, muse, spur, lift, boost, incentive, impulse, catalyst; example, model.
his work lacks inspiration
creativity, inventiveness, innovation, ingenuity, imagination, originality; artistry, creativity, insight, vision; finesse, flair.
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she had a sudden inspiration
bright idea, revelation; informal brainwave; N. Amer. informal brainstorm.
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inspiration pains her
inhalation, breathing in; respiration.
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inspire

verb
the landscape inspired him to write
stimulate, motivate, encourage, influence, rouse, move, stir, energize, galvanize, incite; animate, fire, inspirit, incentivize.
the film inspired a musical
give rise to, lead to, bring about, cause, prompt, spawn, engender; poetic/literary beget.
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Charles inspired awe in her
arouse, awaken, prompt, induce, ignite, trigger, kindle, produce, bring out; poetic/literary enkindle.
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inspired

adjective
outstanding, wonderful, marvellous, excellent, magnificent, fine, exceptional, first-class, first-rate, virtuoso, supreme, superlative; innovative, innovatory, innovational, ingenious, original; informal tremendous, superb, super, ace, wicked, awesome, out of this world; Brit. informal brilliant, brill. ANTONYMS :poor.

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inspiring

adjective
inspirational, encouraging, heartening, uplifting, stirring, rousing, stimulating, electrifying; moving, affecting, influential.

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instability

noun
the instability of political life
unreliability, uncertainty, unpredictability, insecurity, perilousness, riskiness; impermanence, inconstancy, changeability, variability, fluctuation, mutability.
emotional instability
volatility, unpredictability, variability, capriciousness, vacillation; frailty, infirmity, weakness, irregularity.
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the instability of the foundations
unsteadiness, unsoundness, shakiness, frailty, fragility.
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ANTONYMS :steadiness.

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install

verb
a photocopier was installed in the office
put, position, place, locate, situate, station, site, lodge; insert.
they installed a new president
swear in, induct, instate, inaugurate, invest; appoint, take on; ordain, consecrate, anoint; enthrone, crown.
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she installed herself behind the table
ensconce, establish, position, settle, seat, lodge, plant; sit (down); informal plonk, park; Brit. informal take a pew.
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ANTONYMS :remove.

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installation

noun
the installation of radiators
installing, fitting, putting in; insertion.
the installation of the chancellor
swearing in, induction, instatement, inauguration, investiture; ordination, consecration; enthronement, coronation.
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a new computer installation
unit, appliance, fixture; equipment, machinery.
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an army installation
base, camp, post, depot, centre, facility; premises.
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instalment

noun
I pay by monthly instalments
part payment; deferred payment; Brit. hire purchase, HP; Brit. informal the never-never.
a story published in instalments
part, portion, section, segment, bit; chapter, episode, volume, issue.
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instance

noun
an instance of racism
example, exemplar, occasion, occurrence, case; illustration.
(formal) proceedings began at the instance of the director
instigation, prompting, suggestion; request, entreaty, demand, insistence; wish, desire.
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verb
as an example I would instance Jones's work
cite, quote, refer to, mention, allude to, give; specify, name, identify, draw attention to, put forward, offer, advance.
in the first instance
initially, at first, at the start, at the outset, in/at the beginning, to begin with, to start with, originally.

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instant

adjective
instant access to your money
immediate, instantaneous, on-the-spot, prompt, swift, speedy, rapid, quick, express, lightning; sudden, precipitate, abrupt; informal snappy, p.d.q. (pretty damn quick).
instant meals
pre-prepared, pre-cooked, ready mixed, fast; microwaveable, convenience, TV.
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ANTONYMS :delayed.

noun
come here this instant!
moment, time, minute, second; juncture, point.
it all happened in an instant
trice, moment, minute, (split) second, twinkling of an eye, flash, no time (at all); informal sec, jiffy, the blink of an eye; Brit. informal mo; N. Amer. informal snap.
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instantaneous

adjective
immediate, instant, on-the-spot, prompt, swift, speedy, rapid, quick, express, lightning; sudden, hurried, precipitate; informal snappy, p.d.q. (pretty damn quick). ANTONYMS :delayed.

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instantly

adverb
immediately, at once, straight away, right away, instantaneously; suddenly, abruptly, all of a sudden; forthwith, there and then, here and now, this/that minute, this/that instant; quickly, rapidly, speedily, promptly; in an instant, in a moment, in a (split) second, in a trice, in/like a flash, like a shot, in the twinkling of an eye, in no time (at all), before you know it; informal in a jiffy, pronto, before you can say Jack Robinson, double quick, like (greased) lightning; archaic instanter.

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instead

adverb
travel by train instead
as an alternative, in lieu, alternatively; rather, by contrast, for preference, by/from choice; on second thoughts, all things being equal, ideally; N. Amer. alternately.
instead of
as an alternative to, as a substitute for, as a replacement for, in place of, in lieu of, in preference to; rather than, as opposed to, as against, as contrasted with, before.

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instigate

verb
they instigated formal proceedings
set in motion, get under way, get off the ground, start, commence, begin, initiate, launch, institute, set up, inaugurate, establish, organize; actuate, generate, bring about; start the ball rolling; informal kick off.
he instigated men to refuse allegiance
incite, encourage, urge, goad, provoke, spur on, push, press, prompt, induce, prevail upon, motivate, influence, persuade, sway; informal put up to.
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ANTONYMS :halt, dissuade.

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instigation

noun
they became involved at his instigation
prompting, suggestion; request, entreaty, demand, insistence; wish, desire, persuasion; formal instance.
foreign instigation of the disorder
initiation, incitement, provocation, fomentation, encouragement, inducement, inception.
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instigator

noun
initiator, prime mover, motivator, architect, designer, planner, inventor, mastermind, originator, author, creator, agent; founder, pioneer, founding father; agitator, fomenter, troublemaker, ringleader.

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instil

verb
we instil vigilance in our children
inculcate, implant, ingrain, impress, imprint, introduce; engender, produce, generate, induce, inspire, promote, foster; drum into.
he instilled Monet with a love of nature
imbue, inspire, infuse, inculcate; indoctrinate; teach.
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she instilled the eye drops
administer, introduce, infuse, inject.
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instinct

noun
some instinct told me to be careful
natural tendency, inherent tendency, inclination, urge, drive, compulsion, need; intuition, feeling, sixth sense, insight; nose.
a good instinct for acting
talent, gift, ability, aptitude, skill, flair, feel, genius, knack, bent.
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instinctive

adjective
intuitive, natural, instinctual, innate, inborn, inherent; unconscious, subconscious, intuitional; automatic, reflex, knee-jerk, mechanical, spontaneous, involuntary, impulsive; informal gut. ANTONYMS :learned, voluntary.

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institute

noun
a research institute
organization, establishment, institution, foundation, centre; academy, school, college, university; society, association, federation, body, guild.
verb
we instituted a search
initiate, set in motion, get under way, get off the ground, start, commence, begin, launch; set up, inaugurate, found, establish, organize, generate, bring about; start the ball rolling; informal kick off.
he will be instituted as vicar
install, instate, induct, invest, inaugurate, swear in, initiate; ordain, consecrate, anoint; appoint, create.
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ANTONYMS :end, dismiss.

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institution

noun
an academic institution
establishment, organization, institute, foundation, centre; academy, school, college, university; society, association, body, guild, consortium.
they spent their lives in institutions
(residential) home, hospital, asylum.
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the institution of the rector
installation, instatement, induction, investiture, inauguration; ordination, consecration, anointing, appointment, creation.
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the institution of adoption
practice, custom, convention, tradition; phenomenon, fact; procedure, usage, method, system, policy; idea, notion, concept.
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the institution of legal proceedings
initiation, instigation, launch, start, commencement, beginning, inauguration, generation, origination.
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institutional

adjective
an institutional framework for discussions
organized, established, bureaucratic, conventional, procedural, prescribed, set, routine, formal, systematic, systematized, methodical, businesslike, orderly, coherent, structured, regulated.
the rooms are rather institutional
impersonal, formal, regimented, uniform, unvaried, monotonous; insipid, bland, uninteresting, dull; unappealing, uninviting, unattractive, unwelcoming, dreary, drab, colourless; stark, spartan, bare, clinical, sterile.
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instruct

verb
the union instructed them to strike
order, direct, command, tell, enjoin, require, call on, mandate, charge; poetic/literary bid.
nobody instructed him in how to operate it
teach, school, coach, train, enlighten, inform, educate, tutor, guide, prepare, prime.
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she instructed a solicitor of her own choice
employ, authorize, brief.
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the bank was instructed that money would be withdrawn
inform, tell, notify, apprise, advise, brief, prime; informal put in the picture, fill in.
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instruction

noun
do not disobey my instructions
order, command, directive, direction, decree, edict, injunction, mandate, dictate, commandment, bidding; requirement, stipulation; informal say-so; poetic/literary behest.
read the instructions
directions, key, specification; handbook, manual, guide.
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he gave instruction in demolition work
tuition, teaching, coaching, schooling, tutelage; lessons, classes, lectures; training, drill, preparation, grounding, guidance.
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instructive

adjective
informative, instructional, informational, illuminating, enlightening, explanatory; educational, educative, edifying, didactic, pedagogic, heuristic; improving, moralistic, homiletic; useful, helpful.

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instructor

noun
trainer, coach, teacher, tutor; adviser, counsellor, guide; educator; formal pedagogue.

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instrument

noun
a wound made with a sharp instrument
implement, tool, utensil; device, apparatus, contrivance, gadget.
check all the cockpit instruments
measuring device, gauge, meter; indicator, dial, display.
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they tuned their instruments
musical instrument.
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an instrument of learning
agent, agency, cause, channel, medium, means, mechanism, vehicle, organ.
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a mere instrument acting under coercion
pawn, puppet, creature, dupe, cog; tool, cat's paw; informal stooge.
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instrumental

adjective
involved, active, influential, contributory; helpful, useful, of service; significant, important; (be instrumental in) play a part in, contribute to, be a factor in, have a hand in; add to, help, promote, advance, further; be conducive to, make for, lead to, cause.

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insubordinate

adjective
disobedient, unruly, wayward, errant, badly behaved, disorderly, undisciplined, delinquent, troublesome, rebellious, defiant, recalcitrant, uncooperative, wilful, intractable, unmanageable, uncontrollable; awkward, difficult, perverse, contrary; Brit. informal bolshie. ANTONYMS :obedient.

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insubordination

noun
disobedience, unruliness, indiscipline, bad behaviour, misbehaviour, misconduct, delinquency; rebellion, defiance, mutiny, revolt; recalcitrance, wilfulness, awkwardness, perversity; informal acting-up; Law contumacy.

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insubstantial

adjective
an insubstantial structure
flimsy, slight, fragile, breakable, weak, frail, unstable, shaky, wobbly, rickety, ramshackle, jerry-built.
insubstantial evidence
weak, flimsy, feeble, poor, inadequate, insufficient, tenuous, insignificant, inconsequential, unsubstantial, unconvincing, implausible, unsatisfactory, paltry.
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the light made her seem insubstantial
intangible, impalpable, untouchable, discarnate, unsubstantial, incorporeal; imaginary, unreal, illusory, spectral, ghostlike, vaporous; Philosophy immaterial.
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ANTONYMS :sturdy, sound, tangible.

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insufferable

adjective
the heat was insufferable
intolerable, unbearable, unendurable, insupportable, unacceptable, oppressive, overwhelming, overpowering; more than flesh and blood can stand; informal too much.
his win made him insufferable
conceited, arrogant, boastful, cocky, cocksure, full of oneself, self-important, swaggering; vain, self-satisfied, self-congratulatory, smug; informal swollen-headed, big-headed, too big for one's boots; poetic/literary vainglorious.
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ANTONYMS :bearable, modest.

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insufficient

adjective
inadequate, deficient, poor, scant, scanty; not enough, too little, too few, too small; scarce, sparse, in short supply, lacking, wanting; paltry, meagre, niggardly; incomplete, restricted, limited; informal measly, pathetic, piddling.

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insular

adjective
insular people
narrow-minded, small-minded, blinkered, inward-looking, parochial, provincial, small-town, short-sighted, hidebound, set in one's ways, inflexible, rigid, entrenched; illiberal, intolerant, prejudiced, bigoted, biased, partisan, xenophobic; Brit. blimpish.
an insular existence
isolated, inaccessible, cut off, segregated, detached, solitary, lonely.
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ANTONYMS :broad-minded, cosmopolitan.

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insulate

verb
pipes must be insulated
wrap, sheathe, cover, encase, enclose, envelop; lag, heatproof, soundproof; pad, cushion.
they were insulated from the impact of the war
protect, save, shield, shelter, screen, cushion, cocoon; isolate, segregate, sequester, detach, cut off.
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insulation

noun
a layer of insulation
lagging; blanket, jacket, wrap.
insulation from the rigours of city life
protection, defence, shelter, screen, shield; isolation, segregation, separation, sequestration, detachment.
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insult

verb
he insulted my wife
abuse, be rude to, call someone names, slight, disparage, discredit, libel, slander, malign, defame, denigrate, cast aspersions on; offend, affront, hurt, humiliate, wound; informal bad-mouth; Brit. informal slag off; formal derogate, calumniate; rare asperse. ANTONYMS :compliment.

noun
he hurled insults at us
abusive remark, jibe, affront, slight, barb, slur, indignity; injury, libel, slander, defamation; abuse, disparagement, aspersions; informal dig, put-down, slap in the face, kick in the teeth.

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insulting

adjective
abusive, rude, offensive, disparaging, belittling, derogatory, deprecatory, disrespectful, denigratory, uncomplimentary, pejorative; disdainful, derisive, scornful, contemptuous; defamatory, slanderous, libellous, scurrilous, blasphemous; informal bitchy, catty.

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insuperable

adjective
insurmountable, invincible, unassailable; overwhelming, hopeless, impossible.

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insupportable

adjective
this view is insupportable
unjustifiable, indefensible, inexcusable, unwarrantable, unreasonable; baseless, groundless, unfounded, unsupported, unsubstantiated, unconfirmed, uncorroborated, invalid, untenable, implausible, weak, flawed, specious, defective.
the heat was insupportable
intolerable, insufferable, unbearable, unendurable; oppressive, overwhelming, overpowering, more than flesh and blood can stand; informal too much.
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ANTONYMS :justified, bearable.

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insurance

noun
insurance for his new car
indemnity, indemnification, assurance, (financial) protection, security, cover.
insurance against a third World War
protection, defence, safeguard, security, precaution, provision; immunity; guarantee, warranty; informal backstop.
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insure

verb
provide insurance for, indemnify, cover, assure, protect, underwrite; guarantee, warrant.

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insurgent

adjective
insurgent forces
rebellious, rebel, revolutionary, mutinous, insurrectionist; renegade, seditious, subversive. ANTONYMS :loyal.

noun
the troops are fighting insurgents
rebel, revolutionary, revolutionist, mutineer, insurrectionist, agitator, subversive, renegade; guerrilla, freedom fighter, anarchist, terrorist. ANTONYMS :loyalist.

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insurmountable

adjective
insuperable, unconquerable, invincible, unassailable; overwhelming, hopeless, impossible.

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insurrection

noun
rebellion, revolt, uprising, mutiny, revolution, insurgence, riot, sedition; civil disorder, unrest, anarchy; coup (d'état).

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intact

adjective
whole, entire, complete, unbroken, undamaged, unimpaired, faultless, flawless, unscathed, untouched, unspoiled, unblemished, unmarked, perfect, pristine, inviolate, undefiled, unsullied, in one piece; sound, solid. ANTONYMS :damaged.

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intangible

adjective
the moonlight made things seem intangible
impalpable, untouchable, incorporeal, discarnate, abstract; ethereal, insubstantial, airy; ghostly, spectral, unearthly, supernatural; Philosophy immaterial.
an intangible atmosphere
indefinable, indescribable, inexpressible, nameless; vague, obscure, unclear, indefinite, subtle, elusive, fugitive.
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integral

adjective
an integral part of human behaviour
essential, fundamental, basic, intrinsic, inherent, constitutive, innate, structural; vital, necessary, requisite.
the dryer has integral cord storage
built-in, inbuilt, integrated, incorporated, fitted.
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an integral approach to learning
unified, integrated, comprehensive, composite, combined, aggregate; complete, whole.
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ANTONYMS :peripheral, fragmented.

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integrate

verb
combine, amalgamate, merge, unite, fuse, blend, mingle, coalesce, consolidate, meld, intermingle, mix; incorporate, unify, assimilate, homogenize; desegregate. ANTONYMS :separate.

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integrated

adjective
an integrated package of services
unified, united, consolidated, amalgamated, combined, merged, fused, homogeneous, assimilated, cohesive.
an integrated school
desegregated, non-segregated, unsegregated, mixed.
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integrity

noun
I never doubted his integrity
honesty, probity, rectitude, honour, good character, principle(s), ethics, morals, righteousness, morality, virtue, decency, fairness, scrupulousness, sincerity, truthfulness, trustworthiness.
the integrity of the federation
unity, unification, coherence, cohesion, togetherness, solidarity.
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the structural integrity of the aircraft
soundness, strength, sturdiness, solidity, durability, stability, stoutness, toughness.
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ANTONYMS :dishonesty, division, fragility.

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intellect

noun
a film that appeals to the intellect
mind, brain(s), intelligence, reason, understanding, thought, brainpower, sense, judgement, wisdom, wits; informal nous, grey matter, brain cells, upper storey; Brit. informal loaf; N. Amer. informal smarts.
one of the finest intellects
thinker, intellectual, sage; mind, brain.
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intellectual

adjective
his intellectual capacity
mental, cerebral, cognitive, psychological; rational, abstract, conceptual, theoretical, analytical, logical; academic.
an intellectual man
intelligent, clever, academic, educated, well read, erudite, cerebral, learned, knowledgeable, literary, bookish, donnish, highbrow, scholarly, studious, enlightened, sophisticated; informal brainy.
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ANTONYMS :physical, stupid.

noun
intellectuals are appalled by television
highbrow, intelligent person, learned person, academic, bookworm, man/woman of letters, bluestocking; thinker, brain, scholar, sage; genius, Einstein, polymath, mastermind; informal egghead, brains; Brit. informal brainbox, clever clogs, boffin; N. Amer. informal brainiac, rocket scientist. ANTONYMS :dunce.

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intelligence

noun
a man of great intelligence
intellectual capacity, mental capacity, intellect, mind, brain(s), brainpower, judgement, reasoning, understanding, comprehension; acumen, wit, sense, insight, perception, penetration, discernment, quick-wittedness, smartness, canniness, astuteness, intuition, acuity, cleverness, brilliance, ability, talent; informal braininess.
intelligence from our agents
information, facts, details, particulars, data, knowledge, reports; informal info, gen, dope.
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military intelligence
information gathering, surveillance, observation, reconnaissance, spying, espionage, infiltration, ELINT, Humint; informal recon.
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intelligent

adjective
an intelligent writer
clever, bright, brilliant, quick-witted, quick on the uptake, smart, canny, astute, intuitive, insightful, perceptive, perspicacious, discerning; knowledgeable; able, gifted, talented; informal brainy.
an intelligent being
rational, higher-order, capable of thought.
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intelligent machines
self-regulating, capable of learning, smart.
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intelligentsia

plural noun
intellectuals, intelligent people, academics, scholars, literati, cognoscenti, illuminati, highbrows, thinkers, brains; the intelligent; informal eggheads; Brit. informal boffins.

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intelligible

adjective
comprehensible, understandable; accessible, digestible, user-friendly, penetrable, fathomable; lucid, clear, coherent, plain, explicit, precise, unambiguous, self-explanatory.

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intemperance

noun
they were criticized for intemperance
overindulgence, immoderation, excess, extravagance, prodigality, profligacy, lavishness; self-indulgence, self-gratification; debauchery, decadence, dissipation, dissolution.
he said intemperance was a disease
drinking, alcoholism, alcohol abuse, dipsomania; drunkenness, intoxication, inebriation, insobriety, tipsiness; formal inebriety; poetic/literary crapulence.
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intemperate

adjective
immoderate, excessive, undue, inordinate, extreme, unrestrained, uncontrolled; self-indulgent, overindulgent, extravagant, lavish, prodigal, profligate; imprudent, reckless, wild; dissolute, debauched, wanton, dissipated. ANTONYMS :moderate.

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intend

verb
plan, mean, have in mind, have the intention, aim, propose; aspire, hope, expect, be resolved, be determined; want, wish; contemplate, think of, envisage; design, earmark, set aside; formal purpose.

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intended

adjective
the foul was not intended
deliberate, intentional, calculated, conscious, planned, studied, knowing, wilful, wanton, purposeful, done on purpose, premeditated, pre-planned, preconceived; Law aforethought; Law, dated prepense. ANTONYMS :accidental.

noun
(informal) do you share everything with your intended?
fiancé(e), betrothed, bride-to-be, wife-to-be, husband-to-be, future wife, future husband, prospective spouse.

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intense

adjective
intense heat
extreme, great, acute, fierce, severe, high; exceptional, extraordinary; harsh, strong, powerful, potent, vigorous; informal serious.
a very intense young man
passionate, impassioned, ardent, fervent, zealous, vehement, fiery, emotional; earnest, eager, animated, spirited, vigorous, energetic, fanatical, committed.
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ANTONYMS :mild, apathetic.

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intensify

verb
escalate, increase, step up, boost, raise, strengthen, augment, reinforce; pick up, build up, heighten, deepen, extend, expand, amplify, magnify; aggravate, exacerbate, worsen, inflame, compound. ANTONYMS :abate.

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intensity

noun
the intensity of the sun
strength, power, potency, force; severity, ferocity, vehemence, fierceness, harshness; magnitude, greatness, acuteness, extremity.
his eyes had a glowing intensity
passion, ardour, fervour, zeal, vehemence, fire, heat, emotion; eagerness, animation, spirit, vigour, strength, energy; fanaticism.
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intensive

adjective
thorough, thoroughgoing, in-depth, rigorous, exhaustive, all-out; all-embracing, all-inclusive, comprehensive, complete, full; vigorous, strenuous, detailed, minute, close, meticulous, scrupulous, painstaking, methodical, careful; extensive, widespread, sweeping; determined, resolute, persistent. ANTONYMS :cursory.

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intent

noun
he tried to divine his father's intent
aim, intention, purpose, objective, object, goal, target; design, plan, scheme; wish, desire, ambition, idea, aspiration.
adjective
he was intent on proving his point
bent, set, determined, insistent, resolved, hell-bent, keen; committed to, obsessive about, fanatical about; determined to, anxious to, impatient to.
an intent expression
attentive, absorbed, engrossed, fascinated, enthralled, rapt; focused, earnest, concentrating, intense, studious, preoccupied; alert, watchful.
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to all intents and purposes
in effect, effectively, in essence, essentially, virtually, practically; more or less, just about, all but, as good as, in all but name, as near as dammit; almost, nearly; informal pretty much, pretty well; poetic/literary nigh on.

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intention

noun
it is his intention to be leader
aim, purpose, intent, objective, object, goal, target; design, plan, scheme; resolve, resolution, determination; wish, desire, ambition, idea, dream, aspiration.
he managed, without intention, to upset me
intent, intentionality, deliberateness, design, calculation; premeditation, forethought, pre-planning; Law malice aforethought.
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intentional

adjective
deliberate, calculated, conscious, intended, planned, meant, studied, knowing, wilful, wanton, purposeful, purposive, done on purpose, premeditated, pre-planned, preconceived; Law aforethought; Law, dated prepense.

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intently

adverb
attentively, closely, keenly, earnestly, hard, carefully, fixedly, steadily.

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inter

verb
bury, lay to rest, entomb, inurn; informal put six feet under, plant; poetic/literary sepulchre, inhume. ANTONYMS :exhume.

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intercede

verb
mediate, intermediate, arbitrate, conciliate, negotiate, moderate; intervene, interpose, step in, act; plead, petition.

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intercept

verb
stop, head off, cut off; catch, seize, grab, snatch; obstruct, impede, interrupt, block, check, detain; ambush, challenge, waylay.

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intercession

noun
mediation, intermediation, arbitration, conciliation, negotiation; intervention, involvement; pleading, petition, entreaty, agency; diplomacy.

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interchange

verb
they interchange ideas
exchange, trade, swap, barter, bandy, reciprocate; archaic truck.
the terms are often interchanged
substitute, transpose, exchange, switch, swap (round), change (round), reverse, invert, replace.
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noun
the interchange of ideas
exchange, trade, swap, barter, give and take, traffic, reciprocation, reciprocity; archaic truck.
a motorway interchange
junction, intersection, crossing; N. Amer. cloverleaf.
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interchangeable

adjective
the gun has interchangeable barrels
exchangeable, transposable, replaceable.
two more or less interchangeable roads
similar, identical, indistinguishable, alike, the same, uniform, twin, undifferentiated; corresponding, commensurate, equivalent, comparable, equal; informal much of a muchness.
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intercourse

noun
social intercourse
dealings, relations, relationships, association, connections, contact; interchange, communication, communion, correspondence; negotiations, bargaining, transactions; trade, traffic; informal truck, doings.
she did not consent to intercourse
sexual intercourse, sex, lovemaking, sexual relations, intimacy, coupling, mating, copulation; informal nooky; Brit. informal bonking, rumpy pumpy, how's your father; technical coitus, coition; formal fornication; dated carnal knowledge.
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interdict

noun
they breached an interdict
prohibition, ban, bar, veto, proscription, interdiction, embargo, moratorium, injunction. ANTONYMS :permission.

verb
they interdicted foreign commerce
prohibit, forbid, ban, bar, veto, proscribe, embargo, disallow, debar, outlaw; stop, suppress; Law enjoin, estop.
efforts to interdict asylum seekers
intercept, stop, head off, cut off; obstruct, impede, block; detain.
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ANTONYMS :permit.

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interest

noun
we listened with interest
attentiveness, attention, absorption; heed, regard, notice; curiosity, inquisitiveness; enjoyment, delight.
places of interest
attraction, appeal, fascination, charm, beauty, allure.
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this will be of interest to those involved
concern, consequence, importance, import, significance, note, relevance, value, weight; formal moment.
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her interests include reading
hobby, pastime, leisure pursuit, recreation, diversion, amusement, relaxation; passion, enthusiasm; informal thing, bag, cup of tea.
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a financial interest in the firm
stake, share, claim, investment, stock, equity; involvement, concern.
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what is your interest in the case?
involvement, partiality, partisanship, preference, loyalty; bias, prejudice.
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his attorney guarded his interests
concern, business, affair.
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her savings earned interest
dividends, profits, returns; a percentage.
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ANTONYMS :boredom.

verb
a topic that interests you
appeal to , be of interest to, attract, intrigue, fascinate; absorb, engross, rivet, grip, captivate; amuse, divert, entertain; arouse one's curiosity, whet one's appetite; informal float someone's boat, tickle someone's fancy.
can I interest you in a drink?
persuade to have; sell.
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ANTONYMS :bore.

in someone's interests
of benefit to, to the advantage of; for the sake of, for the benefit of.

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interested

adjective
an interested crowd
attentive, intent, absorbed, engrossed, fascinated, riveted, gripped, captivated, rapt, agog; intrigued, inquisitive, curious; keen, eager; informal all ears, nosy, snoopy.
the government consulted with interested bodies
concerned, involved, affected, connected, related.
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no interested party can judge the contest
partisan, partial, biased, prejudiced, one-sided, preferential.
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interesting

adjective
absorbing, engrossing, fascinating, riveting, gripping, compelling, compulsive, captivating, engaging, enthralling; appealing, attractive; amusing, entertaining, stimulating, thought-provoking, diverting, intriguing; informal unputdownable.

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interfere

verb
don't let emotion interfere with duty
impede, obstruct, stand in the way of, hinder, inhibit, restrict, constrain, hamper, handicap, cramp, check, block; disturb, disrupt, influence, affect, confuse.
she tried not to interfere in his life
butt into, barge into, pry into, nose into, intrude into, intervene in, get involved in, encroach on, impinge on; meddle in, tamper with; informal poke one's nose into, horn in on, muscle in on, stick one's oar in.
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(Brit. euphemistic) he interfered with local children
(sexually) abuse, sexually assault, indecently assault, molest, grope; informal feel up, touch up.
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interference

noun
they resent state interference
intrusion, intervention, intercession, involvement, trespass, obtrusion; meddling, prying.
radio interference
disruption, disturbance, static.
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interfering

adjective
meddlesome, meddling, intrusive, prying, inquisitive, over-curious, busybody; informal nosy, nosy-parker, snoopy.

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interim

noun
in the interim they did more research
meantime, meanwhile, intervening time.
adjective
an interim advisory body
provisional, temporary, pro tem, stopgap, short-term, fill-in, caretaker, acting, intervening, transitional, makeshift, improvised, impromptu. ANTONYMS :permanent.

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interior

adjective
the house has interior panelling
inside, inner, internal, intramural.
the interior deserts of the US
inland, inshore, upcountry, inner, innermost, central.
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the country's interior affairs
internal, home, domestic, national, state, civil, local.
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an interior monologue
inner, mental, spiritual, psychological; private, personal, intimate, secret.
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ANTONYMS :exterior, outer, foreign.

noun
the interior of the yacht
inside, inner part, depths, recesses, bowels, belly; centre, core, heart.
the country's interior
centre, heartland, hinterland.
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ANTONYMS :exterior, outside.

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interject

verb
she interjected a comment
interpose, introduce, throw in, interpolate, add.
he interjected before there was a fight
interrupt, intervene, cut in, break in, butt in, chime in; put one's oar in; Brit. informal chip in; N. Amer. informal put in one's two cents.
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interjection

noun
an astonished interjection
exclamation; cry, shout, vociferation, utterance; dated ejaculation.
the interjection of a question
interposition, interpolation, insertion, addition, introduction.
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interlock

verb
interconnect, interlink, engage, mesh, intermesh, join, unite, connect, couple.

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interloper

noun
intruder, encroacher, trespasser, invader, infiltrator; uninvited guest; outsider, stranger, alien; informal gatecrasher.

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interlude

noun
interval, intermission, break, recess, pause, respite, rest, breathing space, halt, gap, stop, stoppage, hiatus, lull; informal breather, let-up, time out, down time.

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intermediary

noun
mediator, go-between, negotiator, intervenor, interceder, intercessor, arbitrator, arbiter, conciliator, peacemaker; middleman, broker, linkman.

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intermediate

adjective
halfway, in-between, middle, mid, midway, median, medial, intermediary, intervening, transitional.

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interment

noun
burial, burying, committal, entombment, inhumation; funeral; archaic sepulture.

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interminable

adjective
(seemingly) endless, never-ending, unending, non-stop, everlasting, ceaseless, unceasing, incessant, constant, continual, uninterrupted, sustained; monotonous, long-winded, overlong, rambling.

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intermingle

verb
mix, intermix, mingle, blend, fuse, merge, combine, amalgamate; unite, affiliate, associate, fraternize; poetic/literary commingle.

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intermission

noun
interval, interlude, entr'acte, break, recess, pause, rest, respite, breathing space, lull, gap, stop, stoppage, halt; cessation, suspension; informal let-up, breather, time out, down time.

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intermittent

adjective
sporadic, irregular, fitful, spasmodic, broken, fragmentary, discontinuous, isolated, random, patchy, scattered; occasional, periodic. ANTONYMS :continuous.

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intern

verb
they were interned without trial
imprison, incarcerate, impound, jail, put behind bars, detain, hold (captive), lock up, confine; informal put away, put inside, send down; Brit. informal bang up.
noun
an intern at a local firm
trainee, apprentice, probationer, student, novice, beginner.

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internal

adjective
an internal courtyard
inner, interior, inside, intramural; central.
the state's internal affairs
domestic, home, interior, civil, local; national, state.
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an internal battle with herself
mental, psychological, emotional; personal, private, secret, hidden.
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ANTONYMS :external, foreign.

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international

adjective
global, worldwide, intercontinental, universal; cosmopolitan, multiracial, multinational. ANTONYMS :national, local.

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interplay

noun
interaction, interchange; teamwork, cooperation, reciprocation, reciprocity, give and take.

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interpolate

verb
insert, interpose, enter, add, incorporate, inset, put, introduce.

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interpose

verb
he interposed himself between the girls
insinuate, place, put.
I must interpose a note of caution
introduce, insert, interject, add.
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they interposed to suppress the custom
intervene, intercede, step in, involve oneself; interfere, intrude, butt in, cut in; informal barge in, horn in, muscle in.
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interpret

verb
the rabbis interpreted the Jewish laws
explain, elucidate, expound, explicate, clarify, illuminate, shed light on.
the remark was interpreted as an invitation
understand, construe, take (to mean), see, regard.
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the symbols are difficult to interpret
decipher, decode, make intelligible; understand, comprehend, make sense of; informal crack.
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interpretation

noun
the interpretation of the Bible's teachings
explanation, elucidation, expounding, exposition, explication, exegesis, clarification.
she did not care what interpretation he put on her haste
meaning, understanding, construal, connotation, explanation, inference.
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the interpretation of experimental findings
analysis, evaluation, review, study, examination.
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his interpretation of the sonata
rendition, rendering, execution, presentation, performance, reading, playing, singing.
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interpreter

noun
a Japanese interpreter
translator, dragoman.
a vocal interpreter of his music
performer, presenter, exponent; singer, player.
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interpreters of Soviet history
analyst, evaluator, reviewer, commentator.
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interrogate

verb
question, cross-question, cross-examine, quiz; interview, examine, debrief, give someone the third degree; informal pump, grill.

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interrogative

adjective
questioning, inquiring, inquisitive, probing, searching, quizzing, quizzical, curious.

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interrupt

verb
she opened her mouth to interrupt
cut in (on), break in (on), barge in (on), intervene (in), put one's oar in; Brit. put one's pennyworth in; N. Amer. put one's two cents in; informal butt in (on), chime in (on); Brit. informal chip in (on).
the band had to interrupt their tour
suspend, adjourn, discontinue, break off; stop, halt, cease, end, bring to an end/close; informal put on ice, put on a back burner.
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the coastal plain is interrupted by large lagoons
break (up), punctuate; pepper, strew, dot, scatter.
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their view was interrupted by houses
obstruct, impede, block, restrict.
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interruption

noun
he was not pleased at her interruption
cutting in, barging in, intervention, intrusion; informal butting in.
an interruption of the power supply
discontinuation, breaking off, suspension, stopping, halting, cessation.
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an interruption in her career
interval, interlude, break, pause, gap.
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intersect

verb
the lines intersect at right angles
cross, criss-cross; technical decussate.
the cornfield is intersected by a track
bisect, divide, cut in two/half, cut across/through; cross, traverse.
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intersection

noun
the intersection of the two curves
crossing, criss-crossing.
the driver stopped at an intersection
(road) junction, T-junction, interchange, crossroads; Brit. roundabout.
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intersperse

verb
giant lobelia were interspersed among the rocks
scatter, disperse, spread, strew, dot, sprinkle, pepper; poetic/literary bestrew.
the beech trees are interspersed with conifers
intermix, mix, mingle, punctuate.
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interstice

noun
space, gap, aperture, opening, hole, crevice, chink, slit, slot, crack.

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intertwine

verb
entwine, interweave, interlace, interwind, twist, coil.

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interval

noun
a 15-minute interval
intermission, interlude, entr'acte, break, recess; half-time.
Baldwin made two speeches in the interval
interim, interlude, intervening time/period, meantime, meanwhile.
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short intervals of still water
stretch, distance, span, area.
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intervene

verb
had the war not intervened, they might have married
occur, happen, take place, arise, crop up, come about; result, ensue, follow; poetic/literary come to pass, befall, betide.
she intervened in the row
intercede, involve oneself, get involved, interpose oneself, step in; interfere, intrude.
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intervention

noun
involvement, intercession, interceding, interposing; interference, intrusion.

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interview

noun
all applicants will be called for an interview
meeting, discussion, conference, examination, interrogation; audience, talk, dialogue, exchange; talks.
verb
we interviewed seventy subjects for the survey
talk to, have a discussion/dialogue with; question, interrogate, cross-examine; poll, canvass, survey, sound out; informal grill, pump; Law examine.

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interviewer

noun
questioner, interrogator, examiner, assessor, appraiser; journalist, reporter.

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interweave

verb
the threads are interwoven
intertwine, entwine, interlace, splice, braid, plait; twist together, weave together, wind together; Nautical marry.
their fates were interwoven
interlink, link, connect; intermix, mix, merge, blend, interlock, knit/bind together.
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intestinal

adjective
enteric, gastro-enteric, duodenal, coeliac, gastric, ventral, stomach, abdominal.

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intestines

plural noun
gut, guts, entrails, viscera; small intestine, large intestine; informal insides, innards. enteric.

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intimacy

noun
the sisters re-established their old intimacy
closeness, togetherness, affinity, rapport, attachment, familiarity, friendliness, amity, affection, warmth; informal chumminess, palliness; Brit. informal mateyness.
the memory of their intimacy
sexual relations, (sexual) intercourse, sex, lovemaking, copulation; technical coitus.
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intimate 1

adjective
an intimate friend
close, bosom, boon, dear, cherished, faithful, fast, firm; informal chummy, pally.
an intimate atmosphere
friendly, warm, welcoming, hospitable, relaxed, informal; cosy, comfortable, snug; informal comfy.
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intimate thoughts
personal, private, confidential, secret; innermost, inner, inward, unspoken, undisclosed.
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an intimate knowledge of the industry
detailed, thorough, exhaustive, deep, in-depth, profound.
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intimate relations
sexual, carnal, amorous, amatory.
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ANTONYMS :distant, formal.

noun
his circle of intimates
close friend, best friend, bosom friend, confidant, confidante; informal chum, pal, crony; Brit. informal mate; N. Amer. informal buddy.

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intimate 2

verb
he intimated his decision
announce, state, proclaim, make known, make public, disclose, reveal, divulge.
her feelings were subtly intimated
imply, suggest, hint at, insinuate, indicate, signal, allude to, refer to, convey.
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intimation

noun
the early intimation of session dates
announcement, statement, communication, notification, notice, reporting, publishing; disclosure, revelation, divulging.
the first intimation of discord
suggestion, hint, indication, sign, signal, inkling, suspicion, impression; clue to, undertone of, whisper of.
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intimidate

verb
frighten, menace, terrify, scare, terrorize, cow, subdue; threaten, browbeat, bully, pressure, pressurize, harass, harry, hound; informal lean on, bulldoze, steamroller, railroad, use strong-arm tactics on.

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intolerable

adjective
unbearable, insufferable, unsupportable, insupportable, unendurable, beyond endurance, more than flesh and blood can stand, too much to bear. ANTONYMS :bearable.

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intolerant

adjective
intolerant in religious matters
bigoted, narrow-minded, small-minded, parochial, provincial, illiberal, uncompromising; prejudiced, biased, partial, partisan, discriminatory.
foods to which you are intolerant
allergic, sensitive, hypersensitive.
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intonation

noun
she read the sentence with the wrong intonation
inflection, pitch, tone, timbre, cadence, cadency, lilt, modulation, speech pattern.
the intonation of hymns
chanting, incantation, recitation, singing; rare cantillation.
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intone

verb
chant, sing, recite; rare cantillate.

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intoxicate

verb
one glass of wine intoxicated him
inebriate, make drunk, make intoxicated, befuddle, go to someone's head; informal make legless, make woozy.
he was intoxicated by cinema
exhilarate, thrill, elate, delight, captivate, enthral, entrance, enrapture, excite, stir, rouse, inspire, fire with enthusiasm; informal give someone a buzz, give someone a kick; N. Amer. informal give someone a charge.
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intoxicated

adjective
drunk, inebriated, inebriate, drunken, tipsy, under the influence; informal tight, merry, the worse for wear, pie-eyed, in one's cups, three sheets to the wind, plastered, smashed, sloshed, sozzled, well oiled, wrecked, blotto, stewed, pickled, tanked up, soaked, off one's face, out of one's head/skull; Brit. informal paralytic, legless, Brahms and Liszt, half cut, bladdered, trolleyed, tiddly; N. Amer. informal loaded, trashed, out of one's gourd; euphemistic tired and emotional; formal bibulous; poetic/literary crapulent. ANTONYMS :sober.

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intoxicating

adjective
intoxicating drink
alcoholic, strong, hard, potent, stiff, intoxicant; formal spiritous.
an intoxicating sense of freedom
heady, exhilarating, thrilling, exciting, rousing, stirring, stimulating, invigorating, electrifying; strong, powerful, potent; informal mind-blowing.
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ANTONYMS :non-alcoholic.

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intoxication

noun
drunkenness, inebriation, insobriety, tipsiness; informal tightness; poetic/literary crapulence.

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intractable

adjective
intractable problems
unmanageable, uncontrollable, difficult, awkward, troublesome, demanding, burdensome.
an intractable man
stubborn, obstinate, obdurate, inflexible, unadaptable, unbending, unyielding, uncompromising, unaccommodating, uncooperative, difficult, awkward, perverse, contrary, pig-headed; N. Amer. rock-ribbed; informal stiff-necked.
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ANTONYMS :manageable, compliant.

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intransigent

adjective
uncompromising, inflexible, unbending, unyielding, unshakeable, unwavering, resolute, rigid, unaccommodating, uncooperative, stubborn, obstinate, obdurate, pig-headed, single-minded, iron-willed; informal stiff-necked. ANTONYMS :compliant.

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intrench

verb
. See entrench.

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intrenched

adjective
. See entrenched.

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intrepid

adjective
fearless, unafraid, undaunted, unflinching, unshrinking, bold, daring, audacious, adventurous, heroic, dynamic, spirited, indomitable; brave, courageous, valiant, valorous, stout-hearted, stalwart, plucky, doughty; informal gutsy, spunky. ANTONYMS :fearful.

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intricate

adjective
complex, complicated, convoluted, tangled, entangled, twisted; elaborate, ornate, detailed, involuted; Brit. informal fiddly.

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intrigue

verb
her answer intrigued him
interest, be of interest to, fascinate, arouse someone's curiosity, attract.
the ministers were intriguing
plot, conspire, make secret plans, scheme, manoeuvre, connive, collude, machinate.
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noun
the intrigue that accompanied the selection of a new leader
plotting, conspiracy, collusion, conniving, scheming, machination, trickery, sharp practice, double-dealing, underhandedness, subterfuge; informal dirty tricks.
the king's intrigues with his nobles' wives
(love) affair, affair of the heart, liaison, amour, fling, flirtation, dalliance; adultery, infidelity, unfaithfulness; informal fooling around, playing around, hanky-panky; Brit. informal carryings-on.
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intriguer

noun
conspirator, co-conspirator, plotter, schemer, colluder, conniver, machinator, Machiavelli.

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intriguing

adjective
interesting, fascinating, absorbing, compelling, gripping, riveting, captivating, engaging, enthralling.

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intrinsic

adjective
inherent, innate, inborn, inbred, congenital, connate, connatural, natural; deep-rooted, indelible, ineradicable; integral, basic, fundamental, essential.

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introduce

verb
he has introduced a new system
institute, initiate, launch, inaugurate, establish, found; bring in, set in motion, start, begin, commence, get going, get under way, originate, pioneer; informal kick off.
you can introduce new ideas
propose, put forward, suggest, table; raise, broach, bring up, mention, air, float.
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she introduced Lindsey to the young man
present (formally), make known, acquaint with.
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introducing nitrogen into canned beer
insert, inject, put, force, shoot, feed.
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she introduced a note of severity into her voice
instil, infuse, inject, add.
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the same presenter introduces the programme each week
announce, present, give an introduction to; start off, begin, open.
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introduction

noun
the introduction of democratic reforms
institution, establishment, initiation, launch, inauguration, foundation; start, commencement, inception, origination, pioneering.
an introduction to the king
(formal) presentation; meeting, audience.
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an introduction to the catalogue
foreword, preface, preamble, prologue, prelude; opening (statement), beginning; informal intro; formal proem, prolegomenon.
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an introduction to the history of the period
basic explanation/account of; the basics, the rudiments, the fundamentals.
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a gentle introduction to the life of the school
initiation, induction, inauguration.
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ANTONYMS :afterword.

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introductory

adjective
the introductory chapter
opening, initial, starting, initiatory, first; prefatory, preliminary.
an introductory course
elementary, basic, rudimentary; initiatory, preparatory.
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ANTONYMS :final, advanced.

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introspection

noun
self-analysis, soul-searching, introversion; contemplation, meditation, thoughtfulness, pensiveness, reflection; informal navel-gazing; formal cogitation.

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introspective

adjective
inward-looking, self-analysing, introverted, introvert; contemplative, thoughtful, pensive, meditative, reflective; informal navel-gazing.

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introverted

adjective
shy, reserved, withdrawn, reticent, diffident, retiring, quiet; introspective, introvert, inward-looking, indrawn, self-absorbed; contemplative, thoughtful, pensive, meditative, reflective. ANTONYMS :extroverted.

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intrude

verb
intruding on people's privacy
encroach, impinge, trespass, infringe, obtrude, invade, violate, disturb, disrupt; informal horn in, muscle in.
he intruded his own personality into his work
force, push, obtrude, impose, thrust.
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intruder

noun
trespasser, interloper, invader, infiltrator; burglar, housebreaker, thief.

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intrusion

noun
encroachment, obtrusion; invasion, incursion, intervention, disturbance, disruption, infringement, impingement.

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intrusive

adjective
an intrusive journalist
intruding, invasive, obtrusive, unwelcome; inquisitive, prying; informal nosy.
opinion polls play an intrusive role in elections
invasive, high-profile, prominent; informal in one's face.
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intrusive questions
personal, prying, forward, impertinent; informal nosy.
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intuition

noun
he works according to intuition
instinct, intuitiveness; sixth sense, clairvoyance, second sight.
this confirms an intuition I had
hunch, feeling (in one's bones), inkling, (sneaking) suspicion; premonition, presentiment; informal gut feeling.
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intuitive

adjective
instinctive, intuitional, instinctual; innate, inborn, inherent, natural, congenital; unconscious, subconscious, involuntary; informal gut.

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intumescence

noun
(rare) swelling, bulging, bloating, distension, dilatation, turgidity.

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inundate

verb
many buildings were inundated
flood, deluge, overrun, swamp, submerge, engulf.
we have been inundated by complaints
overwhelm, overrun, overload, bog down, swamp, besiege, snow under.
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inundation

noun
flood, deluge, torrent, flash flood, freshet; Brit. spate.

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inure

verb
harden, toughen, season, temper, condition; accustom, habituate, familiarize, acclimatize, adjust, adapt. ANTONYMS :sensitize.

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invade

verb
the island was invaded
occupy, conquer, capture, seize, take (over), annex, win, gain, secure; march into, overrun, overwhelm, storm.
someone had invaded our privacy
intrude on, violate, encroach on, infringe on, trespass on, obtrude on, disturb, disrupt; informal horn in on, muscle in on.
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the feeling of betrayal invaded my being
permeate, pervade, spread through/over, diffuse through, imbue.
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ANTONYMS :withdraw.

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invader

noun
attacker, raider, marauder; occupier, conqueror; intruder.

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invalid 1

noun
my mother is an invalid
ill person, sick person, valetudinarian; patient, convalescent.
adjective
her invalid husband
ill, sick, ailing, unwell, infirm, valetudinarian, in poor health; incapacitated, bedridden, frail, feeble, weak, debilitated, sickly, poorly. ANTONYMS :healthy.

verb
an officer invalided by a chest wound
disable, incapacitate, indispose, hospitalize, put out action, lay up; injure, wound, hurt.

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invalid 2

adjective
the law was invalid
(legally) void, null and void, unenforceable, not binding, illegitimate, inapplicable.
the whole theory is invalid
false, untrue, inaccurate, faulty, fallacious, spurious, unconvincing, unsound, weak, wrong, wide of the mark, off target; untenable, baseless, ill-founded, groundless; informal off beam, full of holes.
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ANTONYMS :binding, true.

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invalidate

verb
a low turnout invalidated the ballot
render invalid, void, nullify, annul, negate, cancel, overturn, overrule.
this case invalidates the general argument
disprove, refute, explode, contradict, rebut, negate, belie, discredit, debunk; weaken, undermine, compromise; informal shoot full of holes; formal confute.
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invaluable

adjective
indispensable, crucial, critical, key, vital, irreplaceable, all-important. ANTONYMS :dispensable.

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invariable

adjective
unvarying, unchanging, unvaried; constant, stable, set, steady, predictable, regular, consistent; unchangeable, unalterable, immutable, fixed. ANTONYMS :varied.

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invariably

adverb
always, on every occasion, at all times, without fail, without exception; everywhere, in all places, in all cases/instances; regularly, consistently, repeatedly, habitually, unfailingly. ANTONYMS :sometimes, never.

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invasion

noun
the invasion of the islands
occupation, conquering, capture, seizure, annexation, annexing, takeover; overrunning, overwhelming, storming.
an invasion of cars
influx, inundation, inrush, flood, torrent, deluge, avalanche.
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an invasion of my privacy
violation, infringement, interruption, intrusion, encroachment, obtrusion, disturbance, disruption, breach.
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ANTONYMS :withdrawal.

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invective

noun
abuse, insults, vituperation, expletives, swear words, swearing, curses, bad/foul language, obloquy; archaic contumely. ANTONYMS :praise.

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inveigh

verb
fulminate, declaim, protest, rail, rage, remonstrate; denounce, censure, condemn, decry, criticize; disparage, denigrate, run down, abuse, vilify, impugn; informal kick up a fuss/stink about, bellyache about, sound off about. ANTONYMS :support.

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inveigle

verb
cajole, wheedle, coax, persuade, talk; tempt, lure, entice, seduce, beguile; informal sweet-talk, soft-soap, con; N. Amer. informal sucker; archaic blandish.

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invent

verb
Louis Braille invented an alphabet to help blind people
originate, create, innovate, design, devise, contrive, develop; conceive, think up, dream up, come up with, pioneer.
they invented the story for a laugh
make up, fabricate, concoct, hatch, dream up; informal cook up.
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invention

noun
the invention of the telescope
origination, creation, innovation, devising, contriving, development, design.
medieval inventions
innovation, creation, design, contraption, contrivance, construction, device, gadget; informal brainchild.
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his invention was flagging
inventiveness, originality, creativity, creativeness, imagination, imaginativeness, inspiration.
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a journalistic invention
fabrication, concoction, (piece of) fiction, story, tale; lie, untruth, falsehood, fib; myth, fantasy; informal tall story, cock-and-bull story.
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inventive

adjective
the most inventive composer of his time
creative, original, innovational, innovative, imaginative, ingenious, resourceful.
a fresh, inventive comedy
original, innovative, unusual, fresh, novel, new; experimental, avant-garde, ground-breaking, unorthodox, unconventional.
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ANTONYMS :unimaginative, hackneyed.

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inventor

noun
originator, creator, innovator; designer, deviser, developer, maker, producer; author, architect; pioneer, mastermind, father.

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inventory

noun
a complete inventory of all their belongings
list, listing, catalogue, record, register, checklist, log, archive.
verb
I inventoried his collection
list, catalogue, record, register, log.

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inverse

adjective
inverse snobbery
reverse, reversed, inverted, opposite, converse, contrary, counter, antithetical.
noun
alkalinity is the inverse of acidity
opposite, converse, obverse, antithesis; informal flip side.

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inversion

noun
reversal, transposition, turning upside down; reverse, contrary, antithesis, converse.

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invert

verb
turn upside down, upturn, upend, turn around/about, turn inside out, turn back to front, reverse, flip (over).

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invest

verb
he invested in a cotton mill
put/plough money into, provide capital for, fund, back, finance, underwrite; buy into, buy shares in.
they invested £18 million
spend, expend, put in, plough in; venture, speculate, risk; informal lay out.
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their words were invested with sarcasm
imbue, infuse, charge, steep, suffuse, pervade, endow.
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the powers invested in the bishop
vest in, confer on, bestow on, grant to, entrust to, put in someone's hands.
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bishops whom the king had invested
admit to office, instate, install, induct, swear in; ordain, crown.
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(archaic) invested in the full canonicals of his calling
clothe, attire, dress, garb, robe, deck out, accoutre; archaic apparel.
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(archiac) he invested the fort of Arcot
besiege, lay siege to, beleaguer, surround.
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investigate

verb
enquire into, look into, go into, probe, explore, scrutinize, conduct an investigation into, make inquiries about; inspect, analyse, study, examine, consider, research; informal check out, suss out; N. Amer. informal scope out.

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investigation

noun
examination, inquiry, study, inspection, exploration, consideration, analysis, appraisal; research, scrutiny, scrutinization, perusal; probe, review, survey.

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investigator

noun
inspector, examiner, inquirer, explorer, analyser; researcher, factfinder, scrutineer, scrutinizer, prober, searcher; detective.

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investiture

noun
inauguration, appointment, installation, instatement, initiation, swearing in; ordination, consecration, crowning, enthronement.

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investment

noun
you can lose money by bad investment
investing, speculation; funding, backing, financing, underwriting; buying shares.
it's a good investment
venture, speculation, risk, gamble; asset, acquisition, holding, possession.
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an investment of £305,000
stake, share, money/capital invested.
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a substantial investment of time
sacrifice, surrender, loss, forfeiture.
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inveterate

adjective
an inveterate gambler
confirmed, hardened, incorrigible, addicted, compulsive, obsessive; informal pathological.
an inveterate Democrat
staunch, steadfast, committed, devoted, dedicated, dyed-in-the-wool, out and out, diehard.
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mankind's inveterate stupidity
ingrained, deep-seated, deep-rooted, entrenched, ineradicable, incurable.
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invidious

adjective
that put her in an invidious position
unpleasant, awkward, difficult; undesirable, unenviable.
an invidious comparison
unfair, unjust, iniquitous, unwarranted; deleterious, detrimental.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant, fair.

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invigorate

verb
revitalize, energize, refresh, revive, vivify, brace, rejuvenate, enliven, liven up, perk up, wake up, animate, galvanize, fortify, stimulate, rouse, exhilarate; informal buck up, pep up. ANTONYMS :tire.

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invincible

adjective
invulnerable, indestructible, unconquerable, unbeatable, indomitable, unassailable; impregnable, inviolable. ANTONYMS :vulnerable.

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inviolable

adjective
inalienable, absolute, unalterable, unchallengeable; sacrosanct, holy, sacred.

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inviolate

adjective
untouched, undamaged, unhurt, unharmed, unscathed; unspoiled, unflawed, unsullied, unstained, undefiled, unprofaned, perfect, pristine, pure; intact, unbroken, whole, entire, complete.

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invisible

adjective
unable to be seen, not visible; undetectable, indiscernible, inconspicuous, imperceptible; unseen, unnoticed, unobserved, hidden, obscured, out of sight.

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invitation

noun
an invitation to dinner
request to attend, call, summons; informal invite.
an open door is an invitation to a thief
encouragement, provocation, temptation, lure, magnet, bait, enticement, attraction, allure; informal come-on.
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invite

verb
they invited us to Sunday lunch
ask, summon, have someone over/round, request (the pleasure of) someone's company at.
applications are invited for the posts
ask for, request, call for, appeal for, solicit, seek, summon.
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airing such views invites trouble
cause, induce, provoke, create, generate, engender, foster, encourage, lead to; incite, elicit, bring on oneself, arouse.
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noun
(informal) an invite to a party.
See invitation sense 1.

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inviting

adjective
tempting, enticing, alluring, beguiling; attractive, appealing, pleasant, agreeable, delightful; appetizing, mouth-watering; fascinating, enchanting, entrancing, captivating, intriguing, irresistible, seductive. ANTONYMS :repellent.

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invocation

noun
her invocation of new methodologies
citation, mention, acknowledgement, reference to, allusion to.
the invocation of rain by tribal people
summoning, calling up, conjuring up.
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an invocation to the Holy Ghost
prayer, intercession, supplication, entreaty, petition, appeal; archaic orison.
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invoice

noun
an invoice for the goods
bill, account, statement (of charges); N. Amer. check; informal tab; archaic reckoning.
verb
we'll invoice you for the damage
bill, charge, send an invoice/bill to.

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invoke

verb
he invoked his statutory rights
cite, refer to, adduce, instance; resort to, have recourse to, turn to.
I invoked the Madonna
pray to, call on, appeal to, supplicate, entreat, solicit, beg, implore; poetic/literary beseech.
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invoking the spirits
summon, call (up), conjure (up).
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middle-class moralities invoke peculiar anxieties
bring forth, bring out, elicit, induce, cause, kindle.
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involuntary

adjective
an involuntary shudder
reflex, automatic; spontaneous, instinctive, unconscious, unintentional, uncontrollable.
involuntary repatriation
compulsory, obligatory, mandatory, forced, coerced, compelled, imposed, required, prescribed; unwilling, unconsenting, against one's will.
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ANTONYMS :deliberate, optional.

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involve

verb
the inspection involved a lot of work
require, necessitate, demand, call for; entail, mean, imply, presuppose.
I try to involve everyone in key decisions
include, count in, bring in, take into account, take note of; cover, incorporate, encompass, touch on, embrace, comprehend.
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many drug addicts involve themselves in crime
implicate, incriminate, inculpate; associate, connect, concern; embroil, entangle, enmesh; informal mix up.
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ANTONYMS :preclude, exclude.

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involved

adjective
social workers involved in the case
associated, connected, concerned.
he had been involved in burglaries
implicated, incriminated, inculpated, embroiled, entangled, caught up, mixed up.
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a long and involved story
complicated, intricate, complex, elaborate; convoluted, impenetrable, unfathomable.
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they were totally involved in their work
engrossed, absorbed, immersed, caught up, preoccupied, busy, engaged, intent.
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ANTONYMS :unconnected, straightforward.

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involvement

noun
his involvement in a plot to overthrow the government
participation, action, hand; collaboration, collusion, complicity, implication, incrimination, inculpation; association, connection, attachment, entanglement.
emotional involvement
attachment, friendship, intimacy; relationship, relations, bond.
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invulnerable

adjective
impervious, insusceptible, immune; indestructible, impenetrable, impregnable, unassailable, inviolable, invincible, secure; proof against.

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inward

adjective
a small inward indentation
towards the inside, going in, ingoing; concave.
an inward smile
internal, inner, interior, innermost; private, personal, hidden, secret, veiled, masked, concealed, unexpressed; archaic privy.
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ANTONYMS :outward.

adverb
the door opened inward.
See inwards.

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inwardly

adverb
inside, internally, within, deep down (inside), in one's heart (of hearts); privately, secretly, confidentially.

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inwards

adverb
inside, into the interior, inward, within.

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iota

noun
(little) bit, mite, speck, scrap, shred, ounce, scintilla, atom, jot (or tittle); informal smidgen; archaic scruple.

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irascible

adjective
irritable, quick-tempered, short-tempered, snappish, tetchy, testy, touchy, edgy, crabby, waspish, dyspeptic; crusty, grouchy, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, ill-natured, peevish, querulous, fractious; informal prickly, ratty, snappy.

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irate

adjective
angry, furious, infuriated, incensed, enraged, incandescent, fuming, seething, cross, mad; raging, ranting, raving, in a frenzy, beside oneself, outraged, up in arms; indignant, annoyed, irritated, irked, piqued; informal foaming at the mouth, hot under the collar; poetic/literary wrathful; archaic wroth.

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ire

noun
(poetic/literary) anger, rage, fury, wrath, outrage, temper, crossness, spleen; annoyance, exasperation, irritation, displeasure, indignation; poetic/literary choler.

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Ireland

noun
Eire, the Republic of Ireland, the Irish Republic; Hibernia, the Emerald Isle; poetic/literary Erin.

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iridescent

adjective
shimmering, glittering, sparkling, dazzling, shining, gleaming, glowing, lustrous, scintillating, opalescent; poetic/literary glistering, coruscating, effulgent.

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irk

verb
irritate, annoy, gall, pique, nettle, exasperate, try someone's patience; anger, infuriate, madden, incense, get on someone's nerves; antagonize, provoke, ruffle someone's feathers, make someone's hackles rise; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal get someone's goat, get/put someone's back up, make someone's blood boil, peeve, miff, rile, aggravate, needle, get (to), bug, hack off, brown off, get up someone's nose, give someone the hump, drive mad/crazy, drive up the wall, make someone see red; Brit. informal wind up, cheese off, nark, get on someone's wick; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off, rankle, ride, gravel. ANTONYMS :please.

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irksome

adjective
irritating, annoying, vexing, vexatious, galling, exasperating, disagreeable; tiresome, wearisome, tedious, trying, troublesome, bothersome, awkward, difficult, boring, uninteresting; infuriating, maddening; informal infernal.

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iron

noun
a ship built of iron
metal, pig iron, cast iron, wrought iron.
she needed some iron in her soul
strength, toughness, resilience, firmness, robustness, steel, grit; informal guts, spunk.
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a soldering iron
tool, implement, utensil, device.
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a hot iron
flat iron, electric iron, steam iron, smoothing iron.
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they were clapped in irons
manacles, shackles, fetters, chains, handcuffs; informal cuffs, bracelets.
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adjective
an iron key
made of iron, ferric, ferrous.
an iron law of politics
inflexible, unbreakable, absolute, unconditional, categorical, incontrovertible, infallible.
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an iron will
uncompromising, unrelenting, unyielding, unbending, resolute, resolved, determined, firm, rigid, steadfast, unwavering.
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ANTONYMS :flexible.

verb
she irons his shirts
press.
iron something out
John had ironed out all the minor snags
resolve, straighten out, sort out, clear up, settle, put right, solve, remedy, rectify; informal fix, mend.

ironing out differences in national systems
eliminate, eradicate, erase, get rid of; harmonize, reconcile.
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ironic

adjective
Edward's tone was ironic
sarcastic, sardonic, dry, caustic, sharp, stinging, scathing, acerbic, acid, bitter, trenchant, mordant, cynical; mocking, satirical, scoffing, derisory, derisive, scornful; Brit. informal sarky.
it's ironic that I've ended up writing
paradoxical, incongruous, odd, strange, peculiar, unexpected.
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ANTONYMS :sincere.

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irony

noun
that note of irony in her voice
sarcasm, sardonicism, dryness, causticity, sharpness, acerbity, bitterness, trenchancy, mordancy, cynicism; mockery, satire, ridicule, derision, scorn; Brit. informal sarkiness.
the irony of the situation
paradox, incongruity, incongruousness, peculiarity.
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ANTONYMS :sincerity.

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irradiate

verb
illuminate, light (up), cast light upon, brighten, shine on; poetic/literary illumine.

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irrational

adjective
unreasonable, illogical, groundless, baseless, unfounded, unjustifiable; absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, silly, foolish, senseless. ANTONYMS :logical.

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irreconcilable

adjective
irreconcilable views
incompatible, at odds, at variance, conflicting, clashing, antagonistic, mutually exclusive, diametrically opposed; disparate, variant, dissimilar, poles apart; rare oppugnant.
irreconcilable enemies
implacable, unappeasable, uncompromising, inflexible; mortal, bitter, deadly, sworn, out-and-out.
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ANTONYMS :compatible.

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irrecoverable

adjective
unrecoverable, unreclaimable, irretrievable, irredeemable, unsalvageable, gone for ever; written off.

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irrefutable

adjective
indisputable, undeniable, unquestionable, incontrovertible, incontestable, beyond question, beyond doubt, indisputable; conclusive, definite, definitive, decisive, certain, positive.

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irregular

adjective
irregular features | an irregular coastline
asymmetrical, non-uniform, uneven, crooked, misshapen, lopsided, twisted; jagged, ragged, serrated, indented.
irregular surfaces
rough, bumpy, uneven, pitted, rutted; lumpy, knobbly, gnarled.
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an irregular heartbeat
inconsistent, unsteady, uneven, fitful, patchy, variable, varying, changeable, changing, inconstant, erratic, unstable, unsettled, spasmodic, intermittent, fluctuating.
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irregular financial dealings
against the rules, out of order, improper, illegitimate, unscrupulous, unethical, unprofessional, unacceptable, beyond the pale; informal shady; Brit. informal not cricket; Austral./NZ informal over the fence.
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an irregular army
guerrilla, underground; paramilitary; partisan, mercenary.
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ANTONYMS :straight, smooth.

noun
gun-toting irregulars
guerrilla, underground fighter; paramilitary; resistance fighter, partisan, mercenary.

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irregularity

noun
the irregularity of the coastline
asymmetry, non-uniformity, unevenness, crookedness, lopsidedness; jaggedness, raggedness, indentation.
the irregularity of the surface
roughness, bumpiness, unevenness; lumpiness, knobbliness.
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irregularities in the concrete
bump, lump, bulge, hump, protuberance, kink; hole, hollow, pit, crater, depression, dip, indentation, dent; crack, chink, fissure, cranny.
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the irregularity of the bus service
inconsistency, unsteadiness, unevenness, fitfulness, patchiness, inconstancy, instability, variability, changeableness, fluctuation, unpredictability, unreliability.
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financial irregularities
impropriety, wrongdoing, misconduct, dishonesty, corruption, immorality; informal shadiness, crookedness.
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staff noted any irregularity in operation
abnormality, unusualness, strangeness, oddness, singularity, atypicality, anomaly, deviation, aberration, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy.
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irregularly

adverb
irregularly hexagonal
asymmetrically, unevenly.
his heart was beating irregularly
erratically, intermittently, in/by fits and starts, fitfully, patchily, haphazardly, unsystematically, unmethodically, inconsistently, unsteadily, unevenly, variably, spasmodically, discontinuously, inconstantly.
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irrelevance

noun
inapplicability, unrelatedness, inappropriateness, inappositeness; unimportance, inconsequentiality, insignificance; formal impertinence.

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irrelevant

adjective
beside the point, immaterial, not pertinent, not germane, off the subject, unconnected, unrelated, peripheral, extraneous, inapposite; unimportant, inconsequential, insignificant, trivial; formal impertinent.

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irreligious

adjective
atheistic, unbelieving, non-believing, agnostic, heretical, faithless, godless, ungodly, impious, profane, infidel, barbarian, heathen, pagan; rare nullifidian. ANTONYMS :pious.

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irreparable

adjective
irreversible, unrectifiable, irrevocable, unrestorable, irrecoverable, unrepairable, beyond repair. ANTONYMS :repairable.

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irreplaceable

adjective
unique, unrepeatable, incomparable, unparalleled; treasured, prized, cherished.

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irrepressible

adjective
the desire for freedom is irrepressible
inextinguishable, unquenchable, uncontainable, uncontrollable, indestructible, undying, everlasting.
his irrepressible personality
ebullient, exuberant, buoyant, sunny, breezy, jaunty, light-hearted, high-spirited, vivacious, animated, full of life, lively; informal bubbly, bouncy, peppy, chipper, chirpy, full of beans.
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irreproachable

adjective
impeccable, exemplary, model, immaculate, outstanding, exceptional, admirable, perfect; above/beyond reproach, blameless, faultless, flawless, unblemished, untarnished, spotless; informal squeaky clean, whiter than white. ANTONYMS :reprehensible.

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irresistible

adjective
her irresistible smile
tempting, enticing, alluring, inviting, seductive; attractive, desirable, fetching, appealing, captivating, beguiling, enchanting.
an irresistible impulse
uncontrollable, overwhelming, overpowering, compelling, compulsive, irrepressible, ungovernable, driving, forceful.
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irresolute

adjective
indecisive, hesitant, vacillating, equivocating, dithering, wavering, shilly-shallying; ambivalent, blowing hot and cold, in two minds, in a dilemma, in a quandary, torn; doubtful, in doubt, unsure, uncertain, undecided; informal sitting on the fence. ANTONYMS :decisive.

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irresolution

noun
indecisiveness, indecision, irresoluteness, hesitancy, hesitation; doubt, doubtfulness, unsureness, uncertainty; vacillation, equivocation, wavering, shilly-shallying, blowing hot and cold, dithering, temporizing, temporization; Brit. havering, humming and hawing; informal dilly-dallying, sitting on the fence.

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irrespective

adjective
regardless of, without regard to/for, notwithstanding, whatever, no matter what, without consideration of; informal irregardless of.

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irresponsible

adjective
irresponsible behaviour
reckless, rash, careless, thoughtless, incautious, unwise, imprudent, ill-advised, injudicious, misguided, unheeding, hasty, overhasty, precipitate, precipitous, foolhardy, impetuous, impulsive, devil-may-care, hot-headed, delinquent; N. Amer. derelict.
an irresponsible teenager
immature, naive, foolish, hare-brained; unreliable, undependable, untrustworthy, flighty, giddy, scatterbrained, harum-scarum.
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ANTONYMS :sensible.

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irretrievable

adjective
irreversible, unrectifiable, irremediable, irrecoverable, irreparable, unrepairable, beyond repair. ANTONYMS :reversible.

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irreverent

adjective
disrespectful, disdainful, scornful, contemptuous, derisive, disparaging; impertinent, cheeky, flippant, rude, discourteous. ANTONYMS :respectful.

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irreversible

adjective
irreparable, unrepairable, beyond repair, unrectifiable, irremediable, irrevocable, permanent; unalterable, unchangeable, immutable; Law peremptory.

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irrevocable

adjective
irreversible, unalterable, unchangeable, immutable, final, binding, permanent; Law peremptory.

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irrigate

verb
water, bring water to, soak, flood, inundate.

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irritability

noun
irascibility, tetchiness, testiness, touchiness, grumpiness, moodiness, grouchiness, a (bad) mood, cantankerousness, curmudgeonliness, bad temper, short temper, ill humour, peevishness, crossness, fractiousness, pettishness, crabbiness, waspishness, prickliness; Brit. informal shirtiness, stroppiness, rattiness; N. Amer. informal crankiness, orneriness; Austral./NZ informal snakiness; poetic/literary choler.

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irritable

adjective
bad-tempered, short-tempered, irascible, tetchy, testy, touchy, grumpy, grouchy, moody, crotchety, in a (bad) mood, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, ill-tempered, ill-humoured, peevish, cross, fractious, pettish, crabby, waspish, prickly, splenetic, dyspeptic, choleric; informal on a short fuse; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery, peckish; Austral./NZ informal snaky. ANTONYMS :good-humoured.

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irritant

noun
annoyance, (source of) irritation, thorn in someone's side/flesh, pest, bother, trial, torment, plague, inconvenience, nuisance; informal aggravation, peeve, pain (in the neck), headache; N. Amer. informal nudnik, burr in/under someone's saddle; Austral./NZ informal nark.

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irritate

verb
the smallest things may irritate you
annoy, vex, make angry, make cross, anger, exasperate, irk, gall, pique, nettle, put out, antagonize, get on someone's nerves, try someone's patience, ruffle someone's feathers, make someone's hackles rise; infuriate, madden, provoke; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal aggravate, miff, rile, needle, get to, bug, hack off, get under someone's skin, get/put someone's back up, get up someone's nose, give someone the hump, drive mad/crazy, drive round the bend/twist, drive up the wall; Brit. informal wind up, get on someone's wick; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off, rankle, ride, gravel.
some sand irritated my eyes
inflame, aggravate, hurt, chafe, abrade, scratch, scrape, graze.
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ANTONYMS :pacify, soothe.

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irritated

adjective
annoyed, cross, angry, vexed, exasperated, irked, piqued, nettled, put out, fed up, disgruntled, in a bad mood, in a temper, testy, huffy, in a huff, aggrieved; irate, infuriated, incensed; informal aggravated, peeved, miffed, mad, riled, hacked off, browned off, hot under the collar; Brit. informal cheesed off, brassed off, ratty, shirty; N. Amer. informal teed off, ticked off, sore; Austral./NZ informal snaky, crook; archaic snuffy, wroth. ANTONYMS :good-humoured.

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irritating

adjective
annoying, infuriating, exasperating, maddening, trying, tiresome, vexing, vexatious, irksome, galling; informal aggravating.

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irritation

noun
she tried not to show her irritation
annoyance, exasperation, vexation, indignation, impatience, crossness, displeasure, chagrin, pique; anger, rage, fury, wrath; informal aggravation; poetic/literary ire.
I realize my presence is an irritation for you
irritant, annoyance, thorn in someone's side/flesh, bother, trial, torment, plague, inconvenience, nuisance; informal aggravation, pain (in the neck), headache; N. Amer. informal nudnik, burr in/under someone's saddle; Austral./NZ informal nark.
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ANTONYMS :delight.

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island

noun
isle, islet; atoll; Brit. holm; (islands) archipelago. insular.

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isolate

verb
she isolated herself from her family | the contaminated area was isolated
separate, set/keep apart, segregate, detach, cut off, shut away, divorce, alienate, distance; keep in solitude, cloister, seclude; cordon off, seal off, close off, fence off.
the laser beam can isolate the offending vehicles
identify, single out, pick out, point out, spot, recognize, distinguish, pinpoint, locate.
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ANTONYMS :integrate.

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isolated

adjective
isolated communities
remote, out of the way, outlying, off the beaten track, secluded, lonely, in the back of beyond, godforsaken, inaccessible, cut-off; N. Amer. in the backwoods, lonesome; Austral./NZ in the backblocks, in the booay; informal in the middle of nowhere, in the sticks; N. Amer. informal jerkwater, in the tall timbers; Austral./NZ informal Barcoo, beyond the black stump; archaic unapproachable.
he lived a very isolated existence
solitary, lonely, companionless, friendless; secluded, cloistered, segregated, unsociable, reclusive, hermitic; N. Amer. lonesome.
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an isolated incident
unique, lone, solitary; unusual, uncommon, exceptional, anomalous, abnormal, untypical, freak; informal one-off.
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ANTONYMS :accessible, sociable, common.

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isolation

noun
patients who need isolation
separation, segregation, seclusion, keeping apart.
their feeling of isolation
solitariness, loneliness, friendlessness.
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the isolation of some mental hospitals
remoteness, seclusion, inaccessibility.
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ANTONYMS :contact.

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issue

noun
the committee discussed the issue
matter (in question), question, point (at issue), affair, case, subject, topic; problem, bone of contention.
the issue of a special stamp
issuing, publication, publishing; circulation, distribution, supplying, appearance.
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the latest issue of our magazine
edition, number, instalment, copy.
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(Law) she died without issue
offspring, descendants, heirs, successors, children, progeny, family; informal kids; archaic seed, fruit (of one's loins).
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an issue of blood
discharge, emission, release, outflow, outflowing, outflux; secretion, emanation, exudation, effluence; technical efflux.
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(dated) a favourable issue
(end) result, outcome, consequence, upshot, conclusion, end.
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verb
the minister issued a statement
send out, put out, release, deliver, publish, announce, broadcast, communicate, circulate, distribute, disseminate.
the captain issued the crew with guns
supply, provide, furnish, arm, equip, fit out, rig out, kit out; informal fix up.
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savoury smells issued from the kitchen
emanate, emerge, exude, flow (out/forth), pour (out/forth); be emitted.
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large profits might issue from the deal
result, follow, ensue, stem, spring, arise, proceed; be the result of, be brought on/about by, be produced by.
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ANTONYMS :withdraw.

at issue
in question, in dispute, under discussion, under consideration, for debate. take issue
disagree, be in dispute, be in contention, be at variance, be at odds, argue, quarrel; challenge, dispute, (call into) question; archaic disaccord.

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itch

noun
I have an itch on my back
tingling, irritation, itchiness.
(informal) the itch to travel
longing, yearning, craving, ache, hunger, thirst, urge, hankering; wish, fancy, desire; informal yen.
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verb
my chilblains really itch
tingle, be irritated, be itchy.
(informal) he itched to do something to help
long, yearn, ache, burn, crave, hanker for/after, hunger, thirst, be eager, be desperate; want, wish, desire, fancy, set one's sights on; informal have a yen, be dying, be gagging.
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item

noun
an item of farm equipment | the main item in a badger's diet
thing, article, object, artefact, piece, product; element, constituent, component, ingredient.
the meeting discussed the item
issue, matter, affair, case, situation, subject, topic, question, point.
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a news item
report, story, account, article, piece, write-up, bulletin, feature.
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items in the profit and loss account
entry, record, statement, listing.
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itemize

verb
Steinburg itemized thirty-two design faults
list, catalogue, inventory, record, document, register, detail, specify, identify; enumerate, number.
an itemized bill
analyse, break down, split up.
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iterate

verb
repeat, recapitulate, go over/through again; say again, restate, reiterate; informal recap; archaic ingeminate.

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itinerant

adjective
itinerant traders
travelling, peripatetic, wandering, roving, roaming, touring, nomadic, gypsy, migrant, vagrant, vagabond, of no fixed address/abode.
noun
an itinerants' lodging house
traveller, wanderer, roamer, rover, nomad, gypsy, migrant, transient, drifter, vagabond, vagrant, tramp; dated bird of passage.

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itinerary

noun
(planned) route, journey, way, road; travel plan, schedule, timetable, programme, tour.

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J

jab

verb
he jabbed the Englishman with his finger
poke, prod, dig, nudge, butt, ram; thrust, stab, push.
noun
a jab in the ribs
poke, prod, dig, nudge, butt; thrust, stab, push.

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jabber

verb
they jabbered away non-stop
prattle, babble, chatter, twitter, prate, gabble, rattle on/away, blather; informal yak, yap, yabber, yatter, blab, blabber; Brit. informal witter, rabbit, natter; archaic twaddle, clack.
noun
stop your jabber!
prattle, babble, chatter, chattering, twitter, twittering, gabble, blather; informal yabbering, yatter, blabber; Brit. informal wittering, rabbiting, nattering; archaic clack.

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jack

jack something up
they jacked up the car
raise, hoist, lift (up), winch up, lever up, hitch up, elevate.

(informal) he may need to jack up interest rates
increase, raise, put up, up, mark up; informal hike (up), bump up.
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jacket

noun
wrapping, wrapper, wrap, sleeve, sheath, sheathing, cover, covering.

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jackpot

noun
this week's lottery jackpot
top prize, first prize; pool, bonanza.
hit the jackpot (informal)
win a large prize, win a lot of money, strike it lucky/rich; informal clean up, hit the big time.

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jaded

adjective
a jaded palate
satiated, sated, surfeited, glutted; dulled, blunted, deadened.
she felt really jaded
tired (out), weary, wearied, worn out, exhausted, fatigued, overtired, sapped, drained; informal all in, done (in), dead (beat), dead on one's feet, bushed; Brit. informal knackered, whacked; N. Amer. informal tuckered out.
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ANTONYMS :fresh.

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jag

noun
sharp projection, point, barb, thorn.

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jagged

adjective
spiky, barbed, ragged, rough, uneven, irregular, broken; serrated, sawtooth, indented. ANTONYMS :smooth.

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jail

noun
he was thrown into jail
prison, penal institution, lock-up, detention centre; N. Amer. penitentiary, jailhouse, stockade, correctional facility; informal clink, slammer, inside, jug, brig; Brit. informal nick; N. Amer. informal can, pen, cooler, slam, pokey; Brit. historical approved school, borstal, bridewell; N. Amer. historical reformatory.
verb
she was jailed for killing her husband
imprison, put in prison, send to prison, incarcerate, lock up, put away, intern, detain, hold (prisoner/captive), put into detention; informal send down, put behind bars, put inside; Brit. informal bang up. ANTONYMS :acquit, release.

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jailer

noun
prison officer, warder, wardress, warden, guard, captor; informal screw; archaic turnkey.

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jam 1

verb
he jammed a finger in each ear
stuff, shove, force, ram, thrust, press, push, stick, squeeze, cram.
hundreds of people jammed into the hall
crowd, pack, pile, press, squeeze, cram; throng, mob, occupy, fill, overcrowd, obstruct, block, clog, congest.
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the rudder had jammed
stick, become stuck, catch, seize (up), become trapped.
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dust can jam the mechanism
immobilize, paralyse, disable, cripple, put out of action, bring to a standstill.
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noun
a traffic jam
tailback, hold-up, congestion, bottleneck; N. Amer. gridlock; informal snarl-up.
(informal) we are in a real jam
predicament, plight, tricky situation, difficulty, problem, quandary, dilemma, muddle, mess, imbroglio, mare's nest, dire straits; informal pickle, stew, fix, hole, scrape, bind, (tight) spot, (tight) corner, hot/deep water; Brit. informal spot of bother.
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jam 2

noun
raspberry jam
preserve, conserve, jelly, marmalade.

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jamb

noun
post, doorpost, upright, frame.

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jamboree

noun
rally, gathering, convention, conference; festival, fête, fiesta, gala, carnival, celebration; informal bash, shindig, shindy, junket.

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jammy

adjective
(Brit. informal). See lucky sense 1.

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jangle

verb
keys jangled at his waist
clank, clink, jingle, tinkle.
the noise jangled her nerves
grate on, jar on, irritate, disturb, fray, put/set on edge; informal get on.
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noun
the jangle of his chains
clank, clanking, clink, clinking, jangling, jingle, jingling, tintinnabulation.

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janitor

noun
caretaker, custodian, porter, concierge, doorkeeper, doorman, warden; cleaner, maintenance man; N. Amer. superintendent.

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jar 1

noun
a jar of honey
(glass) container, pot, crock, receptacle.

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jar 2

verb
each step jarred my whole body
jolt, jerk, shake, vibrate.
her shrill voice jarred on him
grate, set someone's teeth on edge, irritate, annoy, irk, exasperate, nettle, disturb, discompose; informal rile, aggravate, get on someone's nerves.
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the play's symbolism jarred with the realism of its setting
clash, conflict, contrast, be incompatible, be at variance, be at odds, be inconsistent, be discordant; informal scream at.
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jargon

noun
specialized language, slang, cant, idiom, argot, patter, gobbledegook; informal -speak, -ese.

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jarring

adjective
clashing, conflicting, contrasting, incompatible, incongruous; discordant, dissonant, inharmonious, harsh, grating, strident, shrill, cacophonous. ANTONYMS :harmonious.

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jaundiced

adjective
bitter, resentful, cynical, soured, disenchanted, disillusioned, disappointed, pessimistic, sceptical, distrustful, suspicious, misanthropic.

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jaunt

noun
(pleasure) trip, outing, excursion, day trip, day out, mini holiday, short break; tour, drive, ride, run; informal spin, tootle.

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jaunty

adjective
cheerful, cheery, happy, merry, jolly, joyful; lively, perky, bright, buoyant, bubbly, bouncy, breezy, full of the joys of spring, in good spirits, exuberant, ebullient; carefree, blithe, airy, light-hearted, nonchalant, insouciant, happy-go-lucky; informal bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, full of beans, chirpy; poetic/literary blithesome. ANTONYMS :depressed, serious.

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javelin

noun
spear, harpoon, dart, gig, shaft, assegai.

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jaw

noun
a broken jaw
jawbone, lower/upper jaw; Anatomy mandible, maxilla.
the whale seized a seal pup in its jaws
mouth, maw, muzzle; informal chops.
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(informal) we ought to have a jaw.
See chat noun.
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mandibular, maxillary.
verb
(informal) Tom was the type to jaw.
See chat verb.

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jazz

jazz something up (informal)
enliven, liven up, brighten up, make more interesting/exciting, add (some) colour to, ginger up, spice up; informal perk up, pep up.

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jazzy

adjective
bright, colourful, brightly coloured, striking, eye-catching, vivid, lively, vibrant, bold, flamboyant, showy, gaudy; informal flashy. ANTONYMS :dull.

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jealous

adjective
he was jealous of his brother's popularity
envious, covetous, desirous; resentful, grudging, begrudging, green (with envy).
a jealous lover
suspicious, distrustful, mistrustful, doubting, insecure, anxious; possessive, proprietorial, overprotective.
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they are very jealous of their rights
protective, vigilant, watchful, heedful, mindful, careful, solicitous.
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ANTONYMS :proud, trusting.

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jealousy

noun
he was consumed with jealousy
envy, covetousness; resentment, resentfulness, bitterness, spite; informal the green-eyed monster.
the jealousy of his long-suffering wife
suspicion, suspiciousness, distrust, mistrust, insecurity, anxiety; possessiveness, overprotectiveness.
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an intense jealousy of status
protectiveness, vigilance, watchfulness, heedfulness, mindfulness, care, solicitousness.
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jeans

plural noun
denims, blue jeans; trademark Levi's, Wranglers.

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jeer

verb
the demonstrators jeered the police
taunt, mock, scoff at, ridicule, sneer at, deride, insult, abuse, jibe (at), scorn, shout disapproval (at); heckle, catcall (at), boo (at), hoot at, whistle at, hiss (at); archaic flout at. ANTONYMS :cheer.

noun
the jeers of the crowd
taunt, sneer, insult, shout, jibe, boo, hiss, catcall; derision, teasing, scoffing, abuse, scorn, heckling, catcalling; Brit. & Austral./NZ barracking. ANTONYMS :applause.

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jejune

adjective
their jejune opinions
naive, innocent, artless, guileless, unworldly, childlike, ingenuous, unsophisticated; credulous, gullible; childish, immature, juvenile, puerile, infantile.
the following poem is rather jejune
boring, dull, tedious, dreary; uninteresting, unexciting, uninspiring, unimaginative; humdrum, run-of-the-mill, mundane, commonplace; lacklustre, dry, sterile, lifeless, vapid, flat, bland, banal, trite, prosaic; Brit. informal samey; N. Amer. informal ornery.
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ANTONYMS :sophisticated, fascinating.

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jell

verb
. See gel.

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jeopardize

verb
threaten, endanger, imperil, risk, put at risk, put in danger/jeopardy; leave vulnerable; compromise, prejudice, be prejudicial to; be a danger to, pose a threat to; archaic peril. ANTONYMS :safeguard.

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jeopardy

noun
danger, peril; at risk.

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jerk

noun
she gave the reins a jerk
yank, tug, pull, wrench, tweak, twitch.
he let the clutch in with a jerk
jolt, lurch, bump, start, jar, jog, bang, bounce, shake, shock.
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(informal) I felt a complete jerk.
See fool noun sense 1.
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verb
she jerked her arm free
yank, tug, pull, wrench, wrest, drag, pluck, snatch, seize, rip, tear.
the car jerked along
jolt, lurch, bump, rattle, bounce, shake, jounce.
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jerky

adjective
jerky movements
convulsive, spasmodic, fitful, twitchy, shaky.
the coach drew to a jerky halt
jolting, lurching, bumpy, bouncy, jarring.
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ANTONYMS :smooth.

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jerry-built

adjective
shoddy, badly built, gimcrack, flimsy, insubstantial, rickety, ramshackle, crude, makeshift; inferior, poor-quality, second-rate, third-rate, low-grade. ANTONYMS :sturdy.

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jersey

noun
pullover, sweater; Brit. jumper; informal woolly.

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jest

noun
jests were bandied about freely
joke, witticism, funny remark, gag, quip, sally, pun; informal crack, wisecrack, one-liner.
verb
surely you are jesting
joke, quip, gag, pun; tell jokes, crack jokes; informal wisecrack.
she feared that they had not been jesting
fool (about/around), play a practical joke, tease; informal kid, have someone on, pull someone's leg; N. Amer. informal pull someone's chain, fun; Brit. informal wind someone up.
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in jest
in fun, as a joke, tongue in cheek, playfully, jokingly, light-heartedly, facetiously, flippantly, frivolously, for a laugh.

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jester

noun
(historical) a court jester
(court) fool, court jester, clown; archaic merry andrew.
the class jester
joker, comedian, comic, humorist, wag, wit, prankster, jokester, clown, buffoon; informal card, case, caution, hoot, scream, laugh, wisecracker, barrel of laughs; Austral./NZ informal hard case.
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jet 1

noun
a jet of water
stream, spurt, squirt, spray, spout; gush, rush, surge, burst.
carburettor jets
nozzle, head, spout.
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an executive jet
jet plane, jetliner; aircraft, plane; Brit. aeroplane.
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verb
they jetted out of Heathrow
fly, travel/go by jet, travel/go by plane.
puffs of gas jetted out
squirt, spurt, shoot, spray; gush, pour, stream, rush, pump, surge, spew, burst.
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jet 2

adjective
her glossy jet hair
black, jet-black, pitch-black, ink-black, ebony, raven, sable, sooty.

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jettison

verb
six aircraft jettisoned their loads
dump, drop, ditch, discharge, throw out, tip out, unload, throw overboard.
he jettisoned his unwanted papers | the scheme was jettisoned
discard, dispose of, throw away/out, get rid of; reject, scrap, axe, abandon, drop; informal chuck (away/out), dump, ditch, bin, junk, get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of; N. Amer. informal trash.
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ANTONYMS :retain.

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jetty

noun
pier, landing (stage), quay, wharf, dock; breakwater, mole, groyne, dyke; N. Amer. dockominium, levee.

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jewel

noun
priceless jewels
gem, gemstone, (precious) stone, brilliant; baguette; informal sparkler, rock; archaic bijou.
the jewel of his collection
finest example/specimen, showpiece, pride (and joy), cream, crème de la crème, jewel in the crown, nonpareil, glory, prize, boast, pick, ne plus ultra.
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the girl is a jewel
treasure, angel, paragon, marvel, find, godsend; informal one in a million, a star, the tops; archaic nonsuch.
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jewellery

noun
jewels, gems, gemstones, precious stones, bijouterie, costume jewellery, diamanté; archaic bijoux.

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Jezebel

noun
immoral woman; seductress, temptress, femme fatale; informal tart, vamp, maneater; N. Amer. informal tramp; Brit. informal scrubber, slapper, slag; dated loose woman, trollop, hussy; archaic harlot, strumpet.

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jib

verb
the horse jibbed at the final fence
stop (short) at, baulk at, shy at; refuse.
some farmers jib at paying large veterinary bills
baulk at, fight shy of, recoil from, shrink from; be unwilling, be reluctant, be loath, demur at; informal boggle at.
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ANTONYMS :clear.

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jibe

noun
cruel jibes
snide remark, cutting remark, taunt, sneer, jeer, insult, barb; informal dig, put-down.
verb
Simon jibed in a sarcastic way
jeer, taunt, mock, scoff, sneer.

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jiffy

in a jiffy (informal)
(very) soon, in a second, in a minute, in a moment, in a trice, in a flash, shortly, any second, any minute (now), in no time (at all); N. Amer. momentarily; informal in a sec, in a jiff, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), before you can say Jack Robinson; Brit. informal in a tick, in two ticks, in a mo; N. Amer. informal in a snap, in jig time; dated directly.

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jig

verb
bob, jump, spring, skip, hop, prance, bounce, jounce.

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jiggle

verb
Barrett jiggled his foot
shake, joggle, waggle, wiggle.
Thomas jiggled excitedly
fidget, wriggle, squirm.
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jilt

verb
leave, walk out on, throw over, finish with, break up with; informal chuck, ditch, dump, drop, run out on, give someone the push/elbow, give someone the old heave-ho, give someone the big E; poetic/literary forsake.

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jingle

noun
the jingle of money in the till
clink, chink, tinkle, jangle.
the jingle of the bell
tinkle, ring, ding, ping, ting-a-ling, chime, tintinnabulation.
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advertising jingles
slogan, catchphrase; ditty, song, rhyme, tune; N. Amer. informal tag line.
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verb
her bracelets jingled noisily
clink, chink, tinkle, jangle.
the bell jingled
tinkle, ring, ding, ping, chime.
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jingoism

noun
extreme patriotism, chauvinism, extreme nationalism, xenophobia; hawkishness, militarism, belligerence, bellicosity.

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jinx

noun
the jinx struck six days later
curse, spell, hoodoo, malediction; the evil eye, black magic, voodoo, bad luck; N. Amer. hex; archaic malison.
verb
the family is jinxed
curse, cast a spell on, put the evil eye on, hoodoo; Austral. point the bone at; N. Amer. hex; Austral. informal mozz, put the mozz on.

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jitters

plural noun
(informal) nervousness, nerves, edginess, uneasiness, anxiety, anxiousness, tension, agitation, restlessness; stage fright; informal butterflies (in one's stomach), the willies, collywobbles, the heebie-jeebies, jitteriness, the jim-jams.

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jittery

adjective
(informal) nervous, on edge, edgy, tense, anxious, ill at ease, uneasy, keyed up, overwrought, jumpy, on tenterhooks, worried, apprehensive; Brit. nervy; informal with butterflies in one's stomach, like a cat on a hot tin roof, twitchy, uptight, het up, in a tizz/tizzy; Brit. informal strung up, like a cat on hot bricks; N. Amer. informal spooky, squirrelly, antsy; Austral./NZ informal toey; dated overstrung. ANTONYMS :calm.

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job

noun
my job involves a lot of travelling
position (of employment), post, situation, appointment; occupation, profession, trade, career, (line of) work, métier, craft; vocation, calling; vacancy, opening; Austral. informal grip; archaic employ.
this job will take three months
task, piece of work, assignment, project; chore, errand; undertaking, venture, operation, enterprise, business.
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it's your job to protect her
responsibility, duty, charge, task; role, function, mission; informal department, pigeon.
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(informal) it was a job to get here on time
difficult task, problem, trouble, struggle, strain, trial, bother; informal headache, hassle, pain.
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(informal) a bank job
crime, felony; raid, robbery, hold-up, burglary, break-in; informal stick-up; N. Amer. informal heist.
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vocational.
just the job (Brit. informal)
the very thing, just the thing, exactly what's needed; informal just what the doctor ordered, just the ticket.

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jobless

adjective
unemployed, out of work, out of a job, unwaged, between jobs, redundant, laid off; Brit. informal signing on, on the dole, "resting"; Austral./NZ informal on the wallaby track. ANTONYMS :employed.

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jockey

noun
rider, horseman, horsewoman, equestrian; Austral. informal hoop.
verb
he jockeyed himself into the team
manoeuvre, ease, edge, work, steer; inveigle, insinuate, ingratiate; informal finagle.
ministers began jockeying for position
compete, contend, vie; struggle, fight, scramble, jostle.
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jocular

adjective
humorous, funny, witty, comic, comical, amusing, droll, jokey, hilarious, facetious, tongue-in-cheek, teasing, playful; light-hearted, jovial, cheerful, cheery, merry; formal jocose, ludic. ANTONYMS :solemn.

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jocund

adjective
(formal). See cheerful sense 1.

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jog

verb
he jogged along the road
run slowly, jogtrot, dogtrot, trot, lope.
things are jogging along quite nicely
continue, proceed, go on, carry on.
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a hand jogged his elbow
nudge, prod, poke, push, bump, jar.
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something jogged her memory
stimulate, prompt, stir, activate, refresh.
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she jogged her foot up and down
joggle, jiggle, bob, bounce, jolt, jerk.
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noun
he set off along at a jog
run, jogtrot, dogtrot, trot, lope.

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joie de vivre

noun
gaiety, cheerfulness, cheeriness, light-heartedness, happiness, joy, joyfulness, high spirits, jollity, joviality, exuberance, ebullience, liveliness, vivacity, verve, effervescence, buoyancy, zest, zestfulness; informal pep, zing; poetic/literary blitheness. ANTONYMS :sobriety.

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joint

noun
a leaky joint in the guttering
join, junction, juncture, intersection, link, linkage, connection; weld, seam; Anatomy commissure.
the hip joint
ball-and-socket joint, hinge joint, articulation.
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(informal) a classy joint
establishment, restaurant, bar, club, nightclub.
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(informal) he rolled a joint
cannabis cigarette, marijuana cigarette; informal spliff, reefer, bomb, bomber, stick.
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adjective
matters of joint interest | a joint effort
common, shared, communal, collective; mutual, cooperative, collaborative, concerted, combined, united. ANTONYMS :separate.

verb
she jointed the carcass
cut up, chop up, butcher, carve.

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jointly

adverb
together, in partnership, in cooperation, cooperatively, in conjunction, in combination, mutually.

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joke

noun
they were telling jokes
funny story, jest, witticism, quip; pun, play on words; informal gag, wisecrack, crack, funny, one-liner, killer, rib-tickler, knee-slapper, thigh-slapper; N. Amer. informal boffola; rare blague.
playing stupid jokes
trick, practical joke, prank, stunt, hoax, jape; informal leg-pull, spoof.
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(informal) he soon became a joke to us
laughing stock, figure of fun, object of ridicule; Brit. Aunt Sally.
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(informal) the present system is a joke
farce, travesty, waste of time; N. Amer. informal shuck.
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verb
she joked with the guests
tell jokes, jest, banter, quip; informal wisecrack, josh.
I'm only joking
fool (about/around), play a trick, play a (practical) joke, tease, hoax, pull someone's leg, mess about/around; informal kid; Brit. informal have someone on, wind someone up; N. Amer. informal fun, shuck, pull someone's chain.
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joker

noun
humorist, comedian, comedienne, comic, wit, jester; prankster, practical joker, hoaxer, trickster, clown; informal card, wisecracker, wag.

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jolly

adjective
cheerful, happy, cheery, good-humoured, jovial, merry, sunny, joyful, joyous, light-hearted, in high spirits, bubbly, exuberant, ebullient, cock-a-hoop, gleeful, mirthful, genial, fun-loving; informal chipper, chirpy, perky, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed; formal jocund, jocose; dated gay; poetic/literary gladsome, blithe, blithesome. ANTONYMS :miserable.

verb
(informal) he tried to jolly her along
encourage, urge, coax, cajole, persuade.
adverb
(Brit. informal) a jolly good idea.
See very adverb.

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jolt

verb
the train jolted the passengers to one side
push, thrust, jar, bump, knock, bang; shake, joggle, jog.
the car jolted along
bump, bounce, jerk, rattle, lurch, shudder, judder, jounce.
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she was jolted out of her reverie
startle, surprise, shock, stun, shake, take aback; astonish, astound, amaze, stagger, stop someone in their tracks; informal rock, floor, knock sideways; Brit. informal knock for six.
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noun
a series of sickening jolts
bump, bounce, shake, jerk, lurch.
he woke up with a jolt
start, jerk, jump.
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the sight of the dagger gave him a jolt
fright, the fright of one's life, shock, scare, surprise; informal turn.
Top

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jostle

verb
she was jostled by noisy students
bump into/against, knock into/against, bang into, cannon into, plough into, jolt; push, shove, elbow; mob.
I jostled my way to the exit
push, thrust, barge, shove, force, elbow, shoulder, bulldoze.
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people jostled for the best position
struggle, vie, jockey, scramble.
Top

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jot

verb
I've jotted down a few details
write, note, make a note of, take down, put on paper; scribble, scrawl.
noun
not a jot of evidence
iota, scrap, shred, whit, grain, crumb, ounce, (little) bit, jot or tittle, speck, atom, particle, scintilla, trace, hint; informal smidgen, tad; Austral./NZ informal skerrick; archaic scruple.

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journal

noun
a medical journal
periodical, magazine, gazette, digest, review, newsletter, news-sheet, bulletin; newspaper, paper; daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly.
he keeps a journal
diary, daily record, log, logbook, chronicle; N. Amer. daybook.
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journalism

noun
a career in journalism
the newspaper business, the press, the fourth estate; Brit. Fleet Street.
his incisive style of journalism
reporting, writing, reportage, feature writing, news coverage; articles, reports, features, pieces, stories.
Top

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journalist

noun
reporter, correspondent, newspaperman, newspaperwoman, newsman, newswoman, columnist, writer, commentator, reviewer; investigative journalist; Brit. pressman; N. Amer. legman, wireman; Austral. roundsman; informal news hound, hack, hackette, stringer, journo; N. Amer. informal newsy.

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journey

noun
his journey round the world
trip, expedition, tour, trek, voyage, cruise, ride, drive; crossing, passage, flight; travels, wandering, globetrotting; odyssey, pilgrimage; archaic peregrination.
verb
they journeyed south
travel, go, voyage, sail, cruise, fly, hike, trek, ride, drive, make one's way; go on a trip/expedition, tour; archaic peregrinate.

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joust (historical)

verb
knights jousted with lances
tourney; fight, spar, clash; historical tilt.
noun
a medieval joust
tournament, tourney; combat, contest, fight; historical tilt.

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jovial

adjective
cheerful, jolly, happy, cheery, good-humoured, convivial, genial, good-natured, friendly, amiable, affable, sociable, outgoing; smiling, merry, sunny, joyful, joyous, high-spirited, exuberant; informal chipper, chirpy, perky, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed; formal jocund, jocose; dated gay; poetic/literary gladsome, blithe, blithesome. ANTONYMS :miserable.

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joy

noun
whoops of joy
delight, great pleasure, joyfulness, jubilation, triumph, exultation, rejoicing, happiness, gladness, glee, exhilaration, exuberance, elation, euphoria, bliss, ecstasy, rapture; enjoyment, felicity, joie de vivre; formal jocundity, jouissance.
it was a joy to be with her
(source of) pleasure, delight, treat, thrill; informal buzz, kick.
Top
(Brit. informal) we still had no joy
success, satisfaction, luck, successful result.
Top
ANTONYMS :misery, trial.

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joyful

adjective
his joyful mood
cheerful, happy, jolly, merry, sunny, joyous, light-hearted, in good spirits, bubbly, exuberant, ebullient, cock-a-hoop, cheery, smiling, mirthful, radiant; jubilant, overjoyed, thrilled, ecstatic, euphoric, blissful, on cloud nine/seven, elated, delighted, gleeful; jovial, genial, good-humoured, full of the joys of spring; informal chipper, chirpy, peppy, over the moon, on top of the world; Austral./NZ informal wrapped; dated gay; formal jocund; poetic/literary gladsome, blithe, blithesome.
joyful news
pleasing, happy, good, cheering, gladdening, welcome, heart-warming; poetic/literary gladsome.
Top
a joyful occasion
happy, cheerful, merry, jolly, festive, joyous.
Top
ANTONYMS :sad, distressing.

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joyless

adjective
a joyless man
gloomy, melancholy, morose, lugubrious, glum, sombre, saturnine, sullen, dour, humourless.
a joyless room
depressing, cheerless, gloomy, dreary, bleak, dispiriting, drab, dismal, desolate, austere, sombre; unwelcoming, uninviting, inhospitable; poetic/literary drear.
Top
ANTONYMS :cheerful, welcoming.

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joyous

adjective
. See joyful senses 1, 3.

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jubilant

adjective
overjoyed, exultant, triumphant, joyful, rejoicing, cock-a-hoop, exuberant, elated, thrilled, gleeful, euphoric, ecstatic, enraptured, in raptures, walking on air, in seventh heaven, on cloud nine; informal over the moon, on top of the world, on a high; N. Amer. informal wigged out; Austral. informal wrapped. ANTONYMS :despondent.

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jubilation

noun
exultation, joy, joyousness, elation, euphoria, ecstasy, rapture, glee, gleefulness, exuberance.

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jubilee

noun
anniversary, commemoration; celebration, festival, jamboree; festivities, revelry.

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Judas

noun
traitor, betrayer, back-stabber, double-crosser; turncoat, quisling, renegade.

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judge

noun
the judge sentenced him to five years
justice, magistrate, recorder, sheriff; N. Amer. jurist; Brit. informal beak.
a panel of judges will select the winner
adjudicator, arbiter, assessor, evaluator, appraiser, examiner, moderator, mediator.
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verb
I judged that she was simply exhausted
form the opinion, conclude, decide; consider, believe, think, deem, view; deduce, gather, infer, gauge, estimate, guess, surmise, conjecture; regard as, look on as, take to be, rate as, class as; informal reckon, figure.
the case was judged by a tribunal
try, hear; adjudicate, decide, give a ruling/verdict on.
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she was judged innocent of murder
adjudge, pronounce, decree, rule, find.
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the competition will be judged by Alan Amey
adjudicate, arbitrate, mediate, moderate.
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entries were judged by a panel of experts
assess, appraise, evaluate; examine, review.
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judgement

noun
his temper could affect his judgement
discernment, acumen, shrewdness, astuteness, (common) sense, perception, perspicacity, percipience, acuity, discrimination, wisdom, wit, judiciousness, prudence, canniness, sharpness, sharp-wittedness, powers of reasoning, reason, logic; informal nous, savvy, horse sense, gumption; Brit. informal common; N. Amer. informal smarts.
a court judgement
verdict, decision, adjudication, ruling, pronouncement, decree, finding; sentence.
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critical judgement
assessment, evaluation, appraisal; review, analysis, criticism, critique.
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a judgement on them for their wickedness
punishment, retribution, penalty.
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against one's better judgement
reluctantly, unwillingly, grudgingly. in my judgement
in my opinion, to my mind, to my way of thinking, I believe, I think, as I see it, in my estimation.

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judgemental

adjective
critical, censorious, condemnatory, disapproving, disparaging, deprecating, negative, overcritical, hypercritical.

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judicial

adjective
legal, juridical, judicatory; official.

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judicious

adjective
wise, sensible, prudent, politic, shrewd, astute, canny, sagacious, commonsensical, sound, well advised, well judged, discerning, percipient, intelligent, smart; N. Amer. informal heads-up. ANTONYMS :ill-advised.

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jug

noun
pitcher, ewer, crock, jar, urn; carafe, flask, flagon, decanter; N. Amer. creamer; historical amphora, jorum.

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juggle

verb
misrepresent, tamper with, falsify, distort, alter, manipulate, rig, massage, fudge; informal fix, doctor; Brit. informal fiddle.

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juice

noun
the juice from two lemons
liquid, fluid, sap; extract.
cooking juices
liquid, liquor.
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(informal) he ran out of juice.
See petrol.
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juicy

adjective
a juicy peach
succulent, tender, moist; ripe; archaic mellow.
(informal) juicy gossip
very interesting, fascinating, sensational, lurid; scandalous, racy, risqué, spicy; informal hot.
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(informal) juicy profits
large, substantial, sizeable, generous; lucrative, profitable; informal fat, tidy.
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ANTONYMS :dry, dull.

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jumble

noun
the books were in a jumble
untidy heap, clutter, muddle, mess, confusion, disarray, disarrangement, tangle; hotchpotch, mishmash, miscellany, motley collection, mixed bag, medley, farrago; N. Amer. hodgepodge.
(Brit.) bags of jumble
junk, bric-a-brac; Brit. lumber.
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verb
the photographs are all jumbled up
mix up, muddle up, disarrange, disorganize, disorder, put in disarray.

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jumbo

adjective
(informal). See huge.

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jump

verb
the cat jumped off his lap | Flora began to jump about
leap, spring, bound, hop; skip, caper, dance, prance, frolic, cavort.
he jumped the fence
vault (over), leap over, clear, sail over, hop over, hurdle.
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pre-tax profits jumped
rise, go up, shoot up, soar, surge, climb, increase; informal skyrocket.
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the noise made her jump
start, jerk, jolt, flinch, recoil; informal jump out of one's skin.
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Polly jumped at the chance
accept eagerly, leap at, welcome with open arms, seize on, snap up, grab, pounce on.
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(informal) he jumped the red light
ignore, disregard, drive through, overshoot; informal run.
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noun
the short jump across the gully
leap, spring, vault, bound, hop.
the horse cleared the last jump
obstacle, barrier; fence, hurdle.
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a jump in profits
rise, leap, increase, upsurge, upswing; informal hike.
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I woke up with a jump
start, jerk, involuntary movement, spasm .
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jump the gun (informal)
act prematurely, act too soon, be over-hasty, be precipitate; informal be ahead of oneself. jump to it (informal)
hurry up, get a move on, be quick; informal get cracking, shake a leg, look lively, look sharp, pull one's finger out; Brit. informal get one's skates on, stir one's stumps; N. Amer. informal get a wiggle on; Austral./NZ informal get a wriggle on; dated make haste.

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jumper

noun
(Brit.) sweater, pullover, jersey; informal woolly.

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jumpy

adjective
(informal) he was tired and jumpy
nervous, on edge, edgy, tense, anxious, ill at ease, uneasy, restless, fidgety, keyed up, overwrought, on tenterhooks; Brit. nervy; informal a bundle of nerves, jittery, like a cat on a hot tin roof, uptight, het up, in a tizz/tizzy; Brit. informal strung up, like a cat on hot bricks; N. Amer. informal spooky, squirrelly, antsy; Austral./NZ informal toey.
jumpy black-and-white footage
jerky, jolting, lurching, bumpy, jarring; fitful, convulsive.
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ANTONYMS :calm.

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junction

noun
the junction between the roof and the wall
join, joint, intersection, bond, seam, connection, juncture; Anatomy commissure.
the junction of the two rivers
confluence, convergence, meeting point, conflux, juncture.
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turn right at the next junction
crossroads, intersection, interchange, T-junction; turn, turn-off, exit; Brit. roundabout; N. Amer. turnout, cloverleaf.
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juncture

noun
at this juncture, I am unable to tell you
point (in time), time, moment (in time); period, phase.
the juncture of the pipes.
See junction sense 1.
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the juncture of the rivers.
See junction sense 2.
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jungle

noun
the Amazon jungle
tropical forest, (tropical) rainforest.
a jungle of bureaucracy
complexity, confusion, complication, chaos; labyrinth, maze, tangle, web.
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junior

adjective
the junior members of the family
younger, youngest.
a junior minister
low-ranking, lower-ranking, subordinate, lesser, lower, minor, secondary.
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John White Junior
the Younger; Brit. minor; N. Amer. II.
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ANTONYMS :senior, older.

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junk (informal)

noun
an attic full of junk
rubbish, clutter, odds and ends, bits and pieces, bric-a-brac; refuse, litter, scrap, waste, debris, detritus, dross; Brit. lumber; N. Amer. garbage, trash; Austral./NZ mullock; Brit. informal odds and sods.
verb
junk all the rubbish
throw away/out, discard, get rid of, dispose of, scrap, toss out, jettison; informal chuck (away/out), dump, ditch, bin, get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of.

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junket

noun
(informal) celebration, party, jamboree, feast, festivity; spree, excursion, outing, trip, jaunt; informal bash, shindy, shindig; Brit. informal beanfeast, jolly, bunfight, beano; Austral. informal jollo.

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junta

noun
faction, cabal, clique, party, set, ring, gang, league, confederacy; historical junto.

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jurisdiction

noun
an area under French jurisdiction
authority, control, power, dominion, rule, administration, command, sway, leadership, sovereignty, hegemony.
foreign jurisdictions
territory, region, province, district, area, domain, realm.
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just

adjective
a just and democratic society
fair, fair-minded, equitable, even-handed, impartial, unbiased, objective, neutral, disinterested, unprejudiced, open-minded, non-partisan; honourable, upright, decent, honest, righteous, moral, virtuous, principled.
a just reward
(well) deserved, (well) earned, merited; rightful, due, fitting, appropriate, suitable; formal condign; archaic meet.
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just criticism
valid, sound, well founded, justified, justifiable, warranted, legitimate.
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ANTONYMS :unfair, undeserved, unfair.

adverb
I just saw him
a moment/second ago, a short time ago, very recently, not long ago.
she's just right for him
exactly, precisely, absolutely, completely, totally, entirely, perfectly, utterly, wholly, thoroughly, in all respects; informal down to the ground, to a T, dead.
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we just made it
narrowly, only just, by a hair's breadth; barely, scarcely, hardly; informal by the skin of one's teeth, by a whisker.
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she's just a child
only, merely, simply, (nothing) but, no more than.
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the colour's just fantastic
really, absolutely, completely, entirely, totally, quite; indeed, truly.
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just about (informal)
nearly, almost, practically, all but, virtually, as good as, more or less, to all intents and purposes; informal pretty much; poetic/literary well-nigh, nigh on.

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justice

noun
I appealed to his sense of justice
fairness, justness, fair play, fair-mindedness, equity, equitableness, even-handedness, impartiality, objectivity, neutrality, disinterestedness, honesty, righteousness, morals, morality.
the justice of his case
validity, justification, soundness, well-foundedness, legitimacy.
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an order made by the justices
judge, magistrate, recorder, sheriff; N. Amer. jurist; Brit. informal beak.
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justifiable

adjective
valid, legitimate, warranted, well founded, justified, just, reasonable; defensible, tenable, supportable, acceptable. ANTONYMS :indefensible.

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justification

noun
grounds, reason, basis, rationale, premise, rationalization, vindication, explanation; defence, argument, apologia, apology, case.

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justify

verb
directors must justify the expenditure
give grounds for, give reasons for, give a justification for, explain, give an explanation for, account for; defend, answer for, vindicate.
the situation justified further investigation
warrant, be good reason for, be a justification for.
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justly

adverb
he is justly proud of his achievement
justifiably, with (good) reason, legitimately, rightly, rightfully, deservedly.
they were treated justly
fairly, with fairness, equitably, even-handedly, impartially, without bias, objectively, without prejudice; informal fairly and squarely.
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ANTONYMS :unjustifiably.

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jut

verb
stick out, project, protrude, bulge out, overhang, obtrude; archaic be imminent.

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juvenile

adjective
juvenile offenders
young, teenage, adolescent, junior, pubescent, pre-pubescent.
juvenile behaviour
childish, immature, puerile, infantile, babyish; jejune, inexperienced, callow, green, unsophisticated, naive, foolish, silly.
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ANTONYMS :adult, mature.

noun
many victims are juveniles
young person, youngster, child, teenager, adolescent, minor, junior; informal kid. ANTONYMS :adult.

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juxtapose

verb
place side by side, set side by side, mix; compare, contrast.

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K

kaleidoscopic

adjective
kaleidoscopic shapes
multicoloured, many-coloured, multicolour, many-hued, variegated, particoloured, varicoloured, psychedelic, rainbow, polychromatic.
the kaleidoscopic political landscape
ever-changing, changeable, shifting, fluid, protean, variable, inconstant, fluctuating, unpredictable, impermanent.
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the kaleidoscopic world we are living in
multifaceted, varied; complex, intricate, complicated.
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ANTONYMS :monochrome, constant.

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kaput (informal)

adjective
the TV's kaput
broken, malfunctioning, broken-down, inoperative; informal conked out.
go kaput
break down, go wrong, stop working; informal conk out.

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keel

noun
the upturned keel of the boat
base, bottom (side), underside.
keel over
the boat keeled over
capsize, turn turtle, turn upside down, founder; overturn, turn over, tip over.

the slightest activity made him keel over
collapse, faint, pass out, black out, lose consciousness, swoon.
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keen 1

adjective
his publishers were keen to capitalize on his success
eager, anxious, intent, impatient, determined, ambitious; informal raring, itching, dying.
a keen birdwatcher
enthusiastic, avid, eager, ardent, passionate, fervent, fervid, impassioned; conscientious, committed, dedicated, zealous.
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they are keen on horses | a girl he was keen on
enthusiastic, interested, passionate; attracted to, fond of, taken with, smitten with, enamoured of, infatuated with; informal struck on, gone on, mad about, crazy about, nuts about.
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a keen cutting edge
sharp, sharpened, honed, razor-sharp.
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keen eyesight
acute, sharp, discerning, sensitive, perceptive, clear.
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a keen mind
acute, penetrating, astute, incisive, sharp, perceptive, piercing, razor-sharp, perspicacious, shrewd, discerning, clever, intelligent, brilliant, bright, smart, wise, canny, percipient, insightful.
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a keen wind
cold, icy, freezing, harsh, raw, bitter ; penetrating, piercing, biting.
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a keen sense of duty
intense, acute, fierce, passionate, burning, fervent, ardent, strong, powerful.
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ANTONYMS :reluctant, unenthusiastic.

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keen 2

verb
the bereaved gathered to keen
lament, mourn, weep, cry, sorrow, grieve; wail, ululate; archaic plain.

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keenness

noun
the company's keenness to sign a deal
eagerness, willingness, readiness, impatience; enthusiasm, fervour, wholeheartedness, zest, zeal, ardour, passion, avidity.
the keenness of the blade
sharpness, razor-sharpness.
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keenness of hearing
acuteness, sharpness, sensitivity, perceptiveness, clarity.
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the keenness of his mind
acuity, sharpness, incisiveness, astuteness, perspicacity, perceptiveness, shrewdness, insight, cleverness, discernment, intelligence, brightness, brilliance, canniness.
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the keenness of his sense of loss
intensity, acuteness, strength, power, ferocity.
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keep 1

verb
you should keep all the old forms
retain (possession of), hold on to, keep hold of, not part with; save, store, put by/aside, set aside; N. Amer. set by; informal hang on to, stash away.
I tried to keep calm
remain, continue to be, stay, carry on being, persist in being.
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he keeps going on about the murder
persist in, keep on, carry on, continue, do something constantly.
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I shan't keep you long
detain, keep waiting, delay, hold up, retard, slow down.
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most people kept the rules | he had to keep his promise
comply with, obey, observe, conform to, abide by, adhere to, stick to, heed, follow; fulfil, carry out, act on, make good, honour, keep to, stand by.
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keeping the old traditions
preserve, keep alive/up, keep going, carry on, perpetuate, maintain, uphold, sustain.
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the stand where her umbrella was kept
store, house, stow, put (away), place, deposit.
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the shop keeps a good stock of parchment
(have in) stock, carry, have (for sale), hold.
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he stole to keep his family
provide (food) for, support, feed, keep alive, maintain, sustain; take care of, look after.
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she keeps rabbits
breed, rear, raise, farm; own, have as a pet.
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his parents kept a shop
manage, run, own, be the proprietor of.
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God keep you
look after, care for, take care of, mind, watch over; protect, keep safe, preserve, defend, guard.
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today people do not keep the Sabbath
observe, respect, honour, hold sacred; celebrate, mark, commemorate.
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ANTONYMS :throw away, break, abandon.

noun
money to pay for his keep
maintenance, upkeep, sustenance, board (and lodging), food, livelihood.
for keeps (informal)
forever, for ever and ever, for evermore, for always, for good (and all), permanently, in perpetuity; informal until kingdom come, until doomsday; archaic for aye. keep at
persevere with, persist with, keep going with, carry on with, press on with, work away at, continue with; informal stick at, peg away at, plug away at, hammer away at. keep something back
she kept back some of the money
(keep in) reserve, put by/aside, set aside; retain, hold back, keep, hold on to, not part with; N. Amer. set by; informal stash away.

she kept back the details
conceal, keep secret, keep hidden, withhold, suppress, keep quiet about.
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she could hardly keep back her tears
suppress, stifle, choke back, fight back, hold back/in, repress, keep in check, contain, smother, swallow, bite back.
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keep from
refrain from, stop oneself, restrain oneself from, prevent oneself from, forbear from, avoid. keep someone from something
he could hardly keep himself from laughing
prevent, stop, restrain, hold back.

keep them from harm
preserve, protect, keep safe, guard, shield, shelter, safeguard, defend.
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keep something from someone
keep secret, keep hidden, hide, conceal, withhold; informal keep dark. keep off
keep off private land
stay off, not enter, keep/stay away from, not trespass on.

Maud tried to keep off political subjects
avoid, steer clear of, stay away from, evade, sidestep; informal duck.
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you should keep off alcohol
abstain from, do without, refrain from, give up, forgo, not touch; informal swear off; formal forswear.
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I hope the rain keeps off
stay away, hold off, not start, not begin.
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keep on
they kept on working
continue, go on, carry on, persist in, persevere in; soldier on, struggle on, keep going.

the commander kept on about vigilance
talk constantly, talk endlessly, keep talking, go on (and on), rant on; informal harp on, witter on, rabbit on.
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keep someone on
continue to employ, retain in one's service, not dismiss, not sack. keep on at
nag, go on at, harp on at, badger, chivvy, harass, hound, pester; informal hassle. keep to
I've got to keep to the rules
obey, abide by, observe, follow, comply with, adhere to, respect, keep, stick to, be bound by.

keep to the path
follow, stick to, stay on.
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please keep to the point
stick to, restrict oneself to, confine oneself to.
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keep someone under
keep in subjection, hold down, keep down, subdue, suppress, repress, oppress; informal squash, trample on. keep something up
continue (with), keep on with, keep going, carry on with, persist with, persevere with. keep up with
she walked fast to keep up with him
keep pace with, keep abreast of; match, equal.

he kept up with events at home
keep informed about, keep up to date with, keep abreast of; informal keep tabs on.
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they kept up with him by Christmas cards
remain in contact with, stay in touch with, maintain contact with, keep up one's friendship with.
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keep 2

noun
the enemy stormed the keep
fortress, fort, stronghold, tower, donjon, castle, citadel, bastion.

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keeper

noun
keeper of the archives
curator, custodian, guardian, administrator, overseer, steward, caretaker.
the keeper of an inn
proprietor, owner, master/mistress, landlord/landlady.
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you're not her keeper
guardian, protector, guard, minder, chaperon/chaperone; carer, nursemaid, nurse.
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keeping

noun
the document is in the keeping of the county archivist
safe keeping, care, custody, charge, possession, trust, protection.
in keeping with
consistent with, in harmony with, in accord with, in agreement with, in line with, in character with, compatible with; appropriate to, befitting, suitable for.

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keepsake

noun
memento, souvenir, reminder, remembrance, token.

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keg

noun
barrel, cask, vat, butt, tun, hogshead; historical firkin.

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ken

noun
knowledge, awareness, perception, understanding, grasp, comprehension, realization, appreciation, consciousness.

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kernel

noun
the kernel of a nut
seed, grain, core; nut.
the kernel of the argument
essence, core, heart, essentials, quintessence, fundamentals, basics, nub, gist, substance; informal nitty-gritty.
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a kernel of truth
nucleus, germ, grain, nugget.
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key

noun
I put my key in the lock
door key, latchkey, pass key, master key.
the key to the mystery | the key to success
answer, clue, solution, explanation; basis, foundation, requisite, precondition, means, way, route, path, passport, secret, formula.
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(Music) a minor key
tone, pitch, timbre, tone colour.
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an austerely intellectual key
style, character, mood, vein, spirit, feel, feeling, flavour, quality, atmosphere.
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adjective
a key figure
crucial, central, essential, indispensable, pivotal, critical, dominant, vital, principal, prime, chief, major, leading, main, important, significant. ANTONYMS :peripheral.

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keynote

noun
theme, salient point, gist, substance, burden, tenor, pith, marrow, essence, heart, core, basis, essential feature/element.

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keystone

noun
the keystone of the door
cornerstone, central stone, quoin.
the keystone of the government's policy
foundation, basis, linchpin, cornerstone, base, (guiding) principle, core, heart, centre, crux, fundament.
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kibosh

put the kibosh on (informal)
put a stop to, stop, halt, put an end to, quash, block, cancel, scotch, thwart, prevent, suppress; informal put paid to, stymie; Brit. informal scupper.

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kick

verb
her attacker kicked her
boot, strike with the foot; Brit. informal put the boot into.
(informal) he was struggling to kick his drug habit
give up, break, abandon, end, stop, cease, desist from, renounce; informal shake, pack in, leave off, quit.
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the gun kicked hard
recoil, spring back.
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noun
a kick on the knee
blow with the foot; informal boot.
(informal) I get a kick out of driving a racing car
thrill, excitement, stimulation, tingle; fun, enjoyment, amusement, pleasure, gratification; informal buzz, high; N. Amer. informal charge.
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(informal) a drink with a powerful kick
potency, stimulant effect, strength, power; tang, zest, bite, piquancy, edge, pungency; informal punch.
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(informal) a health kick
craze, enthusiasm, obsession, mania, passion; fashion, vogue, trend; informal fad.
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kick against
resist, rebel against, oppose, struggle/fight against; defy, disobey, reject , spurn. kick someone/something around (informal)
we are undervalued and get kicked around
abuse, mistreat, maltreat, push around/about, trample on, take for granted; informal boss about/around, walk all over.

they began to kick ideas around
discuss, talk over, debate, thrash out, consider, toy with, play with.
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kick back (N. Amer. informal)
relax, unwind, take it easy, rest, slow down, let up, ease up/off, sit back; N. Amer. informal chill out, hang loose. kick off (informal)
start, commence, begin, get going, get off the ground, get under way; open, start off, set in motion, launch, initiate, introduce, inaugurate, usher in. kick someone out (informal)
expel, eject, throw out, oust, evict, get rid of, axe; dismiss, discharge; informal chuck out, send packing, boot out, give someone their marching orders, sack, fire; Brit. informal turf out; N. Amer. informal give someone the bum's rush.

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kickback

noun
the kickback from the gun
recoil, kick, rebound.
(informal) they paid kickbacks to politicians
bribe, payment, inducement; N. Amer. payola; informal pay-off, sweetener, backhander.
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kick-off

noun
(informal) beginning, start, commencement, outset, opening.

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kid 1

noun
(informal) she has three kids
child, youngster, little one, baby, toddler, tot, infant, boy/girl, young person, minor, juvenile, adolescent, teenager, youth, stripling; offspring, son/daughter; Scottish bairn; informal kiddie, nipper, kiddiewink, shaver, young 'un; Brit. informal sprog; N. Amer. informal rug rat; Austral./NZ ankle-biter; derogatory brat; poetic/literary babe.

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kid 2

verb
(informal) I'm not kidding
joke, tease, jest, chaff, be facetious, fool about/around; informal pull someone's leg, have on, rib; Brit. informal wind up; N. Amer. informal pull someone's chain, fun, shuck.
why did I kid myself that I'd succeed?
delude, deceive, fool, trick, hoodwink, hoax, beguile, dupe, gull; informal con, pull the wool over someone's eyes; poetic/literary cozen.
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kidnap

verb
abduct, carry off, capture, seize, snatch, take as hostage; Brit. informal nobble.

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kill

verb
gangs killed twenty-seven people
murder, take/end the life of, make away with, assassinate, eliminate, terminate, dispatch, finish off, put to death, execute; slaughter, butcher, massacre, wipe out, annihilate, exterminate, liquidate, mow down, shoot down, cut down, cut to pieces; informal bump off, polish off, do away with, do in, knock off, top, take out, croak, stiff, blow away, dispose of; N. Amer. informal ice, rub out, waste, whack, scrag, smoke; poetic/literary slay.
this would kill all hopes of progress
destroy, put an end to, end, extinguish, dash, quash, ruin, wreck, shatter, smash, crush, scotch, thwart; informal put paid to, put the kibosh on, stymie; Brit. informal scupper.
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we had to kill several hours at the airport
while away, fill (up), occupy, beguile, pass, spend, waste.
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(informal) you must rest or you'll kill yourself
exhaust, wear out, tire out, overtax, overtire, fatigue, weary, sap, drain, enervate, prostrate ; informal knock out, shatter; Brit. informal knacker.
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(informal) my feet were killing me
hurt, cause pain to, torture, torment, cause discomfort to; be painful, be sore, be uncomfortable.
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(informal) the music kills me every time I hear it
overwhelm, take someone's breath away, move, stir, stun, amaze, stagger; informal bowl over, blow away, knock sideways, blow someone's mind.
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the engines were at a low rev to kill the noise
muffle, deaden, stifle, dampen, damp down, smother, reduce, diminish, decrease, suppress, tone down, moderate.
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a shot to kill the pain
alleviate, assuage, soothe, allay, dull, blunt, deaden, stifle, suppress, subdue.
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(informal) the message has been killed
delete, wipe out, erase, remove, destroy, cut (out), cancel; informal zap.
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(informal) Congress killed the bill
veto, defeat, vote down, rule against, reject, throw out, overrule, overturn, put a stop to, quash, squash.
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(informal) Noel killed the engine
turn off, switch off, stop, shut off/down, cut (out).
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-cide.
noun
the hunter's kill
prey, quarry, victim, bag.
the wolf was moving in for the kill
death blow, killing, dispatch, finish, end, coup de grâce.
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killer

noun
police are searching for the killer
murderer, assassin, slaughterer, butcher, serial killer, gunman; exterminator, terminator, executioner; informal hit man; poetic/literary slayer; dated homicide.
a major killer
cause of death, fatal/deadly illness, threat to life.
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killing

noun
a brutal killing
murder, assassination, homicide, manslaughter, elimination, putting/doing to death, execution; slaughter, massacre, butchery, carnage, bloodshed, extermination, annihilation; poetic/literary slaying.
adjective
a killing blow
deadly, lethal, fatal, mortal, death-dealing; murderous, homicidal; poetic/literary deathly.
(informal) a killing schedule
exhausting, gruelling, punishing, taxing, draining, wearing, prostrating, crushing, tiring, fatiguing, debilitating, enervating, arduous, tough, demanding, onerous, strenuous, rigorous; informal murderous; Brit. informal knackering.
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(informal) the suspense is killing
unbearable, intolerable, unendurable, insupportable.
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(informal, dated) that's absolutely killing
hilarious, hysterically funny, uproarious, riotous, comical, amusing; informal priceless, side-splitting.
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make a killing (informal)
make a large profit, make a/one's fortune, make money; informal clean up, make a pack et, make a pretty penny; Brit. informal make a bomb; N. Amer. informal make big bucks.

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killjoy

noun
spoilsport, prophet of doom; informal wet blanket, party-pooper, misery; Austral./NZ informal wowser.

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kilter

out of kilter
awry, off balance, unbalanced, out of order, disordered, confused, muddled, out of tune, out of step.

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kin

noun
their own kin
relatives, relations, family (members), kindred, kith and kin; kinsfolk, kinsmen, kinswomen, people; informal folks.
adjective
my uncle was kin to the brothers
related, akin, allied, connected with, consanguineous; formal cognate.

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kind 1

noun
all kinds of gifts | the kinds of bird that could be seen
sort, type, variety, style, form, class, category, genre; genus, species, race, breed.
they were different in kind | the first of its kind
character, nature, essence, quality, disposition, make-up; type, style, stamp, manner, description, mould, cast, temperament, ilk; N. Amer. stripe.
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kind of (informal)
rather, quite, fairly, somewhat, a little, slightly, a shade; informal sort of, a bit, kinda, pretty, a touch, a tad.

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kind 2

adjective
she is such a kind and caring person
kindly, good-natured, kind-hearted, warm-hearted, caring, affectionate, loving, warm; considerate, helpful, thoughtful, obliging, unselfish, selfless, altruistic, good, attentive; compassionate, sympathetic, understanding, big-hearted, benevolent, benign, friendly, neighbourly, hospitable, well meaning, public-spirited; generous, liberal, open-handed, bountiful, beneficent, munificent, benignant; Brit. informal decent. ANTONYMS :inconsiderate, mean.

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kind-hearted

adjective
kind, caring, warm-hearted, kindly, benevolent, good-natured, tender, warm, compassionate, sympathetic, understanding; indulgent, altruistic, benign, beneficent, benignant.

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kindle

verb
he kindled a fire
light, ignite, set alight, set light to, set fire to, put a match to.
Elvis kindled my interest in music
rouse, arouse, wake, awaken; stimulate, inspire, stir (up), excite, evoke, provoke, fire, inflame, trigger, activate, spark off; poetic/literary waken, enkindle.
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ANTONYMS :extinguish.

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kindliness

noun
kindness, benevolence, warmth, gentleness, tenderness, care, humanity, sympathy, compassion, understanding; generosity, charity, kind-heartedness, warm-heartedness, thoughtfulness, solicitousness.

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kindly

adjective
a kindly old lady
benevolent, kind, kind-hearted, warm-hearted, generous, good-natured; gentle, warm, compassionate, caring, loving, benign, well meaning; helpful, thoughtful, considerate, good-hearted, nice, friendly, neighbourly; Brit. informal decent. ANTONYMS :unkind, cruel.

adverb
she spoke kindly
benevolently, good-naturedly, warmly, affectionately, tenderly, lovingly, compassionately; considerately, thoughtfully, helpfully, obligingly, generously, selflessly, unselfishly, sympathetically.
kindly explain what you mean
please, if you please, if you wouldn't mind, have the goodness to; archaic prithee, pray.
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ANTONYMS :unkindly, harshly.

not take kindly to
resent, object to, take umbrage at, take exception to, take offence at, be annoyed by, be irritated by, feel aggrieved about, be upset by.

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kindness

noun
he thanked her for her kindness
kindliness, kind-heartedness, warm-heartedness, affection, warmth, gentleness, concern, care; consideration, considerateness, helpfulness, thoughtfulness, unselfishness, selflessness, altruism, compassion, sympathy, understanding, big-heartedness, benevolence, benignity, friendliness, neighbourliness, hospitality, public-spiritedness; generosity, magnanimity, charitableness; Brit. informal decency.
she has done us many a kindness
kind act, good deed, good turn, favour, service.
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kindred

noun
his mother's kindred
family, relatives, relations, kin, kith and kin, one's own flesh and blood; kinsfolk, kinsmen/kinswomen, people; informal folks.
ties of kindred
kinship, family ties, being related, (blood) relationship, consanguinity, common ancestry.
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adjective
industrial relations and kindred subjects
related, allied, connected, comparable, similar, like, parallel, associated, analogous; formal cognate.
a kindred spirit
like-minded, in sympathy, in harmony, in tune, of one mind, akin, similar, like, compatible; informal on the same wavelength.
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ANTONYMS :unrelated, alien.

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king

noun
the king of France
ruler, sovereign, monarch, crowned head, Crown, emperor, prince, potentate, lord.
(informal) the king of world football
star, leading light, luminary, superstar, giant, master; informal supremo, megastar.
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a king's ransom
a huge amount, a vast sum; informal a (small) fortune, a mint, a packet, a pretty penny, big money; Brit. informal a bomb; N. Amer. informal big bucks; Austral. informal big bickies.

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kingdom

noun
his kingdom stretched to the sea
realm, domain, dominion, country, empire, land, nation, (sovereign) state, province, territory.
Henry's little kingdom
domain, province, realm, sphere, dominion, territory, arena, zone.
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the plant kingdom
division, category, classification, grouping, group.
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kingly

adjective
kingly power
royal, regal, monarchical, sovereign, imperial, princely.
kingly robes
regal, majestic, stately, noble, lordly, dignified, distinguished, courtly; splendid, magnificent, grand, glorious, rich, gorgeous, resplendent, princely, superb, sumptuous; informal splendiferous.
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kink

noun
your fishing line should have no kinks in it
curl, twist, twirl, loop, crinkle; knot, tangle, entanglement.
a kink in the road
bend, corner, dog-leg, twist, turn, curve; Brit. hairpin bend.
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there are still some kinks to iron out
flaw, defect, imperfection, problem, complication, hitch, snag, shortcoming, weakness; informal hiccup, glitch.
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their sartorial kinks
peculiarity, quirk, idiosyncrasy, eccentricity, oddity, foible, whim, caprice.
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kinky

adjective
(informal) a kinky relationship
perverted, abnormal, deviant, unnatural, depraved, degenerate, perverse; informal pervy.
(informal) kinky underwear
provocative, sexy, sexually arousing, erotic, titillating, naughty, indecent, immodest; Brit. informal saucy.
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Catriona's long kinky hair
curly, crimped, curled, curling, frizzy, frizzed, wavy.
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kinsfolk

noun
relatives, relations, kin, kindred, family, kith and kin, kinsmen/kinswomen, people; informal folks.

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kinship

noun
ties of kinship
relationship, being related, family ties, blood ties, common ancestry, kindred, consanguinity.
she felt kinship with the others
affinity, sympathy, rapport, harmony, understanding, empathy, closeness, fellow feeling, bond, compatibility; similarity, likeness, correspondence, concordance.
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kinsman kinswoman

noun
relative, relation, family member; cousin, uncle, nephew, aunt, niece.

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kiosk

noun
booth, stand, stall, counter, news-stand.

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kismet

noun
fate, destiny, fortune, providence, God's will, one's lot (in life), karma, predestination, preordination, predetermination; luck, chance; poetic/literary one's dole.

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kiss

verb
he kissed her on the lips
give a kiss to, brush one's lips against, blow a kiss to, air-kiss; informal peck, give a smacker to, smooch, canoodle, neck, pet; Brit. informal snog; N. Amer. informal buss; informal, dated spoon; formal osculate.
allow your foot just to kiss the floor
brush (against), caress, touch (gently), stroke, skim over.
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noun
a kiss on the cheek
air kiss, French kiss; X; informal peck, smack, smacker, smooch; Brit. informal snog; N. Amer. informal buss; formal osculation.
the kiss of the flowers against her cheeks
gentle touch, caress, brush, stroke.
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kit

noun
his tool kit
equipment, tools, implements, instruments, gadgets, utensils, appliances, tools of the trade, gear, tackle, hardware, paraphernalia; informal things, stuff, the necessary; Military accoutrements.
(Brit. informal) their football kit
clothes, clothing, rig, outfit, dress, costume, garments, attire, garb, gear, get-up, rig-out; formal apparel.
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a model aircraft kit
set (of parts), DIY kit, do-it-yourself kit, self-assembly set, flat-pack.
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(informal) we packed up all our kit
belongings, luggage, baggage, paraphernalia, effects, impedimenta; informal things, stuff, gear; Brit. informal clobber.
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kit someone/something out
equip, fit (out/up), furnish, supply, provide, issue; dress, clothe, array, attire, rig out, deck out; informal fix up.

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kitchen

noun
kitchenette, kitchen-diner, cooking area, galley, cookhouse; N. Amer. cookery.

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kittenish

adjective
playful, light-hearted, skittish, lively; coquettish, flirtatious, frivolous, flippant, superficial, trivial, shallow, silly; informal flirty, dizzy; poetic/literary frolicsome. ANTONYMS :serious.

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knack

noun
a knack for making money | it takes practice to acquire the knack
gift, talent, flair, genius, instinct, faculty, ability, capability, capacity, aptitude, aptness, bent, forte, facility; technique, method, trick, skill, art, expertise; informal the hang of something.
he has a knack of getting injured at the wrong time
tendency, propensity, habit, proneness, liability, predisposition.
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knackered

adjective
(Brit. informal) you look absolutely knackered.
See exhausted sense 1.
the computer was knackered.
See broken sense 3.
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knapsack

noun
rucksack, backpack, haversack, pack, kitbag.

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knave

noun
(archaic). See scoundrel.

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knavery

noun
(archaic). See villainy.

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knavish

adjective
(archaic). See roguish sense 1.

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knead

verb
kneading the dough
pummel, work, pound, squeeze, shape, mould.
she kneaded the base of his neck
massage, press, manipulate, rub.
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kneel

verb
fall to one's knees, get down on one's knees, genuflect; historical kowtow.

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knell

noun
(poetic/literary) the knell of the ship's bell
toll, tolling, dong, resounding, reverberation; death knell; archaic tocsin.
this sounded the knell for the project
(beginning of the) end, death knell, death warrant.
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knickers

plural noun
(Brit.) underpants, briefs, French knickers, camiknickers; underwear, lingerie, underclothes, undergarments; Brit. pants; informal panties, undies; Brit. informal knicks, smalls; dated drawers; historical bloomers, pantalettes.

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knick-knack

noun
ornament, novelty, gewgaw, bibelot, trinket, trifle, bauble, gimcrack, curio; memento, souvenir; N. Amer. kickshaw; N. Amer. informal tchotchke; archaic gaud, whim-wham, bijou.

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knife

noun
a sharp knife
cutting tool, blade, cutter, carver.
verb
the victims had been knifed
stab, hack, gash, run through, slash, lacerate, cut, pierce, spike, impale, transfix, bayonet, spear.

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knight

noun
knights in armour
cavalier, cavalryman, horseman; lord, noble, nobleman; historical chevalier, paladin, banneret.
knight in shining armour
knight on a white charger, rescuer, saviour, champion, hero, defender, protector, guardian (angel).

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knightly

adjective
tales of knightly deeds
gallant, noble, valiant, heroic, courageous, brave, bold, valorous; chivalrous, courteous, honourable.
the knightly classes
upper-class, well born, noble, aristocratic; archaic gentle.
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ANTONYMS :ignoble, low-born.

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knit

verb
disparate regions began to knit together
unite, unify, come together, draw together, become closer, bond, fuse, coalesce, merge, meld, blend.
we expect broken bones to knit
heal, mend, join, fuse.
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Marcus knitted his brows
furrow, tighten, contract, gather, wrinkle.
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noun
silky knits in pretty shades
knitted garment, woollen; sweater, pullover, jersey, cardigan; Brit. jumper; informal woolly; Brit. informal cardy.

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knob

noun
a black bill with a knob at the base
lump, bump, protuberance, protrusion, bulge, swelling, knot, node, nodule, ball; informal boss.
the knobs on the radio
dial, button.
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she turned the knob on the door
doorknob, (door) handle.
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a few knobs of butter
nugget, lump, pat, ball, dollop, piece; N. Amer. informal gob.
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knock

verb
he knocked on the door
bang, tap, rap, thump, pound, hammer; strike, hit, beat.
she knocked her knee on the table
bump, bang, hit, strike, crack; injure, hurt, bruise; informal bash, thwack.
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he knocked into an elderly man
collide with, bump into, bang into, be in collision with, run into, crash into, smash into, plough into; N. Amer. impact; informal bash into.
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(informal) I'm not knocking the company.
See criticize.
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noun
a sharp knock at the door
tap, rap, rat-tat, knocking, bang, banging, pounding, hammering, drumming, thump, thud.
the casing is tough enough to withstand knocks
bump, blow, bang, jolt, jar, shock; collision, crash, smash, impact.
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a knock on the ear
blow, bang, hit, slap, smack, crack, punch, cuff, thump, box; informal clip, clout, wallop, thwack, belt, bash.
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(informal) this isn't a knock on Dave.
See criticism sense 1.
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life's hard knocks
setback, reversal, defeat, failure, difficulty, misfortune, bad luck, mishap, (body) blow, disaster, calamity, disappointment, sorrow, trouble, hardship; informal kick in the teeth.
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knock about/around (informal)
knocking around the Mediterranean
wander around, roam around, rove around, range over, travel around, journey around, voyage around, drift around, gallivant around, potter around; informal gad about.

she knocks around with artists
associate, consort, keep company, go around, mix, socialize, be friends, be friendly; informal hobnob, hang out, run around, pal around.
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knock someone/something about/around
beat (up), batter, hit, punch, thump, thrash, slap; maltreat, mistreat, abuse, ill-treat, assault, attack; N. Amer. beat up on; informal rough up, do over, give someone a hiding, clobber, clout, bash, belt, whack, wallop. knock something back (informal)
swallow, gulp down, drink up, quaff, guzzle, slug; informal down, swig, swill (down), toss off; N. Amer. informal scarf (down/up), snarf (down/up). knock someone down
fell, floor, flatten, bring down, knock to the ground; knock over, run over/down. knock something down
the building was knocked down
demolish, pull down, tear down, destroy; raze (to the ground), level, flatten, bulldoze.

(informal) the firm has knocked down its prices
reduce, lower, cut, decrease, drop, put down, mark down; informal slash.
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knock off (informal)
stop work, finish (working), clock off, leave work. knock someone off (informal). See kill verb sense 1. knock something off
(Brit. informal) someone knocked off the video.
See steal verb sense 1.

(informal) we expect you to knock off three stories a day
produce, make, turn out, create, construct, assemble, put together; complete, finish.
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(informal) knock off 10% from the bill
deduct, take off/away, subtract, dock.
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knock it off! (informal)
stop it; informal cut it out, give it a rest, leave off, pack it in, lay off; Brit. informal give over. knock someone out
I hit him and knocked him out
knock unconscious, knock senseless; floor, prostrate; informal lay out, put out cold, KO, kayo.

England was knocked out
eliminate, beat, defeat, vanquish, overwhelm, trounce.
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(informal) walking that far knocked her out
exhaust, wear out, tire (out), overtire, fatigue, weary, drain; informal do in, take it out of, fag out; Brit. informal knacker; N. Amer. informal poop.
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(informal) the view knocked me out
overwhelm, stun, stupefy, amaze, astound, astonish, stagger, take someone's breath away; impress, dazzle, enchant, entrance; informal bowl over, flabbergast, knock sideways, blow away; Brit. informal knock for six.
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knock up (Brit. informal)
warm up, practise, hit a ball around. knock someone up
(Brit. informal) we were knocked up at five in the morning
wake (up), awaken, call, rouse, arouse, get out of bed, get up; poetic/literary waken.

(informal) he knocked her up
make pregnant, impregnate; informal put in the family way; Brit. informal get in the club; archaic get with child.
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knock something up (Brit. informal)
make quickly, prepare hastily, build rapidly, whip up, rig up, throw together, cobble together, improvise, contrive; informal rustle up.

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knockout

noun
the match was won by a knockout
stunning blow, finishing blow, coup de grâce; informal KO, kayo.
(informal) she's a knockout!
beauty, vision, picture, sensation, dream; informal stunner, dish, looker, good-looker, peach, cracker; Brit. informal smasher.
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(informal) a technical knockout
masterpiece, sensation, marvel, wonder, triumph, success, feat, coup, master stroke, tour de force.
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knoll

noun
she walked up the grassy knoll
hillock, mound, rise, hummock, hill, hump, tor, bank, ridge, elevation; Scottish brae; formal eminence.

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knot

noun
tie a small knot
tie, twist, loop, join, fastening, bond; tangle, entanglement.
a knot in the wood
nodule, gnarl, node; lump, knob, swelling, gall, protuberance, bump; archaic knar.
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a small knot of people
cluster, group, band, huddle, bunch, circle, ring, gathering, company, crowd, throng.
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verb
their scarves were knotted round their throats
tie (up), fasten, secure, bind, do up.

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knotted

adjective
tangled, tangly, knotty, entangled, matted, snarled, unkempt, uncombed, tousled; informal mussed up.

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knotty

adjective
a knotty legal problem
complex, complicated, involved, intricate, convoluted, involuted; difficult, hard, thorny, taxing, awkward, tricky, problematic, troublesome.
knotty roots
gnarled, knotted, knurled, nodular, knobbly, lumpy, bumpy.
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a knotty piece of thread
knotted, tangled, tangly, twisted, entangled, snarled, matted.
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ANTONYMS :straightforward.

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know

verb
she doesn't know I'm here
be aware, realize, be conscious, be informed; notice, perceive, see, sense, recognize; informal savvy, latch on.
I don't know his address
have knowledge of, be informed of, be apprised of; formal be cognizant of.
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do you know the rules
be familiar with, be conversant with, be acquainted with, have knowledge of, be versed in, have mastered, have a grasp of, understand, comprehend; have learned, have memorized; informal be clued up on.
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I don't know many people here
be acquainted with, have met, be familiar with; be friends with, be friendly with, be on good terms with, be close to, be intimate with; Scottish ken; informal be thick with.
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he had known better times
experience, go through, live through, undergo, taste.
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my brothers don't know a saucepan from a frying pan
distinguish, tell (apart), differentiate, discriminate; recognize, pick out, identify.
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know-all

noun
(informal) wiseacre; informal smart alec, wise guy, smarty, smarty-pants; Brit. informal clever clogs, clever Dick; N. Amer. informal know-it-all.

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know-how

noun
(informal) knowledge, expertise, skill, skilfulness, expertness, proficiency, understanding, mastery, technique; ability, capability, competence, capacity, adeptness, dexterity, deftness, aptitude, adroitness, ingenuity, faculty; informal savvy.

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knowing

adjective
a knowing smile
significant, meaningful, eloquent, expressive, suggestive; arch, sly, mischievous, impish, teasing, playful.
she's a very knowing child
sophisticated, worldly, worldly-wise, urbane, experienced; knowledgeable, well informed, enlightened; shrewd, astute, canny, sharp, wily, perceptive.
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a knowing infringement of the rules
deliberate, intentional, conscious, calculated, wilful, done on purpose, premeditated, preconceived, planned.
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knowingly

adverb
deliberately, intentionally, consciously, wittingly, on purpose, by design, premeditatedly, wilfully.

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knowledge

noun
his knowledge of history | technical knowledge
understanding, comprehension, grasp, command, mastery; expertise, skill, proficiency, expertness, accomplishment, adeptness, capacity, capability; informal know-how.
people anxious to display their knowledge
learning, erudition, education, scholarship, schooling, wisdom.
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he slipped away without my knowledge
awareness, consciousness, realization, cognition, apprehension, perception, appreciation; formal cognizance.
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an intimate knowledge of the countryside
familiarity, acquaintance, conversance, intimacy.
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inform the police of your knowledge
information, facts, intelligence, news, reports; informal info, gen.
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ANTONYMS :ignorance.

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knowledgeable

adjective
a knowledgeable old man
well informed, learned, well read, (well) educated, erudite, scholarly, cultured, cultivated, enlightened.
he is knowledgeable about modern art
acquainted, familiar, conversant, au courant, au fait; having a knowledge of, up on, up to date with, abreast of; informal clued up, genned up; Brit. informal switched on.
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ANTONYMS :ill-informed.

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known

adjective
a known criminal
recognized, well known, widely known, noted, celebrated, notable, notorious; acknowledged, self-confessed, declared, overt.
the known world
familiar, known about, well known; studied, investigated.
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knuckle

knuckle under
surrender, submit, capitulate, give in/up, yield, give way, succumb, climb down, back down, admit defeat, lay down one's arms, throw in the towel/sponge; informal quit, raise the white flag.

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kowtow

verb
they kowtowed to the Emperor
prostrate oneself, bow (down before), genuflect, do/make obeisance, fall on one's knees before, kneel before.
she didn't have to kowtow to a boss
grovel, be obsequious, be servile, be sycophantic, fawn on, bow and scrape, toady, truckle, abase oneself, humble oneself; curry favour with, dance attendance on, make up to, ingratiate oneself with; informal crawl, creep, suck up, lick someone's boots; Austral./NZ informal smoodge to.
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kudos

noun
prestige, cachet, glory, honour, status, standing, distinction, prestigiousness, fame, celebrity; admiration, respect, esteem, acclaim, praise, credit.

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L

label

noun
the price is clearly stated on the label
tag, ticket, tab, sticker, marker, docket, chit, chitty.
a designer label
brand (name), trade name, trademark, make, logo.
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the label the media came up with for me
designation, description, tag; name, epithet, nickname, title, sobriquet, pet name, cognomen; formal denomination, appellation.
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verb
label each jar with the date
tag, put labels on, tab, ticket, mark, docket.
tests labelled him an underachiever
categorize, classify, class, describe, designate, identify; mark, stamp, brand, condemn, pigeonhole, stereotype, typecast; call, name, term, dub, nickname.
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laborious

adjective
a laborious job
arduous, hard, heavy, difficult, strenuous, gruelling, punishing, exacting, tough, onerous, burdensome, back-breaking, trying, challenging; tiring, fatiguing, exhausting, wearying, wearing, taxing, demanding, wearisome; tedious, boring; archaic toilsome.
Doug's laborious style
laboured, strained, forced, contrived, affected, stiff, stilted, unnatural, artificial, overwrought, heavy, ponderous, convoluted.
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ANTONYMS :easy, effortless.

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labour

noun
manual labour
(hard) work, toil, exertion, industry, drudgery, effort, donkey work, menial work; informal slog, grind, sweat, elbow grease; Brit. informal graft; poetic/literary travail, moil.
the conflict between capital and labour
workers, employees, workmen, workforce, staff, working people, blue-collar workers, labourers, labour force, proletariat.
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the labours of Hercules
task, job, chore, mission, assignment.
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a difficult labour
childbirth, birth, delivery, nativity; contractions, labour pains; formal parturition; poetic/literary travail; dated confinement; archaic lying-in, accouchement, childbed.
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ANTONYMS :rest, management.

verb
a project on which he had laboured for many years
work (hard), toil, slave (away), grind away, struggle, strive, exert oneself, work one's fingers to the bone, work like a Trojan/slave; informal slog away, plug away, peg away; Brit. informal graft; poetic/literary travail; archaic moil.
Newcastle laboured to break down their defence
strive, struggle, endeavour, work, try hard, make every effort, do one's best, do one's utmost, do all one can, give one's all, go all out, fight, put oneself out, apply oneself, exert oneself; informal bend/lean over backwards, pull out all the stops.
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there is no need to labour the point
overemphasize, belabour, overstress, overdo, strain, overplay, make too much of, exaggerate, dwell on, harp on (about).
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Rex was labouring under a misapprehension
suffer from, be a victim of, be deceived by, be misled by.
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laboured

adjective
laboured breathing
strained, difficult, forced, laborious.
a rather laboured joke
contrived, strained, stilted, forced, unnatural, artificial, overdone, ponderous, over-elaborate, laborious, unconvincing, overwrought.
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labourer

noun
workman, worker, working man, labouring man, manual worker, unskilled worker, blue-collar worker, (hired) hand, roustabout, drudge, menial, coolie; Austral./NZ rouseabout; Brit. dated navvy.

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labyrinth

noun
a labyrinth of little streets
maze, warren, network, complex, web, entanglement.
the labyrinth of conflicting regulations
tangle, web, morass, jungle, confusion, entanglement, convolution; jumble, mishmash; archaic perplexity.
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labyrinthine

adjective
labyrinthine corridors
maze-like, winding, twisting, serpentine, meandering, wandering, rambling.
a labyrinthine system
complicated, intricate, complex, involved, tortuous, convoluted, involuted, tangled, elaborate; confusing, puzzling, mystifying, bewildering, baffling.
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lace

noun
a dress trimmed with white lace
openwork, lacework, tatting; passementerie, bobbinet, needlepoint (lace), filet, bobbin lace, pillow lace, duchesse lace, guipure, rosaline.
brown shoes with laces
shoelace, bootlace, shoestring, lacing, thong, tie; archaic latchet.
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verb
he laced up his running shoes
fasten, do up, tie up, secure, knot.
he laced his fingers into mine
entwine, intertwine, twine, entangle, interweave, link; braid, plait.
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tea laced with rum
flavour, mix (in), blend, fortify, strengthen, stiffen, season, spice (up), enrich, liven up; doctor, adulterate; informal spike.
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her brown hair was laced with grey
streak, stripe, striate, line.
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ANTONYMS :untie.

lace into (informal)
Danny laced into him.
See set on at set1.

the newspaper laced into the prime minister.
See criticize.
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lacerate

verb
cut (open), gash, slash, tear, rip, rend, shred, score, scratch, scrape, graze; wound, injure, hurt.

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laceration

noun
the laceration of her hand
cutting (open), gashing, slashing, tearing, ripping, scratching, scraping, grazing, wounding, injury.
a bleeding laceration
gash, cut, wound, injury, tear, slash, scratch, scrape, abrasion, graze.
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lachrymose

adjective
she gets quite lachrymose at the mention of his name
tearful, weeping, crying, with tears in one's eyes, close to tears, on the verge of tears, sobbing, snivelling, whimpering; emotional, sad, doleful, maudlin, miserable, forlorn; informal weepy; poetic/literary dolorous.
a lachrymose novel
tragic, sad, poignant, moving, heart-rending, tear-jerking; mawkish, sentimental; Brit. informal soppy.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful, comic.

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lack

noun
a lack of cash
absence, want, need, deficiency, dearth, insufficiency, shortage, shortfall, scarcity, paucity, unavailability, scarceness, deficit; formal exiguity. ANTONYMS :abundance.

verb
she's immature and lacks judgement
be without, be in need of, need, be lacking, require, want, be short of, be deficient in, be bereft of, be low on, be pressed for, have insufficient; informal be strapped for. ANTONYMS :have, possess.

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lackadaisical

adjective
careless, lazy, lax, unenthusiastic, half-hearted, lukewarm, indifferent, unconcerned, casual, offhand, blasé, insouciant, relaxed; apathetic, lethargic, listless, sluggish, spiritless, passionless; informal laid back, couldn't-care-less, easy going. ANTONYMS :enthusiastic.

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lackey

noun
lackeys helped them from their carriage
servant, flunkey, footman, manservant, valet, steward, butler, equerry, retainer, attendant, houseboy, domestic; Brit. informal skivvy; archaic scullion.
a rich man's lackey
toady, flunkey, sycophant, flatterer, minion, doormat, stooge, hanger-on, lickspittle; tool, puppet, instrument, pawn, subordinate, underling; informal yes-man, bootlicker.
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lacking

adjective
proof was lacking
absent, missing, non-existent, unavailable.
the advocate general found the government lacking
deficient, defective, inadequate, wanting, flawed, faulty, insufficient, unacceptable, imperfect, inferior.
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the game was lacking in atmosphere
without, devoid of, bereft of; deficient in, low on, short on, in need of.
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ANTONYMS :present, plentiful.

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lacklustre

adjective
uninspired, uninspiring, unimaginative, dull, humdrum, colourless, characterless, bland, insipid, vapid, flat, dry, lifeless, tame, prosaic, spiritless, lustreless; boring, monotonous, dreary, tedious. ANTONYMS :inspired.

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laconic

adjective
his laconic comment
brief, concise, terse, succinct, short, pithy; epigrammatic, aphoristic, gnomic.
their laconic press officer
taciturn, uncommunicative, reticent, quiet, reserved, silent, unforthcoming, brusque.
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ANTONYMS :verbose, loquacious.

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lad

noun
(informal) a young lad of eight
boy, schoolboy, youth, youngster, juvenile, stripling; informal kid, nipper, whippersnapper; Scottish informal laddie; derogatory brat.
a hard-working lad
(young) man; informal guy, fellow, geezer; Brit. informal chap, bloke; N. Amer. informal dude, hombre; Austral./NZ informal digger.
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ladder

noun
she climbed down the ladder
steps, set of steps.
the academic ladder
hierarchy, scale, grading, ranking, pecking order.
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laden

adjective
loaded, burdened, weighed down, overloaded, piled high, fully charged; full, filled, packed, stuffed, crammed; informal chock-full, chock-a-block.

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la-di-da

adjective
(informal) snobbish, pretentious, affected, mannered, pompous, conceited, haughty; informal snooty, stuck-up, high and mighty, hoity-toity, uppity, snotty; Brit. informal posh, toffee-nosed. ANTONYMS :common.

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ladle

verb
he was ladling out the contents of the pot
spoon out, scoop out, dish up/out, serve.
noun
a soup ladle
spoon, scoop, dipper, bailer.

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lady

noun
several ladies were present
woman, female; Scottish & N. English lass, lassie; Brit. informal bird, bint; N. Amer. informal dame, broad, jane; Austral./NZ informal sheila; poetic/literary maid, damsel; archaic wench.
lords and ladies
noblewoman, duchess, countess, peeress, viscountess, baroness; archaic gentlewoman.
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ladylike

adjective
genteel, polite, refined, well bred, cultivated, polished, decorous, proper, respectable, seemly, well mannered, cultured, sophisticated, elegant; Brit. informal posh. ANTONYMS :coarse.

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lag

verb
fall behind, straggle, fall back, trail (behind), hang back, not keep pace, bring up the rear. ANTONYMS :keep up.

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laggard

noun
straggler, loiterer, lingerer, dawdler, sluggard, snail, idler, loafer; informal lazybones, slacker, slowcoach; N. Amer. informal slowpoke.

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lagoon

noun
inland sea, bay, lake, bight, pool; Scottish loch; Anglo-Irish lough; N. Amer. bayou.

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laid-back

adjective
(informal) relaxed, easy-going, equable, free and easy, casual, nonchalant, insouciant, unexcitable, imperturbable, unruffled, blasé, cool, calm, (cool, calm, and collected), unperturbed, unflustered, unworried, unconcerned; leisurely, unhurried; stoical, phlegmatic, tolerant; informal unflappable. ANTONYMS :uptight.

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laid up

adjective
(informal) bedridden, confined to bed, on the sick list, housebound, incapacitated, injured, disabled; ill, sick, unwell, poorly, ailing, indisposed. ANTONYMS :healthy, active.

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lair

noun
the lair of a large python
den, burrow, hole, tunnel, cave.
a villain's lair
hideaway, hiding place, hideout, refuge, sanctuary, haven, shelter, retreat; informal hidey-hole.
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laissez-faire

noun
laissez-faire is based on self-interest
free enterprise, free trade, non-intervention, free-market capitalism, market forces.

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lake

noun
pond, pool, tarn, reservoir, lagoon, waterhole, inland sea; Scottish loch, lochan; Anglo-Irish lough; N. Amer. bayou, pothole (lake); poetic/literary mere. lacustrine.

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lam

verb
(informal). See hit verb sense 1.

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lambaste

verb
criticize, chastise, censure, take to task, harangue, rail at, rant at, fulminate against; upbraid, scold, reprimand, rebuke, chide, reprove, admonish, berate; informal lay into, pitch into, tear into, give someone a dressing-down, carpet, tell off, bawl out; Brit. informal tick off, have a go at; N. Amer. informal chew out; formal castigate, excoriate.

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lame

adjective
the mare was lame
limping, hobbling; crippled, disabled, incapacitated; informal gammy; dated game; archaic halt.
a lame excuse
feeble, weak, thin, flimsy, poor; unconvincing, implausible, unlikely.
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ANTONYMS :convincing.

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lament

noun
the widow's laments
wail, wailing, lamentation, moan, moaning, weeping, crying, sob, sobbing, keening.
a lament for the dead
dirge, requiem, elegy, threnody, monody; Irish keen; Scottish & Irish coronach; formal epicedium.
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verb
the mourners lamented
mourn, grieve, sorrow, wail, weep, cry, sob, keen, beat one's breast; archaic plain.
he lamented the modernization of the buildings
bemoan, bewail, complain about, deplore; protest against, object to, oppose, fulminate against, inveigh against, denounce.
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ANTONYMS :celebrate.

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lamentable

adjective
deplorable, regrettable, terrible, awful, wretched, woeful, dire, disastrous, desperate, grave, appalling, dreadful, egregious; intolerable, pitiful, shameful, sorrowful, unfortunate. ANTONYMS :wonderful.

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lamentation

noun
weeping, wailing, crying, sobbing, moaning, lament, keening, grieving, mourning.

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lamp

noun
light, lantern.

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lampoon

verb
he was mercilessly lampooned
satirize, mock, ridicule, make fun of, caricature, burlesque, parody, take off, guy, rag, tease; informal send up.
noun
a lampoon of student life
satire, burlesque, parody, skit, caricature, impersonation, travesty, mockery, squib, pasquinade; informal send-up, take-off, spoof.

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lance

noun
a knight with a lance
spear, pike, javelin; harpoon.
verb
the boil was lanced
cut (open), slit, incise, puncture, prick, pierce.

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land

noun
Lyme Park has 1323 acres of land | publicly owned land
grounds, fields, open space; property, acres, acreage, estate, lands, real estate; countryside, rural area, green belt; historical demesne.
fertile land
soil, earth, loam, topsoil, humus.
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many people are leaving the land
the countryside, the country, rural areas.
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Tunisia is a land of variety
country, nation, (nation) state, realm, kingdom, province; region, area, domain.
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the lookout sighted land to the east
terra firma, dry land; coast, coastline, shore.
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terrestrial.
verb
Allied troops landed in France
disembark, go ashore, debark, alight, get off.
the ship landed at Le Havre
berth, dock, moor, (drop) anchor, tie up, put in.
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their plane landed at Chicago
touch down, make a landing, come in to land, come down.
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a bird landed on the branch
perch, settle, come to rest, alight.
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(informal) Nick landed the job of editor
obtain, get, acquire, secure , be appointed to, gain, net, win, achieve, attain, bag, carry off; informal swing; Brit. informal blag.
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(informal) that habit landed her in trouble
bring, lead, cause to be in.
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(informal) they landed her with the bill
burden, saddle, encumber; informal dump something on someone; Brit. informal lumber.
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(informal) John landed a punch on Brian's chin
inflict, deal, deliver, administer, dispense, mete out; informal fetch.
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ANTONYMS :sail, take off.

land up
finish up, find oneself, end up; informal wind up, fetch up, show up, roll up, blow in.

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landing

noun
a forced landing
alighting, touchdown; informal greaser.
the ferry landing
harbour, berth, dock, jetty, landing stage, pier, quay, wharf, slipway.
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ANTONYMS :take-off.

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landlady landlord

noun
the landlord of the pub
publican, licensee, innkeeper, pub-owner, bar-keeper; hotel-keeper, hotelier, restaurateur; manager, manageress.
the landlady had objected to the noise
property owner, proprietor, proprietress, lessor, householder, landowner.
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ANTONYMS :tenant.

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landmark

noun
the spire is a landmark for ships
marker, mark, indicator, beacon.
one of London's most famous landmarks
monument, distinctive feature, prominent feature.
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(historical) the landmarks which separated the two states
boundary marker, boundary line, boundary fence.
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the ruling was hailed as a landmark
turning point, milestone, watershed, critical point.
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landscape

noun
scenery, countryside, topography, country, terrain; outlook, view, prospect, aspect, vista, panorama, perspective, sweep.

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landslide

noun
floods and landslides
landslip, mudslide; avalanche.
the Labour landslide
decisive victory, overwhelming majority, triumph.
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lane

noun
country lanes
byroad, byway, track, road, street; alley, alleyway.
cycle lanes | a three-lane highway
track, way, course; road division.
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language

noun
the structure of language
speech, writing, communication, conversation, speaking, talking, talk, discourse; words, vocabulary; archaic converse.
the English language
tongue, mother tongue, native tongue; informal lingo.
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the booklet is written in simple, everyday language
wording, phrasing, phraseology, style, vocabulary, terminology, expressions, turns of phrase, parlance, form/mode of expression, usages, locutions, idiolect, choice of words; speech, dialect, patois, slang, idioms, jargon, argot, cant; informal lingo.
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linguistic.

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languid

adjective
a languid wave of the hand
relaxed, unhurried, languorous, slow; listless, lethargic, sluggish, lazy, idle, indolent, apathetic; informal laid back; archaic otiose.
languid days in the sun
leisurely, languorous, relaxed, restful, lazy.
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she was pale and languid
sickly, weak, faint, feeble, frail, delicate; tired, weary, fatigued.
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ANTONYMS :energetic.

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languish

verb
the plants languished and died
weaken, deteriorate, decline; wither, droop, wilt, fade, waste away; informal go downhill.
the general is now languishing in prison
waste away, rot, be abandoned, be neglected, be forgotten, suffer, experience hardship.
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(archaic) she still languished after Richard
pine for, yearn for, ache for, long for, sigh for; grieve for, mourn.
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ANTONYMS :thrive.

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languor

noun
the sultry languor that was stealing over her
lassitude, lethargy, listlessness, torpor, fatigue, weariness, sleepiness, drowsiness; laziness, idleness, indolence, inertia, sluggishness, apathy.
the languor of a hot day
stillness, tranquillity, calm, calmness; oppressiveness, heaviness.
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ANTONYMS :vigour.

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lank

adjective
lank, greasy hair
limp, lifeless, lustreless, dull; straggling, straight, long.
his lank figure.
See lanky.
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lanky

adjective
tall, thin, slender, slim, lean, lank, skinny, spindly, spare, gangling, gangly, gawky, rangy. ANTONYMS :stocky.

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lap 1

noun
Henry sat on his gran's lap
knee, knees, thighs.
in the lap of the gods
out of one's hands, beyond one's control, in the hands of fate. live in the lap of luxury
be very rich, want for nothing; informal live the life of Riley; N. Amer. informal live high on the hog.

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lap 2

noun
a race of eight laps
circuit, leg, circle, revolution, round.
verb
she lapped the other runners
overtake, outstrip, leave behind, pass, go past; catch up with.
(poetic/literary) he was lapped in blankets
wrap, swathe, envelop, enfold, swaddle.
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lap 3

verb
waves lapped against the sea wall
splash, wash, swish, slosh, break, beat, strike, dash, roll; poetic/literary plash.
the dog lapped water out of a puddle
drink, lick up, sup, swallow, slurp, gulp.
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lap something up
relish, revel in, savour, delight in, wallow in, glory in, enjoy.

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lapse

noun
a lapse of concentration
failure, failing, slip, error, mistake, blunder, fault, omission; informal slip-up.
his lapse into petty crime
decline, fall, falling, slipping, drop, deterioration, degeneration, backsliding, regression, retrogression, descent, sinking, slide.
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a lapse of time
interval, gap, pause, interlude, lull, hiatus, break; passage, course, passing.
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verb
the planning permission has lapsed
expire, become void, become invalid, run out.
do not let friendships lapse
(come to an) end, cease, stop, terminate, pass, fade, wither, die.
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morality has lapsed
deteriorate, decline, fall (off), drop, worsen, degenerate, backslide, regress, retrogress, get worse, sink, wane, slump; informal go downhill, go to pot, go to the dogs.
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she lapsed into silence
revert, relapse; drift, slide, slip, sink.
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lapsed

adjective
a lapsed Catholic
non-practising, backsliding, apostate; formal quondam.
a lapsed season ticket
expired, void, invalid, out of date.
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ANTONYMS :practising, valid.

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larceny

noun
theft, stealing, robbery, pilfering, thieving; burglary, housebreaking, breaking and entering; informal filching, swiping; Brit. informal nicking, pinching; formal peculation.

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larder

noun
pantry, (food) store, (food) cupboard; cooler, scullery; Brit. buttery; archaic spence.

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large

adjective
a large house | large numbers of people
big, great, huge, sizeable, substantial, immense, enormous, colossal, massive, mammoth, vast, prodigious, tremendous, gigantic, giant, monumental, stupendous, gargantuan, elephantine, titanic, mountainous, monstrous; towering, tall, high; mighty, voluminous, king-size, giant-size; informal jumbo, whopping (great), thumping (great), mega, humongous, monster, astronomical; Brit. informal whacking (great), ginormous.
a large red-faced man
big, burly, heavy, tall, bulky, thickset, chunky, strapping, hulking, hefty, muscular, brawny, solid, powerful, sturdy, strong, rugged; fat, plump, overweight, chubby, stout, meaty, fleshy, portly, rotund, flabby, paunchy, obese, corpulent; informal hunky, beefy, tubby, pudgy; Brit. informal podgy, fubsy; N. Amer. informal zaftig, corn-fed.
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a large supply of wool
abundant, copious, plentiful, ample, liberal, generous, lavish, bountiful, bumper, boundless, good, considerable, superabundant; poetic/literary plenteous.
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the measure has large economic implications
wide-reaching, far-reaching, wide, sweeping, large-scale, broad, extensive, comprehensive, exhaustive.
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macro-, mega-. ANTONYMS :small, meagre.

at large
fourteen criminals are still at large
at liberty, free, (on the) loose, on the run, fugitive; N. Amer. informal on the lam.

society at large
as a whole, generally, in general.
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(dated) he spoke at large
in detail, exhaustively, at length, extensively.
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by and large
on the whole, generally, in general, all things considered, all in all, for the most part, in the main, as a rule, overall, almost always, mainly, mostly; on average, on balance.

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largely

adverb
mostly, mainly, to a large/great extent, chiefly, predominantly, primarily, principally, for the most part, in the main; usually, typically, commonly.

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large-scale

adjective
a large-scale programme
extensive, wide-ranging, far-reaching, comprehensive, exhaustive; mass, nationwide, global.
a large-scale map
enlarged, blown-up, magnified.
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largesse

noun
Tupper took advantage of his friend's largesse
generosity, liberality, munificence, bounty, bountifulness, beneficence, altruism, charity, philanthropy, magnanimity, benevolence, charitableness, open-handedness, kindness, big-heartedness; formal benefaction.
distributing largesse to the locals
gifts, presents, handouts, grants, aid; patronage, sponsorship, backing, help; historical alms.
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ANTONYMS :meanness.

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lark (informal)

noun
we were just having a bit of a lark
fun, amusement, laugh, giggle, joke; escapade, prank, trick, jape, practical joke; informal leg-pull; (larks) antics, high jinks, horseplay, mischief, tomfoolery; informal shenanigans, monkey business; Brit. informal monkey tricks; dated sport.
I've got this snowboarding lark sussed
activity; hobby, pastime, task; informal business, caper.
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verb
he's always larking about
fool about/around, play tricks, make mischief, monkey about/around, clown about/around, have fun, skylark; informal mess about/around; Brit. informal muck about/around.

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lascivious

adjective
lecherous, lewd, lustful, licentious, libidinous, salacious, lubricious, prurient, dirty, smutty, naughty, suggestive, indecent, ribald; informal horny; Brit. informal randy; formal concupiscent.

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lash

verb
he lashed her repeatedly
whip, flog, beat, thrash, horsewhip, scourge, birch, switch, belt, strap, cane; strike, hit; informal wallop, whack, lam, larrup, give someone a (good) hiding; N. Amer. informal whale.
rain lashed the window panes
beat against, dash against, pound, batter, strike, hit, knock.
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the tiger began to lash his tail
swish, flick, twitch, whip.
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fear lashed them into a frenzy
provoke, incite, arouse, excite, agitate, stir up, whip up, work up.
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two boats were lashed together
fasten, bind, tie (up), tether, hitch, knot, rope, make fast.
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noun
he brought the lash down upon the prisoner's back
whip, horsewhip, switch, scourge, thong, flail, strap, birch, cane; historical knout, cat-o'-nine-tails, cat.
twenty lashes
stroke, blow, hit, strike, welt, thwack, thump; informal wallop, whack; archaic stripe.
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lash out
the p resident lashed out at the opposition
criticize, chastise, censure, attack, condemn, denounce, lambaste, harangue, pillory; berate, upbraid, rebuke, reproach; informal lay into; formal castigate.

Norman lashed out at Terry with a knife
hit out, strike, let fly, take a swing; set upon/about, turn on, round on, attack; informal lay into, tear into, pitch into.
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(informal) they lashed out on a taxi
spend lavishly, be extravagant; informal splash out, splurge, shell out, squander money, waste money, fritter money away.
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lass

noun
(Scottish & N. English) girl, young woman, young lady; Scottish lassie; Irish colleen; informal chick, girlie; Brit. informal bird, bint; N. Amer. informal dame, babe, doll, gal, broad; Austral./NZ informal sheila; poetic/literary maid, maiden, damsel; archaic wench.

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lassitude

noun
lethargy, listlessness, weariness, languor, sluggishness, tiredness, fatigue, torpor, lifelessness, apathy. ANTONYMS :vigour.

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last 1

adjective
the last woman in the queue
rearmost, hindmost, endmost, at the end, at the back, furthest (back), final, ultimate.
Rembrandt spent his last years in Amsterdam
closing, concluding, final, ending, end, terminal; later, latter.
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I'd be the last person to say anything against him
least likely, most unlikely, most improbable; least suitable, most unsuitable, most inappropriate, least appropriate.
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we met last year
previous, preceding; prior, former.
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this was his last chance
final, only remaining.
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ANTONYMS :first, early, next.

adverb
the candidate coming last is eliminated
at the end, at/in the rear.
noun
the most important business was left to the last
end, ending, finish, close, conclusion, finale, termination. ANTONYMS :beginning.

at last
finally, in the end, eventually, ultimately, at long last, after a long time, in (the fullness of) time. the last word
that's my last word
final decision, definitive statement, conclusive comment.

she was determined to have the last word
concluding remark, final say, closing statement.
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the last word in luxury and efficiency
the best, the peak, the acme, the epitome, the latest; the pinnacle, the apex, the apogee, the ultimate, the height, the zenith, the nonpareil, the crème de la crème; archaic the nonsuch.
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last 2

verb
the hearing lasted for six days
continue, go on, carry on, keep on/going, proceed, take; stay, remain, persist.
how long will he last as manager?
survive, endure, hold on/out, keep going, persevere; informal stick it out, hang on, hack it.
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the car is built to last
endure, wear well, stand up, bear up; informal go the distance.
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last-ditch

adjective
last-minute, last-chance, eleventh-hour, last-resort, desperate, final; informal last-gasp.

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lasting

adjective
enduring, long-lasting, long-lived, abiding, continuing, long-term, surviving, persisting, permanent; durable, constant, stable, established, secure, long-standing; unchanging, irreversible, immutable, eternal, undying, everlasting, unending, never-ending, unfading, changeless, indestructible, unceasing, unwavering, unfaltering. ANTONYMS :ephemeral.

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lastly

adverb
finally, in conclusion, to conclude, to sum up, to end, last, ultimately. ANTONYMS :firstly.

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latch

noun
he lifted the latch
fastening, catch, fastener, clasp.
verb
Jess latched the back door
fasten, secure, make fast.

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late

adjective
the train was late
behind time, behind schedule, behindhand; tardy, running late, overdue, delayed.
her late husband
dead, departed, lamented, passed on/away; formal deceased.
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the late government
previous, preceding, former, past, prior, earlier, sometime, one-time, ex-, erstwhile; formal quondam.
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ANTONYMS :punctual, early.

adverb
she had arrived late
behind schedule, behind time, behindhand, belatedly, tardily, at the last minute.
I was working late
after (office) hours, overtime.
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I won't have you staying out late
late at night; informal till all hours.
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of late
recently, lately, latterly.

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lately

adverb
recently, of late, latterly, in recent times.

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lateness

noun
unpunctuality, tardiness, delay.

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latent

adjective
dormant, untapped, unused, undiscovered, hidden, concealed, invisible, unseen, undeveloped, unrealized, unfulfilled, potential.

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later

adjective
a later chapter
subsequent, following, succeeding, future, upcoming, to come, ensuing, next; formal posterior; archaic after. ANTONYMS :earlier.

adverb
later, the film rights were sold
subsequently, eventually, then, next, later on, after this/that, afterwards, at a later date, in the future, in due course, by and by, in a while, in time.
two days later a letter arrived
afterwards, later on, after (that), subsequently, following; formal thereafter.
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lateral

adjective
lateral movements
sideways, sidewise, sideward, edgewise, edgeways, oblique.
lateral thinking
unorthodox, inventive, creative, imaginative, original, innovative.
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latest

adjective
most recent, newest, just out, just released, fresh, (bang) up to date, up to the minute, state-of-the-art, current, modern, contemporary, fashionable, in fashion, in vogue; informal in, with it, trendy, hip, hot, happening, cool. ANTONYMS :old.

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lather

noun
a rich, soapy lather
foam, froth, suds, soapsuds, bubbles; poetic/literary spume.
the mare was covered with lather
sweat, perspiration.
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(informal) Dad was in a right lather
panic, fluster, fret, fuss, fever; informal flap, sweat, tizzy, dither, twitter, state, stew; N. Amer. informal twit; poetic/literary pother.
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latitude

noun
Toronto shares the same latitude as Nice
parallel.
he gave them a lot of latitude
freedom, scope, leeway, (breathing) space, flexibility, liberty, independence, free rein, licence, room to manoeuvre, freedom of action.
Top
ANTONYMS :longitude, restriction.

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latter

adjective
the latter half of the season
later, closing, end, concluding, final; latest, most recent.
Russia chose the latter option
last-mentioned, second, last, later.
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ANTONYMS :former.

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latter-day

adjective
modern, present-day, current, contemporary.

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latterly

adverb
latterly, she had been in more pain
recently, lately, of late, in recent times.
latterly he worked as a political editor
ultimately, finally, towards the end.
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lattice

noun
grid, latticework, fretwork, open framework, openwork, trellis, trelliswork, network, mesh.

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laud

verb
(formal) praise, extol, hail, applaud, acclaim, commend, sing the praises of, speak highly of, lionize, eulogize, rhapsodize over/about; informal rave about; archaic magnify, panegyrize. ANTONYMS :criticize.

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laudable

adjective
praiseworthy, commendable, admirable, meritorious, worthy, deserving, creditable, estimable, exemplary. ANTONYMS :shameful.

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laudation

noun
(formal) praise, honour, applause, acclaim, acclamation, commendation, admiration, homage, distinction, approval, credit, kudos, glory, esteem, approbation, tribute, congratulations, plaudits; formal encomium.

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laudatory

adjective
complimentary, congratulatory, praising, extolling, adulatory, commendatory, approbatory, flattering, celebratory, eulogizing, panegyrical; informal glowing; formal encomiastic. ANTONYMS :disparaging.

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laugh

verb
he started to laugh excitedly
chuckle, chortle, guffaw, giggle, titter, snigger, snicker, tee-hee, burst out laughing, roar/hoot with laughter, dissolve into laughter, split one's sides, be doubled up; informal be in stitches, be rolling in the aisles, crease up, fall about, crack up.
people laughed at his theories
ridicule, mock, deride, scoff at, jeer at, sneer at, jibe at, make fun of, poke fun at, scorn; lampoon, satirize, parody; informal send up, take the mickey out of, pooh-pooh; Austral./NZ informal poke mullock at.
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noun
he gave a short laugh
chuckle, chortle, guffaw, giggle, titter, tee-hee, snigger, snicker, roar/hoot of laughter, shriek of laughter, belly laugh.
(informal) he was a right laugh
joker, wag, wit, clown, jester, prankster, character; informal card, case, caution, hoot, scream, riot, barrel of laughs; Austral./NZ informal hard case.
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(informal) I entered the contest for a laugh
joke, prank, piece of fun, jest, escapade, caper, practical joke; informal lark.
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laugh something off
dismiss, make a joke of, make light of, shrug off, brush aside, scoff at; informal pooh-pooh.

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laughable

adjective
the idea that nuclear power is safe is laughable
ridiculous, ludicrous, absurd, risible, preposterous; foolish, silly, idiotic, stupid, nonsensical, crazy, insane, outrageous; informal cock-eyed; Brit. informal daft.
if it wasn't so tragic, it'd be laughable
amusing, funny, humorous, hilarious, uproarious, comical, comic, farcical.
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laughing stock

noun
figure of fun, dupe, butt, stooge, Aunt Sally; informal fall guy.

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laughter

noun
the sound of laughter
laughing, chuckling, chortling, guffawing, giggling, tittering, sniggering; informal hysterics.
a source of laughter
amusement, entertainment, humour, mirth, merriment, gaiety, hilarity, jollity, jocularity, fun.
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launch

verb
he launched the boat
set afloat, put to sea, put into the water.
they've launched the shuttle
send into orbit, blast off, take off, lift off.
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a chair was launched at him
throw, hurl, fling, pitch, lob, let fly; fire, shoot; informal chuck, heave, sling.
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the government launched a new campaign
set in motion, get going, get under way, start, commence, begin, embark on, initiate, inaugurate, set up, organize, introduce, bring into being; informal kick off.
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he launched into a tirade
start, commence, burst into.
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launder

verb
wash (and iron), clean; dry-clean.

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laundry

noun
a big pile of laundry
(dirty) washing, dirty clothes.
the facilities include a laundry
washroom, laundry room, launderette; N. Amer. trademark laundromat.
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laurels

plural noun
honours, tributes, praise, plaudits, accolades, kudos, acclaim, acclamation, credit, glory, honour, distinction, fame, renown, prestige, recognition; informal brownie points; formal laudation.

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lavatory

noun
toilet, WC, water closet, (public) convenience, cloakroom, powder room, urinal, privy, latrine, jakes; N. Amer. washroom, bathroom, rest room, men's/ladies' room, commode, comfort station; Nautical head; informal little girls'/boys' room, smallest room; Brit. informal loo, bog, the Ladies, the Gents, khazi, lav; N. Amer. informal can, john; Austral./NZ informal dunny; archaic closet, garderobe.

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lavish

adjective
lavish parties
sumptuous, luxurious, gorgeous, costly, expensive, opulent, grand, splendid, rich, fancy; informal posh.
he was lavish with his hospitality
generous, liberal, bountiful, open-handed, unstinting, unsparing, free, munificent, extravagant, prodigal.
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lavish amounts of champagne
abundant, copious, plentiful, liberal, prolific, generous; poetic/literary plenteous.
Top
ANTONYMS :meagre, frugal.

verb
she lavished money on her children
give freely, spend generously, heap, shower.

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law

noun
the law of the land
rules and regulations, body of laws, constitution, legislation, legal code.
a new law was passed
regulation, statute, enactment, act, bill, decree, edict, rule, ruling, resolution, dictum, command, order, directive, pronouncement, proclamation, dictate, diktat, fiat, by-law; N. Amer. formal ordinance.
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a career in the law
the legal profession, the bar.
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I'll take you to law!
litigation, legal action, lawsuit, justice.
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(informal) on the run from the law.
See police noun.
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the laws of the game
rule, regulation, principle, convention, instruction, guideline.
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a moral law
principle, rule, precept, directive, injunction, commandment, belief, creed, credo, maxim, tenet, doctrine, canon.
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legal.

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law-abiding

adjective
honest, lawful, righteous, honourable, upright, upstanding, good, decent, virtuous, moral, dutiful, obedient, compliant, disciplined. ANTONYMS :criminal.

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lawbreaker

noun
criminal, felon, wrongdoer, malefactor, evil-doer, offender, transgressor, miscreant; villain, rogue, ruffian; Law malfeasant, infractor; informal crook, con, jailbird.

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law court

noun
court, court of law/justice, tribunal. judicial, juridical.

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lawful

adjective
a verdict of lawful killing
legitimate, legal, licit, just, permissible, permitted, allowable, allowed, rightful, sanctioned, authorized, warranted, within the law; informal legit.
a lawful political organization
law-abiding, righteous, good, decent, virtuous, moral, orderly, well behaved, peaceful, dutiful, obedient, compliant, disciplined.
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ANTONYMS :illegal, criminal.

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lawless

adjective
a lawless rabble
anarchic, disorderly, ungovernable, unruly, disruptive, rebellious, insubordinate, riotous, mutinous.
lawless activities
illegal, unlawful, lawbreaking, illicit, illegitimate, criminal, felonious, villainous, miscreant; informal crooked, shady, bent.
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ANTONYMS :orderly, legal.

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lawlessness

noun
anarchy, disorder, chaos, unruliness, criminality, crime.

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lawsuit

noun
(legal) action, suit (at law), case, (legal/judicial) proceedings, litigation, trial.

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lawyer

noun
solicitor, legal practitioner, legal adviser, member of the bar, barrister, advocate, counsel, Queen's Counsel, QC; N. Amer. attorney, counselor(-at-law); informal brief.

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lax

adjective
slack, slipshod, negligent, remiss, careless, heedless, unmindful, slapdash, offhand, casual; easy-going, lenient, permissive, liberal, indulgent, overindulgent; informal sloppy. ANTONYMS :strict.

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laxative

noun
purgative, evacuant; Medicine aperient, cathartic.

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lay 1

verb
Curtis laid the newspaper on the table
put (down), place, set (down), deposit, rest, situate, locate, position, stow, shove; informal stick, dump, park, plonk; Brit. informal bung.
the act laid the foundation for the new system
set in place, set out/up, establish.
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I'll lay money that Michelle will be there
bet, wager, gamble, stake, risk, venture; give odds, speculate; informal punt.
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they are going to lay charges
bring (forward), press, prefer, lodge, register, place, file.
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he laid the blame at the Prime Minister's door
assign, attribute, ascribe, allot, attach; hold someone responsible/accountable, find guilty, pin the blame on.
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we laid plans for the next voyage
devise, arrange, make (ready), prepare, work out, hatch, design, plan, scheme, plot, conceive, put together, draw up, produce, develop, formulate; informal cook up.
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this will lay a new responsibility on the court
impose, apply, entrust, vest, place, put; inflict, encumber, saddle, charge, burden.
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the eagles laid two eggs
produce; Zoology oviposit.
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lay something aside
farmers laying aside areas for conservation
put aside, put to one side, keep, save.

producers must lay aside their conservatism
abandon, cast aside, reject, renounce, repudiate, disregard, forget, discard; poetic/literary forsake.
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protesters led the government to lay the plans aside
defer, shelve, suspend, put on ice, mothball, set aside, put off/aside; informal put on the back burner.
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lay something bare
reveal, disclose, divulge, show, expose, exhibit, uncover, unveil, unmask, make a clean breast of, make known, make public. lay something down
he laid down his glass
put down, set down, place down, deposit, rest; informal dump, plonk down; Brit. informal bung down.

they were forced to lay down their weapons
relinquish, surrender, give up, yield, cede; disarm, give in, submit, capitulate.
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the ground rules have been laid down
formulate, stipulate, set down, draw up, frame; prescribe, ordain, dictate, decree; enact, pass, decide, determine, impose, codify.
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laying down wine
store, put into store, keep.
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lay down the law
order someone about/around, tell someone what to do, ride roughshod over someone; informal boss someone about/around, throw one's weight about/around, push someone about/around. lay eyes on (informal)
see, spot, observe, regard, view, catch sight of; informal clap/set eyes on; poetic/literary behold, espy, descry. lay hands on
wait till I lay my hands on you!
catch, lay/get hold of, get one's hands on, seize, grab, grasp, capture.

it's not easy to lay your hands on decent champagne
obtain, acquire, get, come by, find, locate, discover, unearth, uncover, pick up, procure, get one's hands on, get possession of, buy, purchase.
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the pastor laid hands on the children
bless, consecrate; confirm; ordain.
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lay something in
stock up with/on, stockpile, store (up), amass, hoard, stow (away), put aside/away/by, garner, collect, squirrel away; informal salt away, stash (away). lay into (informal)
a policeman laying into a protestor.
See assault verb sense 1.

he laid into her with a string of insults.
See criticize.
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lay it on thick (informal)
exaggerate, overdo it, embellish the truth; flatter, praise, soft-soap; informal pile it on, sweet-talk. lay off (informal)
give up, stop, refrain from, abstain from, desist from, cut out; informal pack in, leave off, quit. lay someone off
make redundant, dismiss, let go, discharge, give notice to; informal sack, fire, give someone their cards, give someone their marching orders, give someone the boot/push, give someone the (old) heave-ho. lay something on
provide, supply, furnish, line up, organize, prepare, produce, make available; informal fix up. lay someone out (informal)
knock out/down, knock unconscious, fell, floor, flatten; informal KO, kayo; Brit. informal knock for six. lay something out
Robyn laid the plans out on the desk
spread out, set out, display, exhibit.

a paper laying out our priorities
outline, sketch out, rough out, detail, draw up, formulate, work out, frame, draft.
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(informal) he had to lay out £70.
See pay verb sense 2.
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lay waste
devastate, wipe out, destroy, demolish, annihilate, raze, ruin, wreck, level, flatten, ravage, pillage, sack, despoil.

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lay 2

adjective
a lay preacher
non-clerical, non-ordained, secular, temporal; formal laic.
a lay audience
non-professional, amateur, non-specialist, non-technical, untrained, unqualified.
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layabout

noun
idler, good-for-nothing, loafer, lounger, shirker, sluggard, laggard, slugabed, malingerer; informal skiver, waster, slacker, lazybones; Austral./NZ informal bludger; poetic/literary wastrel.

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layer

noun
coating, sheet, coat, film, covering, blanket, skin, thickness.

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layman

noun
. See layperson senses 1, 2.

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lay-off

noun
redundancy, dismissal, discharge; informal sacking, firing, the sack, the boot, the axe, the elbow. ANTONYMS :recruitment.

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layout

noun
the layout of the house
arrangement, geography, design, organization; plan, map.
the magazine's layout
design, arrangement, presentation, style, format; structure, organization, composition, configuration.
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layperson

noun
a prayer book for laypeople
unordained person, member of the congregation, layman, laywoman.
engineering sounds highly specialized to the layperson
non-expert, layman, non-professional, amateur, non-specialist.
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laze

verb
relax, unwind, idle, do nothing, loaf (around/about), lounge (around/about), loll (around/about), lie (around/about), take it easy; informal hang around/round, veg (out); N. Amer. informal bum (around).

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lazy

adjective
(bone) idle, indolent, slothful, work-shy, shiftless, inactive, sluggish, lethargic; remiss, negligent, slack, lax, lackadaisical; archaic otiose. ANTONYMS :industrious.

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lazybones

noun
(informal) idler, loafer, layabout, lounger, good-for-nothing, do-nothing, shirker, sluggard, laggard, slugabed; informal skiver, waster, slacker; Austral./NZ informal bludger; poetic/literary wastrel.

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leach

verb
drain, filter, percolate, filtrate, strain.

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lead 1

verb
Michelle led them into the house
guide, conduct, show (the way), lead the way, usher, escort, steer, pilot, shepherd; accompany, see, take.
he led us to believe they were lying
cause, induce, prompt, move, persuade, influence, drive, condition, make; incline, dispose, predispose.
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this might lead to job losses
result in, cause, bring on/about, give rise to, be the cause of, make happen, create, produce, occasion, effect, generate, contribute to, promote; provoke, stir up, spark off, arouse, foment, instigate; involve, necessitate, entail; formal effectuate.
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he led a march to the city centre
be at the head/front of, head, spearhead.
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she led a coalition of radicals
be the leader of, be the head of, preside over, head, command, govern, rule, be in charge of, be in command of, be in control of, run, control, be at the helm of; administer, organize, manage; reign over, be in power over; informal head up.
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Rangers were leading at half-time
be ahead, be winning, be (out) in front, be in the lead, be first.
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the champion was leading the field
be at the front of, be first in, be ahead of, head; outrun, outstrip, outpace, leave behind, draw away from; outdo, outclass, beat; informal leave standing.
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I just want to lead a normal life
experience, have, live, spend.
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ANTONYMS :follow.

noun
I was in the lead early on
leading position, first place, van, vanguard; ahead, in front, winning.
they took the lead in the personal computer market
first position, forefront, primacy, dominance, superiority, ascendancy; pre-eminence, supremacy, advantage, upper hand, whip hand.
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sixth-formers should give a lead to younger pupils
example, (role) model, exemplar, paradigm.
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playing the lead
leading role, star/starring role, title role, principal part; principal character, male lead, female lead, leading man, leading lady.
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a labrador on a lead
leash, tether, cord, rope, chain.
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detectives were following up a new lead
clue, pointer, hint, tip, tip-off, suggestion, indica tion, sign; (leads) evidence, information.
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adjective
the lead position
leading, first, top, foremost, front, head; chief, principal, premier.
lead something off
begin, start (off), commence, open; informal kick off. lead someone on
deceive, mislead, delude, hoodwink, dupe, trick, fool, pull the wool over someone's eyes; tease, flirt with; informal string along, lead up the garden path, take for a ride. lead the way
he led the way to the kitchen
guide, conduct, show the way.

Britain is leading the way in aerospace technology
take the initiative, break (new) ground, blaze a trail, prepare the way.
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lead up to
prepare the way for, pave the way for, lay the groundwork for, set the scene for, work round/up to, approach the subject of.

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lead 2

noun
a lead-lined box.
plumbic, plumbous, plumb-.

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leaden

adjective
his eyes were leaden with sleep
dull, heavy, weighty; listless, lifeless.
he moved on leaden feet
sluggish, heavy, lumbering, slow.
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leaden prose
boring, dull, unimaginative, uninspired, monotonous, heavy, laboured, wooden.
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a leaden sky
grey, greyish, black, dark; cloudy, gloomy, overcast, dull, murky, sunless, louring, oppressive, threatening; poetic/literary tenebrous.
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leader

noun
the leader of the Democratic Party
chief, head, principal; commander, captain; controller, superior, headman; chairman, chairwoman, chairperson, chair; (managing) director, MD, manager, superintendent, supervisor, overseer, administrator, employer, master, mistress; president, premier, governor; ruler, monarch, king, queen, sovereign, emperor; informal boss, skipper, gaffer, guv'nor, number one, numero uno, honcho; N. Amer. informal sachem, padrone.
a world leader in the use of video conferencing
pioneer, front runner, innovator, trailblazer, ground-breaker, trendsetter, torch-bearer; originator, initiator, founder, architect.
Top
ANTONYMS :follower, supporter.

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leadership

noun
the leadership of the Conservative Party
headship, directorship, premiership, governorship, governance, administration, captaincy, control, ascendancy, rule, command, power, dominion.
firm leadership
guidance, direction, control, management, superintendence, supervision; organization, government.
Top

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leading

adjective
he played the leading role in his team's victory
main, chief, major, prime, most significant, principal, foremost, key, central, focal, paramount, dominant, essential.
the leading industrialized countries
most powerful, most important, greatest, chief, pre-eminent, principal, dominant.
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last season's leading scorer
top, highest, best, first; front, lead; unparalleled, matchless, star.
Top
ANTONYMS :subordinate, minor.

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leaf

noun
sycamore leaves
frond, leaflet, flag; Botany cotyledon, blade, bract.
a sheaf of loose leaves
page, sheet, folio.
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foliaceous.
verb
he leafed through the documents
flick, flip, thumb, skim, browse, glance, riffle; scan, run one's eye over, peruse.
turn over a new leaf
reform, improve, mend one's ways, make a fresh start, change for the better; informal go straight.

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leaflet

noun
pamphlet, booklet, brochure, handbill, circular, flyer, handout, bulletin; N. Amer. folder, dodger.

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league

noun
a league of nations
alliance, confederation, confederacy, federation, union, association, coalition, consortium, affiliation, guild, cooperative, partnership, fellowship, syndicate, consociation.
we won the league last year
championship, competition, contest.
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the store is not in the same league
class, group, category, level.
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verb
they leagued together with other companies
ally, join forces, join together, unite, band together, affiliate, combine, amalgamate, confederate, team up, join up.
in league with
collaborating with, cooperating with, in alliance with, allied with, conspiring with, hand in glove with; informal in cahoots with.

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leak

verb
oil leaking from the tanker
seep (out), escape, ooze (out), emanate, issue, drip, dribble, drain, bleed.
the tanks are leaking gasoline
discharge, exude, emit, release, drip, dribble, ooze, secrete.
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civil servants leaking information
disclose, divulge, reveal, make public, tell, impart, pass on, relate, communicate, expose, broadcast, publish, release, let slip, bring into the open; informal blab, let the cat out of the bag, spill the beans, blow the gaff.
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noun
check that there are no leaks in the bag
hole, opening, puncture, perforation, gash, slit, nick, rent, break, crack, fissure, rupture.
a gas leak
discharge, leakage, leaking, oozing, seeping, seepage, drip, escape.
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leaks to the media
disclosure, revelation, exposé.
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leaky

adjective
leaking, dripping; cracked, split, punctured, perforated. ANTONYMS :watertight.

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lean 1

verb
Polly leaned against the door
rest, recline, be supported.
trees leaning in the wind
slant, incline, bend, tilt, be at an angle, slope, tip, list.
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he leans towards existentialist philosophy
tend, incline, gravitate; have a preference for, have a penchant for, be partial to, have a liking for, have an affinity with.
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a strong shoulder to lean on
depend, be dependent, rely, count, bank, have faith in, trust.
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(informal) I got leaned on by villains
intimidate, coerce, browbeat, bully, pressurize, threaten, put pressure on; informal twist someone's arm, put the frighteners on, put the screws on.
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lean 2

adjective
a tall, lean man
slim, thin, slender, spare, wiry, lanky.
a lean harvest
meagre, sparse, poor, mean, inadequate, insufficient, paltry, deficient, insubstantial.
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lean times
unproductive, unfruitful, arid, barren; hard, bad, difficult, tough, impoverished, poverty-stricken.
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ANTONYMS :fat, abundant, prosperous.

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leaning

noun
inclination, tendency, bent, proclivity, propensity, penchant, predisposition, predilection, partiality, preference, bias, attraction, liking, fondness, taste.

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leap

verb
he leapt over the gate
jump (over), vault (over), spring over, bound over, hop (over), hurdle, clear.
Claudia leapt to her feet
spring, jump (up), bound, dart.
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we leapt to the rescue
rush, hurry, hasten.
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she leapt at the chance
accept eagerly, grasp (with both hands), grab, take advantage of, seize (on), jump at.
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don't leap to conclusions
form hastily, reach hurriedly; hurry, hasten, jump, rush.
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profits leapt by 55%
increase rapidly, soar, rocket, skyrocket, shoot up, escalate.
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noun
an easy leap
jump, vault, spring, bound, hop, skip.
a leap of 33%
sudden rise, surge, upsurge, upswing, upturn.
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in/by leaps and bounds
rapidly, swiftly, quickly, speedily.

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learn

verb
learning a foreign language
acquire a knowledge of, acquire skill in, become competent in, become proficient in, grasp, master, take in, absorb, assimilate, digest, familiarize oneself with; study, read up on, be taught, have lessons in; informal get the hang of, get clued up about.
she learnt the poem by heart
memorize, learn by heart, commit to memory, learn parrot-fashion, get off/down pat; archaic con.
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he learned that the school would shortly be closing
discover, find out, become aware, be informed, hear (tell); gather, understand, ascertain, establish; informal get wind of the fact; Brit. informal suss out.
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learned

adjective
scholarly, erudite, well educated, knowledgeable, widely read, well informed, lettered, cultured, intellectual, academic, literary, bookish, highbrow, studious; informal brainy; formal sapient. ANTONYMS :ignorant.

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learner

noun
beginner, trainee, apprentice, pupil, student, novice, newcomer, starter, probationer, tyro, fledgling, neophyte; N. Amer. tenderfoot; N. Amer. informal greenhorn. ANTONYMS :veteran.

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learning

noun
a centre of learning
study, studying, education, schooling, tuition, teaching, academic work; research, investigation.
the astonishing range of his learning
scholarship, knowledge, education, erudition, intellect, enlightenment, illumination, edification, book learning, information, understanding, wisdom.
Top
ANTONYMS :ignorance.

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lease

noun
a 15-year lease
leasehold, rental/hire agreement, charter; rental, tenancy, tenure, period of occupancy. lessor, lessee. ANTONYMS :freehold.

verb
the film crew leased a large hangar
rent, hire, charter.
they leased the mill to a reputable family
rent (out), let (out), hire (out), sublet, sublease.
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leash

noun
keep your dog on a leash
lead, tether, rope, chain, strap, restraint.
he found himself off the parental leash
control, restraint, check, curb, rein, discipline.
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verb
she leashed the dog
put the leash on, put the lead on, tether, tie up, secure, restrain.
the ire in her face was barely leashed
curb, control, keep under control, check, restrain, hold back, suppress.
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straining at the leash
eager, impatient, anxious, enthusiastic; informal itching, dying.

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least

determiner
I have not the least idea what this means
slightest, smallest, minutest, tiniest, littlest.
at least
at the minimum, no/not less than, more than.

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leather

noun
a leather jacket
skin, hide.
verb
he caught me and leathered me
beat, strap, belt, thrash, flog, whip, horsewhip, birch, cane, strike, hit; informal wallop, whack, tan someone's hide, give someone a (good) hiding.

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leathery

adjective
leathery skin
rough, rugged, wrinkled, wrinkly, furrowed, lined, wizened, weather-beaten, callous, gnarled.
leathery sides of beef
tough, hard, gristly, chewy, stringy.
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leave 1

verb
I left the hotel
depart from, go (away) from, withdraw from, retire from, take oneself off from, exit from, take one's leave of, pull out of, quit, be gone from, decamp from, disappear from, vacate, absent oneself from; say one's farewells/goodbyes, make oneself scarce; informal push off, shove off, clear out/off, cut and run, split, vamoose, scoot, make tracks, up sticks; Brit. informal sling one's hook.
the next morning we left for Leicester
set off, head, make; set sail.
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he's left his wife
abandon, desert, cast aside/off, jilt, leave in the lurch, leave high and dry, throw over; informal dump, ditch, chuck, drop, walk/run out on; poetic/literary forsake.
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he left his job in November
resign from, retire from, step down from, withdraw from, pull out of, give up; informal quit.
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she left her handbag on a bus
leave behind, forget, lose, mislay.
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I thought I'd leave it to the experts
entrust, hand over, pass on, refer; delegate.
Top
he left her £100,000
bequeath, will, endow, hand down, make over; Law demise, devise.
Top
the speech left some feelings of disappointment
cause, produce, generate, give rise to.
Top
ANTONYMS :arrive.

leave someone in the lurch
leave in trouble, let down, leave stranded, leave high and dry, abandon, desert. leave off (informal)
stop, cease, finish, desist from, keep from, break off, lay off, give up, discontinue, refrain from, eschew; informal quit, knock off, jack in, swear off; formal forswear. leave someone/something out
Adam left out the address
miss out, omit, fail to include, overlook, forget; skip, miss, jump.

he was left out of the England squad
exclude, omit, drop, pass over.
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leave 2

noun
the judge granted leave to appeal
permission, consent, authorization, sanction, warrant, dispensation, approval, clearance, blessing, agreement, backing, assent, acceptance, licence, acquiescence; informal the go-ahead, the green light, the OK, the rubber stamp.
he was on leave
holiday, vacation, break, time off, furlough, sabbatical, leave of absence; informal hols, vac.
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I will now take my leave of you
departure, leaving, leave-taking, parting, withdrawal, exit, farewell, goodbye.
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leaven

noun
leaven is added to the dough
leavening, fermentation agent, raising agent.
verb
yeast leavens the bread
raise, make rise, puff up, expand.
formal proceedings leavened by humour
permeate, infuse, pervade, imbue, suffuse; enliven, liven up, invigorate, energize, electrify, ginger up, perk up, brighten up, season, spice; informal buck up, pep up.
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leavings

plural noun
residue, remainder, remains, remnants, leftovers, scrapings, scraps, oddments, odds and ends, rejects, dregs, refuse, rubbish.

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lecher

noun
lecherous man, libertine, womanizer, debauchee, rake, roué, profligate, wanton, loose-liver, Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario, Romeo; informal lech, dirty old man, goat, wolf; formal fornicator.

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lecherous

adjective
lustful, licentious, lascivious, libidinous, prurient, lewd, salacious, lubricious, debauched, dissolute, wanton, dissipated, degenerate, depraved, dirty, filthy; informal randy, horny, goatish; formal concupiscent. ANTONYMS :chaste.

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lecture

noun
a lecture on children's literature
speech, talk, address, discourse, disquisition, presentation, oration, lesson.
Dave got a severe lecture
scolding, chiding, reprimand, rebuke, reproof, reproach, upbraiding, berating, admonishment; informal dressing-down, telling-off, talking-to, tongue-lashing; formal castigation.
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verb
lecturing on the dangers of drugs
give a lecture/talk, talk, make a speech, speak, give an address, discourse, hold forth, declaim, expatiate; informal spout, sound off.
she lectures at Dublin University
teach, tutor, give instruction, give lessons.
Top
he was lectured by the headmaster
scold, chide, reprimand, rebuke, reprove, reproach, upbraid, berate, chastise, admonish, lambaste, haul over the coals, take to task; informal give someone a dressing-down, give someone a talking-to, tell off; Brit. informal tick off, carpet; N. Amer. informal bawl out; formal castigate.
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lecturer

noun
the lecturer is a journalist
(public) speaker, speech-maker, orator.
a lecturer in economics
university/college teacher, tutor, reader, scholar, don, professor, fellow; academic, academician, preceptor; formal pedagogue.
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ledge

noun
shelf, sill, mantel, mantelpiece, shelving; projection, protrusion, overhang, ridge, prominence.

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ledger

noun
(account) book, record book, register, log; records, books; balance sheet, financial statement.

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lee

noun
shelter, protection, cover, refuge, safety, security.

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leech

noun
parasite, bloodsucker, passenger; informal scrounger, sponger, freeloader.

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leer

verb
Henry leered at her
ogle, look lasciviously, look suggestively, eye; informal give someone a/the once-over, lech after/over.
noun
a sly leer
lecherous look, lascivious look, ogle; informal the once-over.

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leery

adjective
wary, cautious, careful, guarded, chary, suspicious, distrustful; worried, anxious, apprehensive.

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lees

plural noun
sediment, dregs, deposit, grounds, residue, remains, silt, sludge; technical residuum; poetic/literary draff; archaic grouts.

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leeway

noun
freedom, scope, latitude, space, room, liberty, flexibility, licence, free hand, free rein.

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left

adjective
left-hand, sinistral; Nautical port; Nautical, archaic larboard; Heraldry sinister. laevo-, sinistro-. ANTONYMS :right, starboard.

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left-handed

adjective
a left-handed golfer
sinistral; informal southpaw.
a left-handed compliment
backhanded, ambiguous, equivocal, double-edged; dubious, indirect, cryptic, ironic, sardonic, insincere, hypocritical.
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ANTONYMS :right-handed.

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leftover

noun
a leftover from the 60s
residue, survivor, vestige, legacy.
put the leftovers in the fridge
leavings, uneaten food, remainder, scraps, remnants, remains; excess, surplus.
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adjective
leftover food
remaining, left, uneaten, unconsumed; excess, surplus, superfluous, unused, unwanted, spare.

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left-wing

adjective
socialist, communist, leftist, Labour, Marxist Leninist, Bolshevik, Trotskyite, Maoist; informal commie, lefty, red, pink. ANTONYMS :right-wing, conservative.

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leg

noun
Lee broke his leg
(lower) limb, shank; informal peg, pin; archaic member.
a table leg
upright, support, prop.
Top
the first leg of a European tour
part, stage, portion, segment, section, phase, stretch, lap.
Top

give someone a leg up
help/assist someone, give someone assistance, lend someone a helping hand, give someone a boost, give someone a flying start. leg it (informal)
if the dog starts growling, leg it!
run (away), flee, make off, make a break for it, escape, hurry; informal hightail it, hotfoot it, make a run for it, cut and run, skedaddle, vamoose, show a clean pair of heels, split, scoot, scram; Brit. informal scarper.

legging it around London
walk, march, tramp, trek, trudge, plod, wander, go on foot, go on Shanks's pony.
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on its last legs
my car is on its last legs
dilapidated, worn out, rickety, about to fall apart.

a foundry business on its last legs
failing, about to go bankrupt, near to ruin, going to the wall; informal going bust.
Top
pull someone's leg
tease, rag, make fun of, chaff, jest, joke with, play a (practical) joke on, play a trick on, make a monkey out of; hoax, fool, deceive, lead on, hoodwink, dupe, beguile, gull; informal kid, have on, rib, take for a ride, take the mickey out of; Brit. informal wind up; N. Amer. informal put on. stretch one's legs
go for a walk, take a stroll, walk, stroll, move about, get some exercise.

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legacy

noun
a legacy from a great aunt
bequest, inheritance, heritage, bequeathal, bestowal, endowment, gift, patrimony, settlement, birthright; Law, dated hereditament; formal benefaction.
the rancorous legacy of the war
consequence, effect, upshot, spin-off, repercussion, aftermath, by-product, result.
Top

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legal

adjective
all their actions were legal
lawful, legitimate, licit, within the law, legalized, valid; permissible, permitted, allowable, allowed, above board, admissible, acceptable; authorized, sanctioned, licensed, constitutional; informal legit.
the legal profession
judicial, juridical, judicatory.
Top
ANTONYMS :criminal.

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legality

noun
lawfulness, legitimacy, validity, admissibility, permissibility, constitutionality; justice.

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legalize

verb
make legal, decriminalize, legitimize, legitimatize, legitimate, permit, allow, authorize, sanction, license; regularize, normalize; informal OK, give the go-ahead to, give the thumbs up to, give the green light to. ANTONYMS :prohibit.

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legate

noun
envoy, emissary, agent, ambassador, representative, nuncio, commissioner, delegate, proxy, deputy, plenipotentiary, messenger.

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legatee

noun
beneficiary, inheritor, heir, heiress, recipient; Law devisee; Scottish Law heritor.

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legation

noun
the British legation
(diplomatic) mission, delegation, deputation, contingent; envoys, delegates, diplomats, aides.
the legations were besieged
embassy, consulate.
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legend

noun
the Arthurian legends
myth, saga, epic, (folk) tale, (folk) story, fairy tale, fable, mythos, mythus; folklore, lore, mythology, fantasy, oral history, folk tradition.
pop legends
celebrity, star, superstar, icon, phenomenon, luminary, giant; informal celeb, megastar.
Top
the wording of the legend
caption, inscription, dedication, slogan, heading, title, subtitle, sub-heading, rubric.
Top
the legend to Figure 5
explanation, key, guide.
Top

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legendary

adjective
legendary kings
fabled, heroic, traditional, fairy-tale, storybook, mythical, mythological.
a legendary figure in the trade-union movement
famous, celebrated, famed, renowned, acclaimed, illustrious, esteemed, honoured, exalted, venerable, well known, popular, prominent, distinguished, great, eminent, pre-eminent; formal lauded.
Top
ANTONYMS :historical.

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legerdemain

noun
stage magicians practising legerdemain
sleight of hand, conjuring, magic, wizardry; formal prestidigitation; rare thaumaturgy.
a piece of management legerdemain
trickery, cunning, artfulness, craftiness, chicanery, skulduggery, deceit, deception, artifice; Brit. informal jiggery-pokery.
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legibility

noun
readability, clarity, clearness, neatness.

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legible

adjective
readable, easy to read, easily deciphered, clear, plain, neat, intelligible.

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legion

noun
a Roman legion
brigade, regiment, battalion, company, troop, division, squadron, squad, platoon, unit.
the legions of TV cameras
horde, throng, multitude, crowd, mass, mob, gang, swarm, flock, herd, score, army.
Top

adjective
her fans are legion
numerous, countless, innumerable, incalculable, many, abundant, plentiful; poetic/literary myriad.

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legislate

verb
make laws, pass laws, enact laws, formulate laws.

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legislation

noun
law, body of laws, rules, rulings, regulations, acts, bills, statutes, enactments; N. Amer. formal ordinances.

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legislative

adjective
law-making, judicial, juridical, parliamentary, governmental, policy-making.

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legislator

noun
lawmaker, lawgiver, parliamentarian, Member of Parliament, MP, congressman, congresswoman, senator.

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legitimate

adjective
the only form of legitimate gambling
legal, lawful, licit, legalized, authorized, permitted, permissible, allowable, allowed, admissible, sanctioned, approved, licensed, statutory, constitutional; informal legit.
the legitimate heir
rightful, lawful, genuine, authentic, real, true, proper, authorized, sanctioned, acknowledged, recognized.
Top
legitimate grounds for unease
valid, sound, admissible, acceptable, well founded, justifiable, reasonable, sensible, just, fair, bona fide.
Top
ANTONYMS :illegal, invalid.

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legitimize

verb
validate, legitimate, permit, authorize, sanction, license, condone, justify, endorse, support; legalize. ANTONYMS :outlaw.

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leisure

noun
the balance between leisure and work
free time, spare time, time off; recreation, relaxation, inactivity, pleasure; informal R and R. ANTONYMS :work.

at your leisure
at your convenience, when it suits you, in your own (good) time, without haste, unhurriedly.

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leisurely

adjective
unhurried, relaxed, easy, gentle, sedate, comfortable, restful, undemanding, slow, lazy. ANTONYMS :hurried.

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lemon

citrous.

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lend

verb
I'll lend you my towel
loan, let someone use; advance; Brit. informal sub.
these examples lend weight to his assertions
add, impart, give, bestow, confer, provide, supply, furnish, contribute.
Top
ANTONYMS :borrow.

lend an ear
listen, pay attention, take notice, be attentive, concentrate, (pay) heed; informal be all ears; archaic hearken. lend a hand
help (out), give a helping hand, assist, give assistance, make a contribution, do one's bit; informal pitch in, muck in, get stuck in. lend itself to
be suitable for, be suited to, be appropriate for, be applicable for.

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length

noun
a length of three or four metres | the whole length of the valley
extent, distance, linear measure, span, reach; area, expanse, stretch, range, scope.
a considerable length of time
period, duration, stretch, span.
Top
a length of blue silk
piece, swatch, measure.
Top
MPs criticized the length of the speech
protractedness, lengthiness, extent, extensiveness; prolixity, wordiness, verbosity, verboseness, long-windedness.
Top

at length
he spoke at length
for a long time, for ages, for hours, interminably, endlessly, ceaselessly, unendingly.

he was questioned at length
thoroughly, fully, in detail, in depth, comprehensively, exhaustively, extensively.
Top

his search led him, at length, to Seattle
after a long time, eventually, in time, finally, at (long) last, in the end, ultimately.
Top
go to any length(s)
do absolutely anything, go to any extreme.

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lengthen

verb
he lengthened his stride
elongate, make longer, extend; expand, widen, broaden, enlarge.
the days are lengthening
grow/get longer, draw out.
Top
you'll need to lengthen the cooking time
prolong, make longer, increase, extend, expand, protract, stretch out.
Top
ANTONYMS :shorten.

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lengthy

adjective
a lengthy civil war
(very) long, long-lasting, prolonged, extended.
lengthy discussions
protracted, overlong, long-drawn-out; verbose, wordy, prolix, long-winded; tedious, boring, interminable.
Top
ANTONYMS :short.

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leniency

noun
mercifulness, mercy, clemency, forgiveness; tolerance, forbearance, humanity, charity, indulgence, mildness; pity, sympathy, compassion, understanding.

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lenient

adjective
merciful, clement, forgiving, forbearing, tolerant, charitable, humane, indulgent, easy-going, magnanimous, sympathetic, compassionate. ANTONYMS :severe.

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leper

noun
(social) outcast, pariah, undesirable, persona non grata.

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leprechaun

noun
pixie, goblin, elf, sprite, fairy, gnome, imp, brownie.

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lesbian

noun
homosexual woman, gay woman; informal les, lesbo, lezzy, butch, dyke. ANTONYMS :heterosexual.

adjective
homosexual, gay; informal les, lesbo, lezzy, butch, dykey, queer, bent. ANTONYMS :straight.

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lesion

noun
wound, injury, bruise, abrasion, contusion; ulcer, ulceration, (running) sore, abscess; Medicine trauma.

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less

pronoun
the fare is less than £1
a smaller amount, not so/as much as, under, below. ANTONYMS :more.

determiner
there was less noise now
not so much, smaller, slighter, shorter, reduced; fewer.
adverb
we must use the car less
to a lesser degree, to a smaller extent, not so/as much.
preposition
list price less 10 per cent
minus, subtracting, excepting, without. ANTONYMS :plus.

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lessen

verb
exercise lessens the risk of heart disease
reduce, make less/smaller, minimize, decrease; allay, assuage, alleviate, attenuate, palliate, ease, dull, deaden, blunt, moderate, mitigate, dampen, soften, tone down, dilute, weaken.
the pain began to lessen
grow less, grow smaller, decrease, diminish, decline, subside, abate; fade, die down/off, let up, ease off, tail off, drop (off/away), fall, dwindle, ebb, wane, recede.
Top
his behaviour lessened him in their eyes
diminish, degrade, discredit, devalue, belittle.
Top
ANTONYMS :increase.

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lesser

adjective
a lesser offence
less important, minor, secondary, subsidiary, marginal, ancillary, auxiliary, supplementary, peripheral; inferior, insignificant, unimportant, petty.
you look down at us lesser mortals
subordinate, minor, inferior, second-class, subservient, lowly, humble.
Top
ANTONYMS :greater, superior.

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lesson

noun
a maths lesson
class, session, seminar, tutorial, lecture, period (of instruction/teaching).
they should be industrious at their lessons
exercises, assignments, schoolwork, homework.
Top
reading the lesson in assembly
Bible reading, scripture, text, reading.
Top
Stuart's accident should be a lesson to all parents
warning, deterrent, caution; example, exemplar, message, moral.
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lest

conjunction
(just) in case, for fear that, in order to avoid.

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let

verb
let him sleep for now
allow, permit, give permission to, give leave to, authorize, sanction, grant the right to, license, empower, enable, entitle; assent to, consent to, agree to, acquiesce in, tolerate, countenance, give one's blessing to, give assent to, give someone/something the nod; informal give the green light to, give the go-ahead to, give the thumbs up to, OK; formal accede to; archaic suffer.
Wilcox opened the door to let her through
allow to go, permit to pass; make way for.
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they've let their flat
rent (out), let out, lease, hire (out), sublet, sublease.
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ANTONYMS :prevent, prohibit.

let someone down
fail (to support), fall short of expectation, disappoint, disillusion; abandon, desert, leave stranded, leave in the lurch. let something down
lengthen, make longer. let fly
he let fly with a brick
hurl, fling, throw, propel, pitch, lob, toss, launch; shoot, fire, blast; informal chuck, sling, heave.

she let fly at Geoffrey
lose one's tempe r with, lash out at, scold, chastise, chide, rant at, inveigh against, rail against; explode, burst out, let someone have it; informal carpet, give someone a rocket, tear someone off a strip; formal excoriate.
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let go
release (one's hold on), loose/loosen one's hold on, relinquish; archaic unhand. let someone go
make redundant, dismiss, discharge, lay off, give notice to, axe; informal sack, fire, give someone their cards, give someone their marching orders, send packing, give someone the boot/push, give someone the (old) heave-ho. let someone in
allow to enter, allow in, admit, open the door to; receive, welcome, greet. let someone in on something
include, count in, admit, allow to share in, let participate in, inform about, tell about. let something off
detonate, discharge, explode, set off, fire off. let someone off
(informal) I'll let you off this time
pardon, forgive, grant an amnesty to; deal leniently with, be merciful to, have mercy on; acquit, absolve, exonerate, clear, vindicate; informal let someone off the hook; formal exculpate.

he let me off work
excuse from, exempt from, spare from.
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let on (informal)
I never let on that I felt anxious
reveal, make known, tell, disclose, mention, divulge, let slip, give away, make public; blab; informal let the cat out of the bag, give the game away.

they all let on they didn't hear me
pretend, feign, affect, make out, make believe, simulate.
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let something out
I let out a cry of triumph
utter, emit, give (vent to), produce, issue, express, voice, release.

she let out that he'd given her a lift home
reveal, make known, tell, disclose, mention, divulge, let slip, give away, let it be known, blurt out.
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let someone out
release, liberate, (set) free, let go, discharge; set/turn loose, allow to leave. let up (informal)
the rain has let up
abate, lessen, decrease, diminish, subside, relent, slacken, die down/off, ease (off), tail off; ebb, wane, dwindle, fade; stop, cease, finish.

you never let up, do you?
relax, ease up/off, slow down; pause, break (off), take a break, rest, stop; informal take a breather.
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I promise I'll let up on him
treat less severely, be more lenient with, be kinder to; informal go easy on.
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let-down

noun
disappointment, anticlimax, comedown, non-event, fiasco, setback, blow; informal washout, damp squib.

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lethal

adjective
fatal, deadly, mortal, death-dealing, life-threatening, murderous, killing; poisonous, toxic, noxious, venomous; dangerous, destructive, harmful, pernicious; poetic/literary deathly, nocuous; archaic baneful. ANTONYMS :harmless, safe.

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lethargic

adjective
sluggish, inert, inactive, slow, torpid, lifeless; languid, listless, lazy, idle, indolent, shiftless, slothful, apathetic, weary, tired, fatigued.

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lethargy

noun
sluggishness, inertia, inactivity, inaction, slowness, torpor, torpidity, lifelessness, listlessness, languor, languidness, laziness, idleness, indolence, shiftlessness, sloth, apathy, passivity, weariness, tiredness, lassitude, fatigue; poetic/literary hebetude. ANTONYMS :vigour, energy.

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letter

noun
capital letters
(alphabetical) character, sign, symbol, mark, figure, rune; Linguistics grapheme.
she received a letter
(written) message, (written) communication, note, line, missive, dispatch; correspondence, news, information, intelligence, word; post, mail; formal epistle.
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a man of letters
(book) learning, scholarship, erudition, education, knowledge; intellect, intelligence, enlightenment, wisdom, sagacity, culture.
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epistolary.
to the letter
strictly, precisely, exactly, accurately, closely, faithfully, religiously, punctiliously, literally, verbatim, in every detail.

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lettered

adjective
learned, erudite, academic, (well) educated, well read, widely read, knowledgeable, intellectual, well schooled, enlightened, cultured, cultivated, scholarly, bookish, highbrow, studious. ANTONYMS :ill-educated.

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let-up

noun
(informal) abatement, lessening, decrease, diminishing, diminution, decline, relenting, remission, slackening, weakening, relaxation, dying down, easing off, tailing off, dropping away/off; respite, break, interval, hiatus, suspension, cessation, stop, pause.

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level

adjective
a smooth and level surface
flat, smooth, even, uniform, plane, flush, plumb.
he kept his voice level
unchanging, steady, unvarying, even, uniform, regular, constant, invariable, unaltering; calm, unemotional, composed, equable, unruffled, serene, tranquil.
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the scores were level
equal, even, drawn, tied, all square, neck and neck, level pegging, on a par, evenly matched; informal even-steven(s).
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his eyes were level with hers
aligned, on the same level as, on a level, at the same height as, in line.
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ANTONYMS :uneven, unsteady, unequal.

noun
the post is at research-officer level
rank, standing, status, position; echelon, degree, grade, gradation, stage, standard, rung; class, stratum, group, grouping, set, classification.
a high level of employment
quantity, amount, extent, measure, degree, volume, size, magnitude, intensity, proportion.
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the level of water is rising
height, highness, altitude, elevation.
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the sixth level
floor, storey, deck.
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verb
tilt the tin to level the mixture
make level, level out/off, make even, even off/out, make flat, flatten, smooth (out), make uniform.
bulldozers levelled the building
raze (to the ground), demolish, flatten, topple, destroy; tear down, knock down, pull down, bulldoze.
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he levelled his opponent with a single blow
knock down/out, knock to the ground, lay out, prostrate, flatten, floor, fell; informal KO, kayo.
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Carl levelled the score
equalize, make equal, equal, even (up), make level.
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he levelled his pistol at me
aim, point, direct, train, focus, turn.
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(informal) I knew you'd level with me
be frank, be open, be honest, be above board, tell the truth, tell all, hide nothing, be straightforward; informal be upfront.
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on the level (informal)
genuine, straight, honest, above board, fair, true, sincere, straightforward; informal upfront; N. Amer. informal on the up and up.

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level-headed

adjective
sensible, practical, realistic, prudent, pragmatic, wise, reasonable, rational, mature, judicious, sound, sober, businesslike, no-nonsense, composed, calm, (cool, calm, and collected), confident, well balanced, equable, cool-headed, self-possessed, having one's feet on the ground; informal unflappable, together. ANTONYMS :excitable.

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lever

noun
you can insert a lever and prise the rail off
crowbar, bar, jemmy.
he pulled the lever
handle, grip, pull, switch.
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verb
he levered the door open
prise, force, wrench, pull, wrest, heave; N. Amer. pry; informal jemmy.

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leverage

noun
the long handles provide increased leverage
grip, purchase, hold; support, anchorage, force, strength.
they have significant leverage in negotiations
influence, power, authority, weight, sway, pull, control, say, dominance, advantage, pressure; informal clout, muscle, teeth.
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levitate

noun
float, rise (into the air), hover, be suspended, glide, hang, fly, soar up.

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levity

noun
light-heartedness, high spirits, vivacity, liveliness, cheerfulness, cheeriness, humour, gaiety, fun, jocularity, hilarity, frivolity, frivolousness, amusement, mirth, laughter, merriment, glee, comedy, wit, wittiness, jollity, joviality. ANTONYMS :seriousness.

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levy

verb
a proposal to levy VAT on fuel
impose, charge, exact, raise, collect; tax.
(archaic) levying troops
conscript, call up, enlist, mobilize, rally, muster, marshal, recruit, raise; US draft.
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noun
the levy of taxation
imposition, raising, collection; formal exaction.
the levy on spirits
tax, tariff, toll, excise, duty, imposition, impost; formal mulct.
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(archaic) not shire levies, but professional soldiers
conscripts, troops, (armed) forces, army, militia.
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lewd

adjective
a lewd old man
lecherous, lustful, licentious, lascivious, dirty, prurient, salacious, lubricious, libidinous, lickerish; debauched, depraved, degenerate, decadent, dissipated, dissolute, perverted; informal horny; Brit. informal randy; formal concupiscent.
a lewd song
vulgar, crude, smutty, dirty, filthy, obscene, pornographic, coarse, off colour, unseemly, indecent, salacious; rude, racy, risqué, naughty, earthy, spicy, bawdy, ribald; informal blue, raunchy, X-rated, nudge-nudge, porno; N. Amer. informal raw; euphemistic adult.
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ANTONYMS :chaste, clean.

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lexicon

noun
dictionary, wordbook, vocabulary list, glossary, word-finder, thesaurus.

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liability

noun
journalists' liability for defamation
accountability, (legal) responsibility, answerability; blame, blameworthiness, culpability, guilt, fault.
they have big liabilities
financial obligations, debts, arrears, dues.
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an electoral liability
hindrance, encumbrance, burden, handicap, nuisance, inconvenience; obstacle, impediment, disadvantage, weakness, shortcoming; millstone round one's neck, albatross, Achilles heel; archaic cumber.
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their liability to the disease
susceptibility, vulnerability, proneness, tendency, predisposition, propensity.
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ANTONYMS :immunity, asset.

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liable

adjective
they are liable for negligence
(legally) responsible, accountable, answerable, chargeable, blameworthy, at fault, culpable, guilty.
my income is liable to fluctuate wildly
likely, inclined, tending, disposed, apt, predisposed, prone, given.
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areas liable to flooding
exposed, prone, subject, susceptible, vulnerable, in danger of, at risk of.
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liaise

verb
cooperate, work together, collaborate; communicate, network, interface, link up.

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liaison

noun
the branches work in close liaison
cooperation, contact, association, connection, collaboration, communication, alliance, partnership.
Dave was my White House liaison
intermediary, mediator, middleman, contact, link, linkman, linkwoman, linkperson, go-between, representative, agent.
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a secret liaison
(love) affair, relationship, romance, attachment, fling, amour, affair of the heart, (romantic) entanglement; informal hanky-panky.
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liar

noun
fibber, deceiver, perjurer, false witness, fabricator; romancer, fabulist; informal storyteller.

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libation

noun
they pour libations into the holy well
(liquid) offering, tribute, oblation.
(humorous) would you like a small libation?
(alcoholic) drink, beverage, liquid refreshment; dram, draught, nip, tot; informal tipple; archaic potation.
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libel

noun
she sued two newspapers for libel
defamation (of character), character assassination, calumny, misrepresentation, scandalmongering; aspersions, denigration, vilification, disparagement, derogation, insult, slander, malicious gossip, traducement; lie, slur, smear, untruth, false report; informal mud-slinging, bad-mouthing.
verb
she alleged the magazine had libelled her
defame, malign, slander, blacken someone's name, sully someone's reputation, speak ill/evil of, traduce, smear, cast aspersions on, drag someone's name through the mud/mire, besmirch, tarnish, taint, tell lies about, stain, vilify, denigrate, disparage, run down, stigmatize, discredit; N. Amer. slur; formal derogate, calumniate.

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libellous

adjective
defamatory, denigratory, vilifying, disparaging, derogatory, calumnious, slanderous, false, untrue, traducing, maligning, insulting, scurrilous.

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liberal

adjective
the values of a liberal society
tolerant, unprejudiced, unbigoted, broad-minded, open-minded, enlightened; permissive, free (and easy), easy-going, libertarian, indulgent, lenient.
a liberal social agenda
progressive, advanced, modern, forward-looking, forward-thinking, progressivist, enlightened, reformist, radical; informal go-ahead.
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a liberal education
wide-ranging, broad-based, general.
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a liberal interpretation of divorce laws
flexible, broad, loose, rough, free, general, non-literal, non-specific, imprecise, vague, indefinite.
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liberal coatings of paint
abundant, copious, ample, plentiful, generous, lavish, luxuriant, profuse, considerable, prolific, rich; poetic/literary plenteous.
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they were liberal with their cash
generous, open-handed, unsparing, unstinting, ungrudging, lavish, free, munificent, bountiful, beneficent, benevolent, big-hearted, philanthropic, charitable, altruistic, unselfish; poetic/literary bounteous.
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ANTONYMS :reactionary, strict, miserly .

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liberate

verb
(set) free, release, let out/go, set/let loose, save, rescue; emancipate, enfranchise; historical manumit. ANTONYMS :imprison, enslave.

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liberation

noun
the liberation of prisoners
freeing, release, rescue, setting free; freedom, liberty; emancipation; historical manumission.
women's liberation
freedom, equality, equal rights, emancipation, enfranchisement.
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ANTONYMS :confinement, oppression.

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liberator

noun
rescuer, saviour, deliverer, emancipator; historical manumitter.

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libertine

noun
an unrepentant libertine
philanderer, playboy, rake, roué, Don Juan, Lothario, Casanova, Romeo; lecher, seducer, womanizer, adulterer, debauchee, profligate, wanton; informal skirt-chaser, ladykiller, lech, wolf; formal fornicator.
adjective
libertine sexual intercourse
licentious, lustful, libidinous, lecherous, lascivious, lubricious, dissolute, dissipated, debauched, wanton, degenerate, depraved, promiscuous, lewd, prurient, salacious, intemperate, lickerish; informal loose, fast, goatish; formal concupiscent.

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liberty

noun
personal liberty
freedom, independence, free rein, license, self-determination, free will, latitude.
the essence of British liberty
independence, freedom, autonomy, sovereignty, self government, self rule, self determination; civil liberties, human rights.
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the liberty to go where one pleases
right, birthright, prerogative, entitlement, privilege, permission, sanction, authorization, authority, licence.
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ANTONYMS :constraint, slavery.

at liberty
he was at liberty for three months
free, (on the) loose, at large, unconfined; escaped, out.

your great aunt was at liberty to divide her estate how she chose
free, permitted, allowed, authorized, able, entitled, eligible.
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take liberties
act with familiarity, show disrespect, act with impropriety, act indecorously, be impudent, act with impertinence; take advantage, exploit.

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libidinous

adjective
lustful, lecherous, lascivious, lewd, carnal, salacious, prurient, licentious, libertine, lubricious, dissolute, debauched, depraved, degenerate, decadent, dissipated, wanton, promiscuous, lickerish; informal horny, goatish, wolfish; Brit. informal randy; formal concupiscent.

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libido

noun
sex drive, sexual appetite; (sexual) desire, passion, sexiness, sensuality, sexuality, lust, lustfulness; informal horniness; Brit. informal randiness; formal concupiscence.

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licence

noun
a driving licence
permit, certificate, document, documentation, authorization, warrant; certification, credentials; pass, papers.
teachers had licence to administer beatings
permission, authority, right, a free hand, leave, authorization, entitlement, privilege, prerogative; liberty, freedom, power.
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they manufacture footwear under licence
franchise, permission, consent, sanction, warrant, warranty, charter.
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the army have too much licence
freedom, liberty, free rein, latitude, independence, scope, impunity, carte blanche.
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poetic licence
disregard for the facts, inventiveness, invention, creativity, imagination, fancy, freedom, looseness.
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the licence of the age
licentiousness, dissoluteness, dissipation, debauchery, immorality, impropriety, decadence, intemperateness, excess, excessiveness, lack of restraint.
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license

verb
permit, allow, authorize, grant/give authority to, grant/give permission to; certify, empower, entitle, enable, give approval to, let, qualify, sanction. ANTONYMS :ban.

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licentious

adjective
dissolute, dissipated, debauched, degenerate, immoral, naughty, wanton, decadent, depraved, sinful, corrupt; lustful, lecherous, lascivious, libidinous, prurient, lubricious, lewd, promiscuous, lickerish; formal concupiscent. ANTONYMS :moral.

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licit

adjective
legitimate, permissible, admissible, allowable; permitted, allowed, sanctioned, authorized, warranted; lawful, legal, statutory, legalized, licensed; informal legit. ANTONYMS :forbidden.

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lick

verb
the spaniel licked his face
pass one's tongue over, touch with one's tongue, tongue; lap, slurp.
flames licking round the coal
flicker, play, flit, dance.
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(informal) they licked the home side 3-0.
See defeat verb sense 1.
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(informal) the government have inflation licked
overcome, get the better of, find an answer/solution to, conquer, beat, control, master, curb, check.
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noun
(informal) a lick of paint
dab, bit, drop, dash, spot, touch, splash; informal smidgen.
they ran up at a fair lick
speed, rate, pace, tempo; informal clip.
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licking

noun
(informal) Arsenal took a licking
defeat, beating, trouncing, thrashing; informal hiding, pasting, hammering, drubbing; N. Amer. informal shellacking.
Ray got the worst licking of his life
thrashing, beating, flogging, whipping; informal walloping, hiding, pasting, lathering; N. Amer. informal whaling.
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lid

noun
the lid of a saucepan
cover, top, cap, covering.
put a/the lid on (informal)
stop, control, end, put an end/stop to, put paid to. lift the lid off/on (informal)
expose, reveal, make known, make public, bring into the open, disclose, divulge; informal spill the beans, blow the gaff, blab.

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lie 1

noun
loyalty had made him tell lies
untruth, falsehood, fib, fabrication, deception, invention, (piece of) fiction, falsification; (little) white lie, half-truth, exaggeration; informal tall story, whopper; Brit. informal porky (pie). mendacious. ANTONYMS :truth.

verb
he had lied to the police
tell an untruth/lie, fib, dissemble, dissimulate, tell a white lie, perjure oneself, commit perjury; informal lie through one's teeth; formal forswear oneself.
give the lie to
disprove, contradict, negate, deny, refute, rebut, controvert, belie, invalidate, discredit, debunk; challenge, call into question; informal shoot full of holes, shoot down (in flames); formal confute, gainsay.

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lie 2

verb
he was lying on a bed
recline, lie down/back, be recumbent, be prostrate, be supine, be prone, be stretched out, sprawl, rest, repose, lounge, loll.
her handbag lay on a chair
be placed, be situated, be positioned, rest.
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lying on the border of Switzerland and Austria
be situated, be located, be placed, be found, be sited.
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his body lies in a crypt
be buried, be interred, be laid to rest, rest, be entombed.
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the difficulty lies in building real quality into the products
consist, be inherent, be present, be contained, exist, reside.
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ANTONYMS :stand.

lie heavy on
trouble, worry, bother, torment, oppress, nag, prey on one's mind, plague, niggle at, gnaw at, haunt; informal bug. lie low
hide (out), go into hiding, conceal oneself, keep out of sight, go to earth/ground; informal hole up; Brit. informal, dated lie doggo.

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liege

noun
(liege) lord, feudal lord, overlord, master, chief, superior, baron, monarch, sovereign; historical suzerain, seigneur.

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lieutenant

noun
deputy, second in command, right-hand man/woman, number two, assistant, aide; informal sidekick.

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life

noun
the joy of giving life to a child
existence, being, living, animation; sentience, creation, viability.
threats to life on the planet
living beings/creatures, the living; human/animal/plant life, fauna, flora, ecosystems; human beings, humanity, humankind, mankind, man.
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an easy life
way of life/living, lifestyle, situation, fate, lot.
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the last nine months of his life
lifetime, life span, days, time on earth, existence.
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the life of a Parliament
duration, lifetime, existence.
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he is full of life
vivacity, animation, liveliness, vitality, verve, high spirits, exuberance, zest, buoyancy, enthusiasm, energy, vigour, dynamism, elan, gusto, brio, bounce, spirit, fire; (hustle and) bustle, movement; informal oomph, pizzazz, pep, zing, zip, vim.
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the life of the party
moving spirit, (vital) spirit, life force, lifeblood, heart, soul.
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more than 1,500 lives were lost in the accident
person, human being, individual, soul.
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a life of Chopin
biography, autobiography, life story/history, profile, chronicle, account, portrait; informal biog, bio.
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I'll miss you, but that's life
the way of the world, the way things go, the human condition; fate, destiny, providence, kismet, karma, fortune, luck, chance; informal the way the cookie crumbles.
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animate, bio-. ANTONYMS :death.

come to life
the sounds of a barracks coming to life
become active, come alive, wake up, awaken, arouse, rouse, stir; poetic/literary waken.

the carved angel suddenly came to life
become animate, come alive.
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for dear life
desperately, with all one's might, with might and main, for all one is worth, as fast/hard as possible, like the devil. give one's life
he would give his life for her
die (to save), lay down one's life, sacrifice oneself, offer one's life.

he gave his life to the company
dedicate oneself, devote oneself, give oneself, surrender oneself.
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life-and-death

adjective
vital, of vital importance, crucial, critical, urgent, pivotal, momentous, important, key, serious, grave, significant; informal earth-shattering; formal of great moment. ANTONYMS :trivial.

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lifeblood

noun
life (force), essential constituent, driving force, vital spark, inspiration, stimulus, essence, crux, heart, soul, core.

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life-giving

adjective
vitalizing, animating, energizing, invigorating, stimulating; life-preserving, life-sustaining.

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lifeless

adjective
a lifeless body
dead, departed, perished, gone, no more, passed on/away, stiff, cold, (as) dead as a doornail; formal deceased.
a lifeless rag doll
inanimate, without life, inert, insentient.
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a lifeless landscape
barren, sterile, bare, desolate, stark, arid, infertile, uncultivated, uninhabited; bleak, colourless, characterless, soulless.
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a lifeless performance
lacklustre, spiritless, apathetic, torpid, lethargic; dull, monotonous, boring, tedious, dreary, unexciting, expressionless, emotionless, colourless, characterless.
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lifeless hair
lank, lustreless.
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ANTONYMS :alive, animate, lively.

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lifelike

adjective
realistic, true to life, representational, faithful, exact, precise, detailed, vivid, graphic, natural, naturalistic. ANTONYMS :unrealistic.

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lifelong

adjective
lasting, long-lasting, long-term, constant, stable, established, steady, enduring, permanent. ANTONYMS :ephemeral.

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lifestyle

noun
way of life/living, life, situation, fate, lot; conduct, behaviour, customs, habits, ways, mores.

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lifetime

noun
he made an exceptional contribution during his lifetime
lifespan, life, days, duration of life, one's time (on earth), existence, one's career.
the lifetime of workstations
duration, (active) life, life expectancy, functioning period, period of effectiveness/usefulness.
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it would take a lifetime
all one's life, a very long time, an eternity, years (on end), aeons; informal ages (and ages), an age.
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lift

verb
lift the pack on to your back
raise, hoist, heave, haul up, uplift, heft, raise up/aloft, upraise, elevate, hold high; pick up, grab, take up, scoop up, snatch up; winch up, jack up, lever up; informal hump; poetic/literary upheave.
the news lifted his spirits
boost, raise, buoy up, elevate, cheer up, perk up, uplift, brighten up, ginger up, gladden, encourage, stimulate, revive; informal buck up.
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they lift their game on big occasions
improve, boost, enhance, revitalize, upgrade, ameliorate.
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the fog had lifted
clear, rise, disperse, dissipate, disappear, vanish, dissolve.
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the ban has been lifted
cancel, remove, withdraw, revoke, rescind, annul, void, discontinue, end, stop, terminate.
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lifting carrots
dig up, pick, pull up, root out, unearth.
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the RAF lifted them to safety
airlift, transport by air, fly.
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he lifted his voice
amplify, raise, make louder, increase.
Top
(informal) he lifted sections from a 1986 article
plagiarize, pirate, copy, reproduce, poach; informal crib, rip off.
Top
(informal) she lifted a wallet.
See steal verb sense 1.
Top
ANTONYMS :drop, put down.

noun
Alice went up in the lift
elevator, paternoster (lift); dumb waiter.
give me a lift up
push, hoist, heave, thrust, shove.
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he gave me a lift to the airport
(car) ride, run, drive.
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that goal will give his confidence a real lift
boost, fillip, stimulus, impetus, encouragement, spur, push; improvement, enhancement; informal shot in the arm.
Top

lift off
take off, become airborne, take to the air, take wing; be launched, blast off.

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light 1

noun
the light of candles
illumination, brightness, luminescence, luminosity, shining, gleaming, gleam, brilliance, radiance, lustre, glowing, glow, blaze, glare, dazzle; sunlight, moonlight, starlight, lamplight, firelight; ray of light, beam of light; poetic/literary effulgence, refulgence, lambency.
there was a light on in the hall
lamp, wall light; headlight, headlamp, sidelight; street light, floodlight; lantern; torch, flashlight.
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have you got a light?
match, (cigarette) lighter.
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we'll be driving in the light
daylight (hours), daytime, day; natural light, sunlight.
Top
he saw the problem in a different light
aspect, angle, slant, approach, interpretation, viewpoint, standpoint, context, hue, complexion.
Top
light dawned on Loretta
understanding, enlightenment, illumination, comprehension, insight, awareness, knowledge.
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an eminent legal light
expert, authority, master, leader, guru, leading light, luminary.
Top
he served his party loyally according to his lights
talent, skill, ability; intelligence, intellect, knowledge, understanding.
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photo-, lumin-. ANTONYMS :darkness.

verb
Alan lit a fire
set alight, set light to, set burning, set on fire, set fire to, put/set a match to, ignite, kindle, spark (off); archaic enkindle. ANTONYMS :extinguish.

adjective
a light breakfast room
bright, full of light, well lit, well illuminated, sunny.
light pastel shades
light-coloured, light-toned, pale, pale-coloured, pastel.
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light hair
fair, light-coloured, blond(e), golden, flaxen.
Top
ANTONYMS :dark, gloomy.

bring something to light
reveal, disclose, expose, uncover, show up, unearth, dig up/out, bring to notice, identify, hunt out, nose out. come to light
be discovered, be uncovered, be unearthed, come out, become known, become apparent, appear, materialize, emerge. in the light of
taking into consideration/account, considering, bearing in mind, taking note of, in view of. light up the dashboard lit up

become bright, brighten, lighten, shine, gleam, flare, blaze, glint, sparkle, shimmer, glisten, scintillate. light something up
a flare lit up the night sky
make bright, brighten, illuminate, lighten, throw/cast light on, shine on, irradiate; poetic/literary illumine.

her enthusiasm lit up her face
animate, irradiate, brighten, cheer up, enliven.
Top
throw/cast/shed light on
explain, elucidate, clarify, clear up, interpret.

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light 2

adjective
it's light and portable
easy to lift, not heavy, lightweight; easy to carry, portable.
a light cotton robe
flimsy, lightweight, insubstantial, thin; delicate, floaty, gauzy, gossamer, diaphanous.
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she is light on her feet
nimble, agile, lithe, limber, lissom, graceful; light-footed, fleet-footed, quick, quick-moving, spry, sprightly; informal twinkle-toed; poetic/literary fleet, lightsome.
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a light soil
friable, sandy, easily dug, workable, crumbly, loose.
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a light dinner
small, modest, simple, easily digested.
Top
light duties
easy, simple, undemanding, untaxing; informal cushy.
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his eyes gleamed with light mockery
gentle, mild, moderate, slight; playful, light-hearted.
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light reading
entertaining, lightweight, diverting, undemanding, middle-of-the-road; frivolous, superficial, trivial.
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a light heart
carefree, light-hearted, cheerful, cheery, happy, merry, jolly, blithe, bright, sunny; buoyant, bubbly, jaunty, bouncy, breezy, optimistic, positive, upbeat, ebullient; dated gay.
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this is no light matter
unimportant, insignificant, trivial, trifling, petty, inconsequential, superficial.
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light footsteps
gentle, delicate, soft, dainty; faint, indistinct.
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her head felt light
dizzy, giddy, light-headed, faint, vertiginous; informal woozy.
Top
(archaic) light women
promiscuous, loose, wanton.
Top
ANTONYMS :heavy.

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light 3

light into (N. Amer. informal)
we started lighting into our attackers.
See set on at set1.

my father lit into me for being late.
See scold verb.
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light on/upon
come across, chance on, hit on, happen on, stumble on/across, blunder on, find, discover, uncover, come up with.

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lighten 1

verb
the sky was beginning to lighten
become/grow lighter, brighten.
the first touch of dawn lightened the sky
make lighter, make brighter, brighten, light up, illuminate, throw/cast light on, shine on, irradiate; poetic/literary illumine.
Top
he used lemon juice to lighten his hair
whiten, make whiter, bleach, blanch, make paler; fade, wash out, decolorize.
Top
ANTONYMS :darken.

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lighten 2

verb
lightening the burden of taxation
make lighter, lessen, reduce, decrease, diminish, ease; alleviate, mitigate, allay, relieve, palliate, assuage.
an attempt to lighten her spirits
cheer (up), brighten, gladden, hearten, perk up, lift, ginger up, enliven, boost, buoy (up), uplift, revive, restore, revitalize.
Top
ANTONYMS :increase, depress.

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light-fingered

adjective
thieving, stealing, pilfering, shoplifting, dishonest; informal sticky-fingered, crooked. ANTONYMS :honest.

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light-footed

adjective
nimble, light on one's feet, agile, graceful, lithe, spry, sprightly, limber, lissom; swift, fast, quick, quick-moving, fleet-footed; informal twinkle-toed; poetic/literary fleet. ANTONYMS :clumsy.

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light-headed

adjective
dizzy, giddy, faint, light in the head, muzzy, vertiginous; informal woozy.

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light-hearted

adjective
carefree, cheerful, cheery, happy, merry, glad, playful, jolly, jovial, joyful, gleeful, ebullient, high-spirited, lively, blithe, bright, sunny, buoyant, vivacious, bubbly, jaunty, bouncy, breezy; entertaining, amusing, diverting; informal chirpy, upbeat; dated gay. ANTONYMS :miserable.

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lightly

adverb
Maisie kissed him lightly on the cheek
softly, gently, faintly, delicately.
season very lightly
sparingly, slightly, sparsely, moderately, delicately.
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he has got off lightly
without severe punishment, easily, leniently, mildly.
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her views are not to be dismissed lightly
carelessly, airily, heedlessly, without consideration, uncaringly, indifferently, unthinkingly, thoughtlessly, flippantly, breezily, frivolously.
Top
ANTONYMS :hard, heavily.

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lightweight

adjective
a lightweight jacket
thin, light, flimsy, insubstantial; summery.
lightweight entertainment
trivial, insubstantial, superficial, shallow, unintellectual, undemanding, frivolous; of little merit/value.
Top
ANTONYMS :heavy.

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like 1

verb
I rather like Colonel Maitland
be fond of, be attached to, have a soft spot for, have a liking for, have regard for, think well of, admire, respect, esteem; be attracted to, fancy, find attractive, be keen on, be taken with; informal take a shine to, rate.
Maisie likes veal | she likes gardening
enjoy, have a taste for, have a preference for, have a liking for, be partial to, find/take pleasure in, be keen on, find agreeable, have a penchant/passion for, find enjoyable; appreciate, love, adore, relish; informal have a thing about, be into, be mad about/for, be hooked on, go a bundle on.
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feel free to say what you like
choose, please, wish, want, see/think fit, care to, will.
Top
how would she like it if someone did that to her?
feel about, regard, think about, consider.
Top
ANTONYMS :hate.

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like 2

preposition
you're just like a teacher
similar to, the same as, identical to.
the figure landed like a cat
in the same way/manner as, in the manner of, in a similar way to.
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cities like Birmingham
such as, for example, for instance; in particular, namely, viz.
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Richard sounded mean, which isn't like him
characteristic of, typical of, in character with.
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-esque, -ish.
noun
we shan't see his like again
equal, match, equivalent, counterpart, twin, parallel; formal compeer.
adjective
a like situation
similar, much the same, comparable, corresponding, resembling, alike, analogous, parallel, equivalent, cognate, related, kindred; identical, same, matching. ANTONYMS :dissimilar.

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likeable

adjective
pleasant, nice, friendly, agreeable, affable, amiable, genial, personable, charming, popular, good-natured, engaging, appealing, endearing, convivial, congenial, winning, delightful, enchanting, lovable, adorable, sweet; informal darling, lovely. ANTONYMS :unpleasant.

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likelihood

noun
probability, chance, prospect, possibility, likeliness, odds, feasibility; risk, threat, danger; hope, promise.

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likely

adjective
it seemed likely that a scandal would break
probable, (distinctly) possible, to be expected, odds-on, plausible, imaginable; expected, anticipated, predictable, predicted, foreseeable; informal on the cards.
a likely explanation
plausible, reasonable, feasible, acceptable, believable, credible, tenable, conceivable.
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a likely story!
unlikely, implausible, unbelievable, incredible, untenable, unacceptable, inconceivable.
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a likely-looking place
suitable, appropriate, apposite, fit, fitting, acceptable, right; promising, hopeful.
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a likely lad
promising, talented, gifted; informal up-and-coming.
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ANTONYMS :improbable, unbelievable.

adverb
he was most likely dead
probably, in all probability, presumably, no doubt, doubtlessly; informal (as) like as not.

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liken

verb
compare, equate, draw an analogy between, draw a parallel between; link, associate, bracket together. ANTONYMS :contrast.

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likeness

noun
her likeness to Anne is quite uncanny
resemblance, similarity, correspondence, analogy, uniformity, conformity.
the likeness of a naked woman
semblance, guise, appearance, (outward) form, shape, image.
Top
a likeness of the last president
representation, image, depiction, portrayal; picture, drawing, sketch, painting, portrait, photograph, study; statue, sculpture.
Top
ANTONYMS :dissimilarity.

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likewise

adverb
an ambush was out of the question, likewise poison
also, in addition, too, as well, to boot; besides, moreover, furthermore.
encourage your family and friends to do likewise
the same, similarly, correspondingly, in the same way, in similar fashion.
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liking

noun
fondness, love, affection, penchant, attachment; enjoyment, appreciation, taste, passion; preference, partiality, predilection; desire, fancy, inclination.

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lilt

noun
cadence, rise and fall, inflection, intonation, rhythm, swing, beat, pulse, tempo.

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limb

noun
his sore limbs
arm, leg, appendage; archaic member.
the limbs of the tree
branch, bough.
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local job centres act as limbs of the Ministry
section, branch, offshoot, arm, wing, subdivision, department, division.
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out on a limb
the portrayal of Scotland as being out on a limb
isolated, segregated, set apart, separate, cut off, solitary.

the government would not go out on a limb
in a precarious position, vulnerable; informal sticking one's neck out.
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limber

adjective
I have to practise to keep myself limber
lithe, supple, nimble, lissom, flexible, fit, agile, acrobatic, loose-jointed, loose-limbed. ANTONYMS :stiff.

limber up
warm up, loosen up, get into condition, get into shape, practise, train, stretch.

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limbo

noun
unbaptized infants are thought to live in limbo
non-existence, void, oblivion.
in limbo
in abeyance, unattended to, unfinished; suspended, deferred, postponed, put off, pending, on ice, in cold storage; unresolved, undetermined, up in the air; informal on the back burner, on hold.

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limelight

noun
the focus of attention, public attention/interest, media attention, the public eye, the glare of publicity, prominence, the spotlight. ANTONYMS :obscurity.

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limit

noun
the city limits
boundary (line), border, bound, partition line, frontier, edge, demarcation line; perimeter, outside, outline, confine, periphery, margin, rim.
a limit of 4,500 supporters
maximum, ceiling, limitation, upper limit; restriction, check, control, restraint.
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resources are stretched to the limit
utmost, breaking point, greatest extent.
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(informal) that really is the limit!
the last straw, (more than) enough; informal the end, it.
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verb
the pressure to limit costs
restrict, curb, cap, (hold in) check, restrain, put a brake on, freeze, peg; regulate, control, govern, delimit.

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limitation

noun
a limitation on the number of newcomers
restriction, curb, restraint, control, check; impediment, obstacle, obstruction, bar, barrier, block, deterrent.
he is aware of his own limitations
imperfection, flaw, defect, failing, shortcoming, weak point, deficiency, failure, frailty, weakness, foible.
Top
ANTONYMS :increase, strength.

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limited

adjective
limited resources
restricted, finite, little, tight, slight, in short supply, short; meagre, scanty, sparse, insubstantial, deficient, inadequate, insufficient, paltry, poor, minimal.
the limited powers of the council
restricted, curbed, checked, controlled, restrained, delimited, qualified.
Top
ANTONYMS :ample, boundless.

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limitless

adjective
boundless, unbounded, unlimited, illimitable; infinite, endless, never-ending, unending, everlasting, untold, immeasurable, bottomless, fathomless; unceasing, interminable, inexhaustible, constant, perpetual.

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limp 1

verb
she limped out of the house
hobble, walk with a limp, walk lamely/unevenly, walk haltingly, falter.
noun
walking with a limp
lameness, hobble, uneven gait; Medicine claudication.

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limp 2

adjective
a limp handshake
soft, flaccid, loose, slack, lax; floppy, drooping, droopy, sagging.
we were all limp with exhaustion
tired, fatigued, weary, exhausted, worn out; lethargic, listless, spiritless, weak.
Top
a limp and lacklustre speech
uninspired, uninspiring, insipid, flat, lifeless, vapid.
Top
ANTONYMS :firm, energetic.

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limpid

adjective
a limpid pool
clear, transparent, glassy, crystal clear, crystalline, translucent, pellucid, unclouded.
his limpid writing
lucid, clear, plain, understandable, intelligible, comprehensible, coherent, explicit, unambiguous, simple, vivid, sharp, crystal clear; formal perspicuous.
Top
ANTONYMS :opaque.

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line 1

noun
he drew a line through the name
dash, rule, bar, score; underline, underscore, stroke, slash, solidus; stripe, strip, band, belt; technical stria, striation; Brit. oblique.
there were lines round her eyes
wrinkle, furrow, crease, crinkle, crow's foot.
Top
the classic lines of the exterior
contour, outline, configuration, shape, figure, delineation, profile.
Top
he headed the ball over the line | the county line
boundary (line), limit, border, borderline, bounding line, frontier, demarcation line, dividing line, edge, margin, perimeter.
Top
behind enemy lines
position, formation, front (line); trenches.
Top
he put the washing on the line
cord, rope, string, cable, wire, thread, twine, strand.
Top
a line of soldiers
file, rank, column, string, train, procession; row, queue; Brit. informal crocodile.
Top
a line of figures
column, row.
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a long line of crass decisions
series, sequence, succession, chain, string, set, cycle.
Top
the line of flight of some bees
course, route, track, path, way, run.
Top
they took a very tough line with the industry | the party line
course (of action), procedure, technique, tactic, tack; policy, practice, approach, plan, programme, position, stance, philosophy.
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her own line of thought
course, direction, drift, tack, tendency, trend.
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(informal) don't give me that line!
patter, story, piece of fiction, fabrication; informal spiel.
Top
he couldn't remember his lines
words, part, script, speech.
Top
their line of work
(line of) business, (line of) work, field, trade, occupation, employment, profession, job, career, walk of life; specialty, forte, province, department, sphere, area (of expertise).
Top
a new line of cologne
brand, kind, sort, type, variety, make.
Top
a noble line
ancestry, family, parentage, birth, descent, lineage, extraction, genealogy, roots, origin, background; stock, bloodline, pedigree.
Top
the opening line of the poem
sentence, phrase, clause, utterance; passage, extract, quotation, quote, citation.
Top
I should drop Ralph a line
note, letter, card, postcard, message, communication, missive, memorandum; correspondence, word; informal memo; formal epistle.
Top
linear.
verb
her face was lined with age
furrow, wrinkle, crease, mark with lines.
the driveway was lined by poplars
border, edge, fringe, bound, rim.
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draw the line at
stop short of, refuse to accept, baulk at; object to, take issue with, take exception to. in line
the poor stood in line for food
in a queue, in a row, in a file.

the adverts are in line with the editorial style
in agreement, in accord, in accordance, in harmony, in step, in compliance.
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in line with the bullseye
in alignment, aligned, level, at the same height; abreast, side by side.
Top

the referee kept him in line
under control, in order, in check.
Top
in line for
a candidate for, in the running for, on the shortlist for, being considered for. lay it on the line
speak frankly/honestly, pull no punches, be blunt, not mince one's words, call a spade a spade; informal give it to someone straight. line up
form a queue/line, get into rows/columns, queue up, fall in; Military dress; Brit. informal form a crocodile. line someone/something up
they lined them up and shot them
arrange in lines, put in rows, arrange in columns, align, range; Military dress.

we've lined up an all-star cast
assemble, get together, organize, prepare, arrange, pre-arrange, fix up, lay on; book, schedule, timetable.
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on the line
at risk, in danger, endangered, imperilled. toe the line
conform, obey/observe the rules, comply with the rules, abide by the rules.

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line 2

verb
a cardboard box lined with a blanket
cover, put a lining in, interline, face, back, pad.
line one's pockets (informal)
make money, accept bribes, embezzle money; informal feather one's nest, graft, be on the make.

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lineage

noun
ancestry, family, parentage, birth, descent, line, extraction, derivation, genealogy, roots, origin, background; stock, bloodline, breeding, pedigree.

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lineaments

plural noun
(poetic/literary) (distinctive) features, distinguishing characteristics, hallmarks, properties, traits; form, outline, configuration, physiognomy.

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lined 1

adjective
lined paper
ruled, feint, striped, banded.
his lined face
wrinkled, wrinkly, furrowed, wizened.
Top
ANTONYMS :plain, smooth.

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lined 2

adjective
lined curtains
covered, backed, interlined; faced, padded.

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liner

noun
a luxury liner
ship, ocean liner, passenger vessel, boat.
her eyes were ringed with liner
eyeliner, eye pencil, kohl (pencil); lipliner.
Top

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line-up

noun
a star-studded line-up
list of performers, cast, bill, programme.
United's line-up
list of players, team, squad, side.
Top
a long line-up of customers
queue, line, row, column.
Top

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linger

verb
the crowd lingered for a long time
wait (around), stay (put), remain; loiter, dawdle, dally, take one's time; informal stick around, hang around/round, hang on; archaic tarry.
the infection can linger for many years
persist, continue, remain, stay, endure, carry on, last, keep on/up.
Top
ANTONYMS :vanish.

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lingerie

noun
women's underwear, underclothes, underclothing, undergarments; nightwear, nightclothes; informal undies, frillies, underthings, unmentionables; Brit. informal smalls.

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lingering

adjective
lingering doubts
remaining, surviving, persisting, abiding, nagging, niggling.
a slow, lingering death
protracted, prolonged, long-drawn-out, long-lasting.
Top

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lingo

noun
(informal)I can't speak the lingo
language, tongue, dialect.
computer lingo
jargon, terminology, slang, argot, cant, patter, mumbo-jumbo; informal -ese, -speak, gobbledegook.
Top

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linguistic

adjective
semantic, lingual, rhetorical, verbal.

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lining

noun
backing, interlining, facing, padding, liner.

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link

noun
a chain of steel links
loop, ring, connection, connector, coupling, joint.
the links between transport and the environment
connection, relationship, association, linkage, tie-up.
Top
their links with the labour movement
bond, tie, attachment, connection, relationship, association, affiliation.
Top
one of the links in the organization
component, constituent, element, part, piece.
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verb
four boxes were linked together
join, connect, fasten, attach, bind, unite, combine, amalgamate; clamp, secure, fix, tie, couple, yoke.
the evidence linking him with the body
associate, connect, relate, join, bracket.
Top

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lion

noun
a lion ready to attack
big cat, king of the beasts; lioness.
a lion amongst men
hero, man of courage, brave man; conqueror, champion, conquering hero.
Top
the lions of the symphony hall
celebrity, dignitary, VIP, luminary, star, superstar, big name, leading light; informal big shot/noise, celeb, megastar.
Top
leonine.
beard the lion in his den
defy danger, face up to danger, confront/brave danger. the lion's share
most, the majority, the larger part/number, the greater part/number, more than half, the bulk.

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lionhearted

adjective
brave, courageous, valiant, gallant, intrepid, valorous, fearless, bold, daring; stout-hearted, stalwart, heroic, doughty, plucky; informal gutsy, spunky. ANTONYMS :cowardly.

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lionize

verb
celebrate, fête, glorify, honour, exalt, acclaim, admire, praise, extol, applaud, hail, venerate, eulogize; formal laud; archaic panegyrize. ANTONYMS :vilify.

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lip

noun
the lip of the crater
edge, rim, brim, border, verge, brink.
(informal) I'll have no more of your lip!
insolence, impertinence, impudence, cheek, rudeness, audacity, effrontery, disrespect, presumptuousness; informal mouth; Brit. informal sauce, backchat.
Top
labial, labio-.
keep a stiff upper lip
keep control of oneself, not show emotion, appear unaffected; informal keep one's cool.

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liquefy

verb
make/become liquid, condense, liquidize, melt; deliquesce.

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liquid

adjective
liquid fuels
fluid, liquefied; melted, molten, thawed, dissolved; Chemistry hydrous.
her liquid eyes
clear, limpid, crystal clear, crystalline, pellucid, unclouded.
Top
a liquid voice
pure, clear, mellifluous, dulcet, mellow, sweet, sweet-sounding, soft, melodious, harmonious; rare mellifluent.
Top
liquid assets
convertible, disposable, usable, spendable.
Top
ANTONYMS :solid.

noun
a vat of liquid
fluid, moisture, wet, wetness; liquor, solution, juice.

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liquidate

verb
the company was liquidated
close down, wind up, put into liquidation, dissolve, disband.
he liquidated his share portfolio
convert (to cash), cash in, sell off/up.
Top
liquidating the public debt
pay (off), pay in full, settle, clear, discharge, square, honour.
Top
(informal) they were liquidated in bloody purges.
See kill verb sense 1.
Top

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liquidize

verb
purée, cream, liquefy, blend.

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liquor

noun
alcoholic liquor
alcohol, spirits, (alcoholic) drink, intoxicating liquor, intoxicant; informal booze, hard stuff, grog, hooch.
strain the liquor into the sauce
stock, broth, bouillon, juice, liquid.
Top

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lissom

adjective
supple, lithe, limber, graceful, flexible, loose-limbed, agile, nimble; slim, slender, thin, willowy, sleek, trim.

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list 1

noun
a list of the world's wealthiest people
catalogue, inventory, record, register, roll, file, index, directory, listing, checklist, enumeration.
verb
the accounts are listed alphabetically
record, register, make a list of, enter; itemize, enumerate, catalogue, file, log, minute, categorize, inventory; classify, group, sort, rank, alphabetize, index.

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list 2

verb
the boat listed to one side
lean (over), tilt, tip, heel (over), careen, cant, pitch, incline, slant, slope, bank.

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listen

verb
are you listening carefully?
hear, pay attention, be attentive, attend, concentrate; keep one's ears open, prick up one's ears; informal be all ears, pin back one's ears; poetic/literary hark; archaic hearken.
policy-makers should listen to popular opinion
pay attention, take heed, heed, take notice, take note, mind, mark, bear in mind, take into consideration/account.
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listen in
eavesdrop, spy, overhear, tap, wiretap, bug, monitor.

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listless

adjective
lethargic, enervated, spiritless, lifeless, vigourless; languid, languorous, inactive, inert, sluggish, torpid. ANTONYMS :energetic.

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litany

noun
repeating the litany
prayer, invocation, supplication, devotion; archaic orison.
a litany of complaints
recital, recitation, repetition, enumeration; list, listing, catalogue, inventory.
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literacy

noun
ability to read and write, reading/writing proficiency; (book) learning, education, scholarship, schooling.

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literal

adjective
the literal sense of the word "dreadful"
strict, factual, plain, simple, exact, straightforward; unembellished, undistorted; objective, correct, true, truthful, accurate, genuine, authentic.
a literal translation
word-for-word, verbatim, letter-for-letter; exact, precise, faithful, close, strict, accurate; formal literatim.
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his literal, unrhetorical manner
literal-minded, down-to-earth, matter-of-fact, no-nonsense, unsentimental; prosaic, unimaginative, pedestrian, uninspired, uninspiring.
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ANTONYMS :figurative, loose.

noun
(Brit.) William corrected two literals
misprint, error, mistake, (slip) of the pen, typographical/typing error/mistake, corrigendum, erratum; informal typo, howler.

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literally

adverb
verbatim, word for word, letter for letter; exactly, precisely, faithfully, closely, strictly, accurately; formal literatim.

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literary

adjective
literary works
written, poetic, artistic, dramatic.
her literary friends
scholarly, learned, intellectual, cultured, erudite, bookish, highbrow, lettered, academic, cultivated; well read, widely read, (well) educated.
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literary language
formal, written, poetic, dramatic; elaborate, ornate, flowery.
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literate

adjective
(well) educated, well read, widely read, scholarly, learned, knowledgeable, lettered, cultured, cultivated, sophisticated, well informed. ANTONYMS :ignorant.

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literature

noun
English literature
written works, writings, (creative) writing, literary texts, compositions.
the literature on prototype theory
publications, published writings, texts, reports, studies.
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election literature
printed matter, brochures, leaflets, pamphlets, circulars, flyers, handouts, handbills, mailshots, bulletins, documentation, publicity, blurb, notices; informal bumf.
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lithe

adjective
agile, graceful, supple, limber, lithesome, loose-limbed, nimble, deft, flexible, lissom. ANTONYMS :clumsy.

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litigant

noun
litigator, opponent (in law), contender, disputant, plaintiff, claimant, complainant, petitioner, appellant, respondent.

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litigation

noun
(legal/judicial) proceedings, (legal) action, lawsuit, legal dispute, (legal) case, suit (at law), prosecution, indictment.

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litter

noun
never drop litter
rubbish, refuse, junk, waste, debris, scraps, leavings, fragments, detritus; N. Amer. trash, garbage.
the litter of glasses around her
clutter, jumble, muddle, mess, heap, disorder, untidiness, confusion, disarray; informal shambles.
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a litter of kittens
brood, family; young, offspring, progeny; Law issue.
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straw for use as litter
(animal) bedding, straw.
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a horse-drawn litter
sedan chair, palanquin; stretcher.
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verb
clothes littered the floor
make untidy, mess up, make a mess of, clutter up, be strewn about, be scattered about; informal make a shambles of; poetic/literary bestrew.

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little

adjective
a little writing desk
small, small-scale, compact; mini, miniature, tiny, minute, minuscule; toy, baby, pocket, undersized, dwarf, midget; Scottish wee; informal teeny-weeny, teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy, tiddly, half-pint; Brit. informal titchy, dinky; N. Amer. informal vest-pocket.
a little man
short, small, slight, petite, diminutive, tiny; elfin, dwarfish, midget, pygmy, Lilliputian; Scottish wee; informal teeny-weeny, pint-sized.
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my little sister
young, younger, junior, small, baby, infant.
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I was a bodyguard for a little while
brief, short, short-lived; fleeting, momentary, transitory, transient; fast, quick, hasty, cursory.
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a few little problems
minor, unimportant, insignificant, trivial, trifling, petty, paltry, inconsequential, nugatory.
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ANTONYMS :big, large, elder, important.

determiner
they have little political influence
hardly any, not much, slight, scant, limited, restricted, modest, little or no, minimal, negligible. ANTONYMS :considerable.

adverb
he is little known as a teacher
hardly, barely, scarcely, not much, (only) slightly.
this disease is little seen nowadays
rarely, seldom, infrequently, hardly (ever), scarcely (ever), not much.
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ANTONYMS :well, often.

a little
add a little water
some, a small amount of, a bit of, a touch of, a soupçon of, a dash of, a taste of, a spot of; a shade of, a suggestion of, a trace of, a hint of, a suspicion of; a dribble of, a splash of, a pinch of, a sprinkling of, a speck of; informal a smidgen of, a tad of.

after a little, Oliver came in
a short time, a little while, a bit, an interval, a short period; a minute, a moment, a second, an instant; informal a sec, a mo, a jiffy.
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this reminds me a little of the Adriatic
slightly, faintly, remotely, vaguely; somewhat, a little bit, quite, to some degree.
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little by little
gradually, slowly, by degrees, by stages, step by step, bit by bit, progressively; subtly, imperceptibly.

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liturgical

adjective
ceremonial, ritual, solemn; church.

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liturgy

noun
ritual, worship, service, ceremony, rite, observance, celebration, sacrament; tradition, custom, practice, rubric; formal ordinance.

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live 1

verb
the greatest mathematician who ever lived
exist, be alive, be, have life; breathe, draw breath, walk the earth.
I live in London
reside, have one's home, have one's residence, be settled; be housed, lodge; inhabit, occupy, populate; Scottish stay; formal dwell, be domiciled.
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they lived quietly
pass/spend one's life, have a lifestyle; behave, conduct oneself; formal comport oneself.
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she had lived a difficult life
experience, spend, pass, lead, have, go through, undergo.
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Freddy lived by his wits
survive, make a living, earn one's living, eke out a living; subsist, support oneself, sustain oneself, make ends meet, keep body and soul together.
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you should live a little
enjoy oneself, enjoy life, have fun, live life to the full.
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ANTONYMS :die, be dead.

live it up (informal)
live extravagantly, live in the lap of luxury, live in clover; carouse, revel, enjoy oneself, have a good time, go on a spree, roister; informal party, push the boat out, paint the town red, have a ball, make whoop ee; N. Amer. informal live high on/off the hog; archaic wassail. live off/on
subsist on, feed on/off, eat, consume.

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live 2

adjective
live bait
living, alive, having life, breathing, animate, sentient.
a live performance
in the flesh, personal, in person, not recorded.
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a live rail
electrified, charged, powered, active; informal hot.
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live coals
(red) hot, glowing, aglow; burning, alight, flaming, aflame, blazing, ignited, on fire; poetic/literary afire.
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a live grenade
unexploded, explosive, active; unstable, volatile.
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live issue
topical, current, of current interest, controversial; burning, pressing, important.
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ANTONYMS :dead, inanimate, recorded.

live wire (informal)
energetic person; informal fireball, human dynamo, powerhouse, life and soul of the party.

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livelihood

noun
(source of) income, means of support, living, subsistence, keep, maintenance, sustenance, nourishment, daily bread, bread and butter; job, work, employment, occupation.

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livelong

adjective
(poetic/literary) entire, whole, total, complete, full, continuous.

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lively

adjective
a lively young woman
energetic, active, animated, dynamic, full of life, outgoing, spirited, high-spirited, vivacious, enthusiastic, vibrant, buoyant, exuberant, effervescent, cheerful; bouncy, bubbly, perky, sparkling, zestful; informal full of beans, chirpy, chipper, peppy.
a lively bar
busy, crowded, bustling, buzzing; vibrant, boisterous, jolly, festive; informal hopping.
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a lively debate
heated, vigorous, animated, spirited, enthusiastic, forceful; exciting, interesting, memorable.
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a lively portrait of the local community
vivid, colourful, striking, graphic, bold, strong.
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he bowled at a lively pace
brisk, quick, fast, rapid, swift, speedy, smart; informal nippy, snappy.
Top
the press is making things lively for the Government
awkward, tricky, difficult, challenging, eventful, exciting, busy; informal hairy.
Top
ANTONYMS :quiet, dull.

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liven

liven up
brighten up, cheer up, perk up, revive, rally, pick up, bounce back; informal buck up. liven someone/something up
brighten up, cheer up, enliven, animate, raise someone's spirits, perk up, spice up, ginger up, make lively, wake up, invigorate, revive, refresh, vivify, galvanize, stimulate, stir up, get going; informal buck up, pep up.

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liver

hepatic.

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livery

noun
uniform, regalia, costume, dress, attire, garb, clothes, clothing, outfit, suit, garments, ensemble; informal get-up, gear, kit; formal apparel; archaic raiment, vestments.

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livid

adjective
(informal) Mum was absolutely livid.
See furious sense 1.
a livid bruise
purplish, bluish, dark, discoloured, purple, greyish-blue; bruised; angry.
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living

noun
she cleaned floors for a living
livelihood, (source of) income, means of support, subsistence, keep, maintenance, sustenance, nourishment, daily bread, bread and butter; job, work, employment, occupation.
healthy living
way of life, lifestyle, way of living, life; conduct, behaviour, activities, habits.
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adjective
living organisms
alive, live, having life, animate, sentient; breathing, existing, existent; informal alive and kicking.
a living language
current, contemporary, present; in use, active, surviving, extant, persisting, remaining, existing, in existence.
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a living image of the man
exact, faithful, true to life, authentic.
Top
ANTONYMS :dead, extinct.

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living room

noun
sitting room, lounge, front room, reception room, family room.

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lizard

saurian.

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load

noun
MacDowell's got a load to deliver
cargo, freight, consignment, delivery, shipment, goods, merchandise; pack, bundle, parcel; lorryload, truckload, shipload, boatload, vanload; archaic lading.
(informal) I bought a load of clothes
a lot, a great deal, a large amount/quantity, an abundance, a wealth, a mountain; many, plenty; informal a heap, a mass, a pile, a stack, a ton, lots, heaps, masses, piles, stacks, tons.
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a heavy teaching load
commitment, responsibility, duty, obligation, charge, burden; trouble, worry, strain, pressure.
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verb
we quickly loaded the van
fill (up), pack, lade, charge, stock, stack.
Larry loaded boxes into the jeep
pack, stow, store, stack, bundle; place, deposit, put away.
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loading the committee with responsibilities
burden, weigh down, saddle, charge; overburden, overwhelm, encumber, tax, strain, trouble, worry.
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Richard loaded Marshal with honours
reward, ply, regale, shower.
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he loaded a gun
prime, charge, prepare to fire/use.
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load the cassette into the camcorder
insert, put, place, slot.
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the dice are loaded against him
bias, rig, fix; weight.
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loaded

adjective
a loaded freight train
full, filled, laden, packed, stuffed, crammed, brimming, stacked; informal chock-full, chock-a-block.
a loaded gun
primed, charged, ready to fire.
Top
(informal) they are all loaded.
See rich sense 1.
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loaded dice
biased, rigged, fixed; weighted.
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a politically loaded word
charged, emotive, sensitive, delicate.
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loaf 1

noun
(Brit. informal) use your loaf.
See head noun sense 2.

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loaf 2

verb
he was just loafing around
laze, lounge, loll, idle, waste time; informal hang around/round; Brit. informal hang about, mooch about/around; N. Amer. informal bum around.

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loafer

noun
idler, layabout, good-for-nothing, lounger, shirker, sluggard, laggard, slugabed; informal skiver, slacker, slob, lazybones.

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loan

noun
a loan of £7,000
credit, advance; mortgage, overdraft; lending, moneylending; Brit. informal sub.
verb
he loaned me his flat
lend, advance, give credit; give on loan, lease, charter, hire; Brit. informal sub.
the majority of exhibits have been loaned
borrow, receive/take on loan.
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ANTONYMS :borrow.

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loath

adjective
reluctant, unwilling, disinclined, ill-disposed; against, averse, opposed, resistant. ANTONYMS :willing.

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loathe

verb
hate, detest, abhor, execrate, have a strong aversion to, feel repugnance towards, not be able to bear/stand, be repelled by; formal abominate. ANTONYMS :love.

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loathing

noun
hatred, hate, detestation, abhorrence, abomination, execration, odium; antipathy, dislike, hostility, animosity, ill feeling, bad feeling, malice, animus, enmity, aversion; repugnance.

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loathsome

adjective
hateful, detestable, abhorrent, repulsive, odious, repugnant, repellent, disgusting, revolting, sickening, abominable, despicable, contemptible, reprehensible, execrable, damnable; vile, horrible, nasty, obnoxious, gross, foul; informal horrid, yucky; poetic/literary noisome.

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lob

verb
throw, toss, fling, pitch, hurl, pelt, sling, launch, propel; informal chuck, bung, heave.

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lobby

noun
the hotel lobby
entrance (hall), hallway, hall, vestibule, foyer, reception area.
the anti-hunt lobby
pressure group, interest group, movement, campaign, crusade, lobbyists, supporters; faction, camp; Brit. ginger group.
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verb
readers are urged to lobby their MPs
seek to influence, try to persuade, bring pressure to bear on, importune, sway; petition, solicit, appeal to, pressurize.
a group lobbying for better rail services
campaign, crusade, press, push, ask, call, demand; promote, advocate, champion.
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local

adjective
the local council
community, district, neighbourhood, regional, city, town, municipal, provincial, village, parish.
a local restaurant
neighbourhood, nearby, near, at hand, close by; accessible, handy, convenient.
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a local infection
confined, restricted, contained, localized.
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ANTONYMS :national.

noun
complaints from the locals
local person, native, inhabitant, resident, parishioner.
(Brit. informal) a pint in the local.
See pub.
Top
ANTONYMS :outsider.

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locale

noun
place, site, spot, area; position, location, setting, scene, venue, background, backdrop, environment; neighbourhood, district, region, locality.

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locality

noun
the locality of the property
position, location, whereabouts, place, situation, spot, point, site, scene, setting.
other schools in the locality
vicinity, neighbourhood, area, district, region; informal neck of the woods.
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localize

verb
limit, restrict, confine, contain, circumscribe, concentrate, delimit. ANTONYMS :generalize, globalize.

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locate

verb
spotter planes locate the shoals
find, discover, pinpoint, detect, track down, run to earth, unearth, sniff out, smoke out, search out, ferret out, uncover.
a company located near Pittsburgh
situate, site, position, place, base; put, build, establish, found, station, install, settle.
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location

noun
position, place, situation, site, locality, locale, spot, whereabouts, point; scene, setting, area, environment; bearings, orientation; venue, address; technical locus.

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lock 1

noun
the lock on the door
bolt, catch, fastener, clasp, bar, hasp, latch.
verb
he locked the door
bolt, fasten, bar, secure, seal; padlock, latch, chain.
she locked her wrists together
join, interlock, link, mesh, engage, unite, connect, yoke, mate; couple.
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the wheels locked
become stuck, stick, jam, become/make immovable, become/make rigid.
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he locked her in an embrace
clasp, clench, grasp, embrace, hug, squeeze.
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ANTONYMS :unlock, open, separate, divide.

lock someone out
keep out, shut out, refuse entrance to, deny admittance to; exclude, bar, debar, ban. lock someone up
imprison, jail, incarcerate, intern, send to prison, put behind bars, put under lock and key, put in chains, clap in irons, cage, pen, coop up; informal send down, put away, put inside.

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lock 2

noun
a lock of hair
tress, tuft, curl, ringlet, hank, strand, wisp, snippet.

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locker

noun
cupboard, cabinet, chest, safe, box, case, coffer; compartment, storeroom.

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lock-up

noun
drunks were put in the lock-up overnight
jail, prison, cell, detention centre; N. Amer. jailhouse; informal cooler, slammer, jug, can, nick, stir, clink, quod, chokey.
they stored spare furniture in a lock-up
storeroom, store, warehouse, depository; garage.
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locomotion

noun
movement, motion, moving; travel, travelling; mobility, motility; walking, ambulation, running; progress, progression, passage; formal perambulation.

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lodge

noun
the porter's lodge
gatehouse, cottage.
a hunting lodge
house, cottage, cabin, chalet; Brit. shooting box.
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a beaver's lodge
den, lair, hole, sett; retreat, haunt, shelter.
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a Masonic lodge
section, branch, wing; hall, clubhouse, meeting room; N. Amer. chapter.
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verb
William lodged at our house
reside, board, stay, live, have lodgings, have rooms, put up, be quartered, stop; N. Amer. room; informal have digs; formal dwell, be domiciled, sojourn; archaic abide.
they were lodged at an inn
accommodate, put up, take in, house, board, billet, quarter, shelter.
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the government lodged a protest
submit, register, enter, put forward, advance, lay, present, tender, proffer, put on record, record, table, file.
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the money was lodged in a bank
deposit, put, bank; stash, store, stow, put away, squirrel away.
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the bullet lodged in his back
become fixed, embed itself, become embedded, become implanted, get/become stuck, stick, catch, become caught, wedge.
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lodger

noun
boarder, paying guest, PG, tenant; N. Amer. roomer.

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lodging

noun
accommodation, rooms, chambers, living quarters, place to stay, a roof over one's head, housing, shelter; informal digs, pad; formal abode, residence, dwelling, dwelling place, habitation.

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lofty

adjective
a lofty tower
tall, high, giant, towering, soaring, sky-scraping.
lofty ideals
noble, exalted, high, high-minded, worthy, grand, fine, elevated.
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a lofty post in the department
eminent, prominent, leading, distinguished, illustrious, celebrated, elevated, esteemed, respected.
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lofty disdain
haughty, arrogant, disdainful, supercilious, condescending, patronizing, scornful, contemptuous, self-important, conceited, snobbish; informal stuck-up, snooty, snotty; Brit. informal toffee-nosed.
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ANTONYMS :low, short, base, lowly, modest.

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log

noun
a fallen log
branch, trunk; piece of wood; (logs) timber, firewood.
a log of phone calls
record, register, logbook, journal, diary, minutes, chronicle, daybook, record book, ledger, account, tally.
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verb
all complaints are logged
register, record, make a note of, note down, write down, jot down, put in writing, enter, file, minute.
the pilot had logged 95 hours
attain, achieve, chalk up, make, do, go, cover.
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loggerheads

at loggerheads
in disagreement, at odds, at variance, wrangling, quarrelling, locking horns, at daggers drawn, in conflict, fighting, at war; informal at each other's throats.

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logic

noun
this case appears to defy all logic
reason, judgement, logical thought, rationality, wisdom, sense, good sense, common sense, sanity; informal horse sense.
the logic of their argument
reasoning, line of reasoning, rationale, argument, argumentation.
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the study of logic
science of reasoning, science of deduction, science of thought, dialectics, argumentation; formal ratiocination.
Top

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logical

adjective
information displayed in a logical fashion
reasoned, well reasoned, rational, sound, cogent, well thought out, valid; coherent, clear, well organized, systematic, orderly, methodical, analytical, consistent, objective; informal joined-up.
the logical outcome
natural, reasonable, sensible, understandable; predictable, unsurprising, only to be expected, most likely, likeliest, obvious.
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ANTONYMS :illogical, irrational, unlikely, surprising.

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logistics

plural noun
organization, planning, plans, management, arrangement, administration, orchestration, coordination, execution, handling, running.

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logo

noun
emblem, trademark, device, symbol, design, sign, mark; insignia, crest, seal, coat of arms, shield, badge, motif, monogram, colophon.

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loiter

verb
he loitered at bus stops
linger, wait, skulk; loaf, lounge, idle, laze, waste time; informal hang around/round; Brit. informal hang about, mooch about/around; archaic tarry.
they loitered along the river bank
dawdle, dally, stroll, amble, saunter, meander, drift, potter, take one's time; informal dilly-dally, mosey, tootle; Brit. informal mooch.
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loll

verb
he lolled in an armchair
lounge, sprawl, drape oneself, stretch oneself; slouch, slump; laze, luxuriate, put one's feet up, lean back, recline, relax, take it easy.
her head lolled to one side
hang (loosely), droop, dangle, sag, drop, flop.
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lone

adjective
a lone police officer
solitary, single, solo, unaccompanied, unescorted, alone, by oneself/itself, sole, companionless; detached, isolated, unique; lonely.
a lone parent
single, unmarried, unattached, partnerless, husbandless, wifeless; separated, divorced, widowed.
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loneliness

noun
his loneliness was unbearable
isolation, friendlessness, abandonment, rejection, unpopularity; N. Amer. lonesomeness.
the enforced loneliness of a prison cell
solitariness, solitude, lack of company, aloneness, separation.
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the loneliness of the village
isolation, remoteness, seclusion.
Top

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lonely

adjective
I felt very lonely
isolated, alone, friendless, with no one to turn to, forsaken, abandoned, rejected, unloved, unwanted; N. Amer. lonesome.
the lonely life of a writer
solitary, unaccompanied, lone, by oneself/itself, companionless.
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a lonely road
deserted, uninhabited, unfrequented, unpopulated, desolate, isolated, remote, out of the way, secluded, off the beaten track, in the back of beyond, godforsaken; informal in the middle of nowhere.
Top
ANTONYMS :popular, sociable, crowded.

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loner

noun
recluse, introvert, lone wolf, hermit, solitary, misanthrope, outsider; historical anchorite.

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long 1

adjective
a long silence
lengthy, extended, prolonged, extensive, protracted, long-lasting, long-drawn(-out), spun out, dragged out, seemingly endless, lingering, interminable. ANTONYMS :short, brief.

before long
soon, shortly, presently, in the near future, in a little while, by and by, in a minute, in a moment, in a second; informal anon, in a jiffy; Brit. informal in a tick, in two ticks, in a mo; dated directly; poetic/literary ere long.

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long 2

verb
I longed for the holidays
yearn, pine, ache, hanker for/after, hunger, thirst, itch, be eager, be desperate; crave, dream of, set one's heart on; informal have a yen, be dying.

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longing

noun
a longing for the countryside
yearning, pining, craving, ache, burning, hunger, thirst, hankering; informal yen, itch.
adjective
a longing look
yearning, pining, craving, hungry, thirsty, hankering, wistful, covetous.

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long-lasting

adjective
enduring, lasting, abiding, long-lived, long-running, long-established, long-standing, lifelong, deep-rooted, time-honoured, traditional, permanent. ANTONYMS :short-lived, ephemeral.

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long-lived

adjective
. See long-lasting.

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long-standing

adjective
well established, long-established; time-honoured, traditional, age-old; abiding, enduring, long-lived, surviving, persistent, prevailing, perennial, deep-rooted, long-term, confirmed. ANTONYMS :new, recent.

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long-suffering

adjective
patient, forbearing, tolerant, uncomplaining, stoical, resigned; easy-going, indulgent, charitable, accommodating, forgiving. ANTONYMS :impatient, complaining.

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long-winded

adjective
verbose, wordy, lengthy, long, overlong, prolix, prolonged, protracted, long-drawn-out, interminable; discursive, diffuse, rambling, tortuous, meandering, repetitious; informal windy; Brit. informal waffly. ANTONYMS :concise, succinct, laconic.

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look

verb
Mrs Wright looked at him
glance, gaze, stare, gape, peer; peep, peek, take a look; watch, observe, view, regard, examine, inspect, eye, scan, scrutinize, survey, study, contemplate, consider, take in, ogle; informal take a gander, rubberneck, give someone/something a/the once-over, get a load of; Brit. informal take a dekko, take a butcher's, take a shufti, clock, gawp; N. Amer. informal eyeball; poetic/literary behold.
her room looked out on Broadway
command a view of, face, overlook, front.
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they looked shocked
seem (to be), appear (to be), have the appearance/air of being, give the impression of being, give every appearance/indication of being, strike someone as being.
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ANTONYMS :ignore.

noun
have a look at this report
glance, view, examination, study, inspection, observation, scan, survey, peep, peek, glimpse, gaze, stare; informal eyeful, gander, look-see, once-over, squint, recce; Brit. informal shufti, dekko, gawp, butcher's.
the look on her face
expression, mien.
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that rustic look
appearance, air, aspect, bearing, cast, manner, mien, demeanour, facade, impression, effect.
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this season's look
fashion, style, vogue, mode.
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look after
take care of, care for, attend to, minister to, tend, mind, keep an eye on, keep safe, be responsible for, protect; nurse, babysit, childmind. look back on
reflect on, think back to, remember, recall, reminisce about. look down on
disdain, scorn, regard with contempt, look down one's nose at, sneer at, despise. look for
search for, hunt for, try to find, seek, cast about/around/round for, try to track down, forage for, scout out, quest for/after. look forward to
await with pleasure, eagerly anticipate, lick one's lips over, be unable to wait for, count the days until. look into
investigate, enquire into, ask questions about, go into, probe, explore, follow up, research, study, examine; informal check out, give something a/the once-over; N. Amer. informal scope out. look like
resemble, bear a resemblance to, look similar to, take after, have the look of, have the appearance of, remind one of, make one think of; informal be the spitting image of, be a dead ringer for. look on/upon
regard, consider, think of, deem, judge, see, view, count, reckon. look out
beware, watch out, mind out, be on (one's) guard, be alert, be wary, be vigilant, be careful, take care, be cautious, pay attention, take heed, keep one's eyes open/peeled, keep an eye out; watch your step. look something over
inspect, examine, scan, cast an eye over, take stock of, vet, view, look through, peruse, run through, read through; informal take a dekko at, give something a/the once-over; N. Amer. check out; N. Amer. informal eyeball. look to
we must look to the future
consider, think about, turn one's thoughts to, focus on, take heed of, pay attention to, attend to, address, mind, heed.

they look to the government for help
turn to, resort to, have recourse to, fall back on, rely on.
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look up
improve, get better, pick up, come along/on, progress, make progress, make headway, perk up, rally, take a turn for the better. look someone up (informal)
visit, pay a visit to, call on, go to see, look in on; N. Amer. visit with, go see; informal drop in on. look up to
admire, have a high opinion of, think highly of, hold in high regard, regard highly, rate highly, respect, esteem, value.

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lookalike

noun
double, twin, clone, duplicate, exact likeness, replica, copy, facsimile, Doppelgänger; informal spitting image, dead ringer, dead spit.

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lookout

noun
he saw the smoke from the lookout
observation post, lookout point, lookout station, lookout tower, watchtower.
the lookout sighted sails
watchman, watch, guard, sentry, sentinel, picket; historical vedette.
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(informal) it would be a poor lookout for her
outlook, prospect, chance of success, future.
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(Brit. informal) that's your lookout
problem, concern, business, affair, responsibility, worry; informal pigeon.
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be on the lookout/keep a lookout
keep watch, keep an eye out, keep one's eyes peeled, keep a vigil, be alert, be on the qui vive.

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loom

verb
ghostly shapes loomed out of the fog
emerge, appear, come into view, take shape, materialize, reveal itself.
the church loomed above him
soar, tower, rise, rear up; overhang, overshadow, dominate.
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without reforms, disaster looms
be imminent, be on the horizon, impend, threaten, brew, be just around the corner.
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loop

noun
a loop of rope
coil, hoop, ring, circle, noose, oval, spiral, curl, bend, curve, arc, twirl, whorl, twist, hook, zigzag, helix, convolution, incurvation.
verb
Dave looped rope around their hands
coil, wind, twist, snake, wreathe, spiral, curve, bend, turn.
he looped the cables together
fasten, tie, join, connect, knot, bind.
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loophole

noun
means of evasion, means of avoidance; ambiguity, omission, flaw, inconsistency, discrepancy.

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loose

adjective
a loose floorboard
not fixed in place, not secure, unsecured, unattached; detached, unfastened; wobbly, unsteady, movable.
she wore her hair loose
untied, unpinned, unbound, hanging free, down, flowing.
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there's a wolf loose
free, at large, at liberty, on the loose, escaped; unconfined, untied, unchained, untethered.
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a loose interpretation
vague, indefinite, inexact, imprecise, approximate; broad, general, rough; liberal.
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a loose jacket
baggy, generously cut, slack, roomy; oversized, shapeless, bagging, sagging, sloppy.
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(dated) a loose woman
promiscuous, of easy virtue, fast, wanton, unchaste, immoral; licentious, dissolute; N. Amer. informal roundheeled; dated fallen; derogatory whorish, sluttish.
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ANTONYMS :secure, literal, narrow, tight, chaste.

verb
the hounds have been loosed
free, set free, unloose, turn loose, set loose, let loose, let go, release; untie, unchain, unfasten, unleash.
the fingers loosed their hold
relax, slacken, loosen; weaken, lessen, reduce, diminish, moderate.
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Brian loosed off a shot
fire, discharge, shoot, let go, let fly with.
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ANTONYMS :confine, tighten.

at a loose end
with nothing to do, unoccupied, unemployed, at leisure, idle, adrift, with time to kill; bored, twiddling one's thumbs, kicking one's heels. break loose
escape, make one's escape, get away, get free, break free, free oneself. let loose. See loose verb sense 1. on the loose
free, at liberty, at large, escaped; on the run, fugitive; N. Amer. informal on the lam.

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loose-limbed

adjective
supple, limber, lithe, lissom, willowy; agile, nimble.

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loosen

verb
you simply loosen two screws
make slack, slacken, unstick; unfasten, detach, release, disconnect, undo, unclasp, unlatch, unbolt.
her fingers loosened
become slack, slacken, become loose, let go, ease; work loose, work free.
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Philip loosened his grip
weaken, relax, slacken, loose, lessen, reduce, moderate, diminish.
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you need to loosen up
relax, unwind, ease up/off; informal let up, hang loose, lighten up, go easy.
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ANTONYMS :tighten.

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loot

noun
a bag full of loot
booty, spoils, plunder, stolen goods, contraband, pillage; informal swag, hot goods, ill-gotten gains, boodle.
verb
troops looted the cathedral
plunder, pillage, despoil, ransack, sack, raid, rifle, rob, burgle; strip, clear out.

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lop

verb
cut, chop, hack, saw, hew, slash, axe; prune, sever, clip, trim, snip, dock, crop.

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lope

verb
stride, run, bound; lollop.

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lopsided

adjective
crooked, askew, awry, off-centre, uneven, out of true, out of line, asymmetrical, tilted, at an angle, aslant, slanting, squint; Scottish agley; informal cock-eyed; Brit. informal skew-whiff, wonky. ANTONYMS :even, level, balanced.

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loquacious

adjective
talkative, voluble, communicative, expansive, garrulous, unreserved, chatty, gossipy, gossiping; informal having the gift of the gab, gabby, gassy; Brit. informal able to talk the hind legs off a donkey. ANTONYMS :reticent, taciturn.

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loquacity

noun
talkativeness, volubility, expansiveness, garrulousness, garrulity, chattiness; informal the gift of the gab. ANTONYMS :reticence, taciturnity.

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lord

noun
lords and ladies
noble, nobleman, peer, aristocrat, patrician, grandee, seigneur.
it is my duty to obey my lord's wishes
master, ruler, leader, chief, superior, monarch, sovereign, king, emperor, prince, governor, commander, suzerain, liege, liege lord.
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let us pray to our Lord
God, the Father, the Almighty, Jehovah, the Creator; Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Saviour, the Son of God, the Redeemer, the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings.
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a press lord
magnate, tycoon, mogul, captain, baron, king; industrialist, proprietor; informal big shot, honcho; derogatory fat cat.
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ANTONYMS :commoner, servant, inferior.

lord it over someone
order about/around, dictate to, ride roughshod over, pull rank on, tyrannize, have under one's thumb; be overbearing, put on airs, swagger; informal boss about/around, walk all over, push around, throw one's weight about/around.

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lordly

adjective
lordly titles
noble, aristocratic, princely, kingly, regal, royal, imperial, courtly, stately; magnificent, majestic, grand, august.
in lordly tones
imperious, arrogant, haughty, self-important, swaggering; supercilious, disdainful, scornful, contemptuous, condescending, patronizing, superior; dictatorial, authoritarian, peremptory, autocratic; informal bossy, high and mighty, snooty, uppity, hoity-toity; Brit. informal toffee-nosed.
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ANTONYMS :lowly, humble.

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lore

noun
Arthurian legend and lore
mythology, myths, legends, stories, traditions, folklore, oral tradition, mythos, mythus.
cricket lore
knowledge, learning, wisdom; informal know-how, how-tos.
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lorry

noun
truck, wagon, van, juggernaut, trailer; articulated lorry, heavy-goods vehicle, HGV; dated pantechnicon.

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lose

verb
I've lost my watch
mislay, misplace, be unable to find, lose track of, leave (behind), fail to keep/retain, fail to keep sight of.
he's lost a lot of blood
be deprived of, suffer the loss of; no longer have.
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he lost his pursuers
escape from, evade, elude, dodge, avoid, give someone the slip, shake off, throw off, throw off the scent; leave behind, outdistance, outstrip, outrun.
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their lost their way
stray from, wander from, depart from, go astray from, fail to keep to.
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you've lost your opportunity
neglect, waste, squander, fail to grasp, fail to take advantage of, let pass, miss, forfeit; informal pass up, lose out on.
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they always lose at football
be defeated, be beaten, suffer defeat, be the loser, be conquered, be vanquished, be trounced, be worsted; informal come a cropper, go down, take a licking, be bested.
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ANTONYMS :find, regain, seize, win.

lose out
be deprived of an opportunity, fail to benefit, be disadvantaged, be the loser. lose out on
be unable to take advantage of, fail to benefit from; informal miss out on. lose out to
be defeated by, be beaten by, suffer defeat at the hands of, lose to, be conquered by, be vanquished by, be trounced by, be worsted by, be beaten into second place by; informal go down to, be bested by.

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loser

noun
the loser still gets the silver medal
defeated person, also-ran, runner-up.
(informal) he's a complete loser
failure, non-achiever, underachiever, ne'er-do-well, dead loss; write-off, has-been; informal flop, non-starter, no-hoper, washout, lemon.
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ANTONYMS :winner, success.

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loss

noun
the loss of the documents
mislaying, misplacement, forgetting.
loss of earnings
deprivation, disappearance, privation, forfeiture, diminution, erosion, reduction, depletion.
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the loss of her husband
death, dying, demise, passing (away/on), end, quietus; bereavement; formal decease; archaic expiry.
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British losses in the war
casualty, fatality, victim; dead; missing; death toll, number killed/dead/wounded.
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a loss of £15,000
deficit, debit, debt, indebtedness, deficiency.
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ANTONYMS :recovery, profit.

at a loss
baffled, nonplussed, mystified, puzzled, perplexed, bewildered, bemused, at sixes and sevens, confused, dumbfounded, stumped, stuck, blank; informal clueless, flummoxed, bamboozled, fazed, floored, beaten; N. Amer. informal discombobulated.

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lost

adjective
her lost keys
missing, mislaid, misplaced, vanished, disappeared, gone missing/astray, forgotten, nowhere to be found; absent, not present, strayed.
I think we're lost
off course, off track, disorientated, having lost one's bearings, going round in circles, adrift, at sea, stray, astray.
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a lost opportunity
missed, forfeited, neglected, wasted, squandered, gone by the board; informal down the drain.
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lost traditional values
bygone, past, former, one-time, previous, old, olden, departed, vanished, forgotten, consigned to oblivion, extinct, dead, gone.
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lost species and habitats
extinct, died out, defunct, vanished, gone; destroyed, wiped out, ruined, wrecked, exterminated, eradicated.
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a lost cause
hopeless, beyond hope, futile, forlorn, failed, beyond remedy, beyond recovery.
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lost souls
damned, fallen, irredeemable, irreclaimable, irretrievable, past hope, past praying for, condemned, cursed, doomed, excommunicated; poeti c/literary accursed.
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lost in thought
engrossed, absorbed, rapt, immersed, deep, intent, engaged, wrapped up.
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ANTONYMS :current, saved.

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lot

pronoun
a lot of money | lots of friends
a large amount, a fair amount, a good/great deal, a great quantity, quantities, an abundance, a wealth, a profusion, plenty; many, a great many, a large number, a considerable number, numerous, scores; informal hundreds, thousands, millions, billions, loads, masses, heaps, a pile, piles, oodles, stacks, scads, reams, wads, pots, oceans, a mountain, mountains, miles, tons, zillions, more than one can shake a stick at; Brit. informal a shedload, lashings; N. Amer. informal gobs, a bunch, gazillions. ANTONYMS :a little, not much, a few, not many.

adverb
I work in pastels a lot
a great deal, a good deal, to a great extent, much; often, frequently, regularly. ANTONYMS :a little, not much.

noun
(informal) what do your lot think?
group, set, crowd, circle, band, crew; informal bunch, gang, mob; Brit. informal shower.
the books were auctioned as a number of lots
item, article; batch, set, collection, group, bundle, quantity, assortment, parcel.
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his lot in life
fate, destiny, fortune, doom; situation, circumstances, state, condition, position, plight, predicament.
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(N. Amer.) some youngsters playing ball in a vacant lot
patch of ground, piece of ground, plot, area, tract, parcel; N. Amer. plat.
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draw/cast lots
decide randomly, spin/toss a coin, throw dice, draw straws. throw in one's lot with
join forces with, join up with, form an alliance with, ally with, align oneself with, link up with, make common cause with.

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lotion

noun
ointment, cream, salve, balm, rub, emollient, moisturizer, lubricant, unguent, liniment, embrocation.

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lottery

noun
a national lottery
raffle, (prize) draw, sweepstake, sweep, tombola, pools.
the race is something of a lottery
gamble, speculation, game of chance, matter of luck.
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loud

adjective
loud music
noisy, blaring, booming, deafening, roaring, thunderous, thundering, ear-splitting, ear-piercing, piercing; carrying, clearly audible; lusty, powerful, forceful, stentorian; Music forte, fortissimo.
loud complaints
vociferous, clamorous, insistent, vehement, emphatic, urgent.
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a loud T-shirt
garish, gaudy, flamboyant, lurid, glaring, showy, ostentatious; vulgar, tasteless; informal flash, flashy, naff, kitsch, tacky.
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ANTONYMS :quiet, soft, gentle, sober, tasteful.

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loudly

adverb
at high volume, at the top of one's voice; noisily, deafeningly, thunderously, piercingly; stridently, lustily, powerfully, forcefully; Music forte, fortissimo; informal as if to wake the dead. ANTONYMS :quietly, softly.

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loudmouth

noun
(informal) braggart, boaster, blusterer, swaggerer; informal blabbermouth, big mouth; N. Amer. informal blowhard.

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loudspeaker

noun
speaker, monitor, woofer, tweeter; loudhailer, megaphone; public address system, PA (system); informal squawk box.

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lounge

verb
he just lounges in his room
laze, lie, loll, lie back, lean back, recline, stretch oneself, drape oneself, relax, rest, repose, take it easy, put one's feet up, unwind, luxuriate; sprawl, slump, slouch, flop; loaf, idle, do nothing.
noun
she sat in the lounge
living room, sitting room, front room, drawing room, morning room, reception room, salon, family room; dated parlour.

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lour lower

verb
scowl, frown, look sullen, glower, glare, give someone black looks, look daggers, look angry; informal give someone dirty looks. ANTONYMS :smile.

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louring lowering

adjective
overcast, dark, leaden, grey, cloudy, clouded, gloomy, threatening, menacing, promising rain. ANTONYMS :sunny, bright.

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lousy (informal)

adjective
a lousy film.
See awful sense 2.
the lousy, double-crossing snake!
See despicable.
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I felt lousy.
See ill adjective sense 1.
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be lousy with. See crawl sense 3.

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lout

noun
ruffian, hooligan, thug, boor, oaf, hoodlum, rowdy; informal tough, roughneck, bruiser, yahoo, lug; Brit. informal yob, yobbo. ANTONYMS :smoothie, gentleman.

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loutish

adjective
uncouth, rude, impolite, unmannerly, ill-mannered, ill-bred, coarse; thuggish, boorish, oafish, uncivilized, wild, rough; informal slobbish; Brit. informal yobbish. ANTONYMS :polite, well behaved.

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lovable

adjective
adorable, dear, sweet, cute, charming, darling, lovely, likeable, delightful, captivating, enchanting, engaging, bewitching, pleasing, appealing, winsome, winning, fetching, endearing. ANTONYMS :hateful, loathsome.

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love

noun
his friendship with Helen grew into love
deep affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy, attachment, endearment; devotion, adoration, doting, idolization, worship; passion, ardour, desire, lust, yearning, infatuation, besottedness.
her love of fashion
liking, enjoyment, appreciation, taste, delight, relish, passion, zeal, appetite, zest, enthusiasm, keenness, fondness, soft spot, weakness, bent, leaning, proclivity, inclination, disposition, partiality, predilection, penchant.
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their love for their fellow human beings
compassion, care, caring, regard, solicitude, concern, friendliness, friendship, kindness, charity, goodwill, sympathy, kindliness, altruism, unselfishness, philanthropy, benevolence, fellow feeling, humanity.
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he was her one true love
beloved, loved one, love of one's life, dear, dearest, dear one, darling, sweetheart, sweet, angel, honey; lover, inamorato, inamorata, amour; archaic paramour.
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their love will survive
relationship, love affair, romance, liaison, affair of the heart, amour.
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my mother sends her love
best wishes, regards, good wishes, greetings, kind/kindest regards.
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amatory, phil-. ANTONYMS :hatred.

verb
she loves him dearly
care very much for, feel deep affection for, hold very dear, adore, think the world of, be devoted to, dote on, idolize, worship; be in love with, be infatuated with, be smitten with, be besotted with; informal be mad/crazy/nuts/wild/potty about, have a pash on, carry a torch for.
Laura loved painting
like very much, delight in, enjoy greatly, have a passion for, take great pleasure in, derive great pleasure from, relish, savour; have a weakness for, be partial to, have a soft spot for, have a taste for, be taken with; informal get a kick out of, have a thing about, be mad/crazy/nuts/wild/potty about, be hooked on, go a bundle on, get off on, get a buzz out of.
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ANTONYMS :hate.

fall in love with
become infatuated with, give/lose one's heart to; informal fall for, be bowled over by, be swept off one's feet by, develop a crush on. in love with
infatuated with, besotted with, en amoured of, smitten with, consumed with desire for; captivated by, bewitched by, enthralled by, entranced by; devoted to, doting on; informal mad/crazy/nuts/wild/potty about.

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love affair

noun
he had a love affair with a teacher
relationship, affair, romance, liaison, affair of the heart, affaire de cœur, intrigue, fling, amour, involvement, romantic entanglement; flirtation, dalliance; Brit. informal carry-on.
a love affair with the motor car
enthusiasm, mania, devotion, passion.
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loveless

adjective
passionless, unloving, unfeeling, heartless, cold, icy, frigid. ANTONYMS :loving, passionate.

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lovelorn

adjective
lovesick, unrequited in love, crossed in love; spurned, jilted, rejected; pining, moping.

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lovely

adjective
a lovely young woman
beautiful, pretty, attractive, good-looking, appealing, handsome, adorable, exquisite, sweet, personable, charming; enchanting, engaging, winsome, seductive, gorgeous, alluring, ravishing, glamorous; Scottish & N. English bonny; informal tasty, knockout, stunning, drop-dead gorgeous; Brit. informal smashing, fit; N. Amer. informal cute, foxy; formal beauteous; archaic comely, fair.
a lovely view
scenic, picturesque, pleasing, easy on the eye; magnificent, stunning, splendid.
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(informal) we had a lovely day
delightful, very pleasant, very nice, very agreeable, marvellous, wonderful, sublime, superb, fine, magical; informal terrific, fabulous, heavenly, divine, amazing, glorious.
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ANTONYMS :ugly, horrible.

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lover

noun
she had a secret lover
boyfriend, girlfriend, lady-love, beloved, love, darling, sweetheart, inamorata, inamorato; mistress; partner, significant other; informal bit on the side, bit of fluff, toy boy, fancy man, fancy woman; dated beau; archaic swain, concubine, paramour.
a dog lover
devotee, admirer, fan, enthusiast, aficionado; informal buff, freak, nut.
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-phile.

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lovesick

adjective
lovelorn, pining, languishing, longing, yearning, infatuated; frustrated.

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loving

adjective
affectionate, fond, devoted, adoring, doting, solicitous, demonstrative; caring, tender, warm, warm-hearted, close; amorous, ardent, passionate, amatory. ANTONYMS :cold, cruel.

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low 1

adjective
a low fence
short, small, little; squat, stubby, stunted, dwarf; shallow.
she was wearing a low dress
low-cut, skimpy, revealing, plunging.
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low prices
cheap, economical, moderate, reasonable, modest, bargain, bargain-basement, rock-bottom.
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supplies were low
scarce, scanty, scant, skimpy, meagre, sparse, few, little, paltry; reduced, depleted, diminished.
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low quality
inferior, substandard, poor, bad, low-grade, below par, second-rate, unsatisfactory, deficient, defective.
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of low birth
humble, lowly, low-ranking, plebeian, proletarian, peasant, poor; common, ordinary.
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low expectations
unambitious, unaspiring, modest.
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a low opinion
unfavourable, poor, bad, adverse, negative.
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a rather low thing to have done
despicable, contemptible, reprehensible, lamentable, disgusting, shameful, mean, abject, unworthy, shabby, uncharitable, base, dishonourable, unprincipled, ignoble, sordid; nasty, cruel, foul, bad; informal rotten, low-down; Brit. informal beastly; dated dastardly; archaic scurvy.
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low comedy
uncouth, uncultured, unsophisticated, rough, rough-hewn, unrefined, tasteless, crass, common, vulgar, coarse, crude.
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a low voice
quiet, soft, faint, gentle, muted, subdued, muffled, hushed, quietened, whispered, stifled, murmured.
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a low note
bass, low-pitched, deep, rumbling, booming, sonorous.
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she was feeling low
depressed, dejected, despondent, downhearted, downcast, low-spirited, down, fed up, morose, miserable, dismal, heavy-hearted, mournful, forlorn, woebegone, crestfallen, dispirited; without energy, enervated, flat, sapped, weary; informal down in the mouth, down in the dumps, blue.
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ANTONYMS :high, expensive, plentiful, superior, noble, favourable, admirable, decent, exalted, loud, cheerful, lively.

noun
the dollar fell to an all-time low
nadir, low point, lowest point, lowest level, depth, rock bottom. ANTONYMS :high.

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low 2

verb
cattle were lowing
moo, bellow.

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lowbrow

adjective
mass-market, tabloid, popular, intellectually undemanding, lightweight, accessible, unpretentious; uncultured, unsophisticated, trashy, philistine, simplistic; Brit. downmarket; informal dumbed-down, rubbishy. ANTONYMS :highbrow, intellectual.

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low-down (informal)

adjective
a low-down trick
unfair, mean, despicable, reprehensible, contemptible, lamentable, disgusting, shameful, low, unworthy, shabby, base, dishonourable, unprincipled, sordid, underhand; informal rotten, dirty; Brit. informal beastly; dated dastardly; archaic scurvy. ANTONYMS :kind, honourable.

noun
he gave us the low-down
facts, information, story, data, facts and figures, intelligence, news; informal info, rundown, the score, the gen, the latest, the word, the dope.

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lower 1

adjective
the lower house of parliament
subordinate, inferior, lesser, junior, minor, secondary, lower-level, subsidiary, subservient.
her lower lip
bottom, bottommost, nether, under; underneath, further down, beneath.
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a lower price
cheaper, reduced, cut, slashed.
Top
ANTONYMS :upper, higher, increased.

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lower 2

verb
she lowered the mask
move down, let down, take down, haul down, drop, let fall.
lower your voice
soften, modulate, quieten, hush, tone down, muffle, turn down, mute.
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they are lowering their prices
reduce, decrease, lessen, bring down, mark down, cut, slash, axe, diminish, curtail, prune, pare (down).
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the water level lowered
subside, fall (off), recede, ebb, wane; abate, die down, let up, moderate, diminish, lessen.
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don't lower yourself to their level
degrade, debase, demean, abase, humiliate, downgrade, discredit, shame, dishonour, disgrace; belittle, cheapen, devalue; (lower oneself) stoop, sink, descend.
Top
ANTONYMS :raise, increase.

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lower 3

verb
he lowered at her.
See lour.

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low-grade

adjective
poor-quality, inferior, substandard, second-rate; shoddy, cheap, reject, trashy, gimcrack; Brit. informal duff, ropy, twopenny-halfpenny, rubbishy; N. Amer. informal two-bit, bum, cheapjack. ANTONYMS :top-quality, first-class.

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low-key

adjective
restrained, modest, understated, muted, subtle, quiet, low-profile, inconspicuous, unostentatious, unobtrusive, discreet, toned-down. ANTONYMS :ostentatious, obtrusive.

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lowly

adjective
humble, low, low-born, low-bred, low-ranking, plebeian, proletarian; common, ordinary, plain, average, modest, simple; inferior, ignoble, subordinate, obscure. ANTONYMS :aristocratic, exalted.

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loyal

adjective
faithful, true, devoted; constant, steadfast, staunch, dependable, reliable, trusted, trustworthy, trusty, dutiful, dedicated, unchanging, unwavering, unswerving; patriotic. ANTONYMS :treacherous.

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loyalty

noun
allegiance, faithfulness, obedience, adherence, homage, devotion; steadfastness, staunchness, true-heartedness, dependability, reliability, trustiness, trustworthiness, duty, dedication, commitment; patriotism; historical fealty. ANTONYMS :treachery.

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lozenge

noun
the pattern consists of overlapping lozenges
diamond, rhombus.
a throat lozenge
pastille, drop; cough sweet, jujube; dated cachou.
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lubricant

noun
grease, oil, lubrication, lubricator, emollient, lotion, unguent; informal lube.

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lubricate

verb
lubricate the washer with silicone grease
oil, grease, wax, polish.
oil money lubricates an elaborate system of patronage
facilitate, ease, smooth the way for, oil the wheels of.
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ANTONYMS :impede.

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lucid

adjective
a lucid description
intelligible, comprehensible, understandable, cogent, coherent, articulate; clear, transparent; plain, simple, vivid, sharp, straightforward, unambiguous, graphic; formal perspicuous.
he was not lucid enough to explain
rational, sane, in one's right mind, in possession of one's faculties, compos mentis, able to think clearly, balanced, clear-headed, sober, sensible; informal all there.
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ANTONYMS :confusing, confused.

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luck

noun
with luck you'll make it
good fortune, good luck; fluke, stroke of luck; informal lucky break.
I wish you luck
success, prosperity, good fortune, good luck.
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it is a matter of luck whether it hits or misses
fortune, fate, destiny, lot, stars, karma, kismet; fortuity, serendipity; chance, accident, a twist of fate; Austral./NZ informal mozzle.
Top
ANTONYMS :bad luck, misfortune.

in luck
fortunate, lucky, blessed with good luck, born under a lucky star; successful, having a charmed life; Brit. informal jammy. out of luck
unfortunate, unlucky, luckless, hapless, unsuccessful, cursed, jinxed, ill-fated; informal down on one's luck; poetic/literary star-crossed.

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luckily

adverb
fortunately, happily, providentially, opportunely, by good fortune, as luck would have it, propitiously; mercifully, thankfully. ANTONYMS :unfortunately.

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luckless

adjective
unlucky, unfortunate, unsuccessful, hapless, out of luck, cursed, jinxed, doomed, ill-fated; informal down on one's luck; poetic/literary star-crossed. ANTONYMS :lucky.

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lucky

adjective
the lucky winner
fortunate, in luck, blessed, blessed with good luck, favoured, born under a lucky star, charmed; successful, prosperous; born with a silver spoon in one's mouth; Brit. informal jammy.
a lucky escape
providential, fortunate, advantageous, timely, opportune, serendipitous, expedient, heaven-sent, auspicious; chance, fortuitous, fluky, accidental.
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ANTONYMS :unfortunate.

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lucrative

adjective
profitable, profit-making, gainful, remunerative, moneymaking, paying, high-income, well paid, bankable; rewarding, worthwhile; thriving, flourishing, successful, booming. ANTONYMS :unprofitable.

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lucre

noun
money, cash, funds, capital, finances, riches, wealth, spoils, ill-gotten gains, Mammon; informal dough, bread, loot, the ready, readies, moolah; Brit. informal dosh, brass, lolly, spondulicks, wonga, ackers; archaic pelf.

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ludicrous

adjective
absurd, ridiculous, farcical, laughable, risible, preposterous, foolish, mad, insane, idiotic, stupid, inane, silly, asinine, nonsensical; informal crazy; rare derisible. ANTONYMS :sensible.

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lug

verb
carry, lift, bear, tote, heave, hoist, shoulder, manhandle; haul, drag, tug, tow, transport, move, convey, shift; informal hump, schlep; Scottish informal humph.

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luggage

noun
baggage; bags, suitcases, cases, trunks. See also bag noun sense 2.

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lugubrious

adjective
mournful, gloomy, sad, unhappy, doleful, glum, melancholy, woeful, miserable, woebegone, forlorn, long-faced, sombre, solemn, serious, sorrowful, morose, dour, cheerless, joyless, dismal; funereal, sepulchral; informal down in the mouth; poetic/literary dolorous. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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lukewarm

adjective
lukewarm coffee
tepid, slightly warm, warmish, blood-warm, at skin temperature, at room temperature, chambré.
a lukewarm response
indifferent, cool, half-hearted, apathetic, unenthusiastic, tepid, offhand, perfunctory, non-committal, lackadaisical; informal laid-back, unenthused, couldn't-care-less; rare Laodicean.
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ANTONYMS :hot, cold, enthusiastic.

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lull

verb
the sound of the bells lulled us to sleep
soothe, calm, hush; rock to sleep.
his suspicions were soon lulled
assuage, allay, ease, alleviate, soothe, quiet, quieten; reduce, diminish; quell, banish, dispel.
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the noise had lulled
abate, die down, subside, let up, moderate, slacken, lessen, dwindle, decrease, diminish.
Top
ANTONYMS :waken, agitate, arouse, intensify.

noun
a lull in the fighting
pause, respite, interval, break, hiatus, suspension, interlude, intermission, breathing space; informal let-up, breather.
the lull before the storm
calm, stillness, quiet, tranquillity, peace, silence, hush.
Top
ANTONYMS :agitation, activity.

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lullaby

noun
cradle song, berceuse.

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lumber 1

verb
elephants lumbered past
lurch, stumble, trundle, shamble, shuffle, waddle; trudge, clump, stump, plod, tramp; informal galumph.

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lumber 2

noun
a spare room packed with lumber
jumble, clutter, odds and ends, bits and pieces, flotsam and jetsam, cast-offs; refuse, rubbish, litter; N. Amer. trash; informal junk, odds and sods, gubbins, clobber.
the lumber trade
timber, wood.
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verb
(Brit. informal) she was lumbered with a husband and child
burden, saddle, encumber, hamper; load, oppress, trouble, tax; informal land, dump something on someone. ANTONYMS :free.

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lumbering

adjective
clumsy, awkward, heavy-footed, slow, blundering, bumbling, inept, maladroit, uncoordinated, ungainly, ungraceful, gauche, lumpish, hulking, ponderous; informal clodhopping. ANTONYMS :nimble, agile.

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luminary

noun
leading light, guiding light, inspiration, role model, hero, heroine, leader, expert, master, panjandrum; lion, legend, great, giant. ANTONYMS :nobody.

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luminous

adjective
shining, bright, brilliant, radiant, dazzling, glowing, gleaming, scintillating, lustrous; luminescent, phosphorescent, fluorescent, incandescent. ANTONYMS :dark.

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lump 1

noun
a lump of coal
chunk, hunk, piece, mass, block, wedge, slab, cake, nugget, ball, brick, cube, pat, knob, clod, gobbet, dollop, wad; informal glob; N. Amer. informal gob.
a lump on his head
swelling, bump, bulge, protuberance, protrusion, growth, outgrowth, nodule, hump.
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verb
it is convenient to lump them together
combine, put, group, bunch, aggregate, unite, pool, merge, collect, throw, consider together.

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lump 2

verb
(informal) I'm afraid you'll have to lump it
put up with, bear, endure, take, tolerate, accept.

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lumpish

adjective
lumpish furniture
cumbersome, unwieldy, heavy, hulking, chunky, bulky, ponderous.
a lumpish young girl
stupid, obtuse, dense, dim-witted, dull-witted, slow-witted, slow; lethargic, bovine, sluggish, listless; informal thick, dumb, dopey, slow on the uptake, moronic; Brit. informal dozy.
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ANTONYMS :elegant, quick-witted, sharp.

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lumpy

adjective
a lumpy mattress
bumpy, knobbly, bulging, uneven, rough, gnarled.
lumpy custard
clotted, curdled, congealed, coagulated.
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lunacy

noun
originality demands a degree of lunacy
insanity, madness, mental illness, dementia, mania, psychosis; informal craziness.
the lunacy of gambling
folly, foolishness, foolhardiness, stupidity, silliness, idiocy, madness, rashness, recklessness, imprudence, irresponsibility, injudiciousness; informal craziness; Brit. informal daftness.
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ANTONYMS :sanity, sense, prudence.

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lunatic

noun
he drives like a lunatic
maniac, madman, madwoman, imbecile, psychopath, psychotic; fool, idiot; eccentric; informal loony, nut, nutcase, head case, psycho, moron; Brit. informal nutter; N. Amer. informal screwball.
adjective
a lunatic prisoner.
See mad sense 1.
a lunatic idea.
See mad sense 3.
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lunch

noun
midday meal, luncheon; Brit. dinner.

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lung

pulmonary, pneumo-.

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lunge

noun
Darren made a lunge at his attacker
thrust, dive, rush, charge, grab.
verb
he lunged at Finn with a knife
thrust, dive, spring, launch oneself, rush, make a grab.

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lurch

verb
he lurched into the kitchen
stagger, stumble, wobble, sway, reel, roll, weave, pitch, totter, blunder.
the ship lurched
sway, reel, list, heel, rock, roll, pitch, toss, jerk, shake, judder, flounder, swerve.
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lure

verb
consumers are frequently lured into debt
tempt, entice, attract, induce, coax, persuade, inveigle, allure, seduce, win over, cajole, beguile, bewitch, ensnare. ANTONYMS :deter, put off.

noun
the lure of the stage
temptation, enticement, attraction, pull, draw, appeal; inducement, allurement, fascination, interest, magnet; informal come-on.

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lurid

adjective
lurid food colourings
bright, brilliant, vivid, glaring, shocking, fluorescent, flaming, dazzling, intense, gaudy, loud.
the lurid details
sensational, sensationalist, exaggerated, over-dramatized, extravagant, colourful; salacious, graphic, explicit, unrestrained, prurient, shocking; gruesome, gory, grisly; informal tacky, shock-horror, juicy, full-frontal.
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ANTONYMS :muted, restrained.

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lurk

verb
skulk, loiter, lie in wait, lie low, hide, conceal oneself, take cover, keep out of sight.

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luscious

adjective
luscious fruit
delicious, succulent, lush, juicy, mouth-watering, sweet, tasty, appetizing; informal scrumptious, moreish, scrummy, yummy; N. Amer. informal nummy; poetic/literary ambrosial.
a luscious Swedish beauty
sexy, sexually attractive, nubile, ravishing, gorgeous, seductive, alluring, sultry, beautiful, stunning; informal fanciable, tasty, drop-dead gorgeous, curvy; Brit. informal fit; N. Amer. informal foxy, cute; Austral./NZ informal spunky.
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ANTONYMS :unappetizing, plain, scrawny.

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lush

adjective
lush vegetation
luxuriant, rich, abundant, profuse, exuberant, riotous, prolific, vigorous; dense, thick, rank, rampant; informal jungly.
a lush, ripe peach
succulent, luscious, juicy, soft, tender, ripe.
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a lush apartment
luxurious, de luxe, sumptuous, palatial, opulent, lavish, elaborate, extravagant, fancy; informal plush, ritzy, posh, swanky; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal swank.
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ANTONYMS :barren, sparse, shrivelled, austere.

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lust

noun
his lust for her
sexual desire, sexual appetite, sexual longing, ardour, desire, passion; libido, sex drive, sexuality, biological urge; lechery, lecherousness, lasciviousness; informal horniness, the hots; Brit. informal randiness.
a lust for power
greed, desire, craving, covetousness, eagerness, avidity, cupidity, longing, yearning, hunger, thirst, appetite, hankering.
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ANTONYMS :dread, aversion.

verb
he lusted after his employer's wife
desire, be consumed with desire for, find sexually attractive, crave, covet, ache for, burn for, pant for; informal have the hots for, lech after/over, fancy, have a thing about/for, drool over, have the horn for.
she lusted after adventure
crave, desire, covet, want, wish for, long for, yearn for, dream of, hanker for, hanker after, hunger for, thirst for, ache for.
Top
ANTONYMS :dread, avoid.

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lustful

adjective
lecherous, lascivious, libidinous, licentious, salacious, goatish; wanton, unchaste, impure, naughty, immodest, indecent, dirty, prurient; passionate, sensual, sexy, erotic; informal horny, randy, raunchy; formal concupiscent. ANTONYMS :chaste, pure.

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lustily

adverb
heartily, vigorously, loudly, at the top of one's voice, powerfully, forcefully, strongly; informal like mad, like crazy. ANTONYMS :feebly, quietly.

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lustre

noun
her hair lost its lustre
sheen, gloss, shine, glow, gleam, shimmer, burnish, polish, patina.
the lustre of the Milky Way
brilliance, brightness, radiance, sparkle, dazzle, flash, glitter, glint, gleam, luminosity, luminescence.
Top
ANTONYMS :dullness, dark.

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lustreless

adjective
dull, lacklustre, matt, unpolished, tarnished, dingy, dim, dark. ANTONYMS :lustrous, bright.

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lustrous

adjective
shiny, shining, satiny, glossy, gleaming, shimmering, burnished, polished; radiant, bright, brilliant, luminous; dazzling, sparkling, glistening, twinkling. ANTONYMS :dull, dark.

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lusty

adjective
lusty young men
healthy, strong, fit, vigorous, robust, hale and hearty, energetic; rugged, sturdy, muscular, muscly, strapping, hefty, husky, burly, powerful; informal beefy; dated stalwart.
lusty singing
loud, vigorous, hearty, strong, powerful, forceful.
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ANTONYMS :feeble, quiet.

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luxuriant

adjective
lush, rich, abundant, profuse, exuberant, riotous, prolific, vigorous; dense, thick, rank, rampant; informal jungly. ANTONYMS :barren, sparse.

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luxuriate

verb
revel, bask, delight, take pleasure, wallow; (luxuriate in) enjoy, relish, savour, appreciate; informal get a kick out of, get a thrill out of. ANTONYMS :dislike.

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luxurious

adjective
a luxurious hotel
opulent, sumptuous, de luxe, grand, palatial, splendid, magnificent, well appointed, extravagant, fancy; Brit. upmarket; informal plush, posh, classy, ritzy, swanky; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal swank.
a luxurious lifestyle
self-indulgent, sensual, pleasure-loving, pleasure-seeking, epicurean, hedonistic, sybaritic, lotus-eating.
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ANTONYMS :plain, basic, abstemious.

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luxury

noun
we'll live in luxury
opulence, luxuriousness, sumptuousness, grandeur, magnificence, splendour, lavishness, the lap of luxury, a bed of roses, milk and honey; informal the life of Riley.
a TV is his only luxury
indulgence, extravagance, self-indulgence, non-essential, treat, extra, frill.
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ANTONYMS :simplicity, necessity.

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lying

noun
she was no good at lying
untruthfulness, fabrication, fibbing, perjury, white lies; falseness, falsity, dishonesty, mendacity, telling stories, invention, misrepresentation, deceit, duplicity; poetic/literary perfidy. ANTONYMS :honesty.

adjective
he was a lying womanizer
untruthful, false, dishonest, mendacious, deceitful, deceiving, duplicitous, double-dealing, two-faced; poetic/literary perfidious. ANTONYMS :truthful.

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lynch

verb
execute illegally, hang; informal string up.

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lyric

adjective
a lyric poem
expressive, emotional, deeply felt, personal, subjective, passionate.
a lyric soprano
light, silvery, clear, sweet.
Top
ANTONYMS :harsh.

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lyrical

adjective
lyrical love poetry
expressive, emotional, deeply felt, personal, subjective, passionate.
she was lyrical about her success
enthusiastic, rhapsodic, effusive, rapturous, ecstatic, euphoric, carried away.
Top
ANTONYMS :unenthusiastic.

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lyrics

plural noun
words, libretto, book, text, lines.

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M

macabre

adjective
a macabre ritual
gruesome, grisly, grim, gory, morbid, ghastly, unearthly, grotesque, hideous, horrific, shocking, dreadful, loathsome, repugnant, repulsive, sickening.
a macabre joke
black, weird, unhealthy; informal sick.
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mace

noun
club, cudgel, stick, staff, shillelagh, bludgeon, truncheon; Brit. life preserver; N. Amer. nightstick, billy, billy club, blackjack; Brit. informal cosh.

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macerate

verb
pulp, mash, squash, soften, liquefy, soak.

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Machiavellian

adjective
devious, cunning, crafty, artful, wily, sly, scheming, treacherous, two-faced, tricky, double-dealing, unscrupulous, deceitful, dishonest; poetic/literary perfidious; informal foxy. ANTONYMS :straightforward, ingenuous.

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machinations

plural noun
scheming, plotting, intrigues, conspiracies, ruses, tricks, wiles, stratagems, tactics, manoeuvring.

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machine

noun
it is quicker done by machine
apparatus, appliance, device, contraption, contrivance, mechanism, engine, gadget, tool.
an efficient publicity machine
organization, system, structure, arrangement, machinery; informal set-up.
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mechanical.

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machinery

noun
road-making machinery
equipment, apparatus, plant, hardware, gear, tackle; mechanism; instruments, tools; gadgetry, technology.
the machinery of local government
workings, organization, system, structure, administration, institution; informal set-up.
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machinist

noun
operator, operative, machine-minder.

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machismo

noun
(aggressive) masculinity, toughness, male chauvinism, sexism, laddishness; virility, manliness.

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macho

adjective
a macho, non-caring image
(aggressively) male, (unpleasantly) masculine; manly, virile, red-blooded; informal butch, laddish. ANTONYMS :wimpish.

noun
he was a macho at heart
red-blooded male, macho man, muscleman; informal he-man, tough guy.
macho is out.
See machismo.
Top
ANTONYMS :wimp.

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mackintosh

noun
raincoat, gabardine, trench coat, waterproof; Brit. pakamac; N. Amer. slicker; Brit. informal mac; trademark Burberry, Drizabone.

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macrocosm

noun
the law of the macrocosm
universe, cosmos, creation, outer space.
the individual is a microcosm of the social macrocosm
system, structure, totality, entirety, complex.
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ANTONYMS :microcosm.

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mad

adjective
he was killed by his mad brother
insane, mentally ill, certifiable, deranged, demented, of unsound mind, out of one's mind, not in one's right mind, sick in the head, crazy, crazed, lunatic, non compos mentis, unhinged, disturbed, raving, psychotic, psychopathic, mad as a hatter, mad as a March hare, away with the fairies; informal mental, off one's head, off one's nut, nuts, nutty, off one's rocker, not right in the head, round the bend, stark staring/raving mad, bats, batty, bonkers, dotty, cuckoo, cracked, loopy, loony, doolally, bananas, loco, dippy, screwy, schizoid, touched, gaga, up the pole, not all there, not right upstairs; Brit. informal barmy, crackers, barking, barking mad, round the twist, off one's trolley, not the full shilling; N. Amer. informal nutso, out of one's tree, meshuga, wacko, gonzo; Austral./NZ informal bushed; NZ informal porangi; (be mad) informal have a screw loose, have bats in the/one's belfry; Austral. informal have kangaroos in the/one's top paddock; (go mad) lose one's reason, lose one's mind, take leave of one's senses; informal lose one's marbles, crack up.
(informal) I'm still mad at him
angry, furious, infuriated, irate, raging, enraged, fuming, incensed, seeing red, beside oneself; informal livid, spare; informal, dated in a wax; Brit. informal aerated; N. Amer. informal sore; poetic/literary wrathful; (go mad) lose one's temper, get in a rage, rant and rave; informal explode, go off the deep end, go ape, flip, flip one's lid; Brit. informal do one's nut; N. Amer. informal flip one's wig.
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some mad scheme
foolish, insane, stupid, lunatic, foolhardy, idiotic, senseless, absurd, impractical, silly, inane, asinine, wild, unwise, imprudent; informal crazy, crackpot, crackbrained; Brit. informal daft.
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(informal) he's mad about jazz
enthusiastic, passionate; ardent, fervent, avid, fanatical; devoted to, infatuated with, in love with, hot for; informal crazy, dotty, nuts, wild, hooked on, gone on; Brit. informal potty; N. Amer. informal nutso.
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it was a mad dash to get ready
frenzied, frantic, frenetic, feverish, hysterical. wild, hectic, manic.
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ANTONYMS :sane, pleased, sensible, indifferent, calm.

like mad (informal)
I ran like mad
fast, quickly, rapidly, speedily, hastily, hurriedly.

he had to fight like mad
energetically, enthusiastically, madly, furiously, with a will, for all one is worth, passionately, intensely, ardently, fervently; informal like crazy, hammer and tongs; Brit. informal like billy-o.
Top

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madcap

adjective
a madcap scheme
reckless, rash, foolhardy, foolish, hare-brained, wild, hasty, imprudent, ill-advised; informal crazy, crackpot, crackbrained.
a madcap comedy
zany, eccentric, unconventional.
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noun
she was a boisterous madcap
eccentric, crank, madman/madwoman, maniac, lunatic; oddity, character, individual; informal crackpot, oddball, weirdo, loony, nut; Brit. informal nutter; N. Amer. informal screwball.

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madden

verb
what maddens people most is his vagueness
infuriate, exasperate, irritate; incense, anger, enrage, provoke, upset, agitate, vex, irk, make someone's hackles rise, make someone see red; informal aggravate, make someone's blood boil, make livid, get up someone's nose, get someone's goat, get someone's back up; Brit. informal nark; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off.
they were maddened with pain
drive mad, drive insane, derange, unhinge, unbalance; informal drive round the bend.
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made-up

adjective
invented, fabricated, trumped up, concocted, fictitious, fictional, false, untrue, specious, spurious, bogus, apocryphal, imaginary, mythical.

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madhouse

noun
informal his father is shut up in a madhouse
mental hospital, mental institution, psychiatric hospital, asylum; informal nuthouse, funny farm, loony bin; dated lunatic asylum.
the place was a total madhouse
bedlam, mayhem, chaos, pandemonium, uproar, turmoil, disorder, madness, all hell broken loose; N. Amer. three-ring circus.
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madly

adverb
she was smiling madly
insanely, deliriously, wildly, like a lunatic; informal crazily, barmily.
it was fun, hurtling madly downhill
fast, furiously, hurriedly, quickly, speedily, hastily, energetically; informal like mad, like crazy.
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(informal) he loved her madly
intensely, fervently, wildly, unrestrainedly, to distraction.
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(informal) his job isn't madly glamorous
very, extremely, really, exceedingly, exceptionally, remarkably, extraordinarily, immensely, tremendously, wildly, all that, hugely; informal awfully, terribly, terrifically, fantastically.
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ANTONYMS :sanely, slowly, slightly.

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madman madwoman

noun
lunatic, maniac, psychotic, psychopath; informal loony, nut, nutcase, head case, psycho; Brit. informal nutter; N. Amer. informal screwball.

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madness

noun
today madness is called mental illness
insanity, mental illness, dementia, derangement; lunacy, instability; mania, psychosis; informal craziness.
it would be madness to do otherwise
folly, foolishness, idiocy, stupidity, insanity, lunacy, silliness; informal craziness.
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it's absolute madness in here
bedlam, mayhem, chaos, pandemonium, uproar, turmoil, disorder, all hell broken loose; N. Amer. three-ring circus.
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ANTONYMS :sanity, common sense, good sense, calm.

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maelstrom

noun
a maelstrom in the sea
whirlpool, vortex, eddy, swirl; poetic/literary Charybdis.
the maelstrom of war
turbulence, tumult, turmoil, disorder, disarray, chaos, confusion, upheaval, pandemonium, bedlam, whirlwind.
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maestro

noun
virtuoso, master, expert, genius, wizard, prodigy; informal ace, whizz, pro, hotshot. ANTONYMS :tyro, beginner.

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magazine

noun
journal, periodical, supplement, colour supplement; informal glossy, mag, 'zine.

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magenta

adjective
reddish-purple, purplish-red, crimson, plum, carmine red, fuchsia.

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maggot

noun
grub, larva.

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magic

noun
do you believe in magic?
sorcery, witchcraft, wizardry, necromancy, enchantment, the supernatural, occultism, the occult, black magic, the black arts, voodoo, shamanism; charm, hex, spell, jinx; N. Amer. mojo.
he does magic at children's parties
conjuring tricks, sleight of hand, legerdemain, illusion, prestidigitation.
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the magic of the stage
allure, attraction, excitement, fascination, charm, glamour.
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a taste of soccer magic
skill, brilliance, ability, accomplishment, adeptness, adroitness, deftness, dexterity, aptitude, expertise, art, finesse, talent.
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adjective
a magic spell
supernatural, enchanted, occult.
a magic place
fascinating, captivating, charming, glamorous, magical, enchanting, entrancing, spellbinding, magnetic, irresistible, hypnotic.
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(informal) we had a magic time
marvellous, wonderful, excellent, admirable; informal terrific, fabulous, fab, brilliant, brill.
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magical

adjective
magical incantations
supernatural, magic, occult, shamanistic, mystical, paranormal, preternatural, other-worldly.
the news had a magical effect
extraordinary, remarkable, exceptional, outstanding, incredible, phenomenal, unbelievable, amazing, astonishing, astounding, stunning, staggering, marvellous, magnificent, wonderful, sensational, breathtaking, miraculous; informal fantastic, fabulous, stupendous, out of this world, terrific, tremendous, brilliant, mind-boggling, mind-blowing, awesome; poetic/literary wondrous.
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this magical small land
enchanting, entrancing, spellbinding, bewitching, beguiling, fascinating, captivating, alluring, enthralling, charming, attractive, lovely, delightful, beautiful; informal dreamy, heavenly, divine, gorgeous.
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ANTONYMS :predictable, boring.

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magician

noun
sorcerer, sorceress, witch, wizard, warlock, enchanter, enchantress, necromancer, shaman.
conjuror, illusionist, prestidigitator.
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magisterial

adjective
a magisterial pronouncement
authoritative, masterful, assured, lordly, commanding, assertive.
his magisterial style of questioning
domineering, dictatorial, autocratic, imperious, overbearing, peremptory, high-handed, arrogant, supercilious, patronizing; informal bossy.
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ANTONYMS :untrustworthy, humble, hesitant, tentative.

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magnanimity

noun
generosity, charity, benevolence, beneficence, big-heartedness, altruism, philanthropy, humanity, chivalry, nobility; clemency, mercy, leniency, forgiveness, indulgence. ANTONYMS :meanness, selfishness.

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magnanimous

adjective
generous, charitable, benevolent, beneficent, big-hearted, handsome, princely, altruistic, philanthropic, chivalrous, noble; forgiving, merciful, lenient, indulgent, clement. ANTONYMS :mean-spirited, selfish.

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magnate

noun
tycoon, mogul, captain of industry, baron, lord, king; industrialist, proprietor; informal big shot, honcho; derogatory fat cat.

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magnet

noun
you can tell steel by using a magnet
lodestone; electromagnet, solenoid.
a magnet for tourists
attraction, focus, draw, lure.
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magnetic

adjective
a magnetic personality
alluring, attractive, fascinating, captivating, enchanting, enthralling, appealing, charming, prepossessing, engaging, entrancing, seductive, inviting, irresistible, charismatic.

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magnetism

noun
his sheer magnetism
allure, attraction, fascination, appeal, draw, drawing power, pull, charm, enchantment, seductiveness, magic, spell, charisma.

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magnification

noun
optical magnification
enlargement, enhancement, increase, augmentation, extension, expansion, amplification, intensification.
the magnification of marginal details
exaggeration, overstatement, overemphasis, overplaying, dramatization, colouring, embroidery, embellishment, inflation, hyperbole, aggrandizement; informal blowing up (out of all proportion), making a big thing out of something.
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ANTONYMS :reduction, understatement.

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magnificence

noun
splendour, resplendence, grandeur, impressiveness, glory, majesty, nobility, pomp, stateliness, elegance, sumptuousness, opulence, luxury, lavishness, richness, brilliance, dazzle, skill, virtuosity. ANTONYMS :modesty, tawdriness, weakness.

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magnificent

adjective
a magnificent view of the mountains
splendid, spectacular, impressive, striking, glorious, superb, majestic, awesome, awe-inspiring, breathtaking.
a magnificent apartment overlooking the lake
sumptuous, resplendent, grand, impressive, imposing, monumental, palatial, stately, opulent, luxurious, lavish, rich, dazzling, beautiful, elegant; informal splendiferous, ritzy, posh.
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a magnificent performance
masterly, skilful, virtuoso, brilliant.
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ANTONYMS :uninspiring, modest, tawdry, poor, weak.

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magnify

verb
the lens magnifies the image
enlarge, boost, enhance, maximize, increase, augment, extend, expand, amplify, intensify; informal blow up.
the problem gets magnified
exaggerate, overstate, overemphasize, overplay, dramatize, colour, embroider, embellish, inflate, make a mountain out of (a molehill); informal blow up (out of all proportion), make a big thing out of.
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ANTONYMS :reduce, minimize, understate.

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magnitude

noun
the magnitude of the task
immensity, vastness, hugeness, enormity; size, extent, expanse, greatness, largeness, bigness.
events of tragic magnitude
importance, import, significance, weight, consequence, mark, notability, note; formal moment.
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a change in magnitude on the Richter scale
value, figure, number, measure, order, quantity, vector, index, indicator.
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a star of magnitude 4.2
brightness, brilliance, radiance, luminosity.
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ANTONYMS :smallness, triviality.

of the first magnitude
of the utmost importance, of the greatest significance, very important, of great consequence; formal of great moment.

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maid

noun
the maid cleared the table
female servant, maidservant, housemaid, parlourmaid, lady's maid, chambermaid, maid-of-all-work, domestic; help, cleaner, cleaning woman/lady; Brit. informal daily, skivvy, Mrs Mop; Brit. dated charwoman, charlady, char, tweeny.
(poetic/literary) a village maid and her swain
girl, young woman, young lady, lass, miss; Scottish (wee) lassie; poetic/literary maiden, damsel, nymph; archaic wench.
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(poetic/literary) she was no longer a maid
virgin, chaste woman, unmarried girl, celibate; formal virgo intacta; poetic/literary maiden.
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maiden

noun
(poetic/literary). See maid senses 2, 3.
adjective
a maiden aunt
unmarried, spinster, unwed, unwedded, single, husbandless, celibate.
a maiden voyage
first, initial, inaugural, introductory, initiatory.
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maidenly

adjective
virginal, immaculate, intact, chaste, pure, virtuous; demure, reserved, retiring, decorous, seemly. ANTONYMS :fast, slatternly.

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mail

noun
the mail arrived
post, letters, correspondence; postal system, postal service, post office; delivery, collection; e-mail; informal snail mail; N. Amer. the mails.
verb
we mailed the parcels
send, post, dispatch, direct, forward, redirect, ship; e-mail.

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maim

verb
injure, wound, cripple, disable, incapacitate, impair, mar, mutilate, lacerate, disfigure, deform, mangle.

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main

adjective
the main item
principal, chief, head, leading, foremost, most important, major, ruling, dominant, central, focal, key, prime, master, premier, primary, first, fundamental, supreme, predominant, (most) prominent, pre-eminent, paramount, overriding, cardinal, crucial, critical, pivotal, salient, elemental, essential, staple. ANTONYMS :subsidiary, minor.

noun
(poetic/literary) the Spanish Main
sea, ocean, deep; informal, dated the drink; Brit. informal, dated the briny.
in the main. See mainly.

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mainly

adverb
mostly, for the most part, in the main, on the whole, largely, by and large, to a large extent, predominantly, chiefly, principally, primarily; generally, usually, typically, commonly, on average, as a rule, almost always.

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mainspring

noun
motive, motivation, impetus, driving force, incentive, impulse, prime mover, reason, fountain, fount, root, generator.

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mainstay

noun
central component, central figure, centrepiece, prop, linchpin, cornerstone, pillar, bulwark, buttress, chief support, backbone, anchor, foundation, base, staple.

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mainstream

adjective
normal, conventional, ordinary, orthodox, conformist, accepted, established, recognized, common, usual, prevailing, popular. ANTONYMS :fringe.

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maintain

verb
they wanted to maintain peace
preserve, conserve, keep, retain, keep going, keep alive, keep up, prolong, perpetuate, sustain, carry on, continue.
the council maintains the roads
keep in good condition, keep in (good) repair, keep up, service, care for, take good care of, look after.
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the costs of maintaining a family
support, provide for, keep, sustain; nurture, feed, nourish.
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he always maintained his innocence | he maintains that he is innocent
insist (on), declare, assert, protest, affirm, avow, profess, claim, allege, contend, argue, swear (to), hold to; formal aver; rare asseverate.
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ANTONYMS :break, discontinue, neglect, deny.

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maintenance

noun
the maintenance of peace
preservation, conservation, keeping, prolongation, perpetuation, carrying on, continuation, continuance.
car maintenance
upkeep, service, servicing, repair(s), care, aftercare.
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the maintenance of his children
support, keeping, upkeep, sustenance; nurture, feeding, nourishment.
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absent fathers are forced to pay maintenance
financial support, child support, alimony, provision; keep, subsistence, living expenses.
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ANTONYMS :breakdown, discontinuation, neglect.

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majestic

adjective
stately, dignified, distinguished, solemn, magnificent, grand, splendid, resplendent, glorious, sumptuous, impressive, august, noble, awe-inspiring, monumental, palatial; statuesque, Olympian, imposing, marvellous, sonorous, resounding, heroic. ANTONYMS :modest, wretched.

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majesty

noun
the majesty of the procession
stateliness, dignity, distinction, solemnity, magnificence, pomp, grandeur, grandness, splendour, resplendence, glory, impressiveness, augustness, nobility.
the majesty invested in the monarch
sovereignty, authority, power, dominion, supremacy.
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ANTONYMS :modesty, wretchedness.

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major

adjective
the major English poets
greatest, best, finest, most important, chief, main, prime, principal, capital, cardinal, leading, star, foremost, outstanding, first-rate, pre-eminent, arch-.
an issue of major importance
crucial, vital, great, considerable, paramount, utmost, prime.
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a major factor
important, big, significant, weighty, crucial, key, sweeping, substantial.
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major surgery
serious, radical, complicated, difficult.
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ANTONYMS :minor, little, trivial.

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majority

noun
the majority of cases
larger part/number, greater part/number, best/better part, most, more than half; bulk, mass, weight, (main) body, preponderance, predominance, generality, lion's share.
a majority in the election
(winning) margin, superiority of numbers/votes; landslide.
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my son has reached his majority
coming of age, legal age, adulthood, manhood/womanhood, maturity; age of consent.
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ANTONYMS :minority.

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make

verb
he makes models
construct, build, assemble, put together, manufacture, produce, fabricate, create, form, fashion, model.
she made me drink it
force, compel, coerce, press, drive, pressure, pressurize, oblige, require; have someone do something, prevail on, dragoon, bludgeon, strong-arm, impel, constrain; informal railroad.
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don't make such a noise
cause, create, give rise to, produce, bring about, generate, engender, occasion, effect, set up, establish, institute, found, develop, originate; poetic/literary beget.
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she made a little bow
perform, execute, give, do, accomplish, achieve, bring off, carry out, effect.
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they made him chairman
appoint, designate, name, nominate, select, elect, vote in, install; induct, institute, invest, ordain.
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he had made a will
formulate, frame, draw up, devise, make out, prepare, compile, compose, put together; draft, write, pen.
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I've m ade a mistake
perpetrate, commit, be responsible for, be guilty of, be to blame for.
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he's made a lot of money
acquire, obtain, gain, get, realize, secure, win, earn; gross, net, clear; bring in, take (in).
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he made tea
prepare, get ready, put together, concoct, cook, dish up, throw together, whip up, brew; informal fix; Brit. informal mash.
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we've got to make a decision
reach, come to, settle on, determine on, conclude.
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she made a short announcement
utter, give, deliver, give voice to, enunciate, recite, pronounce.
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the sofa makes a good bed
be, act as, serve as, function as, constitute, do duty for.
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he'll make the first eleven
gain a place in, get into, gain access to, enter; achieve, attain.
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he just made his train
catch, get, arrive/be in time for, arrive at, reach; get to.
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ANTONYMS :destroy, lose, miss.

noun
what make is the car?
brand, marque, label.
a man of a different make from his brother
character, nature, temperament, temper, disposition, kidney, mould, stamp.
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make as if/though
feign, pretend, make a show/pretence of, affect, feint, make out; informal put it on. make away with
she decided to make away with him
kill, murder, dispatch, eliminate; informal bump off, do away with, do in, do for, knock off, top, croak, stiff, blow away; N. Amer. informal ice, rub out, smoke, waste; poetic/literary slay.

they made away with the evidence
dispose of, get rid of, destroy, throw away, jettison, ditch, dump; informal do away with.
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make believe
pretend, fantasize, daydream, build castles in the air, build castles in Spain, dream, imagine, play-act, play. make do
scrape by, scrape along, get by/along, manage, cope, survive, muddle through/along, improvise, make ends meet, keep the wolf from the door, keep one's head above water; informal make out; (make do with) make the best of, get by on, put up with. make for
she made for the door
go for/towards, head for/towards, aim for, make one's way towards, move towards, direct one's steps towards, steer a course towards, be bound for, make a beeline for.

constant arguing doesn't make for a happy marriage
contribute to, be conducive to, produce, promote, facilitate, foster; formal conduce to.
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make it
he never made it as a singer
succeed, be a success, distinguish oneself, get ahead, make good; informal make the grade, arrive, crack it.

she's very ill is she going to make it?
survive, come through, pull through, get better, recover.
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make love. See have sex at sex. make off
run away/off, take to one's heels, beat a hasty retreat, flee, make one's getaway, make a quick exit, run for it, make a run for it, take off, take flight, bolt, make oneself scarce, decamp, do a disappearing act; informal clear off/out, beat it, leg it, cut and run, skedaddle, vamoose, hightail it, hotfoot it, show a clean pair of heels, fly the coop, split, scoot, scram; Brit. informal scarper, do a runner; N. Amer. informal take a powder. make off with
take, steal, purloin, pilfer, abscond with, run away/off with, carry off, snatch; kidnap, abduct; informal walk away/off with, swipe, filch, snaffle, nab, lift, "liberate", "borrow", snitch; Brit. informal pinch, half-inch, nick, whip, knock off; N. Amer. informal heist, glom. make out (informal) how did you make out?

get on/along, fare, do, proceed, go, progress, manage, survive, cope, get by. make something out
I could just make out a figure in the distance
see, discern, distinguish, perceive, pick out, detect, observe, recognize; poetic/literary descry, espy.

he couldn't make out what she was saying
understand, comprehend, follow, grasp, fathom, work out, make sense of, interpret, decipher, make head or tail of, get, get the drift of, catch.
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she made out that he was violent
allege, claim, assert, declare, maintain, affirm, suggest, imply, hint, insinuate, indicate, intimate, impute; formal aver.
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he made out a receipt for $20
write out, fill out, fill in, complete, draw up.
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make something over to someone
transfer, sign over, turn over, hand over/on/down, give, leave, bequeath, bestow, pass on, assign, consign, entrust; Law devolve, convey. make up let's kiss and make up

be friends again, bury the hatchet, declare a truce, make peace, forgive and forget, shake hands, become reconciled, settle one's differences, mend fences, call it quits. make something up
exports make up 42% of earnings
comprise, form, compose, constitute, account for.

Gina brought a friend to make up a foursome
complete, round off, finish.
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the pharmacist made up the prescription
prepare, mix, concoct, put together.
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he made up an excuse
invent, fabricate, concoct, dream up, think up, hatch, trump up; devise, manufacture, formulate, coin; informal cook up.
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she made up her face
apply make-up/cosmetics to, powder, rouge; (make oneself up) informal put on one's face, do/paint one's face, apply one's warpaint, doll oneself up.
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make up for
she tried to make up for what she'd said
atone for, make amends for, compensate for, make recompense for, make reparation for, make redress for, make restitution for, expiate.

job satisfaction can make up for low pay
offset, counterbalance, counteract, compensate for; balance, neutralize, cancel out, even up, redeem.
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make up one's mind
decide, come to a decision, make/reach a decision; settle on a plan of action, come to a conclusion, reach a conclusion; determine, resolve. make up to (informal)
curry favour with, cultivate, try to win over, court, ingratiate oneself with; informal suck up to, butter up; N. Amer. informal shine up to; archaic blandish. make way
move aside, clear the way, make a space, make room, stand back.

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make-believe

noun
that was sheer make-believe
fantasy, pretence, daydreaming, imagination, invention, fancy, dream, fabrication, play-acting, charade, masquerade. ANTONYMS :reality.

adjective
make-believe adventures
imaginary, imagined, made-up, fantasy, dreamed-up, fanciful, fictitious, fictive, feigned, fake, mock, sham, simulated; informal pretend, phoney. ANTONYMS :real, actual.

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maker

noun
creator, manufacturer, constructor, builder, producer, fabricator.

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makeshift

adjective
temporary, provisional, stopgap, standby, rough and ready, improvised, ad hoc, extempore, thrown together, cobbled together. ANTONYMS :permanent.

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make-up

noun
she used excessive make-up
cosmetics, maquillage; greasepaint, face paint; informal warpaint, slap.
the cellular make-up of plants
composition, constitution, structure, configuration, arrangement, organization, formation.
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jealousy isn't part of his make-up
character, nature, temperament, personality, disposition, mentality, persona, psyche; informal what makes someone tick.
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making

noun
the making of cars
manufacture, mass-production, building, construction, assembly, production, creation, putting together, fabrication, forming, moulding, forging.
she has the makings of a champion
qualities, characteristics, ingredients; potential, promise, capacity, capability; essentials, essence, beginnings, rudiments, basics, stuff.
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ANTONYMS :destruction.

in the making a hero in the making

budding, up and coming, emergent, developing, nascent, potential, promising, incipient.

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maladjusted

adjective
disturbed, unstable, neurotic, unbalanced, unhinged, dysfunctional; informal mixed up, screwed up, hung up, messed up. ANTONYMS :normal, stable.

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maladministration

noun
(formal) mismanagement, mishandling, misgovernment, misrule, incompetence, inefficiency, bungling; malpractice, misconduct; Law malfeasance; formal malversation. ANTONYMS :probity, efficiency.

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maladroit

adjective
bungling, awkward, inept, clumsy, bumbling, incompetent, unskilful, heavy-handed, gauche, tactless, inconsiderate, undiplomatic, impolitic; informal ham-fisted, cack-handed. ANTONYMS :adroit, skilful.

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malady

noun
illness, sickness, disease, infection, ailment, disorder, complaint, indisposition, affliction, infirmity; informal bug, virus; Brit. informal lurgy; Austral. informal wog.

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malaise

noun
unhappiness, uneasiness, unease, discomfort, melancholy, depression, despondency, dejection, angst, Weltschmerz, ennui; lassitude, listlessness, languor, weariness; indisposition, ailment, infirmity, illness, sickness, disease. ANTONYMS :comfort, well-being.

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malapropism

noun
wrong word, solecism, misuse, misapplication, infelicity, slip of the tongue.

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malapropos

adjective
(formal) inappropriate, unsuitable, inapposite, infelicitous, inapt, unseemly, inopportune, ill-timed, untimely.

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malcontent

noun
a group of malcontents
troublemaker, mischief-maker, agitator, dissident, rebel; discontent, complainer, grumbler, moaner; informal stirrer, whinger, grouch, bellyacher; N. Amer. informal kvetch.
adjective
a malcontent employee
disaffected, discontented, dissatisfied, disgruntled, fed up, unhappy, annoyed, irritated, displeased, resentful; rebellious, dissentient, troublemaking, grumbling, complaining; informal browned off, hacked off, peeved, bellyaching; Brit. informal cheesed off, brassed off; N. Amer. informal teed off, ticked off. ANTONYMS :happy.

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male

adjective
male sexual jealousy
masculine, virile, manly, macho, red-blooded. ANTONYMS :female.

noun
two males walked past.
See man noun sense 1. andro-.

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malediction

noun
curse, damnation, oath; spell; N. Amer. hex; formal imprecation; poetic/literary anathema; archaic execration. ANTONYMS :blessing.

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malefactor

noun
wrongdoer, miscreant, offender, criminal, culprit, villain, lawbreaker, felon, evil-doer, delinquent, sinner, transgressor; informal crook, baddy; Austral. informal crim; Law malfeasant; archaic trespasser.

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malevolence

noun
malice, hostility, hate, hatred, ill will, enmity, ill feeling, balefulness, venom, rancour, malignity, vindictiveness, viciousness, vengefulness; poetic/literary maleficence. ANTONYMS :benevolence.

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malevolent

adjective
malicious, hostile, evil-minded, baleful, evil-intentioned, venomous, evil, malign, malignant, rancorous, vicious, vindictive, vengeful; poetic/literary malefic, maleficent. ANTONYMS :benevolent.

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malformation

noun
deformity, distortion, crookedness, misshapenness, disfigurement, abnormality, warp.

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malformed

adjective
deformed, misshapen, misproportioned, ill-proportioned, disfigured, distorted, crooked, contorted, twisted, wry, warped; abnormal, grotesque, monstrous; Scottish thrawn. ANTONYMS :perfect, normal, healthy.

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malfunction

verb
the computer has malfunctioned
crash, go wrong, break down, fail, stop working; informal conk out, go kaput, fall over, act up; Brit. informal play up, pack up.
noun
a computer malfunction
crash, breakdown, fault, failure, bug; informal glitch.

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malice

noun
spite, malevolence, ill will, vindictiveness, vengefulness, revenge, malignity, evil intentions, animus, enmity, rancour; informal bitchiness, cattiness; poetic/literary maleficence. ANTONYMS :benevolence.

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malicious

adjective
spiteful, malevolent, evil-intentioned, vindictive, vengeful, malign, mean, nasty, hurtful, mischievous, wounding, cruel, unkind; informal bitchy, catty; poetic/literary malefic, maleficent. ANTONYMS :benevolent.

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malign

adjective
a malign influence
harmful, evil, bad, baleful, hostile, inimical, destructive, malignant, injurious; poetic/literary malefic, maleficent. ANTONYMS :beneficial.

verb
he maligned an innocent man
defame, slander, libel, blacken someone's name/character, smear, vilify, speak ill of, cast aspersions on, run down, traduce, denigrate, disparage, slur, abuse, revile; informal bad-mouth, knock; Brit. informal rubbish, slag off; formal derogate, calumniate; rare asperse. ANTONYMS :praise.

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malignant

noun
a malignant disease
virulent, very infectious, invasive, uncontrollable, dangerous, deadly, fatal, life-threatening.
a malignant growth
cancerous; technical metastatic.
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a malignant thought
spiteful, malicious, malevolent, evil-intentioned, vindictive, vengeful, malign, mean, nasty, hurtful, mischievous, wounding, cruel, unkind; informal bitchy, catty; poetic/literary malefic, maleficent.
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ANTONYMS :benign, benevolent.

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malinger

verb
pretend to be ill, feign/fake illness, sham; shirk; informal put it on; Brit. informal skive, swing the lead; N. Amer. informal gold-brick.

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malingerer

noun
shirker, idler, layabout; informal slacker; Brit. informal skiver, lead-swinger; N. Amer. informal gold brick.

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mall

noun
shopping precinct, shopping centre, shopping complex, arcade, galleria; N. Amer. plaza.

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malleable

adjective
a malleable substance
pliable, ductile, plastic, pliant, soft, workable.
a malleable young woman
easily influenced, suggestible, susceptible, impressionable, pliable, amenable, compliant, tractable; biddable, complaisant, manipulable, persuadable, like putty in someone's hands.
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ANTONYMS :hard, intractable.

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malnutrition

noun
undernourishment, malnourishment, poor diet, inadequate diet, unhealthy diet, lack of food.

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malodorous

adjective
foul-smelling, evil-smelling, fetid, smelly, stinking (to high heaven), reeking, rank, high, putrid, noxious; informal stinky; Brit. informal niffy, pongy, whiffy, humming; N. Amer. informal funky; poetic/literary noisome, mephitic. ANTONYMS :fragrant.

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malpractice

noun
wrongdoing, professional misconduct, breach of ethics, unprofessionalism, unethical behaviour; negligence, carelessness, incompetence.

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maltreat

verb
ill-treat, mistreat, abuse, ill-use, misuse, mishandle; knock about/around, hit, beat, strike, manhandle, harm, hurt, persecute, molest; informal beat up, rough up, do over.

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maltreatment

noun
ill-treatment, mistreatment, abuse, ill use, ill usage, misuse, mishandling; violence, harm, persecution, molestation.

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mammoth

adjective
huge, enormous, gigantic, giant, colossal, massive, vast, immense, mighty, stupendous, monumental, Herculean, epic, prodigious, mountainous, monstrous, titanic, towering, elephantine, king-size(d), gargantuan, Brobdingnagian; informal mega, monster, whopping, humongous, bumper, jumbo, astronomical; Brit. informal whacking, whacking great, ginormous. ANTONYMS :tiny.

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man

noun
a handsome man
male, adult male, gentleman; youth; informal guy, fellow, geezer, gent; Brit. informal bloke, chap, lad, cove; Scottish & Irish informal bodach; N. Amer. informal dude, hombre; Austral./NZ informal digger.
all men are mortal
human being, human, person, mortal, individual, personage, soul.
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the evolution of man
the human race, the human species, Homo sapiens, humankind, humanity, human beings, humans, people, mankind.
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the men voted to go on strike
worker, workman, labourer, hand, blue-collar worker. See also staff noun sense 1.
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have you met her new man?
boyfriend, partner, husband, spouse, lover, admirer, fiancé; common-law husband, live-in lover, significant other, cohabitee; informal fancy man, toy boy, sugar daddy, intended; N. Amer. informal squeeze; dated beau, steady, young man; archaic leman.
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his man brought him a cocktail
manservant, valet, gentleman's gentleman , Jeeves, attendant, retainer; page, footman, flunkey; Military, dated batman; N. Amer. houseman.
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male, masculine, virile.
verb
the office is manned from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
staff, crew, occupy, people.
firemen manned the pumps
operate, work, use, utilize.
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man to man
frankly, openly, honestly, directly, candidly, plainly, forthrightly, without beating about the bush; woman to woman. to a man
without exception, with no exceptions, bar none, one and all, everyone, each and every one, unanimously, as one.

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manacle

verb
shackle, fetter, chain, put/clap in irons, handcuff, restrain; secure; informal cuff.

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manacles

plural noun
handcuffs, shackles, chains, irons, fetters, restraints, bonds; informal cuffs, bracelets; Brit. archaic darbies.

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manage

verb
she manages a staff of 80 people
be in charge of, run, be head of, head, direct, control, preside over, lead, govern, rule, command, superintend, supervise, oversee, administer, organize, conduct, handle, guide, be at the helm of; informal head up.
how much work can you manage this week?
accomplish, achieve, do, carry out, perform, undertake, bring about/off, effect, finish; succeed in, contrive, engineer.
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will you be able to manage without him?
cope, get along/on, make do, be/fare/do all right, carry on, survive, get by, muddle through/along, fend for oneself, shift for oneself, make ends meet, weather the storm; informal make out, hack it.
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she can't manage that horse
control, handle, master; cope with, deal with.
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manageable

adjective
a manageable amount of work
achievable, doable, practicable, possible, feasible, reasonable, attainable, viable.
a manageable child
compliant, tractable, pliant, pliable, malleable, biddable, docile, amenable, governable, controllable, accommodating, acquiescent, complaisant, yielding.
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a manageable tool
user-friendly, easy to use, handy.
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ANTONYMS :difficult, impossible.

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management

noun
he's responsible for the management of the firm
administration, running, managing, organization; charge, care, direction, leadership, control, governing, governance, ruling, command, superintendence, supervision, overseeing, conduct, handling, guidance, operation.
workers are in dispute with the management
managers, employers, directors, board of directors, board, directorate, executives, administrators, administration; owners, proprietors; informal bosses, top brass.
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manager

noun
the works manager
executive, head of department, line manager, supervisor, principal, administrator, head, director, managing director, employer, superintendent, foreman, forewoman, overseer; proprietor; informal boss, chief, head honcho, governor; Brit. informal gaffer, guv'nor.
the band's manager
organizer, controller, comptroller; impresario.
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mandate

noun
he called an election to seek a mandate for his policies
authority, approval, acceptance, ratification, endorsement, sanction, authorization.
a mandate from the UN
instruction, directive, decree, command, order, injunction, edict, charge, commission, bidding, ruling, fiat; formal ordinance.
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mandatory

adjective
obligatory, compulsory, binding, required, requisite, necessary, essential, imperative. ANTONYMS :optional.

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manful

adjective
brave, courageous, bold, plucky, gallant, manly, heroic, intrepid, fearless, stout-hearted, valiant, valorous, dauntless, doughty; resolute, with gritted teeth, determined; informal gutsy, spunky. ANTONYMS :cowardly.

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manfully

adverb
bravely, courageously, boldly, gallantly, pluckily, heroically, intrepidly, fearlessly, valiantly, dauntlessly; resolutely, determinedly, hard, strongly, vigorously, with might and main, like a Trojan; with all one's strength, to the best of one's abilities, as best one can, desperately.

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mange

noun
scabies, scab, rash, eruption, skin infection.

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manger

noun
trough, feeding trough, fodder rack, feeder, crib.

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mangle

verb
the bodies were mangled beyond recognition
mutilate, maim, disfigure, damage, injure, crush; hack, cut up, lacerate, tear apart, butcher, maul.
he's mangling the English language
spoil, ruin, mar, mutilate, make a mess of, wreck; informal murder, make a hash of, butcher.
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mangy

adjective
a mangy cat
scabby, scaly, scabious, diseased.
a mangy old armchair
scruffy, moth-eaten, shabby, worn; dirty, squalid, sleazy, seedy; informal tatty, the worse for wear, scuzzy; Brit. informal grotty.
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manhandle

verb
he was manhandled by a gang of youths
push, shove, jostle, hustle; maltreat, ill-treat, mistreat, maul, molest; informal paw, rough up; N. Amer. informal roust.
we manhandled the piano down the stairs
heave, haul, push, shove; pull, tug, drag, lug, carry, lift, manoeuvre; informal hump.
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manhood

noun
the transition from boyhood to manhood
maturity, sexual maturity, adulthood.
an insult to his manhood
virility, manliness, machismo, masculinity, maleness; mettle, spirit, strength, fortitude, determination, bravery, courage, intrepidity, valour, heroism, boldness.
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mania

noun
fits of mania
madness, derangement, dementia, insanity, lunacy, psychosis, mental illness; delirium, frenzy, hysteria, raving, wildness.
his mania for gadgets
obsession, compulsion, fixation, fetish, fascination, preoccupation, passion, enthusiasm, desire, urge, craving; craze, fad, rage; informal thing, yen.
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maniac

noun
a homicidal maniac
lunatic, madman, madwoman, psychopath; informal loony, fruitcake, nutcase, nut, psycho, head case, headbanger, sicko; Brit. informal nutter; N. Amer. informal screwball, crazy, meshuggener.
(informal) a football maniac
enthusiast, fan, devotee, aficionado; informal freak, fiend, fanatic, nut, buff, addict.
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manic

adjective
a manic grin
mad, insane, deranged, demented, maniacal, lunatic, wild, crazed, demonic, hysterical, raving, unhinged, unbalanced; informal crazy.
manic activity
frenzied, feverish, frenetic, hectic, intense; informal hyper, mad.
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ANTONYMS :sane, calm.

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manifest

verb
she manifested signs of depression
display, show, exhibit, demonstrate, betray, present, reveal; formal evince.
strikes manifest bad industrial relations
be evidence of, be a sign of, indicate, show, attest, reflect, bespeak, prove, establish, evidence, substantiate, corroborate, confirm; poetic/literary betoken.
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ANTONYMS :hide, mask.

adjective
his manifest lack of interest
obvious, clear, plain, apparent, evident, patent, palpable, distinct, definite, blatant, overt, glaring, barefaced, explicit, transparent, conspicuous, undisguised, unmistakable, noticeable, perceptible, visible, recognizable. ANTONYMS :secret.

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manifestation

noun
the manifestation of anxiety
display, demonstration, show, exhibition, presentation.
manifestations of global warming
sign, indication, evidence, token, symptom, testimony, proof, substantiation, mark, reflection, example, instance.
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a supernatural manifestation
apparition, appearance, materialization, visitation.
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manifesto

noun
policy statement, mission statement, platform, programme, declaration, proclamation, pronouncement, announcement.

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manifold

adjective
many, numerous, multiple, multifarious, legion, diverse, various, several, varied, different, miscellaneous, assorted, sundry; poetic/literary myriad, divers.

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manikin

noun
midget, dwarf, homunculus, pygmy, Tom Thumb.

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manipulate

verb
he manipulated some knobs and levers
operate, work; turn, pull.
she manipulated the muscles of his back
massage, rub, knead, feel, palpate.
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the government tried to manipulate the situation
control, influence, use/turn to one's advantage, exploit, manoeuvre, engineer, steer, direct; twist someone round one's little finger.
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they accused him of manipulating the data
falsify, rig, distort, alter, change, doctor, massage, juggle, tamper with, tinker with, interfere with, misrepresent; informal cook, fiddle.
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manipulative

adjective
scheming, calculating, cunning, crafty, wily, shrewd, devious, designing, conniving, Machiavellian, artful, guileful, slippery, slick, sly, unscrupulous, disingenuous; informal foxy.

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manipulator

noun
exploiter, user, manoeuvrer, conniver, puppet master, wheeler-dealer; informal operator, thimblerigger.

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mankind

noun
the human race, man, humanity, human beings, humans, Homo sapiens, humankind, people, men and women.

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manly

adjective
his manly physique
virile, masculine, strong, all-male, muscular, muscly, strapping, well built, sturdy, robust, rugged, tough, powerful, brawny, red-blooded, vigorous; informal hunky.
their manly deeds
brave, courageous, bold, valiant, valorous, fearless, plucky, macho, manful, intrepid, daring, heroic, lionhearted, gallant, chivalrous, swashbuckling, adventurous, stout-hearted, dauntless, doughty, resolute, determined, stalwart; informal gutsy, spunky.
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ANTONYMS :effeminate, cowardly.

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man-made

adjective
artificial, synthetic, manufactured; imitation, ersatz, simulated, mock, fake, plastic. ANTONYMS :natural, real.

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mannequin

noun
mannequins in a shop window
dummy, model, figure.
mannequins on the catwalk
model, fashion model, supermodel; informal clothes horse.
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manner

noun
it was dealt with in a very efficient manner
way, fashion, mode, means, method, system, style, approach, technique, procedure, process, methodology, modus operandi, form.
(archaic) what manner of person is he?
kind, sort, type, variety, nature, breed, brand, stamp, class, category, genre, order.
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her rather unfriendly manner
demeanour, air, aspect, attitude, bearing, cast, behaviour, conduct; mien; formal comportment.
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the life and manners of Victorian society
customs, habits, ways, practices, conventions, usages.
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it's bad manners to stare
behaviour, conduct, way of behaving; form.
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you ought to teach him some manners
correct behaviour, etiquette, social graces, good form, protocol, politeness, decorum, propriety, gentility, civility, Ps and Qs, breeding; informal the done thing; archaic convenances.
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mannered

adjective
affected, pretentious, unnatural, artificial, contrived, stilted, stiff, forced, put-on, theatrical, precious, stagy, camp; informal pseudo. ANTONYMS :natural.

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mannerism

noun
idiosyncrasy, quirk, oddity, foible, trait, peculiarity, habit, characteristic.

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mannerly

adjective
. See polite sense 1.

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mannish

adjective
unfeminine, unwomanly, masculine, unladylike, Amazonian; informal butch. ANTONYMS :feminine, girlish.

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manoeuvre

verb
I manoeuvred the car into the space
steer, guide, drive, negotiate, navigate, pilot, direct, manipulate, move, work, jockey.
he manoeuvred things to suit himself
manipulate, contrive, manage, engineer, devise, plan, fix, organize, arrange, set up, orchestrate, choreograph, stage-manage; informal wangle.
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he began manoeuvring for the party leadership
intrigue, plot, scheme, plan, lay plans, conspire, pull strings.
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noun
a tricky parking manoeuvre
operation, exercise, activity, move, movement, action.
diplomatic manoeuvres
stratagem, tactic, gambit, ploy, trick, dodge, ruse, plan, scheme, operation, device, plot, machination, artifice, subterfuge, intrigue.
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military manoeuvres
training exercises, exercises, war games, operations.
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manse

noun
minister's house, vicarage, parsonage, rectory, deanery.

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manservant

noun
valet, attendant, retainer, equerry, gentleman's gentleman, man, Jeeves; steward, butler, footman, flunkey, page, houseboy, lackey; N. Amer. houseman; Military, dated batman.

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mansion

noun
stately home, hall, seat, manor, manor house, country house; informal palace, pile; formal residence. ANTONYMS :hovel.

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mantle

noun
a dark green velvet mantle
cloak, cape, shawl, wrap, stole; historical pelisse.
a thick mantle of snow
covering, layer, blanket, sheet, veil, curtain, canopy, cover, cloak, pall, shroud.
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the mantle of leadership
role, burden, onus, duty, responsibility.
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verb
heavy mists mantled the forest
cover, envelop, veil, cloak, curtain, shroud, swathe, wrap, blanket, conceal, hide, disguise, mask, obscure, surround, clothe; poetic/literary enshroud.

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manual

adjective
manual work
done with one's hands, labouring, physical, blue-collar.
a manual typewriter
hand-operated, hand, non-automatic.
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noun
a training manual
handbook, instruction book, instructions, guide, companion, ABC, guidebook; informal bible.

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manufacture

verb
the company manufactures laser printers
make, produce, mass-produce, build, construct, assemble, put together, create, fabricate, prefabricate, turn out, process, engineer.
a story manufactured by the press
make up, invent, fabricate, concoct, hatch, dream up, think up, trump up, devise, formulate, frame, contrive; informal cook up.
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noun
the manufacture of aircraft engines
production, making, manufacturing, mass-production, construction, building, assembly, creation, fabrication, prefabrication, processing.

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manufacturer

noun
maker, producer, builder, constructor, creator; factory owner, industrialist, captain/baron of industry.

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manure

noun
dung, muck, excrement, droppings, ordure, guano, cowpats; fertilizer; N. Amer. informal cow chips, horse apples.

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manuscript

noun
document, text, script, paper, typescript; codex, palimpsest, scroll; autograph, holograph.

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many

determiner & adjective
many animals were killed
numerous, a great/good deal of, a lot of, plenty of, countless, innumerable, scores of, crowds of, droves of, an army of, a horde of, a multitude of, a multiplicity of, multitudinous, multiple, untold; several, various, sundry, diverse, assorted, multifarious; copious, abundant, profuse, an abundance of, a profusion of; frequent; informal lots of, umpteen, loads of, masses of, stacks of, scads of, heaps of, piles of, bags of, tons of, oodles of, dozens of, hundreds of, thousands of, millions of, billions of, zillions of, a slew of, more than one can shake a stick at; Brit. informal a shedload of; N. Amer. informal gazillions of; Austral./NZ informal a swag of; poetic/literary myriad, divers.
sacrificing the individual for the sake of the many
the people, the common people, the masses, the multitude, the populace, the public, the rank and file; derogatory the hoi polloi, the common herd, the mob, the proletariat, the riff-raff, the great unwashed, the proles.
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multi-, poly-. ANTONYMS :fe w.

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map

noun
plan, chart, cartogram; road map, A to Z, street plan, guide; atlas, globe; sketch map, relief map, contour map; Mercator projection, Peters projection; N. Amer. plat, plot. cartography.
verb
the region was mapped from the air
chart, plot, delineate, draw, depict, portray.
map something out
outline, set out, lay out, sketch out, trace out, rough out, block out, delineate, detail, draw up, formulate, work out, frame, draft, plan, plot out, arrange, design, programme.

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mar

verb
an ugly scar marred his features
spoil, impair, disfigure, detract from, blemish, scar; mutilate, deface, deform.
the celebrations were marred by violence
spoil, ruin, impair, damage, wreck; harm, hurt, blight, taint, tarnish, sully, stain, pollute; informal foul up; formal vitiate.
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ANTONYMS :enhance.

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marauder

noun
raider, plunderer, pillager, looter, robber, pirate, freebooter, bandit, highwayman, rustler; poetic/literary brigand; archaic buccaneer, corsair, reaver, cateran, mosstrooper.

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marauding

adjective
predatory, rapacious, thieving, plundering, pillaging, looting, freebooting, piratical.

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march

verb
the men marched past
stride, walk, troop, step, pace, tread; footslog, slog, tramp, hike, trudge; parade, file, process; Brit. informal yomp.
she marched in without even knocking
stalk, stride, strut, flounce, storm, stomp, sweep.
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time marches on
advance, progress, move on, roll on.
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noun
a 20-mile march
hike, trek, tramp, slog, footslog, walk; route march, forced march; Brit. informal yomp.
police sought to ban the march
parade, procession, march past, cortège; demonstration; informal demo.
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the march of technology
progress, advance, progression, development, evolution; passage.
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marches

plural noun
the Welsh marches
borders, boundaries, borderlands, frontiers; historical marcher lands.

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margin

noun
the margin of the lake
edge, side, verge, border, perimeter, brink, brim, rim, fringe, boundary, limits, periphery, bound, extremity; poetic/literary marge, bourn, skirt.
there's no margin for error
leeway, latitude, scope, room, room for manoeuvre, space, allowance, extra, surplus.
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they won by a narrow margin
gap, majority, amount, difference.
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marginal

adjective
the difference is marginal
slight, small, tiny, minute, insignificant, minimal, negligible.
a very marginal case
borderline, disputable, questionable, doubtful.
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marijuana

noun
cannabis, hashish, bhang, hemp, kif, ganja, sinsemilla, skunkweed; informal dope, hash, grass, pot, blow, draw, the weed, skunk; Brit. informal wacky baccy; N. Amer. informal locoweed.

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marinate

verb
souse, soak, steep, immerse, marinade.

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marine

adjective
marine plants
seawater, sea, saltwater, oceanic; aquatic; technical pelagic, thalassic.
a marine insurance company
maritime, nautical, naval; seafaring, seagoing, ocean-going.
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mariner

noun
sailor, seaman, seafarer; informal Jack tar, tar, sea dog, salt, bluejacket, matelot; N. Amer. informal shellback.

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marital

adjective
matrimonial, married, wedded, conjugal, nuptial, marriage, wedding; Law spousal; poetic/literary connubial, epithalamic.

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maritime

adjective
maritime law
naval, marine, nautical; seafaring, seagoing, sea, ocean-going.
maritime regions
coastal, seaside, littoral.
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mark

noun
a dirty mark
blemish, streak, spot, fleck, dot, blot, stain, smear, speck, speckle, blotch, smudge, smut, fingermark, fingerprint; bruise, discoloration; birthmark; informal splotch, splodge; technical stigma; poetic/literary smirch.
a punctuation mark
symbol, sign, character; diacritic.
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books bearing the mark of a well-known bookseller
logo, seal, stamp, imprint, symbol, emblem, device, insignia, badge, brand, trademark, monogram, hallmark, logotype, watermark.
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unemployment passed the three million mark
point, level, stage, degree.
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a mark of respect
sign, token, symbol, indication, badge, emblem; symptom, evidence, proof.
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the war left its mark on him
impression, imprint, traces; effect, impact, influence.
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the mark of a civilized society
characteristic, feature, trait, attribute, quality, hallmark, badge, stamp, property, indicator.
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he got good marks for maths
grade, grading, rating, score, percentage.
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the bullet missed its mark
target, goal, aim, bullseye; objective, object, end.
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verb
be careful not to mark the paintwork
discolour, stain, smear, smudge, streak, blotch, blemish; dirty, pockmark, bruise; informal splotch, splodge; poetic/literary smirch.
her possessions were clearly marked
put one's name on, name, initial, label; hallmark, watermark, brand.
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I've marked the relevant passages
indicate, label, flag, tick; show, identify, designate, delineate, denote.
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a festival to mark the town's 200th anniversary
celebrate, observe, recognize, acknowledge, keep, honour, solemnize, pay tribute to, salute, commemorate, remember, memorialize.
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the incidents marked a new phase in their campaign
represent, signify, be a sign of, indicate, herald.
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his style is marked by simplicity and concision
characterize, distinguish, identify, typify, brand, signalize, stamp.
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I have a pile of essays to mark
assess, evaluate, appraise, correct; N. Amer. grade.
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it'll cause trouble, you mark my words!
take heed of, pay heed to, heed, listen to, take note of, pay attention to, attend to, note, mind, bear in mind, take into consideration.
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make one's mark
be successful, distinguish oneself, succeed, be a success, prosper, get ahead/on, make good; informal make it, make the grade, find a place in the sun. mark something down
reduce, decrease, lower, cut, put down, discount; informal slash. mark someone out
his honesty marked him out from the rest
set apart, separate, single out, differentiate, distinguish.

she is marked out for fame
destine, ordain, predestine, preordain.
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mark something up
increase, raise, up, put up, hike (up), escalate; informal jack up. of mark (dated)
important, distinguished, eminent, pre-eminent, prominent, notable, famous, great, prestigious; of importance, of consequence, of note, of high standing, of distinction. quick off the mark
alert, quick, quick-witted, bright, clever, perceptive, sharp, sharp-witted, observant, wide awake, on one's toes; informal on the ball, quick on the uptake. wide of the mark
inaccurate, incorrect, wrong, erroneous, off target, off beam, out, mistaken, misguided, misinformed.

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marked

adjective
noticeable, pronounced, decided, distinct, striking, clear, glaring, blatant, unmistakable, obvious, plain, manifest, patent, palpable, prominent, signal, significant, conspicuous, notable, recognizable, identifiable, distinguishable, discernible, apparent, evident; written all over one. ANTONYMS :imperceptible.

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market

noun
shopping centre, marketplace, mart, flea market, bazaar, souk, fair; archaic emporium.
there's no market for such goods
demand, call, want, desire, need, requirement.
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the market is sluggish
trade, trading, business, commerce, buying and selling, dealing.
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verb
the product was marketed worldwide
sell, retail, vend, merchandise, trade, peddle, hawk; advertise, promote.
on the market
on sale, (up) for sale, on offer, available, obtainable; N. Amer. on the block.

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marksman markswoman

noun
sniper, sharpshooter, good shot; informal crack shot; N. Amer. informal deadeye, shootist.

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maroon

verb
strand, cast away, cast ashore; abandon, leave behind, leave, leave in the lurch, desert; informal leave high and dry.

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marriage

noun
a proposal of marriage
(holy) matrimony, wedlock.
the marriage took place at St Margaret's
wedding, wedding ceremony, marriage ceremony, nuptials, union; archaic espousal.
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a marriage of jazz, pop, and gospel
union, alliance, fusion, mixture, mix, blend, amalgamation, combination, merger.
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conjugal, marital, matrimonial. ANTONYMS :divorce, separation.

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married

adjective
a married couple
wedded, wed; informal spliced, hitched.
married bliss
marital, matrimonial, conjugal, nuptial; Law spousal; poetic/literary connubial.
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ANTONYMS :single.

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marrow

noun
the marrow of his statement
essence, core, nucleus, pith, kernel, heart, quintessence, gist, substance, sum and substance, meat, nub; informal nitty-gritty.

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marry

verb
the couple married last year
get/be married, wed, be wed, become man and wife, plight/pledge one's troth; informal tie the knot, walk down the aisle, take the plunge, get spliced, get hitched, say "I do".
John wanted to marry her
wed, take to wife/husband; informal make an honest woman of; archaic espouse.
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the show marries poetry with art
join, unite, combine, fuse, mix, blend, merge, amalgamate, link, connect, couple, knit, yoke.
Top
ANTONYMS :divorce, separate.

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marsh

noun
swamp, marshland, bog, peat bog, swampland, morass, mire, quagmire, slough, fen, fenland, wetland; N. Amer. bayou; Scottish & N. English moss; archaic quag.

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marshal

verb
the king marshalled an army
assemble, gather together, collect, muster, call together, draw up, line up, align, array, organize, group, arrange, deploy, position, order, dispose; mobilize, rally, round up.
guests were marshalled to their seats
usher, guide, escort, conduct, lead, shepherd, steer, take.
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marshy

adjective
boggy, swampy, muddy, squelchy, soggy, waterlogged, miry, fenny; Scottish & N. English mossy; Ecology paludal. ANTONYMS :dry, firm.

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martial

adjective
military, soldierly, soldier-like, army, naval; warlike, fighting, combative, militaristic; informal gung-ho.

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martinet

noun
disciplinarian, slave-driver, stickler for discipline, (hard) taskmaster, authoritarian, tyrant.

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martyr

verb
put to death, kill, martyrize; burn, burn at the stake, immolate, stone to death, throw to the lions, crucify.

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martyrdom

noun
death, suffering, torture, torment, agony, ordeal; killing, sacrifice, crucifixion, immolation, burning, auto-da-fé; Christianity Passion.

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marvel

verb
she marvelled at their courage
be amazed, be astonished, be surprised, be awed, stand in awe, wonder; stare, gape, goggle, not believe one's eyes/ears, be dumbfounded; informal be flabbergasted.
noun
the marvels of technology
wonder, miracle, sensation, spectacle, phenomenon; informal something else, something to shout about, eye-opener.

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marvellous

adjective
his solo climb was marvellous
amazing, astounding, astonishing, awesome, breathtaking, sensational, remarkable, spectacular, stupendous, staggering, stunning; phenomenal, prodigious, miraculous, extraordinary, incredible, unbelievable; poetic/literary wondrous.
marvellous weather
excellent, splendid, wonderful, magnificent, superb, glorious, sublime, lovely, delightful, too good to be true; informal super, great, amazing, fantastic, terrific, tremendous, sensational, heavenly, divine, gorgeous, grand, fabulous, fab, awesome, to die for, magic, ace, wicked, mind-blowing, far out, out of this world; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill; N. Amer. informal boss; Austral./NZ informal beaut, bonzer; Brit. informal, dated champion, wizard, corking, ripping, spiffing, top-hole; N. Amer. informal, dated swell.
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ANTONYMS :commonplace, awful.

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masculine

adjective
a masculine trait
male, man's, men's; male-oriented.
a powerfully masculine man
virile, macho, manly, all-male, muscular, muscly, strong, strapping, well built, rugged, robust, brawny, powerful, red-blooded, vigorous; informal hunky.
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a rather masculine woman
mannish, unfeminine, unwomanly, unladylike, Amazonian; informal butch.
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ANTONYMS :feminine, effeminate.

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masculinity

noun
virility, manliness, maleness, machismo, vigour, strength, muscularity, ruggedness, robustness.

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mash

verb
mash the potatoes
pulp, crush, purée, cream, smash, squash, pound, beat.
noun
first pound the garlic to a mash
pulp, purée, mush, paste.

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mask

noun
she wore a mask to conceal her face
disguise, false face; historical domino, visor; archaic vizard.
he dropped his mask of good humour
pretence, semblance, veil, screen, front, false front, facade, veneer, blind, false colours, disguise, guise, concealment, cover, cover-up, cloak, camouflage.
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verb
poplar trees masked the factory
hide, conceal, disguise, cover up, obscure, screen, cloak, camouflage, veil.

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masquerade

noun
a grand masquerade
masked ball, masque, fancy-dress party.
he couldn't keep up the masquerade much longer
pretence, deception, pose, act, front, facade, disguise, dissimulation, cover-up, bluff, play-acting, make-believe; informal put-on.
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verb
a woman masquerading as a man
pretend to be, pose as, pass oneself off as, impersonate, disguise oneself as; formal personate.

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Mass

noun
Eucharist, Holy Communion, Communion, the Lord's Supper.

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mass

noun
a soggy mass of fallen leaves
pile, heap; accumulation, aggregation, accretion, concretion, build-up.
a mass of cyclists
crowd, horde, large group, throng, host, troop, army, herd, flock, drove, swarm, mob, pack, press, crush, flood, multitude.
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the mass of the population
majority, greater part/number, best/better part, major part, most, bulk, main body, lion's share.
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the common people, the populace, the public, the people, the rank and file, the crowd, the third estate; derogatory the hoi polloi, the mob, the proletariat, the common herd, the great unwashed.
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(informal) masses of food.
See lot pronoun.
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adjective
mass hysteria
widespread, general, wholesale, universal, large-scale, extensive, pandemic.
verb
they began massing troops in the region
assemble, marshal, gather together, muster, round up, mobilize, rally.

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massacre

noun
a cold-blooded massacre of innocent civilians
slaughter, wholesale/mass slaughter, indiscriminate killing, mass murder, mass execution, annihilation, liquidation, decimation, extermination; carnage, butchery, bloodbath, bloodletting, pogrom, genocide, ethnic cleansing, holocaust, Shoah, night of the long knives; poetic/literary slaying.
(informal) the match was an 8 0 massacre.
See rout noun sense 2.
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verb
thousands were brutally massacred
slaughter, butcher, murder, kill, annihilate, exterminate, execute, liquidate, eliminate, decimate, wipe out, mow down, cut down, put to the sword, put to death; poetic/literary slay.
(informal) they were massacred in the final.
See trounce.
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massage

noun
rub, rub-down, rubbing, kneading, palpation, manipulation, pummelling; shiatsu, reflexology, acupressure, hydromassage, Swedish massage, osteopathy; effleurage, tapotement, Rolfing.
verb
he massaged her tired muscles
rub, knead, palpate, manipulate, pummel, work.
the statistics have been massaged
alter, tamper with, manipulate, doctor, falsify, juggle, fiddle with, tinker with, distort, change, rig, interfere with, misrepresent; informal fix, cook, fiddle.
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massive

adjective
huge, enormous, vast, immense, large, big, mighty, great, colossal, tremendous, prodigious, gigantic, gargantuan, mammoth, monstrous, monumental, giant, towering, elephantine, mountainous, titanic; epic, Herculean, Brobdingnagian; informal monster, jumbo, mega, whopping, humongous, hulking, bumper, astronomical; Brit. informal whacking, ginormous. ANTONYMS :tiny.

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mast

noun
a ship's mast
spar, boom, yard, gaff, foremast, mainmast, topmast, mizzenmast, mizzen, royal mast.
the mast on top of the building
flagpole, flagstaff, pole, post, rod, upright; aerial, transmitter, pylon.
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master

noun
(historical) he acceded to his master's wishes
lord, overlord, lord and master, ruler, sovereign, monarch, liege (lord), suzerain.
the dog's master
owner, keeper.
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a chess master
expert, adept, genius, past master, maestro, virtuoso, professional, doyen, authority; informal ace, pro, wizard, whizz, hotshot; Brit. informal dab hand; N. Amer. informal maven, crackerjack.
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the master of the ship
captain, commander; informal skipper.
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the geography master
teacher, schoolteacher, schoolmaster, tutor, instructor, preceptor; formal pedagogue.
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their spiritual master
guru, teacher, leader, guide, mentor; swami, Maharishi; Roshi.
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ANTONYMS :servant, amateur, pupil.

verb
I managed to master my fears
overcome, conquer, beat, quell, quash, suppress, control, overpower, triumph over, subdue, vanquish, subjugate, prevail over, govern, curb, check, bridle, tame, defeat, get the better of, get a grip on, get over; informal lick.
it took ages to master the technique
learn, become proficient in, know inside out, know backwards; pick up, grasp, understand; informal get the hang of.
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adjective
a master craftsman
expert, adept, proficient, skilled, skilful, deft, dexterous, adroit, practised, experienced, masterly, accomplished, complete, demon, brilliant; informal crack, ace, mean, wizard; N. Amer. informal crackerjack.
the master bedroom
principal, main, chief; biggest.
Top

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masterful

adjective
a masterful man
commanding, powerful, imposing, magisterial, lordly, authoritative; dominating, domineering, overbearing, overweening, imperious.
their masterful handling of the situation
expert, adept, clever, masterly, skilful, skilled, adroit, proficient, deft, dexterous, accomplished, polished, consummate; informal crack, ace.
Top
ANTONYMS :weak, inept.

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masterly

adjective
. See masterful sense 2.

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mastermind

verb
he masterminded the whole campaign
plan, control, direct, be in charge of, run, conduct, organize, arrange, preside over, orchestrate, stage-manage, engineer, manage, coordinate; conceive, devise, originate, initiate, think up, frame, hatch, come up with; informal be the brains behind.
noun
the mastermind behind the project
genius, mind, intellect, author, architect, organizer, originator, prime mover, initiator, inventor; informal brain, brains, bright spark.

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masterpiece

noun
chef-d'œvre, pièce de résistance, masterwork, magnum opus, finest/best work, tour de force.

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master stroke

noun
stroke of genius, coup, triumph, coup de maître, tour de force.

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mastery

noun
her mastery of the language
proficiency, ability, capability; knowledge, understanding, comprehension, familiarity, command, grasp, grip.
they played with tactical mastery
skill, skilfulness, expertise, dexterity, finesse, adroitness, virtuosity, prowess, deftness, proficiency; informal know-how.
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man's mastery over nature
control, domination, command, ascendancy, supremacy, pre-eminence, superiority; triumph, victory, the upper hand, the whip hand, rule, government, power, sway, authority, jurisdiction, dominion, sovereignty.
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masticate

verb
chew, munch, champ, chomp, crunch, eat; ruminate, chew the cud; formal manducate.

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mat

noun
the hall mat
rug, runner, carpet, drugget; doormat, welcome mat, hearthrug; dhurrie, numdah; kilim, flokati; N. Amer. floorcloth.
he placed his glass on the mat
coaster, beer mat, doily; table mat, place mat; Brit. drip mat.
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a thick mat of hair
mass, tangle, knot, mop, thatch, shock, mane.
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verb
his hair was matted with blood
tangle, entangle, knot, ravel, snarl up.

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match

noun
a football match | a boxing match
contest, competition, game, tournament, tie, cup tie, event, fixture, trial, test, meet, bout, fight; friendly, (local) derby; play-off, replay, rematch; archaic tourney.
he was no match for the champion
equal, rival, equivalent, peer, counterpart; formal compeer.
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the vase was an exact match of the one she already owned
lookalike, double, twin, duplicate, mate, fellow, companion, counterpart, pair; replica, copy; informal spitting image, spit and image, dead spit, dead ringer.
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a love match
marriage, betrothal, relationship, partnership, union.
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verb
the curtains matched the duvet cover
go with, coordinate with, complement, suit; be the same as, be similar to.
did their statements match?
correspond, be in agreement, tally, agree, match up, coincide, accord, conform, square.
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no one can match him at chess
equal, be a match for, measure up to, compare with, parallel, be in the same league as, be on a par with, touch, keep pace with, keep up with, emulate, rival, vie with, compete with, contend with; informal hold a candle to.
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match up to
measure up to, come up to, meet with, be equal to, be as good as, satisfy, fulfil, answer to.

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matching

adjective
corresponding, equivalent, parallel, analogous; coordinating, complementary, toning; paired, twin, identical, like, like (two) peas in a pod, alike. ANTONYMS :different, clashing.

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matchless

adjective
incomparable, unrivalled, inimitable, beyond compare/comparison, unparalleled, unequalled, without equal, peerless, second to none, unsurpassed, unsurpassable, nonpareil, unique, consummate, perfect, rare, transcendent, surpassing; formal unexampled.

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matchmaker

noun
marriage broker, shadchan; marriage bureau, dating agency; go-between.

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mate

noun
(Brit. informal) he's gone out with his mates
friend, companion, boon companion, intimate, familiar, confidant; playmate, playfellow, schoolmate, classmate, workmate; informal pal, chum; Brit. informal china, mucker; N. English informal marra; N. Amer. informal buddy, amigo, compadre, homeboy; archaic compeer.
she's finally found her ideal mate
partner, husband, wife, spouse, lover, live-in lover, significant other, companion, helpmate, helpmeet, consort; informal better half, hubby, missus, missis; Brit. informal other half, dutch, trouble and strife.
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I can't find the mate to this sock
match, fellow, twin, companion, pair, other half, equivalent.
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a plumber's mate
assistant, helper, apprentice.
Top

verb
pandas rarely mate in captivity
breed, couple, copulate.

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material

noun
the decomposition of organic material
matter, substance, stuff, medium.
the materials for a new building
constituent, raw material, element, component.
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cleaning materials
things, items, articles, stuff, necessaries; Brit. informal gubbins.
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curtain material
fabric, cloth, textiles.
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material for a magazine article
information, data, facts, facts and figures, statistics, evidence, details, particulars, background, notes; informal info, gen, dope, low-down.
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adjective
the material world
physical, corporeal, tangible, non-spiritual, mundane, worldly, earthly, secular, temporal, concrete, real, solid, substantial.
she was too fond of material pleasures
sensual, physical, carnal, corporal, fleshly, bodily.
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information that could be material to the inquiry
relevant, pertinent, applicable, germane; apropos, to the point; vital, essential, key.
Top
the storms caused material damage
significant, major, important.
Top
ANTONYMS :spiritual, aesthetic, irrelevant.

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materialistic

adjective
consumerist, acquisitive, money-oriented, greedy; worldly, capitalistic, bourgeois.

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materialize

verb
the forecast investment boom did not materialize
happen, occur, come about, take place, come into being, transpire; informal come off; formal eventuate; poetic/literary come to pass.
Harry materialized at the door
appear, turn up, arrive, make/put in an appearance, present oneself/itself, emerge, surface, reveal oneself/itself, show one's face, pop up; informal show up, fetch up, pitch up.
Top

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materially

adverb
significantly, greatly, much, very much, to a great extent, considerably, substantially, a great deal, appreciably, markedly, fundamentally, seriously, gravely.

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maternal

adjective
her maternal instincts
motherly, protective, caring, nurturing, loving, devoted, affectionate, fond, warm, tender, gentle, kind, kindly, comforting.
his maternal grandparents
on one's mother's side, on the distaff side.
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mathematical

adjective
mathematical symbols
arithmetical, numerical; statistical, algebraic, geometric, trigonometric.
mathematical precision
rigorous, meticulous, scrupulous, punctilious, scientific, strict, precise, exact, accurate, pinpoint, correct, careful, unerring.
Top

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matrimonial

adjective
marital, conjugal, married, wedded; nuptial; Law spousal; poetic/literary connubial.

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matrimony

noun
marriage, wedlock, union; nuptials. ANTONYMS :divorce.

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matted

adjective
tangled, tangly, knotted, knotty, tousled, dishevelled, uncombed, unkempt, ratty; black English natty.

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matter

noun
decaying vegetable matter
material, substance, stuff.
the heart of the matter
affair, business, proceeding, situation, circumstance, event, happening, occurrence, incident, episode, experience; subject, topic, issue, question, point, point at issue, case, concern.
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it is of little matter now
importance, consequence, significance, note, import, weight; formal moment.
Top
what's the matter?
problem, trouble, difficulty, complication; upset, worry.
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the matter of the sermon
content, subject matter, text, argument, substance.
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an infected wound full of matter
pus, suppuration, purulence, discharge.
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verb
it doesn't matter what you wear
be important, make any/a difference, be of importance, be of consequence, signify, be relevant, count; informal cut any ice.
as a matter of fact
actually, in (actual) fact, in point of fact, as it happens, really, believe it or not, in reality, in truth, to tell the truth. no matter
it doesn't matter, it makes no difference/odds, it's not important, never mind, don't worry about it.

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matter-of-fact

adjective
unemotional, practical, down-to-earth, sensible, realistic, rational, sober, unsentimental, pragmatic, businesslike, commonsensical, level-headed, hard-headed, no-nonsense, factual, literal, straightforward, plain, unembellished, unvarnished, unadorned.

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mature

adjective
a mature woman
adult, grown-up, grown, fully grown, full-grown, of age, fully developed, in one's prime.
he's very mature for his age
sensible, responsible, adult, level-headed, reliable, dependable; wise, discriminating, shrewd, sophisticated.
Top
mature cheese
ripe, ripened, mellow; ready to eat/drink.
Top
on mature reflection, he decided not to go
careful, thorough, deep, considered.
Top
ANTONYMS :adolescent, childish.

verb
kittens mature when they are about a year old
be fully grown, be full-grown; come of age, reach adulthood, reach maturity.
he's matured since he left home
grow up, become more sensible/adult; blossom.
Top
leave the cheese to mature
ripen, mellow; age.
Top
their friendship didn't have time to mature
develop, grow, evolve, bloom, blossom, flourish, thrive.
Top

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maturity

noun
her progress from childhood to maturity
adulthood, majority, coming-of-age, manhood/womanhood.
he displayed a maturity beyond his years
responsibility, sense, level-headedness; wisdom, discrimination, shrewdness, sophistication.
Top

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maudlin

adjective
maudlin self-pity
sentimental, over-sentimental, emotional, over-emotional, tearful, lachrymose; informal weepy.
a maudlin ballad
mawkish, sentimental, over-sentimental; Brit. twee; informal mushy, slushy, sloppy, schmaltzy, cheesy, corny, toe-curling; Brit. informal soppy; N. Amer. informal cornball, three-hankie.
Top

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maul

verb
he had been mauled by a lion
savage, attack, tear to pieces, lacerate, claw, scratch.
she hated being mauled by men
molest, feel, fondle, manhandle; informal grope, paw, touch up.
Top
his book was mauled by the critics.
See criticize.
Top

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maunder

verb
he maundered on about his problems
ramble, prattle, blather, blether, rattle, chatter, jabber, babble; informal yak, yatter; Brit. informal rabbit, witter, waffle, natter, chunter.
she maundered across the road
wander, drift, meander, amble, potter; Brit. informal mooch.
Top

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mausoleum

noun
tomb, sepulchre, crypt, vault, charnel house, burial chamber, catacomb, undercroft.

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maverick

noun
individualist, nonconformist, free spirit, unorthodox person, original, eccentric; rebel, dissenter, dissident. ANTONYMS :conformist.

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maw

noun
mouth, jaws, muzzle; throat, gullet; informal trap, chops, kisser; Brit. informal gob.

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mawkish

adjective
sentimental, over-sentimental, maudlin, cloying, sickly, saccharine, sugary, syrupy, nauseating; Brit. twee; informal mushy, slushy, sloppy, schmaltzy, weepy, cutesy, lovey-dovey, cheesy, corny, sick-making, toe-curling; Brit. informal soppy; N. Amer. informal cornball, hokey, three-hankie.

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maxim

noun
saying, adage, aphorism, proverb, motto, saw, axiom, apophthegm, dictum, precept, epigram; truism, cliché.

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maximum

adjective
the maximum amount
greatest, highest, biggest, largest, top, topmost, most, utmost, maximal. ANTONYMS :minimum.

noun
production levels are near their maximum
upper limit, limit, utmost, uttermost, greatest, most, extremity, peak, height, ceiling, top. ANTONYMS :minimum.

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maybe

adverb
perhaps, possibly, conceivably, it could be, it is possible, for all one knows; N. English happen; poetic/literary peradventure, perchance.

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mayhem

noun
chaos, disorder, havoc, bedlam, pandemonium, tumult, uproar, turmoil, commotion, all hell broken loose, maelstrom, trouble, disturbance, confusion, riot, anarchy, violence; informal madhouse.

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maze

noun
labyrinth, complex network, warren; web, tangle, jungle, snarl.

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meadow

noun
field, paddock; pasture, pastureland; poetic/literary lea, mead.

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meagre

adjective
their meagre earnings
inadequate, scanty, scant, paltry, limited, restricted, modest, insufficient, sparse, deficient, negligible, skimpy, slender, poor, miserable, pitiful, puny, miserly, niggardly, beggarly; informal measly, stingy, pathetic, piddling; formal exiguous.
a tall, meagre man
thin, lean, skinny, spare, scrawny, scraggy, gangling, gangly, spindly, stringy, bony, raw-boned, gaunt, underweight, underfed, undernourished, emaciated, skeletal, cadaverous.
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ANTONYMS :abundant, fat.

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meal

noun
snack; feast, banquet; informal bite (to eat), spread, blowout, feed; Brit. informal nosh-up; formal repast, collation; poetic/literary refection. prandial.

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mean 1

verb
flashing lights mean the road is blocked
signify, convey, denote, designate, indicate, connote, show, express, spell out; stand for, represent, symbolize; imply, suggest, intimate, hint at, insinuate, drive at, refer to, allude to; poetic/literary betoken.
she didn't mean to break it
intend, aim, plan, design, have in mind, contemplate, purpose, propose, set out, aspire, desire, want, wish, expect.
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he was hit by a bullet meant for a soldier
intend, design; destine, predestine.
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the closures will mean a rise in unemployment
entail, involve, necessitate, lead to, result in, give rise to, bring about, cause, engender, produce.
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this means a lot to me
matter, be important, be significant.
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a red sky in the morning usually means rain
presage, portend, foretell, augur, promise, foreshadow, herald, signal, bode; poetic/literary betoken, foretoken.
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mean 2

adjective
he's too mean to leave a tip
miserly, niggardly, close-fisted, parsimonious, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, Scrooge-like; informal tight-fisted, stingy, tight, mingy, money-grubbing; N. Amer. informal cheap; formal penurious; archaic near, niggard.
a mean trick
unkind, nasty, unpleasant, spiteful, malicious, unfair, cruel, shabby, foul, despicable, contemptible, obnoxious, vile, odious, loathsome, base, low; informal horrible, horrid, hateful, rotten, low-down; Brit. informal beastly.
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the truth was obvious to even the meanest intelligence
inferior, poor, limited, restricted.
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her flat was mean and cold
squalid, shabby, dilapidated, sordid, seedy, slummy, sleazy, insalubrious, wretched, dismal, dingy, miserable, run down, down at heel; informal scruffy, scuzzy, crummy, grungy; Brit. informal grotty.
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a man of mean birth
lowly, humble, ordinary, low, low-born, modest, common, base, p roletarian, plebeian, obscure, undistinguished, ignoble; archaic baseborn.
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(informal) he's a mean cook.
See excellent.
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ANTONYMS :generous, kind, luxurious, noble.

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mean 3

noun
a mean between saving and splashing out
middle course, middle way, midpoint, happy medium, golden mean, compromise, balance; median, norm, average.
adjective
the mean temperature
average, median, middle, medial, medium, normal, standard.

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meander

verb
the river meandered gently
zigzag, wind, twist, turn, curve, curl, bend, snake.
we meandered along the path
stroll, saunter, amble, wander, ramble, drift, maunder; Scottish stravaig; informal mosey, tootle.
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meandering

adjective
a meandering stream
winding, windy, zigzag, twisting, turning, curving, serpentine, sinuous, twisty.
meandering reminiscences
rambling, maundering, circuitous, roundabout, digressive, discursive, indirect, tortuous, convoluted.
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ANTONYMS :straight, succinct.

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meaning

noun
the meaning of his remark
significance, sense, signification, import, gist, thrust, drift, implication, tenor, message, essence, substance, purport, intention.
the word has several different meanings
definition, sense, explanation, denotation, connotation, interpretation.
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my life has no meaning
value, validity, worth, consequence, account, use, usefulness, significance, point.
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his smile was full of meaning
expressiveness, significance, eloquence, implications, insinuations.
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semantic.
adjective
a meaning look.
See meaningful sense 3.

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meaningful

adjective
a meaningful remark
significant, relevant, important, consequential, telling, material, valid, worthwhile.
a meaningful relationship
sincere, deep, serious, in earnest, significant, important.
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a meaningful glance
expressive, eloquent, pointed, significant, meaning; pregnant, speaking, telltale, revealing, suggestive.
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ANTONYMS :inconsequential.

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meaningless

adjective
a jumble of meaningless words
unintelligible, incomprehensible, incoherent.
she felt her life was meaningless
futile, pointless, aimless, empty, hollow, vain, purposeless, valueless, useless, of no use, worthless, senseless, trivial, trifling, unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential.
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ANTONYMS :worthwhile.

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means

plural noun
the best means to achieve your goal
method, way, manner, mode, measure, technique, expedient, agency, medium, instrument, channel, vehicle, avenue, course, process, procedure.
she doesn't have the means to support herself
money, resources, capital, income, finance, funds, cash, the wherewithal, assets; informal dough, bread; Brit. informal dosh, brass, lolly, spondulicks, ackers.
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a man of means
wealth, riches, affluence, substance, fortune, property, money, capital.
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by all means
of course, certainly, definitely, surely, absolutely, with pleasure; N. Amer. informal sure thing. by means of
using, utilizing, employing, through, with the help of; as a result of, by dint of, by way of, by virtue of. by no means
not at all, in no way, not in the least, not in the slightest, not the least bit, not by a long shot, certainly not, absolutely not, definitely not, on no account, under no circumstances; Brit. not by a long chalk; informal no way.

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meantime

adverb
. See meanwhile.

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meanwhile

adverb
meanwhile, I'll stay here
for now, for the moment, for the present, for the time being, meantime, in the meantime, in the interim, in the interval.
cook for a further half hour; meanwhile, make the stuffing
at the same time, simultaneously, concurrently, the while.
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measurable

adjective
a measurable amount
quantifiable, assessable, gaugeable, computable.
a measurable improvement
appreciable, noticeable, significant, visible, perceptible, definite, obvious.
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measure

verb
they measured the length of the room
calculate, compute, count, meter, quantify, weigh, size, evaluate, assess, gauge, plumb, determine.
I had better measure my words
choose carefully, consider, plan.
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she did not need to measure herself against some ideal
compare with, pit against, set against, test against, judge by.
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noun
cost-cutting measures
action, act, course (of action), deed, proceeding, procedure, step, means, expedient; manoeuvre, initiative, programme, operation.
the Senate passed the measure
statute, act, bill, law, legislation.
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the original dimensions were in imperial measure
system, standard, units, scale.
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use a measure to check the size
ruler, tape measure, rule, gauge, meter, scale, level, yardstick.
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a measure of egg white
quantity, amount, portion.
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the states retain a measure of independence
certain amount, degree; some.
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sales are the measure of the company's success
yardstick, test, standard, barometer, touchstone, litmus test, criterion, benchmark.
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poetic measure
metre, cadence, rhythm; foot.
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beyond measure
immensely, extremely, vastly, greatly, excessively, immeasurably, incalculably, infinitely. for good measure
as a bonus, as an extra, into the bargain, to boot, in addition, besides, as well. get/have the measure of
evaluate, assess, gauge, judge, weigh up; understand, fathom, read, be wise to, see through; informal have someone's number. measure something off
mark off, measure out, demarcate, delimit, delineate, outline, describe, define, stake out. measure up
pass muster, match up, come up to standard, fit/fill the bill, be acceptable; informal come up to scratch, make the grade, cut the mustard, be up to snuff. measure someone up
evaluate, rate, assess, appraise, judge, weigh up; informal size up. measure up to
meet, come up to, equal, match, bear comparison with, be on a level with; achieve, satisfy, fulfil.

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measured

adjective
his measured tread
regular, steady, even, rhythmic, rhythmical, unfaltering; slow, dignified, stately, sedate, leisurely, unhurried.
his measured tones
thoughtful, careful, carefully chosen, studied, calculated, planned, considered, deliberate, restrained.
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measureless

adjective
boundless, limitless, unlimited, unbounded, untold, immense, vast, endless, inexhaustible, infinite, illimitable, immeasurable, incalculable. ANTONYMS :limited.

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measurement

noun
measurement of the effect is difficult
quantification, computation, calculation, mensuration; evaluation, assessment, gauging.
all measurements are given in metric form
size, dimension, proportions, magnitude, amplitude; mass, bulk, volume, capacity, extent; value, amount, quantity, area, length, height, depth, weight, width, range.
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meat

noun
flesh, animal flesh.
(archaic) meat and drink
food, nourishment, sustenance, provisions, rations, fare, foodstuff(s), provender, daily bread; informal grub, eats, chow, nosh; Brit. informal scoff; formal comestibles; dated victuals; poetic/literary viands; archaic commons.
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the meat of the matter
substance, pith, marrow, heart, kernel, core, nucleus, nub, essence, essentials, gist, fundamentals, basics; informal nitty-gritty.
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meaty

adjective
a tall, meaty young man
beefy, brawny, burly, muscular, muscly, powerful, sturdy, strapping, well built, solidly built, thickset; fleshy, stout.
a good, meaty story
interesting, thought-provoking, three-dimensional, stimulating; substantial, satisfying, meaningful, deep, profound.
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mechanical

adjective
a mechanical device
mechanized, machine-driven, automated, automatic, power-driven, robotic.
a mechanical response
automatic, unthinking, robotic, involuntary, reflex, knee-jerk, habitual, routine, unemotional, unfeeling, lifeless; perfunctory, cursory, careless, casual.
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ANTONYMS :manual, conscious.

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mechanism

noun
an electrical mechanism
machine, piece of machinery, appliance, apparatus, device, instrument, contraption, gadget; informal gizmo.
the train's safety mechanism
machinery, workings, works, movement, action, gears, components.
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a formal mechanism for citizens to lodge complaints
procedure, process, system, operation, method, technique, means, medium, agency, channel.
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mechanize

verb
automate, industrialize, motorize, computerize.

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medal

noun
decoration, ribbon, star, badge, laurel, palm, award; honour; Military slang fruit salad; Brit. informal gong.

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meddle

verb
don't meddle in my affairs
interfere, butt in, intrude, intervene, pry; informal poke one's nose in, horn in on, muscle in on, snoop, put/stick one's oar in; N. Amer. informal kibitz.
someone had been meddling with her things
fiddle, interfere, tamper, tinker, finger; Brit. informal muck about/around.
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meddlesome

adjective
interfering, meddling, intrusive, prying, busybody; informal nosy, nosy-parker.

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mediate

verb
Austria tried to mediate between the belligerents
arbitrate, conciliate, moderate, act as peacemaker, make peace; intervene, step in, intercede, act as an intermediary, liaise.
a tribunal was set up to mediate disputes
resolve, settle, arbitrate in, umpire, reconcile, referee; mend, clear up; informal patch up.
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he attempted to mediate a solution to the conflict
negotiate, bring about, effect; formal effectuate.
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mediation

noun
arbitration, conciliation, reconciliation, intervention, intercession, good offices; negotiation, shuttle diplomacy.

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mediator

noun
arbitrator, arbiter, negotiator, conciliator, peacemaker, go-between, middleman, intermediary, moderator, intervenor, intercessor, broker, honest broker, liaison officer; umpire, referee, adjudicator, judge.

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medicinal

adjective
curative, healing, remedial, therapeutic, restorative, corrective, health-giving; medical; archaic sanative.

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medicine

noun
medication, medicament, drug, prescription, dose, treatment, remedy, cure; nostrum, panacea, cure-all; archaic physic. pharmaceutical.

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medieval

adjective
medieval times
of the Middle Ages, of the Dark Ages, Dark-Age; Gothic.
(informal) the plumbing's a bit medieval
primitive, antiquated, archaic, antique, antediluvian, old-fashioned, out of date, outdated, outmoded, anachronistic, passé, obsolete; informal out of the ark; N. Amer. informal horse-and-buggy, clunky.
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ANTONYMS :modern.

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mediocre

adjective
ordinary, average, middling, middle-of-the-road, uninspired, undistinguished, indifferent, unexceptional, unexciting, unremarkable, run-of-the-mill, pedestrian, prosaic, lacklustre, forgettable, amateur, amateurish; informal OK, so-so, (plain) vanilla, fair-to-middling, no great shakes, not up to much; Brit. informal not much cop; N. Amer. informal bush-league; NZ informal half-pie. ANTONYMS :excellent.

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meditate

verb
contemplate, think, consider, ponder, muse, reflect, deliberate, ruminate, chew the cud, brood, mull over; be in a brown study, be deep/lost in thought, debate with oneself; pray; informal put on one's thinking cap; formal cogitate.

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meditation

noun
contemplation, thought, thinking, musing, pondering, consideration, reflection, deliberation, rumination, brooding, reverie, brown study, concentration; prayer; formal cogitation.

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meditative

adjective
pensive, thoughtful, contemplative, reflective, musing, ruminative, introspective, brooding, deep/lost in thought, in a brown study; prayerful; formal cogitative.

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medium

noun
using technology as a medium for job creation
means, method, way, form, agency, avenue, channel, vehicle, organ, instrument, mechanism.
organisms growing in their natural medium
habitat, element, environment, surroundings, milieu, setting, conditions.
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she consulted a medium
spiritualist, spiritist, necromancer.
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a happy medium
middle way, middle course, middle ground, middle, mean, median, midpoint; compromise, golden mean.
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adjective
medium height
average, middling, medium-sized, middle-sized, moderate, normal, standard.

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medley

noun
assortment, miscellany, mixture, melange, variety, mixed bag, mix, collection, selection, pot-pourri, patchwork; motley collection, ragbag, gallimaufry, mishmash, hotchpotch, jumble; N. Amer. hodgepodge.

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meek

adjective
submissive, yielding, obedient, compliant, tame, biddable, tractable, acquiescent, deferential, timid, unprotesting, unresisting, like a lamb to the slaughter; quiet, mild, gentle, docile, lamblike, shy, diffident, unassuming, self-effacing. ANTONYMS :assertive.

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meet

verb
I met an old friend on the train
encounter, meet up with, come face to face with, run into, run across, come across/upon, chance on, happen on, light on, stumble across/on; informal bump into.
she first met Paul at a party
get to know, be introduced to, make the acquaintance of.
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the committee met on Saturday
assemble, gather, come together, get together, congregate, convene; formal foregather.
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the place where three roads meet
converge, connect, touch, link up, intersect, cross, join.
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he met death bravely
face, encounter, undergo, experience, go through, suffer, endure, bear; cope with, handle.
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the announcement was met with widespread hostility
greet, receive, answer, treat.
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he does not meet the job's requirements
fulfil, satisfy, fill, measure up to, match (up to), conform to, come up to, comply with, answer.
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shipowners would meet the cost of oil spills
pay, settle, clear, honour, discharge, pay off, square.
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noun
an athletics meet.
See meeting s ense 5.
meet someone halfway. See halfway.

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meeting

noun
he stood up to address the meeting
gathering, assembly, conference, congregation, convention, summit, forum, convocation, conclave, council of war, rally; N. Amer. caucus; informal get-together.
she demanded a meeting with the minister
consultation, audience, interview.
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he intrigued her on their first meeting
encounter, contact; appointment, assignation, rendezvous; poetic/literary tryst.
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the meeting of land and sea
convergence, coming together, confluence, conjunction, union, junction, abutment; intersection, T-junction, crossing.
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an athletics meeting
event, tournament, meet, rally, competition, match, game, contest.
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megalomania

noun
delusions of grandeur, folie de grandeur, thirst for power; self-importance, egotism, conceit, conceitedness.

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melancholy

adjective
a melancholy expression
sad, sorrowful, unhappy, desolate, mournful, lugubrious, gloomy, despondent, dejected, depressed, downhearted, downcast, disconsolate, glum, miserable, wretched, dismal, morose, woeful, woebegone, doleful, joyless, heavy-hearted; informal down in the dumps, down in the mouth, blue. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

noun
a feeling of melancholy
sadness, sorrow, unhappiness, woe, desolation, melancholia, dejection, depression, despondency, gloom, gloominess, misery; informal the dumps, the blues.

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melange

noun
mixture, medley, assortment, blend, variety, mixed bag, mix, miscellany, selection, pot-pourri, patchwork; motley collection, ragbag, gallimaufry, mishmash, hotchpotch, jumble; N. Amer. hodgepodge.

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melee mêlée

noun
fracas, disturbance, rumpus, tumult, commotion, disorder, fray; brawl, fight, scuffle, struggle, skirmish, free-for-all, tussle; informal scrap, set-to, ruction; N. Amer. informal rough house.

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mellifluous

adjective
sweet-sounding, dulcet, honeyed, mellow, soft, liquid, silvery, soothing, rich, smooth, euphonious, harmonious, tuneful, musical. ANTONYMS :cacophonous.

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mellow

adjective
the mellow tone of his voice
dulcet, sweet-sounding, tuneful, melodious, mellifluous; soft, smooth, warm, full, rich.
a mellow wine
full-bodied, mature, well matured, full-flavoured, rich, smooth.
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a mellow mood
genial, affable, amiable, good-humoured, good-natured, amicable, pleasant, relaxed, easy-going; jovial, jolly, cheerful, happy, merry.
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melodious

adjective
tuneful, melodic, musical, mellifluous, dulcet, sweet-sounding, silvery, silvery-toned, harmonious, euphonious, lyrical; informal easy on the ear. ANTONYMS :discordant.

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melodramatic

adjective
exaggerated, histrionic, extravagant, over-dramatic, overdone, over-sensational, sensationalized, over-emotional, sentimental; theatrical, stagy, actressy; informal hammy.

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melody

noun
familiar melodies
tune, air, strain, theme, song, refrain, piece of music.
his unique gift for melody
melodiousness, tunefulness, lyricism, musicality, euphony.
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melt

verb
the snow was beginning to melt
liquefy, thaw, defrost, soften, dissolve, deliquesce.
his smile melted her heart
soften, disarm, touch, affect, move.
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his anger melted away
vanish, disappear, fade away, dissolve, evaporate; poetic/literary evanesce.
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member

noun
a member of the club
subscriber, associate, fellow, life member, founder member, card-carrying member.
a member of a mathematical set
constituent, element, component, part, portion, piece, unit.
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(archaic) many victims had injured members
limb, organ; arm, leg, appendage.
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membrane

noun
layer, sheet, skin, film, tissue, integument, overlay; technical pellicle.

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memento

noun
souvenir, keepsake, reminder, remembrance, token, memorial; trophy, relic.

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memoir

noun
a touching memoir of her childhood
account, history, record, chronicle, narrative, story, portrayal, depiction, sketch, portrait, profile, biography, monograph.
he published his memoirs in 1955
autobiography, life story, life, memories, recollections, reminiscences; journal, diary.
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memorable

adjective
unforgettable, indelible, catchy, haunting; momentous, significant, historic, notable, noteworthy, important, consequential, remarkable, special, signal, outstanding, extraordinary, striking, vivid, arresting, impressive, distinctive, distinguished, famous, celebrated, renowned, illustrious, glorious.

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memorandum

noun
a memorandum from the managing director
message, communication, note, e-mail, letter, missive; informal memo.
hasty memoranda and jottings-down
record, minute, note, aide-memoire, reminder.
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memorial

noun
the war memorial
monument, cenotaph, mausoleum; statue, plaque, cairn; shrine; tombstone, gravestone, headstone.
the Festschrift is a memorial to his life's work
tribute, testimonial; remembrance, memento.
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adjective
a memorial service
commemorative, remembrance, commemorating; monumental.

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memorize

verb
commit to memory, remember, learn by heart, get off by heart, learn, learn by rote, become word-perfect in, get off pat; archaic con.

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memory

noun
she is losing her memory
ability to remember, powers of recall.
happy memories of her young days
recollection, remembrance, reminiscence; impression.
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the town built a statue in memory of him
commemoration, remembrance; honour, tribute, recognition, respect.
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a computer's memory
memory bank, store, cache, disk, RAM, ROM.
Top
mnemonic.

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menace

noun
an atmosphere full of menace
threat, ominousness, intimidation, warning, ill omen.
a menace to British society
danger, peril, risk, hazard, threat; jeopardy.
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that child is a menace
nuisance, pest, annoyance, plague, torment, troublemaker, mischief-maker, thorn in someone's side/flesh.
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verb
the elephants are still menaced by poaching
threaten, be a danger to, put at risk, jeopardize, imperil.
a gang of skinheads menaced local residents
intimidate, threaten, terrorize, frighten, scare, terrify.
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menacing

adjective
threatening, ominous, intimidating, frightening, terrifying, alarming, forbidding, black, thunderous, glowering, unfriendly, hostile, sinister, baleful, warning; formal minatory. ANTONYMS :friendly.

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mend

verb
workmen were mending faulty cabling
repair, fix, put back together, piece together, restore; sew (up), stitch, darn, patch, cobble; rehabilitate, renew, renovate; informal patch up.
"How's Walter?" "He'll mend."
get better, get well, recover, recuperate, improve; be well, be cured, heal.
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quarrels could be mended by talking
put/set right, set straight, straighten out, sort out, rectify, remedy, cure, right, resolve, square, settle, put to rights, correct, retrieve, improve, make better.
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he mended the fire
stoke (up), make up, add fuel to.
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ANTONYMS :break, worsen.

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mendacious

adjective
lying, untruthful, dishonest, deceitful, false, dissembling, insincere, disingenuous, hypocritical, fraudulent, double-dealing, two-faced, two-timing, duplicitous, perjured; untrue, fictitious, falsified, fabricated, fallacious, invented, made up; euphemistic economical with the truth; poetic/literary perfidious. ANTONYMS :truthful.

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mendicant

noun
beggar, tramp, vagrant, vagabond; N. Amer. hobo; informal scrounger, sponger; N. Amer. informal bum, mooch, moocher, schnorrer.

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menial

adjective
a menial job
unskilled, lowly, humble, low-grade, low-status, inferior, degrading; routine, humdrum, boring, dull.
noun
they were treated like menials
servant, drudge, minion, factotum, lackey; informal wage slave, gofer; Brit. informal dogsbody, skivvy; N. Amer. informal peon; archaic scullion.

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menstruation

noun
periods, menses, menorrhoea, menstrual cycle; menarche; informal the curse, monthlies, one's/the time of the month.

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mensuration

noun
measurement, measuring, calculation, computation, quantification.

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mental

adjective
mental faculties
intellectual, cerebral, brain, rational, cognitive.
a mental disorder
psychiatric, psychological, psychogenic.
Top
(informal) he's completely mental.
See mad sense 1.
Top
ANTONYMS :physical.

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mentality

noun
I can't understand the mentality of these people
way of thinking, mind set, cast of mind, frame of mind, turn of mind, mind, psychology, mental attitude, outlook, disposition, make-up.
a person of limited mentality
intellect, intellectual capabilities, intelligence, IQ, (powers of) reasoning, rationality.
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mentally

adverb
in one's mind, in one's head, inwardly, intellectually, cognitively.

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mention

verb
don't mention the war
allude to, refer to, touch on/upon; bring up, raise, broach, introduce, moot.
Jim mentioned that he'd met them before
state, say, indicate, let someone know, disclose, divulge, reveal.
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I'll gladly mention your work to my friends
recommend, commend, put in a good word for, speak well of.
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noun
he made no mention of your request
reference, allusion, remark, statement, announcement, indication.
a mention in dispatches
tribute, citation, acknowledgement, recognition.
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my book got a mention on the show
recommendation, commendation, a good word.
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don't mention it
don't apologize, it doesn't matter, it makes no difference/odds, it's not important, never mind, don't worry. not to mention
in addition to, as well as; not counting, not including, to say nothing of, aside from, besides.

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mentor

noun
his political mentors
adviser, guide, guru, counsellor, consultant; confidant(e).
regular meetings between mentor and trainee
trainer, teacher, tutor, instructor.
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menu

noun
bill of fare, carte du jour, set menu, table d'hôte.

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mephitic

adjective
(poetic/literary). See malodorous.

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mercantile

adjective
commercial, trade, trading, business, merchant, sales.

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mercenary

adjective
mercenary self-interest
money-oriented, grasping, greedy, acquisitive, avaricious, covetous, bribable, venal, materialistic; informal money-grubbing.
mercenary soldiers
hired, paid, bought, professional.
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noun
a group of mercenaries
soldier of fortune, professional soldier, hired soldier; informal hired gun; historical freelance, condottiere.

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merchandise

noun
a wide range of merchandise
goods, wares, stock, commodities, lines, produce, products.
verb
a new product that can be easily merchandised
promote, market, sell, retail; advertise, publicize, push; informal hype (up), plug.

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merchant

noun
trader, dealer, wholesaler, broker, agent, seller, buyer, buyer and seller, vendor, distributor.

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merciful

adjective
God is merciful
forgiving, compassionate, clement, pitying, forbearing, lenient, humane, mild, kind, soft-hearted, tender-hearted, gracious, sympathetic, humanitarian, liberal, tolerant, indulgent, generous, magnanimous, benign, benevolent.
a merciful silence fell
welcome, blessed.
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ANTONYMS :cruel.

be merciful to
have mercy on, have pity on, show mercy to, spare, pardon, forgive, be lenient on/to; informal go/be easy on, let off.

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mercifully

adverb
luckily, fortunately, happily, thank goodness/God/heavens.

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merciless

adjective
ruthless, remorseless, pitiless, unforgiving, unsparing, implacable, inexorable, relentless, inflexible, inhumane, inhuman, unsympathetic, unfeeling, intolerant, rigid, severe, cold-blooded, hard-hearted, stony-hearted, heartless, harsh, callous, cruel, brutal, barbarous, cut-throat. ANTONYMS :compassionate.

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mercurial

adjective
volatile, capricious, temperamental, excitable, fickle, changeable, unpredictable, variable, protean, mutable, erratic, quicksilver, inconstant, inconsistent, unstable, unsteady, fluctuating, ever-changing, moody, flighty, wayward, whimsical, impulsive; technical labile. ANTONYMS :stable.

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mercy

noun
he showed no mercy to the others
leniency, clemency, compassion, grace, pity, charity, forgiveness, forbearance, quarter, humanity; soft-heartedness, tender-heartedness, kindness, sympathy, liberality, indulgence, tolerance, generosity, magnanimity, beneficence.
we must be thankful for small mercies
blessing, godsend, boon, favour, piece/stroke of luck.
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ANTONYMS :ruthlessness, cruelty.

at the mercy of
they found themselves at the mercy of the tyrant
in the power of, under/in the control of, in the clutches of, under the heel of, subject to.

he was at the mercy of the elements
defenceless against, vulnerable to, exposed to, susceptible to, prey to, (wide) open to.
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mere

adjective
no more than, just, only, merely; no better than.

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merely

adverb
only, purely, solely, simply, just, but.

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meretricious

adjective
worthless, valueless, cheap, tawdry, trashy, Brummagem, tasteless, kitsch; false, artificial, fake, imitation; informal tacky.

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merge

verb
the company merged with a European firm
join (together), join forces, amalgamate, unite, affiliate, team up, link (up).
the two organizations were merged
amalgamate, bring together, join, consolidate, conflate, unite, unify, combine, incorporate, integrate, link (up), knit, yoke.
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the two colours merged
mingle, blend, fuse, mix, intermix, intermingle, coalesce; poetic/literary commingle.
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ANTONYMS :separate.

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merger

noun
amalgamation, combination, union, fusion, coalition, affiliation, unification, incorporation, consolidation, link-up, alliance. ANTONYMS :split.

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merit

noun
composers of outstanding merit
excellence, quality, calibre, worth, worthiness, credit, value, distinction, eminence.
the merits of the scheme
good point, strong point, advantage, benefit, value, asset, plus.
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ANTONYMS :inferiority, fault, disadvantage.

verb
the accusation did not merit a response
deserve, earn, be deserving of, warrant, rate, justify, be worthy of, be worth, be entitled to, have a right to, have a claim to/on.

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meritorious

adjective
praiseworthy, laudable, commendable, admirable, estimable, creditable, worthy, deserving, excellent, exemplary, good. ANTONYMS :discreditable.

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merriment

noun
high spirits, high-spiritedness, exuberance, cheerfulness, gaiety, fun, effervescence, verve, buoyancy, levity, zest, liveliness, cheer, joy, joyfulness, joyousness, jolliness, jollity, happiness, gladness, jocularity, conviviality, festivity, merrymaking, revelry, mirth, glee, gleefulness, laughter, hilarity, light-heartedness, amusement, pleasure. ANTONYMS :misery.

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merry

adjective
merry throngs of students
cheerful, cheery, in high spirits, high-spirited, bright, sunny, smiling, light-hearted, buoyant, lively, carefree, without a care in the world, joyful, joyous, jolly, convivial, festive, mirthful, gleeful, happy, glad, laughing; informal chirpy; formal jocund; dated gay; poetic/literary blithe, blithesome.
(Brit. informal) after three beers he began to feel quite merry
tipsy, mellow, slightly drunk; Brit. informal tiddly, squiffy.
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ANTONYMS :miserable.

make merry
have fun, have a good time, enjoy oneself, have a party, celebrate, carouse, feast, (eat, drink, and be merry), revel, roister; informal party, have a ball.

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merry-go-round

noun
carousel; Brit. roundabout.

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mesh

noun
wire mesh
netting, net, network; web, webbing, lattice, latticework.
a mesh of political intrigue
entanglement, net, tangle, web.
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verb
one gear meshes with the input gear
engage, connect, lock, interlock.
don't get meshed in the weeds
entangle, enmesh, snare, trap, catch.
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our ideas just do not mesh
harmonize, fit together, match, dovetail.
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mesmerize

verb
enthral, spellbind, entrance, dazzle, bewitch, charm, captivate, enchant, fascinate, transfix, grip, hypnotize.

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mess

noun
please clear up the mess
untidiness, disorder, disarray, clutter, shambles, jumble, muddle, chaos; Brit. informal tip.
cat mess
excrement, muck, faeces, excreta.
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I've got to get out of this mess
plight, predicament, tight spot/corner, difficulty, trouble, quandary, dilemma, problem, muddle, mix-up, imbroglio; informal jam, fix, pickle, stew, hole, scrape.
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he made a mess of the project
muddle, bungle; informal botch, hash, foul-up; Brit. informal cock-up; N. Amer. informal snafu.
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make a mess of
mismanage, mishandle, bungle, fluff, spoil, ruin, wreck; informal mess up, botch, make a hash of, muck up, foul up; Brit. informal make a pig's ear of, make a Horlicks of, cock up. mess about/around
potter about, pass the time, fiddle about/around, footle about/around, play about/around, fool about/around; fidget, toy, trifle, tamper, tinker, interfere, meddle, monkey (about/around); infor mal piddle about/around; Brit. informal muck about/around, lark (about/around). mess something up
he messed up my kitchen
dirty; clutter up, disarrange, jumble, dishevel, rumple; N. Amer. informal muss up; poetic/literary befoul.

(informal) Eddie messed things up.
See make a mess of.
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message

noun
are there any messages for me?
communication, piece of information, news, note, memorandum, memo, e-mail, letter, missive, report, bulletin, communiqué, dispatch.
the message of his teaching
meaning, sense, import, idea; point, thrust, gist, essence, content, subject (matter), substance, implication, drift, lesson.
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get the message (informal)
understand, get the point, comprehend; informal catch on, latch on, get the picture.

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messenger

noun
message-bearer, postman, courier, runner, dispatch rider, envoy, emissary, agent, go-between; historical herald; archaic legate.

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messy

adjective
messy oil spills | messy hair
dirty, filthy, grubby, soiled, grimy; mucky, muddy, slimy, sticky, sullied, spotted, stained, smeared, smudged; dishevelled, scruffy, unkempt, rumpled, matted, tousled, bedraggled, tangled; informal yucky; Brit. informal gungy.
a messy kitchen
disorderly, disordered, in a muddle, chaotic, confused, disorganized, in disarray, disarranged; untidy, cluttered, in a jumble; informal like a bomb's hit it; Brit. informal shambolic.
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a messy legal battle
complex, intricate, tangled, confused, convoluted; unpleasant, nasty, bitter, acrimonious.
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ANTONYMS :clean, tidy.

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metallic

adjective
a metallic sound
tinny, jangling, jingling; grating, harsh, jarring, dissonant.
metallic paint
metallized, burnished; shiny, glossy, lustrous.
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metamorphose

verb
transform, change, mutate, transmute, transfigure, convert, alter, modify, remodel, recast, reconstruct; humorous transmogrify; formal transubstantiate.

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metamorphosis

noun
transformation, mutation, transmutation, change, alteration, conversion, modification, remodelling, reconstruction; humorous transmogrification; formal transubstantiation.

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metaphor

noun
figure of speech, image, trope, analogy, comparison, symbol, word painting/picture.

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metaphorical

adjective
figurative, allegorical, symbolic; imaginative, extended. ANTONYMS :literal.

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metaphysical

adjective
metaphysical questions
abstract, theoretical, conceptual, notional, philosophical, speculative, intellectual, academic.
Good and Evil are inextricably linked in a metaphysical battle
transcendental, spiritual, supernatural, paranormal.
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mete

mete something out
dispense, hand out, allocate, allot, apportion, issue, deal out, dole out, dish out, assign, administer.

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meteor

noun
falling star, shooting star, meteorite, meteoroid, bolide.

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meteoric

adjective
rapid, lightning, swift, fast, quick, speedy, accelerated, instant, sudden, spectacular. ANTONYMS :gradual.

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meteorologist

noun
weather forecaster, met officer, weatherman, weatherwoman.

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method

noun
they use very old-fashioned methods
procedure, technique, system, practice, routine, modus operandi, process; strategy, tactic, plan.
there's method in his madness
order, orderliness, organization, structure, form, system, logic, planning, design.
Top
ANTONYMS :disorder.

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methodical

adjective
orderly, well ordered, well organized, (well) planned, efficient, businesslike, systematic, structured, logical, analytic, disciplined; meticulous, punctilious.

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meticulous

adjective
careful, conscientious, diligent, scrupulous, punctilious, painstaking, accurate; thorough, studious, rigorous, detailed, perfectionist, fastidious, methodical, particular. ANTONYMS :careless.

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métier

noun
he had another métier besides the priesthood
occupation, job, work, profession, business, employment, career, vocation, trade, craft, line (of work); N. Amer. specialty.
television is more my métier
forte, strong point, strength, speciality, talent, bent; informal thing, cup of tea.
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metropolis

noun
capital (city), chief town, county town; big city, conurbation, megalopolis; informal big smoke; archaic wen.

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mettle

noun
a man of mettle
spirit, fortitude, strength of character, moral fibre, steel, determination, resolve, resolution, backbone, grit, courage, courageousness, bravery, valour, fearlessness, daring; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle.
Frazer was of a very different mettle
calibre, character, disposition, nature, temperament, personality, make-up, stamp.
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mettlesome

adjective
spirited, game, gritty, intrepid, fearless, courageous, brave, plucky, daring; tenacious, determined, resolved, resolute, indomitable.

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mew

verb
the cat mewed plaintively
miaow, mewl, cry.
above them, seagulls mewed
cry, screech.
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mewl

verb
whimper, cry, whine; informal grizzle; poetic/literary pule.

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miasma

noun
(poetic/literary) stink, reek, stench, smell, odour, malodour; Brit. informal pong, niff, whiff.

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miasmic miasmal

adjective
(poetic/literary) foul-smelling, fetid, smelly, stinking (to high heaven), reeking, rank, noxious, malodorous; Brit. informal niffy, pongy, whiffy; poetic/literary noisome, mephitic.

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microbe

noun
micro-organism, bacillus, bacterium, virus, germ; informal bug.

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microscopic

adjective
tiny, very small, minute, infinitesimal, minuscule; little, micro, diminutive; Scottish wee; informal teeny, weeny, teeny-weeny, teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy; Brit. informal titchy, tiddly. ANTONYMS :huge.

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midday

noun
noon, twelve noon, high noon, noontide, noonday. ANTONYMS :midnight.

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middle

noun
a shallow dish with a spike in the middle
centre, midpoint, halfway point, dead centre, focus, hub; eye, heart, core, kernel.
he had a towel round his middle
midriff, waist, belly, stomach; informal tummy, tum.
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ANTONYMS :outside.

adjective
the middle point
central, mid, mean, medium, medial, median, midway, halfway.
the middle level
intermediate, intermediary.
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meso-.

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middleman

noun
intermediary, go-between; dealer, broker, agent, factor, wholesaler, distributor.

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middling

adjective
average, standard, normal, middle-of-the-road; moderate, ordinary, commonplace, everyday, workaday, tolerable, passable; run-of-the-mill, fair, mediocre, undistinguished, unexceptional, unremarkable; informal OK, so-so, bog-standard, fair-to-middling, (plain) vanilla; NZ informal half-pie.

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midget

noun
the inhabitants must have been midgets
small person, dwarf, homunculus, Lilliputian, manikin, gnome, pygmy; informal shrimp.
adjective
a story about midget matadors
diminutive, dwarfish, petite, very small, pygmy; informal pint-sized; N. Amer. informal sawn-off.
a midget camera
miniature, pocket, dwarf, baby.
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ANTONYMS :giant.

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midnight

noun
twelve midnight, the middle of the night, the witching hour. ANTONYMS :midday.

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midst (poetic/literary)

noun
middle, centre, heart, core, midpoint, kernel, nub; depth(s), thick; (in the midst of) in the course of, halfway through, at the heart/core of.
in our midst
among us, amid us, in our group, with us.

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midway

adverb
halfway, in the middle, at the midpoint, in the centre; part-way, at some point.

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mien

noun
appearance, look, expression, countenance, aura, demeanour, attitude, air, manner, bearing; formal comportment.

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miffed

adjective
(informal). See annoyed.

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might

noun
strength, force, power, vigour, energy, brawn, powerfulness, forcefulness.
with might and main
with all one's strength, as hard as one can, as hard as possible, (with) full force, forcefully, powerfully, strongly, vigorously.

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mightily

adverb
he is mightily impressive
extremely, exceedingly, enormously, immensely, tremendously, hugely, dreadfully, very (much); informal awfully, majorly, mega; N. Amer. informal mighty, plumb; informal, dated devilish.
Ann and I laboured mightily
strenuously, energetically, powerfully, hard, with all one's might, with might and main, all out, heartily, vigorously, diligently, assiduously, persistently, indefatigably; informal like mad, like crazy; Brit. informal like billy-o.
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mighty

adjective
a mighty blow
powerful, forceful, violent, vigorous, hefty, thunderous.
a mighty warrior
fearsome, ferocious; big, tough, robust, muscular, strapping.
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mighty industrial countries
dominant, influential, strong, powerful, important, predominant.
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mighty oak trees
huge, enormous, massive, gigantic, big, large, giant, colossal, mammoth, immense; informal monster, whopping (great), thumping (great), humongous, jumbo(-sized); Brit. informal whacking (great), ginormous.
Top
ANTONYMS :feeble, puny, tiny.

adverb
(N. Amer. informal) I'm mighty pleased to see you
extremely, exceedingly, enormously, immensely, tremendously, hugely, mightily, very (much); informal awfully, dreadfully, majorly, mega; Brit. informal well, jolly; N. Amer. informal plumb; informal, dated devilish, frightfully.

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migrant

noun
economic migrants
immigrant, emigrant; nomad, itinerant, traveller, vagrant, transient, rover, wanderer, drifter.
adjective
migrant workers
travelling, wandering, drifting, nomadic, roving, roaming, itinerant, vagrant, transient.

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migrate

verb
rural populations migrated to urban areas
relocate, resettle, move (house); emigrate, go abroad, go overseas; N. Amer. pull up stakes; Brit. informal up sticks; dated remove.
wildebeest migrate across the Serengeti
roam, wander, drift, rove, travel (around).
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migratory

adjective
migrant, migrating, moving, travelling.

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mild

adjective
a mild tone of voice
gentle, tender, soft-hearted, tender-hearted, sensitive, sympathetic, warm, placid, calm, tranquil, serene, peaceable, good-natured, amiable, affable, genial, easy-going.
a mild punishment
lenient, light; compassionate, merciful, humane.
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he was eyeing her with mild interest
slight, faint, vague, minimal, nominal, token, feeble.
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mild weather
warm, balmy, temperate, clement.
Top
a mild curry
bland, insipid.
Top
ANTONYMS :harsh, strong, severe.

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mildewy

adjective
mouldy, mildewed, rotten, decaying.

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milieu

noun
environment, sphere, background, backdrop, setting, context, atmosphere; location, conditions, surroundings, environs.

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militant

adjective
militant supporters
aggressive, violent, belligerent, bellicose, vigorous, forceful, active, fierce, combative, pugnacious; radical, extremist, extreme, zealous, fanatical.
noun
the demands of the militants
activist, extremist, radical, young turk, zealot.

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militaristic

adjective
warmongering, warlike, martial, hawkish, pugnacious, combative, aggressive, belligerent, bellicose; informal gung-ho. ANTONYMS :peaceable.

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military

adjective
military activity
fighting, service, army, armed, defence, martial. ANTONYMS :civilian.

noun
the military took power
(armed) forces, services, militia; army, navy, air force, marines.

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militate

verb
tend to prevent, work against, hinder, discourage, prejudice, be detrimental to.

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milk

verb
Pam was milking the cows
draw milk from, express milk from.
milk a little of the liquid
draw off, siphon (off), pump off, tap, drain, extract.
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milking rich clients
exploit, take advantage of, cash in on, suck dry; informal bleed, squeeze, fleece.
Top
dairy, lactic.

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milksop

noun
namby-pamby, coward, weakling; informal drip, mummy's boy, sissy, jellyfish, wimp; Brit. informal wet, big girl's blouse; N. Amer. informal pantywaist, pussy; archaic poltroon.

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milky

adjective
pale, white, milk-white, whitish, off-white, cream, creamy, chalky, pearly, nacreous, ivory, alabaster. ANTONYMS :swarthy.

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mill

noun
a steel mill
factory, (processing) plant, works, workshop, shop, foundry, industrial unit.
a pepper mill
grinder, quern, crusher.
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verb
the wheat is milled into flour
grind, pulverize, powder, granulate, pound, crush, press; technical comminute, triturate; archaic bray, levigate.
mill around/about
throng, swarm, seethe, crowd.

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millstone

noun
burden, encumbrance, dead weight, cross to bear, albatross; duty, obligation, liability, misfortune; archaic cumber.

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mime

noun
a mime of someone fencing
dumb show, pantomime.
verb
she mimed picking up a phone
act out, pantomime, gesture, simulate, represent, indicate by dumb show.

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mimic

verb
she mimicked his accent
imitate, copy, impersonate, do an impression of, ape, caricature, parody, lampoon, burlesque; informal send up, take off, spoof; archaic monkey.
most hoverflies mimic wasps
resemble, look like, have the appearance of, simulate; N. Amer. informal make like.
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noun
he was a superb mimic
impersonator, impressionist, imitator, mimicker; parodist, caricaturist, lampooner, lampoonist; informal copycat; historical zany; archaic ape.
adjective
they were waging mimic war
simulated, mock, imitation, make-believe, sham; informal pretend, copycat.

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mimicry

noun
imitation, imitating, impersonation, copying, aping; archaic apery.

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minatory

adjective
(rare) menacing, threatening, baleful, intimidating, admonitory, warning, cautionary; rare minacious, comminatory.

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mince

verb
mince the meat and onions
grind, chop up, cut up, dice; N. Amer. hash.
she minced out of the room
walk affectedly; N. Amer. informal sashay.
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not mince (one's) words
talk straight, not beat about the bush, call a spade a spade, speak straight from the shoulder, pull no punches; informal tell it like it is; N. Amer. informal talk turkey.

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mincing

adjective
affected, dainty, effeminate, niminy-piminy; pretentious; informal camp, sissy; Brit. informal poncey.

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mind

noun
a good teacher must stretch pupils' minds
brain, intelligence, intellect, intellectual capabilities, brains, brainpower, wits, understanding, reasoning, judgement, sense, head; informal grey matter, brainbox, brain cells; Brit. informal loaf; N. Amer. informal smarts.
he kept his mind on the job
attention, thoughts, concentration, attentiveness.
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the tragedy affected her mind
sanity, mental faculties, senses, wits, reason, reasoning, judgement; informal marbles.
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his words stuck in her mind
memory, recollection.
Top
a great mind
intellect, thinker, brain, scholar, academic.
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I've a mind to complain
inclination, desire, wish, urge, notion, fancy, intention, will.
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of the same mind
opinion, way of thinking, outlook, attitude, view, viewpoint, point of view.
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mental.
verb
do you mind if I smoke?
care, object, be bothered, be annoyed, be upset, take offence, disapprove, dislike it, look askance; informal give/care a damn, give/care a toss, give/care a hoot, give/care a rap.
mind the step!
be careful of, watch out for, look out for, beware of, be on one's guard for, be wary of.
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mind you wipe your feet
be/make sure (that), see (that); remember to, don't forget to.
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her husband was minding the baby
look after, take care of, keep an eye on, attend to, care for, tend.
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mind what your mother says
pay attention to, heed, pay heed to, attend to, take note/notice of, note, mark, listen to, be mindful of; obey, follow, comply with; archaic regard.
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be in two minds
be undecided, be uncertain, be unsure, hesitate, waver, vacillate, dither; Brit. haver, hum and haw; informal dilly-dally, shilly-shally. bear/keep in mind
remember, note, be mindful of, take note of; formal take cognizance of. cross one's mind
occur to one, enter one's mind/head, strike one, hit one, dawn on one. give someone a piece of one's mind. See reprimand verb. have something in mind
think of, contemplate; intend, plan, propose, desire, want, wish. mind out
take care, be careful, watch out, look out, beware, be on one's guard, be wary. never mind
never mind the cost
don't bother about, don't worry about, disregard, forget.

never mind, it's all right now
don't apologize, forget it, don't worry about it, it doesn't matter.
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out of one's mind
you must be out of your mind!
See mad sense 1.

I've been out of my mind with worry
frantic, beside oneself, distraught, in a frenzy.
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put someone in mind of
remind of, recall, conjure up, suggest; resemble, look like. to my mind
in my opinion, in my view, as I see it, personally, in my estimation, in my book, if you ask me.

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mindful

adjective
aware, conscious, sensible, alive, alert, acquainted, heedful, wary, chary; informal wise, hip; formal cognizant, regardful. ANTONYMS :heedless.

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mindless

adjective
a mindless idiot
stupid, idiotic, brainless, imbecilic, imbecile, asinine, witless, foolish, empty-headed, slow-witted, obtuse, feather-brained, doltish; informal dumb, pig-ignorant, brain-dead, cretinous, moronic, thick, birdbrained, pea-brained, dopey, dim, half-witted, dippy, fat-headed, boneheaded; N. Amer. informal chowderheaded.
mindless acts of vandalism
unthinking, thoughtless, senseless, gratuitous, wanton, indiscriminate, unreasoning.
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a mindless task
mechanical, automatic, routine; tedious, boring, monotonous, brainless, mind-numbing.
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mindless of
indifferent to, heedless of, unaware of, unmindful of, careless of, blind to.

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mine

noun
a coal mine
pit, excavation, quarry, workings, diggings; strip mine; Brit. opencast mine; N. Amer. open-pit mine.
a mine of information
rich source, repository, store, storehouse, reservoir, gold mine, treasure house, treasury, reserve, fund, wealth, stock.
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he was killed by a mine
explosive, landmine, limpet mine, magnetic mine, depth charge.
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verb
the iron ore was mined from shallow pits
quarry, excavate, dig (up), extract, remove; strip-mine.
medical data was mined for relevant statistics
search, delve into, scour, scan, read through, survey.
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the entrance to the harbour had been mined
defend with mines, lay with mines.
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miner

noun
pitman, digger, collier, faceworker, haulier; tinner; dated hewer.

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mingle

verb
fact and fiction are skilfully mingled in his novels
mix, blend, intermingle, intermix, interweave, interlace, combine, merge, fuse, unite, join, amalgamate, meld, mesh; poetic/literary commingle; archaic commix.
wedding guests mingled in the marquee
socialize, circulate, fraternize, get together, associate with others; informal hobnob.
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ANTONYMS :separate.

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miniature

adjective
a miniature railway
small-scale, mini; tiny, little, small, minute, baby, toy, pocket, dwarf, pygmy, minuscule, diminutive; Scottish wee; N. Amer. vest-pocket; informal teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy, teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy, eensy, eensy-weensy; Brit. informal titchy, tiddly. ANTONYMS :giant.

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minimal

adjective
very little, minimum, the least (possible); nominal, token, negligible. ANTONYMS :maximum.

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minimize

verb
the aim is to minimize costs
keep down, keep at/to a minimum, reduce, decrease, cut down, lessen, curtail, diminish, prune; informal slash.
we should not minimize his contribution
belittle, make light of, play down, underestimate, underrate, downplay, undervalue, understate; informal pooh-pooh; archaic hold cheap; rare misprize.
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ANTONYMS :maximize, exaggerate.

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minimum

noun
costs will be kept to the minimum
lowest level, lower limit, bottom level, rock bottom; least, lowest, slightest. ANTONYMS :maximum.

adjective
the minimum amount of effort
minimal, least, smallest, least possible, slightest, lowest, minutest.

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minion

noun
underling, henchman, flunkey, lackey, hanger-on, follower, servant, hireling, vassal, stooge; informal yes-man, bootlicker; Brit. informal poodle; N. Amer. informal suck-up.

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minister

noun
a government minister
member of the government, cabinet minister, secretary of state, undersecretary.
a minister of religion
clergyman, clergywoman, cleric, ecclesiastic, pastor, vicar, rector, priest, parson, father, man/woman of the cloth, man/woman of God, churchman, churchwoman; curate, chaplain; informal reverend, padre, Holy Joe, sky pilot; Austral. informal josser.
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the British minister in Egypt
ambassador, chargé d'affaires, plenipotentiary, envoy, emissary, diplomat, consul, representative; archaic legate.
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verb
doctors were ministering to the injured
tend, care for, take care of, look after, nurse, treat, attend to, see to, administer to, help, assist.

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ministrations

plural noun
attention, treatment, help, assistance, aid, care, services.

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ministry

noun
the ministry for foreign affairs
(government) department, bureau, agency, office.
he's training for the ministry
holy orders, the priesthood, the cloth, the church.
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the ministry of Jesus
teaching, preaching, evangelism.
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Gladstone's first ministry
period of office, term (of office), administration.
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minor

adjective
a minor problem
slight, small; unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, inconsiderable, subsidiary, negligible, trivial, trifling, paltry, petty; N. Amer. nickel-and-dime; informal piffling, piddling.
a minor poet
little known, unknown, lesser, unimportant, insignificant, obscure; N. Amer. minor-league; informal small-time; N. Amer. informal two-bit.
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(Brit.) Smith minor
junior, younger.
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ANTONYMS :major, important.

noun
the heir to the throne was a minor
child, infant, youth, adolescent, teenager, boy, girl; informal kid, kiddie. ANTONYMS :adult.

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minstrel

noun
(historical) musician, singer, balladeer; historical troubadour, jongleur; poetic/literary bard.

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mint

noun
coinage factory, money factory.
(informal) the bank made a mint out of the deal
a vast sum of money, a king's ransom, millions, billions; informal a (small) fortune, a tidy sum, a bundle, a packet, a pile; Brit. informal a bomb, big money; N. Amer. informal big bucks; Austral. informal big bickies, motser.
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adjective
in mint condition
brand new, pristine, perfect, immaculate, unblemished, undamaged, unmarked, unused, first-class, excellent.
verb
the shilling was minted in 1742
coin, stamp, strike, cast, forge, manufacture.
the slogan had been freshly minted
create, invent, make up, think up, dream up.
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minuscule

adjective
tiny, minute, microscopic, very small, little, micro, diminutive, miniature, baby, dwarf; Scottish wee; informal teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy, teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy, eensy, eensy-weensy, tiddly; Brit. informal titchy. ANTONYMS :huge.

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minute 1

noun
it'll only take a minute
moment, short time, little while, second, bit, instant; informal sec, jiffy; Brit. informal tick, mo, two ticks.
at that minute, Tony walked in
point (in time), moment, instant, juncture.
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their objection was noted in the minutes
record(s), proceedings, log, notes; transcript, summary, résumé.
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at the minute (Brit. informal)
at present, at the moment, now, currently. in a minute
very soon, in a moment/second/instant, in a trice, shortly, any minute (now), in a short time, in (less than) no time, before long; N. Amer. momentarily; informal anon, in a jiffy, in two shakes, before you can say Jack Robinson; Brit. informal in a tick, in a mo, in two ticks; N. Amer. informal in a snap; poetic/literary ere long. this minute
at once, immediately, directly, this second, instantly, straight away, right away/now, forthwith; informal pronto, straight off, right off, toot sweet; archaic straight. up to the minute
latest, newest, up to date, modern, fashionable, smart, chic, stylish, all the rage, in vogue; informal trendy, with it, in. wait a minute
be patient, wait a moment/second, just a moment/minute/second, hold on; informal hang on, hold your horses; Brit. informal hang about.

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minute 2

adjective
minute particles
tiny, minuscule, microscopic, very small, little, micro, diminutive, miniature, baby, toy, dwarf, pygmy, Lilliputian; Scottish wee; informal teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy, teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy, eensy, eensy-weensy; Brit. informal titchy, tiddly.
a minute chance of success
negligible, slight, infinitesimal, minimal, insignificant, inappreciable.
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minute detail
exhaustive, painstaking, meticulous, rigorous, scrupulous, punctilious, detailed.
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ANTONYMS :huge.

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minutely

adverb
exhaustively, painstakingly, meticulously, rigorously, scrupulously, punctiliously, in detail.

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minutiae

plural noun
details, niceties, finer points, particulars, trivia, trivialities.

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minx

noun
tease, seductress, coquette, slut, Lolita; informal floozie, tart, vamp; Brit. informal scrubber, slapper; N. Amer. informal tramp; dated hussy; archaic strumpet, trollop.

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miracle

noun
Christ's first miracle
supernatural phenomenon, mystery, prodigy.
Germany's economic miracle
wonder, marvel, sensation, phenomenon.
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miraculous

adjective
the miraculous help of St Blaise
supernatural, preternatural, inexplicable, unaccountable, magical.
a miraculous escape
amazing, astounding, remarkable, extraordinary, incredible, unbelievable, sensational; informal mind-boggling, mind-blowing.
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mirage

noun
optical illusion, hallucination, phantasmagoria, apparition, fantasy, chimera, vision, figment of the imagination; poetic/literary phantasm.

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mire

noun
it's a mire out there
swamp, bog, morass, quagmire, slough; swampland, wetland, marshland.
her horse was spattered with mire
mud, slime, dirt, filth, muck.
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struggling to pull Russia out of the mire
mess, difficulty, plight, predicament, tight spot, trouble, quandary, muddle; informal jam, fix, pickle, hot water.
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verb
Frank's horse got mired in a bog
bog down, sink (down).
the children were mired
dirty, soil, muddy; poetic/literary begrime.
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he has become mired in lawsuits
entangle, tangle up, embroil, catch up, mix up, involve.
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mirror

noun
a quick look in the mirror
looking glass, reflecting surface; full-length mirror, hand mirror, wing mirror, rear-view mirror; Brit. glass.
the Frenchman's life was a mirror of his own
reflection, twin, replica, copy, match, parallel.
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catoptric, specular.
verb
pop music mirrored the mood of desperation
reflect, match, reproduce, imitate, simulate, copy, mimic, echo, parallel, correspond to.

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mirth

noun
merriment, high spirits, mirthfulness, cheerfulness, cheeriness, hilarity, glee, laughter, gaiety, buoyancy, blitheness, euphoria, exhilaration, light-heartedness, joviality, joy, joyfulness, joyousness. ANTONYMS :misery.

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mirthful

adjective
merry, high-spirited, gleeful, cheerful, cheery, jocular, buoyant, euphoric, exhilarated, elated, light-hearted, jovial, joyous, jolly, festive.

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mirthless

adjective
humourless, unamused, grim, sour, surly, dour, sullen, sulky, gloomy, mournful, melancholy, doleful, miserable, grumpy. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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miry

adjective
muddy, slushy, slimy, swampy, marshy, boggy, squelchy, waterlogged.

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misadventure

noun
accident, problem, difficulty, misfortune, mishap; setback, reversal (of fortune), stroke of bad luck, blow; failure, disaster, tragedy, calamity, woe, trial, tribulation, catastrophe.

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misanthrope

noun
hater of mankind, cynic; recluse, hermit; informal grouch, grump; historical anchorite.

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misanthropic

adjective
antisocial, unsociable, unfriendly, reclusive, uncongenial, cynical, jaundiced.

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misapply

verb
misuse, mishandle, misemploy, abuse; distort, garble, warp, misinterpret, misconstrue, misrepresent.

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misapprehend

verb
misunderstand, misinterpret, misconstrue, misconceive, mistake, misread, get the wrong idea about, take something the wrong way.

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misapprehension

noun
misunderstanding, misinterpretation, misreading, misjudgement, misconception, misbelief, the wrong idea, false impression, delusion.

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misappropriate

verb
embezzle, expropriate, steal, thieve, pilfer, pocket, help oneself to, make off with; informal swipe, filch, rip off, snitch; Brit. informal pinch, nick, whip, knock off; formal peculate.

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misappropriation

noun
embezzlement, expropriation, stealing, theft, thieving, pilfering; formal peculation.

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misbegotten

adjective
a misbegotten scheme
ill-conceived, ill-advised, badly planned, badly thought-out, hare-brained.
you misbegotten hound!
contemptible, despicable, wretched, miserable, confounded; informal infernal, damned, flaming; dated cursed, accursed.
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(archaic) misbegotten children.
See illegitimate sense 2.
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misbehave

verb
behave badly, be misbehaved, be naughty, be disobedient, get up to mischief, get up to no good; be bad-mannered, be rude; informal carry on, act up.

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misbehaviour

noun
bad behaviour, misconduct, naughtiness, disobedience, mischief, mischievousness; bad/poor manners, rudeness; informal acting-up.

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misbelief

noun
false belief, delusion, illusion, fallacy, error, mistake, misconception, misapprehension.

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miscalculate

verb
misjudge, make a mistake (about), calculate wrongly, estimate wrongly, overestimate, underestimate, overvalue, undervalue; go wrong, err, be wide of the mark.

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miscalculation

noun
error of judgement, misjudgement, mistake, overestimate, underestimate.

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miscarriage

noun
she's had a miscarriage
(spontaneous) abortion, stillbirth.
the miscarriage of the project
failure, foundering, ruin, ruination, collapse, breakdown, thwarting, frustration, undoing, non-fulfilment, mismanagement.
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miscarry

verb
the shock caused her to miscarry
lose one's baby, have a miscarriage, abort, have a (spontaneous) abortion.
our plan miscarried
go wrong, go awry, go amiss, be unsuccessful, be ruined, fail, misfire, abort, founder, come to nothing, fall through, fall flat; informal flop, go up in smoke.
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ANTONYMS :succeed.

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miscellaneous

adjective
various, varied, different, assorted, mixed, sundry, diverse, disparate; diversified, motley, multifarious, heterogeneous; poetic/literary divers.

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miscellany

noun
assortment, mixture, melange, blend, variety, mixed bag, mix, medley, diversity, collection, selection, assemblage, pot-pourri, mishmash, hotchpotch, ragbag, salmagundi, gallimaufry, omnium gatherum; N. Amer. hodgepodge.

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mischance

noun
accident, misfortune, mishap, misadventure, setback, disaster, tragedy, calamity, catastrophe, reversal, upset, blow; bad luck, ill fortune.

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mischief

noun
the boys are always getting up to mischief
naughtiness, bad behaviour, misbehaviour, mischievousness, misconduct, disobedience; pranks, tricks, larks, capers, nonsense, devilry, funny business; informal monkey business, shenanigans, hanky-panky; Brit. informal monkey tricks, carryings-on, jiggery-pokery.
the mischief in her eyes
impishness, roguishness, devilment.
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(informal) you'll do yourself a mischief
harm, hurt, injury, damage.
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mischievous

adjective
a mischievous child
naughty, badly behaved, misbehaving, disobedient, troublesome, full of mischief; rascally, roguish.
a mischievous smile
playful, teasing, wicked, impish, roguish, arch.
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a mischievous allegation
malicious, malevolent, spiteful, venomous, poisonous, evil-intentioned, evil, baleful, vindictive, vengeful, vitriolic, rancorous, malign, malignant, pernicious, mean, nasty, harmful, hurtful, cruel, unkind; informal bitchy, catty; poetic/literary malefic, maleficent.
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ANTONYMS :well behaved.

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misconceive

verb
misunderstand, misinterpret, misconstrue, misapprehend, mistake, misread; miscalculate, err, be mistaken, get the wrong idea.

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misconception

noun
misapprehension, misunderstanding, mistake, error, misinterpretation, misconstruction, misreading, misjudgement, misbelief, miscalculation, false impression, illusion, fallacy, delusion.

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misconduct

noun
allegations of misconduct
wrongdoing, unlawfulness, lawlessness, crime, felony, criminality, sin, sinfulness; unprofessionalism, unethical behaviour, malpractice, negligence, impropriety; formal maladministration, malversation.
misconduct in the classroom
misbehaviour, bad behaviour, misdeeds, misdemeanours, disorderly conduct, mischief, naughtiness, rudeness.
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misconstruction

noun
misunderstanding, misinterpretation, misapprehension, misconception, misreading, misjudgement, misbelief, miscalculation, false impression.

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misconstrue

verb
misunderstand, misinterpret, misconceive, misapprehend, mistake, misread; be mistaken about, get the wrong idea about, get it/someone wrong.

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miscreant

noun
criminal, culprit, wrongdoer, malefactor, offender, villain, lawbreaker, evil-doer, delinquent, reprobate; Law malfeasant.

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misdeed

noun
wrongdoing, wrong, evil deed, crime, felony, misdemeanour, misconduct, offence, error, transgression, sin; archaic trespass.

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misdemeanour

noun
wrongdoing, evil deed, crime, felony; misdeed, misconduct, offence, error, peccadillo, transgression, sin; archaic trespass.

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miser

noun
penny-pincher, pinchpenny, niggard, cheese-parer, Scrooge; informal skinflint, meanie, money-grubber, cheapskate; N. Amer. informal tightwad. ANTONYMS :spendthrift.

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miserable

adjective
I'm too miserable to eat
unhappy, sad, sorrowful, dejected, depressed, downcast, downhearted, down, despondent, disconsolate, wretched, glum, gloomy, dismal, melancholy, woebegone, doleful, forlorn, heartbroken; informal blue, down in the mouth/dumps.
their miserable surroundings
dreary, dismal, gloomy, drab, wretched, depressing, grim, cheerless, bleak, desolate; poor, shabby, squalid, seedy, dilapidated.
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miserable weather
unpleasant, disagreeable, depressing; wet, rainy, stormy; informal rotten.
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a miserable old grouch
grumpy, sullen, gloomy, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, dour, surly, sour, glum, moody, unsociable, saturnine, lugubrious, irritable, churlish, cantankerous, crotchety, cross, crabby, grouchy, testy, peevish, crusty, waspish.
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miserable wages
inadequate, meagre, scanty, paltry, small, poor, pitiful, niggardly; informal measly, stingy, pathetic; formal exiguous.
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all that fuss about a few miserable pounds
wretched, confounded; informal blithering, flaming, blessed, damned, blasted; dated accursed.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful, lovely.

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miserliness

noun
meanness, niggardliness, close-fistedness, closeness, parsimony, parsimoniousness; informal stinginess, tight-fistedness; N. Amer. cheapness; archaic nearness.

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miserly

adjective
his miserly great-uncle
mean, niggardly, parsimonious, close, close-fisted, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, grasping, Scrooge-like; informal stingy, tight, tight-fisted; N. Amer. informal cheap; archaic near.
the prize is a miserly £300
meagre, inadequate, paltry, negligible, miserable, pitiful, niggardly, beggarly; informal measly, stingy, pathetic; formal exiguous.
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ANTONYMS :generous.

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misery

noun
periods of intense misery
unhappiness, distress, wretchedness, suffering, anguish, anxiety, angst, torment, pain, grief, heartache, heartbreak, despair, despondency, dejection, depression, desolation, gloom, melancholy, melancholia, woe, sadness, sorrow; informal the dumps, the blues; poetic/literary dolour.
the miseries of war
affliction, misfortune, difficulty, problem, ordeal, trouble, hardship, deprivation; pain, sorrow, trial, tribulation, woe.
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(Brit. informal) he's a real old misery
killjoy, dog in the manger, spoilsport; informal sourpuss, grouch, grump, party-pooper.
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ANTONYMS :contentment, pleasure.

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misfire

verb
go wrong, go awry, be unsuccessful, fail, founder, fall through/flat; backfire; informal flop, go up in smoke.

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misfit

noun
nonconformist, eccentric, maverick, individualist, square peg in a round hole; informal oddball, weirdo, freak; N. Amer. informal screwball.

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misfortune

noun
problem, difficulty, setback, trouble, adversity, stroke of bad luck, reversal (of fortune), misadventure, mishap, blow, failure, accident, disaster; sorrow, misery, woe, trial, tribulation.

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misgiving

noun
qualm, doubt, reservation; suspicion, distrust, mistrust, lack of confidence, second thoughts; trepidation, scepticism, unease, uneasiness, anxiety, apprehension, disquiet.

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misguided

adjective
the policy is misguided
erroneous, fallacious, unsound, misplaced, misconceived, ill-advised, ill-considered, ill-judged, inappropriate, unwise, injudicious, imprudent.
you are quite misguided
misinformed, misled, labouring under a misapprehension, wrong, mistaken, deluded.
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mishandle

verb
the officer mishandled the situation
bungle, fluff, make a mess of, mismanage, spoil, ruin, wreck; informal botch, make a hash of, mess up, muck up; Brit. informal make a pig's ear of, make a Horlicks of.
he mishandled his wife
bully, persecute, ill-treat, mistreat, maltreat, abuse, knock about/around, hit, beat; informal beat up.
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the equipment could be dangerous if mishandled
misuse, abuse, handle/treat roughly.
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mishap

noun
accident, trouble, problem, difficulty, setback, adversity, reversal (of fortune), misfortune, blow; failure, disaster, tragedy, catastrophe, calamity.

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mishmash

noun
jumble, confusion, hotchpotch, ragbag, patchwork, farrago, assortment, medley, miscellany, mixture, melange, blend, mix, pot-pourri, conglomeration, gallimaufry, omnium gatherum, salmagundi; N. Amer. hodgepodge.

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misinform

verb
mislead, misguide, give wrong information, delude, take in, deceive, lie to, hoodwink; informal lead up the garden path, take for a ride; N. Amer. informal give someone a bum steer.

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misinformation

noun
disinformation, false/misleading information; lie, fib; N. Amer. informal bum steer.

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misinterpret

verb
misunderstand, misconceive, misconstrue, misapprehend, mistake, misread; confuse, take amiss, be mistaken, get the wrong idea.

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misjudge

verb
get the wrong idea about, get wrong, judge incorrectly, estimate wrongly, be wrong about, miscalculate, misread; overestimate, underestimate, overvalue, undervalue, underrate.

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mislay

verb
lose, misplace, put in the wrong place, be unable to find, forget the whereabouts of. ANTONYMS :find.

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mislead

verb
deceive, delude, take in, lie to, fool, hoodwink, throw off the scent, pull the wool over someone's eyes, misguide, misinform, give wrong information to; informal lead up the garden path, take for a ride; N. Amer. informal give someone a bum steer.

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misleading

adjective
deceptive, confusing, deceiving, equivocal, ambiguous, fallacious, specious, spurious, false.

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mismanage

verb
bungle, fluff, make a mess of, mishandle, misconduct, spoil, ruin, wreck; informal botch, make a hash of, mess up, muck up; Brit. informal make a pig's ear of, make a Horlicks of.

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mismatch

noun
discrepancy, inconsistency, contradiction, incongruity, incongruousness, conflict, discord, irreconcilability.

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mismatched

adjective
ill-assorted, ill-matched, incongruous, unsuited, incompatible, inconsistent, at odds; out of keeping, clashing, dissimilar, unalike, different, at variance, disparate, unrelated, divergent, contrasting. ANTONYMS :matching.

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misogynist

noun
woman-hater, anti-feminist, (male) chauvinist, sexist; informal male chauvinist pig, MCP.

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misplace

verb
lose, mislay, put in the wrong place, be unable to find, forget the whereabouts of. ANTONYMS :find.

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misplaced

adjective
his comments were misplaced
misguided, unwise, ill-advised, ill-considered, ill-judged, inappropriate.
misplaced keys
lost, mislaid, missing.
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misprint

noun
mistake, error, typographical mistake/error, typing mistake/error, corrigendum, erratum; Brit. literal; informal typo.

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misquote

verb
misreport, misrepresent, misstate, take/quote out of context, distort, twist, slant, bias, put a spin on, falsify.

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misrepresent

verb
give a false account/idea of, misstate, misreport, misquote, quote/take out of context, misinterpret, put a spin on, falsify, distort.

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misrule

noun
the misrule of Edward IV
bad government, misgovernment, mismanagement, malpractice, incompetence; formal maladministration.
the misrule at football games
lawlessness, anarchy, disorder, chaos, mayhem.
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ANTONYMS :order.

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miss 1

verb
the shot missed her by inches
fail to hit, be/go wide of, fall short of.
Mandy missed the catch
fail to catch, drop, fumble, fluff, mishandle, misfield, mishit.
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I've missed my bus
be too late for, fail to catch/get.
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I missed what you said
fail to hear, mishear.
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you can't miss the station
fail to see/notice, overlook.
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she never missed a meeting
fail to attend, be absent from, play truant from, cut, skip; Brit. informal skive off.
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don't miss this exciting opportunity!
let slip, fail to take advantage of, let go/pass, pass up.
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I left early to miss the rush-hour traffic
avoid, beat, evade, escape, dodge, sidestep, elude, circumvent, steer clear of, find a way round, bypass.
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she missed him when he was away
pine for, yearn for, ache for, long for, long to see.
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ANTONYMS :hit, catch.

noun
one hit and three misses
failure, omission, slip, blunder, error, mistake.
miss someone/something out
leave out, exclude, miss (off), fail to mention, pass over, skip; Brit. informal give something a miss.

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miss 2

noun
a headstrong young miss
young woman, young lady, girl, schoolgirl, missy; Scottish lass, lassie; Irish colleen; informal girlie, chick, bit, doll; Brit. informal bird, bint; N. Amer. informal broad, dame; Austral./NZ informal sheila; poetic/literary maiden, maid, damsel; archaic wench.

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misshapen

adjective
deformed, malformed, distorted, crooked, twisted, warped, out of shape, bent, asymmetrical, irregular, misproportioned, ill-proportioned, disfigured, grotesque.

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missing

adjective
his wallet is missing
lost, mislaid, misplaced, absent, gone (astray), unaccounted for.
passion was missing from her life
absent, not present, lacking, wanting.
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ANTONYMS :present.

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mission

noun
a mercy mission to Romania
assignment, commission, expedition, journey, trip, undertaking, operation; task, job, labour, work, duty, charge, trust.
her mission in life
vocation, calling, goal, aim, quest, purpose, function.
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a trade mission
delegation, deputation, commission, legation, delegacy.
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a teacher in a mission
missionary post, missionary station.
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a bombing mission
sortie, operation, raid.
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missionary

noun
evangelist, apostle, proselytizer, preacher, minister, priest.

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missive

noun
message, communication, letter, word, note, memorandum, line, communiqué, dispatch, news; informal memo; formal epistle; poetic/literary tidings.

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misspent

adjective
wasted, dissipated, squandered, thrown away, frittered away, misused, misapplied.

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misstate

verb
misreport, misrepresent, take/quote out of context, distort, twist, put a spin on, falsify.

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mist

noun
the mist was clearing
haze, fog, smog, murk, cloud, Scotch mist; poetic/literary brume, fume.
mist over/up
steam up, become misty, fog over/up, film over, cloud over.

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mistake

noun
I assumed it had been a mistake
error, fault, inaccuracy, omission, slip, blunder, miscalculation, misunderstanding, oversight, misinterpretation, gaffe, faux pas, solecism; informal slip-up, boo-boo, howler, boner; Brit. informal boob, clanger, bloomer; N. Amer. informal goof.
spelling mistakes
misprint, typographical error/mistake, typing error/mistake, corrigendum, erratum; Brit. literal; informal typo.
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verb
men are apt to mistake their own feelings
misunderstand, misinterpret, get wrong, misconstrue, misread.
children often mistake vitamin pills for sweets
confuse with, mix up with, take for, misinterpret as.
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be mistaken
be wrong, be in error, be under a misapprehension, be misinformed, be misguided; informal be barking up the wrong tree, get the wrong end of the stick. make a mistake
go wrong, err, make an error, blunder, miscalculate; informal slip up, make a boo-boo, make a howler; Brit. informal boob; N. Amer. informal drop the ball, goof (up).

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mistaken

adjective
wrong, erroneous, inaccurate, incorrect, off beam, false, fallacious, unfounded, misguided, misinformed. ANTONYMS :correct.

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mistakenly

adverb
we often mistakenly imagine that when a problem is diagnosed it is solved
wrongly, in error, erroneously, incorrectly, falsely, fallaciously, inaccurately.
Matt mistakenly opened the letter
by accident, accidentally, inadvertently, unintentionally, unwittingly, unconsciously, by mistake.
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ANTONYMS :correctly, intentionally.

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mistimed

adjective
ill-timed, badly timed, inopportune, inappropriate, untimely, unseasonable. ANTONYMS :opportune.

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mistreat

verb
ill-treat, maltreat, abuse, knock about/around, hit, beat, strike, molest, injure, harm, hurt; misuse, mishandle; informal beat up, rough up.

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mistreatment

noun
ill-treatment, maltreatment, abuse, beating, molestation, injury, harm; mishandling, manhandling.

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mistress

noun
lover, girlfriend, kept woman; courtesan, concubine; informal fancy woman, bit on the side; archaic paramour.

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mistrust

verb
I mistrust his motives
be suspicious of, be mistrustful of, be distrustful of, be sceptical of, be wary of, be chary of, distrust, have doubts about, have misgivings about, have reservations about, suspect.
don't mistrust your impulses
question, challenge, doubt, have no confidence/faith in.
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noun
mistrust of Russia was widespread
suspicion, distrust, doubt, misgivings, wariness.
their mistrust of David's competence
questioning, lack of confidence/faith in, doubt about.
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mistrustful

adjective
suspicious, chary, wary, distrustful, doubtful, dubious, uneasy, sceptical, leery.

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misty

adjective
misty weather
hazy, foggy, cloudy; smoggy.
a misty figure
blurry, fuzzy, blurred, dim, indistinct, unclear, vague.
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misty memories
vague, unclear, indefinite, hazy, nebulous.
Top
ANTONYMS :clear.

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misunderstand

verb
misapprehend, misinterpret, misconstrue, misconceive, mistake, misread; be mistaken, get the wrong idea, receive a false impression; informal be barking up the wrong tree, get (hold of) the wrong end of the stick.

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misunderstanding

noun
a fundamental misunderstanding of juvenile crime
misinterpretation, misconstruction, misreading, misapprehension, misconception, the wrong idea, false impression.
we have had some misunderstandings
disagreement, difference (of opinion), dispute, falling-out, quarrel, argument, altercation, squabble, wrangle, row, clash; informal spat, scrap, tiff.
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misuse

verb
misusing public funds
put to wrong use, misemploy, embezzle, use fraudulently; abuse, squander, waste.
she had been misused by her husband
ill-treat, maltreat, mistreat, abuse, knock about/around, hit, beat, strike, molest, injure, harm, hurt; mishandle, manhandle; informal beat up, rough up.
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noun
a misuse of company assets
wrong use, embezzlement, fraud; squandering, waste.
the misuse of drugs
illegal use, abuse.
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mitigate

verb
alleviate, reduce, diminish, lessen, weaken, lighten, attenuate, take the edge off, allay, ease, assuage, palliate, relieve, tone down. ANTONYMS :aggravate.

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mitigating

adjective
extenuating, exonerative, justificatory, justifying, vindicatory, vindicating, qualifying; formal exculpatory.

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mitigation

noun
the mitigation of the problems
alleviation, reduction, diminution, lessening, easing, weakening, assuagement, palliation, relief.
what did she say in mitigation?
extenuation, explanation, excuse.
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mix

verb
mix all the ingredients together
blend, mix up, mingle, combine, put together, jumble; fuse, unite, unify, join, amalgamate, incorporate, meld, marry, coalesce, homogenize, intermingle, intermix; technical admix; poetic/literary commingle; archaic commix.
she mixes with all sorts
associate, socialize, fraternize, keep company, consort; mingle, circulate; N. Amer. rub elbows; informal hang out/around, knock about/around, hobnob; Brit. informal hang about.
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we just don't mix
be compatible, get along/on, be in harmony, see eye to eye, agree; informal hit it off, click, be on the same wavelength.
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ANTONYMS :separate.

noun
a mix of ancient and modern
mixture, blend, mingling, combination, compound, fusion, alloy, union, amalgamation; medley, melange, collection, selection, assortment, variety, mixed bag, miscellany, pot-pourri, jumble, hotchpotch, ragbag, patchwork, farrago, gallimaufry, omnium gatherum, salmagundi; N. Amer. hodgepodge.
mix something up
mix up the rusk with milk.
See mix verb sense 1.

I mixed up the dates
confuse, get confused, muddle (up), get muddled up, mistake.
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mixed up in
involved in, embroiled in, caught up in.

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mixed

adjective
a mixed collection
assorted, varied, variegated, miscellaneous, disparate, diverse, diversified, motley, sundry, jumbled, heterogeneous.
chickens of mixed breeds
hybrid, half-caste, cross-bred, interbred.
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mixed reactions
ambivalent, equivocal, contradictory, conflicting, confused, muddled.
Top
ANTONYMS :homogeneous.

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mixed up

adjective
(informal) confused, (all) at sea, befuddled, bemused, bewildered, muddled; maladjusted, disturbed, neurotic, unbalanced; informal hung up, messed up.

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mixer

noun
a kitchen mixer
blender, food processor, liquidizer, beater, churn.
she was never really a mixer
sociable person, socializer, extrovert, socialite.
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mixture

noun
the pudding mixture
blend, mix, brew, combination, concoction; composition, compound, alloy, amalgam.
a strange mixture of people
assortment, miscellany, medley, melange, blend, variety, mixed bag, mix, diversity, collection, selection, pot-pourri, mishmash, hotchpotch, ragbag, patchwork, farrago, gallimaufry, omnium gatherum, salmagundi; N. Amer. hodgepodge.
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the animals were a mixture of genetic strands
cross, cross-breed, mongrel, hybrid, half-breed, half-caste.
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mix-up

noun
confusion, muddle, misunderstanding, mistake, error.

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moan

noun
moans of pain
groan, wail, whimper, sob, cry.
the moan of the wind
sough, sigh, murmur.
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(informal) there were moans about the delay
complaint, complaining, grouse, grousing, grumble, grumbling, whine, whining, carping; informal gripe, griping, grouch, grouching, bellyache, bitch, whinge, whingeing, beef, beefing.
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verb
he moaned in agony
groan, wail, whimper, sob, cry.
the wind moaned in the trees
sough, sigh, murmur.
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(informal) you're always moaning about the weather
complain, grouse, grumble, whine, carp; informal gripe, grouch, bellyache, bitch, beef, whinge; N. English informal mither.
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mob

noun
troops dispersed the mob
crowd, horde, multitude, rabble, mass, throng, group, gang, gathering, assemblage; archaic rout.
the mob were excluded from political life
the common people, the masses, the rank and file, the commonality, the commonalty, the third estate, the plebeians, the proletariat; the hoi polloi, the lower classes, the rabble, the riff-raff, the great unwashed; informal the proles, the plebs.
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(Brit. informal) he stood out from the rest of the mob
group, set, crowd, lot, circle, coterie, clan, faction, pack, band, ring; informal gang, bunch.
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verb
the Chancellor was mobbed when he visited Berlin
surround, swarm around, besiege, jostle.
reporters mobbed her hotel
crowd (into), fill, pack, throng, press into, squeeze into.
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mobile

adjective
both patients are mobile
able to move (around), moving, walking; Zoology motile; Medicine ambulant.
her mobile face
expressive, eloquent, revealing, animated.
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a mobile library
travelling, transportable, portable, movable; itinerant, peripatetic.
Top
highly mobile young people
adaptable, flexible, versatile, adjustable.
Top
ANTONYMS :motionless, static.

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mobility

noun
restricted mobility
ability to move, movability.
the mobility of Billy's face
expressiveness, eloquence, animation.
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mobility in the workforce
adaptability, flexibility, versatility, adjustability.
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mobilize

verb
the government mobilized the troops
marshal, deploy, muster, rally, call up, assemble, mass, organize, prepare.
mobilizing support for the party
generate, arouse, awaken, excite, incite, provoke, foment, prompt, stimulate, stir up, galvanize, encourage, inspire, whip up; poetic/literary waken.
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mock

verb
the local children mocked the old people
ridicule, jeer at, sneer at, deride, scorn, make fun of, laugh at, scoff at, tease, taunt; informal take the mickey out of, josh; N. Amer. informal goof on, rag on, pull someone's chain; Austral./NZ informal poke mullock at, sling off at.
they mocked the way he speaks
parody, ape, take off, satirize, lampoon, imitate, mimic; informal send up.
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adjective
mock leather
imitation, artificial, man-made, simulated, synthetic, ersatz, fake, reproduction, dummy, sham, false, spurious, bogus, counterfeit, pseudo; informal pretend, phoney. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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mockery

noun
the mockery in his voice
ridicule, derision, jeering, sneering, contempt, scorn, scoffing, teasing, taunting, sarcasm.
the trial was a mockery
travesty, charade, farce, parody.
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mocking

adjective
sneering, derisive, contemptuous, scornful, sardonic, ironic, sarcastic.

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mode

noun
an informal mode of policing
manner, way, fashion, means, method, system, style, approach, technique, procedure, process, practice.
the camera is in manual mode
function, position, operation.
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the mode for active wear
fashion, vogue, style, look, trend; craze, rage, fad.
Top

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model

noun
a working model
replica, copy, representation, mock-up, dummy, imitation, duplicate, reproduction, facsimile.
the American model of airline deregulation
prototype, stereotype, archetype, type, version; mould, template, framework, pattern, design, blueprint.
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she was a model as a teacher
ideal, paragon, perfect example/specimen; perfection, acme, epitome, nonpareil, crème de la crème.
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a top model
fashion model, supermodel, mannequin; informal clothes horse.
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an artist's model
sitter, poser, subject.
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the latest model of car
version, type, design, variety, kind, sort.
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this dress is a model
original (design), exclusive; informal one-off.
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adjective
model trains
replica, toy, miniature, dummy, imitation, duplicate, reproduction, facsimile.
model farms
prototypical, prototypal, archetypal.
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a model teacher
ideal, perfect, exemplary, classic, flawless, faultless.
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moderate

adjective
moderate success
average, modest, medium, middling, ordinary, common, commonplace, everyday, workaday; tolerable, passable, adequate, fair; mediocre, indifferent, unexceptional, unremarkable, run-of-the-mill; informal OK, so-so, bog-standard, fair-to-middling, (plain) vanilla, no great shakes, not up to much; NZ informal half-pie.
moderate prices
reasonable, acceptable; inexpensive, low, fair, modest.
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moderate views
middle-of-the-road, non-extreme, non-radical.
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moderate behaviour
restrained, controlled, sober; tolerant, lenient.
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ANTONYMS :great, unreasonable, extreme.

verb
the wind has moderated
die down, abate, let up, calm down, lessen, decrease, diminish; recede, weaken, subside.
you can help to moderate her anger
curb, control, check, temper, restrain, subdue; repress, tame, lessen, decrease, lower, reduce, diminish, alleviate, allay, appease, assuage, ease, soothe, calm, tone down; archaic remit.
Top
the Speaker moderates the assembly
chair, take the chair of, preside over.
Top
ANTONYMS :increase.

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moderately

adverb
somewhat, quite, rather, fairly, reasonably, comparatively, relatively, to some extent; tolerably, passably, adequately; informal pretty.

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moderation

noun
he urged them to show moderation
self-restraint, restraint, self-control, self-discipline; moderateness, temperance, leniency, fairness.
a moderation of their confrontational style
relaxation, easing (off), reduction, abatement, weakening, slackening, tempering, softening, diminution, diminishing, lessening; decline, modulation, modification, mitigation, allaying; informal let-up.
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in moderation
in moderate quantities/amounts, within (sensible) limits; moderately.

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modern

adjective
modern times
present-day, contemporary, present, current, twenty-first-century, latter-day, recent.
her clothes are very modern
fashionable, in fashion, in style, in vogue, up to date, all the rage, trendsetting, stylish, voguish, modish, chic, à la mode; the latest, new, newest, newfangled, modernistic, advanced; informal trendy, cool, in, with it, now, hip, happening; N. Amer. informal tony.
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ANTONYMS :past, old-fashioned.

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modernity

noun
contemporaneity, contemporaneousness, modernness, modernism; fashionableness, vogue; informal trendiness.

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modernize

verb
they are modernizing their manufacturing facilities
update, bring up to date, streamline, rationalize, overhaul; renovate, remodel, refashion, revamp.
we must modernize to survive
get up to date, move with the times, innovate; informal get in the swim, get with it.
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modest

adjective
she was modest about her poetry
self-effacing, self-deprecating, humble, unpretentious, unassuming, unostentatious; shy, bashful, self-conscious, diffident, reserved, reticent, coy.
modest success
moderate, fair, limited, tolerable, passable, adequate, satisfactory, acceptable, unexceptional.
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a modest house
small, ordinary, simple, plain, humble, inexpensive, unostentatious, unpretentious.
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her modest dress
decorous, decent, seemly, demure, proper.
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ANTONYMS :conceited, great, grand.

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modesty

noun
Hannah's modesty cloaks many talents
self-effacement, humility, unpretentiousness; shyness, bashfulness, self-consciousness, reserve, reticence, timidity.
the modesty of his aspirations
limited scope, moderation.
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the modesty of his home
unpretentiousness, simplicity, plainness.
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her maidenly modesty
decorum, decorousness, decency, seemliness, demureness.
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modicum

noun
small amount, particle, speck, fragment, scrap, crumb, grain, morsel, shred, dash, drop, pinch, jot, iota, whit, atom, smattering, scintilla, hint, suggestion; informal smidgen, tad; archaic scantling.

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modification

noun
the design is undergoing modification
alteration, adjustment, change, adaptation, refinement, revision.
some minor modifications were made
revision, refinement, improvement, amendment, adaptation, adjustment, change, alteration.
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the modification of his views
softening, moderation, tempering, qualification.
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modify

verb
their economic policy has been modified
alter, change, adjust, adapt, amend, revise, reshape, refashion, restyle, revamp, rework, remodel, refine; informal tweak.
he modified his more extreme views
moderate, revise, temper, soften, tone down, qualify.
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modish

adjective
fashionable, stylish, chic, modern, contemporary, all the rage, in vogue, voguish, up to the minute, à la mode; informal trendy, cool, with it, in, now, hip, happening; N. Amer. informal kicky, tony.

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modulate

verb
the cells modulate the body's response
regulate, adjust, set, modify, moderate.
she modulated her voice
adjust, change the tone of.
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modus operandi

noun
method (of working), way, MO, manner, technique, style, procedure, approach, methodology, strategy, plan, formula; formal praxis.

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mogul

noun
magnate, tycoon, VIP, notable, personage, baron, captain, king, lord, grandee, nabob; informal bigwig, big shot, big noise, top dog; N. Amer. informal top banana, big enchilada.

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moist

adjective
the air was moist
damp, dampish, steamy, humid, muggy, clammy, dank, wet, wettish, soggy, sweaty, sticky.
a moist fruitcake
succulent, juicy, soft.
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her eyes grew moist
tearful, watery, misty.
Top
ANTONYMS :dry.

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moisten

verb
dampen, wet, damp, water, humidify; poetic/literary bedew.

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moisture

noun
wetness, wet, water, liquid, condensation, steam, vapour, dampness, damp, humidity, clamminess, mugginess, dankness, wateriness.

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moisturizer

noun
lotion, cream, balm, emollient, salve, unguent, lubricant; technical humectant.

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mole 1

noun
the mole on his left cheek
mark, freckle, blotch, spot, blemish.

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mole 2

noun
a well-placed mole
spy, (secret) agent, undercover agent, operative, plant, infiltrator; N. Amer. informal spook; archaic intelligencer.

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mole 3

noun
the mole protecting the harbour
breakwater, groyne, dyke, pier, sea wall, causeway.

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molest

verb
the crowd were molesting the police
harass, harry, pester, beset, persecute, torment; N. Amer. informal roust.
he molested a ten-year-old boy
(sexually) abuse, (sexually) assault, interfere with, rape, violate; informal grope, paw; poetic/literary ravish.
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mollify

verb
they mollified the protesters
appease, placate, pacify, conciliate, soothe, calm (down).
mollifying the fears of the public
allay, assuage, alleviate, mitigate, ease, reduce, moderate, temper, tone down.
Top
ANTONYMS :enrage.

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mollycoddle

verb
his parents mollycoddle him
pamper, cosset, coddle, spoil, indulge, overindulge, pet, baby, nanny, nursemaid, wait on hand and foot, wrap in cotton wool.
noun
(informal) the boy's a mollycoddle!
See drip noun sense 2.

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molten

adjective
liquefied, liquid, fluid, melted, flowing.

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moment

noun
he thought for a moment
little while, short time, bit, minute, instant, (split) second; informal sec, jiffy; Brit. informal tick, mo, two ticks.
the moment they met
point (in time), time, hour.
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(formal) issues of little moment
importance, import, significance, consequence, note, weight, concern, interest.
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in a moment
very soon, in a minute, in a second, in a trice, shortly, any minute (now), in the twinkling of an eye, in (less than) no time, in no time at all; N. Amer. momentarily; informal in a jiffy, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), before you can say Jack Robinson, in the blink of an eye; Brit. informal in a tick, in two ticks, in a mo; N. Amer. informal in a snap; poetic/literary ere long.

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momentarily

adverb
he paused momentarily
briefly, fleetingly, for a moment, for a second, for an instant.
(N. Amer.) my husband will be here momentarily.
See in a moment at moment.
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momentary

adjective
brief, short, short-lived, fleeting, passing, transient, ephemeral; poetic/literary evanescent. ANTONYMS :lengthy.

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momentous

adjective
important, significant, historic, portentous, critical, crucial, life-and-death, decisive, pivotal, consequential, of consequence, far-reaching, earth-shattering; formal of moment. ANTONYMS :insignificant.

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momentum

noun
impetus, energy, force, power, strength, thrust, speed, velocity.

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monarch

noun
sovereign, ruler, Crown, crowned head, potentate; king, queen, emperor, empress, prince, princess.

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monarchy

noun
a constitutional monarchy
kingdom, sovereign state, principality, empire.
hereditary monarchy
kingship, sovereignty, autocracy, monocracy, absolutism.
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monastery

noun
religious community; friary, abbey, priory, cloister.

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monastic

adjective
a monastic community
cloistered, cloistral, claustral.
a monastic existence
austere, ascetic, simple, solitary, monkish, celibate, quiet, cloistered, sequestered, secluded, reclusive, hermit-like, hermitic.
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monetary

adjective
financial, fiscal, pecuniary, money, cash, economic, budgetary.

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money

noun
I haven't got enough money
(hard) cash, ready money; the means, the wherewithal, funds, capital, finances, (filthy) lucre; banknotes, notes, coins, change, specie, silver, copper, currency; Brit. sterling; N. Amer. bills; N. Amer. & Austral. roll; informal dough, bread, loot, readies, shekels, moolah, the necessary; Brit. informal dosh, brass, lolly, spondulicks; N. Amer. informal dinero, bucks, mazuma; US informal greenbacks, simoleons, jack, rocks; Austral./NZ informal Oscar; Brit. dated l.s.d.; archaic pelf.
she married him for his money
wealth, riches, fortune, affluence, (liquid) assets, resources, means.
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the money here is better
pay, salary, wages, remuneration; formal emolument.
Top
pecuniary, monetary, numismatic.
for my money
in my opinion, to my mind, in my view, as I see it, personally, in my estimation, in my judgement, if you ask me. in the money (informal)
rich , wealthy, affluent, well-to-do, well off, prosperous, moneyed, in clover, opulent; informal rolling in it, loaded, stinking rich, well heeled, made of money.

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moneyed

adjective
rich, wealthy, affluent, well-to-do, well off, prosperous, in clover, opulent, of means, of substance; informal in the money, rolling in it, loaded, stinking/filthy rich, well heeled, made of money. ANTONYMS :poor.

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money-grubbing

adjective
(informal) acquisitive, avaricious, grasping, money-grabbing, rapacious, mercenary, materialistic; N. Amer. informal grabby.

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moneymaking

adjective
profitable, profit-making, remunerative, lucrative, successful, financially rewarding. ANTONYMS :loss-making.

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mongrel

noun
a rough-haired mongrel
cross-breed, cross, mixed breed, half-breed; tyke, cur, mutt; NZ kuri; Austral. informal mong, bitzer.
adjective
a mongrel bitch
cross-bred, of mixed breed, half-breed. ANTONYMS :pedigree.

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monitor

noun
monitors covered all entrances
detector, scanner, recorder; security camera, CCTV.
UN monitors
observer, watchdog, overseer, supervisor.
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a computer monitor
screen, visual display unit, VDU.
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(Brit.) a school monitor
prefect, praepostor; senior boy/girl, senior pupil.
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verb
his movements were closely monitored
observe, watch, track, keep an eye on, keep under observation, keep watch on, keep under surveillance, record, note, oversee; informal keep tabs on, keep a beady eye on.

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monk

noun
brother, religious, coenobite, contemplative, mendicant; friar; abbot, prior; novice, oblate, postulant; Benedictine, Black Monk, Cluniac, Carthusian, Cistercian, White Monk. monastic, monastery.

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monkey

noun
simian, primate, ape.
you little monkey!
See rascal.
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make a monkey (out) of
make someone look foolish, make a fool of, make a laughing stock of, ridicule, make fun of, poke fun at. monkey about/around
fool about/around, play about/around, clown about/around, footle about/around; informal mess about/around, horse about/around, lark (about/around); Brit. informal muck about/around. monkey with
tamper with, fiddle with, interfere with, meddle with, tinker with, play with; informal mess with; Brit. informal muck about/around with.

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monkey business

noun
(informal) mischief, misbehaviour, mischievousness, devilry, devilment, tomfoolery; dishonesty, trickery, chicanery, skulduggery; informal shenanigans, funny business, hanky-panky; Brit. informal monkey tricks, jiggery-pokery; N. Amer. informal monkeyshines.

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monocle

noun
eyeglass, glass.

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monolith

noun
standing stone, menhir, sarsen (stone), megalith.

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monolithic

adjective
a monolithic building
massive, huge, vast, colossal, gigantic, immense, giant, enormous; featureless, characterless.
the old monolithic Communist party
inflexible, rigid, unbending, unchanging, fossilized.
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monologue

noun
soliloquy, speech, address, lecture, sermon; formal oration.

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monomania

noun
obsession, fixation, consuming passion, mania, compulsion.

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monopolize

verb
the company has monopolized the market
corner, control, take over, gain control/dominance over; archaic engross.
he monopolized the conversation
dominate, take over; informal hog.
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she monopolized the guest of honour
take up all the attention of, keep to oneself; informal tie up.
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monotonous

adjective
a monotonous job
tedious, boring, dull, uninteresting, unexciting, wearisome, tiresome, repetitive, repetitious, unvarying, unchanging, unvaried, humdrum, routine, mechanical, mind-numbing, soul-destroying; colourless, featureless, dreary; informal deadly; Brit. informal samey; N. Amer. informal dullsville.
a monotonous voice
toneless, flat, uninflected, soporific.
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ANTONYMS :interesting.

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monotony

noun
the monotony of everyday life
tedium, tediousness, lack of variety, dullness, boredom, repetitiveness, repetitiousness, uniformity, routineness, wearisomeness, tiresomeness; lack of excitement, uneventfulness, dreariness, colourlessness, featurelessness; informal deadliness.
the monotony of her voice
tonelessness, flatness.
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monster

noun
legendary sea monsters
fabulous creature, mythical creature.
her husband is a monster
brute, fiend, beast, devil, demon, barbarian, savage, animal; informal swine, pig.
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the boy's a little monster
rascal, imp, monkey, wretch, devil; informal horror, scamp, scallywag, tyke; Brit. informal perisher, pickle; N. Amer. informal varmint, hellion; archaic scapegrace, rapscallion.
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he's a monster of a man
giant, mammoth, colossus, leviathan, titan; informal jumbo.
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adjective
(informal) a monster carp.
See huge.

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monstrosity

noun
a concrete monstrosity
eyesore, blot on the landscape, carbuncle, excrescence.
a biological monstrosity
mutant, mutation, freak (of nature), monster, abortion.
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monstrous

adjective
a monstrous creature
grotesque, hideous, ugly, ghastly, gruesome, horrible, horrific, horrifying, grisly, disgusting, repulsive, repellent, dreadful, frightening, terrifying, malformed, misshapen.
a monstrous tidal wave.
See huge.
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monstrous acts of violence
appalling, heinous, egregious, evil, wicked, abominable, terrible, horrible, dreadful, vile, outrageous, shocking, disgraceful; unspeakable, despicable, vicious, savage, barbaric, barbarous, inhuman; Brit. informal beastly.
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ANTONYMS :lovely, small.

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monument

noun
a stone monument
memorial, statue, pillar, column, obelisk, cross; cenotaph, tomb, mausoleum, shrine.
a monument was placed over the grave
gravestone, headstone, tombstone.
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a monument to a past era of aviation
testament, record, reminder, remembrance, memorial, commemoration.
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monumental

adjective
a monumental task
huge, great, enormous, gigantic, massive, colossal, mammoth, immense, tremendous, mighty, stupendous.
a monumental error of judgement
terrible, dreadful, awful, colossal, staggering, huge, enormous, unforgivable, egregious.
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Beethoven's monumental works
impressive, striking, outstanding, remarkable, magnificent, majestic, stupendous, ambitious, large-scale, grand, awe-inspiring, important, significant, distinguished, memorable, immortal.
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a monumental inscription
commemorative, memorial, celebratory, commemorating.
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mood

noun
she's in a good mood
frame/state of mind, humour, temper; disposition, spirit, tenor.
he's obviously in a mood
bad mood, (bad) temper, sulk, pet, fit of pique; low spirits, the doldrums, the blues; informal the dumps, grump; Brit. informal paddy.
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the mood of the film
atmosphere, feeling, spirit, ambience, aura, character, tenor, flavour, feel, tone.
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in the mood
in the right frame of mind, feeling like, wanting to, inclined to, disposed to, minded to, eager to, willing to.

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moody

adjective
temperamental, emotional, volatile, capricious, changeable, mercurial; sullen, sulky, morose, glum, depressed, dejected, despondent, doleful, dour, sour, saturnine; informal blue, down in the dumps/mouth. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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moon

noun
satellite. lunar.
verb
stop mooning about
waste time, loaf, idle, mope; Brit. informal mooch; N. Amer. informal lollygag.
he's mooning over her photograph
mope, pine, brood, daydream, fantasize, be in a reverie.
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many moons ago (informal)
a long time ago, ages ago, years ago; informal donkey's years ago; Brit. informal yonks ago. once in a blue moon (informal)
hardly ever, scarcely ever, rarely, very seldom. over the moon (informal). See ecstatic.

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moonshine

noun
. See rubbish noun sense 2.

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moor 1

verb
a boat was moored to the quay
tie up, secure, make fast, fix firmly, anchor, berth, dock.

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moor 2

noun
a walk on the moor
upland, moorland; grouse moor; Brit. heath, fell, wold.

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moot

adjective
a moot point
debatable, open to discussion/question, arguable, questionable, at issue, open to doubt, disputable, controversial, contentious, disputed, unresolved, unsettled, up in the air.
verb
the idea was first mooted in the 1930s
raise, bring up, broach, mention, put forward, introduce, advance, propose, suggest.

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mop

noun
her tousled mop of hair
shock, mane, tangle, mass.
verb
a man was mopping the floor
wash, clean, wipe.
mop something up
I mopped up the spilt coffee
wipe up, clean up, sponge up.

troops mopped up the last pockets of resistance
finish off, deal with, dispose of, take care of, clear up, eliminate.
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mope

verb
it's no use moping
brood, sulk, be miserable, be despondent, pine, eat one's heart out, fret, grieve; informal be down in the dumps/mouth; poetic/literary repine.
she was moping about the house
languish, moon, idle, loaf; Brit. informal mooch; N. Amer. informal lollygag.
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noun
she's regarded as a mope
melancholic, depressive, pessimist, killjoy; informal sourpuss, party-pooper, spoilsport, grouch, grump; Brit. informal misery.

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moral

adjective
moral issues
ethical, social, having to do with right and wrong.
a very moral man
virtuous, good, righteous, upright, upstanding, high-minded, principled, honourable, honest, just, noble, incorruptible, scrupulous, respectable, decent, clean-living, law-abiding.
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moral support
psychological, emotional, mental.
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ANTONYMS :dishonourable.

noun
the moral of the story
lesson, message, meaning, significance, signification, import, point, teaching.
he has no morals
moral code, code of ethics, moral standards/values, principles, standards, (sense of) morality, scruples.
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morale

noun
confidence, self-confidence, self-esteem, spirit(s), team spirit.

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moral fibre

noun
strength of character, fibre, fortitude, resolve, backbone, spine, mettle, firmness of purpose.

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morality

noun
the morality of nuclear weapons
ethics, rights and wrongs, ethicality.
a sharp decline in morality
virtue, goodness, good behaviour, righteousness, rectitude, uprightness; morals, principles, honesty, integrity, propriety, honour, justice, decency.
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orthodox Christian morality
moral standards, morals, ethics, standards/principles of behaviour, mores, standards.
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moralize

verb
pontificate, sermonize, lecture, preach; informal preachify.

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morass

noun
the muddy morass
quagmire, swamp, bog, marsh, mire, marshland, slough; N. Amer. moor.
a morass of paperwork
confusion, chaos, muddle, tangle, entanglement, imbroglio, jumble, clutter.
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moratorium

noun
embargo, ban, prohibition, suspension, postponement, stay, stoppage, halt, freeze, standstill, respite.

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morbid

adjective
a morbid fascination with contemporary warfare
ghoulish, macabre, unhealthy, gruesome, unwholesome; informal sick.
I felt decidedly morbid
gloomy, glum, melancholy, morose, dismal, sombre, doleful, despondent, dejected, sad, depressed, downcast, down, disconsolate, miserable, unhappy, downhearted, dispirited, low; informal blue, down in the dumps/mouth.
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ANTONYMS :wholesome, cheerful.

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mordant

adjective
caustic, trenchant, biting, cutting, acerbic, sardonic, sarcastic, scathing, acid, sharp, keen; critical, bitter, virulent, vitriolic; formal mordacious.

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more

determiner
I could do with some more clothes
additional, further, added, extra, increased, new, other, supplementary. ANTONYMS :less, fewer.

adverb
he was able to concentrate more on his writing
to a greater extent, further, some more, better.
he was rich, and more, he was handsome
moreover, furthermore, besides, what's more, in addition, also, as well, too, to boot, on top of that, into the bargain; archaic withal, forbye.
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pronoun
we're going to need more
extra, an additional amount/number, an addition, an increase. ANTONYMS :less, fewer.

more or less
approximately, roughly, nearly, almost, close to, about, of the order of, in the region of.

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moreover

adverb
besides, furthermore, what's more, in addition, also, as well, too, to boot, additionally, on top of that, into the bargain, more; archaic withal, forbye.

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mores

plural noun
customs, conventions, ways, way of life, traditions, practices, habits; formal praxis.

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morgue

noun
mortuary, funeral parlour; Brit. chapel of rest.

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moribund

adjective
the patient was moribund
dying, expiring, on one's deathbed, near death, at death's door, not long for this world.
the moribund shipbuilding industry
declining, in decline, waning, dying, stagnating, stagnant, crumbling, on its last legs.
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ANTONYMS :thriving.

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morning

noun
I've got a meeting this morning
before noon, before lunch(time), a.m.; poetic/literary morn; Nautical & N. Amer. forenoon.
morning is on its way
dawn, daybreak, sunrise, first light, cockcrow; N. Amer. sunup; poetic/literary dayspring, dawning, aurora.
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matutinal.
morning, noon, and night
all the time, without a break, constantly, continually, incessantly, ceaselessly, perpetually, unceasingly; informal 24-7.

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moron

noun
. See fool noun sense 1.

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moronic

adjective
. See stupid sense 1.

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morose

adjective
sullen, sulky, gloomy, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, dour, surly, sour, glum, moody, ill-humoured, melancholy, melancholic, doleful, miserable, depressed, dejected, despondent, downcast, unhappy, in low spirits, low, down, fed up, grumpy, irritable, churlish, cantankerous, crotchety, cross, crabby, grouchy, testy, snappish, peevish, crusty; informal blue, down in the dumps/mouth. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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morsel

noun
mouthful, bite, nibble, bit, soupçon, taste, spoonful, forkful, sliver, drop, dollop, spot, gobbet; titbit, bonne bouche; informal smidgen.

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mortal

adjective
mortal remains | all men are mortal
perishable, physical, bodily, corporeal, fleshly, earthly; human, impermanent, transient, ephemeral.
a mortal blow
deadly, fatal, lethal, death-dealing, murderous, terminal.
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mortal enemies
irreconcilable, deadly, sworn, bitter, out-and-out, implacable.
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a mortal sin
unpardonable, unforgivable.
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living in mortal fear
extreme, (very) great, terrible, awful, dreadful, intense, severe, grave, dire, unbearable.
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the punishment is out of all mortal proportion
conceivable, imaginable, perceivable, possible, earthly.
Top
ANTONYMS :venial.

noun
we are mere mortals
human (being), person, man/woman; earthling.

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mortality

noun
a sense of his own mortality
impermanence, transience, ephemerality, perishability; humanity; corporeality.
the causes of mortality
death, loss of life, dying.
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mortification

noun
scarlet with mortification
embarrassment, humiliation, chagrin, discomfiture, discomposure, shame.
the mortification of the flesh
subduing, suppression, subjugation, control, controlling; disciplining, chastening, punishment.
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mortify

verb
I'd be mortified if my friends found out
embarrass, humiliate, chagrin, discomfit, shame, abash, horrify, appal.
he was mortified at being excluded
hurt, wound, affront, offend, put out, pique, irk, annoy, vex; informal rile.
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mortifying the flesh
subdue, suppress, subjugate, control; discipline, chasten, punish.
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the cut had mortified
become gangrenous, fester, putrefy, gangrene, rot, decay, decompose.
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mortuary

noun
morgue, funeral parlour; Brit. chapel of rest.

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most

pronoun
most of the guests brought flowers
nearly all, almost all, the greatest part/number, the majority, the bulk, the preponderance. ANTONYMS :little, few.

for the most part
mostly, mainly, in the main, on the whole, largely, by and large, to a large extent, predominantly, chiefly, principally, basically, generally, usually, typically, commonly, as a rule, on balance, on average.

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mostly

adverb
the other passengers were mostly businessmen
mainly, for the most part, on the whole, in the main, largely, chiefly, predominantly, principally, primarily.
I mostly wear jeans
usually, generally, in general, as a rule, ordinarily, normally, customarily, typically, most of the time, almost always.
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mote

noun
speck, particle, grain, spot, fleck, atom, scintilla.

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moth-eaten

adjective
threadbare, worn (out), well worn, old, shabby, scruffy, tattered, ragged; informal tatty, the worse for wear; N. Amer. informal raggedy.

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mother

noun
I will ask my mother
female parent, materfamilias, matriarch; informal ma, mam, mammy, old lady, old woman; Brit. informal mum, mummy; N. Amer. informal mom, mommy; Brit. informal, dated mater.
the foal's mother
dam.
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the wish was mother of the deed
source, origin, genesis, fountainhead, inspiration, stimulus; poetic/literary wellspring.
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maternal, matri-. ANTONYMS :child, father.

verb
she mothered her husband
look after, care for, take care of, nurse, protect, tend, raise, rear; pamper, coddle, cosset, fuss over.
she mothered an illegitimate daughter
give birth to, have, bear, produce; N. Amer. birth; archaic be brought to bed of.
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ANTONYMS :neglect.

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motherly

adjective
maternal, maternalistic, protective, caring, loving, devoted, affectionate, fond, warm, tender, gentle, kind, kindly, understanding, compassionate.

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motif

noun
a colourful tulip motif
design, pattern, decoration, figure, shape, device, emblem, ornament.
a recurring motif in Pinter's work
theme, idea, concept, subject, topic, leitmotif, element.
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motion

noun
the rocking motion of the boat | a planet's motion around the sun
movement, moving, locomotion, rise and fall, shifting; progress, passage, passing, transit, course, travel, travelling.
a motion of the hand
gesture, movement, signal, sign, indication; wave, nod, gesticulation.
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the motion failed to obtain a majority
proposal, proposition, recommendation, suggestion.
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kinetic.
verb
he motioned her to sit down
gesture, signal, direct, indicate; wave, beckon, nod, gesticulate.
in motion
moving, on the move, going, travelling, running, functioning, operational. set in motion
start, commence, begin, activate, initiate, launch, get under way, get going, get off the ground; trigger off, set off, spark off, generate, cause.

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motionless

adjective
unmoving, still, stationary, stock-still, immobile, static, not moving a muscle, rooted to the spot, transfixed, paralysed, frozen. ANTONYMS :moving.

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motivate

verb
she was primarily motivated by the desire for profit
prompt, drive, move, inspire, stimulate, influence, activate, impel, push, propel, spur (on).
it's the teacher's job to motivate the child
inspire, stimulate, encourage, spur (on), excite, inspirit, incentivize, fire with enthusiasm.
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motivation

noun
his motivation was financial
motive, motivating force, incentive, stimulus, stimulation, inspiration, inducement, incitement, spur, reason.
staff motivation
enthusiasm, drive, ambition, initiative, determination, enterprise; informal get-up-and-go.
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motive

noun
the motive for the attack
reason, motivation, motivating force, rationale, grounds, cause, basis, object, purpose, intention; incentive, inducement, incitement, lure, inspiration, stimulus, stimulation, spur.
religious motives in art
motif, theme, idea, concept, subject, topic, leitmotif.
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adjective
motive power
kinetic, driving, impelling, propelling, propulsive, motor.

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motley

adjective
miscellaneous, disparate, diverse, assorted, varied, diversified, heterogeneous. ANTONYMS :homogeneous.

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mottled

adjective
blotchy, blotched, spotted, spotty, speckled, streaked, streaky, marbled, flecked, freckled, dappled, stippled, piebald, skewbald, brindled, brindle; N. Amer. pinto; informal splotchy.

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motto

noun
maxim, saying, proverb, aphorism, adage, saw, axiom, apophthegm, formula, expression, phrase, dictum, precept; slogan, catchphrase; truism, cliché, platitude.

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mould 1

noun
the molten metal is poured into a mould
cast, die, form, matrix, shape, template, pattern, frame.
an actress in the traditional Hollywood mould
pattern, form, shape, format, model, kind, type, style; archetype, prototype.
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he is a figure of heroic mould
character, nature, temperament, disposition; calibre, kind, sort, variety, stamp, type.
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verb
a figure moulded from clay
shape, form, fashion, model, work, construct, make, create, manufacture, sculpt, sculpture; forge, cast.
moulding US policy
determine, direct, control, guide, lead, influence, shape, form, fashion, make.
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mould 2

noun
walls stained with mould
mildew, fungus, must, mouldiness, mustiness.

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mould 3

noun
leaf mould
earth, soil, dirt, loam, humus.

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moulder

verb
decay, decompose, rot (away), go mouldy, go off, go bad, spoil, putrefy.

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mouldy

adjective
mildewed, mildewy, musty, mouldering, fusty; decaying, decayed, rotting, rotten, bad, spoiled, spoilt, decomposing.

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mound

noun
a mound of leaves
heap, pile, stack, mountain; mass, accumulation, assemblage.
high on the mound
hillock, hill, knoll, rise, hummock, hump, embankment, bank, ridge, elevation, acclivity; Scottish brae; Geology drumlin.
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a burial mound
barrow, tumulus; motte.
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verb
mound up the rice on a serving plate
pile (up), heap (up).

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mount

verb
he mounted the stairs
go up, ascend, climb (up), scale.
the committee mounted the platform
climb on to, jump on to, clamber on to, get on to.
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they mounted their horses
get astride, bestride, get on to, hop on to.
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the museum is mounting an exhibition
(put on) display, exhibit, present, install; organize, put on, stage.
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the company mounted a takeover bid
organize, stage, prepare, arrange, set up; launch, set in motion, initiate.
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their losses mounted rapidly
increase, grow, rise, escalate, soar, spiral, shoot up, rocket, climb, accumulate, build up, multiply.
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cameras were mounted above the door
install, place, fix, set, put up, put in position.
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ANTONYMS :descend.

noun
he hung on to his mount's bridle
horse; archaic steed.
a decorated photograph mount
setting, backing, support, mounting, frame, stand.
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mountain

noun
a range of mountains
peak, height, mount, prominence, summit, pinnacle, alp; (mountains) range, massif, sierra; Scottish ben, Munro.
a mountain of work
a great deal, a lot; profusion, abundance, quantity, backlog; informal heap, pile, stack, slew, lots, loads, heaps, piles, tons, masses; N. Amer. informal gobs.
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a butter mountain
surplus, surfeit, glut, oversupply.
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move mountains
faith can move mountains
perform miracles, work/do wonders.

his fans move mountains to attend his performances
make every effort, pull out all the stops, do one's utmost/best; informal bend/lean over backwards.
Top

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mountainous

adjective
a mountainous region
hilly, craggy, rocky, alpine; upland, highland.
mountainous waves
huge, enormous, gigantic, massive, giant, colossal, immense, tremendous, mighty; informal whopping, thumping, humongous; Brit. informal whacking, ginormous.
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ANTONYMS :flat, tiny.

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mountebank

noun
swindler, charlatan, confidence trickster, fraud, fraudster, impostor, trickster, hoaxer, quack; informal con man, flimflammer, sharp; N. Amer. informal grifter, bunco artist; Austral. informal magsman, illywhacker.

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mourn

verb
Isobel mourned her husband
grieve for, sorrow over, lament for, weep for, wail/keen over; archaic plain for.
he mourned the loss of the beautiful buildings
deplore, bewail, bemoan, rue, regret.
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mournful

adjective
sad, sorrowful, doleful, melancholy, melancholic, woeful, grief-stricken, miserable, unhappy, heartbroken, broken-hearted, gloomy, dismal, desolate, dejected, despondent, depressed, downcast, disconsolate, woebegone, forlorn, rueful, lugubrious, joyless, cheerless; poetic/literary dolorous. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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mourning

noun
a period of mourning
grief, grieving, sorrowing, lamentation, lament, keening, wailing, weeping; poetic/literary dole.
she was dressed in mourning
black (clothes), (widow's) weeds; archaic sables.
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moustache

noun
whiskers, mustachios, handlebar moustache, walrus moustache, burnsides; informal tash; N. Amer. informal stash.

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mousy

adjective
mousy hair
lightish brown, brownish, brownish-grey, dun-coloured; dull, lacklustre.
a small, mousy woman
timid, quiet, fearful, timorous, shy, self-effacing, diffident, unassertive, unforthcoming, withdrawn, introverted, introvert.
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mouth

noun
open your mouth
lips, jaws; maw, muzzle; informal trap, chops, kisser; Brit. informal gob, cakehole; N. Amer. informal puss, bazoo.
the mouth of the cave
entrance, opening, entry, way in, access, ingress.
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the mouth of the bottle
opening, rim, lip.
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the mouth of the river
outfall, outlet, debouchment; estuary, firth.
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(informal) he's all mouth
boasting, bragging, idle talk, bombast, braggadocio; informal hot air.
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(informal) you've got a lot of mouth
impudence, cheek, cheekiness, insolence, impertinence, effrontery, presumption, presumptuousness, rudeness, disrespect; informal lip, (brass) neck; Brit. informal sauce, backchat; N. Amer. informal sass, sassiness, back talk.
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verb
he mouthed platitudes
utter, speak, say; pronounce, enunciate, articulate, voice, express; say insincerely, say for form's sake.
down in the mouth (informal). See unhappy sens e 1. keep one's mouth shut (informal)
say nothing, keep quiet, not breathe a word, not tell a soul; informal keep mum, not let the cat out of the bag. mouth off (informal)
rant, spout, declaim, sound off.

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mouthful

noun
a mouthful of pizza
bite, nibble, taste, bit, piece; spoonful, forkful.
a mouthful of beer
draught, sip, swallow, drop, gulp, slug; informal swig.
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"sesquipedalian" is a bit of a mouthful
tongue-twister, long word, difficult word.
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mouthpiece

noun
the flute's mouthpiece
embouchure.
a mouthpiece for the government
spokesperson, spokesman, spokeswoman, agent, representative, propagandist, voice.
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movable

adjective
movable objects
portable, transportable, transferable; mobile.
movable feasts
variable, changeable, alterable.
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ANTONYMS :fixed.

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movables

plural noun
possessions, belongings, effects, property, goods, chattels, paraphernalia, impedimenta; informal gear. ANTONYMS :fixtures, fittings.

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move

verb
she moved to the door | don't move!
go, walk, proceed, progress, advance; budge, stir, shift, change position.
he moved the chair closer to the fire
carry, transport, transfer, shift.
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things were moving too fast
(make) progress, make headway, advance, develop.
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he urged the council to move quickly
take action, act, take steps, do something, take measures; informal get moving.
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she's moved to Cambridge
relocate, move house, move away/out, change address/house, leave, go away, decamp; Brit. informal up sticks; N. Amer. informal pull up stakes.
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I was deeply moved by the story
affect, touch, impress, shake, upset, disturb, make an impression on.
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she was moved to find out more about it
inspire, prompt, stimulate, motivate, provoke, influence, rouse, induce, incite.
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they are not prepared to move on this issue
change, budge, shift one's ground, change one's tune, change one's mind, have second thoughts; do a U-turn, do an about-face; Brit. do an about-turn.
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she moves in the art worlds
circulate, mix, socialize, keep company, associate; informal hang out/around; Brit. informal hang about.
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I move that we adjourn
propose, submit, suggest, advocate, recommend, urge.
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noun
his eyes followed her every move
movement, motion, action; gesture, gesticulation.
his recent move to London
relocation, change of house/address, transfer, posting.
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the latest move in the war against drugs
initiative, step, action, act, measure, manoeuvre, tactic, stratagem.
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it's your move
turn, go; opportunity, chance.
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get a move on (informal)
hurry up, speed up, move faster; informal get cracking, get moving, step on it, shake a leg; Brit. informal get one's skates on, stir one's stumps; N. Amer. informal get a wiggle on; dated make haste. make a move
waiting for the other side to make a move
do something, take action, act, take the initiative; informal get moving.

(Brit.) I'd better be making a move
leave, take one's leave, be on one's way , get going, depart, be off; informal push off, shove off, split.
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on the move
she's always on the move
travelling, in transit, moving, journeying, on the road; informal on the go.

the economy is on the move
progressing, making progress, advancing, developing.
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movement

noun
Rachel made a sudden movement | there was almost no movement
motion, move; gesture, gesticulation, sign, signal; action, activity.
the movement of supplies
transportation, shift, shifting, conveyance, moving, transfer.
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the labour movement
political group, party, faction, wing, lobby, camp.
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a movement to declare war on poverty
campaign, crusade, drive, push.
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there have been movements in the financial markets
development, change, fluctuation, variation.
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the movement towards equality
trend, tendency, drift, swing.
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some movement will be made by the end of the month
progress, progression, advance.
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a symphony in three movements
part, section, division.
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the clock's movement
mechanism, machinery, works, workings; informal innards, guts.
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movie

noun
a horror movie
film, (motion) picture, feature (film); informal flick; dated moving picture.
let's go to the movies
the cinema, the pictures, the silver screen; informal the flicks, the big screen.
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moving

adjective
moving parts | a moving train
in motion, operating, operational, working, going, on the move, active; movable, mobile.
a moving book
affecting, touching, poignant, heart-warming, heart-rending, emotional, disturbing; inspiring, inspirational, stimulating, stirring.
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the party's moving force
driving, motivating, dynamic, stimulating, inspirational.
Top
ANTONYMS :fixed, stationary.

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mow

verb
she had mown the grass
cut (down), trim; crop, clip.
mow someone/something down
kill, gun down, shoot down, cut down, cut to pieces, butcher, slaughter, massacre, annihilate, wipe out; informal blow away.

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much

determiner
did you get much help?
a lot of, a great/good deal of, a great/large amount of, plenty of, ample, copious, abundant, plentiful, considerable; informal lots of, loads of, heaps of, masses of, tons of. ANTONYMS :little.

adverb
it didn't hurt much
greatly, to a great extent/degree, a great deal, a lot, considerably, appreciably.
does he come here much?
often, frequently, many times, repeatedly, regularly, habitually, routinely, usually, normally, commonly; informal a lot.
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pronoun
he did so much for our team
a lot, a great/good deal, plenty; informal lots, loads, heaps, masses.
much of a muchness (informal)
very similar, much the same, very alike, practically identical.

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muck

noun
I'll just clean off the muck
dirt, grime, filth, mud, slime, mess; informal crud, gunk, grunge, gloop; Brit. informal gunge, grot; N. Amer. informal guck, glop.
spreading muck on the fields
dung, manure, ordure, excrement, excreta, droppings, faeces, sewage; N. Amer. informal cow chips, horse apples.
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muck something up (informal)
make a mess of, mess up, bungle, spoil, ruin, wreck; informal botch, make a hash of, muff, fluff, foul up, louse up; Brit. informal make a pig's ear of, make a Horlicks of; N. Amer. informal goof up. muck about/around (Brit. informal)
he was mucking about with his mates
fool about/around, play about/around, clown about/around, footle about/around; informal mess about/around, horse about/around, lark (about/around).

someone's been mucking about with the video
interfere, fiddle (about/around), play about/around, tamper, meddle, tinker; informal mess (about/around).
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mucky

adjective
dirty, filthy, grimy, muddy, grubby, messy, soiled, stained, smeared, slimy, sticky, bespattered; informal cruddy, grungy, gloopy; Brit. informal gungy, grotty; Austral./NZ informal scungy; poetic/literary besmirched, begrimed, befouled. ANTONYMS :clean.

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mud

noun
mire, sludge, ooze, silt, clay, dirt, soil.

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muddle

verb
the papers have got muddled up
confuse, mix up, jumble (up), disarrange, disorganize, disorder, disturb, mess up.
it would only muddle you
bewilder, confuse, bemuse, perplex, puzzle, baffle, nonplus, mystify.
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noun
the files are in a muddle
mess, confusion, jumble, tangle, hotchpotch, mishmash, chaos, disorder, disarray, disorganization; N. Amer. hodgepodge.
a bureaucratic muddle
bungle, mix-up, misunderstanding; informal foul-up; N. Amer. informal snafu.
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muddle along/through
cope, manage, get by/along, scrape by/along, make do.

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muddled

adjective
a muddled pile of photographs
jumbled, in a jumble, in a muddle, in a mess, chaotic, in disorder, in disarray, topsy-turvy, disorganized, disordered, disorderly, mixed up, at sixes and sevens; informal higgledy-piggledy.
she felt muddled
confused, bewildered, bemused, perplexed, disorientated, disoriented, in a muddle, befuddled; N. Amer. informal discombobulated.
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muddled thinking
incoherent, confused, muddle-headed, woolly.
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ANTONYMS :orderly, clear.

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muddy

adjective
muddy ground
waterlogged, boggy, marshy, swampy, squelchy, squishy, mucky, slimy, spongy, wet, soft, heavy; archaic quaggy.
muddy boots
mud-caked, muddied, dirty, filthy, mucky, grimy, soiled; poetic/literary begrimed.
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muddy water
murky, cloudy, muddied, turbid; N. Amer. riled, roily.
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a muddy pink
dingy, dirty, drab, dull, sludgy.
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ANTONYMS :clean, clear.

verb
don't muddy your boots
make muddy, dirty, soil, spatter, bespatter; poetic/literary besmirch, begrime.
these results muddy the situation
make unclear, obscure, confuse, obfuscate, blur, cloud, befog.
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ANTONYMS :clarify.

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muff

verb
mishandle, mismanage, mess up, make a mess of, bungle; informal botch, make a hash of, fluff, foul up, louse up; Brit. informal make a pig's ear of, make a Horlicks of; N. Amer. informal goof up.

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muffle

verb
everyone was muffled up in coats
wrap (up), swathe, enfold, envelop, cloak.
the sound of their footsteps was muffled
deaden, dull, dampen, damp down, mute, soften, quieten, tone down, mask, stifle, smother.
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muffled

adjective
indistinct, faint, muted, dull, soft, stifled, smothered. ANTONYMS :loud.

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mug 1

noun
a china mug
beaker, cup; tankard, glass, stein, flagon; dated seidel; archaic stoup.
(informal) her ugly mug.
See face noun sense 1.
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(Brit. informal) he's no mug.
See fool noun sense 1.
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verb
(informal) he was mugged by three youths
assault, attack, set upon, beat up, rob; informal jump, rough up, lay into; Brit. informal duff up, do over.

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mug 2

mug something up (informal) she's mugging up the Highway Code

study, read up, cram; informal bone up (on); Brit. informal swot; archaic con.

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muggy

adjective
humid, close, sultry, sticky, oppressive, airless, stifling, suffocating, stuffy, clammy, damp, heavy, fuggy. ANTONYMS :fresh.

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mulish

adjective
obstinate, stubborn, pig-headed, recalcitrant, intransigent, unyielding, inflexible, bull-headed, stiff-necked; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie.

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mull

mull something over
ponder, consider, think over/about, reflect on, contemplate, turn over in one's mind, chew over, cogitate on, give some thought to; archaic pore on.

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multicoloured

adjective
kaleidoscopic, psychedelic, colourful, multicolour, many-coloured, many-hued, rainbow, jazzy, varicoloured, variegated, harlequin, polychromatic. ANTONYMS :monochrome.

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multifarious

adjective
diverse, many, numerous, various, varied, diversified, multiple, multitudinous, multiplex, manifold, multifaceted, different, heterogeneous, miscellaneous, assorted; poetic/literary myriad, divers. ANTONYMS :homogeneous.

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multiple

adjective
numerous, many, various, different, diverse, several, manifold, multifarious, multitudinous; poetic/literary myriad, divers. ANTONYMS :single.

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multiplicity

noun
abundance, scores, mass, host, array, variety; range, diversity, heterogeneity, plurality, profusion; informal loads, stacks, heaps, masses, tons; poetic/literary myriad.

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multiply

verb
their difficulties seem to be multiplying
increase, grow, become more numerous, accumulate, proliferate, mount up, mushroom, snowball.
the rabbits have multiplied
breed, reproduce, procreate.
Top
ANTONYMS :decrease.

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multitude

noun
a multitude of birds
a lot, a great/large number, a great/large quantity, host, horde, mass, swarm, abundance, profusion; scores, quantities, droves; informal slew, lots, loads, masses, stacks, heaps, tons, dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions; N. Amer. informal gazillions.
Father Peter addressed the multitude
crowd, gathering, assembly, congregation, flock, throng, horde, mob; formal concourse.
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political power in the hands of the multitude
the (common) people, the populace, the masses, the rank and file, the commonality, the commonalty, the plebeians; the hoi polloi, the mob, the proletariat, the common herd, the rabble, the proles, the plebs.
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multitudinous

adjective
numerous, many, abundant, profuse, prolific, copious, multifarious, innumerable, countless, numberless, infinite; poetic/literary divers, myriad.

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mum 1

noun
(Brit. informal) my mum looks after me.
See mother noun sense 1.

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mum 2 (informal)

adjective
he was keeping mum
silent, quiet, mute, dumb, tight-lipped, unforthcoming, reticent; archaic mumchance.
mum's the word (informal)
say nothing, keep quiet, don't breathe a word, don't tell a soul, keep it secret, keep it to yourself, keep it under your hat; informal don't let on, keep shtum, don't let the cat out of the bag.

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mumble

verb
mutter, murmur, speak indistinctly, talk under one's breath.

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mumbo-jumbo

noun
nonsense, gibberish, claptrap, rubbish, balderdash, blather, hocus-pocus; informal gobbledegook, double Dutch, argle-bargle.

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munch

verb
chew, champ, chomp, masticate, crunch, eat; formal manducate.

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mundane

adjective
her mundane life
humdrum, dull, boring, tedious, monotonous, tiresome, wearisome, unexciting, uninteresting, uneventful, unvarying, unremarkable, repetitive, repetitious, routine, ordinary, everyday, day-to-day, run-of-the-mill, commonplace, workaday; informal (plain) vanilla.
the mundane world
earthly, worldly, terrestrial, material, temporal, secular; poetic/literary sublunary.
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ANTONYMS :extraordinary, spiritual.

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municipal

adjective
civic, civil, metropolitan, urban, city, town, borough. ANTONYMS :rural.

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municipality

noun
borough, town, city, district; N. Amer. precinct, township; Scottish burgh.

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munificence

noun
generosity, bountifulness, open-handedness, magnanimity, lavishness, liberality, philanthropy, charitableness, largesse, big-heartedness, beneficence; poetic/literary bounty, bounteousness.

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munificent

adjective
generous, bountiful, open-handed, magnanimous, philanthropic, princely, handsome, lavish, liberal, charitable, big-hearted, beneficent; poetic/literary bounteous. ANTONYMS :mean.

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murder

noun
a brutal murder
killing, homicide, assassination, liquidation, extermination, execution, slaughter, butchery, massacre; manslaughter; poetic/literary slaying.
(informal) driving there was murder
hell (on earth), a nightmare, an ordeal, a trial, misery, torture, agony.
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verb
someone tried to murder him
kill, put/do to death, assassinate, execute, liquidate, eliminate, dispatch, butcher, slaughter, massacre, wipe out; informal bump off, do in, do away with, knock off, blow away, blow someone's brains out, take out, dispose of; N. Amer. informal ice, rub out, smoke, waste; poetic/literary slay.
(informal) Anna was murdering a Mozart sonata.
See mangle sense 2.
Top
(informal) he murdered his opponent.
See trounce.
Top

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murderer murderess

noun
killer, assassin, serial killer, butcher, slaughterer; informal hit man, hired gun; dated homicide; poetic/literary slayer.

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murderous

adjective
a murderous attack
homicidal, brutal, violent, savage, ferocious, fierce, vicious, bloodthirsty, barbarous, barbaric; fatal, lethal, deadly, mortal, death-dealing; archaic sanguinary.
(informal) a murderous schedule
arduous, gruelling, strenuous, punishing, onerous, exhausting, taxing, difficult, rigorous; informal killing, hellish.
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murky

adjective
a murky winter afternoon
dark, gloomy, grey, leaden, dull, dim, overcast, cloudy, clouded, sunless, dismal, dreary, bleak; poetic/literary tenebrous.
murky water
dirty, muddy, cloudy, turbid; N. Amer. riled, roily.
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her murky past
questionable, suspicious, suspect, dubious, dark, mysterious, secret; informal shady.
Top
ANTONYMS :bright, clear.

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murmur

noun
his voice was a murmur
whisper, undertone, mutter, mumble.
there were murmurs in Tory ranks
complaint, grumble, grouse; informal gripe, moan.
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the murmur of bees
hum, humming, buzz, buzzing, thrum, thrumming, drone; sigh, rustle; poetic/literary susurration, murmuration.
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verb
he heard them murmuring in the hall
mutter, mumble, whisper, talk under one's breath, speak softly.
no one murmured at the delay
complain, mutter, grumble, grouse; informal gripe, moan.
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the wind was murmuring through the trees
rustle, sigh; burble, purl; poetic/literary whisper.
Top

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muscle

noun
he had muscle but no brains
strength, power, muscularity, brawn, burliness; informal beef, beefiness; poetic/literary thew.
financial muscle
influence, power, strength, might, force, forcefulness, weight; informal clout.
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muscle in (informal)
interfere with, force one's way into, impose oneself on, encroach on; informal horn in on.

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muscular

adjective
muscular tissue
fibrous, sinewy.
he's very muscular
strong, brawny, muscly, sinewy, powerfully built, well muscled, burly, strapping, sturdy, powerful, athletic; Physiology mesomorphic; informal hunky, beefy; poetic/literary thewy.
Top
a muscular economy
vigorous, robust, strong, powerful, dynamic, potent, active.
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muse 1

noun
the poet's muse
inspiration, creative influence, stimulus; formal afflatus.

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muse 2

verb
I mused on Toby's story
ponder, consider, think over/about, mull over, reflect on, contemplate, turn over in one's mind, chew over, give some thought to, cogitate on; think, be lost in contemplation/thought, daydream; archaic pore on.

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mush

noun
some sort of greyish mush
pap, pulp, slop, paste, purée, mash; informal gloop, goo, gook; N. Amer. informal glop.
romantic mush
sentimentality, mawkishness; informal schmaltz, corn, slush; N. Amer. informal slop.
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mushroom

noun
fungus, field mushroom, chanterelle, button mushroom, cep, champignon, shiitake, oyster mushroom.
verb
ecotourism mushroomed in the 1980s
proliferate, grow/develop rapidly, burgeon, spread, increase, expand, boom, explode, snowball, rocket, skyrocket; thrive, flourish, prosper. ANTONYMS :contract.

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mushy

adjective
cook until the fruit is mushy
soft, semi-liquid, pulpy, pappy, sloppy, spongy, squashy, squelchy, squishy; informal gooey, gloopy; Brit. informal squidgy.
(informal) a mushy film
sentimental, mawkish, emotional, saccharine; informal slushy, schmaltzy, weepy, corny; Brit. informal soppy; N. Amer. informal cornball, sappy, hokey, three-hankie.
Top
ANTONYMS :firm.

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musical

adjective
tuneful, melodic, melodious, harmonious, sweet-sounding, sweet, mellifluous, euphonious, euphonic; rare mellifluent. ANTONYMS :discordant.

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musician

noun
player, performer, instrumentalist, accompanist, soloist, virtuoso, maestro; historical minstrel.

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musing

noun
meditation, thinking, contemplation, deliberation, pondering, reflection, rumination, introspection, daydreaming, reverie, dreaming, preoccupation, brooding; formal cogitation.

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muss

verb
(N. Amer. informal) ruffle, tousle, dishevel, rumple, mess up, make a mess of, disarrange, make untidy.

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must 1

verb
I must go
ought to, should, have (got) to, need to, be obliged to, be required to, be compelled to.
noun
(informal) this video is a must
not to be missed, very good; necessity, essential, requirement, requisite.

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must 2

noun
a smell of must
mould, mustiness, mouldiness, mildew, fustiness.

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muster

verb
they mustered 50,000 troops
assemble, mobilize, rally, raise, summon, gather (together), mass, collect, convene, call up, call to arms, recruit, conscript; US draft; archaic levy.
reporters mustered outside her house
congregate, assemble, gather together, come together, collect together, convene, mass, rally; formal foregather.
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she mustered her courage
summon (up), screw up, call up, rally.
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noun
the colonel called a muster
roll-call, assembly, rally, meeting, gathering, assemblage, congregation, convention; parade, review.
pass muster
be good enough, come up to standard, come up to scratch, measure up, be acceptable/adequate, fill/fit the bill; informal make the grade, come/be up to snuff.

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musty

adjective
the room smelled musty
mouldy, stale, fusty, damp, dank, mildewy, smelly, stuffy, airless, unventilated; N. Amer. informal funky.
the play seemed musty
unoriginal, uninspired, unimaginative, hackneyed, stale, flat, tired, banal, trite, clichéd, old-fashioned, outdated; informal old hat.
Top
ANTONYMS :fresh.

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mutable

adjective
the mutable nature of fashion
changeable, variable, varying, fluctuating, shifting, inconsistent, unpredictable, inconstant, uneven, unstable, protean; poetic/literary fluctuant. ANTONYMS :invariable.

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mutant

noun
freak (of nature), deviant, monstrosity, monster, mutation.

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mutate

verb
change, metamorphose, evolve; transmute, transform, convert; humorous transmogrify.

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mutation

noun
alteration, change, variation, modification, transformation, metamorphosis, transmutation; humorous transmogrification.
a genetic mutation
mutant, freak (of nature), deviant, monstrosity, monster.
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mute

adjective
Yasmin remained mute
silent, speechless, dumb, unspeaking, tight-lipped, taciturn; informal mum; archaic mumchance.
a mute appeal
wordless, silent, dumb, unspoken, unvoiced, unexpressed.
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the church was mute
quiet, silent, hushed.
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he was deaf and mute
dumb, unable to speak; Medicine aphasic.
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ANTONYMS :voluble, spoken.

verb
the noise was muted by the heavy curtains
deaden, muffle, dampen, soften, quieten; stifle, smother, suppress.
Bruce muted his criticisms
restrain, soften, tone down, moderate, temper.
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ANTONYMS :intensify.

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muted

adjective
the muted hum of traffic
muffled, faint, indistinct, quiet, soft, low.
muted tones
subdued, pastel, delicate, subtle, understated, restrained.
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mutilate

verb
the bodies had been mutilated
mangle, maim, disfigure, butcher, dismember; cripple.
the carved screen had been mutilated
vandalize, damage, deface, ruin, destroy, wreck, violate, desecrate; N. Amer. informal trash.
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mutinous

adjective
rebellious, insubordinate, subversive, seditious, insurgent, insurrectionary, rebel, riotous.

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mutiny

noun
a mutiny over pay arrears
insurrection, rebellion, revolt, riot, uprising, insurgence, insubordination.
verb
thousands of soldiers mutinied
rise up, rebel, revolt, riot, disobey/defy authority, be insubordinate.

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mutt

noun
(informal) a long-haired mutt
mongrel, hound, dog, cur; Austral. informal mong, bitzer.
he pitied the poor mutt.
See fool noun sense 1.
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mutter

verb
a group of men stood muttering
talk under one's breath, murmur, mumble, whisper, speak in an undertone.
back-benchers muttered about the reshuffle
grumble, complain, grouse, carp, whine; informal moan, gripe, beef, whinge; Brit. informal chunter; N. Amer. informal kvetch.
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mutual

adjective
reciprocal, reciprocated, requited, returned; common, joint, shared.

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muzzle

noun
the dog's velvety muzzle
snout, nose, mouth, maw.
verb
attempts to muzzle the media
gag, silence, censor, stifle, restrain, check, curb, fetter.

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muzzy

adjective
she felt muzzy
groggy, light-headed, faint, dizzy, befuddled, befogged; informal dopey, woozy.
a slightly muzzy picture
blurred, blurry, fuzzy, unfocused, unclear, ill-defined, foggy, hazy.
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ANTONYMS :clear.

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myopic

adjective
a myopic patient
short-sighted, near-sighted.
the government's myopic attitude
unimaginative, uncreative, unadventurous, narrow-minded, small-minded, short-term.
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ANTONYMS :long-sighted, far-sighted.

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myriad (poetic/literary)

noun
myriads of insects
multitude, a large/great number, a large/great quantity, scores, quantities, mass, host, droves, horde; informal lots, loads, masses, stacks, tons, hundreds, thousands, millions; N. Amer. informal gazillions.
adjective
the myriad lights of the city
innumerable, countless, infinite, numberless, untold, unnumbered, immeasurable, multitudinous, numerous; poetic/literary divers.

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mysterious

adjective
he vanished in mysterious circumstances
puzzling, strange, peculiar, curious, funny, queer, odd, weird, bizarre, mystifying, inexplicable, baffling, perplexing, incomprehensible, unexplainable, unfathomable.
he was being very mysterious
enigmatic, inscrutable, secretive, reticent, evasive, furtive, surreptitious.
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ANTONYMS :straightforward.

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mystery

noun
his death remains a mystery
puzzle, enigma, conundrum, riddle, secret, (unsolved) problem.
her past is shrouded in mystery
secrecy, obscurity, uncertainty, mystique.
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a murder mystery
thriller, detective story/novel, murder story; informal whodunnit.
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mystic mystical

adjective
a mystic experience
spiritual, religious, transcendental, paranormal, other-worldly, supernatural, occult, metaphysical.
mystic rites
symbolic, symbolical, allegorical, representational, metaphorical.
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a figure of mystical significance
cryptic, concealed, hidden, abstruse, arcane, esoteric, inscrutable, inexplicable, unfathomable, mysterious, secret, enigmatic.
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mystify

verb
bewilder, puzzle, perplex, baffle, confuse, confound, bemuse, nonplus, throw; informal flummox, stump, bamboozle, faze, fox.

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mystique

noun
charisma, glamour, romance, mystery, magic, charm, appeal, allure.

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myth

noun
ancient Greek myths
(folk) tale, (folk) story, legend, fable, saga, mythos, mythus; lore, folklore.
the myths surrounding childbirth
misconception, fallacy, false notion, old wives' tale, fairy story/tale, fiction; informal (tall) story, cock and bull story.
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mythical

adjective
mythical beasts
legendary, mythological, fabled, fabulous, folkloric, fairy-tale, storybook; fantastical, imaginary, imagined, fictitious.
her mythical child
imaginary, fictitious, make-believe, fantasy, invented, made-up, non-existent; informal pretend.
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mythological

adjective
fabled, fabulous, folkloric, fairy-tale, legendary, mythical, mythic, traditional; fictitious, imaginary.

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mythology

noun
myth(s), legend(s), folklore, folk tales/stories, lore, tradition.

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N

nab

verb
(informal) catch, capture, apprehend, arrest, seize; informal nail, cop, pull in, pick up; Brit. informal nick.

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nabob

noun
very rich person, tycoon, magnate, millionaire, billionaire, multimillionaire; informal fat cat.

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nadir

noun
the lowest point/level, the all-time low, the bottom, rock-bottom; informal the pits. ANTONYMS :zenith.

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nag 1

verb
she's constantly nagging me
harass, keep on at, go on at, badger, give someone a hard time, chivvy, hound, harry, criticize, find fault with, moan at, grumble at; henpeck; informal hassle; N. Amer. informal ride; Austral. informal heavy.
this has been nagging me for weeks
trouble, worry, bother, plague, torment, niggle, prey on one's mind; annoy, irritate; informal bug, aggravate.
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noun
she's such a nag
shrew, nagger, harpy, termagant, harridan; archaic scold.

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nag 2

noun
she rode the old nag
worn-out horse, old horse, hack; N. Amer. informal plug, crowbait; Austral./NZ informal moke; archaic jade.

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nagging

adjective
his nagging wife
shrewish, complaining, grumbling, fault-finding, scolding, carping, criticizing.
a nagging pain
persistent, continuous, niggling, unrelenting, unremitting, unabating.
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naiad

noun
(water) nymph.

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nail

noun
fastened with nails
tack, spike, pin, rivet; hobnail.
biting her nails
fingernail, thumbnail, toenail.
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ungual.
verb
a board was nailed to the wall
fasten, attach, fix, affix, secure, tack, hammer, pin.
(informal) nailing suspects
catch, capture, apprehend, arrest, seize; informal collar, nab, cop, pull in, pick up; Brit. informal nick.
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the pictures had nailed the lie
expose, reveal, uncover, unmask, bring to light, detect, identify.
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hard as nails
callous, hard-hearted, heartless, unfeeling, unsympathetic, uncaring, insensitive, unsentimental, hardbitten, tough, lacking compassion. on the nail
immediately, at once, without delay, straight away, right away, promptly, directly, now, this minute; N. Amer. on the barrelhead.

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naive

adjective
innocent, unsophisticated, artless, ingenuous, inexperienced, guileless, unworldly, trusting; gullible, credulous, immature, callow, raw, green; informal wet behind the ears. ANTONYMS :worldly.

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naivety

noun
innocence, ingenuousness, guilelessness, unworldliness, trustfulness; gullibility, credulousness, credulity, immaturity, callowness.

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naked

adjective
a naked woman
nude, bare, in the nude, stark naked, having nothing on, stripped, unclothed, undressed, in a state of nature; informal without a stitch on, in one's birthday suit, in the raw/buff, in the altogether, in the nuddy, mother naked; Brit. informal starkers; N. Amer. informal buck naked.
a naked flame
unprotected, uncovered, exposed, unguarded.
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the naked branches of the trees
bare, barren, denuded, stripped, uncovered.
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I felt naked and exposed
vulnerable, helpless, weak, powerless, defenceless, exposed, open to attack.
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the naked truth | naked hostility
undisguised, plain, unadorned, unvarnished, unqualified, stark, bald; overt, obvious, open, patent, evident, apparent, manifest, unmistakable, blatant.
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ANTONYMS :clothed, covered.

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nakedness

noun
she covered her nakedness
nudity, state of undress, bareness.
the nakedness of the landscape
bareness, barrenness, starkness.
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namby-pamby

adjective
weak, feeble, spineless, effeminate, effete, limp-wristed, ineffectual; informal wet, weedy, wimpy, sissy.

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name

noun
her name's Gemma
designation, honorific, title, tag, epithet, label; informal moniker, handle; formal denomination, appellation.
the top names in the fashion industry
celebrity, star, superstar, VIP, leading light, big name, luminary; expert, authority; informal celeb, somebody, megastar, big noise, big shot, bigwig, big gun.
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the good name of the firm
reputation, character, repute, standing, stature, esteem, prestige, cachet, kudos; renown, popularity, notability, distinction.
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nominal, onomastic.
verb
they named the child Phoebe
call, give a name to, dub; label, style, term, title, entitle; baptize, christen; formal denominate.
the driver was named as Jason Penter
identify, specify.
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he has named his successor
choose, select, pick, decide on, nominate, designate.
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named

adjective
a girl named Anne
called, by the name of, baptized, christened, known as; dubbed, entitled, styled, termed, labelled.
named individuals
specified, designated, identified, cited, mentioned, singled out.
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nameless

adjective
a nameless photographer
unnamed, unidentified, anonymous, incognito, unspecified, unacknowledged, uncredited; unknown, unsung, uncelebrated.
nameless fears
unspeakable, unutterable, inexpressible, indescribable; indefinable, vague, unspecified, unspecifiable.
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namely

adverb
that is (to say), to be specific, specifically, viz, to wit.

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nanny

noun
the children's nanny
nursemaid, au pair, childminder, childcarer; governess; dated nurse.
verb
stop nannying me
mollycoddle, cosset, coddle, wrap in cotton wool, baby, feather-bed; spoil, pamper, indulge, overindulge.

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nap 1

verb
they were napping on the sofa
doze, sleep (lightly), take a nap, catnap, rest, take a siesta; informal snooze, snatch forty winks, get some shut-eye; Brit. informal have a kip, get some zizz; N. Amer. informal catch some Zs, catch a few Zs.
noun
she is taking a nap
(light) sleep, catnap, siesta, doze, lie-down, rest; informal snooze, forty winks, shut-eye; Brit. informal kip, zizz.
catch someone napping
catch off guard, catch unawares, (take by) surprise, catch out, find unprepared; informal catch someone with their trousers/pants down; Brit. informal catch on the hop.

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nap 2

noun
the nap of the velvet
pile, fibres, threads, weave, surface, grain.

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nappy

noun
N. Amer. diaper; Brit. dated napkin.

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narcissism

noun
vanity, self-love, self-admiration, self-absorption, self-obsession, conceit, self-centredness, self-regard, egotism, egoism. ANTONYMS :modesty.

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narcissistic

adjective
vain, self-loving, self-admiring, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, conceited, self-centred, self-regarding, egotistic, egotistical, egoistic.

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narcotic

noun
soporific (drug), opiate, sleeping pill; painkiller, pain reliever, analgesic, anodyne, palliative, anaesthetic; tranquillizer, sedative; informal downer; Medicine stupefacient.
adjective
soporific, sleep-inducing, opiate; painkilling, pain-relieving, analgesic, anodyne, anaesthetic, tranquillizing, sedative; Medicine stupefacient.

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narked

adjective
(Brit. informal). See annoyed.

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narrate

verb
tell, relate, recount, describe, chronicle, give a report of, report; voice-over.

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narration

noun
a narration of past events
account, narrative, chronicle, description, report, relation, chronicling.
his narration of the story
voice-over, commentary.
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narrative

noun
account, chronicle, history, description, record, report.

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narrator

noun
the narrator of "the Arabian Nights"
storyteller, teller of tales, relater, chronicler, romancer; raconteur, anecdotalist; Austral. informal magsman.
the film's narrator
voice-over, commentator.
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ANTONYMS :listener, audience.

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narrow

adjective
the path became narrower
small, tapered, tapering, narrowing; archaic strait.
her narrow waist
slender, slim, slight, spare, attenuated, thin.
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a narrow space
confined, cramped, tight, restricted, limited, constricted.
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a narrow range of products
limited, restricted, circumscribed, small, inadequate, insufficient, deficient.
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a narrow view of the world.
See narrow-minded.
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nationalism in the narrowest sense of the word
strict, literal, exact, precise.
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a narrow escape
by a very small margin, close, near, by a hair's breadth; informal by a whisker.
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ANTONYMS :wide, broad.

verb
the path narrowed | narrowing the gap between rich and poor
get/become/make narrower, get/become/make smaller, taper, diminish, decrease, reduce, contract, shrink, constrict; archaic straiten.

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narrowly

adverb
one bullet narrowly missed him
(only) just, barely, scarcely, hardly, by a hair's breadth; informal by a whisker.
she looked at me narrowly
closely, carefully, searchingly, attentively.
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narrow-minded

adjective
intolerant, illiberal, reactionary, conservative, parochial, provincial, insular, small-minded, petty, blinkered, inward-looking, narrow, hidebound, prejudiced, bigoted; Brit. parish-pump, blimpish; N. Amer. informal jerkwater. ANTONYMS :tolerant.

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narrows

plural noun
strait(s), sound, channel, waterway, (sea) passage.

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nascent

adjective
just beginning, budding, developing, growing, embryonic, incipient, young, fledgling, evolving, emergent, dawning, burgeoning.

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nastiness

noun
my mother tried to shut herself off from nastiness
unpleasantness, disagreeableness, offensiveness, vileness, foulness.
her uncharacteristic nastiness
unkindness, unpleasantness, unfriendliness, disagreeableness, rudeness, churlishness, spitefulness, maliciousness, meanness, ill temper, ill nature, viciousness, malevolence; informal bitchiness, cattiness.
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I abhor such nastiness
obscenity, indecency, offensiveness, crudity, vulgarity, pornography, smuttiness, lewdness, licentiousness.
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nasty

adjective
a nasty smell
unpleasant, disagreeable, disgusting, distasteful, awful, dreadful, horrible, terrible, vile, foul, abominable, frightful, loathsome, revolting, repulsive, odious, sickening, nauseating, repellent, repugnant, horrendous, appalling, atrocious, offensive, objectionable, obnoxious, unsavoury, unappetizing, off-putting; noxious, foul-smelling, smelly, stinking, rank, fetid, malodorous, mephitic; informal ghastly, horrid, gruesome, diabolical, yucky, skanky, God-awful, gross; Brit. informal beastly, grotty, whiffy, pongy, niffy; N. Amer. informal lousy, funky; Austral. informal on the nose; poetic/literary miasmal, noisome.
the weather turned nasty
unpleasant, disagreeable, foul, filthy, inclement; wet, stormy, cold, blustery.
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she can be really nasty
unkind, unpleasant, unfriendly, disagreeable, rude, churlish, spiteful, malicious, mean, ill-tempered, ill-natured, vicious, malevolent, obnoxious, hate ful, hurtful; informal bitchy, catty.
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a nasty accident | a nasty cut
serious, dangerous, bad, awful, dreadful, terrible, severe; painful, ugly.
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she had the nasty habit of appearing unannounced
annoying, irritating, infuriating, disagreeable, unpleasant, maddening, exasperating.
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they wrote nasty things on the wall
obscene, indecent, offensive, crude, rude, dirty, filthy, vulgar, foul, gross, disgusting, pornographic, smutty, lewd; informal sick.
Top
ANTONYMS :nice.

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nation

noun
country, (sovereign/nation) state, land, realm, kingdom, republic; fatherland, motherland; people, race.

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national

adjective
national politics
state, public, federal, governmental; civic, civil, domestic, internal.
a national strike
nationwide, countrywide, state, general, widespread.
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ANTONYMS :local, international.

noun
a French national
citizen, subject, native; voter.

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nationalism

noun
patriotism, patriotic sentiment, xenophobia, chauvinism, jingoism.

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nationalistic

adjective
patriotic, nationalist, xenophobic, chauvinistic, jingoistic.

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nationality

noun
British nationality
citizenship.
all the main nationalities of Ethiopia
ethnic group, ethnic minority, tribe, clan, race, nation.
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nationwide

adjective
national, countrywide, state, general, widespread, extensive. ANTONYMS :local.

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native

noun
a native of Sweden
inhabitant, resident, local; citizen, national; aborigine, autochthon; formal dweller. ANTONYMS :foreigner.

adjective
the native population
indigenous, original, first, earliest, aboriginal, autochthonous.
native produce | native plants
domestic, home-grown, home-made, local; indigenous.
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a native instinct for politics
innate, inherent, inborn, instinctive, intuitive, natural; hereditary, inherited, congenital, inbred, connate, connatural.
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her native tongue
mother, vernacular.
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ANTONYMS :immigrant.

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nativity

noun
birth, childbirth, delivery; formal parturition.

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natter (Brit.informal)

verb
they nattered away.
See chat verb.
noun
she rang up for a natter.
See chat noun.

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natty

adjective
(informal) smart, stylish, fashionable, dapper, debonair, dashing, spruce, well dressed, chic, elegant, trim; N. Amer. trig; informal snazzy, trendy, snappy, nifty; N. Amer. informal sassy, spiffy, fly, kicky. ANTONYMS :scruffy.

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natural

adjective
a natural occurrence
normal, ordinary, everyday, usual, regular, common, commonplace, typical, routine, standard, established, customary, accustomed, habitual.
natural produce
unprocessed, organic, pure, wholesome, unrefined, pesticide-free, additive-free.
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Alex is a natural leader
born, naturally gifted, untaught.
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his natural instincts
innate, inborn, inherent, native, instinctive, intuitive; hereditary, inherited, inbred, congenital, connate, connatural.
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she seemed very natural
unaffected, spontaneous, uninhibited, relaxed, unselfconscious, genuine, open, artless, guileless, ingenuous, unpretentious, without airs.
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it was quite natural to think she admired him
reasonable, logical, understandable, (only) to be expected, predictable.
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(archaic) his natural son
illegitimate, born out of wedlock; dated born on the wrong side of the blanket; archaic bastard, misbegotten, baseborn.
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ANTONYMS :abnormal, artificial, affected.

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naturalist

noun
natural historian, life scientist, wildlife expert; biologist, botanist, zoologist, ornithologist, entomologist, ecologist, conservationist, environmentalist.

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naturalistic

adjective
realistic, real-life, true-to-life, lifelike, graphic, representational, photographic. ANTONYMS :abstract.

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naturalize

verb
he was naturalized in 1950
grant citizenship to, make a citizen, give a passport to, enfranchise.
coriander has now been naturalized in southern Britain
establish, introduce, acclimatize, domesticate; N. Amer. acclimate.
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naturally

adverb
he's naturally shy
by nature, by character, inherently, innately, congenitally.
try to act naturally
normally, in a natural manner/way, unaffectedly, spontaneously, genuinely, unpretentiously; informal natural.
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naturally, they wanted everything kept quiet
of course, as might be expected, needless to say; obviously, clearly, it goes without saying.
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ANTONYMS :self-consciously.

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naturalness

noun
unselfconsciousness, spontaneity, spontaneousness, straightforwardness, genuineness, openness, ingenuousness, lack of sophistication, unpretentiousness.

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nature

noun
the beauty of nature
the natural world, Mother Nature, Mother Earth, the environment; the universe, the cosmos; wildlife, flora and fauna, the countryside.
such crimes are, by their very nature, difficult to hide
essence, inherent/basic/essential qualities, inherent/basic/essential features, character, complexion.
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it was not in Daisy's nature to be bitchy
character, personality, disposition, temperament, make-up, psyche, constitution.
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experiments of a similar nature
kind, sort, type, variety, category, ilk, class, species, genre, style, cast, order, kidney, mould, stamp; N. Amer. stripe.
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naturist

noun
nudist.

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naught

noun
(archaic) nothing (at all), nil, zero; N. English nowt; informal zilch, sweet Fanny Adams, sweet FA; Brit. informal damn all, not a sausage; N. Amer. informal zip, nada, diddly-squat; archaic nought.

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naughty

adjective
a naughty boy
badly behaved, disobedient, bad, misbehaved, misbehaving, wayward, defiant, unruly, insubordinate, wilful, delinquent, undisciplined, uncontrollable, ungovernable, unbiddable, disorderly, disruptive, fractious, recalcitrant, wild, wicked, obstreperous, difficult, troublesome, awkward, contrary, perverse, incorrigible; mischievous, playful, impish, roguish, rascally; informal brattish; formal refractory.
naughty jokes
indecent, risqué, rude, racy, ribald, bawdy, suggestive, improper, indelicate, indecorous; vulgar, dirty, filthy, smutty, crude, coarse, obscene, lewd, pornographic; informal raunchy; Brit. informal fruity, saucy; N. Amer. informal gamy; euphemistic adult.
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ANTONYMS :well behaved, decent.

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nausea

noun
symptoms include nausea and a headache
sickness, biliousness, queasiness; vomiting, retching, gagging; travel-sickness, seasickness, carsickness, airsickness.
it induces a feeling of nausea
disgust, revulsion, repugnance, repulsion, distaste, aversion, loathing, abhorrence.
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nauseate

verb
cause to feel sick, sicken, make sick, turn someone's stomach, make someone's gorge rise; N. Amer. informal gross out.

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nauseating

adjective
sickening, stomach-churning, nauseous, emetic, sickly; disgusting, revolting, offensive, loathsome, obnoxious, foul; N. Amer. vomitous; informal sick-making, gross, gut-churning.

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nauseous

adjective
the food made her feel nauseous
sick, nauseated, queasy, bilious, green about/at the gills, ill, unwell; seasick, carsick, airsick, travel-sick; N. Amer. informal barfy.
a nauseous stench.
See nauseating.
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nautical

adjective
maritime, marine, naval, seafaring; boating, sailing.

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navel

noun
informal belly button, tummy button; Anatomy umbilicus.
the navel of Byzantine culture
centre, central point, hub, focal point, focus, nucleus, heart, core; poetic/literary omphalos.
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umbilical, omphalo-.

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navigable

adjective
passable, negotiable, traversable; clear, open, unobstructed, unblocked.

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navigate

verb
he navigated the yacht across the Atlantic
steer, pilot, guide, direct, helm, captain; Nautical con; informal skipper.
the upper reaches are dangerous to navigate
sail (across/over), cross, traverse, negotiate.
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I'll drive you can navigate
map-read, give directions.
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navigation

noun
the navigation of the ship
steering, piloting, sailing, guiding, directing, guidance.
the skills of navigation
helmsmanship, steersmanship, seamanship, map-reading, chart-reading.
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navigator

noun
helmsman, steersman, pilot, guide; N. Amer. wheelman.

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navvy

noun
labourer, manual worker, workman, worker, hand, coolie, roustabout; Austral./NZ rouseabout; archaic mechanic.

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navy

noun
a 600-ship navy
fleet, flotilla, armada.
a navy suit
navy blue, dark blue, indigo.
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nay

adverb
or rather, (and) indeed, and even, in fact, actually, in truth.

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near

adverb
her children all live near
close (by), nearby, close/near at hand, in the neighbourhood, in the vicinity, at hand, within reach, on the doorstep, a stone's throw away; informal within spitting distance; archaic nigh.
near perfect conditions
almost, just about, nearly, practically, virtually; poetic/literary well-nigh.
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preposition
a hotel near the seafront
close to, close by, a short distance from, in the vicinity of, in the neighbourhood of, within reach of, a stone's throw away from; informal within spitting distance of.
adjective
the nearest house
close, nearby, close/near at hand, at hand, a stone's throw away, within reach, accessible, handy, convenient; informal within spitting distance.
the final judgement is near
imminent, in the offing, close/near at hand, at hand, (just) round the corner, impending, looming.
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a near relation
closely related, close, related.
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a near escape
narrow, close, by a hair's breadth; informal by a whisker.
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ANTONYMS :far, distant.

verb
by dawn we were nearing Mo scow
approach, draw near/nearer to, get close/closer to, advance towards, close in on.
the death toll is nearing 3,000
verge on, border on, approach.
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nearby

adjective
one of the nearby villages
not far away/off, close/near at hand, close (by), near, within reach, at hand, neighbouring; accessible, handy, convenient. ANTONYMS :faraway.

adverb
her mother lives nearby
close (by), close/near at hand, near, a short distance away, in the neighbourhood, in the vicinity, at hand, within reach, on the doorstep, (just) round the corner.

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nearly

adverb
almost, (just) about, more or less, practically, virtually, all but, as good as, not far off, to all intents and purposes; not quite; informal pretty much, pretty well; poetic/literary well-nigh.

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near miss

noun
close thing, near thing, narrow escape; informal close shave.

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nearness

noun
the town's nearness to Rome
closeness, proximity, propinquity; accessibility, handiness; archaic vicinity.
the nearness of death
imminence, closeness, immediacy.
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near-sighted

adjective
short-sighted, myopic.

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neat

adjective
the bedroom was neat and clean
tidy, orderly, well ordered, in (good) order, shipshape (and Bristol fashion), in apple-pie order, spick and span, uncluttered, straight, trim.
he's very neat
smart, spruce, dapper, trim, well groomed, well turned out; N. Amer. trig; informal natty.
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her neat script
well formed, regular, precise, elegant, well proportioned.
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this neat little gadget
compact, well designed, handy; Brit. informal dinky.
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his neat footwork
skilful, deft, dexterous, adroit, adept, expert; informal nifty.
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a neat solution
clever, ingenious, inventive.
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neat gin
undiluted, straight, unmixed; N. Amer. informal straight up.
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(N. Amer. informal) we had a really neat time.
See wonderful.
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ANTONYMS :untidy.

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neaten

verb
tidy (up), make neat/neater, straighten (up), smarten (up), spruce up, put in order; N. Amer. informal fix up.

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neatly

adverb
neatly arranged papers
tidily, methodically, systematically; smartly, sprucely.
the point was neatly put
cleverly, aptly, elegantly.
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a neatly executed header
skilfully, deftly, adroitly, adeptly, expertly.
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neatness

noun
the neatness of the cottage
tidiness, orderliness, trimness, spruceness; smartness.
the neatness of her movements
grace, gracefulness, nimbleness, deftness, dexterity, adroitness, agility.
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nebulous

adjective
the figure was nebulous
indistinct, indefinite, unclear, vague, hazy, cloudy, fuzzy, misty, blurred, blurry, foggy; faint, shadowy, obscure, formless, amorphous.
nebulous ideas
vague, ill-defined, unclear, hazy, uncertain, indefinite, indeterminate, imprecise, unformed, muddled, confused, ambiguous.
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ANTONYMS :clear.

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necessarily

adverb
as a consequence, as a result, automatically, as a matter of course, certainly, surely, definitely, incontrovertibly, undoubtedly, inevitably, unavoidably, inescapably, ineluctably, of necessity; formal perforce.

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necessary

adjective
planning permission is necessary
obligatory, requisite, required, compulsory, mandatory, imperative, needed, de rigueur; essential, indispensable, vital.
a necessary consequence
inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable, inexorable, ineluctable; predetermined, preordained.
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noun
(informal) could you lend me the necessary?
See money sense 1.

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necessitate

verb
make necessary, entail, involve, mean, require, demand, call for, be grounds for, warrant, constrain, force.

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necessitous

adjective
needy, poor, short of money, disadvantaged, underprivileged, in straitened circumstances, impoverished, poverty-stricken, penniless, impecunious, destitute, pauperized, indigent; Brit. on the breadline, without a penny to one's name; informal on one's uppers, hard up, without two pennies to rub together; Brit. informal in Queer Street; formal penurious. ANTONYMS :wealthy.

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necessity

noun
the VCR is now regarded as a necessity
essential, indispensable item, requisite, prerequisite, necessary, basic, sine qua non, desideratum.
political necessity forced him to resign
force of circumstance, obligation, need, call, exigency; force majeure.
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the necessity of growing old
inevitability, certainty, inescapability, inexorability, ineluctability.
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necessity made them steal
poverty, need, neediness, want, deprivation, privation, penury, destitution, indigence.
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of necessity
necessarily, inevitably, unavoidably, inescapably, ineluctably; as a matter of course, naturally, automatically, certainly, surely, definitely, incontrovertibly, undoubtedly; formal perforce.

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neck

noun
technical cervix; archaic, informal scrag. cervical, jugular.
verb
(informal) kiss, caress, pet; informal smooch, canoodle; Brit. informal snog; N. Amer. informal make out; informal, dated spoon.
neck and neck
level, equal, tied, side by side; Brit. level pegging; informal even-steven(s).

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necklace

noun
chain, choker, necklet; beads, pearls; pendant, locket; historical torc.

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necromancer

noun
sorcerer, sorceress, (black) magician, wizard, warlock, witch, enchantress, occultist, diviner; spiritualist, medium.

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necromancy

noun
sorcery, (black) magic, witchcraft, witchery, wizardry, the occult, occultism, voodoo, hoodoo; divination; spiritualism.

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necropolis

noun
cemetery, graveyard, churchyard, burial ground; informal boneyard; historical potter's field; archaic God's acre.

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née

adjective
Jill Wyatt, née Peters
born, formerly, previously; formal heretofore.

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need

verb
do you need money?
require, be in need of, have need of, want; be crying out for, be desperate for; demand, call for, necessitate, entail, involve; lack, be without, be short of.
you needn't come
have to, be obliged to, be compelled to.
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she needed him so much
yearn for, pine for, long for, desire, miss.
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noun
there's no need to apologize
necessity, obligation, requirement, call, demand.
basic human needs
requirement, essential, necessity, want, requisite, prerequisite, demand, desideratum.
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their need was particularly pressing
neediness, want, poverty, deprivation, privation, hardship, destitution, indigence.
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my hour of need
difficulty, trouble, distress; crisis, emergency, urgency, extremity.
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in need
needy, necessitous, deprived, disadvantaged, underprivileged, poor, impoverished, poverty-stricken, destitute, impecunious, indigent; Brit. on the breadline; formal penurious.

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needed

adjective
necessary, required, wanted, desired, lacking; essential, requisite, compulsory, obligatory, mandatory. ANTONYMS :optional.

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needful

adjective
(formal) necessary, needed, required, requisite; essential, imperative, vital, indispensable.

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needle

noun
a needle and thread
darner, bodkin.
the virus is transmitted via needles
hypodermic needle; informal hype, spike.
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the needle on the meter
indicator, pointer, marker, arrow, hand.
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put the needle on the record
stylus.
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verb
(informal) he needled her too much.
See annoy.

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needless

adjective
unnecessary, inessential, non-essential, unneeded, undesired, unwanted, uncalled for; gratuitous, pointless; dispensable, expendable, superfluous, redundant, excessive, supererogatory. ANTONYMS :necessary.

needless to say
of course, as one would expect, not unexpectedly, it goes without saying, obviously, naturally; informal natch.

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needlework

noun
sewing, stitching, embroidery, needlepoint, needlecraft, tapestry, crewel work.

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needy

adjective
poor, deprived, disadvantaged, underprivileged, necessitous, in need, needful, hard up, in straitened circumstances, poverty-stricken, indigent, impoverished, pauperized, destitute, impecunious, penniless, moneyless; Brit. on the breadline; informal on one's uppers, broke, strapped (for cash), without two pennies to rub together; Brit. informal skint, stony broke, in Queer Street; N. Amer. informal stone broke; formal penurious. ANTONYMS :wealthy.

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ne'er-do-well

noun
good-for-nothing, layabout, loafer, idler, shirker, sluggard, slugabed, drone; informal waster, lazybones; Brit. informal skiver; N. Amer. informal bum, gold brick; archaic wastrel.

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nefarious

adjective
wicked, evil, sinful, iniquitous, egregious, heinous, atrocious, vile, foul, abominable, odious, depraved, monstrous, fiendish, diabolical, unspeakable, despicable; villainous, criminal, corrupt, illegal, unlawful; dated dastardly. ANTONYMS :good.

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negate

verb
they negated the court's ruling
invalidate, nullify, neutralize, cancel; undo, reverse, annul, void, revoke, rescind, repeal, retract, countermand, overrule, overturn; Law avoid; formal abrogate.
he negates the political nature of education
deny, dispute, contradict, controvert, refute, rebut, reject, repudiate; formal gainsay.
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ANTONYMS :validate, confirm.

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negation

noun
negation of the findings
denial, contradiction, repudiation, refutation, rebuttal; nullification, cancellation, revocation, repeal, retraction; Law disaffirmation; formal abrogation.
evil is not just the negation of goodness
opposite, reverse, antithesis, contrary, inverse, converse; absence, want.
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negative

adjective
a negative reply
opposing, opposed, contrary, anti-, dissenting, dissentient; saying "no", in the negative.
stop being so negative
pessimistic, defeatist, gloomy, cynical, fatalistic, dismissive, antipathetic; unenthusiastic, uninterested, unresponsive.
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a negative effect on the economy
harmful, bad, adverse, damaging, detrimental, unfavourable, disadvantageous.
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ANTONYMS :positive, optimistic, favourable.

noun
he murmured a negative
"no", refusal, rejection, veto; dissension, contradiction; denial.
verb
the bill was negatived by the house
reject, turn down, refuse, veto, squash; informal give the thumbs down to.
his arguments were negatived
disprove, belie, invalidate, refute, rebut, discredit; contradict, deny, negate; formal gainsay.
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they tried to negative the effect of the tax
neutralize, cancel out, counteract, nullify, negate; offset, balance, counterbalance.
Top
ANTONYMS :ratify, prove.

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negativity

noun
pessimism, defeatism, gloom, cynicism, hopelessness, despair, despondency; apathy, indifference.

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neglect

verb
she neglected the children
fail to look after, leave alone, abandon; poetic/literary forsake.
he's neglecting his work
pay no attention to, let slide, not attend to, be remiss about, be lax about, leave undone, shirk.
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don't neglect our advice
disregard, ignore, pay no attention to, take no notice of, pay no heed to, overlook; disdain, scorn, spurn.
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I neglected to inform her
fail, omit, forget.
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ANTONYMS :cherish, heed, remember.

noun
the place had an air of neglect
disrepair, dilapidation, deterioration, shabbiness, disuse, abandonment.
her doctor was guilty of neglect
negligence, dereliction of duty, remissness, carelessness, heedlessness, unconcern, laxity, slackness, irresponsibility; formal delinquency.
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the relative neglect of women
disregard, ignoring, overlooking; inattention to, indifference to, heedlessness to.
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ANTONYMS :care, attention.

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neglected

adjective
neglected animals
uncared for, abandoned; mistreated, maltreated; poetic/literary forsaken.
a neglected cottage
derelict, dilapidated, tumbledown, ramshackle, untended.
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a neglected masterpiece of prose
disregarded, forgotten, overlooked, ignored, unrecognized, unnoticed, unsung, underestimated, undervalued, unappreciated.
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neglectful

adjective
. See negligent.

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negligent

adjective
neglectful, remiss, careless, lax, irresponsible, inattentive, heedless, thoughtless, unmindful, forgetful; slack, sloppy; N. Amer. derelict; formal delinquent. ANTONYMS :dutiful.

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negligible

adjective
trivial, trifling, insignificant, unimportant, minor, inconsequential; minimal, small, slight, inappreciable, infinitesimal, nugatory, petty; paltry, inadequate, insufficient, meagre, pitiful; informal minuscule, piddling, measly, poxy; formal exiguous. ANTONYMS :significant.

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negotiable

adjective
the salary will be negotiable
open to discussion, discussable, flexible, open to modification; unsettled, undecided.
the path was negotiable
passable, navigable, crossable, traversable; clear, unblocked, unobstructed.
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negotiable cheques
transferable; valid.
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negotiate

verb
she refused to negotiate
discuss terms, talk, consult, parley, confer, debate; compromise; mediate, intercede, arbitrate, moderate, conciliate; bargain, haggle.
he negotiated a new contract
arrange, broker, work out, thrash out, agree on; settle, clinch, conclude, pull off, bring off, transact; informal sort out, swing.
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I negotiated the obstacles
get round, get past, get over, clear, cross; surmount, overcome, deal with, cope with.
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negotiation

noun
the negotiations resume next week
discussion(s), talks, deliberations; conference, debate, dialogue, consultation; mediation, arbitration, conciliation.
the negotiation of the deal
arrangement, brokering; settlement, conclusion, completion, transaction.
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negotiator

noun
mediator, arbitrator, arbiter, moderator, go-between, middleman, intermediary, intercessor, intervener, conciliator; representative, spokesperson, broker, bargainer.

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neigh

verb
whinny, bray, nicker, snicker, whicker.

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neighbourhood

noun
a quiet neighbourhood
district, area, locality, locale, quarter, community; part, region, zone; informal neck of the woods; Brit. informal manor; N. Amer. informal hood, nabe.
in the neighbourhood of Canterbury
vicinity, environs, purlieus, precincts, vicinage.
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in the neighbourhood of
approximately, about, around, roughly, in the region of, of the order of, nearly, almost, close to, just about, practically, there or thereabouts, circa; Brit. getting on for.

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neighbouring

adjective
adjacent, adjoining, bordering, connecting, abutting; proximate, near, close (at hand), next-door, nearby, in the vicinity, vicinal. ANTONYMS :remote.

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neighbourly

adjective
obliging, helpful, friendly, kind, amiable, amicable, affable, genial, agreeable, hospitable, companionable, well disposed, civil, cordial, good-natured, nice, pleasant, generous; considerate, thoughtful, unselfish; Brit. informal decent. ANTONYMS :unfriendly.

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nemesis

noun
this could be the bank's nemesis
downfall, undoing, ruin, ruination, destruction, Waterloo.
the nemesis that his crime deserved
retribution, vengeance, punishment, just deserts; fate, destiny.
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neologism

noun
new word, new expression, new term, new phrase, coinage; made-up word, nonce-word.

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neophyte

noun
a neophyte of the monastery
novice, novitiate; postulant, catechumen.
cooking classes are offered to neophytes
beginner, learner, novice, newcomer; initiate, tyro, fledgling; trainee, apprentice, probationer; N. Amer. tenderfoot; informal rookie, newbie, newie; N. Amer. informal greenhorn.
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ne plus ultra

noun
the last word, the ultimate, the perfect example, the height, the acme, the zenith, the epitome, the quintessence; archaic the nonsuch.

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nepotism

noun
favouritism, preferential treatment, the old boy network, looking after one's own, bias, partiality, partisanship; Brit. jobs for the boys, the old school tie. ANTONYMS :impartiality.

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nerd

noun
(informal) bore; informal dork, dweeb, geek; Brit. informal anorak, spod; N. Amer. informal Poindexter.

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nerve

noun
the nerves that transmit pain
nerve fibre, neuron, axon; Physiology dendrite.
the match will be a test of nerve
confidence, assurance, cool-headedness, self-possession; courage, bravery, pluck, boldness, intrepidity, fearlessness, daring; determination, will power, spirit, backbone, fortitude, mettle, grit, stout-heartedness; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie.
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he had the nerve to chat her up
audacity, cheek, effrontery, gall, temerity, presumption, boldness, brazenness, impudence, impertinence, arrogance, cockiness; informal face, front, brass neck, chutzpah; Brit. informal sauce.
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pre-wedding nerves
anxiety, tension, nervousness, stress, worry, cold feet, apprehension; informal butterflies (in one's stomach), collywobbles, the jitters, the shakes; Brit. informal the (screaming) abdabs.
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neural, neuro-.
get on someone's nerves
irritate, annoy, irk, anger, bother, vex, provoke, displease, exasperate, infuriate, gall, pique, needle, ruffle someone's feathers, try someone's patience; jar on, grate on, rankle; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal aggravate, get to, bug, miff, peeve, rile, nettle, get up someone's nose, hack off, get someone's goat; Brit. informal nark, get on someone's wick, wind up. nerve oneself
brace oneself, steel oneself, summon one's courage, gear oneself up, prepare oneself; fortify oneself; informal psych oneself up; poetic/literary gird one's loins.

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nerveless

adjective
her nerveless fingers
inert, lifeless; weak, powerless, feeble.
a nerveless lack of restraint
confident, self-confident, self-assured, self-possessed, cool, calm, (cool, calm, and collected), composed, relaxed.
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ANTONYMS :nervous.

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nerve-racking

adjective
stressful, anxious, worrying, fraught, nail-biting, tense, difficult, trying, worrisome, daunting, frightening; informal scary, hairy.

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nervous

adjective
a nervous woman
highly strung, anxious, edgy, tense, excitable, jumpy, skittish, brittle, neurotic; timid, mousy, shy, fearful; Brit. nervy.
he was so nervous he couldn't eat
anxious, worried, apprehensive, on edge, edgy, tense, stressed, agitated, uneasy, restless, worked up, keyed up, overwrought, jumpy; fearful, frightened, scared, shaky, in a cold sweat; informal with butterflies in one's stomach, jittery, twitchy, in a state, uptight, wired, in a flap, het up; Brit. informal strung up, having kittens; N. Amer. informal spooky, squirrelly.
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a nervous disorder
neurological, neural.
Top
ANTONYMS :relaxed, calm.

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nervous breakdown

noun
(mental) collapse, breakdown, crisis, trauma; nervous exhaustion, mental illness; informal crack-up.

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nervousness

noun
anxiety, edginess, tension, agitation, stress, worry, apprehension, uneasiness, disquiet, fear, trepidation, perturbation, alarm; Brit. nerviness; informal butterflies (in one's stomach), collywobbles, the jitters, the willies, the heebie-jeebies, the shakes; Brit. informal the (screaming) abdabs.

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nervy

adjective
. See nervous senses 1, 2.

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nest

noun
the birds built a nest
roost, eyrie.
the animals disperse rapidly from the nest
lair, den, burrow, set.
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a cosy love nest
hideaway, hideout, retreat, shelter, refuge, snuggery, den; informal hidey-hole.
Top
a nest of intrigue
hotbed, den, breeding ground, cradle.
Top

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nest egg

noun
(life) savings, cache, funds, reserve.

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nestle

verb
snuggle, cuddle, huddle, nuzzle, settle, burrow, snug down.

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nestling

noun
chick, fledgling, baby bird.

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net 1

noun
fishermen mending their nets
fishing net, dragnet, drift net, trawl net, landing net, gill net, cast net.
a dress of green net
netting, meshwork, webbing, tulle, fishnet, openwork, lace, latticework.
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he managed to escape the net
trap, snare.
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verb
they netted big criminals
catch, capture, trap, entrap, snare, ensnare, bag, hook, land; informal nab, collar.

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net 2

adjective
net earnings
after tax, after deductions, take-home, final; informal bottom line.
the net result
final, end, ultimate, closing; overall, actual, effective.
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ANTONYMS :gross.

verb
she netted £50,000
earn, make, get, gain, obtain, acquire, accumulate, take home, bring in, pocket, realize, be paid; informal rake in.

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nether

adjective
lower, low, bottom, bottommost, under, basal; underground. ANTONYMS :upper.

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netherworld

noun
hell, the underworld, the infernal regions, the abyss; eternal damnation, perdition; Hades, Acheron, Gehenna, Tophet, Sheol; poetic/literary the pit. ANTONYMS :heaven.

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nettle

verb
irritate, annoy, irk, gall, vex, anger, exasperate, infuriate, provoke; upset, displease, offend, affront, pique, get on someone's nerves, try someone's patience, ruffle someone's feathers; Brit. rub up the wrong way; N. Amer. rankle; informal peeve, aggravate, miff, rile, needle, get to, bug, get up someone's nose, hack off, get someone's goat; Brit. informal nark, get on someone's wick, wind up; N. Amer. informal tick off.

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network

noun
a network of arteries
web, lattice, net, matrix, mesh, criss-cross, grid, reticulum, reticulation; Anatomy plexus.
a network of lanes
maze, labyrinth, warren, tangle.
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a network of friends
system, complex, nexus, web.
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neurosis

noun
mental illness, mental disorder, psychological disorder; psychoneurosis, psychopathy; obsession, phobia, fixation; Medicine neuroticism.

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neurotic

adjective
(Medicine) neurotic patients
mentally ill, mentally disturbed, unstable, unbalanced, maladjusted; psychopathic, phobic, obsessive compulsive.
a neurotic, self-obsessed woman
over-anxious, oversensitive, nervous, tense, highly strung, paranoid; obsessive, fixated, hysterical, overwrought, irrational; Brit. nervy; informal twitchy.
Top
ANTONYMS :stable, calm.

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neuter

adjective
asexual, sexless, unsexed; androgynous, epicene.
verb
have your pets neutered
sterilize, castrate, spay, geld, cut, fix, desex; N. Amer. & Austral. alter; Brit. informal doctor; archaic emasculate.

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neutral

adjective
she's neutral on this issue
impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced, objective, open-minded, non-partisan, disinterested, dispassionate, detached, impersonal, unemotional, indifferent, uncommitted.
Switzerland remained neutral
unaligned, non-aligned, unaffiliated, unallied, uninvolved; non-combatant.
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a neutral topic of conversation
inoffensive, bland, unobjectionable, unexceptionable, anodyne, unremarkable, ordinary, commonplace; safe, harmless, innocuous.
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a neutral background
pale, light; beige, cream, taupe, oatmeal, ecru, buff, fawn, grey; colourless, uncoloured, achromatic; indeterminate, insipid, nondescript, dull, drab.
Top
ANTONYMS :biased, partisan, provocative, colourful.

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neutralize

verb
counteract, offset, counterbalance, balance, counterpoise, countervail, compensate for, make up for; cancel out, nullify, negate, negative; equalize.

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never

adverb
his room is never tidy
not ever, at no time, not at any time, not once; poetic/literary ne'er.
she will never agree to it
not at all, certainly not, not for a moment, under no circumstances, on no account; informal no way, not on your life, not in a million years; Brit. informal not on your nelly.
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ANTONYMS :always, definitely.

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never-ending

adjective
never-ending noise
incessant, continuous, unceasing, ceaseless, constant, continual, perpetual, uninterrupted, unbroken, steady, unremitting, relentless, persistent, interminable, non-stop, endless, unending, everlasting, eternal.
never-ending tasks
endless, countless, innumerable, untold, unlimited, limitless, boundless; poetic/literary myriad.
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never-never

the never-never (Brit. informal). See hire purchase.

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nevertheless

adverb
nonetheless, even so, however, but, still, yet, though; in spite of that, despite that, be that as it may, for all that, that said, just the same, all the same; notwithstanding, regardless, anyway, anyhow; informal still and all.

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new

adjective
new technology
recently developed, up to date, latest, current, state-of-the-art, contemporary, advanced, recent, modern.
new ideas
novel, original, fresh, imaginative, creative, experimental; contemporary, modernist, up to date; newfangled, ultra-modern, avant-garde, futuristic; informal way out, far out.
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is your boat new?
unused, brand new, pristine, fresh, in mint condition.
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new neighbours moved in
different, another, alternative; unfamiliar, unknown, strange; unaccustomed, untried.
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they had a new classroom built
additional, extra, supplementary, further, another, fresh.
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I came back a new woman
reinvigorated, restored, revived, improved, refreshed, regenerated, reborn.
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neo-. ANTONYMS :old, hackneyed, second-hand, present.

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newborn

adjective
newborn babies
just born, recently born.
noun
the bacteria are fatal to newborns
young baby, tiny baby, infant; Medicine neonate.

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newcomer

noun
a newcomer to the village
(new) arrival, immigrant, incomer, settler; stranger, outsider, foreigner, alien; N. English offcomer; informal johnny-come-lately, new kid on the block; Austral. informal blow-in.
photography tips for the newcomer
beginner, novice, learner; trainee, apprentice, probationer, tyro, initiate, neophyte; N. Amer. tenderfoot; informal rookie, newbie; N. Amer. informal greenhorn.
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newfangled

adjective
new, the latest, modern, ultra-modern, up to the minute, state-of-the-art, advanced, contemporary; new-fashioned; informal trendy, flash. ANTONYMS :dated.

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newly

adverb
recently, (only) just, lately, freshly; not long ago, a short time ago, only now, of late; new-.

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news

noun
report, announcement, story, account; article, news flash, newscast, headlines, press release, communication, communiqué, bulletin; message, dispatch, statement, intelligence; disclosure, revelation, word, talk, gossip; informal scoop; poetic/literary tidings.

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newspaper

noun
paper, journal, gazette, news-sheet; tabloid, broadsheet, quality (paper), national (paper), local (paper), daily (paper), weekly (paper); free sheet, scandal sheet; informal rag; N. Amer. informal tab.

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newsworthy

adjective
interesting, topical, notable, noteworthy, important, significant, momentous, historic, remarkable, sensational. ANTONYMS :unremarkable.

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next

adjective
the next chapter
following, succeeding, upcoming, to come.
the next house in the street
neighbouring, adjacent, adjoining, next-door, bordering, connected, attached; closest, nearest.
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ANTONYMS :previous.

adverb
where shall we go next?
then, after, afterwards, after this/that, following that/this, later, subsequently; formal thereafter, thereupon. ANTONYMS :before.

next to
beside, by, alongside, by the side of, next door to, adjacent to, side by side with; close to, near, neighbouring, adjoining.

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nibble

verb
they nibbled at mangoes
take small bites (from), pick, gnaw, peck, snack on; toy with; taste, sample; informal graze (on).
the mouse nibbled his finger
peck, nip, bite.
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noun
the fish enjoyed a nibble on the lettuce
bite, gnaw, chew; taste.
nuts and nibbles
morsel, mouthful, bite; snack, titbit, canapé, hors d'oeuvre, bonne bouche.
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nice

adjective
have a nice time
enjoyable, pleasant, agreeable, good, satisfying, gratifying, delightful, marvellous; entertaining, amusing, diverting; informal lovely, great; N. Amer. informal neat.
nice people
pleasant, likeable, agreeable, personable, congenial, amiable, affable, genial, friendly, charming, delightful, engaging; sympathetic, compassionate, good.
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nice manners
polite, courteous, civil, refined, polished, genteel, elegant.
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that's a rather nice distinction
subtle, fine, delicate, minute, precise, strict, close; careful, meticulous, scrupulous.
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it's a nice day
fine, pleasant, agreeable; dry, sunny, warm, mild.
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ANTONYMS :unpleasant, nasty, rough.

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nicety

noun
legal niceties
subtlety, fine point, nuance, refinement, detail.
great nicety of control
precision, accuracy, exactness, meticulousness.
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niche

noun
a niche in the wall
recess, alcove, nook, cranny, hollow, bay, cavity, cubbyhole, pigeonhole.
he found his niche in life
ideal position, place, function, vocation, calling, métier, job.
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nick

noun
a slight nick in the blade
cut, scratch, incision, snick, notch, chip, gouge, gash; dent, indentation.
(Brit. informal) she's in the nick.
See prison.
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(Brit. informal) he's under arrest at the nick
police station, station; N. Amer. precinct, station house; informal cop shop.
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(Brit. informal) the car's in good nick
condition, repair, shape, state, order, form, fettle, trim.
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verb
I nicked my toe
cut, scratch, incise, snick, gouge, gash, score.
(Brit. informal) she nicked his wallet.
See steal verb sense 1.
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(Brit. informal) Steve's been nicked.
See arrest verb sense 1.
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in the nick of time
just in time, not a moment too soon, at the critical moment; N. Amer. informal under the wire.

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nickname

noun
sobriquet, byname, tag, label, epithet, cognomen; pet name, diminutive, endearment; informal moniker; formal appellation.

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nifty

adjective
(informal) nifty camerawork
skilful, deft, agile, capable.
a nifty little gadget
useful, handy, practical.
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a nifty suit
fashionable, stylish, smart.
Top
ANTONYMS :clumsy.

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niggardly

adjective
a niggardly person
mean, miserly, parsimonious, close-fisted, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, grasping, ungenerous, illiberal; informal stingy, tight, tight-fisted; N. Amer. informal cheap.
niggardly rations
meagre, inadequate, scanty, scant, skimpy, paltry, sparse, insufficient, deficient, short, lean, small, slender, poor, miserable, pitiful, puny; informal measly, stingy, pathetic, piddling.
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ANTONYMS :generous.

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niggle

verb
his behaviour does niggle me
irritate, annoy, bother, provoke, exasperate, upset, gall, irk, rankle with; informal rile, get to, bug.
he niggles on about taxes
complain, fuss, carp, cavil, grumble, grouse; informal moan, nit-pick.
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noun
niggles about the lack of equipment
quibble, trivial complaint, criticism, grumble, grouse, cavil; informal gripe, moan, beef, grouch.

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night

noun
night-time; (hours of) darkness, dark. nocturnal. ANTONYMS :day.

night and day
all the time, around the clock, (morning, noon, and night), (day in, day out), ceaselessly, endlessly, incessantly, unceasingly, interminably, constantly, perpetually, continually, relentlessly; informal 24-7.

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nightclub

noun
disco, discotheque, night spot, club, bar; N. Amer. cafe; informal niterie.

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nightfall

noun
sunset, sundown, dusk, twilight, evening, close of day, dark; poetic/literary eventide. ANTONYMS :dawn.

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nightly

adjective
nightly raids
every night, each night, night after night.
his nightly wanderings
nocturnal, night-time.
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adverb
a band plays there nightly
every night, each night, night after night.

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nightmare

noun
she woke from a nightmare
bad dream, night terrors; archaic incubus.
the journey was a nightmare
ordeal, trial, torment, horror, hell, misery, agony, torture, murder; curse, bane.
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nightmarish

adjective
unearthly, spine-chilling, hair-raising, horrific, macabre, hideous, unspeakable, gruesome, grisly, ghastly, harrowing, disturbing; informal scary, creepy.

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nihilism

noun
scepticism, disbelief, unbelief, agnosticism, atheism; negativity, cynicism, pessimism; rejection, denial.

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nihilist

noun
sceptic, disbeliever, unbeliever, agnostic, atheist; negativist, cynic, pessimist.

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nil

noun
nothing, none; nought, zero, 0; Tennis love; Cricket a duck; N. English nowt; informal zilch, nix, not a dicky bird; Brit. informal sweet Fanny Adams, sweet FA, not a sausage; N. Amer. informal zip, nada, a goose egg; dated cipher; archaic naught.

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nimble

adjective
he was nimble on his feet
agile, sprightly, light, spry, lively, quick, graceful, lithe, limber; skilful, deft, dextrous, adroit; informal nippy, twinkle-toed; poetic/literary lightsome.
a nimble mind
quick-witted, quick, alert, lively, wide awake, observant, astute, perceptive, penetrating, discerning, shrewd, sharp; intelligent, bright, smart, clever, brilliant; informal brainy, quick on the uptake.
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ANTONYMS :clumsy, dull.

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nincompoop

noun
(informal). See idiot.

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nine

cardinal number
nonet. nona-.

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nip

verb
the child nipped her
bite, nibble, peck; pinch, tweak, squeeze, grip.
(Brit. informal) I'm just nipping out
rush, dash, dart, hurry, scurry, scamper; go; informal pop, whip.
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noun
penguins can give a serious nip
bite, peck, nibble; pinch, tweak.
nip something in the bud
cut short, curtail, check, curb, thwart, frustrate, stop, halt, arrest, stifle, obstruct, block, squash, quash, subdue, crack down on, stamp out; informal put the kibosh on. nip something off
cut, snip, trim, clip, prune, lop, dock, crop; remove, take off.

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nipple

noun
teat, dug; Anatomy mamilla.

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nippy

adjective
(informal) he's too big to be nippy
agile, light-footed, nimble, light on one's feet, spry, supple, limber; informal twinkle-toed; poetic/literary lightsome.
a nippy hatchback
fast, quick, lively; informal zippy.
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it's a bit nippy in here
cold, chilly, icy, bitter, raw.
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ANTONYMS :lumbering, slow, warm.

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nirvana

noun
paradise, heaven; bliss, ecstasy, joy, peace, serenity, tranquillity; enlightenment. ANTONYMS :hell.

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nit-picking

adjective
(informal). See pedantic.

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nitty-gritty

noun
(informal) basics, essentials, fundamentals, substance, quintessence, heart of the matter; nub, crux, gist, meat, kernel, marrow; informal brass tacks, nuts and bolts.

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nitwit

noun
(informal). See idiot.

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no

adverb
absolutely not, most certainly not, of course not, under no circumstances, by no means, not at all, negative, never, not really; informal nope, nah, not on your life, no way; Brit. informal no fear, not on your nelly; archaic nay. ANTONYMS :yes.

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nobble

verb
(Brit. informal) he nobbled the jury
bribe, suborn, buy, pay off, corrupt, get at; influence, persuade, win over, sway, control, manipulate; informal grease someone's palm, oil someone's palm.
a stable lad nobbled the horse
drug, dope; tamper with, interfere with; disable, incapacitate.
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I stopped him nobbling her money
steal, thieve, embezzle; informal rob.
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people tried to nobble her at parties
accost, waylay, detain, catch, confront, importune; informal buttonhole.
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nobility

noun
a member of the nobility
aristocracy, aristocrats, peerage, peers (of the realm), lords, nobles, noblemen, noblewomen, patricians; informal aristos; Brit. informal nobs.
the nobility of his deed
virtue, goodness, honour, decency, integrity; magnanimity, generosity, selflessness.
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noble

adjective
a noble family
aristocratic, patrician, blue-blooded, high-born, titled; archaic gentle.
a noble cause
righteous, virtuous, good, honourable, upright, decent, worthy, moral, ethical, reputable; magnanimous, unselfish, generous.
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a noble pine forest
magnificent, splendid, grand, stately, imposing, dignified, proud, striking, impressive, majestic, glorious, awesome, monumental, statuesque, regal, imperial.
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ANTONYMS :humble, dishonourable, base.

noun
Scottish nobles
aristocrat, nobleman, noblewoman, lord, lady, peer (of the realm), peeress, patrician; informal aristo; Brit. informal nob.

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nod

verb
she nodded her head
incline, bob, bow, dip, wag.
he nodded to me to start
signal, gesture, gesticulate, motion, sign, indicate.
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noun
she gave a nod to the manager
signal, indication, sign, cue; gesture.
a quick nod of his head
inclination, bob, bow, dip.
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give someone the nod
the winger was given the nod
select, choose, pick, go for; Brit. cap.

the Lords will give the treaty the nod
approve, agree to, sanction, ratify, endorse, rubber-stamp; informal OK, give something the green light, give something the thumbs up.
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nod off
fall asleep, go to sleep, doze off, drop off; informal drift off, flake out, go out like a light; N. Amer. informal sack out.

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node

noun
junction, intersection, interchange, fork, confluence, convergence, crossing.

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noise

noun
sound, din, hubbub, clamour, racket, uproar, tumult, commotion, pandemonium, babel; informal hullabaloo; Brit. informal row. ANTONYMS :silence.

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noisome

adjective
(poetic/literary). See odious.

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noisy

adjective
a noisy crowd
rowdy, clamorous, boisterous, turbulent, rackety; chattering, talkative, vociferous, shouting, screaming.
noisy music
loud, fortissimo, blaring, booming, deafening, thunderous, tumultuous, clamorous, ear-splitting, piercing, strident, cacophonous, raucous.
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ANTONYMS :quiet, soft.

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nomad

noun
itinerant, traveller, migrant, wanderer, roamer, rover; gypsy, Bedouin; transient, drifter, vagabond, vagrant, tramp; dated bird of passage.

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nominal

adjective
the nominal head of the campaign
in name only, titular, formal, official; theoretical, supposed, ostensible, so-called.
a nominal rent
token, symbolic; tiny, minute, minimal, small, insignificant, trifling; Brit. peppercorn; informal minuscule, piddling, piffling; N. Amer. informal nickel-and-dime.
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ANTONYMS :real, considerable.

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nominate

verb
you may nominate a candidate
propose, recommend, suggest, name, put forward, present, submit.
he nominated his assistant
appoint, select, choose, elect, commission, designate, name, delegate.
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non-believer

noun
unbeliever, disbeliever, sceptic, doubter, doubting Thomas, cynic, nihilist; atheist, agnostic, freethinker; infidel, pagan, heathen.

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nonce

for the nonce
for the time being, temporarily, pro tem, for now, for the moment, for the interim, for a while, for the present, in the meantime; provisionally.

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nonchalant

adjective
calm, composed, unconcerned, cool, (cool, calm, and collected), cool as a cucumber; indifferent, blasé, dispassionate, apathetic, casual, insouciant; informal laid-back. ANTONYMS :anxious.

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non-combatant

adjective
non-fighting, non-participating, civilian; pacifist, neutral, non-aligned.

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non-committal

adjective
evasive, equivocal, guarded, circumspect, reserved; discreet, uncommunicative, tactful, diplomatic, vague; informal cagey.
be non-committal
prevaricate, give nothing away, dodge the issue, sidestep the issue, hedge, fence, pussyfoot around, beat about the bush, equivocate, temporize, shilly-shally, vacillate, waver; Brit. hum and haw; informal sit on the fence.

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non compos mentis

adjective
. See insane sense 1.

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nonconformist

noun
dissenter, dissentient, protester, rebel, renegade, schismatic; freethinker, apostate, heretic; individualist, free spirit, maverick, eccentric, original, deviant, misfit, dropout, outsider; informal freak, oddball, odd fish, weirdo; N. Amer. informal screwball, kook.

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nondescript

adjective
undistinguished, unremarkable, unexceptional, featureless, characterless, unmemorable; ordinary, commonplace, average, run-of-the-mill, mundane; uninteresting, uninspiring, colourless, bland; informal bog-standard; Brit. informal common or garden. ANTONYMS :distinctive.

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none

pronoun
none of the fish are unusual
not one, not a one.
none of this concerns me
no part, not a bit, not any.
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none can know better than you
not one, no one, nobody, not a soul, not a single person, no man.
Top
ANTONYMS :all.

none the we were left none the wiser

not at all, not a bit, not the slightest bit, in no way, by no means any.

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nonentity

noun
nobody, unimportant person, cipher, non-person, nothing, small fry, lightweight, mediocrity; informal no-hoper, non-starter. ANTONYMS :celebrity.

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non-essential

adjective
unnecessary, inessential, unessential, needless, unneeded, superfluous, uncalled for, redundant, dispensable, expendable, unimportant, extraneous.

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nonetheless

adverb
nevertheless, even so, however, but, still, yet, though; in spite of that, despite that, be that as it may, for all that, that said, just the same, all the same; notwithstanding, regardless, anyway, anyhow; informal still and all.

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non-existent

adjective
imaginary, imagined, unreal, fictional, fictitious, made up, invented, fanciful; fantastic, mythical; illusory, hallucinatory, chimerical, notional, shadowy, insubstantial; missing, absent; poetic/literary illusive. ANTONYMS :real.

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non-intervention

noun
laissez-faire, non-participation, non-interference, inaction, passivity, neutrality; live and let live.

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non-observance

noun
infringement, breach, violation, contravention, transgression, non-compliance, infraction; dereliction, neglect.

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nonpareil

adjective
a nonpareil storyteller
incomparable, matchless, unrivalled, unparalleled, unequalled, peerless, beyond compare, second to none, unsurpassed, unbeatable, inimitable; unique, consummate, superlative, supreme; formal unexampled. ANTONYMS :mediocre.

noun
Britain's nonpareil of the 1980s
best, finest, crème de la crème, peak of perfection, elite, jewel in the crown, ne plus ultra, paragon; archaic nonsuch.

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nonplus

verb
surprise, stun, dumbfound, confound, take aback, disconcert, throw (off balance); puzzle, perplex, baffle, bemuse, bewilder; informal faze, flummox, stump, bamboozle, fox; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.

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nonsense

noun
he was talking nonsense
rubbish, balderdash, gibberish, claptrap, blarney, blather, garbage; informal hogwash, rot, guff, baloney, tripe, drivel, gobbledegook, bilge, bosh, bunk, hot air, piffle, poppycock, phooey, twaddle; Brit. informal cobblers, codswallop, tosh, double Dutch; Scottish & N. English informal havers; N. Amer. informal flapdoodle, bushwa, applesauce; informal, dated bunkum, tommyrot.
she stands no nonsense
mischief, naughtiness, bad behaviour, misbehaviour, misconduct, misdemeanour; pranks, tricks, clowning, buffoonery, funny business; informal tomfoolery, monkey business, shenanigans, hanky-panky; Brit. informal monkey tricks, jiggery-pokery.
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they dismissed the concept as a nonsense
absurdity, folly, stupidity, ludicrousness, inanity, foolishness, idiocy, insanity, madness.
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ANTONYMS :sense, wisdom.

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nonsensical

adjective
her nonsensical way of talking
meaningless, senseless, illogical.
a nonsensical generalization
foolish, insane, stupid, idiotic, illogical, irrational, senseless, absurd, silly, inane, hare-brained, ridiculous, ludicrous, preposterous; informal crazy, crackpot, nutty; Brit. informal daft.
Top
ANTONYMS :logical, sensible.

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non-stop

adjective
non-stop entertainment
continuous, constant, continual, perpetual, incessant, unceasing, ceaseless, uninterrupted, round-the-clock; unremitting, relentless, persistent. ANTONYMS :occasional.

adverb
we worked non-stop
continuously, continually, incessantly, unceasingly, ceaselessly, all the time, constantly, perpetually, round the clock, steadily, relentlessly, persistently; informal 24-7. ANTONYMS :occasionally.

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nook

noun
recess, corner, alcove, niche, bay, inglenook, cavity, cubbyhole, pigeonhole; opening, gap, aperture; hideaway, hiding place, hideout, shelter; informal hidey-hole.

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noon

noun
midday, twelve o'clock, twelve hundred hours, twelve noon, high noon, noonday; poetic/literary noontime, noontide. meridian.

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no one

pronoun
nobody, not a soul, not anyone, not a single person, never a one, none.

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norm

noun
norms of diplomatic behaviour
convention, standard; criterion, yardstick, benchmark, touchstone, rule, formula, pattern, guide, guideline, model, exemplar.
such teams are now the norm
standard, usual, the rule; normal, typical, average, unexceptional, par for the course, expected.
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normal

adjective
they issue books in the normal way
usual, standard, ordinary, customary, conventional, habitual, accustomed, expected, wonted; typical, stock, common, everyday, regular, routine, established, set, fixed, traditional.
a normal couple
ordinary, average, typical, run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-road, common, conventional, mainstream, unremarkable, unexceptional; N. Amer. garden-variety; informal bog-standard, a dime a dozen; Brit. informal common or garden; N. Amer. informal ornery.
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the man was not normal
sane, in one's right mind, right in the head, of sound mind, compos mentis, lucid, rational, coherent; informal all there.
Top
ANTONYMS :unusual, insane.

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normality

noun
normalcy, business as usual, the daily round; routine, order, regularity.

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normally

adverb
she wanted to walk normally
naturally, conventionally, ordinarily; as usual, as normal.
normally we'd keep quiet about this
usually, ordinarily, as a rule, generally, in general, mostly, for the most part, by and large, mainly, most of the time, on the whole; typically, customarily, traditionally.
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north

adjective
northern, northerly, boreal.

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North American Indian

noun
Native American, American Indian; dated Red Indian.

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nose

noun
a punch on the nose
snout, muzzle, proboscis, trunk; informal beak, conk, snoot, schnozzle, hooter, sniffer.
he has a good nose
sense of smell.
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a nose for scandal
instinct, feeling, sixth sense, intuition, insight, perception.
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wine with a fruity nose
smell, bouquet, aroma, fragrance, perfume, scent, odour.
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the plane's nose dipped
nose-cone, bow, prow, front end; informal droop-snoot.
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nasal, rhinal.
verb
the dog nosed the ball
nuzzle, nudge, push.
she's nosing into my business
pry, inquire, poke about/around, interfere (in), meddle (in); be a busybody, stick/poke one's nose in; informal be nosy (about), snoop; Austral./NZ informal stickybeak.
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he nosed the car into the traffic
ease, inch, edge, move, manoeuvre, steer, guide.
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by a nose
(only) just, barely, narrowly, by a hair's breadth, by the skin of one's teeth; informal by a whisker. nose around/about/round
investigate , explore, ferret (about/around), rummage, search; delve into, peer into; prowl around; informal snoop about/around/round. nose something out
detect, find, discover, bring to light, track down, dig up, ferret out, root out, uncover, unearth, sniff out. on the nose (informal)
exactly, precisely, sharp, on the dot, promptly, prompt, dead (on); informal bang (on); Brit. informal spot on; N. Amer. informal on the button.

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nosedive

noun
the plane went into a nosedive
dive, descent, drop, plunge, plummet, fall.
(informal) sterling took a nosedive
fall, drop, plunge, plummet, tumble, decline, slump; informal crash.
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ANTONYMS :climb, rise.

verb
the device nosedived to earth
dive, plunge, pitch, drop, plummet.
(informal) costs have nosedived
fall, take a header, drop, sink, plunge, plummet, tumble, slump, go down, decline; informal crash.
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ANTONYMS :soar, rise.

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nosegay

noun
posy, bouquet, bunch, spray, sprig, buttonhole, corsage, boutonnière, tussie-mussie.

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nosh (informal)

noun
all kinds of nosh.
See food sense 1.
verb
they nosh smoked salmon.
See eat sense 1.

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nostalgia

noun
reminiscence, remembrance, recollection; wistfulness, regret, sentimentality.

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nostalgic

adjective
wistful, evocative, romantic, sentimental; regretful, dewy-eyed, maudlin.

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nostrum

noun
they have to prove their nostrums work
medicine, quack remedy, potion, elixir, panacea, cure-all, wonder drug; informal magic bullet.
right-wing nostrums
magic formula, recipe for success, remedy, cure, prescription, answer.
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nosy

adjective
(informal) prying, inquisitive, curious, busybody, spying, eavesdropping, intrusive; informal snooping, snoopy.

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notability

noun
the village has always enjoyed notability
noteworthiness, prominence, importance, significance, eminence; fame, renown, notoriety.
the patronage of notabilities.
See notable noun.
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notable

adjective
notable examples of workmanship
noteworthy, remarkable, outstanding, important, significant, momentous, memorable; marked, striking, impressive; uncommon, unusual, special, exceptional, signal.
a notable author
prominent, important, well known, famous, famed, noted, distinguished, great, eminent, illustrious, respected, esteemed, renowned, celebrated, acclaimed, influential, prestigious, of note.
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ANTONYMS :unremarkable, unknown.

noun
movie stars and other notables
celebrity, public figure, VIP, personage, notability, dignitary, worthy, luminary; star, superstar, (big) name; informal celeb, somebody, bigwig, big shot, big cheese, big fish, megastar; Brit. informal nob; N. Amer. informal kahuna, high muckamuck. ANTONYMS :nonentity.

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notably

adverb
other countries, notably the USA
in particular, particularly, especially, specially; primarily, principally.
these are notably short-lived birds
remarkably, especially, specially, very, extremely, exceptionally, singularly, particularly, peculiarly, distinctly, significantly, unusually, extraordinarily, uncommonly, incredibly, really, decidedly, surprisingly, conspicuously; informal seriously; Brit. informal jolly, dead.
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notation

noun
algebraic notation
symbols, alphabet, syllabary, script; code, cipher, hieroglyphics.
notations in the margin
annotation, jotting, comment, footnote, entry, memo, gloss, explanation; historical scholium.
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notch

noun
a notch in the end of the arrow
nick, cut, incision, score, scratch, slit, snick, slot, groove, cleft, indentation.
her opinion of Nick dropped a notch
degree, level, rung, point, mark, measure, grade.
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verb
notch the plank
nick, cut, score, incise, carve, scratch, slit, snick, gouge, groove, furrow.
notch something up
score, achieve, attain, gain, earn, make; rack up, chalk up; register, record.

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note

noun
a note in her diary
record, entry, item, notation, jotting, memorandum, reminder, aide-memoire; informal memo.
he will take notes of the meeting
minutes, records, details; report, account, commentary, transcript, proceedings, transactions; synopsis, summary, outline.
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notes in the margins
annotation, footnote, commentary, comment; marginalia, exegesis; historical scholium.
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he dropped me a note
message, communication, letter, line; formal epistle, missive.
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(Brit.) a £20 note
banknote; N. Amer. bill; US informal greenback; (notes) paper money.
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this is worthy of note
attention, consideration, notice, heed, observation, regard.
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a composer of note
distinction, importance, eminence, prestige, fame, celebrity, acclaim, renown, repute, stature, standing, consequence, account.
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a note of hopelessness in her voice
tone, intonation, inflection, sound; hint, indication, sign, element, suggestion.
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verb
we will note your suggestion
bear in mind, be mindful of, consider, observe, heed, take notice of, pay attention to, take in.
the letter noted the ministers' concern
mention, refer to, touch on, indicate, point out, make known, state.
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note the date in your diary
write down, put down, jot down, take down, inscribe, enter, mark, record, register, pencil.
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notebook

noun
notepad, exercise book; register, logbook, log, diary, daybook, journal, record; Brit. jotter, pocketbook; N. Amer. scratch pad; informal memo pad.

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noted

adjective
renowned, well known, famous, famed, prominent, celebrated; notable, of note, important, eminent, distinguished, illustrious, acclaimed, esteemed; of distinction, of repute. ANTONYMS :unknown.

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noteworthy

adjective
notable, interesting, significant, important; remarkable, impressive, striking, outstanding, memorable, unique, special; unusual, extraordinary, singular, rare. ANTONYMS :unexceptional.

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nothing

noun
there's nothing I can do
not a thing, not anything, nil, zero; N. English nowt; informal zilch, sweet Fanny Adams, sweet FA, nix, not a dicky bird; Brit. informal damn all, not a sausage; N. Amer. informal zip, nada; archaic naught.
forget it it's nothing
a trifling matter, a trifle; neither here nor there; informal no big deal.
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he treats her as nothing
a nobody, an unimportant person, a nonentity, a cipher, a non-person; Brit. small beer.
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the share value fell to nothing
zero, nought, 0; Tennis love; Cricket a duck.
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ANTONYMS :something.

be/have nothing to do with
it has nothing to do with you
be unconnected with, be unrelated to; be irrelevant to, be inapplicable to, be inapposite to.

I'll have nothing to do with him
avoid, have no truck with, have no contact with, steer clear of, give a wide berth to.
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for nothing
she hosted the show for nothing
free (of charge), gratis, without charge, at no cost; informal for free, on the house.

all this trouble for nothing
i n vain, to no avail, to no purpose, with no result, needlessly, pointlessly.
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nothing but he's nothing but a nuisance

merely, only, just, solely, simply, purely, no more than.

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nothingness

noun
the nothingness of death
oblivion, nullity, blankness; void, vacuum; rare nihility.
the nothingness of it all overwhelmed him
unimportance, insignificance, triviality, pointlessness, uselessness, worthlessness.
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notice

noun
nothing escaped his notice
attention, observation, awareness, consciousness, perception; regard, consideration, scrutiny; watchfulness, vigilance, attentiveness.
a notice on the wall
poster, bill, handbill, advertisement, announcement, bulletin; flyer, leaflet, pamphlet; sign, card; informal ad; Brit. informal advert.
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times may change without notice
notification, (advance) warning, announcement; information, news, communication, word.
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I handed in my notice
resignation.
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the film got bad notices
review, write-up, critique, criticism; Brit. informal crit.
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verb
I noticed that the door was open
observe, perceive, note, see, discern, detect, spot, distinguish, mark, remark; Brit. informal clock; poetic/literary behold. ANTONYMS :overlook.

take no notice (of)
ignore, pay no attention (to), disregard, pay no heed (to), take no account (of), brush aside, shrug off, turn a blind eye (to), pass over, let go, overlook, look the other way.

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noticeable

adjective
distinct, evident, obvious, apparent, manifest, patent, plain, clear, marked, conspicuous, unmistakable, undeniable, pronounced, prominent, striking, arresting; perceptible, discernible, detectable, observable, visible, appreciable.

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noticeboard

noun
pinboard, cork board, bulletin board; hoarding.

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notification

noun
the notification of the victim's wife
informing, telling, alerting.
she received notification that he was on the way
information, word, advice, news, intelligence; communication, message; poetic/literary tidings.
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notify

verb
we will notify you as soon as possible
inform, tell, advise, apprise, let someone know, put in the picture; alert, warn.
births should be notified to the registrar
report, make known, announce, declare, communicate, disclose.
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notion

noun
he had a notion that something was wrong
idea, belief, conviction, opinion, view, thought, impression, perception; hypothesis, theory; (funny) feeling, (sneaking) suspicion, hunch.
Claire had no notion of what he meant
understanding, idea, awareness, knowledge, clue, inkling.
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he got a notion to return
impulse, inclination, whim, desire, wish, fancy.
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notional

adjective
hypothetical, theoretical, speculative, conjectural, suppositional, putative, conceptual; imaginary, fanciful, unreal, illusory. ANTONYMS :actual.

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notoriety

noun
infamy, disrepute, ill repute, bad name, dishonour, discredit; dated ill fame.

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notorious

adjective
infamous, scandalous; well known, famous, famed, legendary.

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notwithstanding

preposition
notwithstanding his workload, he is a dedicated father
despite, in spite of, regardless of, for all.
adverb
she is bright notwithstanding, she is now jobless
nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, all the same, in spite of this, despite this, however, still, yet, that said, just the same, anyway, in any event, at any rate.
conjunction
notwithstanding that there was no space, they played on
although, even though, though, in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that.

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nought

noun
the batsman was out for nought
nil, zero, 0; Tennis love; Cricket a duck.
(archaic) my work has all been for nought.
See naught.
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nourish

verb
patients must be well nourished
feed, provide for, sustain, maintain.
we nourish the talents of children
encourage, promote, foster, nurture, cultivate, stimulate, boost, advance, assist, help, aid, strengthen, enrich.
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the hopes Ursula nourished
cherish, nurture, foster, harbour, nurse, entertain, maintain, hold, have.
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nourishing

adjective
nutritious, nutritive, wholesome, good for one, healthy, health-giving, healthful, beneficial, sustaining. ANTONYMS :unhealthy.

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nourishment

noun
food, sustenance, nutriment, nutrition, subsistence, provisions, provender, fare; informal grub, nosh, chow, eats; Brit. informal scoff; N. Amer. informal chuck; formal comestibles; dated victuals.

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nouveau riche

plural noun
the new rich, parvenus, arrivistes, upstarts, social climbers, vulgarians.

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novel 1

noun
curl up with a good novel
book, paperback, hardback; story, tale, narrative, romance; best-seller; informal blockbuster.

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novel 2

adjective
a novel way of making money
new, original, unusual, unfamiliar, unconventional, unorthodox; different, fresh, imaginative, innovative, innovatory, innovational, inventive, modern, neoteric, avant-garde, pioneering, ground-breaking, revolutionary; rare, unique, singular, unprecedented; experimental, untested, untried; strange, exotic, newfangled. ANTONYMS :traditional.

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novelist

noun
writer, author, fictionist, man/woman of letters; informal penman, scribbler.

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novelty

noun
the novelty of our approach
originality, newness, freshness, unconventionality, unfamiliarity; difference, imaginativeness, creativity, innovation, modernity.
we sell seasonal novelties
knick-knack, trinket, bauble, toy, trifle, gewgaw, gimcrack, ornament; N. Amer. kickshaw.
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novice

noun
a five-day course for novices
beginner, learner, neophyte, newcomer, initiate, tyro, fledgling; apprentice, trainee, probationer, student, pupil; N. Amer. tenderfoot; informal rookie, newie, newbie; N. Amer. informal greenhorn.
a novice who was never ordained
neophyte, novitiate; postulant, proselyte, catechumen.
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ANTONYMS :expert, veteran.

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novitiate

noun
a three-year novitiate
probationary period, probation, trial period, test period, apprenticeship, training period, traineeship, training, initiation.
two young novitiates
novice, neophyte; postulant, proselyte, catechumen.
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now

adverb
I'm extremely busy now
at the moment, at present, at the present (time/moment), at this moment in time, currently; N. Amer. presently; Brit. informal at the minute.
television is now the main source of news
nowadays, today, these days, in this day and age; in the present climate.
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you must leave now
at once, straight away, right away, right now, this minute, this instant, immediately, instantly, directly, without further ado, promptly, without delay, as soon as possible; informal pronto, straight off, a.s.a.p.
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as of now
from this time on, from now on, henceforth, henceforward, from this day forward, in future; formal hereafter. for now
for the time being, for the moment, for the present, for the meantime; archaic for the nonce. not now
later (on), sometime, one day, some day, one of these days, sooner or later, in due course, by and by, eventually, ultimately. now and again
occasionally, now and then, from time to time, sometimes, every so often, (every) now and again, at times , on occasion(s), (every) once in a while; periodically, once in a blue moon.

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nowadays

adverb
these days, today, at the present time, in these times, in this day and age, now, currently, at the moment, at present, at this moment in time; in the present climate; N. Amer. presently.

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noxious

adjective
poisonous, toxic, deadly, harmful, dangerous, pernicious, damaging, destructive; unpleasant, nasty, disgusting, awful, dreadful, horrible, terrible; vile, revolting, foul, nauseating, appalling, offensive; malodorous, fetid, putrid; informal ghastly, horrid; poetic/literary noisome; archaic disgustful. ANTONYMS :innocuous.

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nuance

noun
fine distinction, subtle difference; shade, shading, gradation, variation, degree; subtlety, nicety, overtone.

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nub

noun
crux, central point, main point, core, heart (of the matter), nucleus, essence, quintessence, kernel, marrow, meat, pith; gist, substance; informal nitty-gritty.

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nubile

adjective
sexually mature, marriageable; sexually attractive, desirable, sexy, luscious; informal beddable.

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nucleus

noun
the nucleus of the banking world
core, centre, central part, heart, nub, hub, middle, eye, focus, focal point, pivot, crux.
a nucleus of union men supported him
small group, caucus, cell, coterie, clique, faction.
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nude

adjective
(stark) naked, bare, unclothed, undressed, disrobed, stripped, unclad, in a state of nature, au naturel; informal without a stitch on, in one's birthday suit, in the raw, in the altogether, in the buff, in the nuddy; Brit. informal starkers; Scottish informal in the scud; N. Amer. informal buck naked. ANTONYMS :clothed.

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nudge

verb
he nudged Ben
poke, elbow, dig, prod, jog, jab.
the canoe nudged a bank
touch, bump (against), push (against), run into.
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we nudged them into action
prompt, encourage, stimulate, prod, galvanize.
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unemployment was nudging 3,000,000
approach, near, come close to, be verging on, border on.
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noun
Maggie gave him a nudge
poke, dig (in the ribs), prod, jog, jab, push.
after a nudge, she remembered Lilian
reminder, prompt, prompting, prod, encouragement.
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nugatory

adjective
a nugatory observation
worthless, unimportant, inconsequential, valueless, trifling, trivial, insignificant, meaningless.
the shortages will render nugatory our hopes
futile, useless, vain, unavailing, null, invalid.
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nugget

noun
lump, nub, chunk, piece, hunk, wad, gobbet; N. Amer. informal gob.

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nuisance

noun
annoyance, inconvenience, bore, bother, irritation, problem, trouble, trial, burden; pest, plague, thorn in one's side/flesh; informal pain (in the neck), hassle, bind, drag, aggravation, headache; Scottish informal nyaff, skelf; N. Amer. informal nudnik; Austral./NZ informal nark. ANTONYMS :blessing.

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null

adjective
their marriage was declared null
invalid, null and void, void; annulled, nullified, cancelled, revoked.
his null life
characterless, colourless, empty, insipid, vapid, dull, boring.
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ANTONYMS :valid, interesting.

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nullify

verb
they nullified the legislation
annul, render null and void, void, invalidate; repeal, reverse, rescind, revoke, cancel, abolish; countermand, do away with, terminate, quash; Law vacate; formal abrogate.
the costs would nullify any tax relief
cancel out, neutralize, negate, negative.
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ANTONYMS :ratify.

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numb

adjective
his fingers were numb
without sensation, without feeling, numbed, benumbed, desensitized, insensible, senseless, unfeeling; anaesthetized; dazed, stunned, stupefied, paralysed, immobilized, frozen. ANTONYMS :sensitive.

verb
the cold numbed her senses
deaden, benumb, desensitize, dull; anaesthetize; daze, stupefy, paralyse, immobilize, freeze. ANTONYMS :sensitize.

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number

noun
a whole number
numeral, integer, figure, digit; character, symbol; decimal, unit; cardinal number, ordinal number.
a large number of complaints
amount, quantity; total, aggregate, tally; quota.
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the wedding of one of their number
group, company, crowd, circle, party, band, crew, set; informal gang.
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the band performed another number
song, piece (of music), tune, track; routine, sketch, dance, act.
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numerical.
verb
visitors numbered more than two million
add up to, amount to, total, come to.
he numbers the fleet at a thousand
calculate, count, total, compute, reckon, tally; assess; Brit. tot up; formal enumerate.
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each paragraph is numbered
assign a number to, mark with a number; itemize, enumerate.
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he numbers her among his friends
include, count, reckon, deem.
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his days are numbered
limit, restrict, fix.
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a number of
several, various, quite a few, sundry . without number
countless, innumerable, unlimited, endless, limitless, untold, numberless, uncountable, uncounted; numerous, many, multiple, manifold, legion.

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numberless

adjective
innumerable, countless, unlimited, endless, limitless, untold, uncountable, uncounted; numerous, many, multiple, manifold, legion; informal more than one can shake a stick at; poetic/literary myriad.

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numbing

adjective
menthol has a numbing action
desensitizing, deadening, benumbing, anaesthetic, anaesthetizing; paralysing.
numbing cold
freezing, raw, bitter, biting, arctic.
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numbing boredom
stupefying, mind-numbing, stultifying; soporific.
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numbskull

noun
(informal). See idiot.

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numeral

noun
number, integer, figure, digit; character, symbol, unit.

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numerous

adjective
(very) many, a lot of, scores of, countless, numberless, innumerable; several, quite a few, various; plenty of, copious, a quantity of, an abundance of, a profusion of, a multitude of; frequent; informal umpteen, lots of, loads of, masses of, stacks of, heaps of, bags of, tons of, oodles of, hundreds of, thousands of, millions of, more than one can shake a stick at; Brit. informal a shedload of; N. Amer. informal gazillions of; Austral./NZ informal a swag of; poetic/literary myriad. ANTONYMS :few.

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numinous

adjective
spiritual, religious, divine, holy, sacred; mysterious, other-worldly, unearthly, transcendent.

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nun

noun
sister, abbess, prioress, Mother Superior, Reverend Mother; novice; bride of Christ, religious, conventual, contemplative, canoness; poetic/literary vestal; historical anchoress.

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nuncio

noun
(papal) ambassador, legate, envoy, messenger.

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nunnery

noun
convent, priory, abbey, cloister, religious community.

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nuptial

adjective
matrimonial, marital, marriage, wedding, conjugal, bridal; married, wedded; poetic/literary connubial; Law spousal.

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nuptials

plural noun
wedding (ceremony), marriage, union; archaic espousal.

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nurse

noun
skilled nurses
carer, caregiver; informal Florence Nightingale, nursey; N. Amer. informal candy-striper.
she had been his nurse in childhood
nanny, nursemaid, nursery nurse, childminder, governess, au pair, childcarer, babysitter, ayah.
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verb
they nursed smallpox patients
care for, take care of, look after, tend, minister to.
I nursed my sore finger
treat, medicate, tend; dress, bandage, soothe; informal doctor.
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Rosa was nursing her baby
breastfeed, suckle, feed.
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they nursed old grievances
harbour, foster, entertain, bear, have, hold (on to), cherish, cling to, retain.
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our unity needs to be nursed
nurture, encourage, promote, boost, assist, help, cultivate; protect, safeguard.
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nursemaid

noun
. See nurse noun sense 2.

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nurture

verb
she nurtured her children into adulthood
bring up, care for, take care of, look after, tend, rear, raise, support, foster; parent, mother.
we nurtured these plants
cultivate, grow, keep, tend.
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he nurtured my love of art
encourage, promote, stimulate, develop, foster, cultivate, boost, contribute to, assist, help, abet, strengthen, fuel.
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ANTONYMS :neglect, hinder.

noun
we are what nature and nurture have made us
upbringing, rearing, raising, childcare; training, education.
the nurture of ideas
encouragement, promotion, fostering, development, cultivation.
Top
ANTONYMS :nature.

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nut

noun
nuts in their shells
kernel.
(informal) he smacked her on the nut
head, skull, cranium, crown; informal noodle, noggin, dome; Brit. informal bonce; informal, dated conk, noddle.
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(informal) some nut arrived at the office
maniac, lunatic, madman, madwoman; eccentric; informal loony, nutcase, fruitcake, head case, crank, crackpot, weirdo; Brit. informal nutter; N. Amer. informal screwball, crazy; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ informal dingbat.
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(informal) a movie nut
enthusiast, fan, devotee, aficionado; informal freak, fiend, fanatic, addict, buff; N. Amer. informal jock.
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do one's nut (informal)
be very angry, be furious, lose one's temper, go into a rage; informal go mad, go crazy, go wild, go bananas, have a fit, blow one's top, hit the roof, go off the deep end, go ape, flip, lose one's rag; Brit. informal go spare. off one's nut (informal). See mad sense 1.

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nutriment

noun
nourishment, nutrients, sustenance, goodness, nutrition, food.

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nutrition

noun
nourishment, nutriment, nutrients, sustenance, food; informal grub, chow, nosh; Brit. informal scoff; poetic/literary viands; dated victuals; archaic aliment. trophic.

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nutritious

adjective
nourishing, good for one, full of nutrients, nutritive, nutrimental; wholesome, healthy, healthful, beneficial, sustaining.

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nuts

adjective
(informal) they thought we were nuts.
See mad sense 1.
he's nuts about her
infatuated with, keen on, devoted to, in love with, smitten with, enamoured of, hot for; informal mad, crazy, nutty, wild, hooked on, gone on; Brit. informal potty.
Top

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nuts and bolts

plural noun
practical details, fundamentals, basics, practicalities, essentials, mechanics; informal nitty-gritty, ins and outs, brass tacks.

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nutty

adjective
(informal) they're all nutty.
See mad sense 1.
she's nutty about Elvis.
See nuts sense 2.
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nuzzle

verb
the horse nuzzled at her pocket
nudge, nose, prod, push.
she nuzzled up to her boyfriend
snuggle, cuddle, nestle, burrow, embrace, hug.
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nymph

noun
a nymph with winged sandals
sprite, sylph, spirit.
(poetic/literary) a skinny nymph with brown eyes
girl, belle, nymphet, sylph; young woman, young lady; Scottish & N. English lass; Brit. dated rosebud; poetic/literary maid, maiden, damsel.
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O

oaf

noun
lout, boor, barbarian, Neanderthal, churl, bumpkin, yokel; fool, idiot, imbecile; informal cretin, ass, goon, oik, yahoo, ape, lump, clod, meathead, bonehead, lamebrain; Brit. informal clot, plonker, berk, pillock, yob, yobbo; Scottish informal nyaff, gowk; N. Amer. informal bozo, dumbhead, lummox, klutz, goofus, clunk, turkey; Austral. informal hoon, dingbat, galah, drongo; archaic lubber.

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oafish

adjective
stupid, foolish, idiotic; loutish, awkward, gawkish, clumsy, lumbering, ape-like, cloddish, Neanderthal, uncouth, uncultured, boorish, rough, coarse, brutish, ill-mannered, unrefined; informal clodhopping, blockheaded, boneheaded, thickheaded; Brit. informal yobbish; archaic lubberly.

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oasis

noun
an oasis near Cairo
watering hole, watering place, water hole, spring.
a cool oasis in a hot summer
refuge, haven, retreat, sanctuary, sanctum, harbour, asylum.
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oath

noun
an oath of allegiance
vow, pledge, promise, avowal, affirmation, word (of honour), bond, guarantee; formal troth.
he uttered a stream of oaths
swear word, profanity, expletive, four-letter word, dirty word, obscenity, vulgarity, curse, malediction; informal cuss (word); formal imprecation.
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obdurate

adjective
stubborn, obstinate, intransigent, inflexible, unyielding, unbending, pig-headed, mulish, stiff-necked; headstrong, unshakeable, intractable, unpersuadable, immovable, inexorable, uncompromising, iron-willed, adamant, firm, determined; Brit. informal bloody-minded. ANTONYMS :malleable.

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obedient

adjective
compliant, biddable, acquiescent, tractable, amenable, malleable, pliable, pliant; dutiful, good, law-abiding, deferential, respectful, duteous, well trained, well disciplined, manageable, governable, docile, tame, meek, passive, submissive, unresisting, yielding. ANTONYMS :rebellious.

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obeisance

noun
a gesture of obeisance
respect, homage, worship, adoration, reverence, veneration, honour, submission, deference.
she made a deep obeisance
bow, curtsy, bob, genuflection, salaam; historical kowtow.
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obelisk

noun
column, pillar, needle, shaft, monolith, monument.

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obese

adjective
fat, overweight, corpulent, gross, stout, fleshy, heavy, portly, paunchy, pot-bellied, beer-bellied, well upholstered, well padded, broad in the beam, bulky, bloated, flabby; informal porky, roly-poly, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy; archaic pursy. ANTONYMS :thin.

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obey

verb
I obeyed him without question
do what someone says, carry out someone's orders; submit to, defer to, bow to, yield to.
he refused to obey the order
carry out, perform, act on, execute, discharge, implement, fulfil.
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health and safety regulations have to be obeyed
comply with, adhere to, observe, abide by, act in accordance with, conform to, respect, follow, keep to, stick to; play it by the book, toe the line.
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ANTONYMS :defy, ignore.

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obfuscate

verb
obscure, confuse, blur, muddle, complicate, muddy, cloud, befog; muddy the waters. ANTONYMS :clarify.

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obituary

noun
death notice; informal obit; formal necrology.

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object

noun
wooden objects
thing, article, item, device, gadget; informal doodah, thingamajig, thingamabob, thingummy, whatsit, whatchamacallit, thingy; Brit. informal gubbins; N. Amer. informal doodad, dingus.
he became the object of criticism
target, butt, focus, recipient, victim.
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his object was to resolve the crisis
objective, aim, goal, target, purpose, end (in view), plan, object of the exercise, point; ambition, design, intent, intention, idea.
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verb
teachers objected to the scheme
protest about, oppose, raise objections to, express disapproval of, take exception to, take issue with, take a stand against, argue against, quarrel with, condemn, draw the line at, demur at, mind, complain about, cavil at, quibble about; beg to differ; informal kick up a fuss/stink about. ANTONYMS :approve, accept.

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objection

noun
protest, protestation, demur, demurral, complaint, expostulation, grievance, cavil, quibble; opposition, argument, counter-argument, disagreement, disapproval, dissent; informal niggle.

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objectionable

adjective
unpleasant, disagreeable, distasteful, displeasing, off-putting, undesirable, obnoxious, offensive, nasty, horrible, horrid, disgusting, awful, terrible, dreadful, frightful, appalling, insufferable, odious, vile, foul, unsavoury, repulsive, repellent, repugnant, revolting, abhorrent, loathsome, hateful, detestable, reprehensible, deplorable; informal ghastly; Brit. informal beastly; formal exceptionable, rebarbative. ANTONYMS :pleasant.

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objective

adjective
an interviewer must try to be objective
impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced, non-partisan, disinterested, neutral, uninvolved, even-handed, equitable, fair, fair-minded, just, open-minded, dispassionate, detached.
the world of objective knowledge
factual, actual, real, empirical, verifiable.
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ANTONYMS :biased, subjective.

noun
our objective is to build a profitable business
aim, intention, purpose, target, goal, intent, object, object of the exercise, point, end (in view); idea, design, plan, ambition, aspiration, desire, hope.

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objectively

adverb
impartially, without bias, without prejudice, even-handedly, dispassionately, detachedly, equitably, fairly, justly, with an open mind, without fear or favour.

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objectivity

noun
impartiality, lack of bias/prejudice, fairness, fair-mindedness, neutrality, even-handedness, justice, open-mindedness, disinterest, detachment, dispassion, dispassionateness.

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oblation

noun
religious offering, offering, sacrifice, peace offering, burnt offering, first fruits, libation.

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obligate

verb
oblige, compel, commit, bind, require, constrain, force, impel, make.

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obligation

noun
his professional obligations
duty, commitment, responsibility; function, task, job, assignment, commission, burden, charge, onus, liability, accountability, requirement, debt; archaic devoir.
a sense of obligation
duty, compulsion, indebtedness; duress, necessity, pressure, constraint.
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under an obligation
beholden, obliged, in someone's debt, indebted, obligated, owing someone a debt of gratitude, duty-bound, honour-bound.

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obligatory

adjective
compulsory, mandatory, prescribed, required, demanded, statutory, enforced, binding, incumbent; requisite, necessary, imperative, unavoidable, inescapable, essential. ANTONYMS :optional.

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oblige

verb
both parties are obliged to accept the decision
require, compel, bind, constrain, obligate, leave someone no option, force.
I'll be happy to oblige you
do someone a favour, accommodate, help, assist, serve; gratify someone's wishes, indulge, humour.
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obliged

adjective
thankful, grateful, appreciative, much obliged; beholden, indebted, in someone's debt.

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obliging

adjective
helpful, accommodating, willing, cooperative, considerate, complaisant, agreeable, amenable, generous, kind, neighbourly, hospitable, pleasant, good-natured, amiable, gracious, unselfish, civil, courteous, polite; Brit. informal decent. ANTONYMS :unhelpful.

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oblique

adjective
an oblique line
slanting, slanted, sloping, at an angle, angled, diagonal, aslant, slant, slantwise, skew, on the skew, askew, squint; N. Amer. cater-cornered.
an oblique reference
indirect, inexplicit, roundabout, circuitous, circumlocutory, implicit, implied, elliptical, evasive, backhanded.
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an oblique glance
sidelong, sideways, furtive, covert, sly, surreptitious.
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ANTONYMS :straight, direct.

noun
slash, solidus, backslash, diagonal, virgule.

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obliquely

adverb
the sun shone obliquely across the tower
diagonally, at an angle, slantwise, sideways, sidelong, aslant.
he referred obliquely to the war
indirectly, in a roundabout way, not in so many words, circuitously, evasively.
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obliterate

verb
he tried to obliterate the memory
erase, eradicate, expunge, efface, wipe out, blot out, rub out, remove all traces of.
a nuclear explosion that would obliterate a city
destroy, wipe out, annihilate, demolish, liquidate, wipe off the face of the earth, wipe off the map; informal zap.
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clouds were darkening, obliterating the sun
hide, obscure, blot out, block, cover, screen.
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oblivion

noun
they drank themselves into oblivion
unconsciousness, insensibility, stupor, stupefaction; coma, blackout; poetic/literary the waters of Lethe.
they rescued him from artistic oblivion
obscurity, limbo, anonymity, neglect, disregard.
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ANTONYMS :consciousness, fame.

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oblivious

adjective
unaware, unconscious, heedless, unmindful, insensible, unheeding, ignorant, blind, deaf, unsuspecting, unobservant; unconcerned, impervious, unaffected. ANTONYMS :conscious.

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obloquy

noun
he endured years of contempt and obloquy
vilification, opprobrium, vituperation, condemnation, denunciation, abuse, criticism, censure, defamation, denigration, revilement, calumny, insults; informal flak; formal castigation, excoriation; archaic contumely.
conduct to which no moral obloquy could reasonably attach
disgrace, dishonour, shame, discredit, stigma, humiliation, loss of face, ignominy, odium, opprobrium, disfavour, disrepute, ill repute, infamy, stain, notoriety, scandal.
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ANTONYMS :praise, honour.

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obnoxious

adjective
unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty, distasteful, offensive, objectionable, unsavoury, unpalatable, awful, terrible, dreadful, frightful, revolting, repulsive, repellent, repugnant, disgusting, odious, vile, foul, abhorrent, loathsome, nauseating, sickening, hateful, insufferable, intolerable; informal horrible, horrid, ghastly, gross, putrid, sick-making, yucky, God-awful; Brit. informal beastly; archaic disgustful, loathly. ANTONYMS :delightful.

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obscene

adjective
obscene literature
pornographic, indecent, smutty, dirty, filthy, X-rated, "adult", explicit, lewd, rude, vulgar, coarse, crude, immoral, improper, off colour; scatological, profane; informal blue, porn, porno, skin.
an obscene crime
shocking, scandalous, vile, foul, atrocious, outrageous, heinous, odious, abhorrent, abominable, disgusting, hideous, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, repellent, loathsome, nauseating, sickening, awful, dreadful, terrible, frightful.
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obscenity

noun
the book was banned on the grounds of obscenity
indecency, immorality, impropriety, smuttiness, smut, lewdness, rudeness, vulgarity, dirt, filth, coarseness, crudity; profanity, profaneness.
the men scowled and muttered obscenities
expletive, swear word, oath, profanity, curse, four-letter word, dirty word, blasphemy; informal cuss, cuss word; formal imprecation.
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obscure

adjective
his origins and parentage remain obscure
unclear, uncertain, unknown, in doubt, doubtful, dubious, mysterious, hazy, vague, indeterminate, concealed, hidden.
obscure references to Proust
mystifying, puzzling, perplexing, baffling, ambiguous, cryptic, enigmatic, Delphic, oracular, oblique, opaque, elliptical, unintelligible, incomprehensible, impenetrable, unfathomable; abstruse, recondite, arcane, esoteric; informal as clear as mud.
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an obscure Peruvian painter
little known, unknown, unheard of, undistinguished, unimportant, nameless, minor; unsung, unrecognized, forgotten.
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an obscure shape
indistinct, faint, vague, nebulous, ill-defined, unclear, blurred, blurry, misty, hazy.
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ANTONYMS :clear, plain, famous, distinct.

verb
grey clouds obscured the sun
hide, conceal, cover, veil, shroud, screen, mask, cloak, cast a shadow over, shadow, block, obliterate, eclipse, darken.
recent events have obscured the issue
confuse, complicate, obfuscate, cloud, blur, muddy; muddy the waters; poetic/literary befog.
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ANTONYMS :reveal, clarify.

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obscurity

noun
the discovery rescued him from relative obscurity
insignificance, inconspicuousness, unimportance, anonymity; limbo, twilight, oblivion.
poems of impenetrable obscurity
incomprehensibility, impenetrability, unintelligibility, opacity.
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the obscurities in his poems and plays
enigma, puzzle, mystery, difficulty, problem.
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ANTONYMS :fame, clarity.

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obsequies

plural noun
funeral rites, funeral service, funeral, burial, interment, entombment, inhumation, last offices; formal exequies; archaic sepulture.

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obsequious

adjective
servile, ingratiating, sycophantic, fawning, unctuous, oily, oleaginous, grovelling, cringing, subservient, submissive, slavish; informal slimy, bootlicking, smarmy.

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observable

adjective
noticeable, visible, perceptible, perceivable, detectable, distinguishable, discernible, recognizable, evident, apparent, manifest, obvious, patent, clear, distinct, plain, unmistakable; archaic sensible.

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observance

noun
strict observance of the rules
compliance, adherence, accordance, respect, observation, fulfilment, obedience; keeping, obeying.
religious observances
rite, ritual, ceremony, ceremonial, celebration, practice, service, office, festival, tradition, custom, usage, formality, form.
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observant

adjective
alert, sharp-eyed, sharp, eagle-eyed, hawk-eyed, having eyes like a hawk, keen-eyed, watchful, heedful, aware; on the lookout, on the qui vive, on guard, attentive, vigilant, having one's eyes open/peeled; informal beady-eyed, not missing a trick, on the ball. ANTONYMS :inattentive.

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observation

noun
detailed observation of the animal's behaviour
monitoring, watching, scrutiny, examination, inspection, survey, surveillance, attention, consideration, study.
his observations were concise and to the point
remark, comment, statement, utterance, pronouncement, declaration; opinion, impression, thought, reflection.
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the observation of the law
observance, compliance, adherence, respect, obedience; keeping, obeying.
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observe

verb
she observed that all the chairs were occupied
notice, see, note, perceive, discern, spot; poetic/literary espy, descry.
she was alarmed to discover he had been observing her
watch, look at, eye, contemplate, view, survey, regard, keep an eye on, scrutinize, keep under observation, keep watch on, keep under surveillance, monitor, keep a weather eye on; informal keep tabs on, keep a beady eye on; poetic/literary behold.
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"You look tired," she observed
remark, comment, say, mention, declare, announce, state, pronounce; formal opine.
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both countries agreed to observe the ceasefire
comply with, abide by, keep, obey, adhere to, heed, honour, fulfil, respect, follow, consent to, acquiesce in, accept.
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townspeople observed the one-year anniversary of the flood
commemorate, mark, keep, memorialize, remember, celebrate.
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observer

noun
a casual observer might not have noticed
spectator, onlooker, watcher, looker-on, fly on the wall, viewer, witness; informal rubberneck; poetic/literary beholder.
industry observers expect the deal to be finalized today
commentator, reporter; monitor.
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obsess

verb
preoccupy, be uppermost in someone's mind, prey on someone's mind, prey on, possess, haunt, consume, plague, torment, hound, bedevil, beset, take control of, take over, have a hold on, eat up, grip.

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obsessed

adjective
fixated, possessed, consumed; infatuated, besotted; informal smitten, hung up; N. Amer. informal hipped.

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obsession

noun
fixation, ruling/consuming passion, passion, mania, idée fixe, compulsion, preoccupation, infatuation, addiction, fetish, craze; hobby horse; phobia, complex, neurosis; informal bee in one's bonnet, hang-up, thing.

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obsessive

adjective
all-consuming, consuming, compulsive, controlling, obsessional, fanatical, neurotic, excessive, besetting, tormenting, inescapable; informal pathological.

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obsolescent

adjective
dying out, on the decline, declining, waning, on the wane, disappearing, past its prime, ageing, moribund, on its last legs, out of date, outdated, old-fashioned, outmoded; informal on the way out, past it.

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obsolete

adjective
out of date, outdated, outmoded, old-fashioned, démodé, passé; no longer in use, disused, fallen into disuse, superannuated, outworn, antiquated, antediluvian, anachronistic, discontinued, old, dated, archaic, ancient, fossilized, extinct, defunct, dead, bygone; informal out of the ark, prehistoric; Brit. informal past its sell-by date. ANTONYMS :current, modern.

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obstacle

noun
barrier, hurdle, stumbling block, obstruction, bar, block, impediment, hindrance, snag, catch, drawback, hitch, handicap, deterrent, complication, difficulty, problem, disadvantage, curb, check; informal fly in the ointment; Brit. informal spanner in the works; poetic/literary trammel. ANTONYMS :advantage, aid.

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obstinacy

noun
stubbornness, inflexibility, intransigence, intractability, obduracy, mulishness, pig-headedness, wilfulness, contrariness, perversity, recalcitrance, implacability; persistence, tenacity, tenaciousness, doggedness, single-mindedness, determination; Brit. informal bloody-mindedness, bolshiness; formal pertinacity, refractoriness.

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obstinate

adjective
stubborn, unyielding, inflexible, unbending, intransigent, intractable, obdurate, mulish, stubborn as a mule, pig-headed, self-willed, strong-willed, headstrong, wilful, contrary, perverse, recalcitrant, uncooperative, unmanageable, stiff-necked, uncompromising, implacable, unrelenting, immovable, unshakeable; persistent, tenacious, dogged, single-minded, adamant, determined; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie; N. Amer. informal balky; formal refractory, pertinacious. ANTONYMS :compliant.

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obstreperous

adjective
unruly, unmanageable, disorderly, undisciplined, uncontrollable, rowdy, disruptive, truculent, difficult, rebellious, mutinous, riotous, out of control, wild, turbulent, uproarious, boisterous; noisy, loud, clamorous, raucous, vociferous; Brit. informal stroppy, bolshie, rumbustious; N. Amer. informal rambunctious; formal refractory. ANTONYMS :quiet, restrained.

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obstruct

verb
ensure that air bricks and vents are not obstructed
block (up), clog (up), get in the way of, occlude, cut off, shut off, bung up, choke, dam up; barricade, bar; Brit. informal gunge up.
he was charged with obstructing the traffic
hold up, bring to a standstill, stop, halt, block.
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fears that the regime would obstruct the distribution of food
impede, hinder, interfere with, hamper, block, interrupt, hold up, stand in the way of, frustrate, thwart, baulk, inhibit, hamstring, sabotage; slow down, retard, delay, stonewall, stop, halt, restrict, limit, curb, put a brake on, bridle; N. Amer. informal bork.
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ANTONYMS :clear, facilitate.

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obstruction

noun
obstacle, barrier, stumbling block, hurdle, bar, block, impediment, hindrance, snag, difficulty, catch, drawback, hitch, handicap, deterrent, curb, check, restriction; blockage, stoppage, congestion, bottleneck, hold-up; Medicine occlusion; informal fly in the ointment; Brit. informal spanner in the works.

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obstructive

adjective
unhelpful, uncooperative, awkward, difficult, unaccommodating, disobliging, perverse, contrary; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie; N. Amer. informal balky. ANTONYMS :helpful.

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obtain

verb
the newspaper obtained a copy of the letter
get, acquire, come by, secure, procure, come into the possession of, pick up, be given; gain, earn, achieve, attain; informal get hold of, get/lay one's hands on, get one's mitts on, land.
(formal) rules obtaining in other jurisdictions
prevail, be in force, apply, exist, be in use, be in effect, stand, hold, be the case.
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ANTONYMS :lose.

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obtainable

adjective
available, to be had, in circulation, on the market, on offer, in season, at one's disposal, at hand, attainable, procurable, accessible; informal up for grabs, on tap, get-at-able.

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obtrusive

adjective
conspicuous, prominent, noticeable, obvious, unmistakable, intrusive, out of place; informal sticking out a mile, sticking out like a sore thumb. ANTONYMS :inconspicuous.

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obtuse

adjective
stupid, foolish, slow-witted, slow, dull-witted, unintelligent, ignorant, simple-minded; insensitive, imperceptive, uncomprehending; informal dim, dim-witted, dense, dumb, slow on the uptake, half-witted, brain-dead, moronic, cretinous, thick, dopey, dozy, wooden-headed, boneheaded; Brit. informal divvy; Scottish & N. English informal glaikit; N. Amer. informal dumb-ass, chowderheaded. ANTONYMS :clever.

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obviate

verb
preclude, prevent, remove, get rid of, do away with, get round, rule out, eliminate, make unnecessary.

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obvious

adjective
clear, crystal clear, plain, evident, apparent, manifest, patent, conspicuous, pronounced, transparent, palpable, prominent, marked, decided, distinct, noticeable, perceptible, visible, discernible; unmistakable, indisputable, self-evident, incontrovertible, incontestable, undeniable, as plain as a pikestaff, as clear as day, staring someone in the face; overt, open, undisguised, unconcealed, frank, glaring, blatant, written all over someone; informal as plain as the nose on your face, sticking out like a sore thumb, sticking out a mile. ANTONYMS :imperceptible.

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obviously

adverb
clearly, evidently, plainly, patently, visibly, discernibly, manifestly, noticeably; unmistakably, undeniably, incontrovertibly, demonstrably, unquestionably, undoubtedly, without doubt, doubtless; of course, naturally, needless to say, it goes without saying. ANTONYMS :perhaps.

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occasion

noun
a previous occasion
time, instance, juncture, point; event, occurrence, affair, incident, episode, experience; situation, case, circumstance.
a family occasion
social event, event, affair, function, celebration, party, get-together, gathering; informal do, bash.
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I doubt if the occasion will arise
opportunity, right moment, chance, opening, window.
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it's the first time I've had occasion to complain
reason, cause, call, grounds, justification, need, motive.
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verb
her situation occasioned a good deal of sympathy
cause, give rise to, bring about, result in, lead to, prompt, elicit, call forth, produce, create, arouse, generate, engender, precipitate, provoke, stir up, inspire, spark off, trigger; poetic/literary beget.
on occasion. See occasionally.

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occasional

adjective
infrequent, intermittent, irregular, periodic, sporadic, odd, random, uncommon, few and far between, isolated, rare; N. Amer. sometime. ANTONYMS :regular, frequent.

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occasionally

adverb
sometimes, from time to time, (every) now and then, (every) now and again, at times, every so often, (every) once in a while, on occasion, periodically, at intervals, irregularly, sporadically, infrequently, intermittently, on and off, off and on. ANTONYMS :often.

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occlude

verb
block (up), stop (up), obstruct, clog (up), close, shut, bung up, choke.

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occult

noun
his interest in the occult
the supernatural, supernaturalism, magic, black magic, witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy, wizardry, the black arts, occultism, diabolism, devil worship, devilry, voodoo, hoodoo, white magic, mysticism; NZ makutu.
adjective
occult powers
supernatural, magic, magical, mystical, mystic, psychic, preternatural, transcendental; cabbalistic, hermetic.
the typically occult language of the time
esoteric, arcane, recondite, abstruse, secret; obscure, incomprehensible, impenetrable, puzzling, perplexing, mystifying, mysterious, enigmatic.
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occupancy

noun
occupation, tenancy, tenure, residence, residency, inhabitation, habitation, living, lease, holding, owner-occupancy; formal dwelling.

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occupant

noun
the occupants of the houses
resident, inhabitant, owner, householder, tenant, renter, leaseholder, lessee; addressee; Brit. occupier, owner-occupier; formal dweller.
the first occupant of the post
incumbent, holder.
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occupation

noun
his father's occupation
job, profession, (line) of work, trade, employment, position, post, situation, business, career, métier, vocation, calling, craft; Austral. informal grip; archaic employ.
her leisure occupations
pastime, activity, hobby, pursuit, interest, entertainment, recreation, amusement, divertissement.
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a property suitable for occupation by older people
residence, residency, habitation, inhabitation, occupancy, tenancy, tenure, lease, living in; formal dwelling.
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the Roman occupation of Britain
conquest, capture, invasion, seizure, takeover, annexation, overrunning, subjugation, subjection, appropriation; colonization, rule, control, suzerainty.
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occupational

adjective
job-related, work, professional, vocational, employment, business, career.

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occupied

adjective
tasks which kept her occupied all day
busy, engaged, working, at work, active; informal tied up, hard at it, on the go.
all the tables were occupied
in use, full, engaged, taken.
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only two of the flats are occupied
inhabited, lived-in, tenanted, settled.
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ANTONYMS :free, vacant.

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occupy

verb
Carol occupied the basement flat
live in, inhabit, be the tenant of, lodge in; move into, take up residence in; people, populate, settle; Scottish stay in; formal reside in, dwell in.
two windows occupied almost the whole of the end wall
take up, fill, fill up, cover, use up.
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he occupies a senior post at the Treasury
hold, fill, have; informal hold down.
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I need something to occupy my mind
engage, busy, employ, distract, absorb, engross, preoccupy, hold, interest, involve, entertain, amuse, divert.
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the region was occupied by Soviet troops
capture, seize, take possession of, conquer, invade, overrun, take over, colonize, garrison, annex, subjugate.
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occur

verb
the accident occurred at about 3.30
happen, take place, come about, transpire, materialize, arise, crop up; N. Amer. informal go down; poetic/literary come to pass, befall, betide; archaic hap; formal eventuate.
the disease occurs chiefly in tropical climates
be found, be present, exist, appear, prevail, present itself, manifest itself, turn up.
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an idea occurred to her
enter one's head/mind, cross one's mind, come to mind, spring to mind, strike one, hit one, dawn on one, suggest itself.
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occurrence

noun
vandalism used to be a rare occurrence
event, incident, happening, phenomenon, affair, matter, circumstance.
the occurrence of cancer increases with age
existence, instance, appearance, manifestation, materialization, development; frequency, incidence, rate, prevalence; Statistics distribution.
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ocean

noun
the ocean was calm
the sea; informal the drink; Brit. informal the briny; poetic/literary the deep, the waves, the main.
(informal) she had oceans of energy.
See lot pronoun.
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odd

adjective
an odd man
strange, peculiar, weird, queer, funny, bizarre, eccentric, unusual, unconventional, outlandish, quirky, zany; informal wacky, kooky, screwy, oddball, offbeat, off the wall.
quite a few odd things had happened
strange, unusual, peculiar, funny, curious, bizarre, weird, uncanny, queer, outré, unexpected, unfamiliar, abnormal, atypical, anomalous, different, out of the ordinary, out of the way, exceptional, rare, extraordinary, remarkable, puzzling, mystifying, mysterious, perplexing, baffling, unaccountable, uncommon, irregular, singular, deviant, aberrant, freak, freakish.
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we have the odd drink together | he does odd jobs for friends
occasional, casual, irregular, isolated, random, sporadic, periodic; miscellaneous, various, varied, sundry.
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odd shoes
mismatched, unmatched, unpaired; single, lone, solitary, extra, surplus, leftover, remaining.
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ANTONYMS :normal, ordinary, regular.

odd man out
o utsider, exception, oddity, nonconformist, maverick, individualist, misfit, fish out of water, square peg in a round hole.

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oddity

noun
she was regarded as a bit of an oddity
eccentric, crank, misfit, maverick, nonconformist, rare bird; informal character, oddball, weirdo, crackpot, nut, freak; Brit. informal nutter; N. Amer. informal screwball, kook; informal, dated case.
his work remains an oddity in some respects
anomaly, aberration, curiosity, rarity.
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the oddities of human nature
peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, eccentricity, quirk, irregularity, twist.
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oddments

plural noun
oddments of material
scraps, remnants, odds and ends, bits, pieces, bits and pieces, bits and bobs, leftovers, fragments, snippets, offcuts, ends, shreds, tail ends; Brit. informal fag ends.
a cellar full of oddments.
See odds and ends at odds.
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odds

plural noun
the odds are that he is no longer alive
likelihood, probability, chances, chance, balance.
the odds are in our favour
advantage, edge; superiority, supremacy, ascendancy.
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at odds
he was at odds with his colleagues
in conflict, in disagreement, on bad terms, at cross purposes, at loggerheads, quarrelling, arguing, at daggers drawn, at each other's throats; N. Amer. on the outs.

behaviour at odds with the interests of the company
at variance, out of keeping, out of line, in opposition, conflicting, contrary, incompatible, inconsistent, irreconcilable.
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odds and ends
bits and pieces, bits and bobs, bits, pieces, stuff, paraphernalia, things, sundries, miscellanea, bric-a-brac, knick-knacks, oddments; informal junk; Brit. informal odds and sods, clobber, gubbins.

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odious

adjective
revolting, repulsive, repellent, repugnant, disgusting, offensive, objectionable, vile, foul, abhorrent, loathsome, nauseating, sickening, hateful, detestable, execrable, abominable, monstrous, appalling, reprehensible, deplorable, insufferable, intolerable, despicable, contemptible, unspeakable, atrocious, awful, terrible, dreadful, frightful, obnoxious, unsavoury, unpalatable, unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty, distasteful; informal ghastly, horrible, horrid, gross, God-awful; Brit. informal beastly; archaic disgustful, loathly. ANTONYMS :delightful.

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odium

noun
disgust, abhorrence, repugnance, revulsion, loathing, detestation, hatred, hate, obloquy, dislike, distaste, disfavour, antipathy, animosity, animus, enmity, hostility, contempt; disgrace, shame, opprobrium, discredit, dishonour. ANTONYMS :approval.

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odorous

adjective
smelly, malodorous, pungent, acrid, foul-smelling, evil-smelling, stinking, reeking, fetid, rank; informal stinky; Brit. informal pongy, niffy; poetic/literary miasmic, noisome, mephitic.

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odour

noun
an odour of sweat
smell, stench, stink, reek; Brit. informal pong, whiff, niff, hum; N. Amer. informal funk; poetic/literary miasma.
an odour of suspicion
atmosphere, air, aura, quality, flavour, savour, hint, suggestion, impression, whiff.
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odyssey

noun
journey, voyage, trek, travels, quest, crusade, pilgrimage, wandering, journeying; archaic peregrination.

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off

adjective
Kate's off today
away, absent, unavailable, not at work, off duty, on holiday, on leave; free, at leisure; N. Amer. on vacation.
the game's off
cancelled, postponed, called off.
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strawberries are off
unavailable, finished, sold out.
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the fish was a bit off
rotten, bad, stale, mouldy, high, sour, rancid, turned, spoiled, putrid, putrescent.
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(Brit. informal) I felt decidedly off.
See off colour sense 1.
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(Brit. informal) that remark was a bit off
unfair, unjust, uncalled for, below the belt, unjustified, unjustifiable, unreasonable, unwarranted, unnecessary; informal a bit much; Brit. informal out of order.
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(Brit. informal) he was really off with me
unfriendly, aloof, cool, cold, distant, frosty; informal stand-offish.
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off and on
periodically, at intervals, on and off, (every) once in a while, every so often, (every) now and then/again, from time to time, occasionally, sometimes, intermittently, irregularly .

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offbeat

adjective
(informal) unconventional, unorthodox, unusual, eccentric, idiosyncratic, outré, strange, bizarre, weird, peculiar, odd, freakish, outlandish, out of the ordinary, Bohemian, alternative, left-field, zany, quirky; informal wacky, freaky, way-out, off the wall, kooky, oddball. ANTONYMS :conventional.

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off colour

adjective
(Brit.) I'm feeling a bit off colour
unwell, ill, poorly, out of sorts, indisposed, not oneself, sick, queasy, nauseous, peaky, liverish, green about the gills, run down, washed out, below par; informal under the weather, rough; Brit. informal ropy, off; Scottish informal wabbit, peely-wally; Austral./NZ informal crook.
off-colour jokes
smutty, dirty, rude, crude, suggestive, indecent, indelicate, risqué, racy, bawdy, naughty, blue, vulgar, ribald, broad, salacious, coarse; informal raunchy; Brit. informal fruity, saucy; euphemistic adult.
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ANTONYMS :well.

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offence

noun
he denied having committed any offence
crime, illegal/unlawful act, misdemeanour, breach of the law, felony, wrongdoing, wrong, misdeed, peccadillo, sin, transgression, infringement; Law malfeasance; archaic trespass.
an offence to basic justice
affront, slap in the face, insult, outrage, violation.
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I do not want to cause offence
annoyance, anger, resentment, indignation, irritation, exasperation, wrath, displeasure, hard/bad/ill feelings, disgruntlement, pique, vexation, animosity.
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take offence
be offended, take exception, take something personally, feel affronted, feel resentful, take something amiss, take umbrage, get upset, get annoyed, get angry, get into a huff; Brit. informal get the hump.

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offend

verb
I'm sorry if I offended him
hurt someone's feelings, give offence to, affront, displease, upset, distress, hurt, wound; annoy, anger, exasperate, irritate, vex, pique, gall, irk, nettle, tread on someone's toes; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal rile, rattle, peeve, needle, put someone's nose out of joint, put someone's back up.
the smell of cigarette smoke offended him
displease, be distasteful to, be disagreeable to, be offensive to, disgust, repel, revolt, sicken, nauseate; informal turn off; N. Amer. informal gross out.
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criminals who offend again and again
break the law, commit a crime, do wrong, sin, transgress; archaic trespass.
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offended

adjective
affronted, insulted, aggrieved, displeased, upset, hurt, wounded, disgruntled, put out, annoyed, angry, cross, exasperated, indignant, irritated, piqued, vexed, irked, stung, galled, nettled, resentful, in a huff, huffy, in high dudgeon; informal riled, miffed, peeved, aggravated; Brit. informal narked; N. Amer. informal sore. ANTONYMS :pleased.

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offender

noun
wrongdoer, criminal, lawbreaker, miscreant, malefactor, felon, delinquent, culprit, guilty party, sinner, transgressor; Law malfeasant.

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offensive

adjective
offensive remarks
insulting, rude, impertinent, insolent, derogatory, disrespectful, personal, hurtful, wounding, abusive; annoying, exasperating, irritating, galling, provocative, outrageous; discourteous, uncivil, impolite; formal exceptionable.
an offensive smell
unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty, distasteful, displeasing, objectionable, off-putting, awful, terrible, dreadful, frightful, obnoxious, abominable, disgusting, repulsive, repellent, repugnant, revolting, abhorrent, loathsome, odious, vile, foul, sickening, nauseating; informal ghastly, horrible, horrid, gross, God-awful; Brit. informal beastly; archaic disgustful.
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an offensive air action
hostile, attacking, aggressive, invading, combative, belligerent, on the attack.
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ANTONYMS :complimentary, pleasant, defensive.

noun
a military offensive
attack, assault, onslaught, drive, invasion, push, thrust, charge, sortie, sally, foray, raid, incursion, blitz , campaign.

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offer

verb
Frank offered another suggestion
put forward, proffer, give, present, come up with, suggest, recommend, propose, advance, submit, tender, render.
she offered to help
volunteer, volunteer one's services, be at someone's disposal, be at someone's service, step/come forward, show willing.
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the product is offered at a competitive price
put up for sale, put on the market, sell, market, put under the hammer; Law vend.
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he offered $200
bid, tender, put in a bid of, put in an offer of.
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a job offering good career prospects
provide, afford, supply, give, furnish, present, hold out.
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she offered no resistance
attempt, try, give, show, express; formal essay.
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birds were offered to the gods
sacrifice, offer up, immolate.
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ANTONYMS :withdraw, refuse.

noun
offers of help
proposal, proposition, suggestion, submission, approach, overture.
the highest offer
bid, tender, bidding price.
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on offer
on sale, up for sale, on the market ; available, obtainable, to be had; N. Amer. on the block.

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offering

noun
you may place offerings in the charity box
contribution, donation, gift, present, handout, widow's mite; charity; formal benefaction; historical alms.
many offerings were made to the goddess
sacrifice, oblation, burnt offering, immolation, libation, first fruits.
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offhand

adjective
an offhand manner
casual, careless, uninterested, unconcerned, indifferent, cool, nonchalant, blasé, insouciant, cavalier, glib, perfunctory, cursory, unceremonious, ungracious, dismissive, discourteous, uncivil, impolite, terse, abrupt, curt; informal off, couldn't-care-less, take-it-or-leave-it.
adverb
I can't think of a better answer offhand
on the spur of the moment, without consideration, extempore, impromptu, ad lib; extemporaneously, spontaneously; informal off the cuff, off the top of one's head, just like that.

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office

noun
her office in Aldersgate Street
place of work, place of business, workplace, workroom.
the newspaper's Paris office
branch, division, section, bureau, department; agency.
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he assumed the office of President
post, position, appointment, job, occupation, role, situation, function, capacity.
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he was saved by the good offices of his uncle
assistance, help, aid, services, intervention, intercession, mediation, agency.
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(dated) the offices of a nurse
duty, job, task, chore, obligation, assignment, responsibility, charge, commission.
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officer

noun
an officer in the army
military officer, commissioned officer, non-commissioned officer, NCO, commanding officer, CO.
all officers carry warrant cards.
See police officer.
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the officers of the society
official, office-holder, committee member, board member; public servant, administrator, executive, functionary, bureaucrat; derogatory apparatchik.
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official

adjective
an official inquiry
authorized, approved, validated, authenticated, certified, accredited, endorsed, sanctioned, licensed, recognized, accepted, legitimate, legal, lawful, valid, bona fide, proper, ex cathedra; informal kosher.
an official function
ceremonial, formal, solemn, ceremonious; bureaucratic; informal stuffed-shirt.
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ANTONYMS :unauthorized, informal.

noun
a union official
officer, office-holder, administrator, executive, appointee, functionary; bureaucrat, mandarin; representative, agent; Brit. jack-in-office; derogatory apparatchik.

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officiate

verb
he officiated in the first two matches
be in charge of, take charge of, preside over; oversee, superintend, supervise, conduct, run.
Father Buckley officiated at the wedding service
conduct, perform, celebrate, solemnize.
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officious

adjective
self-important, bumptious, self-assertive, pushy, overbearing, overzealous, domineering, opinionated, interfering, intrusive, meddlesome, meddling; informal bossy. ANTONYMS :self-effacing.

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offing

in the offing
on the way, coming, (close) at hand, near, imminent, in prospect, on the horizon, in the wings, just around the corner, in the air, in the wind, brewing, upcoming, forthcoming; informal on the cards.

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off-key

adjective
an off-key rendition of "Amazing Grace"
out of tune, flat, tuneless, discordant, unharmonious.
the cinematic effects are distractingly off-key
incongruous, inappropriate, unsuitable, out of place, out of keeping, jarring, dissonant, inharmonious.
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ANTONYMS :harmonious.

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offload

verb
the cargo was being offloaded
unload, remove, empty (out), tip (out); archaic unlade.
he offloaded 5,000 of the shares
dispose of, dump, jettison, get rid of, transfer, shift; palm off, foist, fob off.
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off-putting

adjective
an off-putting aroma
unpleasant, unappealing, uninviting, unattractive, disagreeable, offensive, distasteful, unsavoury, unpalatable, unappetizing, objectionable, nasty, disgusting, repellent; informal horrid, horrible.
her manner was off-putting
discouraging, disheartening, demoralizing, dispiriting, daunting, disconcerting, unnerving, unsettling; formal rebarbative.
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offset

verb
counterbalance, balance (out), cancel (out), even out/up, counteract, countervail, neutralize, compensate for, make up for, make good, redeem.

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offshoot

noun
the plant's offshoots
side shoot, shoot, sucker, tendril, runner, scion, slip, offset, stolon; twig, branch, bough, limb.
an offshoot of Cromwell's line
descendant, scion.
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an offshoot of the growth of interest in heritage
outcome, result, effect, consequence, upshot, product, by-product, spin-off, development, ramification.
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offspring

noun
children, sons and daughters, progeny, family, youngsters, babies, infants, brood; descendants, heirs, successors; Law issue; informal kids; Brit. informal sprogs, brats; derogatory spawn; archaic fruit of one's loins.

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often

adverb
frequently, many times, many a time, on many/numerous occasions, a lot, as often as not, repeatedly, again and again; regularly, routinely, usually, habitually, commonly, generally, in many cases/instances, ordinarily; N. Amer. oftentimes; poetic/literary oft. ANTONYMS :seldom.

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ogle

verb
leer at, stare at, eye, make eyes at; informal eye up, give someone the glad eye, lech after, undress with one's eyes, give someone the come-on; Austral./NZ informal perv on.

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ogre

noun
an ogre with two heads
monster, giant, troll.
he is not the ogre he sometimes seems to be
brute, fiend, monster, beast, barbarian, savage, animal, tyrant; informal bastard, swine, pig.
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ogress

noun
a one-eyed ogress
monster, giantess.
the French teacher was a real ogress
harridan, tartar, termagant, gorgon, virago; informal battleaxe.
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oily

adjective
oily substances
greasy, oleaginous; technical sebaceous; formal pinguid.
oily food
greasy, fatty, buttery, swimming in oil/fat.
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an oily man
unctuous, ingratiating, smooth-talking, fulsome, flattering; obsequious, sycophantic, oleaginous; informal smarmy, slimy.
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ointment

noun
lotion, cream, salve, liniment, embrocation, rub, gel, balm, emollient, unguent; technical humectant.

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OK okay (informal)

exclamation
OK, I'll go with him
all right, right, right then, right you are, very well, very good, fine; informal okey-doke(y); Brit. informal righto, righty-ho.
adjective
the film was OK
satisfactory, all right, acceptable, competent; adequate, tolerable, passable, reasonable, fair, decent, not bad, average, middling, moderate, unremarkable, unexceptional; informal so-so, fair-to-middling.
Jo's feeling OK now
fine, all right, well, in good shape, in good health, fit, healthy, as fit as a fiddle/flea.
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it is OK for me to come?
permissible, allowable, acceptable, all right, in order, permitted, fitting, suitable, appropriate.
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ANTONYMS :unsatisfactory, ill.

noun
he's just given me the OK
authorization, approval, seal of approval, agreement, consent, assent, permission, endorsement, ratification, sanction, approbation, confirmation, blessing, leave; informal the go-ahead, the green light, the thumbs up, say-so. ANTONYMS :refusal.

verb
the move must be okayed by the president
authorize, approve, agree to, consent to, sanction, pass, ratify, endorse, allow, give something the nod, rubber-stamp; informal give the go-ahead, give the green light, give the thumbs up; formal accede to. ANTONYMS :refuse, veto.

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old

adjective
old people
elderly, aged, older, senior, advanced in years, venerable; in one's dotage, long in the tooth, grey-haired, grizzled, hoary, past one's prime, not as young as one was, ancient, decrepit, doddering, doddery, not long for this world, senescent, senile, superannuated; informal getting on, past it, over the hill, no spring chicken.
old farm buildings
dilapidated, broken-down, run down, tumbledown, ramshackle, decaying, crumbling, disintegrating.
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old clothes
worn, worn out, shabby, threadbare, holey, torn, frayed, patched, tattered, moth-eaten, ragged; old-fashioned, out of date, outmoded; cast-off, hand-me-down; informal tatty.
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old cars
antique, veteran, vintage.
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she's old for her years
mature, wise, sensible, experienced, worldly-wise, knowledgeable.
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in the old days
bygone, past, former, olden, of old, previous, early, earlier, earliest; medieval, ancient, classical, primeval, primordial, prehistoric.
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the same old phrases
hackneyed, hack, banal, trite, overused, overworked, tired, worn out, stale, clichéd, platitudinous, unimaginative, stock, conventional; out of date, outdated, old-fashioned, outmoded, hoary; informal old hat, corny, played out.
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an old girlfriend
former, previous, ex-, one-time, sometime, erstwhile; formal quondam.
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ANTONYMS :young, new, modern.

old age
declining years, advanced years, age, oldness, winter/autumn of one's life, senescence, senility, dotage. old man
senior citizen, pensioner, OAP, elder, grandfather; patriarch; informal greybeard, codger; Brit. informal buffer; archaic grandsire, ancient.

(informal) her old man was away.
See husband noun.
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old person
senior citizen, senior, (old-age) pensioner, OAP, elder, geriatric, dotard, Methuselah; N. Amer. golden ager; informal old stager, old-timer, oldie, wrinkly, crock, crumbly; N. Amer. informal oldster, woopie. old woman
senior citizen, pensioner, OAP, crone; informal old dear; archaic beldam, grandam.

(informal) his old woman threw him out.
See wife.
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old-fashioned

adjective
out of date, outdated, dated, out of fashion, outmoded, unfashionable, passé, démodé, frumpy; outworn, old, old-time, behind the times, archaic, obsolescent, obsolete, ancient, antiquated, superannuated, defunct; medieval, prehistoric, antediluvian, old-fogeyish, conservative, backward-looking, quaint, anachronistic, fusty, moth-eaten, olde worlde; informal old hat, square, not with it, out of the ark; N. Amer. informal horse-and-buggy, clunky, rinky-dink. ANTONYMS :modern.

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old-time

adjective
former, past, bygone, old-fashioned; traditional, folk, old-world, quaint. ANTONYMS :modern.

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Olympian

adjective
aloof, distant, remote, unfriendly, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, cool; informal stand-offish. ANTONYMS :friendly.

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omen

noun
portent, sign, signal, token, forewarning, warning, foreshadowing, prediction, forecast, prophesy, harbinger, augury, auspice, presage; writing on the wall, indication, hint; poetic/literary foretoken.

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ominous

adjective
threatening, menacing, baleful, forbidding, sinister, inauspicious, unpropitious, portentous, unfavourable, unpromising; black, dark, gloomy; formal minatory; poetic/literary direful. ANTONYMS :promising.

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omission

noun
the omission of recent publications from his biography
exclusion, leaving out; deletion, cut, excision, elimination.
the damage was not caused by any omission on behalf of the carrier
negligence, neglect, neglectfulness, dereliction, forgetfulness, oversight, default, lapse, failure.
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omit

verb
they omitted his name from the list
leave out, exclude, leave off, take out, miss out, miss, drop, cut; delete, eliminate, rub out, cross out, strike out.
I omitted to mention our guest lecturer
forget, neglect, fail; leave undone, overlook, skip.
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ANTONYMS :add, include, remember.

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omnipotence

noun
all-powerfulness, supremacy, pre-eminence, supreme power, unlimited power; invincibility.

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omnipotent

adjective
all-powerful, almighty, supreme, pre-eminent; invincible, unconquerable.

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omnipresent

adjective
ubiquitous, all-pervasive, everywhere; rife, pervasive, prevalent.

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omniscient

adjective
all-knowing, all-wise, all-seeing.

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omnivorous

adjective
most duck species are omnivorous
able to eat anything; rare pantophagous, omnivorant.
an omnivorous reader
undiscriminating, indiscriminate, unselective.
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on

adjective
the computer's on
functioning, in operation, working, in use, operating. ANTONYMS :off.

adverb
she droned on
interminably, at length, for a long time, continuously, endlessly, ceaselessly, without a pause/break.
on and off. See off and on at off. on and on
for a long time, for ages, for hours, at (great) length, incessantly, ceaselessly, constantly, continuously, continually, endlessly, unendingly, eternally, forever, interminably, unremittingly, relentlessly, indefatigably, without let-up, without a pause/break, without cease.

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once

adverb
I only met him once
on one occasion, one time, one single time.
he did not once help
ever, at any time, on any occasion, at all.
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they were friends once
formerly, previously, in the past, at one time, at one point, once upon a time, time was when, in days/times gone by, in times past, in the (good) old days, long ago; archaic sometime, erstwhile, whilom; poetic/literary in days/times of yore.
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ANTONYMS :often, now.

conjunction
he'll be all right once she's gone
as soon as, when, after.
at once
you must leave at once
immediately, right away, right now, this moment/instant/second/minute, now, straight away, instantly, directly, forthwith, promptly, without delay/hesitation, without further ado; quickly, as fast as possible, as soon as possible, a.s.a.p., speedily; informal like a shot, in/like a flash, before you can say Jack Robinson.

all the guests arrived at once
at the same time, at one and the same time, (all) together, simultaneously; as a group, in unison, in concert, in chorus.
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once and for all
conclusively , decisively, finally, positively, definitely, definitively, irrevocably; for good, for always, forever, permanently. once in a while
occasionally, from time to time, (every) now and then/again, every so often, on occasion, at times, sometimes, off and on, at intervals, periodically, sporadically, intermittently.

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oncoming

adjective
approaching, advancing, nearing, forthcoming, on the way, imminent, impending, looming, gathering, (close) at hand, about to happen, to come.

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one

cardinal number
unit, item; technical monad.
only one person came
a single, a solitary, a sole, a lone.
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her one concern was her daughter
only, single, solitary, sole.
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they have now become one
united, a unit, unitary, amalgamated, consolidated, integrated, combined, incorporated, allied, affiliated, linked, joined, unified, in league, in partnership; wedded, married.
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mono-, uni-.

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onerous

adjective
burdensome, arduous, strenuous, difficult, hard, severe, heavy, back-breaking, oppressive, weighty, uphill, effortful, formidable, laborious, Herculean, exhausting, tiring, taxing, demanding, punishing, gruelling, exacting, wearing, wearisome, fatiguing; archaic toilsome. ANTONYMS :easy.

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oneself

by oneself. See by.

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one-sided

adjective
a one-sided account
biased, prejudiced, partisan, partial, preferential, discriminatory, slanted, inequitable, unfair, unjust.
a one-sided game
unequal, uneven, unbalanced.
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ANTONYMS :impartial.

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one-time

adjective
former, ex-, old, previous, sometime, erstwhile; lapsed; formal quondam.

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ongoing

adjective
negotiations are ongoing
in progress, under way, going on, continuing, taking place, proceeding, progressing, advancing; unfinished.
an ongoing struggle
continuous, continuing, uninterrupted, unbroken, non-stop, constant, ceaseless, unceasing, unending, endless, never-ending, unremitting, relentless, unfaltering.
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onlooker

noun
eyewitness, witness, observer, looker-on, fly on the wall, spectator, watcher, viewer, bystander; sightseer; informal rubberneck; poetic/literary beholder.

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only

adverb
there was only enough for two
at most, at best, (only) just, no/not more than; barely, scarcely, hardly.
he only works on one picture at a time
exclusively, solely, to the exclusion of everything else.
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you're only saying that
merely, simply, just.
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adjective
their only son
sole, single, one (and only), solitary, lone, unique; exclusive.

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onomatopoeic

adjective
imitative, echoic.

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onset

noun
start, beginning, commencement, arrival, (first) appearance, inception, day one; outbreak. ANTONYMS :end.

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onslaught

noun
assault, attack, offensive, advance, charge, onrush, rush, storming, sortie, sally, raid, descent, incursion, invasion, foray, push, thrust, drive, blitz, bombardment, barrage, salvo; historical broadside.

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onus

noun
burden, responsibility, liability, obligation, duty, weight, load, charge, encumbrance; cross to bear, millstone round one's neck, albatross.

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ooze

verb
blood oozed from the wound
seep, discharge, flow, exude, trickle, drip, dribble, issue, filter, percolate, escape, leak, drain, empty, bleed, sweat, well; Medicine extravasate.
she was positively oozing charm
exude, gush, drip, pour forth, emanate, radiate.
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noun
the ooze of blood
seepage, seeping, discharge, flow, exudation, trickle, drip, dribble, percolation, escape, leak, leakage, drainage; secretion; Medicine extravasation.
the ooze on the ocean floor
mud, slime, alluvium, silt, mire, sludge, muck, dirt, deposit.
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opalescent

adjective
iridescent, prismatic, rainbow-like, kaleidoscopic, multicoloured, many-hued, lustrous, shimmering, glittering, sparkling, variegated, shot, moire, opaline, milky, pearly, nacreous.

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opaque

adjective
opaque glass
non-transparent, cloudy, filmy, blurred, smeared, smeary, misty, dirty, muddy, muddied, grimy.
the technical jargon was opaque to her
obscure, unclear, mysterious, puzzling, perplexing, baffling, mystifying, confusing, unfathomable, incomprehensible, unintelligible, impenetrable, hazy, foggy; informal as clear as mud.
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ANTONYMS :transparent, clear.

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open

adjective
the door's open
not shut, not closed, unlocked, unbolted, unlatched, off the latch, unfastened, unsecured; ajar, gaping, yawning.
a blue silk shirt, open at the neck
unfastened, not done up, undone, unbuttoned, unzipped, loose.
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the main roads are open
clear, passable, navigable, unblocked, unobstructed.
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open countryside | open spaces
unenclosed, rolling, sweeping, extensive, wide (open), unfenced, exposed, unsheltered; spacious, airy, uncrowded, uncluttered; undeveloped, unbuilt-up.
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a map was open beside him
spread out, unfolded, unfurled, unrolled, extended, stretched out.
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the bank wasn't open
open for business, open to the public.
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the position is still open
available, vacant, free, unfilled; informal up for grabs.
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the system is open to abuse
vulnerable, subject, susceptible, liable, exposed, an easy target for, at risk of.
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she was open about her feelings
frank, candid, honest, forthcoming, communicative, forthright, direct, unreserved, plain-spoken, outspoken, free-spoken, not afraid to call a spade a spade; informal upfront.
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open hostility
overt, obvious, patent, manifest, palpable, conspicuous, plain, undisguised, unconcealed, clear, apparent, evident; blatant, flagrant, barefaced, brazen.
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the case is still open
unresolved, undecided, unsettled, up in the air; open to debate, open for discussion, arguable, debatable, moot.
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an open mind
impartial, unbiased, unprejudiced, objective, disinterested, non-partisan, non-discriminatory, neutral, dispassionate, detached.
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I'm open to suggestions
receptive, amenable, willing/ready to listen, responsive.
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what other options are open to us?
available, accessible, on hand, obtainable, on offer.
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an open meeting
public, general, unrestricted, non-exclusive, non-restrictive.
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ANTONYMS :shut.

verb
she opened the front door
unfasten, unlatch, unlock, unbolt, unbar; throw wide.
Katherine opened the parcel
unwrap, undo, untie, unseal.
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sha ll I open another bottle?
uncork, broach, crack (open).
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Adam opened the map
spread out, unfold, unfurl, unroll, straighten out.
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he opened his heart to her
reveal, uncover, expose, lay bare, bare, pour out, disclose, divulge.
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we're hoping to open next month
start trading, open for business, set up shop, put up one's plate; N. Amer. informal hang out one's shingle.
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Sir Bryan opened the meeting
begin, start, commence, initiate, set in motion, launch, get going, get under way, set the ball rolling, get off the ground; inaugurate; informal kick off, get the show on the road.
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the lounge opens on to a terrace
give access, lead, be connected, communicate with.
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ANTONYMS :close, shut, end.

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open air

adjective
outdoor, out-of-doors, outside, alfresco. ANTONYMS :indoor.

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open-handed

adjective
generous, magnanimous, charitable, benevolent, beneficent, munificent, bountiful, altruistic, philanthropic; poetic/literary bounteous. ANTONYMS :tight-fisted.

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opening

noun
an opening in the centre of the roof
hole, gap, aperture, orifice, vent, crack, slit, chink; spyhole, peephole; Anatomy foramen.
the opening in the wall
doorway, gateway, entrance, (means of) entry, way in/out, exit.
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United created openings but were unable to score
opportunity, chance, window (of opportunity), possibility.
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an opening with a stockbroker
vacancy, position, job.
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the opening of the session
beginning, start, commencement, outset; introduction, prefatory remarks, opening statement; informal kick-off; formal proem.
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a gallery opening
opening ceremony, official opening, launch, inauguration; opening/first night, premiere.
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openly

adverb
drugs were openly on sale
publicly, blatantly, flagrantly, overtly.
he spoke openly of his problems
frankly, candidly, explicitly, honestly, sincerely, forthrightly, bluntly, without constraint, without holding back, straight from the shoulder.
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ANTONYMS :secretly.

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open-minded

adjective
open-minded attitudes
unbiased, unprejudiced, neutral, non-judgemental, non-discriminatory, objective, disinterested; tolerant, liberal, permissive, broad-minded.
musicians need to be open-minded
receptive, open (to suggestions), amenable, flexible, willing to change.
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ANTONYMS :prejudiced, narrow-minded.

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open-mouthed

adjective
astounded, amazed, in amazement, surprised, stunned, bowled over, staggered, thunderstruck, aghast, stupefied, taken aback, shocked, speechless, dumbfounded, dumbstruck; informal flabbergasted; Brit. informal gobsmacked.

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operate

verb
he can operate the machine
work, make go, run, use, utilize, handle, control, manage; drive, steer, manoeuvre.
the machine ceased to operate
function, work, go, run, be in working/running order, be operative.
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the way the law operates in practice
take effect, act, apply, be applied, function.
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Hechstetter operated the mines until 1634
direct, control, manage, run, govern, administer, superintend, head (up), supervise, oversee, be in control/charge of.
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doctors decided to operate
do an operation, perform surgery.
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operation

noun
the slide bars ensure smooth operation
functioning, working, running, performance, action.
the operation of the factory
management, running, governing, administration, supervision.
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a heart bypass operation
surgery, surgical operation.
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a military operation
action, activity, exercise, undertaking, enterprise, manoeuvre, campaign.
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their mining operations
business, enterprise, company, firm; informal outfit.
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in operation. See operational.

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operational

adjective
(up and) running, working, functioning, operative, in operation, in use, in action; in working order, workable, serviceable, functional, usable.

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operative

adjective
the act is not operative at the moment
in force, in operation, in effect, valid.
the steam railway is operative.
See operational.
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the operative word
key, significant, relevant, applicable, pertinent, apposite, germane, crucial, critical, pivotal.
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ANTONYMS :invalid.

noun
the operatives clean the machines
machinist, (machine) operator, mechanic, engineer, worker, workman, (factory) hand, blue-collar worker.
an operative of the CIA
(secret) agent, undercover agent, spy, mole, plant, double agent; N. Amer. informal spook; archaic intelligencer.
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a private operative
(private) detective, (private) investigator, sleuth; informal private eye; N. Amer. informal gumshoe.
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operator

noun
a machine operator
machinist, mechanic, operative, engineer, worker.
a tour operator
contractor, entrepreneur, promoter, arranger, fixer.
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(informal) a ruthless operator
manipulator, manoeuvrer, string-puller, mover and shaker, wheeler-dealer; N. Amer. informal wire-puller.
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opiate

noun
drug, narcotic, sedative, tranquillizer, depressant, soporific, anaesthetic, painkiller, analgesic, anodyne; morphine, opium; informal dope; Medicine stupefacient.

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opine

verb
(formal) suggest, say, declare, observe, comment, remark; think, believe, consider, maintain, imagine, reckon, guess, assume, presume, take it, suppose; N. Amer. informal allow.

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opinion

noun
she did not share her husband's opinion
belief, judgement, thought(s), (way of) thinking, mind, (point of) view, viewpoint, attitude, stance, position, standpoint.
a matter of opinion
open to question, debatable, open to debate, a moot point. be of the opinion
believe, think, consider, maintain, reckon, estimate, feel, be convinced; N. Amer. informal allow; formal opine. in my opinion
as I see it, to my mind, (according) to my way of thinking, personally, in my estimation, if you ask me.

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opinionated

adjective
dogmatic, of fixed views; inflexible, uncompromising, prejudiced, bigoted.

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opponent

noun
his Republican opponent
rival, adversary, opposer, the opposition, fellow contestant, (fellow) competitor, enemy, antagonist, combatant, contender, challenger; poetic/literary foe.
an opponent of the reforms
opposer, objector, dissenter.
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ANTONYMS :ally, supporter.

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opportune

adjective
auspicious, propitious, favourable, advantageous, golden, felicitous; timely, convenient, suitable, appropriate, apt, fitting. ANTONYMS :disadvantageous.

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opportunism

noun
expediency, pragmatism, Machiavellianism; striking while the iron is hot, making hay while the sun shines.

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opportunity

noun
(lucky) chance, golden opportunity, favourable time/occasion/moment; time, occasion, moment, opening, option, window (of opportunity), possibility, scope, freedom; informal shot, break, look-in.

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oppose

verb
be against, object to, be hostile to, be in opposition to, disagree with, dislike, disapprove of; resist, take a stand against, put up a fight against, stand up to, fight, challenge; take issue with, dispute, argue with/against, quarrel with; informal be anti; formal gainsay. ANTONYMS :support.

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opposed

adjective
the population is opposed to the nuclear power plants
against, (dead) set against; in opposition, averse, hostile, antagonistic, antipathetic, resistant; informal anti.
their interests were opposed
conflicting, contrasting, incompatible, irreconcilable, antithetical, contradictory, clashing, at variance, at odds, divergent, poles apart.
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ANTONYMS :in favour of.

as opposed to
in contrast with, as against, as contrasted with, rather than, instead of.

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opposing

adjective
the two opposing points of view
conflicting, contrasting, opposite, incompatible, irreconcilable, contradictory, antithetical, clashing, at variance, at odds, divergent, opposed, poles apart.
opposing sides in the war
rival, opposite, enemy.
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the opposing page
opposite, facing.
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opposite

adjective
they sat opposite each other
facing, face to face with, across from; informal eyeball to eyeball with.
the opposite page
facing, opposing.
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opposite views
conflicting, contrasting, incompatible, irreconcilable, antithetical, contradictory, clashing, at variance, at odds, different, differing, divergent, dissimilar, unalike, disagreeing, opposed, opposing, poles apart.
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opposite sides in a war
rival, opposing, enemy.
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ANTONYMS :same.

noun
in fact the opposite was true
reverse, converse, antithesis, contrary, inverse, obverse, antipode; the other side of the coin; informal flip side.

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opposition

noun
the proposal met with opposition
resistance, hostility, antagonism, antipathy, objection, dissent, disapproval; defiance, non-compliance, obstruction.
they beat the opposition
opponents, opposing side, other side/team, competition, opposers, rivals, adversaries.
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the opposition between the public and the private domains
conflict, clash, disparity, antithesis, polarity.
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oppress

verb
the invaders oppressed the people
persecute, abuse, maltreat, ill-treat, tyrannize, crush, repress, suppress, subjugate, subdue, keep down, grind down, rule with a rod of iron, ride roughshod over.
the gloom oppressed her
depress, make gloomy/despondent, weigh down, weigh heavily on, cast down, dampen someone's spirits, dispirit, dishearten, discourage, sadden, get down; archaic deject.
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oppressed

adjective
persecuted, downtrodden, abused, maltreated, ill-treated, subjugated, tyrannized, repressed, subdued, crushed; disadvantaged, underprivileged.

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oppression

noun
persecution, abuse, maltreatment, ill-treatment, tyranny, repression, suppression, subjection, subjugation; cruelty, brutality, injustice, hardship, suffering, misery.

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oppressive

adjective
an oppressive dictatorship
harsh, cruel, brutal, repressive, tyrannical, autocratic, dictatorial, despotic, undemocratic; ruthless, merciless, pitiless.
an oppressive sense of despair
overwhelming, overpowering, unbearable, unendurable, intolerable.
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it was grey and oppressive
muggy, close, heavy, hot, humid, sticky, steamy, airless, stuffy, stifling, sultry.
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ANTONYMS :lenient.

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oppressor

noun
persecutor, tyrant, despot, autocrat, dictator, subjugator, tormentor.

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opprobrious

adjective
abusive, vituperative, derogatory, disparaging, denigratory, pejorative, deprecatory, insulting, offensive; scornful, contemptuous, derisive; informal bitchy; archaic contumelious.

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opprobrium

noun
the government endured months of opprobrium
vilification, abuse, vituperation, condemnation, criticism, censure, denunciation, defamation, denigration, disparagement, obloquy, derogation, slander, revilement, calumny, calumniation, execration, bad press, invective; informal flak, mud-slinging, bad-mouthing; Brit. informal stick; formal castigation, excoriation; archaic contumely.
the opprobrium of being associated with thugs
disgrace, shame, dishonour, stigma, humiliation, loss of face, ignominy, disrepute, infamy, notoriety, scandal.
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ANTONYMS :praise, honour.

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opt

verb
choose, select, pick (out), decide on, go for, settle on, plump for/on.

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optimism

noun
hopefulness, hope, confidence, buoyancy, sanguineness, positiveness, positive attitude.

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optimistic

adjective
she felt optimistic about the future
positive, confident, hopeful, sanguine, bullish, buoyant; informal upbeat.
the forecast is optimistic
encouraging, promising, hopeful, reassuring, favourable, auspicious, propitious.
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ANTONYMS :pessimistic.

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optimum

adjective
best, most favourable, most advantageous, ideal, perfect, prime, optimal.

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option

noun
choice, alternative, possibility, course of action.

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optional

adjective
voluntary, discretionary, non-compulsory, non-mandatory; Law permissive. ANTONYMS :compulsory.

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opulence

noun
the opulence of the room
luxuriousness, sumptuousness, lavishness, richness, luxury, luxuriance, splendour, magnificence, grandeur, splendidness; informal plushness.
a display of opulence
wealth, affluence, wealthiness, richness, riches, prosperity, prosperousness, money.
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ANTONYMS :poverty.

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opulent

adjective
his opulent home
luxurious, sumptuous, palatial, lavishly appointed, rich, splendid, magnificent, grand, grandiose, fancy; informal plush, swanky; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal swank.
an opulent family
wealthy, rich, affluent, well off, well-to-do, moneyed, prosperous, of substance; informal well heeled, rolling in money, loaded, stinking/filthy rich, made of money.
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her opulent red hair
copious, abundant, profuse, prolific, plentiful, luxuriant.
Top
ANTONYMS :spartan, poor.

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opus

noun
composition, work (of art), oeuvre.

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oracle

noun
the oracle of Apollo
prophet, prophetess, sibyl, seer, augur, prognosticator, diviner, soothsayer, fortune teller.
our oracle on Africa
authority, expert, specialist, pundit, mentor, adviser.
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oracular

adjective
his every utterance was given oracular significance
prophetic, prophetical, sibylline, predictive, prescient, prognostic, divinatory, augural.
oracular responses
enigmatic, cryptic, abstruse, unclear, obscure, confusing, mystifying, puzzling, mysterious, arcane; ambiguous, equivocal.
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oral

adjective
an oral agreement
spoken, verbal, unwritten, vocal, uttered, said. ANTONYMS :written.

noun
a French oral
oral examination; Brit. viva (voce).

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orate

verb
declaim, make a speech, hold forth, speak, discourse, pontificate, preach, sermonize, sound off, spout off; informal spiel; formal perorate.

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oration

noun
speech, address, lecture, talk, homily, sermon, discourse, declamation; informal spiel.

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orator

noun
(public) speaker, speech-maker, lecturer, declaimer, rhetorician, rhetor; informal spieler.

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oratorical

adjective
rhetorical, grandiloquent, magniloquent, high-flown, orotund, bombastic, grandiose, pompous, pretentious, overblown, turgid, flowery, florid.

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oratory

noun
rhetoric, eloquence, grandiloquence, magniloquence, public speaking, speech-making, declamation.

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orb

noun
sphere, globe, ball, circle.

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orbit

noun
the earth's orbit around the sun
course, path, circuit, track, trajectory, rotation, revolution, circle.
the problem comes outside our orbit
sphere (of influence), area of activity, range, scope, ambit, compass, jurisdiction, authority, remit, domain, realm, province, territory; informal bailiwick.
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verb
Mercury orbits the sun
revolve round, circle round, go round, travel round.

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orchestra

noun
ensemble; informal band.

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orchestrate

verb
the piece was orchestrated by Mozart
arrange, adapt, score.
orchestrating a campaign of civil disobedience
organize, arrange, plan, set up, bring about, mobilize, mount, stage, stage-manage, mastermind, coordinate, direct, engineer.
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ordain

verb
the Church of England voted to ordain women
confer holy orders on, appoint, anoint, consecrate.
the path ordained by God
predetermine, predestine, preordain, determine, prescribe, designate.
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he ordained that anyone hunting in the forest was to pay a fine
decree, rule, order, command, lay down, legislate, prescribe, pronounce.
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ordeal

noun
unpleasant experience, painful experience, trial, tribulation, nightmare, trauma, hell (on earth), trouble, difficulty, torture, torment, agony.

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order

noun
alphabetical order
sequence, arrangement, organization, disposition, system, series, succession; grouping, classification, categorization, codification, systematization.
some semblance of order
tidiness, neatness, orderliness, trimness.
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the police were needed to keep order
peace, control, law (and order), lawfulness, discipline, calm, (peace and) quiet, peacefulness, peaceableness.
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his sense of order
orderliness, organization, method, system; symmetry, uniformity, regularity; routine.
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the equipment was in good order
condition, state, repair, shape.
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I had to obey his orders
command, instruction, directive, direction, decree, edict, injunction, mandate, dictate, commandment, rescript; law, rule, regulation, diktat; demand, bidding, requirement, stipulation; informal say-so; formal ordinance; poetic/literary behest.
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the company has won the order
commission, purchase order, request, requisition; booking, reservation.
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the lower orders of society
class, level, rank, grade, degree, position, category; dated station.
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the established social order
(class) system, hierarchy, pecking order, grading, ranking, scale.
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the higher orders of insects
taxonomic group, class, family, species, breed; taxon.
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a religious order
community, brotherhood, sisterhood.
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the Orange Order
organization, association, society, fellowship, fraternity, confraternity, sodality, lodge, guild, league, union, club; sect.
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skills of a very high order
type, kind, sort, nature, variety; quality, calibre, standard.
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ANTONYMS :chaos.

verb
he ordered me to return
instruct, command, direct, enjoin, tell, require, charge; formal adjure; poetic/literary bid.
he ordered that their assets be confiscated
decree, ordain, rule, legislate, dictate, prescribe.
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you can order your tickets by phone
request, apply for, place an order for; book, reserve; formal bespeak.
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the messages are ordered chronologically
organize, put in order, arrange, sort out, marshal, dispose, lay out; group, classify, categorize, catalogue, codify, systematize, systemize.
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in order
list the dates in order
in sequence, in alphabetical order, in numerical order, in order of priority.

he found everything in order
tidy, neat, orderly, straight, trim, shipshape (and Bristol fashion), in apple-pie order; in position, in place.
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I think it's in order for me to take the credit
appropriate, fitting, suitable, acceptable, (all) right, permissible, permitted, allowable; informal okay.
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order someone about/around
tell someone what to do, give orders to, dictate to; lay down the law; informal boss about/around, push about/around. out of order
the lift's out of order
not working, not in working order, not functioning, broken, broken-down, out of service, out of commission, faulty, defective, inoperative; down; informal conked out, bust, (gone) kaput; N. Amer. informal on the fritz, out of whack.

Brit. informal that's really out of order
unacceptable, unfair, unjust, unjustified, uncalled for, below the belt, unreasonable, unwarranted, beyond the pale; informal not on, a bit much; Brit. informal a bit thick, off, not cricket; Austral./NZ informal over the fence.
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orderly

adjective
an orderly room
neat, tidy, well ordered, in order, trim, in apple-pie order, spick and span; Brit. informal, dated shipshape (and Bristol fashion).
the orderly presentation of information
(well) organized, efficient, methodical, systematic, meticulous, punctilious; coherent, structured, logical, well planned, well regulated, systematized.
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the crowd was orderly
well behaved, law-abiding, disciplined, peaceful, peaceable, non-violent.
Top
ANTONYMS :untidy, disorganized.

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ordinance

noun
(formal) the president issued an ordinance
edict, decree, law, injunction, fiat, command, order, rule, ruling, dictum, dictate, directive, mandate.
religious ordinances
rite, ritual, ceremony, sacrament, observance, service.
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ordinarily

adverb
usually, normally, as a (general) rule, generally, in general, for the most part, mainly, mostly, most of the time, typically, habitually, commonly, routinely.

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ordinary

adjective
the ordinary course of events
usual, normal, standard, typical, common, customary, habitual, everyday, regular, routine, day-to-day.
my life seemed very ordinary
average, normal, run-of-the-mill, standard, typical, middle-of-the-road, conventional, unremarkable, unexceptional, workaday, undistinguished, nondescript, colourless, commonplace, humdrum, mundane, unmemorable, pedestrian, prosaic, quotidian, uninteresting, uneventful, dull, boring, bland, suburban, hackneyed; N. Amer. garden-variety; informal bog-standard, (plain) vanilla, nothing to write home about, no great shakes; Brit. informal common or garden; N. Amer. informal ornery.
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ANTONYMS :unusual.

out of the ordinary
unusual, exceptional, remarkable, extraordinary, unexpected, surprising, unaccustomed, unfamiliar, abnormal, atypical, different, special, exciting, memorable, noteworthy, unique, singular, outstanding; unconventional, unorthodox, strange, peculiar, odd, queer, curious, bizarre, outlandish; in formal offbeat.

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ordnance

noun
guns, cannon, artillery, weapons, arms; munitions.

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ordure

noun
excrement, excreta, dung, manure, muck, droppings, faeces, stools, night soil, sewage; informal pooh; Brit. informal cack, big jobs; N. Amer. informal poop.

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organ

noun
the internal organs
body part, biological structure.
the official organ of the Communist Party
newspaper, paper, journal, periodical, magazine, newsletter, gazette, publication, mouthpiece; informal rag.
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organic

adjective
organic matter
living, live, animate, biological, biotic.
organic vegetables
pesticide-free, additive-free, natural.
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the love scenes were an organic part of the drama
essential, fundamental, integral, intrinsic, vital, indispensable, inherent.
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a society is an organic whole
structured, organized, coherent, integrated, coordinated, ordered, harmonious.
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organism

noun
fish and other organisms
living thing, being, creature, animal, plant, life form.
a complex political organism
structure, system, organization, entity.
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organization

noun
the organization of conferences
planning, arrangement, coordination, administration, organizing, running, management.
the overall organization of the book
structure, arrangement, plan, pattern, order, form, format, framework, composition, constitution.
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his lack of organization
efficiency, order, orderliness, planning.
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a large international organization
company, firm, corporation, institution, group, consortium, conglomerate, agency, association, society; informal outfit.
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organize

verb
organizing and disseminating information
(put in) order, arrange, sort (out), assemble, marshal, put straight, group, classify, collocate, categorize, catalogue, codify, systematize, systemize; rare methodize.
they organized a search party
make arrangements for, arrange, coordinate, sort out, put together, fix up, set up, orchestrate, take care of, see to/about, deal with, manage, conduct, administrate, mobilize; schedule, timetable, programme; formal concert.
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organized

adjective
(well) ordered, well run, well regulated, structured; orderly, efficient, neat, tidy, methodical; informal together. ANTONYMS :inefficient.

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orgiastic

adjective
debauched, wild, riotous, wanton, dissolute, depraved.

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orgy

noun
a drunken orgy
wild party, debauch, carousal, carouse, revel, revelry; informal binge, booze-up, bender, love-in; Brit. informal rave-up; N. Amer. informal toot; poetic/literary bacchanal; archaic wassail.
an orgy of violence
bout, excess, spree, surfeit; informal binge.
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orient orientate

verb
there were no street names to enable her to orient herself
get/find one's bearings, establish one's location.
you need to orientate yourself to your new way of life
adapt, adjust, familiarize, acclimatize, accustom, attune; N. Amer. acclimate.
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magazines oriented to the business community
aim, direct, pitch, design, intend.
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the fires are oriented in line with the sunset
align, place, position, dispose.
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oriental

adjective
eastern, Far Eastern, Asian; poetic/literary orient.

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orientation

noun
the orientation of the radar station
positioning, location, position, situation, placement, alignment.
his orientation to his new way of life
adaptation, adjustment, acclimatization.
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broadly Marxist in orientation
attitude, inclination.
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orientation courses
induction, training, initiation, briefing.
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orifice

noun
opening, hole, aperture, slot, slit, cleft.

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origin

noun
the origins of life
beginning, start, commencement, origination, genesis, birth, dawning, dawn, emergence, creation, birthplace, cradle; source, basis, cause, root(s); formal radix.
the Latin origin of the word
source, derivation, root(s), provenance, etymology; N. Amer. provenience.
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his Scottish origins
descent, ancestry, parentage, pedigree, lineage, line (of descent), heritage, birth, extraction, family, stock, blood, bloodline.
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original

adjective
the original inhabitants
indigenous, native, aboriginal, autochthonous; first, earliest, early.
original Rembrandts
authentic, genuine, actual, true, bona fide; informal pukka, kosher.
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the film is highly original
innovative, creative, imaginative, innovatory, inventive; new, novel, fresh, refreshing; unusual, unconventional, unorthodox, ground-breaking, pioneering, avant-garde, unique, distinctive.
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noun
a copy of the original
archetype, prototype, source, master.
he really is an original
individualist, individual, eccentric, nonconformist, free spirit, maverick; informal character, oddball; Brit. informal one-off, odd bod; N. Amer. informal screwball, kook.
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originality

noun
inventiveness, ingenuity, creativeness, creativity, innovation, novelty, freshness, imagination, imaginativeness, individuality, unconventionality, uniqueness, distinctiveness.

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originally

adverb
(at) first, in/at the beginning, to begin with, initially, in the first place, at the outset.

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originate

verb
the disease originates from Africa
arise, have its origin, begin, start, stem, spring, emerge, emanate.
Bill Levy originated the idea
invent, create, initiate, devise, think up, dream up, conceive, formulate, form, develop, generate, engender, produce, mastermind, pioneer; poetic/literary beget.
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originator

noun
inventor, creator, architect, author, father, mother, initiator, innovator, founder, pioneer, mastermind; poetic/literary begetter.

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ornament

noun
small tables covered with ornaments
knick-knack, trinket, bauble, bibelot, gewgaw, gimcrack, furbelow; informal whatnot, doodah; N. Amer. informal tchotchke; archaic whim-wham, kickshaw, bijou.
the dress had no ornament at all
decoration, adornment, embellishment, ornamentation, trimming, accessories.
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verb
the room was highly ornamented
decorate, adorn, embellish, trim, bedeck, deck (out), festoon; poetic/literary bedizen, furbelow.

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ornamental

adjective
decorative, fancy, ornate, ornamented.

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ornamentation

noun
decoration, adornment, embellishment, ornament, trimming, accessories.

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ornate

adjective
an ornate mirror
elaborate, decorated, embellished, adorned, ornamented, fancy, fussy, ostentatious, showy; informal flash, flashy.
ornate language
elaborate, flowery, florid; grandiose, pompous, pretentious, high-flown, orotund, magniloquent, grandiloquent, rhetorical, oratorical, bombastic, overwrought, overblown; informal highfalutin, purple.
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ANTONYMS :plain.

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orotund

adjective
Halliwell's orotund voice
deep, sonorous, strong, powerful, full, rich, resonant, loud, booming.
the orotund rhetoric of his prose
pompous, pretentious, affected, fulsome, grandiose, ornate, overblown, flowery, florid, high-flown, magniloquent, grandiloquent, rhetorical, oratorical; informal highfalutin, purple.
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orthodox

adjective
orthodox views
conventional, mainstream, conformist, (well) established, traditional, traditionalist, prevalent, popular, conservative, unoriginal.
an orthodox Hindu
conservative, traditional, observant, devout, strict.
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ANTONYMS :unconventional.

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orthodoxy

noun
a pillar of orthodoxy
conventionality, conventionalism, conformism, conservatism, traditionalism, conformity.
Christian orthodoxies
doctrine, belief, conviction, creed, dogma, credo, theory, tenet, teaching.
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oscillate

verb
the pendulum started to oscillate
swing (to and fro), swing back and forth, sway; N. Amer. informal wigwag.
oscillating between fear and bravery
waver, swing, fluctuate, alternate, see-saw, yo-yo, sway, vacillate, hover; informal wobble.
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oscillation

noun
the oscillation of the pendulum
swinging (to and fro), swing, swaying.
his oscillation between commerce and art
wavering, swinging, fluctuation, see-sawing, yo-yoing, vacillation.
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ossify

verb
these cartilages may ossify
turn into bone, become bony, harden, solidify, rigidify, petrify.
ossified political institutions
become inflexible, become rigid, fossilize, rigidify, stagnate.
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ostensible

adjective
apparent, outward, superficial, professed, supposed, alleged, purported. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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ostensibly

adverb
apparently, seemingly, on the face of it, to all intents and purposes, outwardly, superficially, allegedly, supposedly, purportedly.

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ostentation

noun
showiness, show, ostentatiousness, pretentiousness, vulgarity, conspicuousness, display, flamboyance, gaudiness, brashness, extravagance, ornateness, exhibitionism; informal flashiness, glitz, glitziness, ritziness.

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ostentatious

adjective
showy, pretentious, conspicuous, flamboyant, gaudy, brash, vulgar, loud, extravagant, fancy, ornate, over-elaborate; informal flash, flashy, over the top, OTT, glitzy, ritzy; N. Amer. informal superfly. ANTONYMS :restrained.

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ostracism

noun
exclusion, rejection, shunning, spurning, the cold shoulder, snubbing, avoidance; blackballing, blacklisting.

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ostracize

verb
exclude, shun, spurn, cold-shoulder, reject, shut out, avoid, ignore, snub, cut dead, keep at arm's length, leave out in the cold; blackball, blacklist; Brit. send to Coventry; informal freeze out; Brit. informal blank. ANTONYMS :welcome.

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other

adjective
these homes use other fuels
alternative, different, dissimilar, disparate, distinct, separate, contrasting.
are there any other questions?
more, further, additional, extra, added, supplementary.
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otherwise

adverb
hurry up, otherwise we'll be late
or (else), if not.
she's exhausted, but otherwise she's fine
in other respects, apart from that.
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he could not have acted otherwise
in any other way, differently.
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other-worldly

adjective
ethereal, dreamy, spiritual, mystic, mystical; unearthly, unworldly, supernatural. ANTONYMS :realistic.

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ounce

noun
particle, scrap, bit, speck, iota, whit, jot, trace, atom, shred, crumb, fragment, grain, drop, spot; informal smidgen.

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oust

verb
drive out, expel, force out, throw out, remove (from office/power), eject, get rid of, depose, topple, unseat, overthrow, bring down, overturn, dismiss, dislodge, displace; informal boot out, kick out; Brit. informal turf out; dated out.

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out

adjective & adverb
she's out at the moment
not here, not at home, not in, (gone) away, elsewhere, absent.
the secret was out
revealed, (out) in the open, common/public knowledge, known, disclosed, divulged.
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the roses are out
in flower, flowering, in (full) bloom, blooming, in blossom, blossoming, open.
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the book should be out soon
available, obtainable, in the shops, published, in print.
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the fire was nearly out
extinguished, no longer alight.
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(informal) grunge is out
unfashionable, out of fashion, dated, outdated, passé; informal old hat, not with it, not in.
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smoking is out
forbidden, not permitted, not allowed, proscribed, unacceptable; informal not on.
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he was slightly out in his calculations
mistaken, inaccurate, incorrect, wrong, in error.
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ANTONYMS :in.

verb
(informal) it was not our intention to out him
expose, unmask.
out cold
unconscious, knocked out, out for the count; informal KO'd, kayoed.

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out-and-out

adjective
utter, downright, thoroughgoing, absolute, complete, thorough, total, unmitigated, outright, real, perfect, consummate; N. Amer. full-bore; informal deep-dyed; Brit. informal right; Austral./NZ informal fair. ANTONYMS :partial.

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outbreak

noun
a fresh outbreak of killings
eruption, flare-up, upsurge, outburst, rash, wave, spate, flood, explosion, burst, flurry; formal boutade.
on the outbreak of war
start, beginning, commencement, onset, outset.
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outburst

noun
eruption, explosion, burst, outbreak, flare-up, access, rush, flood, storm, outpouring, surge, upsurge, outflowing; formal boutade.

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outcast

noun
pariah, persona non grata, reject, outsider.

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outclass

verb
surpass, be superior to, be better than, outshine, overshadow, eclipse, outdo, outplay, outmanoeuvre, outstrip, get the better of, upstage; top, cap, beat, defeat, exceed; informal be a cut above, be head and shoulders above, run rings round; archaic outrival.

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outcome

noun
(end) result, consequence, net result, upshot, after-effect, aftermath, conclusion, issue, end (product).

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outcry

noun
an outcry of passion
shout, exclamation, cry, yell, howl, roar, scream; informal holler.
public outcry
protest(s), protestation(s), complaints, objections, furore, fuss, commotion, uproar, outbursts, opposition, dissent; informal hullabaloo, ballyhoo, ructions, stink.
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outdated

adjective
old-fashioned, out of date, outmoded, out of fashion, unfashionable, dated, passé, old, behind the times, behindhand, obsolete, antiquated; informal out, old hat, square, not with it, out of the ark; N. Amer. informal horse-and-buggy, clunky. ANTONYMS :modern.

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outdistance

verb
the colt outdistanced the train
outrun, outstrip, outpace, leave behind, get (further) ahead of; overtake, pass.
the mill outdistanced all its rivals
surpass, outshine, outclass, outdo, exceed, transcend, top, cap, beat, better, leave behind; informal leave standing; archaic outrival.
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outdo

verb
surpass, outshine, overshadow, eclipse, outclass, outmanoeuvre, get the better of, put in the shade, upstage; exceed, transcend, top, cap, beat, better, leave behind, get ahead of; informal be a cut above, be head and shoulders above, run rings round; archaic outrival.

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outdoor

adjective
open air, out-of-doors, outside, al fresco, not under cover. ANTONYMS :indoor.

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outer

adjective
the outer layer
outside, outermost, outward, exterior, external, surface.
outer areas of the city
outlying, distant, remote, faraway, furthest, peripheral; suburban.
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ANTONYMS :inner.

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outface

verb
stand up to, face down, cow, overawe, intimidate.

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outfit

noun
a new outfit
costume, suit, uniform, ensemble, attire, clothes, clothing, dress, garb; informal get-up, gear, togs; Brit. informal kit, rig-out; formal apparel; archaic habit, raiment.
a studio lighting outfit
kit, equipment, tools, implements, tackle, apparatus, paraphernalia, things, stuff.
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a local manufacturing outfit
organization, set-up, enterprise, company, firm, business; group, band, body, team.
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verb
enough swords to outfit an army
equip, kit out, fit out/up, rig out, supply, arm; dress, attire, clothe, deck out; archaic apparel, invest, habit.

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outfitter

noun
clothier, tailor, couturier, costumier, dressmaker, seamstress; dated modiste.

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outflow

noun
discharge, outflowing, outpouring, outrush, rush, flood, deluge, issue, spurt, jet, cascade, stream, torrent, gush, outburst; flow, flux; technical efflux.

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outgoing

adjective
outgoing children
extrovert, uninhibited, unreserved, demonstrative, affectionate, warm, friendly, genial, cordial, affable, easy-going, sociable, convivial, lively, gregarious; communicative, responsive, open, forthcoming, frank.
the outgoing president
departing, retiring, leaving.
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ANTONYMS :introverted, incoming.

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outgoings

plural noun
expenses, expenditure, spending, outlay, payments, costs, overheads.

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outgrowth

noun
protuberance, swelling, excrescence, growth, lump, bump, bulge; tumour, cancer, boil, carbuncle, pustule.

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outing

noun
family outings
(pleasure) trip, excursion, jaunt, expedition, day out, (mystery) tour, drive, ride, run; informal junket, spin.
(informal) the outing of public figures
exposure, unmasking, revelation.
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outlandish

adjective
weird, queer, far out, quirky, zany, eccentric, idiosyncratic, unconventional, unorthodox, funny, bizarre, unusual, singular, extraordinary, strange, unfamiliar, peculiar, odd, curious; informal offbeat, off the wall, way-out, wacky, freaky, kooky, kinky, oddball; N. Amer. informal in left field. ANTONYMS :ordinary.

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outlast

verb
outlive, survive, live/last longer than; ride out, weather, withstand.

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outlaw

noun
bands of outlaws
fugitive, (wanted) criminal, outcast, exile, pariah; bandit, robber; dated desperado.
verb
they voted to outlaw fox-hunting
ban, bar, prohibit, forbid, veto, make illegal, proscribe, interdict.
she feared she would be outlawed
banish, exile, expel.
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ANTONYMS :permit.

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outlay

noun
expenditure, expenses, spending, outgoings, cost, price, payment, investment. ANTONYMS :profit.

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outlet

noun
a central-heating outlet
vent (hole), way out, egress; outfall, opening, channel, conduit, duct.
an outlet for farm produce
market, retail outlet, marketplace, shop, store.
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an outlet for their energies
means of expression, (means of) release, vent, avenue, channel.
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outline

noun
the outline of the building
silhouette, profile, shape, contours, form, line, delineation; diagram, sketch; poetic/literary lineaments.
an outline of expenditure for each department
rough idea, thumbnail sketch, (quick) rundown, summary, synopsis, résumé, precis; essence, main points, gist, (bare) bones, draft, sketch.
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verb
the plane was outlined against the sky
silhouette, define, demarcate; sketch, delineate, trace.
she outlined the plan briefly
rough out, sketch out, draft, give a rough idea of, summarize, precis.
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outlive

verb
live on after, live longer than, outlast, survive.

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outlook

noun
the two men were wholly different in outlook
point of view, viewpoint, views, opinion, (way of) thinking, perspective, attitude, standpoint, stance, frame of mind.
a lovely open outlook
view, vista, prospect, panorama, scene, aspect.
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the outlook for the economy
prospects, expectations, hopes, future, lookout.
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outlying

adjective
distant, remote, outer, out of the way, faraway, far-flung, inaccessible, off the beaten track.

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outmanoeuvre

verb
the English army were outmanoeuvred
outflank, circumvent, bypass.
he outmanoeuvred his critics
outwit, outsmart, out-think, outplay, steal a march on, trick, get the better of; informal outfox, put one over on.
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outmoded

adjective
out of date, old-fashioned, out of fashion, outdated, dated, behind the times, antiquated, obsolete, passé; informal old hat, out of the ark.

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out of date

adjective
this design is out of date
old-fashioned, outmoded, out of fashion, unfashionable, frumpish, frumpy, outdated, dated, old, passé, behind the times, behindhand, obsolete, antiquated; informal out, old hat, square, not with it, out of the ark; N. Amer. informal horse-and-buggy, clunky.
many of the facts are out of date
superseded, obsolete, expired, lapsed, invalid, (null and) void.
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ANTONYMS :fashionable, current.

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out of the way

adjective
out-of-the-way places
outlying, distant, remote, faraway, far-flung, isolated, lonely, godforsaken, inaccessible, off the beaten track.
I find his methods out of the way
strange, unusual, peculiar, odd, funny, curious, bizarre, weird, queer, unfamiliar, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, remarkable, singular.
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ANTONYMS :accessible.

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out of work

adjective
unemployed, jobless, out of a job; redundant, laid off; Brit. informal on the dole; Austral. informal on the wallaby track.

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outpouring

noun
outflow, outflowing, outrush, rush, flood, deluge, discharge, issue, spurt, jet, cascade, stream, torrent, gush, outburst, flow, flux; technical efflux.

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output

noun
production, amount/quantity produced, yield, gross domestic product, out-turn; works, writings.

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outrage

noun
widespread public outrage
indignation, fury, anger, rage, disapproval, wrath, resentment.
it is an outrage
scandal, offence, insult, injustice, disgrace.
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the bomb outrage
atrocity, act of violence/wickedness, crime, wrong, barbarism, inhumane act.
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verb
his remarks outraged his parishioners
enrage, infuriate, incense, anger, scandalize, offend, give offence to, affront, shock, horrify, disgust, appal.

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outrageous

adjective
outrageous acts of cruelty
shocking, disgraceful, scandalous, atrocious, appalling, monstrous, heinous; evil, wicked, abominable, terrible, horrendous, dreadful, foul, nauseating, sickening, vile, nasty, odious, loathsome, unspeakable; Brit. informal beastly.
the politician's outrageous promises
far-fetched, (highly) unlikely, doubtful, dubious, questionable, implausible, unconvincing, unbelievable, incredible, preposterous, extravagant, excessive.
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outrageous clothes
eye-catching, flamboyant, showy, gaudy, ostentatious; shameless, brazen, shocking; informal saucy, flashy.
Top

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outré

adjective
weird, queer, outlandish, far out, freakish, quirky, zany, eccentric, off-centre, unconventional, unorthodox, funny, bizarre, fantastic, unusual, singular, extraordinary, strange, unfamiliar, peculiar, odd, out of the way; informal way-out, wacky, freaky, kooky, oddball, off the wall; N. Amer. informal offbeat, in left field.

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outright

adverb
he rejected the proposal outright
completely, entirely, wholly, fully, totally, categorically, absolutely, utterly, flatly, unreservedly.
I told her outright
explicitly, directly, forthrightly, openly, frankly, candidly, honestly, sincerely, bluntly, plainly, in plain language, truthfully, to someone's face, straight from the shoulder; Brit. informal straight up.
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they were killed outright
instantly, instantaneously, immediately, at once, straight away, then and there, on the spot.
Top
paintings have to be bought outright
all at once, in one go.
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adjective
an outright lie
out-and-out, absolute, complete, downright, utter, sheer, categorical, unqualified, unconditional.
the outright winner
definite, unequivocal, clear, unqualified, incontestable, unmistakable.
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outrun

verb
run faster than, outstrip, outdistance, outpace, leave behind, lose; informal leave standing.

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outset

noun
start, starting point, beginning, commencement, dawn, birth, origin, inception, opening, launch, inauguration; informal the word go. ANTONYMS :end.

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outshine

verb
surpass, overshadow, eclipse, outclass, put in the shade, upstage, exceed, transcend, top, cap, beat, better; informal be a cut above, be head and shoulders above, run rings round; archaic outrival.

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outside

noun
the outside of the building
outer/external surface, exterior, outer side/layer, case, skin, shell, covering, facade. ecto-, exo-, extra-.
adjective
outside lights
exterior, external, outer, outdoor, out-of-doors.
outside contractors
independent, hired, temporary, freelance, casual, external, extramural.
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an outside chance
slight, slender, slim, small, tiny, faint, negligible, remote, vague.
Top

adverb
they went outside | shall we eat outside?
outdoors, out of doors. ANTONYMS :inside.

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outsider

noun
stranger, visitor, non-member; foreigner, alien, immigrant, emigrant, émigré; incomer, newcomer, parvenu.

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outsize

adjective
her outsize handbag
huge, oversized, enormous, gigantic, very big/large, great, giant, colossal, massive, mammoth, vast, immense, tremendous, monumental, prodigious, mountainous, king-sized; informal mega, monster, whopping (great), thumping (great), humongous, jumbo, bumper; Brit. informal whacking (great), ginormous.
an outsize actor
very large, big, massive, fat, corpulent, stout, heavy, plump, portly, ample, bulky; informal pudgy, tubby; Brit. informal podgy; archaic pursy.
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outskirts

plural noun
outlying districts, edges, fringes, suburbs, suburbia; purlieus, borders, environs.

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outsmart

verb
outwit, outmanoeuvre, outplay, steal a march on, trick, get the better of; informal outfox, pull a fast one on, put one over on.

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outspoken

adjective
forthright, direct, candid, frank, straightforward, honest, open, straight from the shoulder, plain-spoken; blunt, abrupt, bluff, brusque; archaic free-spoken.

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outspread

adjective
fully extended, outstretched, spread out, fanned out, unfolded, unfurled, (wide) open, opened out.

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outstanding

adjective
an outstanding painter
excellent, marvellous, magnificent, superb, fine, wonderful, superlative, exceptional, first-class, first-rate; informal great, terrific, tremendous, super, amazing, fantastic, sensational, fabulous, ace, crack, A1, mean, awesome, out of this world; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant; N. Amer. informal neat; Austral. informal bonzer.
an outstanding decorative element
remarkable, extraordinary, exceptional, striking, eye-catching, arresting, impressive, distinctive, unforgettable, memorable, special, momentous, significant, notable, noteworthy; informal out of this world.
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how much work is still outstanding?
to be done, undone, unattended to, unfinished, incomplete, remaining, pending, ongoing.
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outstanding debts
unpaid, unsettled, owing, owed, to be paid, payable, due, overdue, undischarged; N. Amer. delinquent.
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ANTONYMS :unexceptional.

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outstrip

verb
he outstripped the police cars
go faster than, outrun, outdistance, outpace, leave behind, get (further) ahead of, lose; informal leave standing.
demand far outstrips supply
surpass, exceed, be more than, top, eclipse.
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outward

adjective
external, outer, outside, exterior; surface, superficial, seeming, apparent, ostensible. ANTONYMS :inward.

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outwardly

adverb
externally, on the surface, superficially, on the face of it, to all intents and purposes, apparently, ostensibly, seemingly.

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outweigh

verb
be greater than, exceed, be superior to, prevail over, have the edge on/over, override, supersede, offset, cancel out, (more than) make up for, outbalance, compensate for.

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outwit

verb
outsmart, outmanoeuvre, outplay, steal a march on, trick, gull, get the better of; informal outfox, pull a fast one on, put one over on.

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outworn

adjective
out of date, outdated, old-fashioned, out of fashion, outmoded, dated, behind the times, antiquated, obsolete, defunct, passé; informal old hat, out of the ark. ANTONYMS :up to date.

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oval

adjective
egg-shaped, ovoid, ovate, oviform, elliptical; Botany obovate.

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ovation

noun
(round of) applause, handclapping, clapping, cheering, cheers, bravos, acclaim, acclamation, tribute, standing ovation; informal (big) hand.

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oven

noun
(kitchen) stove, microwave (oven), (kitchen) range; roaster.

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over

preposition
there will be cloud over most of the country
above, on top of, higher (up) than, atop, covering.
he walked over the grass
across, around, throughout.
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he has three people over him
superior to, above, higher up than, in charge of, responsible for.
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over 200,000 people live in the area
more than, above, in excess of, upwards of.
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a discussion over unemployment
on the subject of, about, concerning, apropos of, with reference to, regarding, relating to, in connection with.
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ANTONYMS :under.

adverb
a flock of geese flew over
overhead, on high, above, past, by.
the relationship is over
at an end, finished, concluded, terminated, ended, no more, a thing of the past.
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he had some money over
left (over), remaining, unused, surplus, in excess, in addition.
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over and above
in addition to, on top of, plus, as well as, besides, along with. over and over
repeatedly, again and again, over and over again, time and (time) again, many times over, frequently , constantly, continually, persistently, ad nauseam.

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overact

verb
exaggerate, overdo it, overplay it; informal ham it up, camp it up.

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overall

adjective
the overall cost
all-inclusive, general, comprehensive, universal, all-embracing, gross, net, final, inclusive; wholesale, complete, across the board, global, worldwide.
adverb
overall, things have improved
generally (speaking), in general, altogether, all in all, on balance, on average, for the most part, in the main, on the whole, by and large, to a large extent.

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overawe

verb
intimidate, daunt, cow, disconcert, unnerve, subdue, dismay, frighten, alarm, scare, terrify; informal psych out; N. Amer. informal buffalo.

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overbalance

verb
fall over, topple over, lose one's balance, tip over, keel over; push over, upend, upset.

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overbearing

adjective
domineering, dominating, autocratic, tyrannical, despotic, oppressive, high-handed, bullying; informal bossy.

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overblown

adjective
overwritten, florid, grandiose, pompous, over-elaborate, flowery, overwrought, pretentious, high-flown, turgid, grandiloquent, magniloquent, orotund; informal highfalutin.

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overcast

adjective
cloudy, clouded (over), sunless, darkened, dark, grey, black, leaden, heavy, dull, murky, dismal, dreary. ANTONYMS :bright.

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overcharge

verb
clients are being overcharged
swindle, charge too much, cheat, defraud, fleece, short-change; informal rip off, sting, screw, rob, diddle, do, rook; N. Amer. informal gouge.
the decoration is overcharged
overstate, overdo, exaggerate, over-embroider, over-embellish; overwrite, overdraw.
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overcome

verb
we overcame the home team
defeat, beat, conquer, trounce, thrash, rout, vanquish, overwhelm, overpower, get the better of, triumph over, prevail over, win over/against, outdo, outclass, worst, crush; informal drub, slaughter, clobber, hammer, lick, best, crucify, demolish, wipe the floor with, make mincemeat of, blow out of the water, take to the cleaners; Brit. informal stuff; N. Amer. informal shellac, skunk.
they overcame their fear of flying
get the better of, prevail over, control, get/bring under control, master, conquer, defeat, beat; get over, get a grip on, curb, subdue; informal lick, best.
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adjective
I was overcome
overwhelmed, emotional, moved, affected, speechless.

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overconfident

adjective
cocksure, cocky, smug, conceited, self-assured, brash, blustering, overbearing, presumptuous, heading for a fall, riding for a fall; informal too big for one's boots.

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overcritical

adjective
fault-finding, hypercritical, captious, carping, cavilling, quibbling, hair-splitting, over-particular; fussy, finicky, fastidious, pedantic, over-scrupulous, punctilious; informal nit-picking, pernickety; archaic overnice.

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overcrowded

adjective
overfull, overflowing, full to overflowing/bursting, crammed full, congested, overpopulated, overpeopled, crowded, swarming, teeming; informal bursting/bulging at the seams, full to the gunwales, jam-packed. ANTONYMS :empty.

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overdo

verb
she overdoes the cockney scenes
exaggerate, overstate, overemphasize, overplay, go overboard with, over-dramatize; informal ham up, camp up.
don't overdo the drink
have/use/eat/drink too much of, overindulge in, have/use/eat/drink to excess.
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they overdid the beef
overcook, burn.
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ANTONYMS :understate.

overdo it
work too hard, overwork, do too much, burn the candle at both ends, overtax oneself, drive/push oneself too hard, work/run oneself into the ground, wear oneself to a shadow, wear oneself out, bit off more than one can chew, strain oneself; informal kill oneself, knock oneself out.

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overdone

adjective
the flattery was overdone
excessive, too much, undue, immoderate, inordinate, disproportionate, inflated, overstated, overworked, exaggerated, overemphasized, over-enthusiastic, over-effusive; informal a bit much, over the top, OTT.
overdone food
overcooked, dried out, burnt.
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ANTONYMS :understated, underdone.

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overdue

adjective
the ship is overdue
late, behind schedule, behind time, delayed, unpunctual.
overdue payments
unpaid, unsettled, owing, owed, payable, due, outstanding, undischarged; N. Amer. delinquent.
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ANTONYMS :early, punctual.

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overeat

verb
eat too much, be greedy, gorge (oneself), overindulge (oneself), feast, gourmandize, gluttonize; informal binge, make a pig of oneself, pig out, have eyes bigger than one's stomach; N. Amer. informal scarf out. ANTONYMS :starve.

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overemphasize

verb
place/lay too much emphasis on, overstress, place/lay too much stress on, exaggerate, make too much of, overplay, overdo, over-dramatize; informal make a big thing about/of, blow up out of all proportion. ANTONYMS :understate, play down.

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overflow

verb
a lot of cream had overflowed the edges of the shallow dish
spill over, flow over, brim over, well over, pour forth, stream forth, flood.
noun
an overflow from the tank
overspill, spill, spillage, flood.
to accommodate the overflow, five more offices were built
surplus, excess, additional people/things, extra people/things, remainder, overspill.
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overflowing

adjective
overfull, full to overflowing/bursting, spilling over, running over, crammed full, overcrowded, overloaded; informal bursting/bulging at the seams, jam-packed. ANTONYMS :empty.

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overhang

verb
stick out (over), stand out (over), extend (over), project (over), protrude (over), jut out (over), bulge out (over), hang over.

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overhaul

verb
I've been overhauling the gearbox
service, maintain, repair, mend, fix up, rebuild, renovate, recondition, refit, refurbish; informal do up, patch up.
Kenyon overhauled him in the race
overtake, pass, go past/by, go faster than, get/pull ahead of, outstrip.
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overhead

adverb
a burst of thunder erupted overhead
(up) above, high up, (up) in the sky, on high, above/over one's head. ANTONYMS :below.

adjective
overhead lines
aerial, elevated, raised, suspended. ANTONYMS :underground.

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overheads

plural noun
(running) costs, operating costs, fixed costs, expenses; Brit. oncosts. ANTONYMS :profit.

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overindulge

verb
we all overindulge at Christmas
drink/eat too much, overeat, overdrink, be greedy, be intemperate, overindulge oneself, overdo it, drink/eat to excess, gorge (oneself), feast, gourmandize, gluttonize; informal binge, stuff oneself, go overboard, make a pig of oneself, pig oneself; N. Amer. informal scarf out.
his mother had overindulged him
spoil, give in to, indulge, humour, pander to, pamper, mollycoddle, baby.
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ANTONYMS :abstain.

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overindulgence

noun
intemperance, immoderation, excess, overeating, overdrinking, gorging; informal binge. ANTONYMS :abstention.

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overjoyed

adjective
ecstatic, euphoric, thrilled, elated, delighted, on cloud nine/seven, in seventh heaven, jubilant, rapturous, jumping for joy, delirious, blissful, in raptures, as pleased as Punch, cock-a-hoop, as happy as a sandboy, as happy as Larry; informal over the moon, on top of the world, tickled pink; N. Amer. informal as happy as a clam; Austral. informal wrapped. ANTONYMS :unhappy.

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overlay

verb
the area was overlaid with marble
cover, face, surface, veneer, inlay, laminate, plaster; coat, varnish, glaze.
noun
an overlay of glass-fibre insulation
covering, cover, layer, face, surface, veneer, lamination; coat, varnish, glaze, wash.

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overload

verb
avoid overloading the ship
overburden, put too much in, overcharge, weigh down.
don't overload the wiring
strain, overtax, overwork, overuse, swamp, oversupply, overwhelm.
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noun
there was an overload of demands
excess, overabundance, superabundance, profusion, glut, surfeit, surplus, superfluity; avalanche, deluge, flood.

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overlook

verb
he overlooked the mistake
fail to notice, fail to spot, miss.
his work has been overlooked
disregard, neglect, ignore, pay no attention/heed to, pass over, forget.
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she was willing to overlook his faults
deliberately ignore, not take into consideration, disregard, take no notice of, make allowances for, turn a blind eye to, excuse, pardon, forgive.
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the breakfast room overlooks the garden
have a view of, look over/across, look on to, look out on/over, give on to, command a view of.
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overly

adverb
unduly, excessively, inordinately, too; wildly, absurdly, ridiculously, outrageously, unreasonably, exorbitantly, impossibly.

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overpower

verb
the prisoners might overpower the crew
gain control over, overwhelm, prevail over, get the better of, gain mastery over, overthrow, overturn, subdue, suppress, subjugate, repress, bring someone to their knees, conquer, defeat, triumph over, worst, trounce; informal thrash, lick, best, clobber, wipe the floor with.
he was overpowered by grief
overcome, overwhelm, move, stir, affect, touch, stun, shake, devastate, take aback, leave speechless; informal bowl over, knock sideways; Brit. informal knock/hit for six.
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overpowering

adjective
overpowering grief
overwhelming, oppressive, unbearable, unendurable, intolerable, shattering.
an overpowering smell
stifling, suffocating, strong, pungent, powerful; nauseating, offensive, acrid, fetid, mephitic.
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overpowering evidence
irrefutable, undeniable, indisputable, incontestable, incontrovertible, compelling, conclusive.
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overrate

verb
overestimate, overvalue, think too much of, attach too much importance to, praise too highly. ANTONYMS :underestimate.

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overreach

overreach oneself
try to do too much, overestimate one's ability, overdo it, overstretch oneself, wear/burn oneself out, bite off more than one can chew.

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overreact

verb
react disproportionately, act irrationally, lose one's sense of proportion, blow something up out of all proportion; Brit. informal go over the top.

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override

verb
the court could not override her decision
disallow, overrule, countermand, veto, quash, overturn, overthrow; cancel, reverse, rescind, revoke, repeal, annul, nullify, invalidate, negate, void; Law vacate; formal abrogate; archaic recall.
the government can override all opposition
disregard, pay no heed to, take no account of, turn a deaf ear to, ignore, ride roughshod over.
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a positive attitude will override any negative thoughts
outweigh, supersede, take precedence over, take priority over, offset, cancel out, (more than) make up for, outbalance, compensate for.
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overriding

adjective
most important, of greatest importance, of greatest significance, uppermost, top, first (and foremost), highest, pre-eminent, predominant, principal, primary, paramount, chief, main, major, foremost, central, key, focal, pivotal; informal number-one.

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overrule

verb
countermand, cancel, reverse, rescind, repeal, revoke, retract, disallow, override, veto, quash, overturn, overthrow, annul, nullify, invalidate, negate, void; Law vacate; formal abrogate; archaic recall.

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overrun

verb
guerrillas overran the barracks
invade, storm, occupy, swarm into, surge into, inundate, overwhelm.
the talks overran the deadline
exceed, go beyond/over, run over.
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oversee

verb
supervise, superintend, be in charge/control of, be responsible for, look after, keep an eye on, inspect, administer, organize, manage, direct, preside over.

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overseer

noun
supervisor, foreman, forewoman, team leader, controller, (line) manager, manageress, head (of department), superintendent, captain; informal boss, chief, governor; Brit. informal gaffer, guv'nor; N. Amer. informal straw boss; Austral. informal pannikin boss; Mining overman.

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overshadow

verb
a massive hill overshadows the town
cast a shadow over, shade, darken, conceal, obscure, screen; dominate, overlook.
this feeling of tragedy overshadowed his story
cast gloom over, blight, take the edge off, mar, spoil, ruin.
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he was overshadowed by his brilliant elder brother
outshine, eclipse, surpass, exceed, be superior to, outclass, outstrip, outdo, upstage; informal be head and shoulders above.
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oversight

noun
a stupid oversight
mistake, error, omission, lapse, slip, blunder; informal slip-up, boo-boo; Brit. informal boob; N. Amer. informal goof.
the omission was due to oversight
carelessness, inattention, negligence, forgetfulness, laxity.
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school governors have oversight of the curriculum
supervision, surveillance, superintendence, charge, care, administration, management.
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overstate

verb
exaggerate, overdo, overemphasize, overplay, dramatize, embroider, embellish; informal blow up out of all proportion. ANTONYMS :understate.

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overstatement

noun
exaggeration, overemphasis, dramatization, embroidery, embellishment, enhancement, hyperbole.

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overt

adjective
undisguised, unconcealed, plain (to see), clear, apparent, conspicuous, obvious, noticeable, manifest, patent, open, blatant. ANTONYMS :covert.

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overtake

verb
a green car overtook the taxi
pass, go past/by, get/pull ahead of, leave behind, outdistance, outstrip.
tourism overtook coffee as the main earner of foreign currency
outstrip, surpass, overshadow, eclipse, outshine, outclass; dwarf, put in the shade, exceed, top, cap; archaic outrival.
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the calamity which overtook us
befall, happen to, come upon, hit, strike, overwhelm, overcome, be visited on; poetic/literary betide.
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overthrow

verb
the President was overthrown
remove (from office/power), bring down, topple, depose, oust, displace, unseat.
an attempt to overthrow Soviet rule
put an end to, defeat, conquer.
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noun
the overthrow of the Shah
removal (from office/power), downfall, fall, toppling, deposition, ousting, displacement, supplanting, unseating.
the overthrow of capitalism
ending, defeat, displacement, fall, collapse, downfall, demise.
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overtone

noun
connotation, hidden meaning, implication, association, undercurrent, undertone, echo, vibrations, hint, suggestion, insinuation, intimation, suspicion, feeling, nuance.

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overture

noun
the overture to Don Giovanni
prelude, introduction, opening, introductory movement.
the overture to a long debate
preliminary, prelude, introduction, lead-in, precursor, start, beginning.
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peace overtures
(opening) move, approach, advances, feeler, signal, proposal, proposition.
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overturn

verb
the boat overturned
capsize, turn turtle, keel over, tip over, topple over, turn over; Nautical pitchpole; archaic overset.
I overturned the stool
upset, tip over, topple over, turn over, knock over, upend.
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the Senate may overturn this ruling
cancel, reverse, rescind, repeal, revoke, retract, countermand, disallow, override, overrule, veto, quash, overthrow, annul, nullify, invalidate, negate, void; Law vacate; formal abrogate; archaic recall.
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overused

adjective
hackneyed, overworked, worn out, time-worn, tired, played out, clichéd, stale, trite, banal, stock, unoriginal.

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overweening

adjective
overconfident, conceited, cocksure, cocky, smug, haughty, supercilious, lofty, patronizing, arrogant, proud, vain, self-important, imperious, overbearing; informal high and mighty, uppish. ANTONYMS :unassuming.

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overweight

adjective
fat, obese, stout, corpulent, gross, fleshy, plump, portly, chubby, rotund, paunchy, pot-bellied, flabby, well upholstered, well padded, broad in the beam; informal porky, tubby, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy, fubsy; archaic pursy. ANTONYMS :skinny.

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overwhelm

verb
advancing sand dunes could overwhelm the village
swamp, submerge, engulf, bury, deluge, flood, inundate.
Spain overwhelmed Russia in the hockey
defeat (utterly/heavily), trounce, rout, beat (hollow), conquer, vanquish, be victorious over, triumph over, worst, overcome, overthrow, crush; informal thrash, lick, best, clobber, wipe the floor with.
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she was overwhelmed by a sense of tragedy
overcome, move, stir, affect, touch, strike, dumbfound, shake, devastate, floor, leave speechless; informal bowl over, knock sideways; Brit. informal knock/hit for six.
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overwhelming

adjective
an overwhelming number of players were unavailable
very large, enormous, immense, inordinate, massive, huge.
overwhelming desire to laugh
very strong, forceful, uncontrollable, irrepressible, irresistible, overpowering, compelling.
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overwork

verb
we should not overwork
work too hard, work/run oneself into the ground, wear oneself to a shadow, work one's fingers to the bone, burn the candle at both ends, overtax oneself, burn oneself out, do too much, overdo it, strain oneself, overload oneself, drive/push oneself too hard; informal kill oneself, knock oneself out.
my colleagues did not overwork me
drive (too hard), exploit, drive into the ground, tax, overtax, overburden, put upon, impose on.
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overworked

adjective
overworked staff
stressed (out), stress-ridden, overtaxed, overburdened, overloaded, exhausted, worn out.
an overworked phrase
hackneyed, overused, worn out, tired, played out, clichéd, threadbare, stale, trite, banal, stock, unoriginal.
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ANTONYMS :relaxed, original.

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overwrought

adjective
she was too overwrought to listen
tense, agitated, nervous, on edge, edgy, keyed up, worked up, highly strung, neurotic, overexcited, beside oneself, distracted, distraught, frantic, hysterical; informal in a state, in a tizzy, uptight, wound up, het up; Brit. informal strung up.
the painting is overwrought
over-elaborate, over-ornate, overblown, overdone, contrived, overworked, strained.
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ANTONYMS :calm, understated.

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owe

verb
be in debt (to), be indebted (to), be in arrears (to), be under an obligation (to).

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owing

adjective
the rent was owing
unpaid, to be paid, payable, due, overdue, undischarged, owed, outstanding, in arrears; N. Amer. delinquent. ANTONYMS :paid.

owing to
because of, as a result of, on account of, due to, as a consequence of, thanks to, in view of; formal by reason of.

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own

adjective
he has his own reasons
personal, individual, particular, private, personalized, unique.
verb
I own this house
be the owner of, possess, be the possessor of, have in one's possession, have (to one's name).
she had to own that she agreed
admit, concede, grant, accept, acknowledge, agree, confess.
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get one's own back (informal)
have/get/take one's revenge (on), be revenged (on), hit back, get (back at), get even (with), settle accounts (with), repay, pay someone back, give someone their just deserts, retaliate (against/on), take reprisals (against), exact retribution (on), give someone a taste of their own medicine. hold one's own
stand firm, stand one's ground, keep one's end up, keep one's head above water, compete, survive, cope, get on/along. on one's own
I am all on my own
(all) alone, (all) by oneself, solitary, unaccompanied, companionless; informal by one's lonesome; Brit. informal on one's tod, on one's Jack Jones.

she works well on her own
unaided, unassisted, without help, without assistance, (all) by oneself, i ndependently.
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own up
confess (to), admit to, admit guilt, plead guilty, accept blame/responsibility, tell the truth (about), make a clean breast of it, tell all; informal come clean (about).

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owner

noun
possessor, holder, proprietor/proprietress, homeowner, freeholder, landlord, landlady. proprietary.

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ownership

noun
(right of) possession, freehold, proprietorship, proprietary rights, title.

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ox

noun
bull, bullock, steer; Farming beef.

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P

pace

noun
he stepped back a pace
step, stride.
a slow, steady pace
gait, stride, walk, march.
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he drove home at a furious pace
speed, rate, velocity; informal clip, lick.
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verb
she paced up and down
walk, stride, tread, march, pound, patrol.

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pacific

adjective
a pacific community
peace-loving, peaceable, pacifist, non-violent, non-aggressive, non-belligerent.
their pacific intentions
conciliatory, peacemaking, placatory, propitiatory, appeasing, mollifying, mediatory, dovish; formal irenic.
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pacific waters
calm, still, smooth, tranquil, placid, waveless, unruffled, like a millpond.
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ANTONYMS :aggressive, stormy.

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pacifism

noun
peacemaking, conscientious objection(s), passive resistance, peace-mongering, non-violence.

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pacifist

noun
peace-lover, conscientious objector, passive resister, peacemaker, peace-monger, dove; Brit. informal conchie. ANTONYMS :warmonger.

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pacify

verb
placate, appease, calm (down), conciliate, propitiate, assuage, mollify, soothe. ANTONYMS :enrage.

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pack

noun
a pack of cigarettes
packet, container, package, box, carton, parcel.
a 45lb pack
backpack, rucksack, knapsack, kitbag, bag, load.
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a pack of wolves
group, herd, troop.
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a pack of youngsters
crowd, mob, group, band, troupe, party, set, clique, gang, rabble, horde, throng, huddle, mass, assembly, gathering, host; informal crew, bunch.
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verb
she helped pack the hamper
fill (up), put things in, load.
they packed their belongings
stow, put away, store, box up.
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the glasses were packed in straw
wrap (up), package, parcel, swathe, swaddle, encase, enfold, envelop, bundle.
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Christmas shoppers packed the store
throng, crowd (into), fill (to overflowing), cram, jam, squash into, squeeze into.
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pack the cloth against the wall
compress, press, squash, squeeze, jam, tamp.
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pack something in (informal)
she has packed in her job
resign from, leave, give up; informal quit, chuck; Brit. informal jack in.

he should pack in smoking
give up, abstain from, drop, desist from, refrain from, discontinue; informal quit, leave off; formal forswear.
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pack someone off (informal)
send off, dispatch, bundle off. pack up
(Brit. informal) something is bound to pack up over Christmas
break (down), stop working, fail, develop a fault, malfunction, go wrong; informal act up, conk out, go kaput.

(informal) it's time to pack up
stop, call it a day, finish, cease; informal knock off, quit, pack/jack it in.
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pack something up
put away, tidy up/away, clear up/away.

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package

noun
the delivery of a package
parcel, packet, container, box.
a complete package of services
collection, bundle, combination.
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verb
goods packaged in recyclable materials
wrap (up), gift-wrap; pack (up), parcel (up), box, encase.

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packaging

noun
wrapping, wrappers, packing, covering.

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packed

adjective
crowded, full, filled (to capacity), crammed, jammed, solid, overcrowded, overfull, teeming, seething, swarming; informal jam-packed, chock-full, chock-a-block, full to the gunwales, bursting/bulging at the seams.

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packet

noun
a packet of cigarettes
pack, carton, (cardboard) box, container, case, package.
(informal) that must have cost a packet
a considerable/large sum of money, a king's ransom, millions, billions; informal a (small) fortune, pots/heaps of money, a mint, a bundle, a pile, a tidy sum, a pretty penny, big money; Brit. informal a bomb, loadsamoney; N. Amer. informal big bucks, gazillions; Austral. informal big bickies, motser.
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pact

noun
agreement, treaty, entente, protocol, deal, settlement, concordat; armistice, truce; formal concord.

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pad 1

noun
a pad over the eye
piece of cotton wool, dressing, pack, padding, wadding, wad.
a seat pad
cushion, squab.
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making notes on a pad
notebook, notepad, writing pad, memo pad, jotter, block, sketch pad, sketchbook; N. Amer. scratch pad.
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verb
a quilted jacket padded with duck feathers
stuff, fill, pack, wad.
pad something out
expand unnecessarily, fill out, amplify, increase, flesh out, lengthen, spin out, overdo, elaborate.

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pad 2

verb
he padded along towards the bedroom
walk quietly, tread warily, creep, tiptoe, steal, pussyfoot.

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padding

noun
padding around the ankle
wadding, cushioning, stuffing, packing, filling, lining.
a concise style with no padding
verbiage, verbosity, wordiness, prolixity; Brit. informal waffle.
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paddle 1

noun
use the paddles to row ashore
oar, scull, blade.
verb
we paddled around the bay
row gently, pull, scull.

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paddle 2

verb
children were paddling in the water
splash about, wade; dabble.

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paddock

noun
field, meadow, pasture; pen, pound; N. Amer. corral.

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paddy

noun
(Brit. informal) rage, (bad) temper, (bad) mood, pet, fit of pique, tantrum; informal grump, stress; Brit. informal strop; N. Amer. informal blowout, hissy fit.

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padlock

verb
lock (up), fasten, secure.

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padre

noun
priest, chaplain, minister (of religion), pastor, father, parson, clergyman, cleric, ecclesiastic, man of the cloth, churchman, vicar, rector, curate, preacher; informal reverend, Holy Joe, sky pilot; Austral. informal josser.

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paean

noun
song of praise, hymn, alleluia; plaudit, glorification, eulogy, tribute, panegyric, accolade, acclamation; formal encomium.

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pagan

noun
pagans worshipped the sun
heathen, infidel, idolater, idolatress; archaic paynim.
adjective
the pagan festival
heathen, ungodly, irreligious, infidel, idolatrous; rare nullifidian.

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page 1

noun
a book of 672 pages
folio, sheet, side, leaf.
a glorious page in his life
period, time, stage, phase, epoch, era, chapter.
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page 2

noun
a page in a hotel
errand boy, messenger boy; N. Amer. bellboy, bellhop.
a page at a wedding
attendant, pageboy, train-bearer.
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verb
could you please page Mr Johnson?
call (for), summon, send for.

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pageant

noun
parade, procession, cavalcade, tableau (vivant); spectacle, extravaganza, show.

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pageantry

noun
spectacle, display, ceremony, magnificence, pomp, splendour, grandeur, show; informal razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz.

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pain

noun
she endured great pain
suffering, agony, torture, torment, discomfort.
a pain in the stomach
ache, aching, soreness, throb, throbbing, sting, stinging, twinge, shooting pain, stab, pang; discomfort, irritation, tenderness.
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the pain of losing a loved one
sorrow, grief, heartache, heartbreak, sadness, unhappiness, distress, desolation, misery, wretchedness, despair; agony, torment, torture.
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(informal) that child is a pain.
See nuisance.
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he took great pains to hide his feelings
care, effort, bother, trouble.
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verb
her foot is still paining her
hurt, cause pain, be painful, be sore, be tender, ache, throb, sting, twinge, cause discomfort; informal kill.
the memory pains her
sadden, grieve, distress, trouble, perturb, oppress, cause anguish to.
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be at pains
try hard, make a great effort, take (great) pains, put oneself out; strive, endeavour, try, do one's best, do one's utmost, go all out; informal bend/fall/lean over backwards.

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pained

adjective
upset, hurt, wounded, injured, insulted, offended, aggrieved, displeased, disgruntled, annoyed, angered, angry, cross, indignant, irritated, resentful; informal riled, miffed, aggravated, peeved, hacked off, browned off; Brit. informal narked, cheesed off; N. Amer. informal teed off, ticked off, sore.

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painful

adjective
a painful arm
sore, hurting, tender, aching, throbbing.
a painful experience
disagreeable, unpleasant, nasty, bitter, distressing, upsetting, traumatic, miserable, sad, heartbreaking, agonizing, harrowing.
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painfully

adverb
distressingly, disturbingly, unendurably, unbearably, uncomfortably, unpleasantly; dreadfully; informal terribly, awfully; informal, dated frightfully.

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painkiller

noun
analgesic, pain reliever, anodyne, anaesthetic, narcotic; palliative.

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painless

adjective
any killing of animals should be painless
without pain, pain-free.
getting rid of him proved painless
easy, trouble-free, effortless, simple, plain sailing; informal as easy as pie, a piece of cake, child's play, a cinch.
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ANTONYMS :painful, difficult.

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painstaking

adjective
careful, meticulous, thorough, assiduous, sedulous, attentive, diligent, industrious, conscientious, punctilious, scrupulous, rigorous, particular; pedantic, fussy. ANTONYMS :slapdash.

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paint

noun
colouring, colourant, tint, dye, stain, pigment, colour.
verb
simply paint the ceiling
colour, apply paint to, decorate, whitewash, emulsion, gloss, spray-paint, airbrush.
painting slogans on a wall
daub, smear, spray-paint, airbrush.
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Rembrandt painted his mother
portray, picture, paint a picture of, depict, represent.
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you paint a very stark picture of the suffering
tell, recount, outline, sketch, describe, depict, evoke, conjure up.
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paint the town red (informal)
celebrate, carouse, enjoy oneself, have a good/wild time, have a party; informal go out on the town, whoop it up, make whoopee, live it up, party, have a ball, push the boat out.

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painting

noun
picture, illustration, portrayal, depiction, representation, image, artwork; oil (painting), watercolour, canvas.

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pair

noun
a pair of gloves
set (of two), matching set, two of a kind.
the pair were arrested
two, couple, duo, brace, twosome, duplet; twins; archaic twain.
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a pair of lines
couplet; Prosody distich.
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the happy pair
couple, man/husband and wife.
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verb
a cardigan paired with a matching skirt
match, put together, couple, twin.
pair off/up
get together, team up, form a couple, make a twosome.

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pal (informal)

noun
my best pal.
See friend sense 1.
pal up
become friendly, make friends, form a friendship; N. Amer. informal buddy up.

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palace

noun
royal/official residence, castle, château, schloss, mansion, stately home. palatial.

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palatable

adjective
palatable meals
tasty, appetizing, flavourful, flavoursome, delicious, mouth-watering, toothsome, succulent; informal scrumptious, yummy, scrummy, moreish; formal comestible.
the truth is not always palatable
pleasant, acceptable, pleasing, agreeable, to one's liking.
Top
ANTONYMS :disagreeable.

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palate

noun
the tea burned her palate
roof of the mouth, hard/soft palate.
menus to suit the tourist palate
(sense of) taste, appetite, stomach.
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wine with a peachy palate
flavour, savour, taste.
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palatial

adjective
luxurious, de luxe, magnificent, sumptuous, splendid, grand, opulent, lavish, stately, regal; fancy; Brit. upmarket; informal plush, swanky, posh, ritzy, swish. ANTONYMS :modest.

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palaver (informal)

noun
what was all that palaver about?
fuss (and bother), bother, commotion, trouble, rigmarole, folderol; informal song and dance, performance, to-do, carrying-on, kerfuffle, hoo-ha, hullabaloo, ballyhoo.
(dated) they were having a palaver.
See parley noun.
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verb
don't stand there palavering.
See talk verb sense 3.

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pale 1

noun
the pales of a fence
stake, post, pole, picket, upright.
outside the pale of decency
boundary, confines, bounds, limits.
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beyond the pale
unacceptable, unseemly, improper, unsuitable, unreasonable, intolerable, disgraceful, deplorable, outrageous, scandalous, shocking; informal not on, not the done thing, out of order, out of line; Austral./NZ informal over the fence; formal exceptionable.

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pale 2

adjective
she looked pale and drawn
white, pallid, pasty, wan, colourless, anaemic, bloodless, washed out, peaky, ashen, grey, whitish, whey-faced, drained, sickly, sallow, as white as a sheet, deathly pale; milky, creamy, cream, ivory, milk-white, alabaster; informal like death warmed up.
pale colours
light, light-coloured, pastel, muted, subtle, soft; faded, bleached, washed out.
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the pale light of morning
dim, faint, weak, feeble.
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a pale imitation
feeble, weak, insipid, bland, poor, inadequate; uninspired, unimaginative, lacklustre, spiritless, lifeless; informal pathetic.
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ANTONYMS :dark.

verb
his face paled
go/turn white, grow/turn pale, blanch, lose colour.
everything else pales by comparison
decrease in importance, lose significance, pale into insignificance.
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palisade

noun
fence, paling, barricade, stockade.

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pall 1

noun
a rich velvet pall
funeral cloth, coffin covering.
a pall of black smoke
cloud, covering, cloak, veil, shroud, layer, blanket.
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cast a pall over
spoil, cast a shadow over, overshadow, cloud, put a damper on.

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pall 2

verb
the high life was beginning to pall
become/grow tedious, become/grow boring, lose its/their interest, lose attraction, wear off; weary, sicken, nauseate; irritate, irk.

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palliate

verb
the treatment works by palliating symptoms
alleviate, ease, relieve, soothe, take the edge off, assuage, moderate, temper, diminish, decrease, blunt, deaden.
there is no way to palliate his dirty deed
disguise, hide, gloss over, conceal, cover (up), camouflage, mask; excuse, justify, extenuate, mitigate.
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palliative

adjective
palliative medicine
soothing, alleviating, sedative, calmative.
noun
antibiotics and palliatives
painkiller, analgesic, pain reliever, sedative, tranquillizer, anodyne, calmative, opiate, bromide.

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pallid

adjective
a pallid child
pale, white, pasty, wan, colourless, anaemic, washed out, peaky, whey-faced, ashen, grey, whitish, drained, sickly, sallow; informal like death warmed up.
pallid watercolours
insipid, uninspired, colourless, uninteresting, unexciting, unimaginative, lifeless, spiritless, sterile, bland.
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pallor

noun
paleness, pallidness, lack of colour, wanness, ashen hue, pastiness, peakiness, greyness, sickliness, sallowness.

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pally

adjective
(informal) friendly, on good terms, close, intimate; informal matey, buddy-buddy.

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palm 1

grease someone's palm (informal)
bribe, buy (off), corrupt, suborn, give an inducement to; informal give a backhander to, give a sweetener to. have someone in the palm of one's hand
have control over, have influence over, have someone eating out of one's hand, have someone on a string; N. Amer. have someone in one's hip pocket. palm something off
foist, fob off, get rid of, dispose of, unload.

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palm 2

noun
the palm of victory
prize, trophy, award, crown, laurel wreath, laurels, bays.

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palmistry

noun
fortune telling, palm-reading, clairvoyancy, chiromancy.

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palmy

adjective
happy, fortunate, glorious, prosperous, halcyon, golden, rosy.

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palpable

adjective
a palpable bump
tangible, touchable, noticeable, detectable.
his reluctance was palpable
perceptible, perceivable, visible, noticeable, discernible, detectable, observable, tangible, unmistakable, transparent, self-evident; obvious, clear, plain (to see), evident, apparent, manifest, staring one in the face, written all over someone.
Top
ANTONYMS :imperceptible.

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palpitate

verb
her heart began to palpitate
beat rapidly, pound, throb, pulsate, pulse, thud, thump, hammer, race.
palpitating with terror
tremble, quiver, quake, shake (like a leaf).
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paltry

adjective
a paltry sum of money
small, meagre, trifling, insignificant, negligible, inadequate, insufficient, derisory, pitiful, pathetic, miserable, niggardly, beggarly; informal measly, piddling, poxy; formal exiguous.
naval glory struck him as paltry
worthless, petty, trivial, unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, of little account.
Top
ANTONYMS :considerable.

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pamper

verb
spoil, indulge, overindulge, cosset, mollycoddle, coddle, baby, wait on someone hand and foot.

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pamphlet

noun
brochure, leaflet, booklet, circular, flyer, handbill; N. Amer. mailer, folder, dodger.

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pan 1

noun
a heavy pan
saucepan, frying pan, wok, skillet.
salt pans
hollow, pit, depression, dip, crater, concavity.
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verb
(informal) the movie was panned by the critics.
See criticize.
prospectors panned for gold
sift for, search for, look for.
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ANTONYMS :praise.

pan out
Harold's idea hadn't panned out
succeed, be successful, work (out), turn out well.

the deal panned out badly
turn out, work out, end (up), come out, fall out, evolve; formal eventuate.
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pan 2

verb
the camera panned to the building
swing (round), sweep, move, turn, circle.

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panacea

noun
universal cure, cure-all, cure for all ills, universal remedy, elixir, wonder drug; informal magic bullet.

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panache

noun
flamboyance, confidence, self-assurance, style, flair, elan, dash, verve, zest, spirit, brio, éclat, vivacity, gusto, liveliness, vitality, energy; informal pizzazz, oomph, zip, zing.

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pancake

noun
crêpe, galette; blin, tortilla, tostada, chapatti, dosa, latke, blintze; N. Amer. flapjack, slapjack.

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pandemic

adjective
widespread, prevalent, pervasive, rife, rampant.

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pandemonium

noun
bedlam, chaos, mayhem, uproar, turmoil, tumult, commotion, confusion, anarchy, furore, hubbub, rumpus; informal hullabaloo. ANTONYMS :peace.

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pander

pander to
indulge, gratify, satisfy, cater to, give in to, accommodate, comply with.

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pane

noun
sheet of glass, windowpane.

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panegyric

noun
eulogy, speech of praise, paean, accolade, tribute.

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panel

noun
a control panel
console, instrument panel, dashboard; instruments, controls, dials.
a panel of judges
group, team, body, committee, board.
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pang

noun
hunger pangs
(sharp) pain, shooting pain, twinge, stab, spasm.
a pang of remorse
qualm, twinge, prick.
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panic

noun
a wave of panic
alarm, anxiety, nervousness, fear, fright, trepidation, dread, terror, agitation, hysteria, consternation, perturbation, dismay, apprehension; informal flap, fluster, cold sweat, funk, tizzy; N. Amer. informal swivet. ANTONYMS :calm.

verb
there's no need to panic
be alarmed, be scared, be nervous, be afraid, take fright, be agitated, be hysterical, lose one's nerve, get overwrought, get worked up; informal flap, get in a flap, lose one's cool, get into a tizzy, run around like a headless chicken, freak out, get in a stew; Brit. informal get the wind up, go into a (flat) spin, have kittens.
talk of love panicked her
frighten, alarm, scare, unnerve; informal throw into a tizzy, freak out; Brit. informal put the wind up.
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panic-stricken

adjective
alarmed, frightened, scared (stiff), terrified, terror-stricken, petrified, horrified, horror-stricken, fearful, afraid, panicky, frantic, in a frenzy, nervous, agitated, hysterical, beside oneself, worked up, overwrought; informal in a cold sweat, in a (blue) funk, in a flap, in a fluster, in a tizzy; Brit. informal in a flat spin.

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panoply

noun
the full panoply of America's military might
array, range, collection.
all the panoply of religious liturgy
trappings, regalia; splendour, spectacle, ceremony, ritual.
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panorama

noun
he surveyed the panorama
(scenic) view, vista, prospect, scene, scenery, landscape, seascape.
a panorama of the art scene
overview, survey, review, presentation, appraisal.
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panoramic

adjective
a panoramic view
sweeping, wide, extensive, scenic, commanding.
a panoramic look at the 20th century
wide-ranging, extensive, broad, far-reaching, comprehensive, all-embracing.
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pant

verb
he was panting as they reached the top
breathe heavily, breathe hard, puff (and blow), huff and puff, gasp, wheeze.
it makes you pant for more
yearn for, long for, crave, hanker after/for, ache for, hunger for, thirst for, be hungry for, be thirsty for, wish for, desire, want; informal itch for, be dying for; archaic be athirst for.
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noun
breathing in shallow pants
gasp, puff, wheeze, breath.

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panting

adjective
out of breath, breathless, short of breath, puffed out, puffing (and blowing), huffing and puffing, gasping (for breath), wheezing, wheezy.

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pantry

noun
larder, store, storeroom; Brit. historical still room; archaic spence.

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pants

plural noun
(Brit.) underpants, briefs, Y-fronts, boxer shorts, boxers, long johns, (French) knickers, bikini briefs; Brit. camiknickers; N. Amer. shorts, undershorts; informal panties; Brit. informal kecks, knicks, smalls; dated drawers, bloomers, unmentionables; N. Amer. dated step-ins.
(N. Amer.). See trousers.
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pap

noun
tasteless pap
soft food, mush, slop, pulp, purée, mash; informal goo, gloop, gook; N. Amer. informal glop.
commercial pap
trivia, pulp (fiction), rubbish, nonsense, froth; Brit. candyfloss; informal dreck, drivel, trash, twaddle.
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paper

noun
a sheet of paper
writing paper, notepaper, foolscap.
the local paper
newspaper, journal, gazette, periodical; tabloid, broadsheet, quality paper, daily, weekly, evening paper, Sunday paper; informal rag; N. Amer. informal tab.
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the paper was peeling off the walls
wallpaper, wallcovering; Brit. woodchip; trademark Anaglypta.
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toffee papers
wrapper, wrapping.
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a three-hour paper
exam, examination, test.
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he has just published a paper
essay, article, monograph, thesis, work, dissertation, treatise, study, report, analysis, tract, critique, exegesis, review; N. Amer. theme.
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personal papers
documents, certificates, letters, files, deeds, records, archives, paperwork, documentation; Law muniments.
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they asked us for our papers
identification papers/documents, identity card, ID, credentials.
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verb
we papered the walls
wallpaper, hang wallpaper on.
paper something over
cover up, hide , conceal, disguise, camouflage, gloss over. on paper
he put his thoughts down on paper
in writing, in black and white, in print.

the combatants were evenly matched on paper
in theory, theoretically, supposedly.
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papery

adjective
thin, paper-thin, flimsy, delicate, insubstantial, light, lightweight.

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par

below par
their performances have been below par
substandard, inferior, not up to scratch, under par, below average, second-rate, mediocre, poor, undistinguished; informal not up to snuff; N. Amer. informal bush-league.

I'm feeling below par
slightly unwell, not (very) well, not oneself, out of sorts; ill, unwell, poorly, washed out, run down, peaky; Brit. off (colour); informal under the weather, not up to snuff, lousy, rough; Brit. informal ropy, grotty; Austral./NZ informal crook; dated queer.
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on a par with
as good as, comparable with, in the same class/league as, equivalent to, equal to, on a level with, of the same standard as. par for the course
normal, typical, standard, usual, what one would expect. up to par
good enough, up to the mark, satisfactory, acceptable, adequate, up to scratch; informal up to snuff.

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parable

noun
allegory, moral story/tale, fable, exemplum, apologue.

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parade

noun
a St George's Day parade
procession, march, cavalcade, motorcade, spectacle, display, pageant; review, dress parade, tattoo; Brit. march past.
she made a great parade of doing the housework
exhibition, show, display, performance, spectacle, fuss; informal hoo-ha, to-do.
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she walked along the parade
promenade, walkway, esplanade, mall; N. Amer. boardwalk; Brit. informal prom.
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verb
the teams paraded through the city
march, process, file, troop.
she paraded up and down
strut, swagger, stride.
Top
he was keen to parade his knowledge
display, exhibit, make a show of, flaunt, show (off), demonstrate.
Top

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paradigm

noun
model, pattern, example, exemplar, standard, prototype, archetype.

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paradisal

adjective
heavenly, idyllic, blissful, divine, sublime, perfect.

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paradise

noun
the souls in paradise
(the kingdom of) heaven, the heavenly kingdom, Elysium, the Elysian Fields, Valhalla, Avalon.
Adam and Eve's expulsion from Paradise
the Garden of Eden, Eden.
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a tropical paradise
Utopia, Shangri-La, heaven, idyll, nirvana.
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this is sheer paradise!
bliss, heaven, ecstasy, delight, joy, happiness, nirvana, heaven on earth.
Top
ANTONYMS :hell.

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paradox

noun
contradiction (in terms), self-contradiction, inconsistency, incongruity, conflict, anomaly; enigma, puzzle, mystery, conundrum.

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paradoxical

adjective
contradictory, self-contradictory, inconsistent, incongruous, anomalous; illogical, puzzling, baffling, incomprehensible, inexplicable.

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paragon

noun
perfect example, shining example, model, epitome, archetype, ideal, exemplar, nonpareil, embodiment, personification, quintessence, apotheosis, acme; jewel, gem, angel, treasure; informal one in a million, the tops; archaic a nonsuch.

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paragraph

noun
the concluding paragraph
section, subdivision, part, subsection, division, portion, segment, passage.
a paragraph in the newspaper
report, article, item, piece, write-up, mention.
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parallel

adjective
parallel lines
side by side, aligned, collateral, equidistant.
parallel careers
similar, analogous, comparable, corresponding, like, of a kind, akin, related, equivalent, matching.
Top
a parallel universe
coexisting, coexistent, concurrent; contemporaneous, simultaneous, synchronous.
Top
ANTONYMS :divergent.

noun
an exact parallel
counterpart, analogue, equivalent, likeness, match, twin, duplicate, mirror.
there is an interesting parallel between these figures
similarity, likeness, resemblance, analogy, correspondence, equivalence, correlation, relation, symmetry, parity.
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verb
his experiences parallel mine
resemble, be similar to, be like, bear a resemblance to; correspond to, be analogous to, be comparable/equivalent to, equate with/to, correlate with, imitate, echo, remind one of, duplicate, mirror, follow, match.
her performance has never been paralleled
equal, match, rival, emulate.
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paralyse

verb
both of his legs were paralysed
disable, cripple, immobilize, incapacitate, debilitate; formal torpefy.
Maisie was paralysed by the sight of him
immobilize, transfix, become rooted to the spot, freeze, stun, render motionless.
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the capital was paralysed by a general strike
bring to a standstill, immobilize, bring to a (grinding) halt, freeze, cripple, disable.
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paralysed

adjective
disabled, crippled, handicapped, incapacitated, paralytic, powerless, immobilized, useless; Medicine paraplegic, quadriplegic, tetraplegic, monoplegic, hemiplegic, paretic, paraparetic.

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paralysis

noun
the disease can cause paralysis
immobility, powerlessness, incapacity, debilitation; Medicine paraplegia, quadriplegia, tetraplegia, monoplegia, hemiplegia, diplegia, paresis, paraparesis.
complete paralysis of the ports
shutdown, immobilization, stoppage.
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paralytic

adjective
her hands became paralytic
paralysed, crippled, disabled, incapacitated, powerless, immobilized, useless.
(Brit. informal) everyone was paralytic.
See drunk adjective.
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parameter

noun
framework, variable, limit, boundary, limitation, restriction, criterion, guideline.

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paramount

adjective
most important, of greatest/prime importance; uppermost, supreme, chief, overriding, predominant, foremost, prime, primary, principal, highest, main, key, central, leading, major, top; informal number-one.

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paramour

noun
(archaic) lover, significant other; mistress, girlfriend, kept woman, other woman, inamorata; boyfriend, other man, inamorato; informal fancy woman/man, toy boy, sugar daddy, bit on the side, bit of fluff; archaic concubine, courtesan.

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paranoia

noun
persecution complex, delusions, obsession, psychosis.

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paranoid

adjective
over-suspicious, paranoiac, suspicious, mistrustful, fearful, insecure; Brit. informal para.

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parapet

noun
Marian leaned over the parapet
balustrade, barrier, wall.
the sandbags making up the parapet
barricade, rampart, bulwark, bank, embankment, fortification, defence, earthwork, bastion.
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paraphernalia

plural noun
equipment, stuff, things, apparatus, kit, implements, tools, utensils, material(s), appliances, accoutrements, appurtenances, odds and ends, bits and pieces; informal gear; Brit. informal clobber; archaic equipage.

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paraphrase

verb
paraphrasing literary texts
reword, rephrase, put/express in other words, rewrite, gloss.
noun
this paraphrase of St Paul's words
rewording, rephrasing, rewriting, rewrite, rendition, rendering, gloss.

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parasite

noun
hanger-on, cadger, leech, passenger; informal bloodsucker, sponger, scrounger, freeloader; N. Amer. informal mooch; Austral./NZ informal bludger.

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parcel

noun
a parcel of clothes
package, packet; pack, bundle, box, case, bale.
a parcel of land
plot, piece, patch, tract; Brit. allotment; N. Amer. lot, plat.
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verb
she parcelled up the papers
pack (up), package, wrap (up), gift-wrap, tie up, bundle up.
parcelling out commercial farmland
divide up, portion out, distribute, share out, allocate, allot, apportion, hand out, dole out, dish out; informal divvy up.
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parched

adjective
the parched earth
(bone) dry, dried up/out, arid, desiccated, dehydrated, baked, burned, scorched; withered, shrivelled.
(informal) I'm parched.
See thirsty sense 1.
Top
ANTONYMS :soaking.

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pardon

noun
pardon for your sins
forgiveness, absolution, clemency, mercy, lenience, leniency.
he offered them a full pardon
reprieve, free pardon, amnesty, exoneration, release, acquittal, discharge; formal exculpation.
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verb
I know she will pardon me
forgive, absolve, have mercy on; excuse, condone, overlook.
they were subsequently pardoned
exonerate, acquit, amnesty; reprieve, release, free; informal let off; formal exculpate.
Top
ANTONYMS :blame, punish.

exclamation
Pardon?
what (did you say), eh, pardon me, I beg your pardon, sorry, excuse me; informal come again.

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pardonable

adjective
excusable, forgivable, condonable, understandable, minor, venial, slight. ANTONYMS :inexcusable.

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pare

verb
pare the peel from the lemon
cut (off), trim (off), peel (off), strip (off), skin; technical decorticate.
domestic operations have been pared down
reduce, diminish, decrease, cut (back/down), trim, slim down, prune, curtail.
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parent

noun
her parents have divorced
mother, father, birth/biological parent, progenitor; adoptive parent, foster-parent, step-parent, guardian; poetic/literary begetter.
the parent of rock and roll
source, origin, genesis, root, author, architect; precursor, forerunner, predecessor, antecedent; formal radix.
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verb
those who parent young children
bring up, look after, take care of, rear, raise.

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parentage

noun
origins, extraction, birth, family, ancestry, lineage, heritage, pedigree, descent, blood, stock, roots.

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parenthetical

adjective
incidental, supplementary, in brackets, in parentheses, parenthetic; explanatory, qualifying.

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parenthetically

adverb
incidentally, by the way, by the by(e), in passing, in parenthesis.

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parenthood

noun
childcare, child-rearing, motherhood, fatherhood, parenting.

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pariah

noun
outcast, persona non grata, leper, undesirable, unperson.

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parings

plural noun
peelings, clippings, peel, rind, cuttings, trimmings, shavings.

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parish

noun
the parish of Poplar
district, community.
the vicar scandalized the parish
parishioners, churchgoers, congregation, fold, flock, community.
Top
parochial.

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parity

noun
equality, equivalence, uniformity, consistency, correspondence, congruity, levelness, unity, coequality.

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park

noun
we were playing in the park
public garden, recreation ground, playground, play area.
fifty acres of park
parkland, grassland, woodland, garden(s), lawns, grounds, estate.
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the liveliest player on the park
(playing) field, football field, pitch.
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verb
he parked his car
leave, position; stop, pull up.
(informal) park your bag by the door
put (down), place, deposit, leave, stick, shove, dump; informal plonk; Brit. informal bung.
Top

park oneself (informal)
sit down, seat oneself, settle (oneself), install oneself; informal plonk oneself.

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parlance

noun
jargon, language, phraseology, talk, speech, argot, patois, cant; informal lingo, -ese, -speak.

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parley

noun
a peace parley
negotiation, talk(s), conference, summit, discussion, powwow; informal confab; formal colloquy, confabulation; dated palaver.
verb
the two parties were willing to parley
discuss terms, talk, hold talks, negotiate, deliberate; informal powwow.

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parliament

noun
the Queen's speech to Parliament
the Houses of Parliament, Westminster, the (House of) Commons, the (House of) Lords.
the Russian parliament
legislature, legislative assembly, congress, senate, (upper/lower) house, (upper/lower) chamber, diet, assembly.
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parliamentary

adjective
legislative, law-making, governmental, congressional, senatorial, democratic, elected, representative.

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parlour

noun
(dated) tea in the parlour
sitting room, living room, lounge, front room, drawing room; Brit. reception room.
a beauty parlour
salon, shop, establishment, store.
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parlous

adjective
bad, dire, dreadful, awful, terrible, grave, serious, desperate, precarious; sorry, poor, lamentable, hopeless; unsafe, perilous, dangerous, risky; informal dicey, hairy, chronic, woeful.

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parochial

adjective
narrow-minded, small-minded, provincial, narrow, small-town, conservative, illiberal, intolerant; Brit. parish-pump; N. Amer. informal jerkwater. ANTONYMS :broad-minded.

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parochialism

noun
narrow-mindedness, provincialism, small-mindedness.

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parody

noun
a parody of the gothic novel
satire, burlesque, lampoon, pastiche, pasquinade, caricature, imitation, mockery; informal spoof, take-off, send-up.
a parody of the truth
distortion, travesty, caricature, misrepresentation, perversion, corruption, debasement.
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verb
parodying schoolgirl fiction
satirize, burlesque, lampoon, caricature, mimic, imitate, ape, copy, make fun of, travesty, take off; informal send up.

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paroxysm

noun
spasm, attack, fit, burst, bout, convulsion, seizure, outburst, eruption, explosion, access; formal boutade.

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parrot

noun
psittacine.
verb
they parroted slogans without appreciating their significance
repeat (mindlessly), repeat mechanically, echo.

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parrot-fashion

adverb
mechanically, by rote, mindlessly, automatically.

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parry

verb
Sharpe parried the blow
ward off, fend off; deflect, hold off, block, counter, repel, repulse.
I parried her constant questions
evade, sidestep, avoid, dodge, answer evasively, field, fend off.
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parsimonious

adjective
mean, miserly, niggardly, close-fisted, close, penny-pinching, ungenerous, Scrooge-like; informal tight-fisted, tight, stingy, mingy; N. Amer. informal cheap; formal penurious; archaic near. ANTONYMS :generous.

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parsimony

noun
meanness, miserliness, parsimoniousness, niggardliness, close-fistedness, closeness, penny-pinching; informal stinginess, minginess, tightness, tight-fistedness; N. Amer. cheapness; formal penuriousness; archaic nearness.

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parson

noun
vicar, rector, clergyman, cleric, chaplain, pastor, curate, man of the cloth, ecclesiastic, minister, priest, preacher; informal reverend, padre; Austral. informal josser.

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part

noun
the last part of the cake | a large part of their life
bit, slice, chunk, lump, hunk, wedge, fragment, scrap, piece; portion, proportion, percentage, fraction.
car parts
component, bit, constituent, element, module.
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body parts
part of the body, organ, limb, member.
Top
the third part of the book
section, division, volume, chapter, act, scene, instalment.
Top
another part of the country
district, neighbourhood, quarter, section, area, region.
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the part of Juliet
(theatrical) role, character, persona.
Top
he's learning his part
lines, words, script, speech; libretto, lyrics, score.
Top
he was jailed for his part in the affair
involvement, role, function, hand, work, responsibility, capacity, position, participation, contribution; informal bit.
Top
ANTONYMS :whole.

verb
the curtains parted
separate, divide (in two), split (in two), move apart.
we parted on bad terms
leave, take one's leave, say goodbye/farewell, say one's goodbyes/farewells, go one's (separate) ways, go away, depart.
Top
ANTONYMS :join, meet.

adjective
a part payment
incomplete, partial, half, semi-, limited, inadequate, insufficient, unfinished. ANTONYMS :complete.

adverb
it is part finished
to a certain extent/degree, to some extent/degree, partly, partially, in part, half, relatively, comparatively, (up) to a point, somewhat; not totally, not entirely, (very) nearly, almost, just about, all but. ANTONYMS :completely.

for the most part. See most. in good part. See good. in part
to a certain extent/degree, to some extent/degree, partly, partially, slightly, in some measure, (up) to a point. on the part of
(made/done) by, carried out by, caused by, from. part with
give up/away, relinquish, forgo, surrender, hand over, deliver up, dispose of. take part
participate, join in, get involved, enter, play a part/role, be a participant, contribute, have a hand, help, assist, lend a hand; informal get in on the act. take part in
participate in, engage in, join in, get involved in, share in, play a part/role in, be a participant in, contribute to, be associated with, have a hand in. take someone's part
support, give one's support to, take the side of, side with, stand by, stick up for, be supportive of, back (up), give one's backing to, be loyal to, defend, come to the defence of, champion.

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partake

verb
(formal) visitors can partake in golf
participate in, take part in, engage in, join in, get involved in.
she had partaken of lunch
consume, have, eat, drink, devour; informal wolf down, polish off.
Top
Bohemia partakes of both East and West
have the qualities/attributes of, suggest, evoke, be characterized by.
Top

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partial

adjective
a partial recovery
incomplete, limited, qualified, imperfect, fragmentary, unfinished.
a very partial view of the situation
biased, prejudiced, partisan, one-sided, slanted, skewed, coloured, unbalanced.
Top
ANTONYMS :complete, unbiased.

be partial to
like, love, enjoy, have a liking for, be fond of, be keen on, have a soft spot for, have a taste for, have a penchant for; informal adore, be mad about/on, have a thing about, be crazy about, be nutty about; Brit. informal be potty about; N. Amer. informal cotton to; Austral./NZ informal be shook on.

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partiality

noun
his partiality towards their cause
bias, prejudice, favouritism, favour, partisanship.
her partiality for brandy
liking, love, fondness, taste, soft spot, predilection, penchant, passion.
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partially

adverb
to a limited extent/degree, to a certain extent/degree, partly, in part, not totally, not entirely, relatively, moderately, (up) to a point, somewhat, comparatively, slightly.

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participant

noun
participator, contributor, party, member; entrant, competitor, player, contestant, candidate.

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participate

verb
take part, engage, join, get involved, share, play a part/role, be a participant, partake, have a hand in, be associated with; cooperate, help, assist, lend a hand.

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participation

noun
involvement, part, contribution, association.

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particle

noun
minute particles of rock
(tiny) bit, (tiny) piece, speck, spot, fleck; fragment, sliver, splinter.
he never showed a particle of sympathy
iota, jot, whit, bit, scrap, shred, crumb, drop, hint, touch, trace, suggestion, whisper, suspicion, scintilla; informal smidgen.
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particular

adjective
a particular group of companies
specific, certain, distinct, separate, discrete, definite, precise; single, individual.
an issue of particular importance
(extra) special, especial, exceptional, unusual, singular, uncommon, notable, noteworthy, remarkable, unique; formal peculiar.
Top
he was particular about what he ate
fussy, fastidious, finicky, meticulous, punctilious, discriminating, selective, painstaking, exacting, demanding; informal pernickety, choosy, picky; Brit. informal faddy.
Top
ANTONYMS :general, careless.

noun
the same in every particular
detail, item, point, specific, element, aspect, respect, regard, particularity, fact, feature.
in particular
nothing in particular
specific, special.

the poor, in particular, were hit by rising prices
particularly, specifically, especially, specially.
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particularity

noun
the particularity of each human being
individuality, distinctiveness, uniqueness, singularity, originality.
a great degree of particularity
detail, precision, accuracy, thoroughness, scrupulousness, meticulousness.
Top

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particularize

verb
specify, detail, itemize, list, enumerate, spell out, cite, stipulate, instance.

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particularly

adverb
the acoustics are particularly good
especially, specially, very, extremely, exceptionally, singularly, peculiarly, unusually, extraordinarily, remarkably, outstandingly, amazingly, incredibly, really; informal seriously, majorly, awfully, terribly; Brit. informal jolly, dead, well; informal, dated devilish, frightfully.
he particularly asked that I should help you
specifically, explicitly, expressly, in particular, especially, specially.
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parting

noun
an emotional parting
farewell, leave-taking, goodbye, adieu, departure; valediction.
they kept their parting quiet
separation, break-up, split, divorce, rift, estrangement; Brit. informal bust-up.
Top
the parting of the Red Sea
division, dividing, separation, separating, splitting, breaking up/apart, partition, partitioning.
Top

adjective
a parting kiss
farewell, goodbye, last, final, valedictory.

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partisan

noun
Conservative partisans
supporter, follower, adherent, devotee, champion; fanatic, fan, enthusiast, stalwart, zealot; N. Amer. booster.
the partisans opened fire from the woods
guerrilla, freedom fighter, resistance fighter, underground fighter, irregular (soldier).
Top

adjective
partisan attitudes
biased, prejudiced, one-sided, discriminatory, coloured, partial, interested, sectarian, factional. ANTONYMS :unbiased.

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partisanship

noun
bias, prejudice, one-sidedness, discrimination, favour, favouritism, partiality, sectarianism, factionalism.

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partition

noun
the partition of Palestine
dividing up, partitioning, separation, division, dividing, subdivision, splitting (up), breaking up, break-up.
room partitions
screen, (room) divider, (dividing) wall, barrier, panel, separator.
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verb
the resolution partitioned Poland
divide (up), subdivide, separate, split (up), break up; share (out), parcel out.
the huge hall was partitioned
subdivide, divide (up); separate (off), section off, screen off.
Top

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partly

adverb
to a certain extent/degree, to some extent/degree, in part, partially, a little, somewhat, not totally, not entirely, relatively, moderately, (up) to a point, in some measure, slightly. ANTONYMS :completely.

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partner

noun
business partners
colleague, associate, co-worker, fellow worker, collaborator, comrade, teammate; Brit. informal oppo; Austral./NZ informal offsider; archaic compeer.
his partner in crime
accomplice, confederate, accessory, collaborator, fellow conspirator, helper; informal sidekick.
Top
your relationship with your partner
spouse, husband, wife, consort; lover, girlfriend, boyfriend, fiancé, fiancée, significant other, live-in lover, common-law husband/wife, man, woman, mate; informal hubby, missus, old man, old lady/woman, better half, intended, POSSLQ; Brit. informal other half.
Top

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partnership

noun
close partnership
cooperation, association, collaboration, coalition, alliance, union, affiliation, relationship, connection.
thriving partnerships
company, firm, business, corporation, organization, association, consortium, syndicate.
Top

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parturition

noun
(formal) childbirth, birth, delivery, labour; dated confinement; poetic/literary travail; archaic childbed, accouchement.

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party

noun
150 people attended the party
(social) gathering, (social) function, get-together, celebration, reunion, festivity, jamboree, reception, at-home, soirée, social; dance, ball, ceilidh, frolic, carousal, carouse; N. Amer. fête, hoedown, shower, bake, cookout, levee; Austral./NZ corroboree; informal bash, shindig, rave, disco, do, shebang, bop, hop; Brit. informal rave-up, knees-up, beanfeast, beano, bunfight; N. Amer. informal blast, wingding, kegger; Austral./NZ informal shivoo, rage, ding, jollo, rort.
a party of British tourists
group, company, body, gang, band, crowd, pack, contingent; informal bunch, crew, load.
Top
the left-wing parties
faction, political party, group, grouping, cabal, junta, bloc, camp, caucus.
Top
don't mention a certain party
person, individual, somebody, someone.
Top

verb
(informal) let's party!
celebrate, have fun, enjoy oneself, have a party, have a good/wild time, go on a spree, rave it up, carouse, make merry; informal go out on the town, paint the town red, whoop it up, let one's hair down, make whoopee, live it up, have a ball.
be a party to
get involved in/with, be associated with, be a participant in.

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parvenu

noun
upstart, social climber, arriviste.

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pass 1

verb
the traffic passing through the village
go, proceed, move, progress, make one's way, travel.
a car passed him
overtake, go past/by, pull ahead of, overhaul, leave behind.
Top
time passed
elapse, go by/past, advance, wear on, roll by, tick by.
Top
he passed the time writing letters
occupy, spend, fill, use (up), employ, while away.
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pass me the salt
hand (over), let someone have, give, reach.
Top
he passed the ball back
kick, hit, throw, lob.
Top
her estate passed to her grandson
be transferred, go, be left, be bequeathed, be handed down/on, be passed on; Law devolve.
Top
his death passed almost unnoticed
happen, occur, take place, come about, transpire; poetic/literary befall.
Top
the storm passed
come to an end, fade (away), blow over, run its course, die out, finish, end, cease.
Top
God's peace passes all human understanding
surpass, exceed, transcend.
Top
he passed the exam
be successful in, succeed in, gain a pass in, get through; informal sail through, scrape through.
Top
the Senate passed the bill
approve, vote for, accept, ratify, adopt, agree to, authorize, endorse, legalize, enact; informal OK.
Top
she could not let that comment pass
go (unnoticed), stand, go unremarked, go undisputed.
Top
we should not pass judgement
declare, pronounce, utter, express, deliver, issue.
Top
passing urine
discharge, excrete, evacuate, expel, emit, release.
Top
ANTONYMS :stop, fail, reject.

noun
you must show your pass
permit, warrant, authorization, licence.
a cross-field pass
kick, hit, throw, shot.
Top

come to pass (poetic/literary)
happen, come about, occur, transpire, arise; poetic/literary befall. make a pass at
make (sexual) advances to, proposition; informal come on to, make a play for; N. Amer. informal hit on, make time with, put the make on. pass away/on. See die sense 1. pass as/for
be mistaken for, be taken for, be accepted as. pass off
the rally passed off peacefully
take place, go off, happen, occur, be completed, turn out.

when the dizziness passed off he sat up
wear off, fade (away), pass, die down.
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pass someone off
misrepresent, falsely represent; disguise. pass out
faint, lose consciousness, black out. pass something over
disregard, overlook, ignore, pay no attention to, let pass, gloss over, take no notice of, pay no heed to, turn a blind eye to. pass something up
turn down, reject, refuse, decline, give up, forgo, let pass, miss (out on); informal give something a miss.

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pass 2

noun
a pass through the mountains
route, way, road, passage, cut, gap; N. Amer. notch.

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passable

adjective
the beer was passable
adequate, all right, fairly good, acceptable, satisfactory, moderately good, not (too) bad, average, tolerable, fair; mediocre, middling, ordinary, indifferent, unremarkable, unexceptional; informal OK, so-so, nothing to write home about, no great shakes, not up to much; NZ informal half-pie.
the road is still passable
navigable, traversable, negotiable, unblocked, unobstructed, open, clear.
Top

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passably

adverb
quite, rather, somewhat, fairly, reasonably, moderately, comparatively, relatively, tolerably; informal pretty.

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passage

noun
their passage through the country
transit, progress, passing, movement, motion, travelling.
the passage of time
passing, advance, course, march.
Top
a passage from the embassy
safe conduct, warrant, visa; admission, access.
Top
the overnight passage
voyage, crossing, trip, journey.
Top
clearing a passage to the front door
way (through), route, path.
Top
a passage to the kitchen.
See passageway sense 1.
Top
a passage between the buildings.
See passageway sense 2.
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the nasal passages
duct, orifice, opening, channel; inlet, outlet.
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the passage to democracy
transition, development, progress, move, change, shift.
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the passage of the bill
enactment, passing, ratification, approval, adoption, authorization, legalization.
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a passage from "Macbeth"
extract, excerpt, quotation, quote, citation, reading, piece, selection.
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passageway

noun
secret passageways
corridor, hall, passage, hallway, walkway, aisle.
a narrow passageway off the main street
alley, alleyway, passage, lane, path, pathway, footpath, track, thoroughfare; N. Amer. areaway.
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passé

adjective
. See old-fashioned.

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passenger

noun
rail passengers
traveller, commuter, fare payer.
we can't afford passengers
hanger-on, idler, parasite; informal freeloader.
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passing

adjective
of passing interest
fleeting, transient, transitory, ephemeral, brief, short-lived, temporary, momentary; poetic/literary evanescent.
a passing glance
hasty, rapid, hurried, brief, quick; cursory, superficial, casual, perfunctory.
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noun
the passing of time
passage, course, progress, advance.
Jack's passing
death, demise, passing away/on, end, loss, quietus; formal decease.
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the passing of the new bill
enactment, ratification, approval, adoption, authorization, legalization, endorsement.
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in passing
incidentally, by the by/way, en passant.

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passion

noun
the passion of activists
fervour, ardour, enthusiasm, eagerness, zeal, zealousness, vigour, fire, fieriness, energy, fervency, animation, spirit, spiritedness, fanaticism.
he worked himself up into a passion
(blind) rage, fit of anger/temper, temper, towering rage, tantrum, fury, frenzy; Brit. informal paddy.
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hot with passion
love, (sexual) desire, lust, ardour, infatuation, lasciviousness, lustfulness.
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his passion for football
enthusiasm, love, mania, fascination, obsession, fanaticism, fixation, compulsion, appetite, addiction; informal thing.
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English literature is a passion with me
obsession, preoccupation, craze, mania, hobby horse.
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the Passion of Christ
crucifixion, suffering, agony, martyrdom.
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ANTONYMS :apathy.

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passionate

adjective
a passionate entreaty
intense, impassioned, ardent, fervent, vehement, fiery, heated, emotional, heartfelt, eager, excited, animated, spirited, energetic, fervid, frenzied, wild, consuming, violent; poetic/literary perfervid.
McGregor is passionate about sport
very keen, very enthusiastic, addicted; informal mad, crazy, hooked, nuts; N. Amer. informal nutso; Austral./NZ informal shook.
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a passionate kiss
amorous, ardent, hot-blooded, aroused, loving, sexy, sensual, erotic, lustful; informal steamy, hot, turned on.
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a passionate woman
excitable, emotional, fiery, volatile, mercurial, quick-tempered, highly strung, impulsive, temperamental.
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ANTONYMS :apathetic.

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passionless

adjective
unemotional, cold, cold-blooded, emotionless, frigid, cool, unfeeling, unloving, unresponsive, undemonstrative, impassive.

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passive

adjective
a passive role
inactive, non-active, non-participative, uninvolved.
passive victims
submissive, acquiescent, unresisting, unassertive, compliant, pliant, obedient, docile, tractable, malleable, pliable.
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the woman's face was passive
emotionless, impassive, unemotional, unmoved, dispassionate, passionless, detached, unresponsive, undemonstrative, apathetic, phlegmatic.
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ANTONYMS :active.

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passport

noun
travel permit, (travel) papers, visa, laissez-passer.
qualifications are the passport to success
key, path, way, route, avenue, door, doorway.
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password

noun
word of identification; Military, archaic watchword, countersign.

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past

adjective
memories of times past
gone (by), over (and done with), no more, done, bygone, former, (of) old, olden, long-ago; poetic/literary of yore.
the past few months
last, recent, preceding.
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a past chairman
previous, former, foregoing, erstwhile, one-time, sometime, ex-; formal quondam.
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ANTONYMS :present, future.

noun
details about her past
history, background, life (story).
preposition
she walked past the cafe
in front of, by.
he's past retirement age
beyond, in excess of.
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adverb
they hurried past
along, by, on.
in the past
formerly, previously, in days/years/times gone by, in former times, in the (good) old days, in days of old, in olden times, once (upon a time); poetic/literary in days of yore, in yesteryear.

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paste

noun
blend the ingredients to a paste
purée, pulp, mush, blend.
wallpaper paste
adhesive, glue, gum, fixative; N. Amer. mucilage.
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fish paste
spread, pâté.
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verb
a notice was pasted on the door
glue, stick, gum, fix, affix.

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pastel

adjective
pale, soft, light, light-coloured, muted, subtle, subdued, soft-hued. ANTONYMS :dark, bright.

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pastiche

noun
a pastiche of literary models
mixture, blend, medley, melange, miscellany, mixed bag, pot-pourri, mix, compound, composite, collection, assortment, conglomeration, hotchpotch, jumble, ragbag; N. Amer. hodgepodge.
a pastiche of 18th-century style
imitation, parody; informal take-off.
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pastille

noun
lozenge, sweet, drop; tablet, pill.

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pastime

noun
hobby, leisure activity/pursuit, sport, game, recreation, amusement, diversion, entertainment, interest, sideline.

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past master

noun
expert, master, wizard, genius, old hand, veteran, maestro, connoisseur, authority, grandmaster; informal ace, pro, star, hotshot; Brit. informal dab hand; N. Amer. informal maven, crackerjack.

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pastor

noun
priest, minister (of religion), parson, clergyman, cleric, chaplain, padre, ecclesiastic, man of the cloth, churchman, vicar, rector, curate, preacher; informal reverend; Austral. informal josser.

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pastoral

adjective
a pastoral scene
rural, country, countryside, rustic, agricultural, bucolic; poetic/literary sylvan, Arcadian.
his pastoral duties
priestly, clerical, ecclesiastical, ministerial.
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ANTONYMS :urban.

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pastry

noun
pastries for tea
tart, tartlet, pie, pasty, patty.
two layers of pastry
crust, piecrust, croute.
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pasture

noun
grazing (land), grassland, grass, pastureland, pasturage, ley; meadow, field; Austral./NZ run; poetic/literary lea, mead, greensward.

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pasty

adjective
pale, pallid, wan, colourless, anaemic, ashen, white, grey, pasty-faced, washed out, sallow.

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pat 1

verb
Brian patted her on the shoulder
tap, slap lightly, clap, touch.
noun
a pat on the cheek
tap, light blow, clap, touch.
a pat of butter
piece, dab, lump, portion, knob, mass, gobbet, ball, curl.
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pat someone on the back
congratulate, praise, take one's hat off to; commend, compliment, applaud, acclaim.

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pat 2

adjective
pat answers
glib, simplistic, facile, unconvincing.
adverb
his reply came rather pat
opportunely, conveniently, at just/exactly the right moment, expediently, favourably, appropriately, fittingly, auspiciously, providentially, felicitously, propitiously.
off pat
word-perfect, by heart, by rote, by memory, parrot-fashion. get something off pat
memorize, commit to memory, remember, learn by heart, learn (by rote).

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patch

noun
a patch over one eye
cover, eyepatch, covering, pad.
a reddish patch on her wrist
blotch, mark, spot, smudge, speckle, smear, stain, streak, blemish; informal splodge, splotch.
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a patch of ground
plot, area, piece, strip, tract, parcel; bed; Brit. allotment; N. Amer. lot.
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(Brit. informal) they are going through a difficult patch
period, time, spell, phase, stretch; Brit. informal spot.
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verb
her jeans were neatly patched
mend, repair, put a patch on, sew (up), stitch (up).
patch something up (informal)
the houses were being patched up
repair, mend, fix hastily, do a makeshift repair on.

he's trying to patch things up with his wife
reconcile, make up, settle, remedy, put to rights, rectify, clear up, set right, make good, resolve, square.
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patchwork

noun
assortment, miscellany, mixture, melange, medley, blend, mixed bag, mix, collection, selection, assemblage, combination, pot-pourri, jumble, mishmash, ragbag, hotchpotch; N. Amer. hodgepodge.

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patchy

adjective
their teaching has been patchy
uneven, bitty, varying, variable, intermittent, fitful, sporadic, erratic, irregular.
patchy evidence
fragmentary, inadequate, insufficient, rudimentary, limited, sketchy.
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ANTONYMS :uniform, comprehensive.

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patent

noun
there is a patent on the chemical
copyright, licence, legal protection, registered trademark.
adjective
patent nonsense
obvious, clear, plain, evident, manifest, self-evident, transparent, overt, conspicuous, blatant, downright, barefaced, flagrant, undisguised, unconcealed, unmistakable.
patent medicines
proprietary, patented, licensed, branded.
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paternal

adjective
his face showed paternal concern
fatherly, fatherlike, patriarchal; protective, solicitous, compassionate, sympathetic.
his paternal grandfather
on one's father's side, patrilineal.
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ANTONYMS :maternal.

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paternity

noun
fatherhood.

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path

noun
a path down to the beach
footpath, pathway, footway, pavement, track, trail, trackway, bridleway, bridle path, lane, alley, alleyway, passage, passageway; cycle path/track; N. Amer. sidewalk, bikeway.
journalists blocked his path
route, way, course; direction, bearing, line; orbit, trajectory.
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the best path towards a settlement
course of action, route, road, avenue, line, approach, tack, strategy, tactic.
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pathetic

adjective
a pathetic groan
pitiful, pitiable, piteous, moving, touching, poignant, plaintive, distressing, upsetting, heartbreaking, heart-rending, harrowing, wretched, forlorn.
(informal) a pathetic excuse
feeble, woeful, sorry, poor, pitiful, lamentable, deplorable, contemptible, inadequate, paltry, insufficient, insubstantial, unsatisfactory.
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pathfinder

noun
pioneer, ground-breaker, trailblazer, trendsetter, leader, torch-bearer, pacemaker.

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pathological

adjective
a pathological condition
morbid, diseased.
(informal) a pathological liar
compulsive, obsessive, inveterate, habitual, persistent, chronic, hardened, confirmed.
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pathos

noun
poignancy, tragedy, sadness, pitifulness, piteousness, pitiableness.

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patience

noun
she tried everyone's patience
forbearance, tolerance, restraint, self-restraint, stoicism; calmness, composure, equanimity, serenity, tranquillity, imperturbability, understanding, indulgence.
a task requiring patience
perseverance, persistence, endurance, tenacity, assiduity, application, staying power, doggedness, determination, resolve, resolution, resoluteness; formal pertinacity.
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patient

adjective
I must ask you to be patient
forbearing, uncomplaining, tolerant, resigned, stoical; calm, composed, even-tempered, imperturbable, unexcitable, accommodating, understanding, indulgent; informal unflappable, cool.
a good deal of patient work
persevering, persistent, tenacious, indefatigable, dogged, determined, resolved, resolute, single-minded; formal pertinacious.
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noun
a doctor's patient
sick person, case; invalid, convalescent, outpatient, inpatient.

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patio

noun
terrace; courtyard, quadrangle, quad; N. Amer. sun deck.

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patois

noun
vernacular, (local) dialect, regional language; jargon, argot, cant; informal (local) lingo.

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patriarch

noun
senior figure, father, paterfamilias, leader, elder.

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patrician

noun
the great patricians
aristocrat, grandee, noble, nobleman, noblewoman, lord, lady, peer, peeress.
adjective
patrician families
aristocratic, noble, titled, blue-blooded, high-born, upper-class, landowning; informal upper-crust; archaic gentle.

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patrimony

noun
heritage, inheritance, birthright; legacy, bequest, endowment, bequeathal; Law, dated hereditament.

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patriot

noun
nationalist, loyalist; chauvinist, jingoist, flag-waver.

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patriotic

adjective
nationalist, nationalistic, loyalist, loyal; chauvinistic, jingoistic, flag-waving. ANTONYMS :traitorous.

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patriotism

noun
nationalism, patriotic sentiment, allegiance/loyalty to one's country; chauvinism, jingoism, flag-waving.

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patrol

noun
anti-poaching patrols
vigil, guard, watch, monitoring, policing, beat-pounding, patrolling; reconnoitre, surveillance; informal recce.
the patrol stopped a suspect
patrolman, patrolwoman, sentinel, sentry; scout, scouting party, task force.
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verb
a security guard was patrolling a housing estate
keep guard (on), guard, keep watch (on); police, pound the beat (of), make the rounds (of); stand guard (over), keep a vigil (on), defend, safeguard.

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patron

noun
a patron of the arts
sponsor, backer, financier, benefactor, benefactress, contributor, subscriber, donor; philanthropist, promoter, friend, supporter; informal angel.
club patrons
customer, client, frequenter, consumer, user, visitor, guest; informal regular.
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patronage

noun
art patronage
sponsorship, backing, funding, financing, promotion, assistance, support.
political patronage
power of appointment, favouritism, nepotism, preferential treatment.
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a slight note of patronage
condescension, patronizing, patronization, disdain, disrespect, scorn, contempt.
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thank you for your patronage
custom, trade, business.
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patronize

verb
don't patronize me!
treat condescendingly, condescend to, look down on, talk down to, put down, treat like a child, treat with disdain.
they patronized local tradesmen
do business with, buy from, shop at, be a customer of, be a client of, deal with, trade with, frequent, support.
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he patronized a national museum
sponsor, back, fund, finance, be a patron of, support, champion.
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patronizing

adjective
condescending, disdainful, supercilious, superior, imperious, scornful, contemptuous; informal uppity, high and mighty.

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patter 1

verb
raindrops pattered against the window
go pitter-patter, tap, drum, beat, pound, rat-a-tat, go pit-a-pat, thrum.
she pattered across the floor
scurry, scuttle, skip, trip.
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noun
the patter of rain
pitter-patter, tapping, pattering, drumming, beat, beating, pounding, rat-a-tat, pit-a-pat, clack, thrum, thrumming.

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patter 2

noun
this witty patter
prattle, prating, blather, blither, drivel, chatter, jabber, babble; informal yabbering, yatter; archaic twaddle.
the salesmen's patter
(sales) pitch, sales talk; informal line.
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the local patter
speech, language, parlance, dialect; informal lingo.
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verb
she pattered on incessantly
prattle, prate, blather, blither, drivel, chatter, jabber, babble; informal yabber, yatter; Brit. informal rabbit, witter.

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pattern

noun
the pattern on the wallpaper
design, decoration, motif, marking, ornament, ornamentation.
working patterns
system, order, arrangement, form, method, structure, scheme, plan, format, framework.
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this would set the pattern for a generation
model, example, criterion, standard, basis, point of reference, gauge, norm, yardstick, touchstone, benchmark; blueprint, archetype, prototype.
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textile patterns
sample, specimen, swatch.
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verb
someone else is patterning my life
shape, influence, model, fashion, mould, style, determine, control.

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patterned

adjective
decorated, ornamented, fancy, adorned, embellished. ANTONYMS :plain.

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paucity

noun
scarcity, sparseness, sparsity, dearth, shortage, poverty, insufficiency, deficiency, lack, want; formal exiguity. ANTONYMS :abundance.

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paunch

noun
pot belly, beer belly; informal beer gut, pot; dated corporation.

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pauper

noun
poor person, indigent, down-and-out; informal have-not.

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pause

noun
a pause in the conversation
stop, cessation, break, halt, interruption, check, lull, respite, breathing space, discontinuation, hiatus, gap, interlude; adjournment, suspension, rest, wait, hesitation; informal let-up, breather.
verb
Hannah paused for a moment
stop, cease, halt, discontinue, break off, take a break; adjourn, rest, wait, hesitate, falter, waver; informal take a breather.

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pave

verb
the yard was paved
tile, surface, flag.
pave the way for
prepare (the way) for, make preparations for, get ready for, lay the foundations for, herald, precede.

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pavement

noun
footpath, walkway, footway; N. Amer. sidewalk.

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paw

noun
foot, forepaw, hind paw.
verb
their offspring were pawing each other
handle roughly, pull, grab, maul, manhandle.
some Casanova tried to paw her
fondle, feel, maul, molest; informal grope, feel up, touch up, goose.
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pawn 1

verb
he pawned his watch
pledge, put in pawn, give as security, use as collateral; informal hock, put in hock.

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pawn 2

noun
a pawn in the battle for the throne
puppet, dupe, hostage, tool, cat's paw, instrument.

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pay

verb
I must pay him for his work
reward, reimburse, recompense, give payment to, remunerate.
you must pay a few more pounds
spend, expend, pay out, dish out, disburse; informal lay out, shell out, fork out, cough up; N. Amer. informal ante up, pony up.
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he paid his debts
discharge, settle, pay off, clear, liquidate.
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hard work will pay dividends
yield, return, produce.
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he made the buses pay
be profitable, make money, make a profit.
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it may pay you to be early
be advantageous to, benefit, be of advantage to, be beneficial to.
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paying compliments
bestow, grant, give, offer.
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he will pay for his mistakes
suffer (the consequences), be punished, atone, pay the penalty/price.
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noun
equal pay for women
salary, wages, payment; earnings, remuneration, reimbursement, income, revenue; formal emolument(s).
pay someone back/out
get one's revenge on, be revenged on, avenge oneself on, get back at, get even with, settle accounts with, pay someone out, exact retribution on. pay something back
repay, pay off, give back, return, reimburse, refund. pay for
defray the cost of, settle up for, finance, fund; treat someone to; informal foot the bill for, shell out for, fork out for, cough up for; N. Amer. informal ante up for, pony up for. pay someone off
Tim paid off the driver
pay what one owes, discharge.

paying off the police
bribe, suborn, buy (off); informal grease someone's palm.
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pay something off
pay (in full), settle, discharge, clear, liquidate. pay off (informal)
meet with success, be successful, be effective, get results. pay something out
spend, expend, pay, dish out, put up, part with, hand over; informal shell out, fork out/up, lay out, cough up. pay up
make payment, settle up, pay (in full); informal cough up.

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payable

adjective
due, owed, owing, outstanding, unpaid, overdue, in arrears; N. Amer. delinquent.

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payment

noun
discounts for early payment
remittance, settlement, discharge, clearance, liquidation.
monthly payments
instalment, premium.
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extra payment for good performance
salary, wages, pay, earnings, fee(s), remuneration, reimbursement, income; formal emolument(s).
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pay-off

noun
(informal) the lure of enormous pay-offs
payment, payout, reward; bribe, inducement, "incentive"; N. Amer. payola; informal kickback, sweetener, backhander; Austral. informal sling.
a pay-off of £160,000
return (on investment), yield, payback, profit, gain, dividend.
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a dramatic pay-off
outcome, denouement, culmination, conclusion, development, result.
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peace

noun
can't a man get any peace around here?
tranquillity, calm, restfulness, peace and quiet, peacefulness, quiet, quietness; privacy, solitude.
peace of mind
serenity, peacefulness, tranquillity, equanimity, calm, calmness, composure, ease, contentment, contentedness.
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we pray for peace
law and order, lawfulness, order, peacefulness, peaceableness, harmony, non-violence; formal concord.
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a lasting peace
treaty, truce, ceasefire, armistice, cessation/suspension of hostilities.
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ANTONYMS :noise, war.

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peaceable

adjective
a peaceable man
peace-loving, non-violent, non-aggressive, easy-going, placid, gentle, inoffensive, good-natured, even-tempered, amiable, amicable, friendly, affable, genial, pacific, dovelike, dovish; formal irenic.
a peaceable society
peaceful, strife-free, harmonious; law-abiding, disciplined, orderly, civilized.
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ANTONYMS :aggressive.

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peaceful

adjective
everything was quiet and peaceful
tranquil, calm, restful, quiet, still, relaxing, soothing, undisturbed, untroubled, private, secluded.
his peaceful mood
serene, calm, tranquil, composed, placid, at ease, untroubled, unworried, content.
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peaceful relations
harmonious, at peace, peaceable, on good terms, amicable, friendly, cordial, non-violent.
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ANTONYMS :noisy, agitated, hostile.

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peacemaker

noun
arbitrator, arbiter, mediator, negotiator, conciliator, go-between, intermediary, pacifier, appeaser, peace-monger, pacifist, peace-lover, dove; informal peacenik.

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peak

noun
the peaks of the mountains
summit, top, crest, pinnacle, apex, crown, cap.
the highest peak
mountain, hill, height, mount, alp; Scottish ben, Munro.
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the peak of a cap
brim, visor.
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the peak of his career
height, high point/spot, pinnacle, summit, top, climax, culmination, apex, zenith, crowning point, acme, apogee, prime, heyday.
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verb
Labour support has peaked
reach its height, climax, reach a climax, come to a head.
adjective
peak loads
maximum, top, greatest, highest; ultimate, best, optimum.

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peaky

adjective
pale, pasty, wan, drained, washed out, drawn, pallid, anaemic, ashen, grey, pinched, sickly, sallow; ill, unwell, poorly, indisposed, run down; Brit. off (colour); informal under the weather, rough, lousy, seedy; Brit. informal grotty, ropy.

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peal

noun
a peal of bells
chime, carillon, ring, ringing, tintinnabulation.
peals of laughter
shriek, shout, scream, howl, gale, fit, roar, hoot.
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a peal of thunder
rumble, roar, boom, crash, clap, crack.
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verb
the bell pealed
ring (out), chime (out), clang, sound, ding, jingle.
the thunder pealed
rumble, roar, boom, crash, resound.
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peasant

noun
peasants working the land
agricultural worker, small farmer, rustic, swain, villein, serf.
(informal) you peasants!
See boor.
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peccadillo

noun
misdemeanour, petty offence, indiscretion, lapse, misdeed.

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peck

verb
the cockerel pecked my heel
bite, nip, strike, hit, tap, rap, jab.
he pecked her on the cheek
kiss, give someone a peck.
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(informal) the old lady pecked at her food
nibble, pick at, take very small bites from, toy with, play with.
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peculiar

adjective
something peculiar began to happen
strange, unusual, odd, funny, curious, bizarre, weird, queer, unexpected, unfamiliar, abnormal, atypical, anomalous, out of the ordinary; exceptional, extraordinary, remarkable; puzzling, mystifying, mysterious, perplexing, baffling; suspicious, eerie, unnatural; informal fishy, creepy, spooky.
peculiar behaviour
bizarre, eccentric, strange, odd, weird, queer, funny, unusual, abnormal, idiosyncratic, unconventional, outlandish, quirky; informal wacky, freaky, oddball, offbeat, off the wall; N. Amer. informal wacko.
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(informal) I feel a bit peculiar.
See unwell.
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mannerisms peculiar to the islanders
characteristic of, typical of, representative of, indicative of, suggestive of, exclusive to.
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their own peculiar contribution
distinctive, characteristic, distinct, individual, special, unique, personal.
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ANTONYMS :ordinary.

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peculiarity

noun
a legal peculiarity
oddity, anomaly, abnormality.
a physical peculiarity
idiosyncrasy, mannerism, quirk, foible.
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one of the peculiarities of the city
characteristic, feature, (essential) quality, property, trait, attribute, hallmark, trademark.
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the peculiarity of this notion
strangeness, oddness, bizarreness, weirdness, queerness, unexpectedness, unfamiliarity, anomalousness, incongruity.
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there is a certain peculiarity about her appearance
outlandishness, bizarreness, unconventionality, idiosyncrasy, weirdness, oddness, eccentricity, unusualness, abnormality, queerness, strangeness, quirkiness; informal wackiness, freakiness.
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pecuniary

adjective
financial, monetary, money, fiscal, economic.

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pedagogic

adjective
educational, educative, pedagogical, teaching, instructional, instructive, didactic; academic, scholastic.

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pedagogue (formal)

noun
teacher, schoolteacher, schoolmaster, schoolmistress, master, mistress, tutor; lecturer, academic, don, professor, instructor, educator, educationalist, educationist; Austral./NZ informal chalkie.

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pedant

noun
dogmatist, purist, literalist, formalist, doctrinaire, perfectionist; quibbler, hair-splitter, casuist, sophist; informal nit-picker.

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pedantic

adjective
over-scrupulous, scrupulous, precise, exact, perfectionist, punctilious, meticulous, fussy, fastidious, finical, finicky; dogmatic, purist, literalist, literalistic, formalist; casuistic, casuistical, sophistic, sophistical; captious, hair-splitting, quibbling; informal nit-picking, pernickety; archaic overnice.

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pedantry

noun
dogmatism, purism, literalism, formalism; over-scrupulousness, scrupulousness, perfectionism, fastidiousness, punctiliousness, meticulousness; captiousness, quibbling, hair-splitting, casuistry, sophistry; informal nit-picking.

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peddle

verb
they are peddling water filters
sell (from door to door), hawk, tout, vend; trade (in), deal in, traffic in.
peddling unorthodox views
advocate, champion, preach, put forward, proclaim, propound, promote.
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pedestal

noun
a bust on a pedestal
plinth, base, support, mounting, stand, foundation, pillar, column, pier; Architecture socle.
put someone on a pedestal
idealize, lionize, look up to, respect, hold in high regard, think highly of, admire, esteem, revere, worship.

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pedestrian

noun
accidents involving pedestrians
walker, person on foot. ANTONYMS :driver.

adjective
pedestrian lives
dull, boring, tedious, monotonous, uneventful, unremarkable, tiresome, wearisome, uninspired, unimaginative, unexciting, uninteresting; unvarying, unvaried, repetitive, routine, commonplace, workaday; ordinary, everyday, run-of-the-mill, mundane, humdrum; informal bog-standard, (plain) vanilla; Brit. informal common or garden. ANTONYMS :exciting.

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pedigree

noun
a long pedigree
ancestry, descent, lineage, line (of descent), genealogy, family tree, extraction, derivation, origin(s), heritage, parentage, bloodline, background, roots.
adjective
a pedigree cat
pure-bred, thoroughbred, pure-blooded.

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pedlar

noun
pedlars of watches
travelling salesman, door-to-door salesman, huckster; street trader, hawker; Brit. informal fly-pitcher; archaic chapman, packman.
a drug pedlar
trafficker, dealer; informal pusher.
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peek

verb
they peeked from behind the curtains
(have a) peep, have a peek, spy, take a sly/stealthy look, sneak a look; informal take a gander, have a squint; Brit. informal have a dekko, have/take a butcher's, take a shufti.
the deer's antlers peeked out from the trees
appear (slowly/partly), show, come into view/sight, become visible, emerge, peep (out).
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noun
a peek at the map
secret look, sly look, stealthy look, sneaky look, peep, glance, glimpse, hurried/quick look; informal gander, squint; Brit. informal dekko, butcher's, shufti.

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peel

verb
peel and core the fruit
pare, skin, take the skin/rind off; hull, shell, husk, shuck; technical decorticate.
use a long knife to peel the veneer
trim (off), peel off, pare, strip (off), shave (off), remove.
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the wallpaper was peeling
flake (off), peel off, come off in layers/strips.
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noun
orange peel
rind, skin, covering, zest; hull, pod, integument, shuck.
keep one's eyes peeled
keep a (sharp) lookout, look out, keep one's eyes open, keep watch, be watchful, be alert, be on the alert, be on the qui vive, be on guard; Brit. keep one's eyes skinned. peel something off (Brit. informal)
take off, strip off, remove.

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peep 1

verb
I peeped through the keyhole
look quickly, cast a brief look, take a secret look, sneak a look, (have a) peek, glance; informal take a gander, have a squint; Brit. informal have a dekko, have/take a butcher's, take a shufti.
the moon peeped through the clouds
appear (slowly/partly), show, come into view/sight, become visible, emerge, peek, peer out.
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noun
I'll just take a peep at it
quick look, brief look, sneaky look, peek, glance; informal gander, squint; Brit. informal dekko, butcher's, shufti.

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peep 2

noun
I heard a quiet peep
cheep, chirp, chirrup, tweet, twitter, chirr, warble.
there's been not a peep out of the children
sound, noise, cry, word.
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the painting was sold without a peep
complaint, grumble, mutter, murmur, grouse, objection, protest, protestation; informal moan, gripe, grouch.
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verb
the fax peeped
cheep, chirp, chirrup, tweet, twitter, chirr.

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peephole

noun
opening, gap, cleft, spyhole, slit, crack, chink, keyhole, squint, judas (hole).

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peer 1

verb
he peered at the manuscript
look closely, try to see, narrow one's eyes, screw up one's eyes, squint.

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peer 2

noun
hereditary peers
aristocrat, lord, lady, peer of the realm, peeress, noble, nobleman, noblewoman, titled man/woman, patrician.
his academic peers
equal, coequal, fellow, confrère; contemporary; formal compeer.
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peerage

noun
aristocracy, nobility, peers and peeresses, lords and ladies, patriciate; the House of Lords, the Lords.

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peerless

adjective
incomparable, matchless, unrivalled, inimitable, beyond compare/comparison, unparalleled, unequalled, without equal, second to none, unsurpassed, unsurpassable, nonpareil; unique, consummate, perfect, rare, transcendent, surpassing; formal unexampled.

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peeve

verb
(informal) irritate, annoy, vex, anger, exasperate, irk, gall, pique, nettle, put out, get on someone's nerves, try someone's patience, ruffle someone's feathers; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal aggravate, rile, needle, get to, bug, hack off, get someone's goat, get/put someone's back up, get up someone's nose, give someone the hump; Brit. informal wind up, get on someone's wick; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off.

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peeved

adjective
(informal) irritated, annoyed, cross, angry, vexed, displeased, disgruntled, indignant, exasperated, galled, irked, put out, aggrieved, offended, affronted, piqued, nettled, in high dudgeon; informal aggravated, miffed, riled, hacked off, browned off; Brit. informal narked, cheesed off, brassed off; N. Amer. informal teed off, ticked off, sore.

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peevish

adjective
irritable, fractious, fretful, cross, petulant, querulous, pettish, crabby, crotchety, cantankerous, curmudgeonly, sullen, grumpy, bad-tempered, short-tempered, touchy, testy, tetchy, snappish, irascible, waspish, prickly, crusty, dyspeptic, splenetic, choleric; N. English mardy; Brit. informal ratty, like a bear with a sore head; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery. ANTONYMS :good-humoured.

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peg

noun
pin, nail, dowel, skewer, spike, rivet, brad, screw, bolt, hook, spigot; Mountaineering piton; Golf tee.
verb
the flysheet is pegged to the ground
fix, pin, attach, fasten, secure, make fast.
we decided to peg our prices
hold down, keep down, fix, set, hold, freeze.
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peg away (informal)
work hard, slog away, plod away, hammer away, grind away, slave away, exert oneself; persevere, persist, keep at it; informal beaver away, plug away, stick at it, soldier on; Brit. informal graft away. take someone down a peg or two
humble, humiliate, mortify, bring down, shame, embarrass, abash, put someone in their place, chasten, subdue, squash, deflate, make someone eat humble pie; informal show up, settle someone's hash, cut down to size; N. Amer. informal make someone eat crow.

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pejorative

adjective
disparaging, derogatory, denigratory, deprecatory, defamatory, slanderous, libellous, abusive, insulting, slighting; informal bitchy. ANTONYMS :complimentary.

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pellet

noun
a pellet of mud
little ball, little piece.
pellet wounds
bullet, shot, lead shot, buckshot.
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rabbit pellets
excrement, excreta, droppings, faeces, dung.
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pell-mell

adverb
men streamed pell-mell from the building
helter-skelter, headlong, (at) full tilt, hotfoot, post-haste, hurriedly, hastily, recklessly, precipitately; archaic hurry-scurry.
the sacks' contents were thrown pell-mell to the ground
untidily, anyhow, in disarray, in a mess, in a muddle; informal all over the place, every which way, any old how; Brit. informal all over the shop; N. Amer. informal all over the map, all over the lot.
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pellucid

adjective
the pellucid waters
translucent, transparent, clear, crystal clear, crystalline, glassy, limpid, unclouded.
pellucid prose
lucid, limpid, clear, crystal clear, articulate; coherent, comprehensible, understandable, intelligible, straightforward, simple, well constructed; formal perspicuous.
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pelt 1

verb
they pelted him with snowballs
bombard, shower, attack, assail, pepper.
rain was pelting down
pour down, teem down, stream down, tip down, rain cats and dogs, rain hard; Brit. informal bucket down, come down in stair rods.
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(informal) they pelted into the factory
dash, run, race, rush, sprint, bolt, dart, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, fly, speed, zoom, streak; hasten, hurry; informal tear, belt, hotfoot it, scoot, leg it, go like a bat out of hell; Brit. informal bomb; N. Amer. informal hightail it.
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pelt 2

noun
an animal's pelt
skin, hide, fleece, coat, fur; archaic fell.

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pen 1

noun
you'll need a pen and paper
fountain pen, ballpoint (pen), rollerball; fibre tip (pen), felt tip (pen), highlighter, marker pen; Brit. trademark biro.
verb
he penned a number of articles
write, compose, draft, dash off; write down, jot down, set down, take down, scribble.

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pen 2

noun
a sheep pen
enclosure, fold, sheepfold, pound, compound, stockade; sty, coop; N. Amer. corral.
verb
the hostages had been penned up in a basement
confine, coop (up), cage, shut in, box up/in, lock up/in, trap, imprison, incarcerate, immure.

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penal

adjective
a penal institution
disciplinary, punitive, corrective, correctional.
penal rates of interest
exorbitant, extortionate, excessive, outrageous, preposterous, unreasonable, inflated, sky-high.
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penalize

verb
if you break the rules you will be penalized
punish, discipline, inflict a penalty on.
people with certain medical positions would be penalized
handicap, disadvantage, put at a disadvantage, cause to suffer.
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ANTONYMS :reward.

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penalty

noun
increased penalties for dumping oil at sea
punishment, sanction, punitive action, retribution; fine, forfeit, sentence; penance; formal mulct.
the penalties of old age
disadvantage, difficulty, drawback, handicap, downside, minus; trial, tribulation, bane, affliction, burden, trouble.
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ANTONYMS :reward.

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penance

noun
atonement, expiation, self-punishment, self-mortification, self-abasement, amends; punishment, penalty.

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penchant

noun
liking, fondness, preference, taste, relish, appetite, partiality, soft spot, love, passion, desire, fancy, whim, weakness, inclination, bent, bias, proclivity, predilection, predisposition.

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pencil

noun
a sharpened pencil
lead pencil, propelling pencil.
a pencil of light
beam, ray, shaft, finger, gleam.
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verb
he pencilled his name inside the cover
write, write down, jot down, scribble, note, take down.
pencil a line along the top of the moulding
draw, trace, sketch.
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pendant

noun
necklace, locket, medallion.

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pendent

adjective
hanging, suspended, dangling, pendulous, pensile, pendant, drooping, droopy, trailing.

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pending

adjective
nine cases were still pending
unresolved, undecided, unsettled, awaiting decision/action, undetermined, open, hanging fire, (up) in the air, ongoing, outstanding, not done, unfinished, incomplete; informal on the back burner.
with a general election pending
imminent, impending, about to happen, forthcoming, upcoming, on the way, coming, approaching, looming, gathering, near, nearing, close, close at hand, in the offing, to come.
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preposition
they were released on bail pending an appeal
awaiting, until, till, until there is/are.

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pendulous

adjective
drooping, dangling, trailing, droopy, sagging, saggy, floppy; hanging, pendent, pensile.

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penetrable

adjective
a penetrable subsoil
permeable, pervious, porous.
books which are barely penetrable to anyone under 50
understandable, fathomable, comprehensible, intelligible.
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penetrate

verb
the knife penetrated his lungs
pierce, puncture, make a hole in, perforate, stab, prick, gore, spike.
they penetrated the enemy territory
infiltrate, slip into, sneak into, insinuate oneself into.
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fear penetrated her bones
permeate, pervade, fill, spread throughout, suffuse, seep through.
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he seemed to have penetrated the mysteries of nature
understand, comprehend, apprehend, fathom, grasp, perceive, discern, get to the bottom of, solve, resolve, make sense of, interpret, puzzle out, work out, unravel, decipher, make head or tail of; informal crack, get, figure out; Brit. informal suss out.
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his words finally penetrated
register, sink in, be understood, be comprehended, become clear, fall into place; informal click.
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penetrating

adjective
a penetrating wind
piercing, cutting, biting, stinging, keen, sharp, harsh, raw, freezing, chill, wintry, cold.
a penetrating voice
shrill, strident, piercing, carrying, loud, high, high-pitched, piping, ear-splitting, screechy, intrusive.
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a penetrating smell
pungent, pervasive, strong, powerful, sharp, acrid; heady, aromatic.
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her penetrating gaze
observant, searching, intent, alert, shrewd, perceptive, probing, piercing, sharp, keen.
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a penetrating analysis
perceptive, insightful, keen, sharp, sharp-witted, intelligent, clever, smart, incisive, piercing, razor-edged, trenchant, astute, shrewd, clear, acute, percipient, perspicacious, discerning, sensitive, thoughtful, deep, profound.
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ANTONYMS :mild, soft.

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penetration

noun
skin penetration by infective larvae
perforation, piercing, puncturing, puncture, stabbing, pricking.
remarks of great penetration
insight, discernment, perception, perceptiveness, intelligence, sharp-wittedness, cleverness, incisiveness, keenness, sharpness, trenchancy, astuteness, shrewdness, acuteness, clarity, acuity, percipience, perspicacity, discrimination, sensitivity, thoughtfulness, profundity; formal perspicuity.
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peninsula

noun
cape, promontory, point, head, headland, foreland, ness, horn, bill, bluff, mull.

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penitence

noun
repentance, contrition, regret, remorse, remorsefulness, ruefulness, sorrow, sorrowfulness, pangs of conscience, self-reproach, shame, guilt, compunction; archaic rue.

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penitent

adjective
repentant, contrite, remorseful, sorry, apologetic, regretful, conscience-stricken, rueful, ashamed, shamefaced, abject, in sackcloth and ashes. ANTONYMS :unrepentant.

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pen name

noun
pseudonym, nom de plume, assumed name, alias, professional name.

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pennant

noun
flag, standard, ensign, colour(s), banner, banderole, guidon; Brit. pendant; Nautical burgee.

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penniless

adjective
destitute, poverty-stricken, impoverished, poor, indigent, impecunious, in penury, moneyless, without a sou, necessitous, needy, on one's beam-ends; bankrupt, insolvent; Brit. on the breadline, without a penny (to one's name); informal (flat) broke, cleaned out, strapped for cash, on one's uppers, without a brass farthing, bust; Brit. informal stony broke, skint; N. Amer. informal stone broke; formal penurious. ANTONYMS :wealthy.

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penny

a pretty penny (informal)
a lot of money, millions, billions, a king's ransom; informal a (small) fortune, lots/pots/heaps of money, a mint, a killing, a bundle, a packet, a tidy sum, big money, telephone numbers, an arm and a leg; Brit. informal a bomb, loadsamoney; N. Amer. informal big bucks; Austral. informal big bickies, motser, motza. two/ten a penny (informal)
numerous, abundant, thick on the ground, plentiful; in large numbers, by the yard; very common, ubiquitous; N. Amer. informal a dime a dozen.

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penny-pincher

noun
miser, Scrooge, niggard; informal skinflint, meanie, money-grubber, cheapskate; N. Amer. informal tightwad. ANTONYMS :spendthrift.

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penny-pinching

adjective
mean, miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, close-fisted, cheese-paring, grasping, Scrooge-like; informal stingy, mingy, tight, tight-fisted, money-grubbing; formal penurious; archaic near. ANTONYMS :generous.

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pension

noun
old-age pension, retirement pension, regular payment, superannuation; allowance, benefit, support, welfare.

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pensioner

noun
retired person, old-age pensioner, OAP, senior citizen; N. Amer. senior, retiree.

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pensive

adjective
thoughtful, reflective, contemplative, musing, meditative, introspective, ruminative, absorbed, preoccupied, deep/lost in thought, in a brown study, brooding; formal cogitative.

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pent-up

adjective
repressed, suppressed, stifled, smothered, restrained, confined, bottled up, held in/back, kept in check, curbed, bridled.

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penurious

adjective
(formal) a penurious student
poor, as poor as a church mouse, poverty-stricken, destitute, necessitous, impecunious, impoverished, indigent, needy, in need/want, badly off, in reduced/straitened circumstances, hard up, on one's beam-ends, unable to make ends meet, penniless, without a sou; Brit. on the breadline, without a penny (to one's name); informal (flat) broke, strapped for cash, on one's uppers; Brit. informal stony broke, skint, without a brass farthing, in Queer Street; N. Amer. informal stone broke.
a penurious old skinflint
mean, miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, penny-pinching, close-fisted, cheese-paring, Scrooge-like; informal stingy, mingy, tight, tight-fisted, money-grubbing; archaic near.
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ANTONYMS :wealthy, generous.

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penury

noun
extreme poverty, destitution, pennilessness, impecuniousness, impoverishment, indigence, pauperism, privation, beggary.

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people

noun
crowds of people
human beings, persons, individuals, humans, mortals, (living) souls, personages, (men, women, and children); informal folk, peeps.
the British people
citizens, subjects, electors, voters, taxpayers, residents, inhabitants, (general) public, citizenry, nation, population, populace.
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a man of the people
the common people, the proletariat, the masses, the populace, the rank and file, the commonality, the commonalty, the third estate, the plebeians; derogatory the hoi polloi, the common herd, the great unwashed, the proles, the plebs.
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her people don't live far away
family, parents, relatives, relations, folk, kinsmen, kin, kith and kin, kinsfolk, flesh and blood, nearest and dearest; informal folks.
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the peoples of Africa
race, (ethnic) group, tribe, clan.
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verb
the Indians who once peopled Newfoundland
populate, settle (in), colonize, inhabit, live in, occupy; formal reside in, be domiciled in, dwell in.

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pep (informal)

noun
a performance full of pep
dynamism, life, energy, spirit, liveliness, animation, bounce, sparkle, effervescence, verve, spiritedness, ebullience, high spirits, enthusiasm, vitality, vivacity, fire, dash, panache, elan, zest, exuberance, vigour, gusto, brio; informal feistiness, get-up-and-go, oomph, pizzazz, vim.
pep something up
enliven, animate, liven up, put some/new life into, invigorate, vitalize, revitalize, vivify, ginger up, energize, galvanize, put some spark into, stimulate, get something going, perk up; brighten up, cheer up; informal buck up.

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pepper

verb
salt and pepper the potatoes
add pepper to, season, flavour.
stars peppered the desert skies
sprinkle, fleck, dot, spot, stipple; cover, fill.
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another burst of bullets peppered the tank
bombard, pelt, shower, rain down on, attack, assail, batter, strafe, rake, blitz, hit.
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peppery

adjective
a peppery sauce
spicy, spiced, peppered, hot, highly seasoned, piquant, pungent, sharp.
a peppery old man
irritable, cantankerous, irascible, bad-tempered, ill-tempered, grumpy, grouchy, crotchety, short-tempered, tetchy, testy, crusty, crabby, curmudgeonly, peevish, cross, fractious, pettish, prickly, waspish; informal snappish, snappy, chippy; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery.
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ANTONYMS :mild, bland, affable.

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perceive

verb
I immediately perceived the flaws in her story
discern, recognize, become aware of, see, distinguish, realize, grasp, understand, take in, make out, find, identify, hit on, comprehend, apprehend, appreciate, sense, divine; informal figure out; Brit. informal twig; formal become cognizant of.
he perceived a flush creeping up her neck
see, discern, detect, catch sight of, spot, observe, notice.
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he was perceived as too negative
regard, look on, view, consider, think of, judge, deem, adjudge.
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perceptible

adjective
noticeable, perceivable, detectable, discernible, visible, observable, recognizable, appreciable; obvious, apparent, evident, manifest, patent, clear, distinct, plain, conspicuous.

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perception

noun
our perception of our own limitations
recognition, awareness, consciousness, appreciation, realization, knowledge, grasp, understanding, comprehension, apprehension; formal cognizance.
popular perceptions of old age
impression, idea, conception, notion, thought, belief, judgement, estimation.
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he talks with great perception
insight, perceptiveness, percipience, perspicacity, understanding, sharpness, sharp-wittedness, intelligence, intuition, cleverness, incisiveness, trenchancy, astuteness, shrewdness, acuteness, acuity, discernment, sensitivity, penetration, thoughtfulness, profundity; formal perspicuity.
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perceptive

adjective
insightful, discerning, sensitive, intuitive, observant; piercing, penetrating, percipient, perspicacious, penetrative, clear-sighted, far-sighted, intelligent, clever, canny, keen, sharp, sharp-witted, astute, shrewd, quick, smart, acute, discriminating; informal on the ball; N. Amer. informal heads-up. ANTONYMS :obtuse.

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perch

noun
the budgerigar's perch
pole, rod, branch, roost, rest, resting place.
verb
three swallows perched on the telegraph wire
roost, sit, rest; alight, settle, land, come to rest.
she perched her glasses on her nose
put, place, set, rest, balance.
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the church is perched on a hill
be located, be situated, be positioned, be sited, stand.
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perchance

adverb
(poetic/literary) maybe, perhaps, possibly, for all one knows, it could be, it's possible, conceivably; N. English happen; poetic/literary peradventure.

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percipient

adjective
. See perceptive.

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percolate

verb
water percolated through the soil
filter, drain, drip, ooze, seep, trickle, dribble, leak, leach.
these views began to percolate through society as a whole
spread, be disseminated, filter, pass; permeate, pervade.
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he put some coffee on to percolate
brew; informal perk.
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perdition

noun
damnation, eternal punishment; hell, hellfire, doom.

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peregrinations

plural noun
(archaic) travels, wanderings, journeys, globetrotting, voyages, expeditions, odysseys, trips, treks, excursions; formal perambulations.

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peremptory

adjective
a peremptory reply
brusque, imperious, high-handed, brisk, abrupt, summary, commanding, dictatorial, autocratic, overbearing, dogmatic, arrogant, overweening, lordly, magisterial, authoritarian; emphatic, firm, insistent; informal bossy.
a peremptory order of the court
irreversible, binding, absolute, final, conclusive, decisive, definitive, categorical, irrefutable, incontrovertible; Law unappealable.
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perennial

adjective
abiding, enduring, lasting, everlasting, perpetual, eternal, continuing, unending, unceasing, never-ending, endless, undying, ceaseless, persisting, permanent, constant, continual, unfailing, unchanging, never-changing.

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perfect

adjective
she strove to be the perfect wife
ideal, model, without fault, faultless, flawless, consummate, quintessential, exemplary, best, ultimate, copybook; unrivalled, unequalled, matchless, unparalleled, beyond compare, without equal, second to none, too good to be true, Utopian, incomparable, nonpareil, peerless, inimitable, unexcelled, unsurpassed, unsurpassable.
an E-type Jaguar in perfect condition
flawless, mint, as good as new, pristine, impeccable, immaculate, superb, superlative, optimum, prime, optimal, peak, excellent, faultless, as sound as a bell, unspoiled, unblemished, undamaged, spotless, unmarred; informal tip-top, A1.
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a perfect copy
exact, precise, accurate, faithful, correct, unerring, right, true, strict; Brit. informal spot on; N. Amer. informal on the money.
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the perfect Christmas present for golfers everywhere
ideal, just right, right, appropriate, fitting, fit, suitable, apt, made to order, tailor-made; very; Brit. informal spot on, just the job.
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she felt a perfect idiot
absolute, complete, total, real, out-and-out, thorough, thoroughgoing, downright, utter, sheer, arrant, unmitigated, unqualified, veritable, in every respect, unalloyed; Brit. informal right; Austral./NZ informal fair.
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verb
he's busy perfecting his bowling technique
improve, better, polish (up), hone, refine, put the finishing/final touches to, brush up, fine-tune.

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perfection

noun
the perfection of his technique
improvement, betterment, refinement, refining, honing.
for her, he was still perfection
the ideal, a paragon, the ne plus ultra, the beau idéal, a nonpareil, the crème de la crème, the last word, the ultimate; informal one in a million, the tops, the best/greatest thing since sliced bread, the bee's knees; archaic a nonsuch.
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perfectionist

noun
purist, stickler for perfection, idealist; pedant; archaic precisian.

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perfectly

adverb
a perfectly cooked meal
superbly, superlatively, excellently, flawlessly, faultlessly, to perfection, without fault, ideally, inimitably, incomparably, impeccably, immaculately, exquisitely, consummately; N. Amer. to a fare-thee-well; informal like a dream, to a T.
I think we understand each other perfectly
absolutely, utterly, completely, altogether, entirely, wholly, totally, thoroughly, fully, in every respect.
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you know perfectly well that is not what I meant
very, quite, full; informal damn, damned; Brit. informal jolly, bloody; N. Amer. informal darned; N. English right.
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perfidious

adjective
(poetic/literary) treacherous, duplicitous, deceitful, disloyal, faithless, unfaithful, traitorous, treasonous, false, false-hearted, double-dealing, two-faced, untrustworthy. ANTONYMS :faithful.

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perfidy

noun
(poetic/literary) treachery, duplicity, deceit, deceitfulness, disloyalty, infidelity, faithlessness, unfaithfulness, betrayal, treason, double-dealing, untrustworthiness, breach of trust; poetic/literary perfidiousness.

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perforate

verb
pierce, penetrate, enter, puncture, prick, bore through, riddle.

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perforce

adverb
(formal) necessarily, of necessity, inevitably, unavoidably, by force of circumstances, needs must; informal like it or not; formal nolens volens.

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perform

verb
I have my duties to perform
carry out, do, execute, discharge, bring about, bring off, accomplish, achieve, fulfil, complete, conduct, effect, dispatch, work, implement; informal pull off; formal effectuate; archaic acquit oneself of.
a car which performs well at low speeds
function, work, operate, run, go, respond, behave, act, acquit oneself/itself.
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the play has been performed in Britain
stage, put on, present, mount, enact, act, produce.
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the band performed live in Hyde Park
appear, play, be on stage.
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ANTONYMS :neglect.

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performance

noun
the evening performance
show, production, showing, presentation, staging; concert, recital; Brit. house; informal gig.
their performance of Mozart's concerto in E flat
rendition, rendering, interpretation, playing, acting, representation.
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the continual performance of a single task
carrying out, execution, discharge, accomplishment, completion, fulfilment, dispatch, implementation; formal effectuation.
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the performance of the processor
functioning, working, operation, running, behaviour, capabilities, capability, capacity, power, potential.
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(informal) he made a great performance of telling her about it
fuss, production, palaver, scene; NZ bobsy-die; informal song and dance, to-do, hoo-ha, business, pantomime.
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performer

noun
actor, actress, thespian, artiste, artist, entertainer, trouper, player, musician, singer, dancer, comic, comedian, comedienne.

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perfume

noun
a bottle of perfume
scent, fragrance, eau de toilette, toilet water, eau de cologne, cologne, aftershave.
the heady perfume of lilacs
smell, scent, fragrance, aroma, bouquet, redolence.
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perfumed

adjective
sweet-smelling, scented, fragrant, fragranced, perfumy, aromatic.

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perfunctory

adjective
cursory, desultory, quick, brief, hasty, hurried, rapid, fleeting, token, casual, superficial, careless, half-hearted, sketchy, mechanical, automatic, routine, offhand, inattentive. ANTONYMS :careful, thorough.

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perhaps

adverb
maybe, for all one knows, it could be, it may be, it's possible, possibly, conceivably; N. English happen; poetic/literary peradventure, perchance.

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peril

noun
danger, jeopardy, risk, hazard, insecurity, uncertainty, menace, threat, perilousness; pitfall, problem.

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perilous

adjective
dangerous, fraught with danger, hazardous, risky, unsafe, treacherous; precarious, vulnerable, uncertain, insecure, exposed, at risk, in jeopardy, in danger, touch-and-go; informal dicey. ANTONYMS :safe.

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perimeter

noun
the perimeter of a circle
circumference, outside, outer edge.
the perimeter of the vast estate
boundary, border, limits, bounds, confines, edge, margin, fringe(s), periphery, borderline, verge; poetic/literary bourn, marge.
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period

noun
a six-week period
time, spell, interval, stretch, term, span, phase, bout, run, duration, chapter, stage; while; Brit. informal patch.
the post-war period
era, age, epoch, time, days, years; Geology aeon.
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a double Maths period
lesson, class, session.
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women who suffer from painful periods
menstruation, menstrual flow; informal the curse, monthlies, time of the month; technical menses.
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(N. Amer.) a comma instead of a period
full stop, full point, point, stop.
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periodic

adjective
regular, periodical, at fixed intervals, recurrent, recurring, repeated, cyclical, cyclic, seasonal; occasional, infrequent, intermittent, sporadic, spasmodic, odd.

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periodical

noun
he wrote for two periodicals
journal, publication, magazine, newspaper, paper, review, digest, gazette, newsletter, organ, quarterly; informal mag, book, glossy.
adjective
the island has periodical earthquakes.
See periodic.

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peripatetic

adjective
nomadic, itinerant, travelling, wandering, roving, roaming, migrant, migratory, unsettled.

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peripheral

adjective
the city's peripheral housing estates
outlying, outer, on the edge/outskirts, surrounding.
peripheral issues
secondary, subsidiary, incidental, tangential, marginal, minor, unimportant, lesser, inessential, non-essential, immaterial, ancillary.
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ANTONYMS :central.

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periphery

noun
edge, outer edge, margin, fringe, boundary, border, perimeter, rim, verge, borderline; outskirts, outer limits/reaches, bounds; poetic/literary bourn, marge. ANTONYMS :centre.

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periphrastic

adjective
circumlocutory, circuitous, roundabout, indirect, tautological, pleonastic, prolix, verbose, wordy, long-winded, rambling, wandering, tortuous, diffuse.

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perish

verb
millions of soldiers perished
die, lose one's life, be killed, fall, expire, meet one's death, be lost, lay down one's life, breathe one's last, pass away, go the way of all flesh, give up the ghost, go to glory, meet one's maker, go to one's last resting place, cross the great divide; informal kick the bucket, turn up one's toes, shuffle off this mortal coil, buy it, croak; Brit. informal snuff it, pop one's clogs; N. Amer. informal bite the big one, buy the farm; archaic decease, depart this life.
must these hopes perish so soon?
come to an end, die (away), disappear, vanish, fade, dissolve, evaporate, melt away, wither.
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the wood had perished
go bad, go off, spoil, rot, go mouldy, moulder, putrefy, decay, decompose.
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perjure

perjure oneself
lie under oath, lie, commit perjury, give false evidence/testimony; formal forswear oneself, be forsworn.

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perjury

noun
lying under oath, giving false evidence/testimony, making false statements, wilful falsehood.

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perk 1

perk up
you seem to have perked up
cheer up, brighten up, liven up, take heart; informal buck up.

the economy has been slow to perk up
recover, rally, improve, revive, take a turn for the better, look up, pick up, bounce back.
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perk someone/something up you could do with something to perk you up

cheer up, liven up, brighten up, raise someone's spirits, give someone a boost/lift, revitalize, invigorate, energize, enliven, ginger up, put new life/heart into, put some spark into, rejuvenate, refresh, vitalize; informal buck up, pep up.

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perk 2

noun
a job with a lot of perks
fringe benefit, additional benefit, benefit, advantage, bonus, extra, plus; informal freebie; Brit. informal golden hello; formal perquisite.

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perky

adjective
cheerful, lively, vivacious, animated, bubbly, effervescent, bouncy, spirited, high-spirited, in high spirits, cheery, merry, buoyant, ebullient, exuberant, jaunty, frisky, sprightly, spry, bright, sunny, jolly, full of the joys of spring, sparkly, pert; informal full of beans, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, chirpy, chipper; N. Amer. informal peppy; dated gay.

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permanence

noun
stability, durability, permanency, fixity, fixedness, changelessness, immutability, endurance, constancy, continuity, immortality, indestructibility, perpetuity, endlessness.

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permanent

adjective
permanent brain damage
lasting, enduring, indefinite, continuing, perpetual, everlasting, eternal, abiding, constant, irreparable, irreversible, lifelong, indissoluble, indelible, standing, perennial, unending, endless, never-ending, immutable, undying, imperishable, indestructible, ineradicable; poetic/literary sempiternal, perdurable.
a permanent job
long-term, stable, secure, durable.
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ANTONYMS :temporary.

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permanently

adverb
the attack left her permanently disabled
for all time, forever, for good, for always, for ever and ever, (for) evermore, until hell freezes over, in perpetuity, indelibly, immutably, until the end of time; N. Amer. forevermore; informal for keeps, until the cows come home, until doomsday, until kingdom come; archaic for aye.
I was permanently hungry
continually, constantly, perpetually, always.
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permeable

adjective
porous, pervious, penetrable, absorbent, absorptive.

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permeate

verb
the delicious smell permeated the entire flat
pervade, spread through, fill, filter through, diffuse through, imbue, penetrate, pass through, percolate through, perfuse, charge, suffuse, steep, impregnate, inform.
these resins are able to permeate the timber
soak through, penetrate, seep through, saturate, percolate through, leach through.
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permissible

adjective
permitted, allowable, allowed, acceptable, legal, lawful, legitimate, admissible, licit, authorized, sanctioned, tolerated; informal legit, OK. ANTONYMS :forbidden.

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permission

noun
authorization, consent, leave, authority, sanction, licence, dispensation, assent, acquiescence, agreement, approval, seal of approval, approbation, endorsement, blessing, imprimatur, clearance, allowance, tolerance, sufferance, empowerment; informal the go-ahead, the thumbs up, the OK, the green light, say-so.

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permissive

adjective
liberal, broad-minded, open-minded, free, free and easy, easy-going, live-and-let-live, latitudinarian, laissez-faire, libertarian, unprescriptive, tolerant, forbearing, indulgent, lenient; overindulgent, lax, soft. ANTONYMS :intolerant, strict.

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permit

verb
I cannot permit you to leave
allow, let, authorize, give someone permission, sanction, grant, give someone the right, license, empower, enable, entitle, qualify; consent to, assent to, give one's blessing to, give the nod to, acquiesce in, agree to, tolerate, countenance, admit of; legalize, legitimatize, legitimate; informal give the go-ahead to, give the thumbs up to, OK, give the OK to, give the green light to, say the word; formal accede to; archaic suffer. ANTONYMS :ban, forbid.

noun
I need to see your permit
authorization, licence, pass, ticket, warrant, document, certification; passport, visa.

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permutation

noun
variation, alteration, modification, change, shift, transformation, transmutation, mutation; humorous transmogrification.

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pernicious

adjective
harmful, damaging, destructive, injurious, hurtful, detrimental, deleterious, dangerous, adverse, inimical, unhealthy, unfavourable, bad, evil, baleful, wicked, malign, malevolent, malignant, noxious, poisonous, corrupting; poetic/literary maleficent. ANTONYMS :beneficial.

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pernickety

adjective
(informal) fussy, difficult to please, difficult, finicky, over-fastidious, fastidious, over-particular, particular, faddish, punctilious, hair-splitting, critical, overcritical; informal nit-picking, choosy, picky; Brit. informal faddy; N. Amer. informal persnickety. ANTONYMS :easy-going.

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peroration

noun
the peroration of his speech
conclusion, ending, close, closing remarks; summation, summing-up.
an hour-long peroration
speech, lecture, talk, address, oration, sermon, disquisition, discourse, declamation, harangue, diatribe; informal spiel.
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perpendicular

adjective
the perpendicular stones
upright, vertical, erect, plumb, straight (up and down), on end, standing, upended.
lines perpendicular to each other
at right angles, at 90 degrees.
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the perpendicular hillside
steep, sheer, precipitous, abrupt, bluff, vertiginous.
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ANTONYMS :horizontal.

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perpetrate

verb
commit, carry out, perform, execute, do, effect, bring about, accomplish; be guilty of, be to blame for, be responsible for, inflict, wreak; informal pull off; formal effectuate.

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perpetual

adjective
deep caves in perpetual darkness
everlasting, never-ending, eternal, permanent, unending, endless, without end, lasting, long-lasting, constant, abiding, enduring, perennial, timeless, ageless, deathless, undying, immortal; unfailing, unchanging, never-changing, changeless, unfading; poetic/literary sempiternal, perdurable.
a perpetual state of fear
constant, permanent, uninterrupted, continuous, unremitting, unending, unceasing, persistent, unbroken.
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her mother's perpetual nagging
interminable, incessant, ceaseless, endless, without respite, relentless, unrelenting, persistent, continual, continuous, non-stop, never-ending, recurrent, repeated, unremitting, sustained, round-the-clock, unabating; informal eternal.
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ANTONYMS :temporary, intermittent.

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perpetuate

verb
keep alive, keep going, preserve, conserve, sustain, maintain, continue, extend, carry on, keep up, prolong; immortalize, commemorate, memorialize, eternalize.

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perpetuity

in perpetuity
forever, permanently, for always, for good, for good and all, perpetually, (for) evermore, for ever and ever, for all time, until the end of time, until hell freezes over, eternally, for eternity, everlastingly; N. Amer. forevermore; informal for keeps, until doomsday; archaic for aye.

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perplex

verb
puzzle, baffle, mystify, bemuse, bewilder, confound, confuse, nonplus, disconcert, dumbfound, throw, throw/catch off balance, exercise, worry; informal flummox, be all Greek to, stump, bamboozle, floor, beat, faze, fox; N. Amer. informal discombobulate; archaic wilder, maze.

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perplexing

adjective
puzzling, baffling, mystifying, mysterious, bewildering, confusing, disconcerting, worrying, unaccountable, difficult to understand, beyond one, paradoxical, peculiar, funny, strange, weird, odd.

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perplexity

noun
he scratched his head in perplexity
confusion, bewilderment, puzzlement, bafflement, incomprehension, mystification, bemusement; informal bamboozlement; N. Amer. informal discombobulation.
the perplexities of international relations
complexity, complication, intricacy, problem, difficulty, mystery, puzzle, enigma, paradox.
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perquisite

noun
(formal). See perk2.

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per se

adverb
in itself, of itself, by itself, as such, intrinsically; by its very nature, in essence, by definition, essentially.

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persecute

verb
they were persecuted for their religious beliefs
oppress, abuse, victimize, ill-treat, mistreat, maltreat, tyrannize, torment, torture; martyr.
she was persecuted by the press
harass, hound, plague, badger, harry, intimidate, pick on, pester, bother, bedevil, bully, victimize, terrorize; N. Amer. devil; informal hassle, give someone a hard time, get on someone's back; Austral. informal heavy.
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persecution

noun
victims of religious persecution
oppression, victimization, maltreatment, ill-treatment, mistreatment, abuse, ill-usage, discrimination, tyranny; informal witch hunt.
the persecution I endured at school
harassment, hounding, intimidation, bullying.
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perseverance

noun
persistence, tenacity, determination, staying power, indefatigability, steadfastness, purposefulness; patience, endurance, application, diligence, dedication, commitment, doggedness, assiduity, tirelessness, stamina; intransigence, obstinacy; informal stickability; N. Amer. informal stick-to-it-iveness; formal pertinacity.

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persevere

verb
persist, continue, carry on, go on, keep on, keep going, struggle on, hammer away, be persistent, be determined, see/follow something through, keep at it, press on/ahead, not take no for an answer, be tenacious, stand one's ground, stand fast/firm, hold on, go the distance, stay the course, plod on, plough on, stop at nothing, leave no stone unturned; informal soldier on, hang on, plug away, peg away, stick to one's guns, stick it out, hang in there. ANTONYMS :give up.

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persist

verb
Corbett persisted with his questioning.
See persevere.
if dry weather persists, water the lawn thoroughly
continue, hold, carry on, last, keep on, keep up, remain, linger, stay, endure.
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persistence

noun
. See perseverance.

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persistent

adjective
a very persistent man
tenacious, persevering, determined, resolute, purposeful, dogged, single-minded, tireless, indefatigable, patient, unflagging, untiring, insistent, importunate, relentless, unrelenting; stubborn, intransigent, obstinate, obdurate; formal pertinacious.
persistent rain
constant, continuous, continuing, continual, non-stop, never-ending, steady, uninterrupted, unbroken, interminable, incessant, unceasing, endless, unending, perpetual, unremitting, unrelenting, relentless, unrelieved, sustained.
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a persistent cough
chronic, permanent, nagging, frequent; repeated, habitual.
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ANTONYMS :irresolute, intermittent.

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person

noun
human being, individual, man/woman, human, being, (living) soul, mortal, creature; personage, character, customer; informal type, sort, beggar, cookie; Brit. informal bod; informal, dated body, dog, cove; archaic wight.
in person
physically, in the flesh, in propria persona, personally; oneself; informal as large as life.

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persona

noun
image, face, public face, character, personality, identity, self; front, facade, guise, exterior, role, part.

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personable

adjective
pleasant, agreeable, likeable, nice, amiable, affable, charming, congenial, genial, engaging, pleasing; attractive, presentable, good-looking, nice-looking, pretty, appealing; Scottish couthy; Scottish & N. English bonny, canny; dated taking. ANTONYMS :disagreeable, unattractive.

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personage

noun
important person, VIP, luminary, celebrity, personality, name, famous name, household name, public figure, star, leading light, dignitary, notable, notability, worthy, panjandrum; person; informal celeb, somebody, big shot, big noise; Brit. informal nob; N. Amer. informal big wheel, big kahuna.

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personal

adjective
a highly personal style
distinctive, characteristic, unique, individual, one's own, particular, peculiar, idiosyncratic, individualized, personalized.
a personal appearance
in person, in the flesh, actual, live, physical.
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his personal life
private, intimate; confidential, secret.
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a personal friend
intimate, close, dear, great, bosom.
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I have personal knowledge of the family
direct, empirical, first-hand, immediate, experiential.
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personal remarks
derogatory, disparaging, belittling, insulting, critical, rude, slighting, disrespectful, offensive, pejorative.
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ANTONYMS :public, general.

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personality

noun
her cheerful personality
character, nature, disposition, temperament, make-up, persona, psyche.
she had loads of personality
charisma, magnetism, strength/force of personality, character, charm, presence.
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a famous personality
celebrity, VIP, star, superstar, name, famous name, household name, big name, somebody, leading light, luminary, notable, personage, notability; informal celeb.
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personalize

verb
products which can be personalized to your requirements
customize, individualize.
attempts to personalize God
personify, humanize, anthropomorphize.
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personally

adverb
I'd like to thank him personally
in person, oneself.
personally, I think it's a good idea
for my part, for myself, to my way of thinking, to my mind, in my estimation, as far as I am concerned, in my view/opinion, from my point of view, from where I stand, as I see it, if you ask me, for my money, in my book; privately.
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take something personally
take offence, take something amiss, be offended, be upset, be affronted, take umbrage, take exception, feel insulted, feel hurt.

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personification

noun
embodiment, incarnation, epitome, quintessence, essence, type, symbol, soul, model, exemplification, exemplar, image, representation.

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personify

verb
epitomize, embody, be the incarnation of, typify, exemplify, represent, symbolize, stand for, body forth.

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personnel

noun
staff, employees, workforce, workers, labour force, manpower, human resources; informal liveware.

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perspective

noun
her perspective on things had changed
outlook, view, viewpoint, point of view, standpoint, position, stand, stance, angle, slant, attitude, frame of mind, frame of reference, approach, way of looking, interpretation.
a perspective of the whole valley
view, vista, panorama, prospect, bird's-eye view, outlook, aspect.
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perspicacious

adjective
discerning, shrewd, perceptive, astute, penetrating, observant, percipient, sharp-witted, sharp, smart, alert, clear-sighted, far-sighted, acute, clever, canny, intelligent, insightful, wise, sage, sensitive, intuitive, understanding, aware, discriminating; informal on the ball; N. Amer. informal heads-up. ANTONYMS :stupid.

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perspicuous

adjective
(formal). See clear adjective sense 1.

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perspiration

noun
sweat, moisture; a lather; informal a muck sweat; Medicine diaphoresis, hidrosis.

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perspire

verb
sweat, be dripping/pouring with sweat, glow; informal be in a muck sweat.

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persuadable

adjective
malleable, tractable, pliable, compliant, amenable, adaptable, accommodating, cooperative, flexible, acquiescent, yielding, biddable, complaisant, like putty in one's hands, suggestible.

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persuade

verb
he tried to persuade her to come with him
prevail on, talk into, coax, convince, make, get, induce, win over, bring round, coerce, influence, sway, inveigle, entice, tempt, lure, cajole, wheedle; Law procure; informal sweet-talk, twist someone's arm.
shortage of money persuaded them to abandon the scheme
cause, lead, move, dispose, incline.
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ANTONYMS :dissuade, deter.

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persuasion

noun
Monica needed plenty of persuasion
coaxing, persuading, coercion, inducement, convincing, blandishment, encouragement, urging, inveiglement, cajolery, enticement, wheedling; informal sweet-talking, arm-twisting; formal suasion.
various political and religious persuasions
group, grouping, sect, denomination, party, camp, side, faction, affiliation, school of thought, belief, creed, credo, faith, philosophy.
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persuasive

adjective
convincing, cogent, compelling, potent, forceful, powerful, eloquent, impressive, influential, sound, valid, strong, effective, winning, telling; plausible, credible. ANTONYMS :unconvincing.

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pert

adjective
a pert little hat
jaunty, neat, trim, stylish, smart, perky, rakish; informal natty; N. Amer. informal saucy.
a young girl with a pert manner
impudent, impertinent, cheeky, irreverent, forward, insolent, disrespectful, flippant, familiar, presumptuous, bold, as bold as brass, brazen; informal fresh, lippy, saucy; N. Amer. informal sassy; archaic malapert.
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pertain

verb
developments pertaining to the economy
concern, relate to, be related to, be connected with, be relevant to, apply to, be pertinent to, refer to, have a bearing on, appertain to, bear on, affect, involve, touch; archaic regard.
the stock and assets pertaining to the business
belong to, be a part of, be included in.
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the economic situation which pertained in Britain at that time
exist, be the order of the day, be the case, prevail; formal obtain.
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pertinacious

adjective
(formal) determined, tenacious, persistent, persevering, purposeful, resolute, dogged, indefatigable, insistent, single-minded, unrelenting, relentless, tireless, unshakeable; stubborn, obstinate, inflexible, unbending. ANTONYMS :irresolute, tentative.

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pertinent

adjective
relevant, to the point, apposite, appropriate, suitable, fitting, fit, apt, applicable, material, germane, to the purpose, apropos; formal ad rem. ANTONYMS :irrelevant.

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perturb

verb
worry, upset, unsettle, disturb, concern, trouble, disquiet; disconcert, discomfit, unnerve, alarm, bother, distress, dismay, gnaw at, agitate, fluster, ruffle, discountenance, exercise; informal rattle. ANTONYMS :reassure.

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perturbed

adjective
upset, worried, unsettled, disturbed, concerned, troubled, anxious, ill at ease, uneasy, disquieted, fretful; disconcerted, discomposed, distressed, unnerved, alarmed, bothered, dismayed, agitated, flustered, ruffled, shaken, discountenanced; informal twitchy, rattled, fazed; N. Amer. informal discombobulated. ANTONYMS :calm.

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peruse

verb
read, study, scrutinize, inspect, examine, wade through, look through; browse through, leaf through, scan, run one's eye over, glance through, flick through, skim through, thumb through, dip into; archaic con.

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pervade

verb
permeate, spread through, fill, suffuse, be diffused through, imbue, penetrate, filter through, percolate through, infuse, perfuse, flow through; charge, steep, saturate, impregnate, inform.

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pervasive

adjective
prevalent, pervading, permeating, extensive, ubiquitous, omnipresent, universal, rife, widespread, general.

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perverse

adjective
he is being deliberately perverse
awkward, contrary, difficult, unreasonable, uncooperative, unhelpful, obstructive, disobliging, recalcitrant, stubborn, obstinate, obdurate, mulish, pig-headed, bull-headed; informal cussed; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie; N. Amer. informal balky; formal refractory; archaic froward, contumacious.
a verdict that is manifestly perverse
illogical, irrational, unreasonable, wrong, wrong-headed.
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an evil life dedicated to perverse pleasure
perverted, depraved, unnatural, abnormal, deviant, degenerate, immoral, warped, twisted, corrupt; wicked, base, evil; informal kinky, sick, pervy.
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ANTONYMS :accommodating, reasonable.

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perversion

noun
a twisted perversion of the truth
distortion, misrepresentation, falsification, travesty, misinterpretation, misconstruction, twisting, corruption, subversion, misuse, misapplication, debasement.
sexual perversion
deviance, abnormality; depravity, degeneracy, debauchery, corruption, vice, wickedness, immorality.
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perversity

noun
out of sheer perversity, he refused
contrariness, awkwardness, recalcitrance, stubbornness, obstinacy, obduracy, mulishness, pig-headedness; informal cussedness; Brit. informal bloody-mindedness; formal refractoriness.
the perversity of the decision
unreasonableness, irrationality, illogicality, wrong-headedness.
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pervert

verb
people who attempt to pervert the rules
distort, corrupt, subvert, twist, bend, abuse, misapply, misuse, misrepresent, misinterpret, falsify.
men can be perverted by power
corrupt, lead astray, debase, warp, pollute, poison, deprave, debauch.
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noun
a sexual pervert
deviant, degenerate; informal perv, dirty old man, sicko.

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perverted

adjective
unnatural, deviant, warped, corrupt, twisted, abnormal, unhealthy, depraved, perverse, aberrant, immoral, debauched, debased, degenerate, evil, wicked, vile, amoral, wrong, bad; informal sick, sicko, kinky, pervy.

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pessimism

noun
defeatism, negativity, doom and gloom, gloominess, cynicism, fatalism; hopelessness, depression, despair, despondency, angst; informal looking on the black side.

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pessimist

noun
defeatist, fatalist, prophet of doom, cynic, doomsayer, doomster, Cassandra; sceptic, doubter, doubting Thomas; misery, killjoy, Job's comforter; informal doom (and gloom) merchant, wet blanket; N. Amer. informal gloomy Gus. ANTONYMS :optimist.

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pessimistic

adjective
gloomy, negative, defeatist, downbeat, cynical, bleak, fatalistic, dark, black, despairing, despondent, depressed, hopeless; suspicious, distrustful, doubting. ANTONYMS :optimistic.

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pest

noun
nuisance, annoyance, irritation, irritant, thorn in one's flesh/side, vexation, trial, the bane of one's life, menace, trouble, problem, worry, bother; informal pain (in the neck), aggravation, headache; Scottish informal skelf; N. Amer. informal nudnik; Austral./NZ informal nark.

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pester

verb
badger, hound, harass, plague, annoy, bother, trouble, keep after, persecute, torment, bedevil, harry, worry, beleaguer, chivvy, nag; informal hassle, bug, get on someone's back; N. English informal mither; N. Amer. informal devil.

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pestilence

noun
(archaic). See plague noun sense 1.

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pestilential

adjective
pestilential fever
plague-like, infectious, contagious, communicable, epidemic, virulent; informal catching; poetic/literary pestiferous.
(informal) a pestilential man!
annoying, irritating, infuriating, exasperating, maddening, tiresome, irksome, vexing, vexatious; informal aggravating, pesky, infernal.
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pet 1

noun
the teacher's pet
favourite, darling, the apple of one's eye; Brit. informal blue-eyed boy/girl; N. Amer. informal fair-haired boy/girl.
adjective
a pet lamb
tame, domesticated, domestic; Brit. house-trained; N. Amer. housebroken.
his pet theory
favourite, favoured, cherished, dear to one's heart; particular, special, personal.
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verb
the cats came to be petted
stroke, caress, fondle, pat.
she had always been petted by her parents
pamper, spoil, mollycoddle, coddle, cosset, baby, indulge, overindulge, wrap in cotton wool.
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couples were petting in their cars
kiss and cuddle, kiss, cuddle, embrace, caress; informal canoodle, neck, smooch; Brit. informal snog; N. Amer. informal make out, get it on; informal, dated spoon.
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pet name
affectionate name, term of endearment, endearment, nickname, diminutive, hypocoristic.

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pet 2

noun
Mum's in a pet
bad mood, mood, bad temper, temper, sulk, fit of pique, huff; Brit. informal paddy, strop.

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peter

peter out
fizzle out, fade (away), die away/out, dwindle, diminish, taper off, tail off, trail away/off, wane, ebb, melt away, evaporate, disappear, come to an end, subside.

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petite

adjective
small, dainty, diminutive, slight, little, tiny, elfin, delicate, small-boned; Scottish wee; informal pint-sized.

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petition

noun
over 1,000 people signed the petition
appeal, round robin.
petitions to Allah
entreaty, supplication, plea, prayer, appeal, request, invocation, suit; archaic orison.
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verb
they petitioned the king to revoke the decision
appeal to, request, ask, call on, entreat, beg, implore, plead with, apply to, press, urge; formal adjure; poetic/literary beseech.

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petrified

adjective
she looked petrified
terrified, terror-stricken, horrified, scared/frightened out of one's wits, scared/frightened to death.
petrified remains of prehistoric animals
ossified, fossilized, calcified.
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petrify

verb
terrify, horrify, frighten, scare, scare/frighten to death, scare/frighten the living daylights out of, scare/frighten the life out of, strike terror into, put the fear of God into; paralyse, transfix; informal scare the pants off; Irish informal scare the bejesus out of.

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petrol

noun
fuel, unleaded, superunleaded, diesel; N. Amer. gasoline, gas; informal juice.

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petticoat

noun
slip, underskirt, half-slip, underslip, undergarment; archaic kirtle; historical crinoline.

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petty

adjective
petty regulations
trivial, trifling, minor, small, unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, inconsiderable, negligible, paltry, footling, pettifogging; informal piffling, piddling, fiddling.
a petty form of revenge
small-minded, mean, ungenerous, shabby, spiteful.
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ANTONYMS :important, magnanimous.

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petulant

adjective
peevish, bad-tempered, querulous, pettish, fretful, cross, irritable, sulky, snappish, crotchety, touchy, tetchy, testy, fractious, grumpy, disgruntled, crabbed, crabby; informal grouchy; Brit. informal ratty; N. English informal mardy; N. Amer. informal cranky. ANTONYMS :good-humoured.

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phantasmagorical

adjective
dreamlike, psychedelic, kaleidoscopic, surreal, unreal, hallucinatory, fantastic, fantastical, chimerical.

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phantom

noun
a phantom who haunts lonely roads
ghost, apparition, spirit, spectre, wraith; informal spook; poetic/literary phantasm, shade.
the phantoms of an overactive imagination
delusion, figment of the imagination, hallucination, illusion, chimera, vision, mirage.
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phase

noun
the final phase of the campaign
stage, period, chapter, episode, part, step, point, time, juncture.
he's going through a difficult phase
period, stage, time, spell; Brit. informal patch.
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the phases of the moon
aspect, shape, form, appearance, state, condition.
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phase something in
introduce gradually, begin to use, ease in. phase something out
withdraw gradually, discontinue, stop using, run down, wind down.

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phenomenal

adjective
remarkable, exceptional, extraordinary, amazing, astonishing, astounding, sensational, stunning, incredible, unbelievable; marvellous, magnificent, wonderful, outstanding, singular, out of the ordinary, unusual, unprecedented; informal fantastic, terrific, tremendous, stupendous, awesome, out of this world; poetic/literary wondrous. ANTONYMS :ordinary.

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phenomenon

noun
a rare phenomenon
occurrence, event, happening, fact, situation, circumstance, experience, case, incident, episode.
the band was a pop phenomenon
marvel, sensation, wonder, prodigy, miracle, rarity, nonpareil.
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philander

verb
womanize, have affairs, flirt; informal play around, carry on, play the field, play away, sleep around; N. Amer. informal fool around.

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philanderer

noun
womanizer, Casanova, Don Juan, Lothario, flirt, ladies' man, playboy, rake, roué; informal stud, skirt-chaser, ladykiller, wolf; informal, dated gay dog.

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philanthropic

adjective
charitable, generous, benevolent, humanitarian, public-spirited, altruistic, magnanimous, munificent, open-handed, bountiful, liberal, generous to a fault, beneficent, caring, compassionate, unselfish, kind, kind-hearted, big-hearted; formal eleemosynary. ANTONYMS :selfish, mean.

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philanthropist

noun
benefactor, benefactress, patron, patroness, donor, contributor, sponsor, backer, helper, good Samaritan; do-gooder, Lady Bountiful; historical almsgiver.

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philanthropy

noun
benevolence, generosity, humanitarianism, public-spiritedness, altruism, social conscience, charity, charitableness, brotherly love, fellow feeling, magnanimity, munificence, liberality, largesse, open-handedness, bountifulness, beneficence, unselfishness, humanity, kindness, kind-heartedness, compassion; historical almsgiving.

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philippic

noun
(poetic/literary) tirade, diatribe, harangue, lecture, attack, onslaught, denunciation, rant, polemic, broadside, fulmination, condemnation, criticism, censure; informal blast.

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philistine

adjective
uncultured, lowbrow, anti-intellectual, uncultivated, uncivilized, uneducated, unenlightened, commercial, materialist, bourgeois; ignorant, crass, boorish, barbarian.

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philosopher

noun
thinker, theorist, theorizer, theoretician, metaphysicist, metaphysician; scholar, intellectual, sage, wise man.

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philosophical

adjective
a philosophical question
theoretical, metaphysical.
a philosophical mood
thoughtful, reflective, pensive, meditative, contemplative, introspective, ruminative; formal cogitative.
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he was philosphical about losing the contract
calm, composed, cool, collected, (cool, calm, and collected), self-possessed, serene, tranquil, stoical, impassive, dispassionate, phlegmatic, unperturbed, imperturbable, unruffled, patient, forbearing, long-suffering, resigned, rational, realistic.
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philosophize

verb
theorize, speculate; pontificate, preach, sermonize, moralize.

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philosophy

noun
the philosophy of Aristotle
thinking, thought, reasoning.
her political philosophy
beliefs, credo, convictions, ideology, ideas, thinking, notions, theories, doctrine, tenets, principles, views, school of thought.
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phlegm

noun
mucus, catarrh.
British phlegm and perseverance
calmness, coolness, composure, equanimity, tranquillity, placidity, placidness, impassivity, stolidity, imperturbability, impassiveness, dispassionateness; informal cool, unflappability.
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phlegmatic

adjective
calm, cool, composed, (cool, calm, and collected), controlled, serene, tranquil, placid, impassive, stolid, imperturbable, unruffled, dispassionate, philosophical; informal unflappable. ANTONYMS :excitable.

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phobia

noun
abnormal fear, irrational fear, obsessive fear, dread, horror, terror, hatred, loathing, detestation, aversion, antipathy, revulsion; complex, neurosis; informal thing, hang-up.

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phone

noun
she spent hours on the phone
telephone, mobile (phone), cellphone, car phone, cordless phone, speakerphone; extension; Brit. informal blower; Brit. rhyming slang dog and bone.
give me a phone sometime
call, telephone call, phone call; Brit. ring; informal buzz; Brit. informal tinkle, bell.
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verb
I'll phone you later
telephone, call, give someone a call; Brit. ring, ring up, give someone a ring; informal call up, give someone a buzz; Brit. informal give someone a bell/tinkle, get on the blower to; N. Amer. informal get someone on the horn.

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phoney (informal)

adjective
a phoney address
bogus, false, fake, fraudulent, spurious; counterfeit, forged, feigned; pseudo, imitation, sham, man-made, mock, ersatz, synthetic, artificial; simulated, pretended, contrived, affected, insincere; informal pretend, put-on; Brit. informal cod. ANTONYMS :authentic.

noun
he's nothing but a phoney
impostor, sham, fake, fraud, charlatan; informal con artist.
the diamond's a phoney
fake, imitation, counterfeit, forgery.
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photocopy

noun
copy, facsimile, duplicate; trademark Xerox, photostat, Ozalid.

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photograph

noun
a photograph of her father
picture, photo, snap, snapshot, shot, likeness, print, slide, transparency, still, enlargement; Brit. enprint; informal tranny.
verb
she was photographed leaving the castle
take someone's picture/photo, snap, shoot, film.

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photographer

noun
lensman, paparazzo; cameraman; informal snapper; N. Amer. informal shutterbug.

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photographic

adjective
a photographic record
pictorial, in photographs; cinematic, filmic.
a photographic memory
detailed, graphic, exact, precise, accurate, vivid.
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phrase

noun
familiar words and phrases
expression, group of words, construction, locution, term, turn of phrase; idiom, idiomatic expression; saying, tag.
verb
how could I phrase the question?
express, put into words, put, word, style, formulate, couch, frame, articulate, verbalize.

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phraseology

noun
wording, choice of words, phrasing, way of speaking/writing, usage, idiom, diction, parlance, words, language, vocabulary, terminology; jargon; informal lingo, -speak, -ese.

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physical

adjective
physical pleasure
bodily, corporeal, corporal, somatic; carnal, fleshly, non-spiritual.
hard physical work
manual, labouring, blue-collar.
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the physical universe
material, concrete, tangible, palpable, solid, substantial, real, actual, visible.
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ANTONYMS :mental, spiritual.

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physician

noun
doctor, doctor of medicine, MD, medical practitioner, general practitioner, GP, clinician; specialist, consultant; informal doc, medic, medico; Brit. informal quack; informal, dated sawbones.

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physiognomy

noun
face, features, countenance, expression, look, mien; informal mug; Brit. informal phizog, phiz; Brit. rhyming slang boat race; N. Amer. informal puss; poetic/literary visage, lineaments.

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physique

noun
body, build, figure, frame, anatomy, shape, form, proportions; muscles, musculature; informal vital statistics, bod.

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pick

verb
I got a job picking apples
harvest, gather (in), collect, pluck; poetic/literary cull.
pick the time that suits you best
choose, select, pick out, single out, take, opt for, plump for, elect, decide on, settle on, fix on, sift out, sort out; name, nominate.
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Beth picked at her food
nibble, toy with, play with, eat like a bird.
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people were singing and picking guitars
strum, twang, thrum, pluck.
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he tried to pick a fight
provoke, start, cause, incite, stir up, whip up, instigate, prompt, bring about.
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noun
take your pick
choice, selection, option, decision; preference, favourite.
the pick of the crop
best, finest, top, choice, choicest, prime, cream, flower, prize, pearl, gem, jewel, jewel in the crown, crème de la crème, elite.
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pick on
bully, victimize, tyrannize, torment, persecute, criticize, harass, hound, taunt, tease; informal get at, have it in for, have a down on, be down on, needle. pick something out
one painting was picked out for special mention
choose, select, pick, single out, opt for, plump for, decide on, elect, settle on, fix on, sift out, sort out; name, nominate.

she picked out Jessica in the crowd
see, make out, distinguish, discern, spot, perceive, detect, notice, recognize, identify, catch sight of, glimpse; poetic/literary espy, behold, descry.
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pick up
improve, recover, be on the road to recovery, rally, make a comeback, bounce back, perk up, look up, take a turn for the better, turn the/a corner, be on the mend, make headway, make progress. pick someone/something up
lift, take up, raise, hoist, scoop up, gather up, snatch up. pick someone up
I'll pick you up after lunch
fetch, collect, call for.

(informal) he was picked up by the police
arrest, apprehend, detain, take into custody, seize; informal nab, run in, bust; Brit. informal nick.
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(informal) he pi cked her up in a club
take up with; informal get off with, pull, cop off with.
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pick something up
we picked it up at a flea market
find, discover, come across, stumble across, happen on, chance on; acquire, obtain, come by, get, procure; purchase, buy; informal get hold of, get/lay one's hands on, get one's mitts on, bag, land.

he picked up the story in the 1950s
resume, take up, start again, recommence, continue, carry on with, go on with.
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she picked up a virus
catch, contract, get, go/come down with.
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he told us the bits of gossip he'd picked up
hear, hear tell, get wind of, be told, learn; glean, garner.
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we're picking up a distress signal
receive, detect, get, hear.
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picket

noun
forty pickets were arrested
striker, demonstrator, protester, objector, picketer; flying picket.
fences made of cedar pickets
stake, post, paling; upright, stanchion, pier, piling.
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verb
over 200 people picketed the factory
demonstrate at, form a picket at, man the picket line at; blockade, shut off.

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pickle

noun
a jar of pickle
relish, chutney, piccalilli.
steep the vegetables in pickle
marinade, brine, vinegar.
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(informal) they got into an awful pickle
plight, predicament, mess, difficulty, trouble, dire/desperate straits, problem; informal tight corner, tight spot, jam, fix, scrape, bind, hole, hot water, fine kettle of fish; Brit. informal spot of bother.
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verb
fish pickled in brine
preserve, souse, marinate, conserve; bottle, can, tin.

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pick-me-up

noun
a drink that's a very good pick-me-up
tonic, restorative, energizer, stimulant, refresher, reviver; informal bracer; Medicine analeptic.
his winning goal was a perfect pick-me-up
boost, boost to the spirits, fillip, stimulant, stimulus; informal shot in the arm.
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pickpocket

noun
thief, petty thief, sneak thief; archaic cutpurse.

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pickup

noun
improvement, recovery, revival, upturn, upswing, rally, comeback, resurgence, renewal, turn for the better. ANTONYMS :slump.

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picnic

noun
a picnic on the beach
outdoor meal, alfresco meal; N. Amer. cookout.
(informal) working for him was no picnic
easy task/job, child's play, five-finger exercise, gift, walkover; informal doddle, piece of cake, money for old rope, money for jam, cinch, breeze, kids' stuff, cakewalk, pushover; N. Amer. informal duck soup; Austral./NZ informal bludge.
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pictorial

adjective
illustrated, in pictures, in picture form, in photographs, photographic, graphic.

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picture

noun
pictures in an art gallery
painting, drawing, sketch, oil painting, watercolour, print, canvas, portrait, portrayal, illustration, artwork, depiction, likeness, representation, image, icon, miniature; fresco, mural, wall painting; informal oil.
we were told not to take pictures
photograph, photo, snap, snapshot, shot, print, slide, transparency, exposure, still, enlargement; Brit. enprint.
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a picture of the sort of person the child should be
concept, idea, impression, view, (mental) image, vision, visualization, notion.
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the picture of health
personification, embodiment, epitome, essence, quintessence, perfect example, soul, model.
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a picture starring Robert de Niro
film, movie, feature film, motion picture; informal flick; dated moving picture.
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we went to the pictures
the cinema, the movies, the silver screen, the big screen; informal the flicks.
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verb
he was pictured with his guests
photograph, take a photograph/photo of, snap, shoot, film.
in the drawing they were pictured against a snowy background
paint, draw, sketch, depict, delineate, portray, show, illustrate.
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Anne still pictured Richard as he had been
visualize, see in one's mind's eye, conjure up a picture/image of, imagine, see, evoke.
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put someone in the picture
inform, fill in, explain the situation/circumstances to, bring up to date, update, brief, keep posted; informal clue in, bring up to speed.

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picturesque

adjective
a picturesque village
attractive, pretty, beautiful, lovely, scenic, charming, quaint, pleasing, delightful.
a picturesque description
vivid, graphic, colourful, impressive, striking.
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ANTONYMS :ugly, dull.

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piddling

adjective
(informal) trivial, trifling, petty, footling, slight, small, insignificant, unimportant, inconsequential, inconsiderable, negligible; meagre, inadequate, insufficient, paltry, scant, scanty, derisory, pitiful, miserable, puny, niggardly, beggarly, mere; informal measly, pathetic, piffling, mingy, poxy; N. Amer. informal nickel-and-dime.

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pie

noun
pastry, tart, tartlet, quiche, pasty, patty, turnover, strudel.
pie in the sky (informal)
false hope, illusion, delusion, fantasy, pipe dream, daydream, castle in the air, castle in Spain.

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piebald

adjective
. See pied.

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piece

noun
a piece of cheese | a piece of wood
bit, slice, chunk, segment, section, lump, hunk, wedge, slab, block, cake, bar, cube, stick, length; offcut, sample, fragment, sliver, splinter, wafer, chip, crumb, scrap, remnant, shred, shard, snippet; mouthful, morsel; Brit. informal wodge.
the pieces of a clock
component, part, bit, section, segment, constituent, element; unit, module.
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a piece of furniture
item, article, specimen.
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a piece of the profit
share, portion, slice, quota, part, bit, percentage, amount, quantity, ration, fraction, division; informal cut, rake-off; Brit. informal whack.
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pieces from his private collection
work (of art), creation, production; composition, opus.
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the reporter who wrote the piece
article, item, story, report, essay, study, review, composition, column.
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the pieces on a chess board
token, counter, man, disc , chip, marker.
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in one piece
the camera was still in one piece
unbroken, entire, whole, intact, undamaged, unharmed.

I'll bring her back in one piece
unhurt, uninjured, unscathed, safe, safe and sound.
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in pieces
broken, in bits, shattered, smashed, in smithereens; informal bust. go/fall to pieces
have a breakdown, break down, go out of one's mind, lose control, lose one's head, fall apart; informal crack up, lose it, come/fall apart at the seams, freak, freak out.

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pièce de résistance

noun
masterpiece, magnum opus, chef-d'œuvre, masterwork, tour de force, showpiece, prize, jewel in the crown.

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piecemeal

adverb
a little at a time, piece by piece, bit by bit, gradually, slowly, in stages, in steps, step by step, little by little, by degrees, in/by fits and starts.

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pied

adjective
particoloured, multicoloured, variegated, black and white, brown and white, piebald, skewbald, dappled, brindle, spotted, mottled, speckled, flecked; N. Amer. pinto.

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pier

noun
a boat was tied to the pier
jetty, quay, wharf, dock, landing, landing stage.
the piers of the bridge
support, cutwater, pile, piling, abutment, buttress, stanchion, prop, stay, upright, pillar, post, column.
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pierce

verb
the metal pierced his flesh
penetrate, puncture, perforate, prick, lance; stab, spike, stick, impale, transfix, bore through, drill through.
his anguish pierced her to the quick
hurt, wound, pain, sting, sear, grieve, distress, upset, trouble, harrow, afflict; affect, move.
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piercing

adjective
a piercing shriek
shrill, ear-splitting, high-pitched, penetrating, strident, loud.
the piercing wind
bitter, biting, cutting, penetrating, sharp, keen, stinging, raw; freezing, frigid, glacial, arctic, chill.
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a piercing pain
intense, excruciating, agonizing, sharp, stabbing, shooting, stinging, severe, extreme, fierce, searing, racking.
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his piercing gaze
searching, probing, penetrating, penetrative, shrewd, sharp, keen.
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his piercing intelligence
perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, penetrating, discerning, discriminating, intelligent, quick-witted, sharp, sharp-witted, shrewd, insightful, keen, acute, astute, clever, smart, incisive, razor-edged, trenchant.
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piety

noun
devoutness, devotion, piousness, religion, holiness, godliness, saintliness; veneration, reverence, faith, religious duty, spirituality, religious zeal, fervour; pietism, religiosity.

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piffle

noun
(informal). See nonsense sense 1.

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piffling

adjective
(informal) inadequate, insufficient, tiny, small, minimal, trifling, paltry, pitiful, negligible; miserly, miserable; informal measly, stingy, lousy, pathetic, piddling, mingy, poxy.

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pig

noun
a herd of pigs
hog, boar, sow, porker, swine, piglet; children's word piggy.
(informal) he's eaten the lot, the pig
glutton, guzzler; informal hog, greedy guts; Brit. informal gannet.
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(informal) he's been an absolute pig lately
informal bastard, beast, louse, swine; Brit. informal toerag; informal, dated rotter, heel, stinker.
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porcine.

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pigeonhole

noun
journalistic pigeonholes
category, categorization, class, classification, group, grouping, designation, slot.
verb
they were pigeonholed as an indie guitar band
categorize, compartmentalize, classify, characterize, label, brand, tag, designate.
the plan was pigeonholed last year
postpone, put off, put back, defer, shelve, hold over, put to one side, put on ice, mothball, put in cold storage; N. Amer. table; informal put on the back burner.
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pig-headed

adjective
obstinate, stubborn (as a mule), mulish, bull-headed, obdurate, headstrong, self-willed, wilful, perverse, contrary, recalcitrant, stiff-necked; uncooperative, inflexible, uncompromising, intractable, intransigent, unyielding; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie; formal refractory.

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pigment

noun
colouring matter, colouring, colourant, colour, tint, dye, dyestuff.

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pile 1

noun
a pile of stones
heap, stack, mound, pyramid, mass, quantity; collection, accumulation, assemblage, store, stockpile, hoard.
(informal) I've a pile of work to do
great deal, lot, large quantity/amount, quantities, reams, mountain; abundance, cornucopia, plethora; informal load, heap, mass, slew, ocean, stack, ton; Brit. informal shedload; Austral./NZ informal swag.
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(informal) he'd made his pile in the fur trade
fortune, millions, billions; informal small fortune, bomb, packet, bundle, wad; Brit. informal loadsamoney.
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a huge Victorian pile
mansion, stately home, manor, manor house, country house; edifice.
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verb
he piled up the plates
heap (up), stack (up), put on top of each other.
he piled his plate with fried eggs
load, heap, fill (up), lade, stack, charge, stock.
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his debts were piling up
increase, grow, mount up, escalate, soar, spiral, leap up, shoot up, rocket, climb, accumulate, accrue, build up, multiply.
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we piled into the car
crowd, climb, pack, squeeze, push, shove.
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pile it on (informal)
exaggerate, overstate the case, make a mountain out of a molehill, overdo it, overplay it, over-dramatize; informal lay it on thick, lay it on with a trowel.

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pile 2

noun
a wall supported by timber piles
post, stake, pillar, column, support, foundation, piling, abutment, pier, cutwater, buttress, stanchion, upright.

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pile 3

noun
a carpet with a short pile
nap, fibres, threads.

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pile-up

noun
crash, multiple crash, collision, multiple collision, smash, accident, road accident; Brit. RTA (road traffic accident); N. Amer. wreck; informal smash-up; Brit. informal shunt.

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pilfer

verb
steal, thieve, take, snatch, purloin, loot; informal swipe, rob, nab, rip off, lift, "liberate", "borrow", filch, snaffle; Brit. informal pinch, half-inch, nick, whip, knock off, nobble; N. Amer. informal heist.

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pilgrim

noun
worshipper, devotee, believer; traveller, crusader, haji; poetic/literary wayfarer; historical palmer.

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pilgrimage

noun
religious journey, religious expedition, hajj, crusade, mission.

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pill

noun
tablet, capsule, caplet, pellet, lozenge, pastille; Veterinary Medicine bolus.

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pillage

verb
the abbey was pillaged
ransack, rob, plunder, despoil, raid, loot; sack, devastate, lay waste, ravage, rape.
columns pillaged from an ancient town
steal, pilfer, thieve, take, snatch, purloin, loot; informal swipe, rob, nab, rip off, lift, "liberate", "borrow", filch, snaffle; Brit. informal pinch, half-inch, nick, whip, knock off, nobble; N. Amer. informal heist.
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noun
the rebels were intent on pillage
robbery, robbing, raiding, plunder, looting, sacking, rape, marauding; poetic/literary rapine.

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pillar

noun
stone pillars
column, post, support, upright, baluster, pier, pile, pilaster, stanchion, prop, newel; obelisk, monolith.
a pillar of the community
stalwart, mainstay, bastion, rock; leading light, worthy, backbone, support, upholder, champion.
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pillory

noun
offenders were put in the pillory
stocks.
verb
he was pilloried by the press
attack, criticize, censure, condemn, denigrate, lambaste, savage, stigmatize, denounce; informal knock, slam, pan, bash, crucify, hammer; Brit. informal slate, rubbish, slag off; N. Amer. informal pummel; Austral./NZ informal bag, monster; formal excoriate.
they were pilloried at school
ridicule, jeer at, sneer at, deride, mock, scorn, make fun of, poke fun at, laugh at, scoff at, tease, taunt, rag; informal kid, rib, josh, take the mickey out of; N. Amer. informal razz, pull someone's chain.
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pillow

noun
his head rested on the pillow
cushion, bolster, pad; headrest.
verb
she pillowed her head on folded arms
cushion, cradle, rest, lay, support.

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pilot

noun
a fighter pilot
airman/airwoman, flyer; captain, commander, co-pilot, wingman; informal skipper; N. Amer. informal jock; dated aviator, aeronaut.
a harbour pilot
navigator, helmsman, steersman, coxswain.
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a pilot for a TV series
trial episode; sample, experiment.
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adjective
a pilot project
experimental, exploratory, trial, test, sample, speculative; preliminary.
verb
he piloted the jet to safety
navigate, guide, manoeuvre, steer, control, direct, captain, shepherd; fly, aviate; drive; sail; informal skipper.
the questionnaire has been piloted
test, trial, try out; assess, investigate, examine, appraise, evaluate.
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pimp

noun
procurer, procuress; brothel-keeper, madam; Brit. informal ponce; archaic bawd.

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pimple

noun
spot, pustule, bleb, boil, swelling, eruption, blackhead, carbuncle, blister; (pimples) acne; informal whitehead, zit; Scottish informal plook; technical comedo, papule.

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pin

noun
fasten the hem with a pin
tack, safety pin, nail, staple, fastener.
a broken pin in the machine
bolt, peg, rivet, dowel, screw.
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they wore name pins
badge, brooch.
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verb
she pinned the brooch to her dress
attach, fasten, affix, fix, tack, clip; join, secure.
they pinned him to the ground
hold, press, hold fast, hold down; restrain, pinion, immobilize.
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they pinned the crime on him
blame for, hold responsible for, attribute to, impute to, ascribe to; lay something at someone's door; informal stick on.
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pin someone/something down
our troops can pin down the enemy
confine, trap, hem in, corner, close in, shut in, hedge in, pen in, restrain, entangle, enmesh, immobilize.

she tried to pin him down to a plan
constrain, make someone commit themselves, pressure, pressurize, tie down, nail down.
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it evoked a memory but he couldn't pin it down
define, put one's finger on, put into words, express, name, specify, identify, pinpoi nt, place.
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pinch

verb
he pinched my arm
nip, tweak, squeeze, grasp.
my new shoes pinch my toes
hurt, pain; squeeze, crush, cramp; be uncomfortable.
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I scraped and pinched to afford it
economize, scrimp (and save), be sparing, be frugal, cut back, tighten one's belt, retrench, cut one's coat according to one's cloth; informal be stingy, be tight.
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(informal) he was pinched for drink-driving
arrest, apprehend, take into custody, detain, seize, catch, take in, haul in; informal collar, nab, pick up, run in, nick, bust, nail, do.
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(Brit. informal) you pinched his biscuits
steal, thieve, take, snatch, pilfer, purloin, loot; informal swipe, rob, nab, lift, "liberate", "borrow", filch; Brit. informal nick, half-inch, whip, knock off, nobble; N. Amer. informal heist.
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noun
he gave her arm a pinch
nip, tweak, squeeze.
a pinch of salt
bit, touch, dash, spot, trace, soupçon, speck, taste; informal smidgen, tad.
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at a pinch
if necessary, if need be, in an emergency, just possibly, with difficulty; N. Amer. in a pinch; Brit. informal at a push. feel the pinch
suffer hardship, be short of money, be poor, be impoverished.

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pinched

adjective
their pinched faces
strained, stressed, fraught, tense, taut; tired, worn, drained, sapped; wan, peaky, pale, grey, blanched; thin, drawn, haggard, gaunt. ANTONYMS :healthy.

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pine

verb
I am pining away from love
languish, decline, weaken, waste away, wilt, wither, fade, sicken, droop; brood, mope, moon.
he was pining for his son
yearn, long, ache, sigh, hunger, languish; miss, mourn, lament, grieve over, shed tears for, bemoan, rue, eat one's heart out over; informal itch.
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pinion

verb
hold down, pin down, restrain, hold fast, immobilize; tie, bind, truss (up), shackle, fetter, hobble, manacle, handcuff; informal cuff.

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pink

adjective
rose, rosy, rosé, pale red, salmon, coral; flushed, blushing.
noun
(informal) she's in the pink of condition
prime, perfection, best, finest, height; utmost, greatest, apex, zenith, acme, bloom.
in the pink (informal)
in good health, very healthy, in rude health, very well, hale and hearty; blooming, flourishing, thriving, vigorous, strong, lusty, robust, in fine fettle, (as) fit as a fiddle, in excellent shape.

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pinnacle

noun
pinnacles of rock
peak, needle, aiguille, hoodoo, crag, tor; summit, crest, apex, tip; Geology inselberg.
the pinnacles of the clock tower
turret, minaret, spire, finial, shikara, mirador.
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the pinnacle of the sport
highest level, peak, height, high point, top, apex, zenith, apogee, acme.
Top
ANTONYMS :nadir.

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pinpoint

noun
a pinpoint of light
point, spot, speck, dot, speckle.
adjective
pinpoint accuracy
precise, strict, exact, meticulous, scrupulous, punctilious, accurate, careful.
verb
pinpoint the cause of the trouble
identify, determine, distinguish, discover, find, locate, detect, track down, spot, diagnose, recognize, pin down, home in on, put one's finger on.

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pioneer

noun
the pioneers of the Wild West
settler, colonist, colonizer, frontiersman/woman, explorer, trailblazer.
a pioneer of motoring
developer, innovator, trailblazer, ground-breaker, spearhead; founder, founding father, architect, creator.
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verb
he pioneered the sale of insurance
introduce, develop, evolve, launch, instigate, initiate, spearhead, institute, establish, found, be the father/mother of, originate, set in motion, create; lay the groundwork, prepare the way, blaze a trail, break new ground.

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pious

adjective
a pious family
religious, devout, God-fearing, churchgoing, spiritual, prayerful, holy, godly, saintly, dedicated, reverent, dutiful, righteous.
a pious platitude
sanctimonious, hypocritical, insincere, self-righteous, holier-than-thou, pietistic, churchy; informal goody-goody; Brit. informal pi.
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a pious hope
forlorn, vain, doomed, hopeless, desperate; unlikely, unrealistic.
Top
ANTONYMS :irreligious, sincere.

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pip

noun
seed, stone, pit.

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pipe

noun
a central-heating pipe
tube, conduit, hose, main, duct, line, channel, pipeline, drain; tubing, piping, siphon.
he smokes a pipe
briar (pipe), meerschaum, chibouk; hookah, narghile, hubble-bubble, bong; Brit. churchwarden; Scottish & N. English cutty.
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she was playing a pipe
whistle, penny whistle, flute, recorder, fife; chanter.
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regimental pipes and drums
bagpipes, uillean pipes; pan pipes.
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verb
the beer is piped into barrels
siphon, feed, channel, run, convey.
programmes piped in from London
transmit, feed, patch.
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he heard a tune being piped
play on a pipe, tootle, whistle; poetic/literary flute.
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a curlew piped
chirp, cheep, chirrup, twitter, warble, trill, peep, sing, shrill.
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pipe down (informal)
be quiet, be silent, hush, stop talking, hold one's tongue; informal shut up, shut one's mouth, button it, button one's lip, belt up, put a sock in it.

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pipe dream

noun
fantasy, false hope, illusion, delusion, daydream, chimera; castle in the air, castle in Spain; informal pie in the sky.

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pipeline

noun
a gas pipeline
pipe, conduit, main, line, duct, tube.
in the pipeline
on the way, coming, forthcoming, upcoming, imminent, about to happen, near, close, brewing, in the offing, in the wind.

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pipsqueak

noun
(informal) nobody, nonentity, insignificant person, non-person, cipher, small fry; upstart, stripling; informal squirt, whippersnapper; N. Amer. informal picayune; archaic, informal dandiprat.

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piquant

adjective
a piquant sauce
spicy, tangy, peppery, hot; tasty, flavoursome, flavourful, appetizing, savoury; pungent, sharp, tart, zesty, strong, salty.
a piquant story
intriguing, stimulating, interesting, fascinating, colourful, exciting, lively; spicy, provocative, racy; informal juicy.
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ANTONYMS :bland, dull.

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pique

noun
a fit of pique
irritation, annoyance, resentment, anger, displeasure, indignation, petulance, ill humour, vexation, exasperation, disgruntlement, discontent; offence, umbrage.
verb
his curiosity was piqued
stimulate, arouse, rouse, provoke, whet, awaken, excite, kindle, stir, galvanize.
she was piqued by his neglect
irritate, annoy, bother, vex, displease, upset, offend, affront, anger, exasperate, infuriate, gall, irk, nettle; informal peeve, aggravate, miff, rile, bug, needle, get someone's back up, hack off, get someone's goat; Brit. informal nark, give someone the hump; N. Amer. informal tick off, tee off.
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piracy

noun
piracy on the high seas
robbery at sea, freebooting; archaic buccaneering.
software piracy
illegal copying, plagiarism, copyright infringement, bootlegging.
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pirate

noun
pirates boarded the ship
freebooter, marauder, raider; historical privateer; archaic buccaneer, corsair.
software pirates
copyright infringer, plagiarist, plagiarizer.
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verb
designers may pirate good ideas
reproduce illegally, copy illegally, plagiarize, poach, steal, appropriate, bootleg; informal crib, lift, rip off; Brit. informal nick, pinch.

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pirouette

noun
she did a little pirouette
spin, twirl, whirl, turn.
verb
she pirouetted before the mirror
spin round, twirl, whirl, turn round, revolve, pivot.

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pistol

noun
revolver, gun, handgun, side arm; automatic, six-shooter, thirty-eight, derringer; informal gat; N. Amer. informal piece, shooting iron; trademark Colt, Luger.

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pit 1

noun
a pit in the ground
hole, ditch, trench, trough, hollow, excavation, cavity, crater, pothole; shaft, mineshaft.
pit closures
coal mine, colliery, quarry.
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the pits in her skin
pockmark, pock, hollow, indentation, depression, dent, dint, dimple.
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verb
his skin had been pitted by acne
mark, pockmark, scar, blemish, disfigure.
raindrops pitted the bare earth
make holes in, make hollows in, dent, indent, dint.
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pit someone/something against
set against, match against, put in opposition to, put in competition with; compete with, contend with, vie with, wrestle with. the pits (informal)
the worst, the lowest of the low; rock-bottom, extremely bad, awful, terrible, dreadful, deplorable; informal appalling, lousy, abysmal, dire; Brit. informal chronic.

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pit 2

noun
cherry pits
stone, pip, seed.

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pitch 1

noun
the pitch was unfit for cricket
playing field, field, ground, sports field; stadium, arena; Brit. park.
her voice rose in pitch
tone, timbre, key, modulation, frequency.
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the pitch of the roof
gradient, slope, slant, angle, steepness, tilt, incline, inclination.
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her anger reached such a pitch that she screamed
level, intensity, point, degree, height, extent.
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a pitch of the ball
throw, fling, hurl, toss, lob; delivery; informal chuck, heave.
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his sales pitch
patter, talk; informal spiel, line.
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street traders reserved their pitches
site, place, spot, station; Scottish stance; Brit. informal patch.
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verb
he pitched the note into the fire
throw, toss, fling, hurl, cast, lob, flip, propel, bowl; informal chuck, sling, heave, bung; N. Amer. informal peg; Austral. informal hoy; NZ informal bish; dated shy.
he pitched overboard
fall, tumble, topple, plunge, plummet.
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they pitched their tents
put up, set up, erect, raise.
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the boat pitched
lurch, toss (about), plunge, roll, reel, sway, rock, keel, list, wallow, labour.
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make a pitch for
try to obtain, try to acquire, try to get, bid for, make a bid for. pitch in
help (out), assist, lend a hand, join in, participate, contribute, do one's bit, chip in, cooperate, collaborate; Brit. informal muck in. pitch into
attack, turn on, lash out at, set upon, assault, fly at, tear into, weigh into, belabour; informal lay into, let someone have it, take a pop at; N. Amer. informal light into.

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pitch 2

noun
cement coated with pitch
bitumen, asphalt, tar.

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pitch-black

adjective
black, dark, pitch-dark, inky, jet-black, coal-black, jet, ebony; starless, moonless; poetic/literary Stygian.

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pitcher

noun
jug, ewer, jar; N. Amer. creamer; historical jorum.

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piteous

adjective
sad, pitiful, pitiable, pathetic, heart-rending, heartbreaking, moving, touching; plaintive, poignant, forlorn; poor, wretched, miserable.

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pitfall

noun
hazard, danger, risk, peril, difficulty, catch, snag, stumbling block, drawback.

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pith

noun
the pith of the argument
essence, main point, fundamentals, heart, substance, nub, core, quintessence, crux, gist, meat, kernel, marrow, burden; informal nitty-gritty.
he writes with pith and exactitude
succinctness, conciseness, concision, pithiness, brevity; cogency, weight, depth, force.
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pithy

adjective
succinct, terse, concise, compact, short (and sweet), brief, condensed, to the point, epigrammatic, crisp, thumbnail; significant, meaningful, expressive, telling; formal compendious. ANTONYMS :verbose.

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pitiful

adjective
a child in a pitiful state
distressing, sad, piteous, pitiable, pathetic, heart-rending, heartbreaking, moving, touching, tear-jerking; plaintive, poignant, forlorn; poor, sorry, wretched, abject, miserable.
a pitiful £50 a month
paltry, miserable, meagre, insufficient, trifling, negligible, pitiable, derisory; informal pathetic, measly, piddling, mingy; Brit. informal poxy.
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his performance was pitiful
dreadful, awful, terrible, lamentable, hopeless, poor, bad, feeble, pitiable, woeful, inadequate, below par, deplorable, laughable; informal pathetic, useless, appalling, lousy, abysmal, dire.
Top

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pitiless

adjective
merciless, unmerciful, unpitying, ruthless, cruel, heartless, remorseless, hard-hearted, cold-hearted, harsh, callous, severe, unsparing, unforgiving, unfeeling, uncaring, unsympathetic, uncharitable, brutal, inhuman, inhumane, barbaric, sadistic. ANTONYMS :merciful.

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pittance

noun
a tiny amount, next to nothing, very little; informal peanuts, chicken feed, slave wages; N. Amer. informal chump change.

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pitted

adjective
his skin was pitted
pockmarked, pocked, scarred, marked, blemished.
the pitted lane
potholed, rutted, rutty, holey, bumpy, rough, uneven.
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ANTONYMS :smooth.

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pity

noun
a voice full of pity
compassion, commiseration, condolence, sympathy, fellow feeling, understanding; sorrow, regret, sadness.
it's a pity he never had children
shame, sad thing, bad luck, misfortune; informal crime, bummer, sin.
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ANTONYMS :indifference, cruelty.

verb
they pitied me
feel sorry for, feel for, sympathize with, empathize with, commiserate with, take pity on, be moved by, condole with, grieve for.
take pity on
feel sorry for, relent, be compassionate towards, be sympathetic towards, have mercy on, help (out), put someone out of their misery.

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pivot

noun
the machine turns on a pivot
fulcrum, axis, axle, swivel; pin, shaft, hub, spindle, hinge, kingpin, gudgeon.
the pivot of government policy
centre, focus, hub, heart, nucleus, crux, keystone, cornerstone, linchpin, kingpin.
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verb
the panel pivots inwards
rotate, turn, swivel, revolve, spin.
it all pivoted on his response
depend, hinge, turn, centre, hang, rely, rest; revolve around.
Top

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pivotal

adjective
central, crucial, vital, critical, focal, essential, key, decisive.

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pixie

noun
elf, fairy, sprite, imp, brownie, puck, leprechaun; poetic/literary faerie, fay.

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placard

noun
notice, poster, sign, bill, advertisement; banner; informal ad; Brit. informal advert.

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placate

verb
pacify, calm, appease, mollify, soothe, win over, conciliate, propitiate, make peace with, humour; Austral./NZ square someone off. ANTONYMS :provoke.

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place

noun
an ideal place for dinner
location, site, spot, setting, position, situation, area, region, locale; venue; technical locus.
foreign places
country, state, area, region, town, city; locality, district; poetic/literary clime.
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a place of her own
home, house, flat, apartment; accommodation, property, pied-à-terre; rooms, quarters; informal pad, digs; Brit. informal gaff; formal residence, abode, dwelling (place), domicile, habitation.
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if I were in your place, I'd agree
situation, position, circumstances; informal shoes.
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a place was reserved for her
seat, chair, space.
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I offered him a place in the company
job, position, post, appointment, situation, office; employment.
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I know my place
status, position, standing, rank, niche; dated estate, station.
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it was not her place to sort it out
responsibility, duty, job, task, role, function, concern, affair, charge ; right, privilege, prerogative.
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verb
books were placed on the table
put (down), set (down), lay, deposit, position, plant, rest, stand, station, situate, leave; informal stick, dump, bung, park, plonk, pop; N. Amer. informal plunk.
the trust you placed in me
put, lay, set, invest.
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a survey placed the company sixth
rank, order, grade, class, classify, categorize; put, set, assign.
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Joe couldn't quite place her
identify, recognize, remember, put a name to, pin down; locate, pinpoint.
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we were placed with foster parents
accommodate, house; allocate, assign, appoint.
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in place
the veil was held in place by pearls
in position, in situ.

the plans are in place
ready, set up, all set, established, arranged, in order.
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in place of
instead of, rather than, as a substitute for, as a replacement for, in exchange for, in lieu of; in someone's stead. out of place
she never had a hair out of place
out of position, out of order, in disarray, disarranged, in a mess, messy, topsy-turvy, muddled.

he said something out of place
inappropriate, unsuitable, unseemly, improper, untoward, out of keeping, unbecoming, wrong.
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she seemed out of place in a launderette
incongruous, out of one's element, like a fish out of water; uncomfortable, uneasy.
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put someone in their place
humiliate, take down a peg or two, deflate, crush, squash, humble; informal cut down to size, settle someone's hash; N. Amer. informal make someone eat crow. take place
happen, occur, come about, transpire, crop up, materialize, arise; N. Amer. informal go down; poetic/literary come to pass, befall, betide. take the place of
replace, stand in for, substitute for, act for, fill in for, cover for, relieve.

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placement

noun
the placement of the chairs
positioning, placing, arrangement, position, deployment, location, disposition.
teaching placements
job, post, assignment, posting, position, appointment, engagement.
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placid

adjective
she's normally very placid
even-tempered, calm, tranquil, equable, equanimous, unexcitable, serene, mild, (cool, calm, and collected), composed, self-possessed, poised, easy-going, level-headed, steady, unruffled, unperturbed, phlegmatic; informal unflappable.
a placid village
quiet, calm, tranquil, still, peaceful, undisturbed, restful, sleepy.
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ANTONYMS :excitable, bustling.

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plagiarism

noun
copying, infringement of copyright, piracy, theft, stealing; informal cribbing.

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plagiarize

verb
copy, infringe the copyright of, pirate, steal, poach, appropriate; informal rip off, crib, "borrow"; Brit. informal pinch, nick.

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plague

noun
they died of the plague
bubonic plague, pneumonic plague, the Black Death; disease, sickness, epidemic; dated contagion; archaic pestilence.
a plague of cat fleas
infestation, epidemic, invasion, swarm, multitude, host.
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theft is the plague of restaurants
bane, curse, scourge, affliction, blight.
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verb
he was plagued by poor health
afflict, bedevil, torment, trouble, beset, dog, curse.
he plagued her with questions
pester, harass, badger, bother, torment, persecute, bedevil, harry, hound, trouble, irritate, nag, annoy, vex, molest; informal hassle, bug, aggravate; N. English informal mither; N. Amer. informal devil.
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plain

adjective
it was plain that something was wrong
obvious, (crystal) clear, evident, apparent, manifest, patent; discernible, perceptible, noticeable, recognizable, unmistakable, transparent; pronounced, marked, striking, conspicuous, self-evident, indisputable; as plain as a pikestaff, writ large; informal standing/sticking out like a sore thumb, standing/sticking out a mile.
plain English
intelligible, comprehensible, understandable, clear, coherent, uncomplicated, lucid, unambiguous, simple, straightforward, user-friendly; formal perspicuous.
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plain speaking
candid, frank, outspoken, forthright, direct, honest, truthful, blunt, bald, explicit, unequivocal; informal upfront.
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a plain dress
simple, ordinary, unadorned, unembellished, unornamented, unostentatious, unfussy, homely, basic, modest, unsophisticated, without frills; restrained, muted; everyday, workaday.
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a plain girl
unattractive, unprepossessing, ugly, ill-favoured, unlovely, ordinary; N. Amer. homely; informal not much to look at; Brit. informal no oil painting.
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it was plain bad luck
sheer, pure, downright, out-and-out, unmitigated.
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ANTONYMS :obscure, fancy, attractive, pretentious.

adverb
this is just plain stupid
downright, utterly, absolutely, completely, totally, really, thoroughly, positively, simply, unquestionably, undeniably; informal plumb.
noun
the plains of North America
grassland, flatland, lowland, pasture, meadowland, prairie, savannah, steppe; tableland, tundra, pampas, veld.

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plain-spoken

adjective
candid, frank, outspoken, forthright, direct, honest, truthful, open, blunt, straightforward, explicit, unequivocal, unambiguous, not afraid to call a spade a spade; informal upfront. ANTONYMS :evasive.

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plaintive

adjective
mournful, sad, wistful, doleful, pathetic, pitiful, piteous, melancholy, sorrowful, unhappy, wretched, woeful, forlorn, woebegone; poetic/literary dolorous.

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plan

noun
a plan for raising money
scheme, idea, proposal, proposition, suggestion; project, programme, system, method, procedure, strategy, stratagem, formula, recipe; way, means, measure, tactic.
her plan was to win a medal
intention, aim, idea, intent, objective, object, goal, target, ambition.
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plans for the clubhouse
blueprint, drawing, diagram, sketch, layout; illustration, representation; N. Amer. plat.
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verb
plan your route in advance
organize, arrange, work out, design, outline, map out, prepare, schedule, formulate, frame, develop, devise, concoct; plot, scheme, hatch, brew; N. Amer. slate.
he plans to buy a house
intend, aim, propose, mean, hope, want, wish, desire, envisage; formal purpose.
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I'm planning a new garden
design, draw up, sketch out, map out; N. Amer. plat.
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plane 1

noun
a horizontal plane
flat surface, level surface; the flat, horizontal.
a higher plane of achievement
level, degree, standard, stratum; position, rung, echelon.
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adjective
a plane surface
flat, level, horizontal, even; smooth, regular, uniform; technical planar.
verb
seagulls planed overhead
soar, glide, float, drift, wheel.
boats planed across the water
skim, glide.
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plane 2

noun
the plane took off
aircraft, airliner, (jumbo) jet, jetliner; flying machine; Brit. aeroplane; N. Amer. airplane, ship.

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planet

noun
celestial body, heavenly body, satellite, moon, earth, asteroid, planetoid; poetic/literary orb.

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plangent

adjective
(poetic/literary) melancholy, mournful, plaintive; sonorous, resonant, loud.

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plank

noun
board, floorboard, timber, stave.

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planning

noun
preparation(s), organization, arrangement, design; forethought, groundwork.

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plant

noun
garden plants
flower, vegetable, herb, shrub, weed; (plants) vegetation, greenery, flora, herbage, verdure.
a CIA plant
spy, informant, informer, (secret) agent, mole, infiltrator, operative; N. Amer. informal spook.
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the plant commenced production
factory, works, foundry, mill, workshop, yard; archaic manufactory.
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phyto-, -phyte.
verb
plant the seeds this autumn
sow, scatter, seed; bed out, transplant.
he planted his feet on the ground
place, put, set, position, situate, settle; informal plonk.
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she planted the idea in his mind
instil, implant, impress, imprint, put, place, introduce, fix, establish, lodge.
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letters were planted to embarrass them
hide, conceal, secrete.
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plaque

noun
plate, tablet, panel, sign, plaquette, cartouche; Brit. brass.

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plaster

noun
the plaster covering the bricks
plasterwork, stucco, pargeting; trademark Artex.
a statuette made of plaster
plaster of Paris, gypsum.
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waterproof plasters
sticking plaster, (adhesive) dressing, bandage; trademark Elastoplast, Band-Aid.
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verb
bread plastered with butter
cover thickly, smother, spread, smear, cake, coat.
his hair was plastered down with sweat
flatten (down), smooth down, slick down.
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plastic

adjective
at high temperatures the rocks become plastic
malleable, mouldable, pliable, pliant, ductile, flexible, soft, workable, bendable; informal bendy.
the plastic minds of children
impressionable, malleable, receptive, pliable, pliant, flexible; compliant, tractable, biddable, persuadable, susceptible, manipulable.
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a plastic smile
artificial, false, fake, superficial, pseudo, bogus, unnatural, insincere; informal phoney, pretend.
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ANTONYMS :rigid, intractable, genuine.

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plate

noun
a dinner plate
dish, platter, salver, paten; historical trencher; archaic charger.
a plate of spaghetti
plateful, helping, portion, serving.
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steel plates
panel, sheet, layer, pane, slab.
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a brass plate on the door
plaque, sign, tablet, plaquette, cartouche; Brit. brass.
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the book has colour plates
picture, print, illustration, photograph, photo.
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verb
the roof was plated with steel
cover, coat, overlay, laminate, veneer; electroplate, galvanize, gild.

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plateau

noun
a windswept plateau
upland, tableland, plain, mesa, highland.
prices reached a plateau
quiescent period; let-up, respite, lull.
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platform

noun
he made a speech from the platform
stage, dais, rostrum, podium, soapbox.
the Democratic Party's platform
policy, programme, party line, manifesto, plan, principles, objectives, aims.
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platitude

noun
cliché, truism, commonplace, banality, old chestnut, bromide.

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platitudinous

adjective
hackneyed, overworked, overused, clichéd, banal, trite, commonplace, well worn, stale, tired, unoriginal; informal corny, old hat. ANTONYMS :original.

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platonic

adjective
non-sexual, non-physical, chaste; intellectual, friendly. ANTONYMS :sexual.

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platoon

noun
unit, patrol, troop, squad, squadron, team, company, corps, outfit, detachment, contingent.

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platter

noun
plate, dish, salver, paten, tray; historical trencher; archaic charger.

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plaudits

plural noun
praise, acclaim, commendation, congratulations, accolades, compliments, cheers, applause, tributes, bouquets; a pat on the back; informal a (big) hand. ANTONYMS :criticism.

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plausible

adjective
credible, reasonable, believable, likely, feasible, tenable, possible, conceivable, imaginable; convincing, persuasive, cogent, sound, rational, logical, thinkable. ANTONYMS :unlikely.

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play

verb
the children played with toys
amuse oneself, entertain oneself, enjoy oneself, have fun; relax, occupy oneself, divert oneself; frolic, frisk, romp, caper; informal mess about/around, lark (about/around); dated sport.
I used to play football
take part in, participate in, be involved in, compete in, do.
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Liverpool play Oxford on Sunday
compete against, take on, challenge, vie with.
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he was to play Macbeth
act (the part of), take the role of, appear as, portray, depict, impersonate, represent, render, perform; formal personate.
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he learned to play the flute
perform on, make music on; blow, sound.
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the sunlight played on the water
dance, flit, ripple, touch; sparkle, glint.
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noun
a balance between work and play
amusement, entertainment, relaxation, recreation, diversion, distraction, leisure; enjoyment, pleasure, fun, games, fun and games; horseplay, merrymaking, revelry; informal living it up; dated sport.
a Shakespeare play
drama, theatrical work; teleplay, screenplay, comedy, tragedy; production, performance, show, sketch.
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she knew the play of the real world
action, activity, operation, working, function; interaction, interplay.
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there was a little play in the rope
movement, slack, give; room to manoeuvre, scope, latitude.
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play around (informal)
womanize, philander, have affairs, flirt; informal carry on, mess about/around, play the field, sleep around; Brit. informal play away; N. Amer. informal fool around. play at
pretend to be, pass oneself off as, masquerade as, profess to be, pose as, impersonate; fake, feign, simulate, affect; N. Amer. informal make like. play ball (informal)
cooperate, collaborate, play the game, show willing, help, lend a hand, assist, contribute; informal pitch in. play something down
make light of, make little of, gloss over, de-emphasize, downplay, understate; soft-pedal, tone down, diminish, trivialize, underrate, underestimate, undervalue; disparage, belittle, scoff at, sneer at, shrug off; informal pooh-pooh. play for time
stall, temporize, delay, hold back, hang fire, procrastinate, drag one's feet. play it by ear
improvise, extemporize, ad lib; informal busk it, wing it. play on they play on our fears

exploit, take advantage of, use, turn to (one's) account, profit by, capitalize on, trade on, milk, abuse. play the fool
clown about/around, fool about/around, mess about/around, lark about/around, monkey about/around, joke; informal horse about/around, act the goat; Brit. informal muck about/around. play the game
play fair, be fair, play by the rules, conform, be a good sport, toe the line. play up (Brit. informal)
the boys really did play up
misbehave, be bad, be naughty, get up to mischief, be disobedient, cause trouble.

the boiler's playing up
malfunction, not work, be defective, be faulty; informal go on the blink, act up.
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his leg was playing up
be painful, hurt, ache, be sore, cause discomfort; informal kill someone, give someone gyp.
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play something up
emphasize, accentuate, call attention to, point up, underline, highlight, spotlight, foreground, feature, stress, accent. play up to
ingratiate oneself with, curry favour with, court, fawn over, make up to, keep someone sweet, toady to, crawl to, pander to, flatter; informal soft-soap, suck up to, butter up, lick someone's boots.

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playboy

noun
socialite, pleasure-seeker, sybarite; ladies' man, womanizer, philanderer, rake, roué; informal ladykiller.

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player

noun
a tournament for young players
participant, contestant, competitor, contender; sportsman/woman, athlete.
the players in the orchestra
musician, performer, instrumentalist, soloist, virtuoso.
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the players of the Royal Shakespeare Company
actor, actress, performer, thespian, entertainer, artist(e), trouper.
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playful

adjective
a playful mood
frisky, jolly, lively, full of fun, frolicsome, sportive, high-spirited, exuberant, perky; mischievous, impish, rascally, tricksy; informal full of beans; dated gay; formal ludic.
a playful remark
light-hearted, in jest, joking, jokey, teasing, humorous, jocular, good-natured, tongue-in-cheek, facetious, frivolous, flippant, arch; informal waggish.
Top
ANTONYMS :serious.

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playground

noun
play area, park, playing field, recreation ground; Brit. informal rec.

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playmate

noun
friend, playfellow, companion; informal chum, pal; Brit. informal mate; N. Amer. informal buddy.

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plaything

noun
toy, game.

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playwright

noun
dramatist, dramaturge, scriptwriter, screenwriter, writer, scenarist; tragedian.

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plea

noun
a plea for aid
appeal, entreaty, supplication, petition, request, call, suit, solicitation.
her plea of a headache was unconvincing
claim, explanation, defence, justification; excuse, pretext.
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plead

verb
he pleaded with her to stay
beg, implore, entreat, appeal to, supplicate, petition, request, ask, call on; poetic/literary beseech.
she pleaded ignorance
claim, use as an excuse, assert, allege, argue, state.
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pleasant

adjective
a pleasant evening
enjoyable, pleasurable, nice, agreeable, pleasing, satisfying, gratifying, good; entertaining, amusing, delightful, charming; fine, balmy; informal lovely, great.
the staff are pleasant
friendly, agreeable, amiable, nice, genial, cordial, likeable, amicable, good-humoured, good-natured, personable; hospitable, approachable, gracious, courteous, polite, obliging, helpful, considerate; charming, lovely, delightful, sweet, sympathetic; N. English & Scottish canny; Scottish couthy.
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ANTONYMS :disagreeable.

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pleasantry

noun
we exchanged pleasantries
banter, badinage; polite remark, casual remark; N. Amer. informal josh.
he laughed at his own pleasantry
joke, witticism, quip, jest, gag, bon mot; informal wisecrack, crack.
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please

verb
he'd do anything to please her
make happy, give pleasure to, make someone feel good; delight, charm, amuse, entertain; satisfy, gratify, humour, oblige, content, suit; informal tickle someone pink.
do as you please
like, want, wish, desire, see fit, think fit, choose, will, prefer.
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ANTONYMS :annoy.

adverb
please sit down
if you please, if you wouldn't mind, if you would be so good; kindly, pray; archaic prithee.

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pleased

adjective
happy, glad, delighted, gratified, grateful, thankful, content, contented, satisfied; thrilled, elated, overjoyed, cock-a-hoop; informal over the moon, tickled pink, on cloud nine; Brit. informal chuffed; N. English informal made up; Austral. informal wrapped; humorous gruntled. ANTONYMS :unhappy.

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pleasing

adjective
a pleasing day
nice, agreeable, pleasant, pleasurable, satisfying, gratifying, good, enjoyable, entertaining, amusing, delightful; informal lovely, great.
her pleasing manner
friendly, amiable, pleasant, agreeable, affable, nice, genial, likeable, good-humoured, charming, engaging, delightful; informal lovely.
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pleasurable

adjective
pleasant, enjoyable, delightful, nice, pleasing, agreeable, gratifying; fun, entertaining, amusing, diverting; informal lovely, great.

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pleasure

noun
she smiled with pleasure
happiness, delight, joy, gladness, glee, satisfaction, gratification, contentment, enjoyment, amusement.
his greatest pleasures in life
joy, amusement, diversion, recreation, pastime; treat, thrill.
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don't mix business and pleasure
enjoyment, fun, entertainment; recreation, leisure, relaxation; informal jollies.
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a life of pleasure
hedonism, indulgence, self-indulgence, self-gratification, lotus-eating.
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what's your pleasure?
wish, desire, preference, will, inclination, choice.
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take pleasure in
enjoy, delight in, love, like, adore, appreciate, relish, savour, revel in, glory in; informal get a kick out of, get a thrill out of. with pleasure
gladly, willingly, happily, readily; by all means, of course; archaic fain.

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pleat

noun
a curtain pleat
fold, crease, gather, tuck, crimp; pucker.
verb
the dress is pleated at the front
fold, crease, gather, tuck, crimp; pucker.

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plebeian

noun
plebeians and gentry lived together
proletarian, commoner, working-class person, worker; peasant; informal pleb, prole. ANTONYMS :aristocrat.

adjective
people of plebeian descent
lower-class, working-class, proletarian, common, peasant; mean, humble, lowly.
plebeian tastes
uncultured, uncultivated, unrefined, lowbrow, philistine, uneducated; coarse, uncouth, common, vulgar; informal plebby; Brit. informal non-U.
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ANTONYMS :noble, refined.

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plebiscite

noun
vote, referendum, ballot, poll.

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pledge

noun
his election pledge
promise, undertaking, vow, word (of honour), commitment, assurance, oath, guarantee.
he gave it as a pledge to a creditor
surety, bond, security, collateral, guarantee, deposit.
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a pledge of my sincerity
token, symbol, sign, earnest, mark, testimony, proof, evidence.
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verb
he pledged to root out corruption
promise, vow, swear, undertake, engage, commit oneself, declare, affirm, avow.
they pledged £100 million
promise (to give), donate, contribute, give, put up; Brit. covenant.
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his home is pledged as security against the loan
mortgage, put up as collateral, guarantee, pawn.
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plenary

adjective
the council has plenary powers
unconditional, unlimited, unrestricted, unqualified, absolute, sweeping, comprehensive; plenipotentiary.
a plenary session of the parliament
full, complete, entire.
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plenipotentiary

noun
a plenipotentiary in Paris
diplomat, dignitary, ambassador, minister, emissary, chargé d'affaires, envoy.
adjective
plenipotentiary powers.
See plenary sense 1.

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plenitude

noun
(formal) abundance, lot, wealth, profusion, cornucopia, plethora, superabundance; informal load, slew, heap, ton; Brit. informal shedload.

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plenteous

adjective
(poetic/literary). See plentiful.

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plentiful

adjective
abundant, copious, ample, profuse, rich, lavish, generous, bountiful, large, great, bumper, superabundant, inexhaustible, prolific; informal a gogo, galore; poetic/literary plenteous. ANTONYMS :scarce.

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plenty

noun
times of plenty
prosperity, affluence, wealth, opulence, comfort, luxury; plentifulness, abundance; poetic/literary plenteousness.
pronoun
there are plenty of books
a lot of, many, a great deal of, a plethora of, enough (and to spare), no lack of, sufficient, a wealth of; informal loads of, lots of, heaps of, stacks of, masses of, tons of, oodles of, scads of, a slew of.

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plethora

noun
excess, abundance, superabundance, surplus, glut, superfluity, surfeit, profusion, too many, too much, enough and to spare; informal more than one can shake a stick at. ANTONYMS :dearth.

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pliable

adjective
leather is pliable
flexible, pliant, bendable, elastic, supple, malleable, workable, plastic, springy, ductile; informal bendy.
pliable teenage minds
malleable, impressionable, flexible, adaptable, pliant, compliant, biddable, tractable, yielding, amenable, susceptible, suggestible, persuadable, manipulable, receptive.
Top
ANTONYMS :rigid, obdurate.

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pliant

adjective
. See pliable senses 1, 2.

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plight

noun
predicament, difficult situation, dire straits, trouble, difficulty, extremity, bind; informal dilemma, tight corner, tight spot, hole, pickle, jam, fix.

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plod

verb
Mum plodded wearily upstairs
trudge, walk heavily, clump, stomp, tramp, lumber, slog; Brit. informal trog.
I have to plod through the whole book
wade, plough, trawl, toil, labour; informal slog.
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plot

noun
a plot to overthrow him
conspiracy, intrigue, secret plan; machinations.
the plot of her novel
storyline, story, scenario, action, thread; formal diegesis.
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a three-acre plot
piece of ground, patch, area, tract, acreage; Brit. allotment; N. Amer. lot, plat; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ homesite.
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verb
he plotted their downfall
plan, scheme, arrange, organize, hatch, concoct, devise, dream up; informal cook up.
his brother was plotting against him
conspire, scheme, intrigue, collude, connive, machinate.
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the fifty-three sites were plotted
mark, chart, map, represent, graph.
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plotter

noun
conspirator, schemer, intriguer, machinator; planner.

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plough

verb
the fields were ploughed
till, furrow, harrow, cultivate, work, break up.
the car ploughed into a lamp post
crash, smash, career, plunge, bulldoze, hurtle, cannon, run, drive; N. Amer. informal barrel.
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they ploughed through deep snow
trudge, plod, toil, wade; informal slog; Brit. informal trog.
Top

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ploy

noun
ruse, tactic, move, device, stratagem, scheme, trick, gambit, plan, manoeuvre, dodge, subterfuge, wile; Brit. informal wheeze.

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pluck

verb
he plucked a thread from his lapel
remove, pick (off), pull (off/out), extract, take (off).
she plucked at his T-shirt
pull (at), tug (at), clutch (at), snatch (at), grab, catch (at), tweak, jerk; informal yank.
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the turkeys are plucked
deplume, remove the feathers from.
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she plucked the guitar strings
strum, pick, thrum, twang; play pizzicato.
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noun
the task took a lot of pluck
courage, bravery, nerve, backbone, spine, daring, spirit, intrepidity, fearlessness, mettle, grit, determination, fortitude, resolve, stout-heartedness, dauntlessness, valour, heroism, audacity; informal guts, spunk, gumption; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie.

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plucky

adjective
brave, courageous, bold, daring, fearless, intrepid, spirited, game, valiant, valorous, stout-hearted, dauntless, resolute, determined, undaunted, unflinching, audacious, unafraid, doughty, mettlesome; informal gutsy, spunky. ANTONYMS :timid.

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plug

noun
she pulled out the plug
stopper, bung, cork, seal, spigot, spile; N. Amer. stopple.
a plug of tobacco
wad, quid, twist, chew.
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(informal) a plug for his new book
advertisement, promotion, commercial, recommendation, mention, good word; informal hype, push, puff, ad, boost, ballyhoo; Brit. informal advert.
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verb
plug the holes
stop (up), seal (up/off), close (up/off), cork, stopper, bung, block (up/off), fill (up); N. Amer. stopple.
(informal) she plugged her new film
publicize, promote, advertise, mention, bang the drum for, draw attention to; informal hype (up), push, puff.
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(informal) don't move or I'll plug you
shoot, gun down; informal blast, pump full of lead.
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plug away (informal)
toil, labour, slave away, soldier on, persevere, persist, keep on, plough on; informal slog away, beaver away, peg away.

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plum

adjective
(informal) a plum job
excellent, very good, wonderful, marvellous, choice, first-class; informal great, terrific, cushy.

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plumb 1

verb
an attempt to plumb her psyche
explore, probe, delve into, search, examine, investigate, fathom, penetrate, understand.
adverb
(informal) it went plumb through the screen
right, exactly, precisely, directly, dead, straight; informal (slap) bang.
(N. Amer. informal) he's plumb crazy
utterly, absolutely, completely, downright, totally, quite, thoroughly.
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(archaic) the bell hangs plumb
vertically, perpendicularly, straight down.
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adjective
a plumb drop
vertical, perpendicular, straight.
plumb the depths
find, experience the extremes, reach the lowest point; reach rock bottom.

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plumb 2

verb
he plumbed in the washing machine
install, put in, fit.

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plume

noun
ostrich plumes
feather, quill; Ornithology plumule, covert.
plume oneself
congratulate oneself, preen oneself, pat oneself on the back, pride oneself, boast about.

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plummet

verb
the plane plummeted to the ground
plunge, nosedive, dive, drop, fall, descend, hurtle.
share prices plummeted
fall steeply, plunge, tumble, drop rapidly, go down, slump; informal crash, nosedive.
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plummy

adjective
(Brit. informal) a plummy voice
upper-class, refined, aristocratic, grand; Brit. Home Counties; Scottish Kelvinside, Morningside; Brit. informal posh, Sloaney.

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plump 1

adjective
a plump child
chubby, fat, stout, rotund, well padded, ample, round, chunky, portly, overweight, fleshy, paunchy, bulky, corpulent; informal tubby, roly-poly, pudgy, beefy, porky, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy, fubsy; N. Amer. informal zaftig, corn-fed. ANTONYMS :thin.

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plump 2

verb
Jack plumped down on to a chair
flop, collapse, sink, fall, drop, slump; informal plonk oneself; N. Amer. informal plank oneself.
she plumped her bag on the table
put (down), set (down), place, deposit, dump, stick; informal plonk; Brit. informal bung; N. Amer. informal plunk.
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I plumped for a cream cake
choose, decide on, go for, opt for, pick, settle on, select, take, elect.
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plunder

verb
they plundered the countryside
pillage, loot, rob, raid, ransack, despoil, strip, ravage, lay waste, devastate, sack, rape.
money plundered from pension funds
steal, purloin, thieve, seize, pillage; embezzle.
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noun
the plunder of the villages
looting, pillaging, plundering, raiding, ransacking, devastation, sacking; poetic/literary rapine.
the army took huge quantities of plunder
booty, loot, stolen goods, spoils, ill-gotten gains; informal swag.
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plunge

verb
Joy plunged into the sea
dive, jump, throw oneself, launch oneself.
the aircraft plunged to the ground
plummet, nosedive, drop, fall, pitch, tumble, descend.
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the car plunged down an alley
charge, hurtle, career, plough, cannon, tear; N. Amer. informal barrel.
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oil prices plunged
fall sharply, plummet, drop, go down, tumble, slump; informal crash, nosedive.
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he plunged the dagger into her back
thrust, jab, stab, sink, stick, ram, drive, push, shove, force.
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plunge the pears into water
immerse, submerge, dip, dunk.
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the room was plunged into darkness
throw, cast, pitch.
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noun
a plunge into the deep end
dive, jump, nosedive, fall, pitch, drop, plummet, descent.
a plunge in profits
fall, drop, slump; informal nosedive, crash.
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take the plunge
commit oneself, go for it, throw caution to the wind(s), risk it; informal jump in at the deep end, go for broke.

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plurality

noun
a plurality of theories
wide variety, diversity, range, lot, multitude, multiplicity, galaxy, wealth, profusion, abundance, plethora, host; informal load, stack, heap, mass.

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plus

preposition
three plus three makes six
and, added to.
he wrote four novels plus various poems
as well as, together with, along with, in addition to, and, not to mention, besides.
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ANTONYMS :minus.

noun
one of the pluses of the job
advantage, good point, asset, pro, (fringe) benefit, bonus, extra, attraction; informal perk; formal perquisite. ANTONYMS :disadvantage.

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plush

adjective
(informal) luxurious, luxury, de luxe, sumptuous, palatial, lavish, opulent, magnificent, lush, rich, expensive, fancy, grand; Brit. upmarket; informal posh, ritzy, swanky, classy; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal swank. ANTONYMS :austere.

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plutocrat

noun
rich person, magnate, millionaire, billionaire, multimillionaire; nouveau riche; informal fat cat, moneybags.

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ply 1

verb
the gondolier plied his oar
use, wield, work, manipulate, handle, operate, utilize, employ.
he plied a profitable trade
engage in, carry on, pursue, conduct, practise; archaic prosecute.
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ferries ply between all lake resorts
go regularly, travel, shuttle, go back and forth.
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she plied me with scones
provide, supply, lavish, shower, regale.
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he plied her with questions
bombard, assail, beset, pester, plague, harass, importune; informal hassle.
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ply 2

noun
a three-ply tissue
layer, thickness, strand, sheet, leaf.

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poach

verb
he's been poaching salmon
hunt illegally, catch illegally; steal.
workers were poached by other firms
steal, appropriate, purloin, take; informal nab, swipe; Brit. informal nick, pinch.
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pocket

noun
a bag with two pockets
pouch, compartment.
the jewellery was beyond her pocket
means, budget, resources, finances, funds, money, wherewithal; N. Amer. pocketbook.
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pockets of disaffection
(isolated) area, patch, region, island, cluster, centre.
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adjective
a pocket dictionary
small, little, miniature, mini, compact, concise, abridged, potted, portable; N. Amer. vest-pocket.
verb
he pocketed $900,000 of their money
steal, take, appropriate, thieve, purloin, misappropriate, embezzle; informal filch, swipe, snaffle; Brit. informal pinch, nick, whip.

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pockmark

noun
scar, pit, pock, mark, blemish.

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pod

noun
shell, husk, hull, case; N. Amer. shuck; Botany pericarp, capsule.

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podgy

adjective
(Brit. informal) chubby, plump, fat, stout, rotund, well padded, ample, round, chunky, portly, overweight, fleshy, paunchy, bulky, corpulent; informal tubby, roly-poly, pudgy, beefy, porky, blubbery; N. Amer. informal zaftig, corn-fed. ANTONYMS :thin.

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podium

noun
platform, stage, dais, rostrum, stand, soapbox.

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poem

noun
verse, rhyme, piece of poetry, song, verselet.

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poet

noun
writer of poetry, versifier, rhymester, rhymer, sonneteer, lyricist, lyrist; laureate; poetic/literary bard; derogatory poetaster; historical troubadour, balladeer; archaic rhymist.

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poetic

adjective
poetic compositions
poetical, verse, metrical, lyrical, lyric, elegiac.
poetic language
expressive, figurative, symbolic, flowery, artistic, elegant, fine, beautiful; sensitive, imaginative, creative.
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poetry

noun
poems, verse, versification, metrical composition, rhymes, balladry; archaic poesy.

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pogrom

noun
massacre, slaughter, mass murder, annihilation, extermination, decimation, carnage, bloodbath, bloodletting, butchery, genocide, holocaust, ethnic cleansing.

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poignancy

noun
pathos, pitifulness, piteousness, sadness, sorrow, mournfulness, wretchedness, misery, tragedy.

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poignant

adjective
touching, moving, sad, affecting, pitiful, piteous, pathetic, sorrowful, mournful, wretched, miserable, distressing, heart-rending, tear-jerking, plaintive, tragic.

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point 1

noun
the point of a needle
tip, (sharp) end, extremity; prong, spike, tine, nib, barb.
points of light
pinpoint, dot, spot, speck, fleck.
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a meeting point
place, position, location, site, spot, area.
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this point in her life
time, stage, juncture, period, phase.
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the tension had reached such a high point
level, degree, stage, pitch, extent.
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an important point
detail, item, fact, thing, argument, consideration, factor, element; subject, issue, topic, question, matter.
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get to the point
heart of the matter, most important part, essence, nub, keynote, core, pith, crux; meaning, significance, gist, substance, thrust, burden, relevance; informal brass tacks, nitty-gritty.
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what's the point of this?
purpose, aim, object, objective, goal, intention; use, sense, value, advantage.
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he had his good points
attribute, characteristic, feature, trai t, quality, property, aspect, side.
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verb
she pointed the gun at him
aim, direct, level, train.
the evidence pointed to his guilt
indicate, suggest, evidence, signal, signify, denote, bespeak, reveal, manifest.
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beside the point
irrelevant, immaterial, unimportant, neither here nor there, inconsequential, incidental, out of place, unconnected, peripheral, tangential, extraneous. in point of fact
in fact, as a matter of fact, actually, in actual fact, really, in reality, as it happens, in truth. make a point of
make an effort to, go out of one's way to, put emphasis on. on the point of
(just) about to, on the verge of, on the brink of, going to, all set to. point of view
opinion, view, belief, attitude, feeling, sentiment, thoughts; position, perspective, viewpoint, standpoint, outlook. point something out
identify, show, designate, draw attention to, indicate, specify, detail, mention. point something up
emphasize, highlight, draw attention to, accentuate, underline, spotlight, foreground, put emphasis on, stress, play up, accent, bring to the fore. to the point
relevant, pertinent, apposite, germane, applicable, apropos, appropriate, apt, fitting, suitable, material; formal ad rem. up to a point
partly, to some extent, to a certain degree, in part, somewhat, partially.

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point 2

noun
the ship rounded the point
promontory, headland, foreland, cape, peninsula, bluff, ness, horn.

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point-blank

adverb
he fired the pistol point-blank
at close range, close up, close to.
she couldn't say it point-blank
bluntly, directly, straight, frankly, candidly, openly, explicitly, unequivocally, unambiguously, plainly, flatly, categorically, outright.
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adjective
a point-blank refusal
blunt, direct, straight, straightforward, frank, candid, forthright, explicit, unequivocal, plain, clear, flat, decisive, unqualified, categorical, outright.

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pointed

adjective
a pointed stick
sharp, tapering, tapered, conical, jagged, spiky, spiked, barbed; informal pointy.
a pointed remark
cutting, trenchant, biting, incisive, acerbic, caustic, scathing, venomous, sarcastic; informal sarky; N. Amer. informal snarky.
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pointer

noun
the pointer moved to 100rpm
indicator, needle, arrow, hand.
he used a pointer on the chart
stick, rod, cane; cursor.
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a pointer to the outcome of the election
indication, indicator, clue, hint, sign, signal, evidence, intimation, inkling, suggestion.
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I can give you a few pointers
tip, hint, suggestion, guideline, recommendation.
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pointless

adjective
senseless, futile, hopeless, fruitless, useless, needless, in vain, unavailing, aimless, idle, worthless, valueless; absurd, insane, stupid, silly, foolish. ANTONYMS :valuable.

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poise

noun
poise and good deportment
grace, gracefulness, elegance, balance, control.
in spite of the setback she retained her poise
composure, equanimity, self-possession, aplomb, presence of mind, self-assurance, self-control, nerve, calm, sangfroid, dignity; informal cool, unflappability.
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verb
she was poised on one foot
balance, hold (oneself) steady, be suspended, remain motionless, hang, hover.
he was poised for action
prepare oneself, ready oneself, brace oneself, gear oneself up, stand by.
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poison

noun
a deadly poison
toxin, toxicant, venom; archaic bane.
Marianne would spread her poison
malice, ill will, hate, malevolence, bitterness, spite, spitefulness, venom, acrimony, rancour; bad influence, cancer, corruption, pollution.
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toxic.
verb
her mother poisoned her
give poison to; murder.
a blackmailer poisoning baby foods
contaminate, put poison in, adulterate, spike, lace, doctor.
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the Amazon is being poisoned
pollute, contaminate, taint, blight, spoil; poetic/literary befoul.
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they poisoned his mind
prejudice, bias, jaundice, embitter, sour, envenom, warp, corrupt, subvert.
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poisonous

adjective
a poisonous snake
venomous, deadly.
a poisonous chemical
toxic, noxious, deadly, fatal, lethal, mortal, death-dealing.
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a poisonous glance
malicious, malevolent, hostile, vicious, spiteful, bitter, venomous, vindictive, vitriolic, rancorous, malign, pernicious, mean, nasty; informal bitchy, catty.
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ANTONYMS :harmless, non-toxic, benevolent.

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poke

verb
she poked him in the ribs
prod, jab, dig, nudge, butt, shove, jolt, stab, stick.
leave the cable poking out
stick out, jut out, protrude, project, extend.
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noun
Carrie gave him a poke
prod, jab, dig, elbow, nudge.
a poke in the arm
jab, dig, nudge, shove, stab.
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poke about/around
search, hunt, rummage (around), forage, grub, root about/around, scavenge, nose around, ferret (about/around); sift through, rifle through, scour, comb, probe; Brit. informal rootle (around). poke fun at
mock, make fun of, ridicule, laugh at, jeer at, sneer at, deride, scorn, scoff at, pillory, lampoon, tease, taunt, rag, chaff, jibe at; informal send up, take the mickey out of, kid, rib; Brit. informal wind up; N. Amer. informal goof on, rag on; Austral./NZ informal poke mullock at. poke one's nose into
pry into, interfere in, intrude on, butt into , meddle with; informal snoop into.

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poky

adjective
small, little, tiny, cramped, confined, restricted, boxy; euphemistic compact, bijou. ANTONYMS :spacious.

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polar

adjective
polar weather
Arctic, cold, freezing, icy, glacial, chilly, gelid.
two polar types of interview
opposite, opposed, dichotomous, extreme, contrary, contradictory, antithetical.
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polarity

noun
difference, dichotomy, separation, opposition, contradiction, antithesis, antagonism.

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pole 1

noun
post, pillar, stanchion, paling, stake, stick, support, prop, batten, bar, rail, rod, beam; staff, stave, cane, baton.

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pole 2

noun
points of view at opposite poles
extremity, extreme, limit, antipode.
poles apart
completely different, directly opposed, antithetical, incompatible, irreconcilable, worlds apart, at opposite extremes; Brit. like chalk and cheese.

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polemic

noun
a polemic against injustice
diatribe, invective, rant, tirade, broadside, attack, harangue, condemnation, criticism, stricture, admonition, rebuke; abuse; informal blast; formal castigation; poetic/literary philippic.
he is skilled in polemics
argumentation, argument, debate, contention, disputation, discussion, altercation; formal contestation.
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adjective
his famous polemic book.
See polemical.

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polemical

adjective
critical, hostile, bitter, polemic, virulent, vitriolic, venomous, caustic, trenchant, cutting, acerbic, sardonic, sarcastic, scathing, sharp, incisive, devastating.

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police

noun
the police force, police officers, policemen, policewomen, officers of the law, the forces of law and order; Brit. constabulary; informal the cops, the fuzz, (the long arm of) the law, the boys in blue; Brit. informal the (Old) Bill, coppers, bobbies, busies, the force; N. Amer. informal the heat; informal, derogatory pigs, the filth.
verb
we must police the area
guard, watch over, protect, defend, patrol; control, regulate.
the regulations will be policed by the ministry
enforce, regulate, oversee, supervise, monitor, observe, check.
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police officer

noun
policeman, policewoman, officer (of the law); Brit. constable; N. Amer. patrolman, trooper, roundsman; informal cop; Brit. informal copper, bobby, rozzer, busy, (PC) plod; N. Amer. informal uniform; informal, derogatory pig; archaic peeler.

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policy

noun
government policy
plans, strategy, stratagem, approach, code, system, guidelines, theory; line, position, stance, attitude.
(archaic) it's good policy to listen
practice, custom, procedure, conduct, convention.
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polish

verb
I polished his shoes
shine, wax, buff, rub up/down; gloss, burnish; varnish, oil, glaze, lacquer, japan, shellac.
polish up your essay
perfect, refine, improve, hone, enhance; brush up, revise, edit, correct, rewrite, go over, touch up; informal clean up.
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noun
furniture polish
wax, glaze, varnish; lacquer, japan, shellac.
a good surface polish
shine, gloss, lustre, sheen, sparkle, patina, finish.
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his polish made him stand out
sophistication, refinement, urbanity, suaveness, elegance, style, grace, finesse, cultivation, civility, gentility, breeding, courtesy, (good) manners; informal class.
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polish something off (informal)
he polished off an apple pie
eat, finish, consume, devour, guzzle, wolf down, down, bolt; drink up, drain, quaff, gulp (down); informal binge on, stuff oneself with, get outside of, murder, put away, scoff, shovel down, pig out on, sink, swill, knock back; Brit. informal shift, gollop; N. Amer. informal scarf (down/up), snarf (down/up).

the enemy tried to polish him off
destroy, finish off, despatch, do away with, eliminate, kill, liquidate; informal bump off, knock off, do in, take out, dispose of; N. Amer. informal rub out.
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I'll polish off the last few pages
complete, finish, deal with, accomplish, discharge, do; end, conclude, close, finalize, round off, wind up; informal wrap up, sew up.
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polished

adjective
a polished table
shiny, glossy, gleaming, lustrous, glassy; waxed, buffed, burnished; varnished, glazed, lacquered, japanned, shellacked.
a polished performance
expert, accomplished, masterly, masterful, skilful, adept, adroit, dexterous; impeccable, flawless, perfect, consummate, exquisite, outstanding, excellent, superb, superlative, first-rate, fine; informal ace.
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polished manners
refined, cultivated, civilized, well bred, polite, courteous, genteel, decorous, respectable, urbane, suave, sophisticated.
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ANTONYMS :dull, inexpert, gauche.

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polite

adjective
a very polite girl
well mannered, civil, courteous, mannerly, respectful, deferential, well behaved, well bred, gentlemanly, ladylike, genteel, gracious, urbane; tactful, diplomatic.
polite society
civilized, refined, cultured, sophisticated, genteel, courtly.
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ANTONYMS :rude, uncivilized.

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politic

adjective
wise, prudent, sensible, judicious, canny, sagacious, shrewd, astute; recommended, advantageous, beneficial, profitable, desirable, advisable; appropriate, suitable, fitting, apt. ANTONYMS :unwise.

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political

adjective
the political affairs of the nation
governmental, government, constitutional, ministerial, parliamentary, diplomatic, legislative, administrative, bureaucratic; public, civic, state.
he's a political man
politically active, party (political); militant, factional, partisan.
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politician

noun
legislator, elected official, Member of Parliament, MP, minister, statesman, stateswoman, public servant; senator, congressman/woman; informal politico, pol.

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politics

noun
a career in politics
government, affairs of state, public affairs; diplomacy.
he studies politics
political science, civics, statecraft.
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what are his politics?
political views, political leanings, party politics.
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office politics
power struggle, machinations, manoeuvring, opportunism, realpolitik.
Top

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poll

noun
a second-round poll
vote, ballot, show of hands, referendum, plebiscite; election.
the poll was unduly low
voting figures, vote, returns, count, tally.
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a poll to investigate holiday choices
survey, opinion poll, straw poll, canvass, market research, census.
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verb
most of those polled supported him
canvass, survey, ask, question, interview, ballot.
she polled 119 votes
get, gain, register, record, return.
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pollute

verb
fish farms will pollute the lake
contaminate, adulterate, taint, poison, foul, dirty, soil, infect; poetic/literary befoul.
propaganda polluted this nation
corrupt, poison, warp, pervert, deprave, defile, blight, sully; poetic/literary besmirch.
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ANTONYMS :purify.

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pollution

noun
pollution in the rivers
contamination, adulteration, impurity; dirt, filth, infection.
the pollution of young minds
corruption, defilement, poisoning, warping, depravation, sullying, violation.
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pomp

noun
ceremony, ceremonial, solemnity, ritual, display, spectacle, pageantry; show, showiness, ostentation, splendour, grandeur, magnificence, majesty, stateliness, glory, opulence, brilliance, drama, resplendence, splendidness; informal razzmatazz.

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pompous

adjective
self-important, imperious, overbearing, domineering, magisterial, pontifical, sententious, grandiose, affected, pretentious, puffed up, arrogant, vain, haughty, proud, conceited, egotistic, supercilious, condescending, patronizing; informal snooty, uppity, uppish. ANTONYMS :modest.

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pond

noun
pool, waterhole, lake, tarn, reservoir, swim; Brit. stew; Scottish lochan; N. Amer. pothole; Austral./NZ tank.

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ponder

verb
think about, contemplate, consider, review, reflect on, mull over, meditate on, muse on, deliberate about, cogitate on, dwell on, brood on, ruminate on, chew over, puzzle over, turn over in one's mind.

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ponderous

adjective
a ponderous dance
clumsy, heavy, awkward, lumbering, slow, cumbersome, ungainly, graceless, uncoordinated, blundering; informal clodhopping, clunky.
his ponderous sentences
laboured, laborious, awkward, clumsy, forced, stilted, unnatural, artificial; stodgy, lifeless, plodding, pedestrian, boring, dull, tedious, monotonous; over-elaborate, convoluted, windy.
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ANTONYMS :light, lively.

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pontifical

adjective
pompous, cocksure, self-important, arrogant, superior; opinionated, dogmatic, doctrinaire, authoritarian, domineering; adamant, obstinate, stubborn, single-minded, inflexible. ANTONYMS :humble.

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pontificate

verb
hold forth, expound, declaim, preach, lay down the law, sound off, dogmatize, sermonize, moralize, lecture; informal preachify, mouth off.

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pooh-pooh

verb
(informal) dismiss, reject, spurn, rebuff, wave aside, disregard, discount; play down, make light of, belittle, deride, mock, scorn, scoff at, sneer at; Austral./NZ informal wipe.

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pool 1

noun
pools of water
puddle, pond; poetic/literary plash.
the hotel has a pool
swimming pool, baths, lido; Brit. swimming bath(s); N. Amer. natatorium.
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pool 2

noun
a pool of skilled labour
supply, reserve(s), reservoir, fund; store, stock, accumulation, cache.
a pool of money for emergencies
fund, reserve, kitty, pot, bank, purse.
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verb
they pooled their skills
combine, amalgamate, group, join, unite, merge; fuse, conglomerate, integrate; share.

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poor

adjective
a poor family
poverty-stricken, penniless, moneyless, impoverished, necessitous, impecunious, indigent, needy, destitute, pauperized, on one's beam-ends, unable to make ends meet, without a sou; insolvent, in debt; Brit. on the breadline, without a penny (to one's name); informal (flat) broke, hard up, cleaned out, strapped, on one's uppers, without two pennies to rub together; Brit. informal skint, in Queer Street; formal penurious.
poor workmanship
substandard, below par, bad, deficient, defective, faulty, imperfect, inferior; appalling, abysmal, atrocious, awful, terrible, dreadful, unsatisfactory, second-rate, third-rate, shoddy, crude, lamentable, deplorable, inadequate, unacceptable; informal crummy, rubbishy, dire, dismal, bum, rotten, tenth-rate; Brit. informal ropy, duff, rubbish, dodgy.
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a poor crop
meagre, scanty, scant, paltry, disappointing, limited, reduced, modest, insufficient, inadequate, sparse, spare, deficient, insubstantial, skimpy , short, small, lean, slender; informal measly, stingy, pathetic, piddling; formal exiguous.
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poor soil
unproductive, barren, unyielding, unfruitful, uncultivatable; arid, sterile.
Top
the waters are poor in nutrients
deficient, lacking, wanting; short of, low on.
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you poor thing!
unfortunate, unlucky, luckless, unhappy, hapless, ill-fated, ill-starred, pitiable, pitiful, wretched.
Top
ANTONYMS :rich, superior, good, fertile, lucky.

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poorly

adverb
the text is poorly written
badly, deficiently, defectively, imperfectly, incompetently; appallingly, abysmally, atrociously, awfully, dreadfully; crudely, shoddily, inadequately.
adjective
she felt poorly
ill, unwell, not (very) well, ailing, indisposed, out of sorts, under/below par, peaky; sick, queasy, nauseous; Brit. off colour; informal under the weather, funny, peculiar, lousy, rough; Brit. informal ropy, grotty; Scottish informal wabbit; Austral./NZ informal crook; Brit. informal, dated queer; dated seedy.

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pop

verb
champagne corks popped
go bang, go off; crack, snap, burst, explode.
I'm just popping home
go; drop in, stop by, visit; informal tootle, whip; Brit. informal nip.
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pop a bag over the pot
put, place, slip, slide, stick, set, lay, install, position, arrange.
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noun
the balloons burst with a pop
bang, crack, snap; explosion, report.
(informal) a bottle of pop
fizzy drink, soft drink, carbonated drink; N. Amer. soda; Scottish informal scoosh.
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pop up
appear (suddenly), occur (suddenly), arrive, materialize, come along, happen, emerge, arise, crop up, turn up, present itself, come to light; informal show up.

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pope

noun
pontiff, Bishop of Rome, Holy Father, Vicar of Christ, His Holiness. papal, pontifical.

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pop music

noun
pop, popular music, chart music.

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poppycock

noun
(informal) nonsense, rubbish, claptrap, balderdash, blather, moonshine, garbage; informal rot, tripe, hogwash, baloney, drivel, bilge, bosh, bunk, eyewash, piffle, phooey, twaddle; Brit. informal cobblers, codswallop, tosh; N. Amer. informal applesauce, bushwa; informal, dated bunkum, tommyrot.

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populace

noun
population, inhabitants, residents, natives; community, country, (general) public, people, nation; common people, man/woman in the street, masses, multitude, rank and file, commonality, commonalty, third estate, plebeians, proletariat; informal proles, plebs; Brit. informal Joe Public; formal denizens; derogatory the hoi polloi, common herd, rabble, riff-raff.

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popular

adjective
the restaurant is very popular
well liked, favoured, sought-after, in demand, desired, wanted; commercial, marketable, fashionable, in vogue, all the rage, hot; informal in, cool, big; Brit. informal, dated all the go.
popular science
non-specialist, non-technical, amateur, lay person's, general, middle-of-the-road; accessible, simplified, plain, simple, easy, straightforward, understandable; mass-market, middlebrow, lowbrow, pop.
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popular opinion
widespread, general, common, current, prevalent, prevailing, standard, stock; ordinary, usual, accepted, established, acknowledged, conventional, orthodox.
Top
a popular movement for independence
mass, general, communal, collective, social, collaborative, group, civil, public.
Top
ANTONYMS :highbrow.

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popularize

verb
tobacco was popularized by Sir Walter Raleigh
make popular, make fashionable; market, publicize; informal hype.
he popularized the subject
simplify, make accessible, give mass-market appeal to.
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the report popularized the unfounded notion
give currency to, spread, propagate, give credence to.
Top

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popularly

adverb
old age is popularly associated with illness
widely, generally, universally, commonly, usually, customarily, habitually, conventionally, traditionally, as a rule.
the rock was popularly known as "Arthur's Seat"
informally, unofficially; by lay people.
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the President is popularly elected
democratically, by the people.
Top

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populate

verb
the state is populated by 40,000 people
inhabit, occupy, people; live in, reside in.
an attempt to populate the island
settle, colonize, people, occupy, move into, make one's home in.
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population

noun
inhabitants, residents, people, citizens, citizenry, public, community, populace, society, natives, occupants; formal denizens. demo-.

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populous

adjective
densely populated, heavily populated, congested, crowded, packed, jammed, crammed, teeming, swarming, seething, crawling; informal jam-packed. ANTONYMS :deserted.

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porch

noun
vestibule, foyer, entrance (hall), entry, portico, lobby; N. Amer. ramada, stoop; Architecture lanai, tambour, narthex.

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pore 1

noun
pores in the skin
opening, orifice, aperture, hole, outlet, inlet, vent; Biology stoma, foramen.

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pore 2

verb
they pored over the map
study, read intently, peruse, scrutinize, scan, examine, go over.

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pornographic

adjective
obscene, indecent, crude, lewd, dirty, vulgar, smutty, filthy; erotic, titillating, arousing, suggestive, sexy, risqué; off colour, adult, X-rated, hard-core, soft-core; informal porn, porno, blue, skin. ANTONYMS :wholesome.

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pornography

noun
erotica, pornographic material, dirty books; smut, filth, vice; informal (hard/soft) porn, porno, girlie magazines, skin flicks.

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porous

adjective
permeable, penetrable, pervious, cellular, holey; absorbent, absorptive, spongy. ANTONYMS :impermeable.

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port 1

noun
the German port of Kiel
seaport, entrepôt.
shells exploded down by the port
harbour, dock(s), haven, marina; anchorage, moorage, harbourage, roads.
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port 2

noun
push the supply pipes into the ports
aperture, opening, outlet, inlet, socket, vent.

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portable

adjective
transportable, movable, mobile, travel; lightweight, compact, handy, convenient.

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portal

noun
doorway, gateway, entrance, exit, opening; door, gate; N. Amer. entryway; formal egress.

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portend

verb
presage, augur, foreshadow, foretell, prophesy; be a sign, warn, be an omen, indicate, herald, signal, bode, promise, threaten, signify, spell, denote; poetic/literary betoken, foretoken, forebode.

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portent

noun
a portent of things to come
omen, sign, signal, token, forewarning, warning, foreshadowing, prediction, forecast, prophesy, harbinger, augury, auspice, presage; writing on the wall, indication, hint; poetic/literary foretoken.
the word carries terrifying portent
significance, importance, import, consequence, meaning, weight; formal moment.
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portentous

adjective
portentous signs
ominous, warning, premonitory, prognosticatory; threatening, menacing, ill-omened, foreboding, inauspicious, unfavourable.
portentous dialogue
pompous, bombastic, self-important, pontifical, solemn, sonorous, grandiloquent.
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porter 1

noun
a porter helped with the bags
carrier, bearer; N. Amer. redcap, skycap.

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porter 2

noun
(Brit.) the college porter
doorman, doorkeeper, commissionaire, gatekeeper.

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portion

noun
the upper portion of the chimney
part, piece, bit, section, segment.
her portion of the allowance
share, slice, quota, quantum, part, percentage, amount, quantity, ration, fraction, division, allocation, measure; informal cut, rake-off; Brit. informal whack.
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a portion of cake
helping, serving, amount, quantity; plateful, bowlful; slice, piece, chunk, wedge, slab, hunk; Brit. informal wodge.
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(archaic) poverty was certain to be his portion.
See destiny sense 1.
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verb
she portioned out the food
share out, allocate, allot, apportion; distribute, hand out, deal out, dole out, give out, dispense, mete out; informal divvy up.

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portly

adjective
stout, plump, fat, overweight, heavy, corpulent, fleshy, paunchy, pot-bellied, well padded, rotund, stocky, bulky; informal tubby, roly-poly, beefy, porky, pudgy; Brit. informal podgy; N. Amer. informal corn-fed. ANTONYMS :slim.

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portrait

noun
a portrait of the King
painting, picture, drawing, sketch, likeness, image, study, miniature; informal oil; formal portraiture.
a vivid portrait of Italy
description, portrayal, representation, depiction, impression, account; sketch, vignette, profile.
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portray

verb
he portrays Windermere in sunny weather
paint, draw, sketch, picture, depict, represent, illustrate, render.
the dons portrayed by Waugh
describe, depict, characterize, represent, delineate, evoke.
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he portrays her as a doormat
represent, depict, characterize, describe, present.
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the actor portrays a spy
play, act the part of, take the role of, represent, appear as; formal personate.
Top

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portrayal

noun
a portrayal of a parrot
painting, picture, portrait, drawing, sketch, representation, depiction, study.
her portrayal of adolescence
description, representation, characterization, depiction, evocation.
Top
Brando's portrayal of Corleone
performance as, representation, interpretation, rendering; formal personation.
Top

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pose

verb
pollution poses a threat to health
constitute, present, create, cause, produce, be.
the question posed earlier
raise, ask, put, set, submit, advance, propose, suggest, moot.
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she posed for the artist
be a model, model, sit.
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he posed her on the sofa
position, place, put, arrange, dispose, locate, situate.
Top
fashion victims were posing at the bar
behave affectedly, strike a pose, posture, attitudinize, put on airs; informal show off.
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noun
a sexy pose
posture, position, stance, attitude, bearing.
her pose of aggrieved innocence
pretence, act, affectation, facade, show, front, display, masquerade, posture.
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pose as
pretend to be, impersonate, pass oneself off as, masquerade as, profess to be, represent oneself as; formal personate.

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poser 1

noun
this situation's a bit of a poser
difficult question, vexed question, awkward problem, tough one, puzzle, mystery, conundrum, puzzler, enigma, riddle; informal dilemma, facer, toughie, stumper.

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poser 2

noun
he's such a poser
exhibitionist, poseur, poseuse, posturer; informal show-off, pseud.

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poseur

noun
. See poser2.

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posh

adjective
(informal) a posh hotel
smart, stylish, fancy, high-class, fashionable, chic, luxurious, luxury, de luxe, exclusive, opulent, lavish, grand, showy; Brit. upmarket; informal classy, swanky, snazzy, plush, ritzy, flash, la-di-da; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal swank, tony.
(Brit. informal) a posh accent
upper-class, aristocratic; Brit. upmarket, Home Counties; informal upper-crust, top-drawer; Brit. informal plummy, Sloaney, U.
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posit

verb
postulate, put forward, advance, propound, submit, hypothesize, propose, assert.

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position

noun
the aircraft's position
location, place, situation, spot, site, locality, setting, area; whereabouts, bearings, orientation; technical locus.
a standing position
posture, stance, attitude, pose.
Top
our financial position
situation, state, condition, circumstances; predicament, plight, strait(s).
Top
the two parties jockeyed for position
advantage, the upper hand, the edge, the whip hand, primacy; Austral./NZ the box seat; N. Amer. informal the catbird seat.
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their position in society
status, place, level, rank, standing; stature, prestige, influence, reputation, importance, consequence, class; dated station.
Top
a secretarial position
job, post, situation, appointment, role, occupation, employment; office, capacity, duty, function; opening, vacancy, placement.
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the government's position on the matter
viewpoint, opinion, outlook, attitude, stand, standpoint, stance, perspective, approach, slant, thinking, policy, feelings.
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verb
he positioned a chair between them
put, place, locate, situate, set, site, stand, station; plant, stick, install; arrange, dispose; informal plonk, park.

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positive

adjective
a positive response
affirmative, favourable, good, approving, enthusiastic, supportive, encouraging.
do something positive
constructive, practical, useful, productive, helpful, worthwhile, beneficial, effective.
Top
she seems a lot more positive
optimistic, hopeful, confident, cheerful, sanguine, buoyant; informal upbeat.
Top
positive economic signs
favourable, good, promising, encouraging, heartening, propitious, auspicious.
Top
positive proof
definite, conclusive, certain, categorical, unequivocal, incontrovertible, indisputable, undeniable, unmistakable, irrefutable, reliable, concrete, tangible, clear-cut, explicit, firm, decisive, real, actual.
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I'm positive he's coming back
certain, sure, convinced, confident, satisfied, assured; as sure as eggs is eggs.
Top
ANTONYMS :negative, pessimistic, doubtful, unsure.

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positively

adverb
I could not positively identify the voice
confidently, definitely, emphatically, categorically, with certainty, conclusively, unquestionably, undoubtedly, indisputably, unmistakably, assuredly.
he was positively livid
absolutely, really, downright, thoroughly, completely, utterly, totally, extremely, fairly; informal plain.
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possess

verb
the only hat she possessed
own, have (to one's name), hold.
he did not possess a sense of humour
have, be blessed with, be endowed with; enjoy, boast.
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a supernatural force possessed him
take control of, take over, control, dominate, influence; bewitch, enchant, enthral.
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she was possessed by a need to talk to him
obsess, haunt, preoccupy, consume; eat someone up, prey on one's mind.
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possess oneself of
acquire, obtain, get (hold of), procure, get one's hands on; take, seize; informal get one's mitts on.

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possessed

adjective
mad, demented, insane, crazed, berserk, out of one's mind; bewitched, enchanted, haunted, under a spell.

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possession

noun
the estate came into their possession
ownership, control, hands, keeping, care, custody, charge, hold, title, guardianship.
her possession of the premises
occupancy, occupation, tenure, holding, tenancy.
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she packed her possessions
belongings, things, property, (worldly) goods, (personal) effects, assets, chattels, movables, valuables; stuff, bits and pieces; luggage, baggage; informal gear, junk; Brit. informal clobber.
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colonial possessions
colony, dependency, territory, holding, protectorate.
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take possession of
seize, appropriate, impound, expropriate, sequestrate, sequester, confiscate; take, get, acquire, obtain, procure, possess oneself of, get hold of, get one's hands on; capture, commandeer, requisition; Law distrain; Scottish Law poind; informal get one's mitts on.

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possessive

adjective
he was very possessive
proprietorial, overprotective, controlling, dominating, jealous, clingy.
kids are possessive of their own property
covetous, selfish, unwilling to share; grasping, greedy, acquisitive; N. Amer. informal grabby.
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possibility

noun
there is a possibility that he might be alive
chance, likelihood, probability, hope; risk, hazard, danger, fear.
they discussed the possibility of launching a new project
feasibility, practicability, chances, odds, achievability, probability.
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buying a smaller house is one possibility
option, alternative, choice, course of action, solution.
Top
the idea has distinct possibilities
potential, promise, prospects.
Top

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possible

adjective
it's not possible to check the figures
feasible, practicable, viable, within the bounds/realms of possibility, attainable, achievable, workable; informal on, doable.
a possible reason for his disappearance
conceivable, plausible, imaginable, believable, likely, potential, probable, credible.
Top
a possible future leader
potential, prospective, likely, probable.
Top
ANTONYMS :unlikely.

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possibly

adverb
possibly he took the boy with him
perhaps, maybe, it is possible, for all one knows, very likely; poetic/literary peradventure, perchance, mayhap.
you can't possibly refuse
conceivably, under any circumstances, by any means.
Top
could you possibly help me?
please, kindly, be so good as to.
Top

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post 1

noun
wooden posts
pole, stake, upright, shaft, prop, support, picket, strut, pillar, pale, paling, stanchion, puncheon.
verb
the notice posted on the wall
affix, attach, fasten, display, pin (up), put up, stick (up), tack (up).
the group posted a net profit
announce, report, make known, publish.
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post 2

noun
(Brit.) the winners will be notified by post
mail, the postal service; airmail, surface mail, registered mail; informal snail mail.
did we get any post?
letters, correspondence, mail.
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verb
(Brit.) post the order form today
send (off), mail, put in the post/mail, get off.
post the transaction in the second column
record, write in, enter, register.
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keep someone posted
keep informed, keep up to date, keep in the picture, keep briefed, update, fill in; informal keep up to speed.

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post 3

noun
there were seventy candidates for the post
job, position, appointment, situation, place; vacancy, opening; Austral. informal grip.
Back to your posts!
(assigned) position, station, observation post.
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verb
he'd been posted to Berlin
send, assign to a post, dispatch.
armed guards were posted beside the exit
put on duty, station, position, situate, locate.
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poster

noun
notice, placard, bill, sign, advertisement, affiche, playbill; Brit. fly-poster.

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posterior

adjective
the posterior part of the skull
rear, hind, back, hinder; technical dorsal, caudal.
(formal) a date posterior to the Reform Bill
later than, subsequent to, following, after.
Top
ANTONYMS :anterior, previous.

noun
(humorous) her plump posterior.
See bottom noun sense 6.

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posterity

noun
their names are recorded for posterity
future generations, the future.
(archaic) the posterity of Abraham
descendants, heirs, successors, offspring, children, progeny; Law issue; archaic seed.
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post-haste

adverb
as quickly as possible, without delay, (very) quickly, speedily, without further/more ado, with all speed, promptly, immediately, at once, straight away, right away; informal pronto, straight off.

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postman postwoman

noun
postal worker; N. Amer. mailman; Brit. informal postie.

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post-mortem

noun
the hospital carried out a post-mortem
autopsy, post-mortem examination, PM, necropsy.
a post-mortem of her failed relationship
analysis, evaluation, assessment, appraisal, examination, review.
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postpone

verb
put off/back, delay, defer, reschedule, adjourn, shelve; N. Amer. put over, take a rain check on; informal put on ice, put on the back burner; rare remit, respite. ANTONYMS :bring forward.

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postponement

noun
deferral, deferment, delay, putting off/back, rescheduling, adjournment, shelving.

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postscript

noun
a handwritten postscript
afterthought, PS, additional remark.
he added postscripts of his own
addendum, supplement, appendix, codicil, afterword, addition.
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postulate

verb
put forward, suggest, advance, posit, hypothesize, propose; assume, presuppose, presume, take for granted.

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posture

noun
a kneeling posture
position, pose, attitude, stance.
good posture
bearing, carriage, stance, comportment; Brit. deportment.
Top
trade unions adopted a militant posture
attitude, stance, standpoint, point of view, opinion, position, frame of mind.
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verb
Keith postured, flexing his biceps
pose, strike an attitude, strut.

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posy

noun
bouquet, bunch (of flowers), spray, nosegay, corsage; buttonhole, boutonnière.

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pot

noun
pots and pans
cooking utensil, pan, saucepan, casserole, stewpot, stockpot, dixie.
earthenware pots
flowerpot, planter, jardinière.
Top
Jim raked in half the pot
bank, kitty, pool, purse, jackpot.
Top

go to pot (informal)
deteriorate, decline, degenerate, go to (rack and) ruin, go downhill, go to seed, become run down; informal go to the dogs, go down the tubes; Austral./NZ informal go to the pack.

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pot-bellied

adjective
paunchy, beer-bellied, portly, rotund; informal tubby, roly-poly.

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pot belly

noun
paunch, (beer) belly; informal beer gut, pot, tummy.

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potency

noun
the potency of his words
forcefulness, force, effectiveness, persuasiveness, cogency, influence, strength, authoritativeness, authority, power, powerfulness; poetic/literary puissance.
the potency of the drugs
strength, powerfulness, power, effectiveness; formal efficacy; efficaciousness.
Top

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potent

adjective
a potent political force
powerful, strong, mighty, formidable, influential, dominant, forceful; poetic/literary puissant.
a potent argument
forceful, convincing, cogent, compelling, persuasive, powerful, strong.
Top
a potent drug
strong, powerful, effective; formal efficacious.
Top
ANTONYMS :weak.

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potentate

noun
ruler, monarch, sovereign, king, queen, emperor, empress.

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potential

adjective
a potential source of conflict
possible, likely, prospective, future, probable; latent, inherent, undeveloped.
noun
economic potential
possibilities, potentiality, prospects; promise, capability, capacity.

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potion

noun
concoction, mixture, brew, elixir, philtre, drink, decoction; medicine, tonic; poetic/literary draught.

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pot-pourri

noun
mixture, assortment, collection, selection, assemblage, medley, miscellany, mix, variety, mixed bag, patchwork; ragbag, hotchpotch, mishmash, jumble, farrago; N. Amer. hodge-podge.

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potter

verb
we pottered down to the library
amble, wander, meander, stroll, saunter, maunder; informal mosey, tootle, toddle; N. Amer. informal putter.
potter about/around
do nothing much, fiddle about/around, footle about/around; informal mess about/around; Brit. informal muck about/around; N. Amer. informal putter about/around, lollygag.

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pottery

noun
china, crockery, ceramics, earthenware, stoneware.

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potty

adjective
(Brit. informal) I'm going potty.
See crazy sense 1.
she's potty about you.
See crazy sense 3.
Top

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pouch

noun
a leather pouch
bag, purse, sack, sac, pocket; Scottish sporran.
a kangaroo's pouch
Zoology marsupium.
Top

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pounce

verb
two men pounced on him
jump on, spring, leap, dive, lunge, fall on, set on, attack suddenly; informal jump, mug.
noun
a sudden pounce
leap, spring, jump, dive, lunge, bound.

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pound 1

verb
the two men pounded him with their fists
beat, strike, hit, batter, thump, pummel, punch, rain blows on, belabour, hammer, thrash, set on, tear into; informal bash, clobber, wallop, beat the living daylights out of, whack, thwack, lay into, pitch into; Brit. informal slosh; N. Amer. informal light into, whale.
waves pounded the seafront
beat against, crash against, batter, dash against, lash, buffet.
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gunships pounded the capital
bombard, bomb, shell, fire on; archaic cannonade.
Top
pound the cloves with salt
crush, grind, pulverize, mill, mash, pulp; technical triturate; archaic levigate.
Top
I heard him pounding along the gangway
walk/run heavily, stomp, lumber, clomp, clump, tramp, trudge.
Top
her heart was pounding
throb, thump, thud, hammer, pulse, race, go pit-a-pat; poetic/literary pant, thrill.
Top

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pound 2

noun
a pound of apples
pound weight, lb.
ten pounds
pound sterling, £; Brit. informal quid, smacker, nicker.
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pound 3

noun
a dog pound
enclosure, compound, pen, yard.

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pour

verb
blood was pouring from his nose
stream, flow, run, gush, course, jet, spurt, surge, spill.
Amy poured wine into his glass
tip, let flow, splash, spill, decant; informal slosh, slop.
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it was pouring with rain
rain heavily/hard, teem down, pelt down, tip down, come down in torrents/sheets, rain cats and dogs; informal be chucking it down; Brit. informal bucket down, come down in stair rods; N. Amer. informal rain pitchforks.
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people poured off the train
throng, crowd, swarm, stream, flood.
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pout

verb
Crystal pouted sullenly
look petulant, pull a face, look sulky.
noun
a childish pout
petulant expression, sulky expression, moue.

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poverty

noun
abject poverty
penury, destitution, pauperism, pauperdom, indigence, pennilessness, impoverishment, neediness, need, hardship, impecuniousness.
the poverty of choice
scarcity, deficiency, dearth, shortage, paucity, insufficiency, absence, lack.
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the poverty of her imagination
inferiority, mediocrity, poorness, sterility.
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ANTONYMS :wealth, abundance.

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poverty-stricken

adjective
extremely poor, impoverished, destitute, penniless, on one's beam-ends, as poor as a church mouse, in penury, impecunious, indigent, needy, in need/want; Brit. on the breadline, without a penny (to one's name); informal on one's uppers, without two pennies/farthings to rub together; Brit. informal in Queer Street; formal penurious.

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powder

noun
dust, fine particles; talcum powder, talc; historical pounce.
verb
she powdered her face
dust, sprinkle/cover with powder.
the grains are powdered
crush, grind, pulverize, pound, mill; technical comminute; archaic levigate.
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powdered milk
dry, freeze-dry; technical lyophilize.
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powdered

adjective
dried, freeze-dried; technical lyophilized.

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powdery

adjective
fine, dry, fine-grained, powder-like, dusty, chalky, floury, sandy, crumbly, friable.

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power

noun
the power of speech
ability, capacity, capability, potential, faculty, competence.
the unions wield enormous power
control, authority, influence, dominance, mastery, domination, dominion, sway, weight, leverage; informal clout, teeth; N. Amer. informal drag; poetic/literary puissance.
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police have the power to stop and search
authority, right, authorization, warrant, licence.
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a major European power
state, country, nation.
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he hit the ball with as much power as he could
strength, powerfulness, might, force, forcefulness, vigour, energy; brawn, muscle; informal punch; Brit. informal welly; poetic/literary thew.
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the power of his arguments
forcefulness, powerfulness, potency, strength, force, cogency, persuasiveness.
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the new engine has more power
driving force, horsepower, hp, acceleration; informal oomph, grunt.
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generating power from waste
energy, electrical power.
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(informal) the holiday did him a power of good
a great deal of , a lot of, much; informal lots of, loads of.
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ANTONYMS :inability, weakness.

have someone in/under one's power
have control over, have influence over, have under one's thumb, have at one's mercy, have in one's clutches, have in the palm of one's hand; N. Amer. have in one's hip pocket; informal have over a barrel. the powers that be
the authorities, the people in charge, the government.

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powerful

adjective
powerful shoulders
strong, muscular, muscly, sturdy, strapping, robust, brawny, burly, athletic, manly, well built, solid; informal beefy, hunky; dated stalwart; poetic/literary stark, thewy.
a powerful drink
intoxicating, hard, strong, stiff; formal spirituous.
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a powerful blow
violent, forceful, hard, mighty.
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he felt a powerful desire to kiss her
intense, keen, fierce, passionate, ardent, burning, strong, irresistible, overpowering, overwhelming.
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a powerful nation
influential, strong, important, dominant, commanding, potent, forceful, formidable; poetic/literary puissant.
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a powerful critique
cogent, compelling, convincing, persuasive, forceful; dramatic, graphic, vivid, moving.
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ANTONYMS :weak, gentle.

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powerless

adjective
impotent, helpless, ineffectual, ineffective, useless, defenceless, vulnerable; poetic/literary impuissant.

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practicable

adjective
realistic, feasible, possible, within the bounds/realms of possibility, viable, reasonable, sensible, workable, achievable; informal doable.

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practical

adjective
practical experience
empirical, hands-on, actual, active, applied, heuristic, experiential.
there are no practical alternatives
feasible, practicable, realistic, viable, workable, possible, reasonable, sensible; informal doable.
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practical clothes
functional, sensible, utilitarian, workaday.
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try to be more practical
realistic, sensible, down-to-earth, businesslike, commonsensical, hard-headed, no-nonsense; informal hard-nosed.
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a practical certainty
virtual, effective, near.
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ANTONYMS :theoretical.

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practicality

noun
the practicality of the proposal
feasibility, practicability, viability, workability.
practicality of design
functionalism, functionality, serviceability, utility.
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his calm practicality
(common) sense, realism, pragmatism.
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the practicalities of army life
practical details; informal nitty gritty, nuts and bolts.
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practical joke

noun
trick, joke, prank, jape, hoax; informal leg-pull.

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practically

adverb
the cinema was practically empty
almost, (very) nearly, virtually, just about, all but, more or less, as good as, to all intents and purposes, verging on, bordering on; informal pretty nearly, pretty well; poetic/literary well-nigh.
"You can't afford it," he pointed out practically
realistically, sensibly, reasonably.
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practice

noun
the practice of radiotherapy
application, exercise, use, operation, implementation, execution.
common practice
custom, procedure, policy, convention, tradition; formal praxis.
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it takes lots of practice | the team's final practice
training, rehearsal, repetition, preparation; practice session, dummy run, run-through; informal dry run.
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the practice of medicine
profession, career, business, work.
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a small legal practice
business, firm, office, company; informal outfit.
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in practice
in reality, realistically, practically. out of practice
rusty, unpractised. put something into practice
use, make use of, put to use, utilize, apply.

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practise

verb
he practised the songs every day
rehearse, run through, go over/through, work on/at; polish, perfect.
the performers were practising
train, rehearse, prepare, go through one's paces.
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we still practise these rituals today
carry out, perform, observe.
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she practises medicine
work at, pursue a career in.
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practised

adjective
expert, experienced, seasoned, skilled, skilful, accomplished, proficient, talented, able, adept, consummate, master, masterly; informal crack, ace, mean; N. Amer. informal crackerjack.

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pragmatic

adjective
practical, matter of fact, sensible, down-to-earth, commonsensical, businesslike, having both/one's feet on the ground, hard-headed, no-nonsense; informal hard-nosed. ANTONYMS :impractical.

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praise

verb
the police praised Pauline for her courage
commend, express admiration for, applaud, pay tribute to, speak highly of, eulogize, compliment, congratulate, sing the praises of, rave about, go into raptures about, heap praise on, wax lyrical about, make much of, pat on the back, take one's hat off to, lionize, admire, hail; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo; formal laud.
we praise God
worship, glorify, honour, exalt, adore, pay tribute to, give thanks to, venerate, reverence; formal laud; archaic magnify.
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laudatory. ANTONYMS :criticize.

noun
James was full of praise for the medical teams
approval, acclaim, admiration, approbation, acclamation, plaudits, congratulations, commendation; tribute, accolade, compliment, a pat on the back, eulogy, panegyric; formal laudation, encomium.
give praise to God
honour, thanks, glory, worship, devotion, adoration, reverence.
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praiseworthy

adjective
commendable, admirable, laudable, worthy (of admiration), meritorious, estimable, exemplary.

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pram

noun
(Brit.) pushchair; N. Amer. baby carriage, stroller; formal perambulator.

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prance

verb
cavort, dance, jig, trip, caper, jump, leap, spring, bound, skip, hop, frisk, romp, frolic.

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prank

noun
(practical) joke, trick, piece of mischief, escapade, stunt, caper, jape, game, hoax, antic; informal lark, leg-pull.

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prattle

verb
he prattled on for ages.
See chat verb.
noun
childish prattle.
See chatter noun.

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pray

verb
let us pray
say one's prayers, make one's devotions, offer a prayer/prayers.
she prayed God to forgive her
invoke, call on, implore, appeal to, entreat, beg, petition, supplicate; poetic/literary beseech.
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prayer

noun
the priest's murmured prayers
invocation, intercession, devotion; archaic orison.
a quick prayer that she wouldn't bump into him
appeal, plea, entreaty, petition, supplication, invocation; rare obsecration.
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not have a prayer (informal)
have no hope, have/stand no chance, not have/stand (the ghost of) a chance; informal not have a hope in hell, not have/stand an earthly; Austral./NZ informal not have Buckley's (chance).

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preach

verb
he preached to a large congregation
give a sermon, sermonize, address, speak.
preaching the good news of Jesus
proclaim, teach, spread, propagate, expound.
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they preach toleration
advocate, recommend, advise, urge, teach, counsel.
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who are you to preach at me?
moralize, sermonize, pontificate, lecture, harangue; informal preachify.
Top
homiletic.

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preacher

noun
minister (of religion), parson, clergyman, clergywoman, member of the clergy, priest, man/woman of the cloth, man/woman of God, cleric, churchman, churchwoman, evangelist; informal reverend, padre, Holy Joe, sky pilot; N. Amer. informal preacher man; Austral. informal josser.

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preaching

noun
religious teaching, message, sermons.

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preachy

adjective
(informal) moralistic, moralizing, sanctimonious, self-righteous, holier-than-thou, sententious.

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preamble

noun
introduction, preface, prologue; foreword, prelude, front matter; informal intro, prelims; formal exordium, proem, prolegomenon.

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pre-arranged

adjective
arranged beforehand, agreed in advance, predetermined, pre-established, pre-planned.

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precarious

adjective
uncertain, insecure, unpredictable, risky, parlous, hazardous, dangerous, unsafe; unsettled, unstable, unsteady, shaky; informal dicey, chancy, iffy; Brit. informal dodgy. ANTONYMS :safe.

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precaution

noun
safeguard, preventative/preventive measure, safety measure, insurance; informal backstop.

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precautionary

adjective
preventative, preventive, safety.

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precede

verb
adverts preceded the film
go/come before, lead (up) to, pave/prepare the way for, herald, introduce, usher in; archaic forgo.
Catherine preceded him into the studio
go ahead of, go in front of, go before, go first, lead the way.
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he preceded the book with a poem
preface, introduce, begin, open.
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ANTONYMS :follow.

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precedence

noun
quarrels over precedence
priority, rank, seniority, superiority, primacy, pre-eminence, eminence.
take precedence over
take priority over, outweigh, prevail over, come before.

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precedent

noun
model, exemplar, example, pattern, previous case, prior instance/example; paradigm, criterion, yardstick, standard.

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preceding

adjective
foregoing, previous, prior, former, precedent, earlier, above, aforementioned, antecedent; formal anterior, prevenient.

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precept

noun
the precepts of Orthodox Judaism
principle, rule, tenet, canon, doctrine, command, order, decree, dictate, dictum, injunction, commandment; Judaism mitzvah; formal prescript.
precepts that her grandmother used to quote
maxim, saying, adage, axiom, aphorism, apophthegm.
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precinct

noun
a pedestrian precinct
area, zone, sector.
within the precincts of the City
bounds, boundaries, limits, confines.
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the cathedral precinct
enclosure, close, court.
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precious

adjective
precious works of art
valuable, costly, expensive; invaluable, priceless, beyond price.
her most precious possession
valued, cherished, treasured, prized, favourite, dear, dearest, beloved, darling, adored, loved, special.
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his precious manners
affected, over-refined, pretentious; informal la-di-da; Brit. informal poncey.
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precipice

noun
cliff (face), steep cliff, rock face, sheer drop, crag, bluff, escarpment, scarp; poetic/literary steep.

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precipitate

verb
the incident precipitated a crisis
bring about/on, cause, lead to, give rise to, instigate, trigger, spark, touch off, provoke, hasten, accelerate, expedite.
they were precipitated down the mountain
hurl, catapult, throw, plunge, launch, fling, propel.
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adjective
their actions were precipitate
hasty, overhasty, rash, hurried, rushed; impetuous, impulsive, spur-of-the-moment, precipitous, incautious, imprudent, injudicious, ill-advised, reckless, harum-scarum; informal previous; poetic/literary temerarious.
a precipitate decline.
See precipitous sense 2.
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precipitous

adjective
a precipitous drop
steep, sheer, perpendicular, abrupt, sharp, vertical.
his fall from power was precipitous
sudden, rapid, swift, abrupt, headlong, speedy, quick, fast.
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he was too precipitous.
See precipitate adjective sense 1.
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precis

noun
a precis of the report
summary, synopsis, résumé, abstract, outline, summarization, summation; abridgement, digest, overview, epitome; N. Amer. wrap-up; rare conspectus.
verb
precising a passage
summarize, sum up, give a summary/precis of, give the main points of; abridge, condense, shorten, synopsize, abstract, outline, abbreviate; archaic epitomize.

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precise

adjective
precise measurements
exact, accurate, correct, specific, detailed, explicit, unambiguous, definite.
at that precise moment the car stopped
exact, particular, very, specific.
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the attention to detail is very precise
meticulous, careful, exact, scrupulous, punctilious, conscientious, particular, methodical, strict, rigorous.
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ANTONYMS :inaccurate.

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precisely

adverb
at 2 o'clock precisely
exactly, sharp, on the dot; promptly, prompt, dead (on), on the stroke of , on the dot of ; informal bang (on); Brit. informal spot on; N. Amer. informal on the button/nose.
precisely the kind of man I am looking for
exactly, absolutely, just, in all respects; informal to a T.
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fertilization can be timed precisely
accurately, exactly; clearly, distinctly, strictly.
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"So it's all done?" "Precisely."
yes, exactly, absolutely, (that's) right, quite so, indubitably, definitely; informal you bet, I'll say.
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precision

noun
exactness, exactitude, accuracy, correctness, preciseness; care, carefulness, meticulousness, scrupulousness, punctiliousness, methodicalness, rigour, rigorousness.

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preclude

verb
prevent, make it impossible for, rule out, stop, prohibit, debar, bar, hinder, impede, inhibit, exclude.

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precocious

adjective
advanced for one's age, forward, mature, gifted, talented, clever, intelligent, quick; informal smart. ANTONYMS :backward.

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preconceived

adjective
predetermined, prejudged; prejudiced, biased.

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preconception

noun
preconceived idea/notion, presupposition, assumption, presumption, prejudgement; prejudice.

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precondition

noun
prerequisite, (necessary/essential) condition, requirement, necessity, essential, imperative, sine qua non; informal must.

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precursor

noun
a three-stringed precursor of the guitar
forerunner, predecessor, forefather, father, antecedent, ancestor, forebear.
a precursor of disasters to come
harbinger, herald, sign, indication, portent, omen.
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precursory

adjective
preliminary, prior, previous, introductory, preparatory, prefatory; formal anterior, prevenient.

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predatory

adjective
predatory birds
predacious, carnivorous, hunting, raptorial; of prey.
a predatory gleam in his eyes
exploitative, wolfish, rapacious, vulturine, vulturous.
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predecessor

noun
the Prime Minister's predecessor
forerunner, precursor, antecedent.
our Victorian predecessors
ancestor, forefather, forebear, antecedent.
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ANTONYMS :successor, descendant.

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predestined

adjective
preordained, ordained, predetermined, destined, fated.

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predetermined

adjective
a predetermined budget
pre-arranged, established in advance, preset, set, fixed, agreed.
our predetermined fate
predestined, preordained.
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predicament

noun
difficult situation, mess, difficulty, plight, quandary, muddle, mare's nest; informal hole, fix, jam, pickle, scrape, bind, tight spot/corner, dilemma.

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predicate

verb
base, be dependent, found, establish, rest, ground, premise.

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predict

verb
forecast, foretell, foresee, prophesy, anticipate, tell in advance, envision, envisage; poetic/literary previse; archaic augur, presage.

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predictable

adjective
foreseeable, (only) to be expected, anticipated, foreseen, unsurprising; informal inevitable.

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prediction

noun
forecast, prophecy, prognosis, prognostication, augury; projection, conjecture, guess.

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predilection

noun
liking, fondness, preference, partiality, taste, penchant, weakness, soft spot, fancy, inclination, leaning, bias, propensity, bent, proclivity, predisposition, appetite. ANTONYMS :dislike.

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predispose

verb
lack of exercise may predispose an individual to high blood pressure
make susceptible, make liable, make prone, make vulnerable, put at risk of.
attitudes which predispose people to behave badly
lead, influence, sway, induce, prompt, dispose; bias, prejudice.
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predisposed

adjective
inclined, prepared, ready, of a mind, disposed, minded, willing.

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predisposition

noun
a predisposition to heart disease
susceptibility, proneness, tendency, liability, inclination, disposition, vulnerability.
their political predispositions
preference, predilection, inclination, leaning.
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predominance

noun
the predominance of women carers
prevalence, dominance, preponderance.
Soviet military predominance
supremacy, mastery, control, power, ascendancy, dominance, pre-eminence, superiority.
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predominant

adjective
our predominant objectives
main, chief, principal, most important, primary, prime, central, leading, foremost, key, paramount; informal number-one.
the predominant political forces
controlling, dominant, predominating, more/most powerful, pre-eminent, ascendant, superior, in the ascendancy.
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ANTONYMS :subsidiary.

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predominantly

adverb
mainly, mostly, for the most part, chiefly, principally, primarily, predominately, in the main, on the whole, largely, by and large, typically, generally, usually.

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predominate

verb
small-scale producers predominate
be in the majority, preponderate, be predominant, prevail, be most prominent.
private interest predominates over the public good
prevail, dominate, be dominant, carry most weight; override, outweigh.
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pre-eminence

noun
superiority, supremacy, greatness, excellence, distinction, prominence, predominance, eminence, importance, prestige, stature, fame, renown, celebrity.

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pre-eminent

adjective
greatest, leading, foremost, best, finest, chief, outstanding, excellent, distinguished, prominent, eminent, important, top, famous, renowned, celebrated, illustrious, supreme; N. Amer. marquee. ANTONYMS :undistinguished.

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pre-eminently

adverb
primarily, principally, above all, chiefly, mostly, mainly, in particular.

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pre-empt

verb
his action may have pre-empted war
forestall, prevent.
many tables were already pre-empted by family parties
commandeer, occupy, seize, arrogate, appropriate, take over, secure, reserve.
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preen

verb
the robin preened its feathers
clean, tidy, groom, smooth, arrange; archaic plume.
she preened before the mirror
admire oneself, primp oneself, prink oneself, groom oneself, spruce oneself up; informal titivate oneself, doll oneself up; Brit. informal tart oneself up; N. Amer. informal gussy oneself up.
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preen oneself
congratulate oneself, be pleased with oneself, be proud of oneself, pat oneself on the back, feel self-satisfied.

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preface

noun
the preface to the novel
introduction, foreword, preamble, prologue, prelude; front matter; informal prelims, intro; formal exordium, proem, prolegomenon.
verb
the chapter is prefaced by a poem
precede, introduce, begin, open, start.

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prefatory

adjective
introductory, preliminary, opening, initial, preparatory, initiatory, precursory. ANTONYMS :closing.

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prefect

noun
(Brit.) monitor; Brit. praepostor.

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prefer

verb
I prefer white wine to red
like better, would rather (have), would sooner (have), favour, be more partial to; choose, select, pick, opt for, go for, plump for.
(formal) do you want to prefer charges?
bring, press, file, lodge, lay.
Top
(archaic) he was preferred to the post
promote, upgrade, raise, elevate.
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preferable

adjective
better, best, more desirable, more suitable, advantageous, superior, preferred, recommended.

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preferably

adverb
ideally, if possible, for preference, from choice.

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preference

noun
her preference for boys' games
liking, partiality, predilection, proclivity, fondness, taste, inclination, leaning, bias, bent, penchant, predisposition.
my preference is rock
favourite, (first) choice, selection; informal cup of tea, thing; N. Amer. informal druthers.
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preference will be given to applicants speaking Japanese
priority, favour, precedence, preferential treatment.
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in preference to
rather than, instead of, in place of, sooner than.

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preferential

adjective
special, better, privileged, superior, favourable; partial, discriminatory, partisan, biased.

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preferment

noun
promotion, advancement, elevation, being upgraded, a step up (the ladder); informal a kick upstairs. ANTONYMS :demotion.

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prefigure

verb
foreshadow, presage, be a harbinger of, herald; poetic/literary foretoken.

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pregnancy

noun
gestation. antenatal, maternity.

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pregnant

adjective
she is heavily pregnant
expecting a baby, expectant, carrying a child; informal expecting, in the family way, preggers, with a bun in the oven; Brit. informal up the duff, in the (pudding) club, up the spout; N. Amer. informal knocked up, having swallowed a watermelon seed; Austral. informal with a joey in the pouch; informal, dated in trouble; archaic with child, in a delicate condition, in an interesting condition; technical gravid, parturient.
a ceremony pregnant with religious significance
filled, charged, heavy; full of.
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a pregnant pause
meaningful, significant, suggestive, expressive, charged.
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prehistoric

adjective
prehistoric times
primitive, primeval, primordial, primal, ancient, early, antediluvian.
the special effects look prehistoric
out of date, outdated, outmoded, old-fashioned, passé, antiquated, archaic, behind the times, primitive, antediluvian; informal out of the ark; N. Amer. informal horse and buggy, clunky.
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archaeo-. ANTONYMS :modern.

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prejudice

noun
male prejudices about women
preconceived idea, preconception, prejudgement.
they are motivated by prejudice
bigotry, bias, partisanship, partiality, intolerance, discrimination, unfairness, inequality.
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without prejudice to the interests of others
detriment, harm, damage, injury, hurt, loss.
Top

verb
the article could prejudice the jury
bias, influence, sway, predispose, make biased, make partial, colour.
this could prejudice his chances of victory
damage, be detrimental to, be prejudicial to, injure, harm, hurt, spoil, impair, undermine, hinder, compromise.
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prejudiced

adjective
biased, bigoted, discriminatory, partisan, intolerant, narrow-minded, unfair, unjust, inequitable, coloured. ANTONYMS :impartial.

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prejudicial

adjective
detrimental, damaging, injurious, harmful, disadvantageous, hurtful, deleterious. ANTONYMS :beneficial.

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preliminary

adjective
the discussions are still at a preliminary stage
preparatory, introductory, initial, opening, prefatory, precursory; early, exploratory. ANTONYMS :final.

noun
he began without any preliminaries
introduction, preamble, opening/prefatory remarks, formalities.
a preliminary to the resumption of war
prelude, preparation, preparatory measure, preliminary action.
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preliminary to
in preparation for, before, in advance of, prior to, preparatory to.

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prelims

plural noun
(informal) front matter, preliminary material, introduction, foreword, preface, preamble; informal intro; formal exordium, proem, prolegomenon.

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prelude

noun
a ceasefire was a prelude to peace negotiations
preliminary, overture, opening, preparation, introduction, start, commencement, beginning, lead-in, precursor.
an orchestral prelude
overture, introductory movement, introduction, opening.
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the passage forms a prelude to Part III
introduction, preface, prologue, foreword, preamble; informal intro; formal exordium, proem, prolegomenon.
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premature

adjective
his premature death
untimely, (too) early, unseasonable, before time.
a premature baby
preterm; informal prem.
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such a step would be premature
rash, overhasty, hasty, precipitate, precipitous, impulsive, impetuous; informal previous.
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ANTONYMS :overdue.

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prematurely

adverb
Sam was born prematurely
too soon, too early, ahead of time; preterm.
don't act prematurely
rashly, over-hastily, hastily, precipitately, precipitously.
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premeditated

adjective
planned, intentional, deliberate, pre-planned, calculated, cold-blooded, conscious, pre-arranged. ANTONYMS :spontaneous.

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premeditation

noun
(advance) planning, forethought, pre-planning, (criminal) intent; Law malice aforethought.

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premier

adjective
a premier chef
leading, foremost, chief, principal, head, top-ranking, top, prime, primary, first, highest, pre-eminent, senior, outstanding, master; N. Amer. ranking; informal top-notch.
noun
the Italian premier
head of government, prime minister, PM, president, chancellor.

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premiere

noun
first performance, first night, opening night.

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premise

noun
the premise that human life consists of a series of choices
proposition, assumption, hypothesis, thesis, presupposition, postulation, postulate, supposition, presumption, surmise, conjecture, speculation, assertion, belief.
verb
they premised that the cosmos is indestructible
postulate, hypothesize, conjecture, posit, theorize, suppose, presuppose, surmise, assume.

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premises

plural noun
building(s), property, site, office.

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premium

noun
monthly premiums of £30
(regular) payment, instalment.
you must pay a premium for organic fruit
surcharge, additional payment, extra amount.
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a foreign service premium
bonus, extra; incentive, inducement; informal perk; formal perquisite.
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at a premium
scarce, in great demand, hard to come by, in short supply, thin on the ground. put/place a premium on
I place a high premium on our relationship
value greatly, attach great/special importance to, set great store by, put a high value on.

the high price of oil put a premium on the coal industry
make valuable, make invaluable, make important.
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premonition

noun
foreboding, presentiment, intuition, (funny) feeling, hunch, suspicion, feeling in one's bones; misgiving, apprehension, fear; archaic presage.

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preoccupation

noun
an air of preoccupation
pensiveness, concentration, engrossment, absorption, self-absorption, musing, thinking, deep thought, brown study, brooding; abstraction, absent-mindedness, distraction, forgetfulness, inattentiveness, wool-gathering, daydreaming.
their main preoccupation was feeding their family
obsession, concern; passion, enthusiasm, hobby horse.
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preoccupied

adjective
officials preoccupied with their careers
obsessed, concerned, absorbed, engrossed, intent, involved, wrapped up.
she looked preoccupied
lost/deep in thought, in a brown study, pensive, absent-minded, distracted, abstracted.
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preoccupy

verb
engross, concern, absorb, take up someone's attention, distract, obsess, occupy, prey on someone's mind.

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preordain

verb
predestine, destine, foreordain, ordain, fate, predetermine, determine.

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preparation

noun
the preparation of contingency plans
devising, putting together, drawing up, construction, composition, production, getting ready, development.
preparations for the party
arrangements, planning, plans, preparatory measures.
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preparation for exams
instruction, teaching, coaching, training, tutoring, drilling, priming.
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a preparation to kill off mites
mixture, compound, concoction, solution, tincture, medicine, potion, cream, ointment, lotion.
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preparatory

adjective
preparatory work
preliminary, initial, introductory, prefatory, opening, preparative, precursory.
preparatory to
in preparation for, before, prior to, preliminary to.

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prepare

verb
I want you to prepare a report
make/get ready, put together, draw up, produce, arrange, assemble, construct, compose, formulate.
the meal was easy to prepare
cook, make, get, put together, concoct; informal fix, rustle up; Brit. informal knock up.
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preparing for war
get ready, make preparations, arrange things, make provision, get everything set.
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athletes preparing for the Olympics
train, get into shape, practise, get ready.
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I must prepare for my exams
study, revise; Brit. informal swot.
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this course prepares students for their exams
instruct, coach, train, tutor, drill, prime.
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prepare yourself for a shock
brace, make ready, tense, steel, steady.
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prepared

adjective
he needs to be well prepared
ready, (all) set, equipped, primed; waiting, on hand, poised, in position.
I'm not prepared to cut the price
willing, ready, disposed, predisposed, (favourably) inclined, of a mind, minded.
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preponderance

noun
the preponderance of women among older people
prevalence, predominance, dominance.
the preponderance of the evidence
bulk, majority, greater quantity, larger part, best/better part, most; almost all.
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the preponderance of the trade unions
predominance, dominance, ascendancy, supremacy, power.
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preponderant

adjective
dominant, predominant, pre-eminent, in control, more/most powerful, superior, supreme, ascendant, in the ascendancy.

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preponderate

verb
be in the majority, predominate, be predominant; be more/most important, prevail, dominate.

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prepossessing

adjective
attractive, beautiful, pretty, handsome, good-looking, fetching, charming, delightful, enchanting, captivating; archaic fair. ANTONYMS :ugly.

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preposterous

adjective
absurd, ridiculous, foolish, stupid, ludicrous, farcical, laughable, comical, risible, nonsensical, senseless, insane; outrageous, monstrous; informal crazy. ANTONYMS :sensible.

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prerequisite

noun
a prerequisite for the course
(necessary) condition, precondition, essential, requirement, requisite, necessity, sine qua non; informal must.
adjective
the prerequisite qualifications
necessary, required, called for, essential, requisite, obligatory, compulsory. ANTONYMS :unnecessary.

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prerogative

noun
entitlement, right, privilege, advantage, due, birthright.

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presage

verb
the owl's hooting presages death
portend, augur, foreshadow, foretell, prophesy, be an omen of, herald, be a sign of, be the harbinger of, warn of, be a presage of, signal, bode, promise, threaten; poetic/literary betoken, foretoken, forebode.
noun
a sombre presage of his final illness
omen, sign, indication, portent, warning, forewarning, harbinger, augury, prophecy, foretoken.

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prescience

noun
far-sightedness, foresight, foreknowledge; psychic powers, clairvoyance; prediction, prognostication, divination, prophesy, augury; insight, intuition, perception, percipience.

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prescient

adjective
prophetic, predictive, visionary; psychic, clairvoyant; far-sighted, prognostic, divinatory; insightful, intuitive, perceptive, percipient.

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prescribe

verb
the doctor prescribed antibiotics
write a prescription for, authorize.
traditional values prescribe a life of domesticity
advise, recommend, advocate, suggest, endorse, champion, promote.
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rules prescribing your duty
stipulate, lay down, dictate, specify, determine, establish, fix.
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prescription

noun
the doctor wrote a prescription
instruction, authorization; informal script; archaic recipe.
he fetched the prescription from the chemist
medicine, drug, medication.
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a painless prescription for improvement
method, measure; recommendation, suggestion, recipe, formula.
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prescriptive

adjective
dictatorial, narrow, rigid, authoritarian, arbitrary, repressive, dogmatic.

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presence

noun
presence of a train was indicated electrically
existence, being there.
I requested the presence of an adjudicator
attendance, appearance; company, companionship.
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a woman of great presence
aura, charisma, (strength/force of) personality; poise, self-assurance, self-confidence.
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she felt a presence in the castle
ghost, spirit, spectre, phantom, apparition, supernatural being; informal spook; poetic/literary shade.
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ANTONYMS :absence.

presence of mind
composure, equanimity, self-possession, level-headedness, self-assurance, calmness, sangfroid, imperturbability; alertness, quick-wittedness; informal cool, unflappability.

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present 1

adjective
a doctor must be present at the ringside
in attendance, here, there, near, nearby, (close/near) at hand, available.
organic compounds are present in the waste
in existence, existing, existent.
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the present economic climate
current, present-day, existing; archaic instant.
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ANTONYMS :absent.

noun
forget the past and think about the present
now, today, the present time/moment, the here and now. ANTONYMS :past, future.

at present
at the moment, just now, right now, at the present time, currently, at this moment in time. for the present
for the time being, for now, for the moment, for a while, temporarily, pro tem. the present day
modern times, nowadays.

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present 2

verb
Eddy presented a cheque to the winner
hand over/out, give (out), confer, bestow, award, grant, accord.
the committee presented its report
submit, set forth, put forward, proffer, offer, tender, table.
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may I present my wife?
introduce, make known, acquaint someone with.
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I called to present my warmest compliments
offer, give, express.
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they presented their new product last month
demonstrate, show, put on show/display, exhibit, display, launch, unveil.
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presenting good quality opera
stage, put on, produce, perform.
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she presents a TV show
host, introduce, compère, be the presenter of; N. Amer. informal emcee.
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the authorities present him as a common criminal
represent, describe, portray, depict.
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present oneself
he presented himself at ten
be present, make an appearance, appear, turn up, arrive.

an opportunity that presented itself
occur, arise, happen, come about/up, appear, crop up, turn up.
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present 3

noun
a birthday present
gift, donation, offering, contribution; informal prezzie, freebie; formal benefaction.

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presentable

adjective
I'm making the place look presentable
tidy, neat, straight, clean, spick and span, in good order, shipshape (and Bristol fashion).
make yourself presentable
smartly dressed, tidily dressed, tidy, well groomed, trim, spruce; informal natty.
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presentable videos
fairly good, passable, all right, satisfactory, moderately good, not (too) bad, average, fair; informal OK.
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presentation

noun
the presentation of his certificate
awarding, presenting, giving, handing over/out, bestowal, granting, award.
the presentation of food
appearance, arrangement, packaging, disposition, display, layout.
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her presentation to the Queen
introduction, making known.
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the presentation of new proposals
submission, proffering, offering, tendering, advancing, proposal, suggestion, mooting, tabling.
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a sales presentation
demonstration, talk, lecture, address, speech, show, exhibition, display, introduction, launch, launching, unveiling.
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a presentation of his latest play
staging, production, performance, mounting, showing.
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present-day

adjective
current, present, contemporary, latter-day, present-time, modern, twenty-first-century; up to date, up to the minute, fashionable, trendsetting, the latest, new, newest, newfangled; informal trendy, now.

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presentiment

noun
premonition, foreboding, intuition, (funny) feeling, hunch, feeling in one's bones, sixth sense; archaic presage.

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presently

adverb
I shall see you presently
soon, shortly, directly, quite soon, in a short time, in a little while, at any moment/minute/second, in next to no time, before long; N. Amer. momentarily; informal pretty soon, any moment now, in a jiffy, before you can say Jack Robinson, in two shakes of a lamb's tail; Brit. informal in a mo; poetic/literary ere long.
he is presently abroad
at present, currently, at the/this moment, at the present moment/time, now, nowadays, these days; Brit. informal at the minute.
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preservation

noun
wood preservation
conservation, protection, care.
the preservation of the status quo
continuation, conservation, maintenance, upholding, sustaining, perpetuation.
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the preservation of food
conserving, bottling, canning, freezing, drying; curing, smoking, pickling.
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preserve

verb
oil helps preserve wood
conserve, protect, maintain, care for, look after.
they wish to preserve the status quo
continue (with), conserve, keep going, maintain, uphold, sustain, perpetuate.
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preserving him from harassment
guard, protect, keep, defend, safeguard, shelter, shield.
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spices enable us to preserve food
conserve, bottle, can, freeze, dry; cure, smoke, pickle.
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noun
strawberry preserve
jam, jelly, marmalade, conserve.
the preserve of an educated middle-class
domain, area, field, sphere, orbit, realm, province, territory; informal turf, bailiwick.
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a game preserve
sanctuary, (game) reserve, reservation.
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preside

verb
the chairman presides at the meeting
chair, be chairman/chairwoman/chairperson, officiate (at), conduct, lead.
preside over
be in charge of, be responsible for, be at the head/helm of, head, be head of, manage, administer, be in control of, control, direct, lead, govern, rule, command, supervise, oversee; informal head up, be boss of, be in the driving/driver's seat, be in the saddle.

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president

noun
terrorists assassinated the president
head of state.
the president of the society
head, chief, director, leader, governor, principal, master; N. Amer. informal prexy.
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the president of the company
chairman, chairwoman; managing director, MD, chief executive (officer), CEO.
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press

verb
press the paper down firmly
push (down), press down, depress, hold down, force, thrust, squeeze, compress.
his shirt was pressed
smooth (out), iron, remove creases from.
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we pressed the grapes
crush, squeeze, squash, mash, pulp, pound, pulverize, macerate.
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she pressed the child to her bosom
clasp, hold close, hug, cuddle, squeeze, clutch, grasp, embrace.
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Winnie pressed his hand
squeeze, grip, clutch.
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the crowd pressed round
cluster, gather, converge, congregate, flock, swarm, throng, crowd.
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the government pressed its claim
plead, urge, advance insistently, present, submit, put forward.
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they pressed him to agree
urge, put pressure on, pressurize, force, push, coerce, dragoon, steamroller, browbeat; informal lean on, put the screws on, twist someone's arm, railroad, bulldoze.
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they pressed for a ban on the ivory trade
call, ask, clamour, push, campaign, demand.
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noun
a private press
publishing house, printing company; printing press.
the freedom of the press
the media, the newspapers, the papers, the news media, the fourth estate; journalists, reporters, newspapermen, newsmen, newspaper women, pressmen, presswomen; informal journos, news hounds; N. Amer. informal newsies; Brit. dated Fleet Street.
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the company had some bad press
(press) reports, press coverage, press articles, press reviews.
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be pressed for
have too little, be short of, have insufficient, lack, be lacking (in), be deficient in, need, be/stand in need of; informal be strapped for. press on
proceed, keep going, continue, carry on, make progress, make headway, press ahead, forge on/ahead, push on, keep on, struggle on, persevere, keep at it, stay with it, plod on, plough on; informal soldier on, plug away, peg away, stick at it.

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pressing

adjective
a pressing problem
urgent, critical, crucial, acute, desperate, serious, grave, life-and-death.
a pressing engagement
important, high-priority, critical, crucial, compelling, inescapable.
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pressure

noun
a confined gas exerts a constant pressure
physical force, load, stress, thrust; compression, weight.
they put pressure on us to borrow money
coercion, force, compulsion, constraint, duress; pestering, harassment, nagging, badgering, intimidation, arm-twisting, pressurization, persuasion.
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she had a lot of pressure from work
strain, stress, tension, trouble, difficulty; informal hassle.
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verb
they pressured him into resigning.
See pressurize.

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pressurize

verb
he tried to pressurize Buffy into selling
coerce, pressure, put pressure on, press, push, persuade, force, bulldoze, hound, harass, nag, harry, badger, goad, pester, browbeat, bully, bludgeon, intimidate, dragoon, twist someone's arm; informal railroad, lean on; N. Amer. informal hustle.

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prestige

noun
status, standing, stature, prestigiousness, reputation, repute, regard, fame, note, renown, honour, esteem, celebrity, importance, prominence, influence, eminence; kudos, cachet; informal clout.

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prestigious

adjective
prestigious journals
reputable, distinguished, respected, esteemed, eminent, august, highly regarded, well thought of, acclaimed, authoritative, celebrated, illustrious, leading, renowned.
a prestigious job
impressive, important, prominent, high-ranking, influential, powerful, glamorous; well paid, expensive; Brit. upmarket.
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ANTONYMS :obscure, minor.

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presumably

adverb
I presume, I expect, I assume, I take it, I suppose, I imagine, I dare say, I guess, in all probability, probably, in all likelihood, as likely as not, doubtless, undoubtedly, no doubt.

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presume

verb
I presumed that it had once been an attic
assume, suppose, dare say, imagine, take it, expect, believe, think, surmise, guess, judge, conjecture, speculate, postulate, presuppose.
let me presume to give you some advice
venture, dare, have the audacity/effrontery, be so bold as, take the liberty of.
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presume on
take (unfair) advantage of, exploit, take liberties with; count on, bank on, place reliance on.

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presumption

noun
this presumption may be easily rebutted
assumption, supposition, presupposition, belief, guess, judgement, surmise, conjecture, speculation, hypothesis, postulation, inference, deduction, conclusion.
he apologized for his presumption
brazenness, audacity, boldness, audaciousness, temerity, arrogance, presumptuousness, forwardness; cockiness, insolence, impudence, bumptiousness, impertinence, effrontery, cheek, cheekiness; rudeness, impoliteness, disrespect, familiarity; informal nerve, brass neck, chutzpah; N. Amer. informal sass, sassiness; archaic assumption.
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presumptive

adjective
a presumptive diagnosis
conjectural, speculative, tentative; theoretical, unproven, unconfirmed.
the heir presumptive
probable, likely, prospective, assumed, supposed, expected.
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presumptuous

adjective
brazen, overconfident, arrogant, bold, audacious, forward, familiar, impertinent, insolent, impudent, cocky; cheeky, rude, impolite, uncivil, bumptious; N. Amer. informal sassy; archaic assumptive.

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presuppose

verb
this presupposes the existence of a policy-making group
require, necessitate, imply, entail, mean, involve, assume.
I had presupposed that theme parks make people happy
presume, assume, take it for granted, take it as read, suppose, surmise, think, accept, consider.
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presupposition

noun
presumption, assumption, preconception, supposition, hypothesis, surmise, thesis, theory, premise, belief, postulation.

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pretence

noun
cease this pretence
make-believe, putting on an act, acting, dissembling, shamming, faking, feigning, simulation, dissimulation, play-acting, posturing; deception, deceit, deceitfulness, fraud, fraudulence, duplicity, subterfuge, trickery, dishonesty, hypocrisy, falsity, lying, mendacity.
he made a pretence of being unconcerned
(false) show, semblance, affectation, (false) appearance, outward appearance, impression, (false) front, guise, facade, display.
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she had dropped any pretence to faith
claim, profession.
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he was absolutely without pretence
pretentiousness, display, ostentation, affectation, showiness, posturing, humbug.
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ANTONYMS :honesty.

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pretend

verb
they just pretend to listen
make as if, profess, affect; dissimulate, dissemble, put it on, put on a false front, go through the motions, sham, fake it.
I'll pretend to be the dragon
put on an act, make believe, play at, act, play-act, impersonate.
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it was useless to pretend innocence
feign, sham, fake, simulate, put on, counterfeit, affect.
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he cannot pretend to sophistication
claim, lay claim to, purport to have, profess to have.
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adjective
(informal) a pretend conversation
imaginary, imagined, pretended, make-believe, made-up, fantasy, fantasized, dreamed-up, unreal, invented, fictitious, mythical, feigned, fake, mock, sham, simulated, artificial, ersatz, false, pseudo; informal phoney.

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pretended

adjective
fake, faked, affected, assumed, professed, spurious, mock, imitation, simulated, make-believe, pseudo, sham, false, bogus; informal pretend, phoney.

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pretender

noun
claimant, aspirant.

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pretension

noun
the author has no pretension to exhaustive coverage
aspiration, claim, assertion, pretence, profession.
she spoke without pretension
pretentiousness, affectation, affectedness, ostentation, ostentatiousness, artificiality, airs, posing, posturing, show, flashiness; pomposity, pompousness, grandiosity, grandiloquence, magniloquence.
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pretentious

adjective
affected, ostentatious, showy; overambitious, pompous, artificial, inflated, overblown, high-sounding, flowery, grandiose, elaborate, extravagant, flamboyant, ornate, grandiloquent, magniloquent; N. Amer. sophomoric; informal flashy, highfalutin, la-di-da, pseudo; Brit. informal poncey.

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preternatural

adjective
extraordinary, exceptional, unusual, uncommon, singular, unprecedented, remarkable, phenomenal, abnormal, inexplicable, unaccountable; strange, mysterious, fantastic.

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pretext

noun
(false) excuse, ostensible reason, alleged reason; guise, ploy, pretence, ruse.

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prettify

verb
beautify, make attractive, make pretty, titivate, adorn, ornament, decorate, smarten (up); informal doll up, do up, give something a facelift; Brit. informal tart up.

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pretty

adjective
a pretty child
attractive, lovely, good-looking, nice-looking, personable, fetching, prepossessing, appealing, charming, delightful, cute, as pretty as a picture; Scottish & N. English bonny; informal easy on the eye; poetic/literary beauteous; archaic fair, comely. ANTONYMS :plain, ugly.

adverb
a pretty large sum
quite, rather, somewhat, fairly, reasonably, comparatively, relatively.
verb
she's prettying herself
beautify, make attractive, make pretty, prettify, titivate, adorn, ornament, smarten; informal do oneself up; Brit. informal tart oneself up.

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prevail

verb
common sense will prevail
win (out/through), triumph, be victorious, carry the day, come out on top, succeed, prove superior, conquer, overcome; rule, reign.
the conditions that prevailed in the 1950s
exist, be in existence, be present, be the case, occur, be prevalent, be current, be the order of the day, be customary, be common, be widespread, be in force/effect; formal obtain.
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prevail on/upon
persuade, induce, talk someone into, coax, convince, make, get, press someone into, argue someone into, urge, pressure someone into, pressurize someone into, coerce; informal sweet-talk, soft-soap.

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prevailing

adjective
current, existing, prevalent, usual, common, general, widespread.

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prevalence

noun
commonness, currency, widespread presence, generality, popularity, pervasiveness, universality, extensiveness; rampancy, rifeness.

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prevalent

adjective
widespread, prevailing, frequent, usual, common, current, popular, general, universal; endemic, rampant, rife. ANTONYMS :rare.

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prevaricate

verb
be evasive, beat about the bush, hedge, fence, shilly-shally, dodge (the issue), sidestep (the issue), equivocate; temporize, stall (for time); Brit. hum and haw; archaic palter; rare tergiversate.

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prevent

verb
stop, put a stop to, avert, nip in the bud, fend off, stave off, ward off; hinder, impede, hamper, obstruct, baulk, foil, thwart, forestall, counteract, inhibit, curb, restrain, preclude, pre-empt, save, help; disallow, prohibit, forbid, proscribe, exclude, debar, bar; poetic/literary stay. ANTONYMS :allow.

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preventive

adjective
preventive maintenance
pre-emptive, deterrent, precautionary, protective.
preventive medicine
prophylactic, disease-preventing.
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noun
a preventive against crime
precautionary measure, deterrent, safeguard, security, protection, defence.
disease preventives
prophylactic (device), prophylactic medicine, preventive drug.
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previous

adjective
the previous five years | her previous boyfriend
foregoing, preceding, antecedent; old, earlier, prior, former, ex-, past, last, sometime, one-time, erstwhile; formal quondam, anterior; archaic whilom.
(informal) I was a bit previous
overhasty, hasty, premature, precipitate, impetuous; informal ahead of oneself.
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ANTONYMS :next.

previous to
before, prior to, until, (leading) up to, earlier than, preceding; formal anterior to.

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previously

adverb
formerly, earlier (on), before, hitherto, once, at one time, in the past, in days/times gone by, in bygone days, in times past, in former times; in advance, already, beforehand; formal heretofore.

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prey

noun
the lions killed their prey
quarry, kill.
she was easy prey
victim, target, dupe, gull; informal sucker, soft touch, pushover; N. Amer. informal patsy, sap, schlemiel; Austral./NZ informal dill.
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ANTONYMS :predator.

prey on
hoverfly larvae prey on aphids
hunt, catch; eat, feed on, live on/off.

they prey on the elderly
exploit, victimize, pick on, take advantage of; trick, swindle, cheat, hoodwink, fleece; informal con.
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the problem preyed on his mind
oppress, weigh (heavily) on, lie heavy on, gnaw at; trouble, worry, beset, disturb, distress, haunt, nag, torment, plague, obsess.
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price

noun
the purchase price
cost, asking price, charge, fee, fare, levy, amount, sum; outlay, expense, expenditure; valuation, quotation, estimate; informal, humorous damage.
spinsterhood was the price of her career
consequence, result, cost, penalty, sacrifice; downside, snag, drawback, disadvantage, minus.
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he had a price on his head
reward, bounty, premium.
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verb
a ticket is priced at £5.00
fix/set the price of, cost, value, rate; estimate.
at a price
at a high price/cost, at considerable cost, for a great deal of money. at any price
whatever the price, at whatever cost, no matter (what) the cost. beyond price. See priceless sense 1.

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priceless

adjective
priceless works of art
of incalculable value/worth, of immeasurable value/worth, invaluable, beyond price; irreplaceable, incomparable, unparalleled.
(informal) that's priceless!
See hilarious sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :worthless, cheap.

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pricey

adjective
(informal). See expensive.

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prick

verb
prick the potatoes with a fork
pierce, puncture, make/put a hole in, stab, perforate, nick, jab.
his eyes began to prick
sting, smart, burn, prickle.
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his conscience pricked him
trouble, worry, distress, perturb, disturb, cause someone anguish, afflict, torment, plague, prey on, gnaw at.
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ambition pricked him on to greater effort
goad, prod, incite, provoke, urge, spur, stimulate, encourage, inspire, motivate, push, propel, impel.
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the horse pricked up its ears
raise, erect.
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noun
a prick in the leg
jab, sting, pinprick, stab.
the prick of tears behind her eyelids
sting, stinging, smart, smarting, burning.
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the prick of conscience
pang, twinge, stab.
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prick up one's ears
listen carefully, pay attention, become attentive, begin to take notice, attend; informal be all ears; poetic/literary hark.

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prickle

noun
the cactus is covered with prickles
thorn, needle, barb, spike, point, spine; technical spicule.
Willie felt a cold prickle of fear
tingle, tingling (sensation), prickling sensation, chill, thrill; Medicine paraesthesia.
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verb
its tiny spikes prickled his skin
sting, prick.

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prickly

adjective
a prickly hedgehog
spiky, spiked, thorny, barbed, spiny; briary, brambly; rough, scratchy; technical spiculate, spicular, aculeate, spinose.
my skin feels prickly
tingly, tingling, prickling.
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a prickly character.
See irritable.
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the prickly question of the refugees
problematic, awkward, ticklish, tricky, delicate, sensitive, difficult, knotty, thorny, irksome, tough, troublesome, bothersome, vexatious.
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pride

noun
their triumphs were a source of pride
self-esteem, dignity, honour, self-respect, self-worth, self-regard, pride in oneself.
take pride in a good job well done
pleasure, joy, delight, gratification, fulfilment, satisfaction, sense of achievement.
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he refused her offer out of pride
arrogance, vanity, self-importance, hubris, conceit, conceitedness, self-love, self-adulation, self-admiration, narcissism, egotism, superciliousness, haughtiness, snobbery, snobbishness; informal big-headedness; poetic/literary vainglory.
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the bull is the pride of the herd
best, finest, top, cream, pick, choice, prize, glory, the jewel in the crown.
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the vegetable garden was the pride of the gardener
source of satisfaction, pride and joy, treasured possession, joy, delight.
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ANTONYMS :shame, humility.

pride oneself on
be proud of, be proud of oneself for, take pride in, take satisfaction in, congratulate oneself on, pat oneself on the back for; archaic pique oneself on/in.

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priest

noun
clergyman, clergywoman, minister (of religion), cleric, ecclesiastic, pastor, vicar, rector, parson, churchman, churchwoman, man/woman of the cloth, man/woman of God, father, curate, chaplain, curé, evangelist, preacher; Scottish kirkman; N. Amer. dominie; informal reverend, padre, Holy Joe, sky pilot; Austral. informal josser; dated divine.

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priestly

adjective
clerical, pastoral, priestlike, ecclesiastical, sacerdotal, hieratic, rectorial; archaic vicarial.

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prig

noun
prude, puritan, killjoy, Mrs Grundy; informal goody-goody, holy Joe; N. Amer. informal bluenose.

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priggish

adjective
self-righteous, holier-than-thou, sanctimonious, moralistic, prudish, puritanical, prim, strait-laced, stuffy, prissy, narrow-minded; informal goody-goody, starchy. ANTONYMS :broad-minded.

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prim

adjective
demure, (prim and) proper, formal, stuffy, strait-laced, prudish; prissy, mimsy, priggish, puritanical; Brit. po-faced; informal starchy.

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primacy

noun
greater importance, priority, precedence, pre-eminence, superiority, supremacy, ascendancy, dominance, dominion, leadership.

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prima donna

noun
leading soprano, leading lady, diva, (opera) star, principal singer.

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primal

adjective
primal masculine instincts
basic, fundamental, essential, elemental, vital, central, intrinsic, inherent.
the primal source of living things
original, initial, earliest, first, primitive, primeval.
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primarily

adverb
the bishop was primarily a leader of the local community
first (and foremost), firstly, essentially, in essence, fundamentally, principally, predominantly, basically.
such work is undertaken primarily for large institutions
mostly, for the most part, chiefly, mainly, in the main, on the whole, largely, to a large extent, especially, generally, usually, typically, commonly, as a rule.
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primary

adjective
our primary role
main, chief, key, prime, central, principal, foremost, first, most important, predominant, paramount; informal number-one.
the primary cause
original, earliest, initial, first; essential, fundamental, basic.
Top
ANTONYMS :secondary.

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prime 1

adjective
his prime reason for leaving
main, chief, key, primary, central, principal, foremost, first, most important, paramount, major; informal number-one.
the prime cause of flooding
fundamental, basic, essential, primary, central.
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prime agricultural land
top-quality, top, best, first-class, first-rate, grade A, superior, supreme, choice, select, finest; excellent, superb, fine; informal tip-top, A1, top-notch.
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a prime example
archetypal, prototypical, typical, classic, excellent, characteristic, quintessential.
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ANTONYMS :secondary, inferior.

noun
he is in his prime
heyday, best days/years, prime of one's life; youth, salad days; peak, pinnacle, high point/spot, zenith.

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prime 2

verb
he primed the gun
prepare, load, get ready.
Lucy had primed him carefully
brief, fill in, prepare, put in the picture, inform, advise, instruct, coach, drill; informal clue in, give someone the low-down.
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prime minister

noun
premier, first minister, head of the government.

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primeval

adjective
primeval forest
ancient, earliest, first, prehistoric, antediluvian, primordial; pristine, original, virgin.
primeval fears
instinctive, primitive, basic, primal, primordial, intuitive, inborn, innate, inherent.
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primitive

adjective
primitive times
ancient, earliest, first, prehistoric, antediluvian, primordial, primeval, primal.
primitive peoples
uncivilized, barbarian, barbaric, barbarous, savage, ignorant, uncultivated.
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primitive tools
crude, simple, rough (and ready), basic, rudimentary, unrefined, unsophisticated, rude, makeshift.
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primitive art
simple, natural, unsophisticated, unaffected, undeveloped, unpretentious.
Top
ANTONYMS :sophisticated, civilized.

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primordial

adjective
the primordial oceans
ancient, earliest, first, prehistoric, antediluvian, primeval.
their primordial desires
instinctive, primitive, basic, primal, primeval, intuitive, inborn, innate, inherent.
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primp

verb
groom, tidy, arrange, brush, comb; smarten (up), spruce up; informal titivate, doll up; Brit. informal tart up; N. Amer. informal gussy up.

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prince

noun
ruler, sovereign, monarch, king, princeling; crown prince; emir, sheikh, sultan, maharaja, raja.

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princely

adjective
princely buildings.
See splendid sense 1.
a princely sum.
See handsome sense 3.
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principal

adjective
the principal cause of poor air quality
main, chief, primary, leading, foremost, first, most important, predominant, dominant, (most) prominent; key, crucial, vital, essential, basic, prime, central, focal; premier, paramount, major, overriding, cardinal, pre-eminent, uppermost, highest, top, topmost; informal number-one. ANTONYMS :minor.

noun
the principal of the firm
chief, chief executive (officer), CEO, chairman, chairwoman, managing director, MD, president, director, manager, head; informal boss; Brit. informal gaffer, governor.
the school's principal
head (teacher), headmaster, headmistress; dean, rector, chancellor, vice-chancellor, president, provost; N. Amer. informal prexy.
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a principal in a soap opera
leading actor/actress, leading player/performer, leading role, lead, star.
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repayment of the principal
capital (sum), debt, loan.
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principally

adverb
mainly, mostly, chiefly, for the most part, in the main, on the whole, largely, to a large extent, predominantly, basically, primarily.

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principle

noun
elementary principles
truth, proposition, concept, idea, theory, assumption, fundamental, essential.
the principle of laissez-faire
doctrine, belief, creed, credo, (golden) rule, criterion, tenet, code, ethic, dictum, canon, law.
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a woman of principle | sticking to one's principles
morals, morality, (code of) ethics, beliefs, ideals, standards; integrity, uprightness, righteousness, virtue, probity, (sense of) honour, decency, conscience, scruples.
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in principle
there is no reason, in principle, why we couldn't work together
in theory, theoretically, on paper.

he has accepted the idea in principle
in general, in essence, on the whole, in the main.
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principled

adjective
moral, ethical, virtuous, righteous, upright, upstanding, high-minded, honourable, honest, incorruptible.

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prink

verb
groom, tidy, arrange, smarten (up), spruce up, preen, primp; informal titivate, doll up; Brit. informal tart up; N. Amer. informal gussy up.

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print

verb
four newspapers are printed in the town
set in print, send to press, run off, reprint.
patterns were printed on the cloth
imprint, impress, stamp, mark.
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they printed 30,000 copies
publish, issue, release, circulate.
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the incident is printed on her memory
register, record, impress, imprint, engrave, etch, stamp, mark.
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noun
small print
type, printing, letters, lettering, characters, type size, typeface, font.
prints of his left hand
impression, fingerprint, footprint.
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sporting prints
picture, design, engraving, etching, lithograph, linocut, woodcut.
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prints and negatives
photograph, photo, snap, snapshot, picture, still; Brit. enprint.
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soft floral prints
printed cloth/fabric, patterned cloth/fabric, chintz.
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in print
published, printed, available in bookshops. out of print
no longer available, unavailable, unobtainable.

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prior

adjective
by prior arrangement
earlier, previous, preceding, foregoing, antecedent, advance; formal anterior. ANTONYMS :subsequent.

prior to
before, until, till, up to, previous to, earlier than, preceding, leading up to; formal anterior to.

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priority

noun
safety is our priority
prime concern, most important consideration, primary issue.
giving priority to primary education
precedence, greater importance, preference, pre-eminence, predominance, primacy, first place.
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traffic on the roundabout has priority
right of way.
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priory

noun
religious house, abbey, cloister; monastery, friary; convent, nunnery.

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prise

verb
I prised the lid off
lever, jemmy; wrench, wrest, twist; N. Amer. pry, jimmy.
he had to prise information from them
wring, wrest, worm out, winkle out, screw, squeeze, extract.
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prison

noun
jail, lock-up, penal institution, detention centre; Brit. young offender institution; N. Amer. jailhouse, penitentiary, correctional facility; informal clink, slammer, stir, jug, brig; Brit. informal nick; N. Amer. informal can, pen, cooler, pokey, slam; Brit. informal, dated chokey, quod; Brit. historical approved school, borstal, bridewell; Brit. Military glasshouse; (be in prison) informal be inside, be behind bars, do time; Brit. informal do bird, do porridge. custodial.

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prisoner

noun
a prisoner serving a life sentence
convict, detainee, inmate; informal jailbird, con; Brit. informal (old) lag; N. Amer. informal yardbird.
the army took many prisoners
prisoner of war, POW, internee, captive.
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prissy

adjective
prudish, priggish, prim, prim and proper, strait-laced, Victorian, old-maidish, schoolmistressy, schoolmarmish; Brit. po-faced; informal starchy. ANTONYMS :broad-minded.

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pristine

adjective
immaculate, perfect, in mint condition, as new, unspoilt, spotless, flawless, clean, fresh, new, virgin, pure, unused. ANTONYMS :dirty, spoilt.

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privacy

noun
seclusion, solitude, isolation, freedom from disturbance, freedom from interference.

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private

adjective
his private plane
personal, own, individual, special, exclusive, privately owned.
private talks
confidential, secret, classified, unofficial, off the record, closet, in camera; backstage, privileged, one-on-one, tête-à-tête.
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private thoughts
intimate, personal, secret; innermost, undisclosed, unspoken, unvoiced.
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a very private man
reserved, introvert, introverted, self-contained, reticent, discreet, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, retiring, unsociable, withdrawn, solitary, reclusive, hermitic.
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they found a private place in which to talk
secluded, solitary, undisturbed, concealed, hidden, remote, isolated, out of the way, sequestered.
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we can be private here
undisturbed, uninterrupted; alone, by ourselves.
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the Queen attended in a private capacity
unofficial, personal.
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private industry
independent, non-state; privatized, denationalized; commercial, private-enterprise.
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ANTONYMS :public, open, extrovert, busy, crowded, official, state , nationalized.

noun
a private in the army
private soldier, common soldier; trooper; Brit. sapper, gunner, ranker; US GI; Brit. informal Tommy, squaddie.
in private
in secret, secretly, privately, behind closed doors, in camera, à huis clos; in confidence, confidentially, between ourselves, entre nous, off the record; formal sub rosa.

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private detective

noun
private investigator; Brit. enquiry agent; informal private eye, PI, sleuth, snoop; N. Amer. informal shamus, gumshoe; informal, dated private dick.

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privately

adverb
we must talk privately
in secret, secretly, in private, behind closed doors, in camera, à huis clos; in confidence, confidentially, between ourselves, entre nous, off the record; formal sub rosa.
privately, I am glad
secretly, inwardly, deep down, personally, unofficially.
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he lived very privately
out of the public eye, out of public view, in seclusion, in solitude, alone.
Top
ANTONYMS :publicly.

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privation

noun
deprivation, hardship, destitution, impoverishment, want, need, neediness, austerity. ANTONYMS :plenty, luxury.

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privilege

noun
senior pupils have certain privileges
advantage, benefit; prerogative, entitlement, right; concession, freedom, liberty.
it was a privilege to meet her
honour, pleasure.
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parliamentary privilege
immunity, exemption, dispensation.
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privileged

adjective
a privileged background
wealthy, rich, affluent, prosperous; lucky, fortunate, elite, favoured; (socially) advantaged.
privileged information
confidential, private, secret, restricted, classified, not for publication, off the record, inside; informal hush-hush.
Top
MPs are privileged
immune (from prosecution), protected, exempt, excepted.
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ANTONYMS :underprivileged, disadvantaged, public, liable.

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privy

adjective
he was not privy to the discussions
in the know about, acquainted with, in on, informed of, advised of, apprised of; informal genned up on, clued up on, wise to; formal cognizant of.
noun
he went out to the privy.
See toilet sense 1.

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prize

noun
an art prize
award, reward, premium, purse; trophy, medal; honour, accolade, crown, laurels, palm.
the prizes of war
spoils, booty, plunder, loot, pickings.
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adjective
a prize bull
champion, award-winning, prize-winning, winning, top, best.
a prize example
outstanding, excellent, superlative, superb, supreme, very good, prime, fine, magnificent, marvellous, wonderful; informal great, terrific, tremendous, fantastic.
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a prize idiot
utter, complete, total, absolute, real, perfect, positive, veritable; Brit. informal right, bloody; Austral./NZ informal fair.
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ANTONYMS :second-rate.

verb
many collectors prize his work
value, set great store by, rate highly, attach great importance to, esteem, hold in high regard, think highly of, treasure, cherish.

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prized

adjective
treasured, precious, cherished, much loved, beloved, valued, esteemed, highly regarded.

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prizewinner

noun
champion, winner, gold medallist, victor; informal champ, number one.

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probability

noun
the probability of winning
likelihood, prospect, expectation, chance, chances, odds.
relegation is a distinct probability
probable event, prospect, possibility, good/fair/reasonable bet.
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probable

adjective
likely, most likely, odds-on, expected, anticipated, predictable, foreseeable, ten to one; informal on the cards, a good/fair/reasonable bet. ANTONYMS :unlikely.

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probably

adverb
in all likelihood, in all probability, as like(ly) as not, (very/most) likely, ten to one, the chances are, doubtless, no doubt; archaic like enough.

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probation

noun
trial period, test period, experimental period, trial.

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probe

noun
a probe into an air crash
investigation, enquiry, examination, inquest, exploration, study, analysis.
verb
hands probed his body
examine, feel, feel around, explore, prod, poke, check.
police probed the tragedy
investigate, enquire into, look into, study, examine, scrutinize, go into, carry out an inquest into.
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probity

noun
integrity, honesty, uprightness, decency, morality, rectitude, goodness, virtue, right-mindedness, trustworthiness, truthfulness, honour. ANTONYMS :untrustworthiness.

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problem

noun
they ran into a problem
difficulty, trouble, worry, complication, difficult situation; snag, hitch, drawback, stumbling block, obstacle, hurdle, hiccup, setback, catch; predicament, plight; misfortune, mishap, misadventure; informal dilemma, headache, prob, facer.
I don't want to be a problem
nuisance, bother, pest, irritant, thorn in one's side/flesh, vexation; informal drag, pain, pain in the neck.
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arithmetical problems
puzzle, question, poser, enigma, riddle, conundrum; informal teaser, brain-teaser.
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adjective
a problem child
troublesome, difficult, unmanageable, unruly, disobedient, uncontrollable, recalcitrant, delinquent. ANTONYMS :well behaved, manageable.

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problematic

adjective
difficult, hard, taxing, troublesome, tricky, awkward, controversial, ticklish, complicated, complex, knotty, thorny, prickly, vexed; informal sticky; Brit. informal dodgy. ANTONYMS :easy, simple, straightforward.

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procedure

noun
course of action, line of action, policy, series of steps, method, system, strategy, way, approach, formula, mechanism, methodology, MO (modus operandi), technique; routine, drill, practice.

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proceed

verb
she was uncertain how to proceed
begin, make a start, get going, move, set something in motion; take action, act, go on, go ahead, make progress, make headway.
he proceeded down the road
go, make one's way, advance, move, progress, carry on, press on, push on.
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we should proceed with the talks
go ahead, carry on, go on, continue, keep on, get on, get ahead; pursue, prosecute.
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there is not enough evidence to proceed against him
take someone to court, start/take proceedings against, start an action against, sue.
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all power proceeds from God
originate, spring, stem, come, derive, arise, issue, flow, emanate.
Top
ANTONYMS :stop.

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proceedings

plural noun
the evening's proceedings
events, activities, happenings, goings-on, doings.
the proceedings of the meeting
report, transactions, minutes, account, record(s); annals, archives.
Top
legal proceedings
legal action, court/judicial proceedings, litigation; lawsuit, case, prosecution.
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proceeds

plural noun
profits, earnings, receipts, returns, takings, income, revenue; Sport gate (money/receipts); N. Amer. take.

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process

noun
investigation is a long process
procedure, operation, action, activity, exercise, affair, business, job, task, undertaking.
a new canning process
method, system, technique, means, practice, way, approach, methodology.
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verb
applications are processed rapidly
deal with, attend to, see to, sort out, handle, take care of, action.
in the process of
in the middle of, in the course of, in the midst of, in the throes of, busy with, occupied in/with, taken up with/by, involved in.

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procession

noun
a procession through the town
parade, march, march past, cavalcade, motorcade, cortège; column, file, train.
a procession of dance routines
series, succession, stream, string, sequence, run.
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proclaim

verb
messengers proclaimed the good news
declare, announce, pronounce, state, make known, give out, advertise, publish, broadcast, promulgate, trumpet, blazon.
the men proclaimed their innocence
assert, declare, profess, maintain, protest.
Top
he proclaimed himself president
declare, pronounce, announce.
Top
cheap paint soon proclaims its cheapness
demonstrate, indicate, show, reveal, manifest, betray, testify to, signify.
Top

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proclamation

noun
declaration, announcement, pronouncement, statement, notification, publication, broadcast, promulgation, blazoning; assertion, profession, protestation; decree, order, edict, ruling.

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proclivity

noun
inclination, tendency, leaning, disposition, proneness, propensity, bent, bias, penchant, predisposition; predilection, partiality, liking, preference, taste, fondness, weakness.

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procrastinate

verb
delay, put off doing something, postpone action, defer action, be dilatory, use delaying tactics, stall, temporize, drag one's feet/heels, take one's time, play for time, play a waiting game.

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procreate

verb
produce offspring, reproduce, multiply, propagate, breed.

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procure

verb
he managed to procure a coat
obtain, acquire, get, find, come by, secure, pick up; buy, purchase; informal get hold of, get one's hands on.
the police found that he was procuring
pimp; Brit. informal ponce.
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prod

verb
Cassie prodded him in the chest
poke, jab, dig, elbow, butt, stab.
they hoped to prod the government into action
spur, stimulate, stir, rouse, prompt, drive, galvanize; persuade, urge, chivvy; incite, goad, egg on, provoke.
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noun
a prod in the ribs
poke, jab, dig, elbow, butt, thrust.
they need a prod to get them to do act
stimulus, push, prompt, reminder, spur; incitement, goad.
Top

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prodigal

adjective
prodigal habits die hard
wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, profligate, improvident, imprudent.
a composer who is prodigal with his talents
generous, lavish, liberal, unstinting, unsparing; poetic/literary bounteous.
Top
a dessert prodigal with whipped cream
abounding in, abundant in, rich in, covered in, awash with.
Top
ANTONYMS :thrifty, mean, deficient.

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prodigious

adjective
enormous, huge, colossal, immense, vast, great, massive, gigantic, mammoth, tremendous, inordinate, monumental; amazing, astonishing, astounding, staggering, stunning, remarkable, phenomenal, terrific, miraculous, impressive, striking, startling, sensational, spectacular, extraordinary, exceptional, breathtaking, incredible; informal humongous, stupendous, fantastic, fabulous, mega, awesome; Brit. informal ginormous; poetic/literary wondrous. ANTONYMS :small, unexceptional.

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prodigy

noun
a seven-year-old prodigy
genius, mastermind, virtuoso, wunderkind, wonder child; informal whizz-kid, whizz, wizard.
Germany seemed a prodigy of industrial discipline
model, classic example, paragon, paradigm, epitome, exemplar, archetype.
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produce

verb
the company produces furniture
manufacture, make, construct, build, fabricate, put together, assemble, turn out, create; mass-produce; informal churn out.
the vineyards produce excellent wines
yield, grow, give, supply, provide, furnish, bear, bring forth.
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she produced ten puppies
give birth to, bear, deliver, bring forth, bring into the world.
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he produced five novels
create, originate, fashion, turn out; compose, write, pen; paint.
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she produced an ID card
pull out, extract, fish out; present, offer, proffer, show.
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no evidence was produced
present, offer, provide, furnish, advance, put forward, bring forward, come up with.
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that will produce a reaction
give rise to, bring about, cause, occasion, generate, engender, lead to, result in, effect, induce, set off; provoke, precipitate, breed, spark off, trigger; poetic/literary beget.
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James produced the play
stage, put on, mount, present.
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-facien t, -genic.
noun
fresh produce
food, foodstuff(s), products; harvest, crops, fruit, vegetables, greens; Brit. greengrocery.

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producer

noun
a car producer
manufacturer, maker, builder, constructor, fabricator.
coffee producers
grower, farmer.
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the producer of the show
impresario, manager, administrator, promoter, regisseur.
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product

noun
a household product
artefact, commodity, manufactured article; creation, invention; (products) goods, wares, merchandise, produce.
his skill is a product of experience
result, consequence, outcome, effect, upshot, fruit, by-product, spin-off.
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production

noun
the production of cars
manufacture, making, construction, building, fabrication, assembly, creation; mass-production.
the production of literary works
creation, origination, fashioning; composition, writing.
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literary productions
work, opus, creation; publication, composition, piece; work of art, painting, picture.
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agricultural production
output, yield; productivity.
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admission only on production of a ticket
presentation, proffering, showing.
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a theatre production
performance, staging, presentation, show, piece, play.
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productive

adjective
a productive artist
prolific, inventive, creative; energetic.
productive talks
useful, constructive, profitable, fruitful, gainful, valuable, effective, worthwhile, helpful.
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productive land
fertile, fruitful, rich, fecund.
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ANTONYMS :sterile, barren.

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productivity

noun
workers have boosted productivity
efficiency, work rate; output, yield, production.
the productivity of the soil
fruitfulness, fertility, richness, fecundity.
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ANTONYMS :sterility, barrenness.

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profane

adjective
subjects both sacred and profane
secular, lay, non-religious, temporal; formal laic.
a profane man
irreverent, irreligious, ungodly, godless, unbelieving, impious, disrespectful, sacrilegious.
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profane language
obscene, blasphemous, indecent, foul, vulgar, crude, filthy, dirty, smutty, coarse, rude, offensive, indecorous.
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ANTONYMS :religious, sacred, reverent, decorous.

verb
invaders profaned our temples
desecrate, violate, defile, treat sacrilegiously.

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profanity

noun
he hissed a profanity | an outburst of profanity
oath, swear word, expletive, curse, obscenity, four-letter word, dirty word; blasphemy, swearing, foul language, bad language, cursing; informal cuss, cuss word; formal imprecation; archaic execration.
some traditional festivals were tainted with profanity
sacrilege, blasphemy, irreligion, ungodliness, impiety, irreverence, disrespect.
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profess

verb
he professed his love
declare, announce, proclaim, assert, state, affirm, avow, maintain, protest; formal aver.
she professed to loathe publicity
claim, pretend, purport, affect; make out; informal let on.
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the Emperor professed Christianity
affirm one's faith in, affirm one's allegiance to, avow, confess.
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professed

adjective
his professed ambition
claimed, supposed, ostensible, self-styled, apparent, pretended, purported.
a professed Christian
declared, self-acknowledged, self-confessed, confessed, sworn, avowed, confirmed.
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profession

noun
his chosen profession of teaching
career, occupation, calling, vocation, métier, line (of work), walk of life, job, business, trade, craft; informal racket.
a profession of allegiance
declaration, affirmation, statement, announcement, proclamation, assertion, avowal, vow, claim, protestation; formal averment.
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professional

adjective
people in professional occupations
white-collar, non-manual.
a professional cricketer
paid, salaried.
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a thoroughly professional performance
expert, accomplished, skilful, masterly, masterful, fine, polished, skilled, proficient, competent, able, experienced, practised, trained, seasoned, businesslike, deft; informal ace, crack, top-notch.
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not a professional way to behave
appropriate, fitting, proper, honourable, ethical, correct, comme il faut.
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ANTONYMS :manual, amateur, amateurish, inappropriate, unethical.

noun
affluent young professionals
white-collar worker, office worker.
his first season as a professional
professional player, paid player, salaried player; informal pro.
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she was a real professional on stage
expert, virtuoso, old hand, master, maestro, past master; informal pro, ace, wizard, whizz, hotshot; Brit. informal dab hand; N. Amer. informal maven, crackerjack.
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ANTONYMS :manual worker, amateur.

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professor

noun
holder of a chair, head of faculty, head of department; N. Amer. full professor; informal prof.

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proffer

verb
offer, tender, submit, extend, volunteer, suggest, propose, put forward; hold out. ANTONYMS :refuse, withdraw.

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proficiency

noun
skill, expertise, experience, accomplishment, competence, mastery, prowess, professionalism, deftness, adroitness, dexterity, finesse, ability, facility; informal know-how. ANTONYMS :incompetence.

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proficient

adjective
skilled, skilful, expert, experienced, accomplished, competent, masterly, adept, adroit, deft, dexterous, able, professional, consummate, complete, master; informal crack, ace, mean. ANTONYMS :incompetent.

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profile

noun
his handsome profile
side view, outline, silhouette, contour, shape, form, figure, lines.
she wrote a profile of the organization
description, account, study, portrait, portrayal, depiction, rundown, sketch, outline.
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verb
he was profiled in the Irish Times
describe, write about, give an account of, portray, depict, sketch, outline.
keep a low profile
lie low, keep quiet, keep out of the public eye, avoid publicity, keep out of sight.

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profit

noun
the firm made a profit
(financial) gain, return(s), yield, proceeds, earnings, winnings, surplus, excess; informal pay dirt, bottom line.
there was little profit in going on
advantage, benefit, value, use, good, avail; informal mileage.
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ANTONYMS :loss, disadvantage.

verb
the company will not profit from the disposal
make money, make a profit; informal rake it in, clean up, make a packet, make a killing, make a bundle; N. Amer. informal make big bucks, make a fast/quick buck.
how will that profit us?
benefit, be beneficial to, be of benefit to, be advantageous to, be of advantage to, be of use to, be of value to, do someone good, help, be of service to, serve, assist, aid.
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ANTONYMS :lose, disadvantage.

profit by/from
benefit from, take advantage of, derive benefit from, capitalize on, make the most of, turn to one's advantage, put to good use, do well out of, exploit, gain from; informal cash in on.

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profitable

adjective
a profitable company
moneymaking, profit-making, commercial, successful, money-spinning, solvent, in the black, gainful, remunerative, financially rewarding, paying, lucrative, bankable.
profitable study
beneficial, useful, advantageous, valuable, productive, worthwhile; rewarding, fruitful, illuminating, informative, well spent.
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ANTONYMS :loss-making, fruitless, useless.

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profiteer

verb
a shopkeeper was charged with profiteering
overcharge, racketeer; cheat someone, fleece someone; informal rip someone off, rob someone.
noun
he was a war profiteer
racketeer, exploiter, black marketeer; informal bloodsucker.

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profligate

adjective
profligate local authorities
wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, improvident, prodigal.
a profligate lifestyle
dissolute, degenerate, dissipated, debauched, corrupt, depraved; promiscuous, loose, wanton, licentious, libertine, decadent, abandoned, fast; sybaritic, voluptuary.
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ANTONYMS :thrifty, frugal, moral, upright.

noun
he was an out-and-out profligate
libertine, debauchee, degenerate, dissolute, roué, rake, loose-liver; sybarite, voluptuary; dated rip.

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profound

adjective
profound relief
heartfelt, intense, keen, great, extreme, acute, severe, sincere, earnest, deep, deep-seated, overpowering, overwhelming, fervent, ardent.
profound silence
complete, utter, total, absolute.
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a profound change
far-reaching, radical, extensive, sweeping, exhaustive, thoroughgoing.
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a profound analysis
wise, learned, clever, intelligent, scholarly, sage, erudite, discerning, penetrating, perceptive, astute, thoughtful, insightful, percipient, perspicacious; rare sapient.
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profound truths
complex, abstract, deep, weighty, difficult, abstruse, recondite, esoteric.
Top
ANTONYMS :superficial, mild, slight, simple.

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profuse

adjective
profuse apologies
copious, prolific, abundant, liberal, unstinting, fulsome, effusive, extravagant, lavish, gushing; informal over the top, gushy.
profuse blooms
luxuriant, plentiful, copious, abundant, lush, rich, exuberant, riotous, teeming, rank, rampant; informal jungly.
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ANTONYMS :meagre, sparse.

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profusion

noun
abundance, mass, host, cornucopia, riot, plethora, superabundance; informal sea, wealth; formal plenitude.

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progenitor

noun
the progenitor of an illustrious family
ancestor, forefather, forebear, parent, primogenitor; Law stirps; archaic begetter.
the progenitor of modern jazz
originator, creator, founder, architect, inventor, pioneer.
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progeny

noun
offspring, young, babies, children, sons and daughters, family, brood; descendants, heirs, scions; Law issue; archaic seed, fruit of one's loins.

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prognosis

noun
forecast, prediction, prognostication, prophecy, divination, augury.

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prognosticate

verb
forecast, predict, prophesy, foretell, foresee, forewarn of.

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prognostication

noun
prediction, forecast, prophecy, prognosis, divination, augury.

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programme

noun
our programme for the day
schedule, agenda, calendar, timetable; order of events, line-up.
the government's reform programme
scheme, plan of action, series of measures, strategy.
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a television programme
broadcast, production, show, presentation, transmission, performance, telecast; informal prog.
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a programme of study
course, syllabus, curriculum.
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a theatre programme
guide, list of performers; N. Amer. playbill.
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verb
they programmed the day well
arrange, organize, schedule, plan, map out, timetable, line up; N. Amer. slate.

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progress

noun
boulders made progress difficult
forward movement, advance, going, progression, headway, passage.
scientific progress
development, advance, advancement, headway, step(s) forward; improvement, betterment, growth.
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ANTONYMS :relapse.

verb
they progressed slowly down the road
go, make one's way, move, move forward, go forward, proceed, advance, go on, continue, make headway, work one's way.
the school has progressed rapidly
develop, make progress, advance, make headway, take steps forward, move on, get on, gain ground; improve, get better, come on, come along, make strides; thrive, prosper, blossom, flourish; informal be getting there.
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ANTONYMS :relapse.

in progress
under way, going on, ongoing, happening, occurring, taking place, proceeding, continuing; unfinished, on the stocks; N. Amer. in the works.

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progression

noun
progression to the next stage
progress, advancement, movement, passage, march; development, evolution, growth.
a progression of peaks on the graph
succession, series, sequence, string, stream, chain, concatenation, train, row, cycle.
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progressive

adjective
progressive deterioration
continuing, continuous, increasing, growing, developing, ongoing, accelerating, escalating; gradual, step-by-step, cumulative.
progressive views
modern, liberal, advanced, forward-thinking, enlightened, enterprising, innovative, pioneering, dynamic, bold, avant-garde, reforming, reformist, radical; informal go-ahead.
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ANTONYMS :conservative, reactionary.

noun
he is very much a progressive
innovator, reformer, reformist, liberal, libertarian.

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prohibit

verb
state law prohibits gambling
forbid, ban, bar, interdict, proscribe, make illegal, embargo, outlaw, disallow, veto; Law enjoin.
a cash shortage prohibited the visit
prevent, stop, rule out, preclude, make impossible.
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ANTONYMS :allow.

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prohibited

adjective
illegal, illicit, against the law, verboten; Islam haram; informal not on, out, no go; formal non licet. ANTONYMS :permitted.

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prohibition

noun
the prohibition of cannabis
banning, forbidding, prohibiting, barring, debarment, vetoing, proscription, interdiction, outlawing.
a prohibition was imposed
ban, bar, interdict, veto, embargo, injunction, moratorium.
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prohibitive

adjective
prohibitive costs
excessively high, sky-high, over-inflated; out of the question, beyond one's means; extortionate, unreasonable, exorbitant; informal steep, criminal.
prohibitive regulations
proscriptive, prohibitory, restrictive, repressive.
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project

noun
an engineering project
scheme, plan, programme, enterprise, undertaking, venture; proposal, idea, concept.
a history project
assignment, piece of work, piece of research, task.
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verb
profits are projected to rise
forecast, predict, expect, estimate, calculate, reckon.
his projected book
intend, plan, propose, devise, design, outline.
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balconies projected over the lake
stick out, jut (out), protrude, extend, stand out, bulge out, poke out, thrust out, cantilever.
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seeds are projected from the tree
propel, discharge, launch, throw, cast, fling, hurl, shoot.
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the sun projected his shadow on the wall
cast, throw, send, shed, shine.
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she tried to project a calm image
convey, put across, put over, communicate, present, promote.
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projectile

noun
missile.

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projecting

adjective
sticking out, protuberant, protruding, prominent, jutting, overhanging, proud, bulging; informal sticky-out. ANTONYMS :sunken, flush.

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projection

noun
a sales projection
forecast, prediction, prognosis, expectation, estimate.
tiny projections on the cliff face
protuberance, protrusion, sticking-out bit, prominence, eminence, outcrop, outgrowth, jut, jag, snag; overhang, ledge, shelf; informal sticky-out bit.
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proletarian

adjective
a proletarian background
working-class, plebeian, cloth-cap, common. ANTONYMS :aristocratic.

noun
disaffected proletarians
working-class person, worker, plebeian, commoner, man/woman/person in the street; derogatory prole. ANTONYMS :aristocrat.

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proletariat

noun
the workers, working-class people, wage-earners, the labouring classes, the common people, the lower classes, the masses, the commonalty, the rank and file, the third estate, the plebeians; derogatory the hoi polloi, the plebs, the proles, the great unwashed, the mob, the rabble. ANTONYMS :aristocracy.

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proliferate

verb
increase rapidly, grow rapidly, multiply, rocket, mushroom, snowball, burgeon, run riot. ANTONYMS :decrease, dwindle.

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prolific

adjective
a prolific crop of tomatoes
plentiful, abundant, bountiful, profuse, copious, luxuriant, rich, lush; fruitful, fecund; poetic/literary plenteous, bounteous.
a prolific composer
productive, creative, inventive, fertile.
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prolix

adjective
long-winded, verbose, wordy, pleonastic, discursive, rambling, long-drawn-out, overlong, lengthy, protracted, interminable; informal windy; Brit. informal waffly.

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prologue

noun
introduction, foreword, preface, preamble, prelude; informal intro; formal exordium, proem, prolegomenon. ANTONYMS :epilogue.

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prolong

verb
lengthen, extend, draw out, drag out, protract, spin out, stretch out, string out, elongate; carry on, continue, keep up, perpetuate. ANTONYMS :shorten.

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promenade

noun
the tree-lined promenade
esplanade, front, seafront, parade, walk, boulevard, avenue; N. Amer. boardwalk; Brit. informal prom.
our nightly promenade
walk, stroll, turn, amble, airing; dated constitutional.
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verb
we promenaded in the park
walk, stroll, saunter, wander, amble, stretch one's legs, take a turn.

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prominence

noun
his rise to prominence
fame, celebrity, eminence, pre-eminence, importance, distinction, greatness, note, notability, prestige, stature, standing, position, rank.
the press gave prominence to the reports
good coverage, importance, precedence, weight, a high profile, top billing.
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a rocky prominence
hillock, hill, hummock, mound; outcrop, crag, spur, rise; ridge, arête; peak, pinnacle; promontory, cliff, headland.
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prominent

adjective
a prominent surgeon
important, well known, leading, eminent, distinguished, notable, noteworthy, noted, illustrious, celebrated, famous, renowned, acclaimed, famed, influential; N. Amer. major-league.
prominent cheekbones
protuberant, protruding, projecting, jutting (out), standing out, sticking out, proud, bulging, bulbous.
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a prominent feature of the landscape
conspicuous, noticeable, easily seen, obvious, unmistakable, eye-catching, pronounced, salient, striking, dominant; obtrusive.
Top
ANTONYMS :unimportant, unknown, inconspicuous.

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promiscuity

noun
licentiousness, wantonness, immorality; informal sleeping around, sluttishness, whorishness; dated looseness. ANTONYMS :chastity, virtue.

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promiscuous

adjective
a promiscuous woman
licentious, sexually indiscriminate, wanton, immoral, of easy virtue, fast; informal easy, swinging, sluttish, whorish; N. Amer. informal roundheeled; Brit. informal slaggy; dated loose, fallen; archaic light.
promiscuous reading
indiscriminate, undiscriminating, unselective, random, haphazard, irresponsible, unthinking, unconsidered.
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ANTONYMS :chaste, virtuous, selective.

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promise

noun
you broke your promise
word (of honour), assurance, pledge, vow, guarantee, oath, bond, undertaking, agreement, commitment, contract, convenant.
he shows promise
potential, ability, aptitude, capability, capacity.
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a promise of fine weather
indication, hint, suggestion, sign.
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verb
she promised to go
give one's word, swear, pledge, vow, undertake, guarantee, contract, engage, give an assurance, commit oneself, bind oneself, swear/take an oath, covenant; archaic plight.
the skies promised sunshine
indicate, lead one to expect, point to, denote, signify, be a sign of, be evidence of, give hope of, bespeak, presage, augur, herald, bode, portend; poetic/literary betoken, foretoken, forebode.
Top

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promising

adjective
a promising start
good, encouraging, favourable, hopeful, full of promise, auspicious, propitious, bright, rosy, heartening, reassuring.
a promising actor
with potential, budding, up-and-coming, rising, coming, in the making.
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ANTONYMS :unfavourable, hopeless.

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promontory

noun
headland, point, cape, head, foreland, horn, bill, ness, naze, peninsula; Scottish mull.

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promote

verb
she's been promoted at work
upgrade, give promotion to, elevate, advance, move up; archaic prefer.
an organization promoting justlce
encourage, further, advance, assist, aid, help, contribute to, foster, nurture, develop, boost, stimulate, forward, work for.
Top
she is promoting her new film
advertise, publicize, give publicity to, beat/bang the drum for, market, merchandise; informal push, plug, hype, puff, boost; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo, flack.
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ANTONYMS :demote, obstruct, play down.

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promoter

noun
advocate, champion, supporter, backer, proponent, protagonist, campaigner; N. Amer. booster.

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promotion

noun
her promotion at work
upgrading, preferment, elevation, advancement, step up (the ladder).
the promotion of justice
encouragement, furtherance, furthering, advancement, assistance, aid, help, contribution to, fostering, boosting, stimulation; N. Amer. boosterism.
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the promotion of her new film
advertising, publicizing, marketing; publicity, campaign, propaganda; informal hard sell, plug, hype, puff; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo.
Top

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prompt

verb
curiosity prompted him to look
induce, make, move, motivate, lead, dispose, persuade, incline, encourage, stimulate, prod, impel, spur on, inspire.
the statement prompted a hostile reaction
give rise to, bring about, cause, occasion, result in, lead to, elicit, produce, bring on, engender, induce, precipitate, trigger, spark off, provoke.
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the actors needed prompting
remind, cue, feed, help out; jog someone's memory.
Top
ANTONYMS :deter.

adjective
a prompt reply
quick, swift, rapid, speedy, fast, direct, immediate, instant, expeditious, early, punctual, in good time, on time, timely. ANTONYMS :slow, late.

adverb
at 3.30 prompt
exactly, precisely, sharp, on the dot, dead, punctually, on the nail; informal bang on; N. Amer. informal on the button, on the nose.
noun
he stopped, and Julia supplied a prompt
reminder, cue, feed.

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promptly

adverb
William arrived promptly at 7.30
punctually, on time; informal on the dot, bang on; Brit. informal spot on; N. Amer. informal on the button, on the nose.
I expect the matter to be dealt with promptly
without delay, straight away, right away, at once, immediately, now, as soon as possible; quickly, swiftly, rapidly, speedily, fast, expeditiously; N. Amer. momentarily; informal pronto, a.s.a.p., p.d.q. (pretty damn quick).
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ANTONYMS :late, slowly.

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promulgate

verb
they promulgated their own views
make known, make public, publicize, spread, communicate, propagate, disseminate, broadcast, promote, preach; poetic/literary bruit abroad.
the law was promulgated in 1942
put into effect, enact, implement, enforce.
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prone

adjective
softwood is prone to rotting | prone to rot
susceptible, vulnerable, subject, open, liable, given, predisposed, likely, disposed, inclined, apt; at risk of.
his prone body
(lying) face down, face downwards, on one's stomach/front; lying flat/down, horizontal, prostrate.
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ANTONYMS :resistant, immune, upright.

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prong

noun
tine, spike, point, tip, projection.

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pronounce

verb
his name is difficult to pronounce
say, enunciate, articulate, utter, voice, sound, vocalize, get one's tongue round.
the doctor pronounced that I had a virus
announce, proclaim, declare, affirm, assert; judge, rule, decree; rare asseverate.
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pronounced

adjective
noticeable, marked, strong, conspicuous, striking, distinct, prominent, unmistakable, obvious, recognizable, identifiable. ANTONYMS :slight.

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pronouncement

noun
announcement, proclamation, declaration, assertion; judgement, ruling, decree; formal ordinance; rare asseveration.

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pronunciation

noun
accent, manner of speaking, speech, diction, delivery, elocution, intonation; articulation, enunciation, voicing, vocalization, sounding; rare orthoepy.

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proof

noun
proof of ownership
evidence, verification, corroboration, authentication, confirmation, certification, documentation, validation, attestation, substantiation.
the proofs of a book
page proof, galley proof, galley, pull, slip; revise.
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adjective
no system is proof against theft
resistant, immune, unaffected, invulnerable, impenetrable, impervious, repellent.

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prop

noun
the roof is held up by props
pole, post, support, upright, brace, buttress, stay, strut, stanchion, shore, pier, pillar, pile, piling, bolster, truss, column.
a prop for the economy
mainstay, pillar, anchor, backbone, support, foundation, cornerstone.
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verb
he propped his bike against the wall
lean, rest, stand, balance, steady.
this post is propping the wall up
hold up, shore up, bolster up, buttress, support, brace, underpin.
Top
they prop up loss-making industries
subsidize, underwrite, fund, finance.
Top

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propaganda

noun
information, promotion, advertising, publicity; agitprop, disinformation, counter-information, the big lie; informal info, hype, plugging.

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propagandist

noun
promoter, champion, supporter, proponent, advocate, campaigner, crusader, publicist, evangelist, apostle; informal plugger.

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propagate

verb
an easy plant to propagate
breed, grow, cultivate.
these shrubs propagate easily
reproduce, multiply, proliferate, increase, spread, self-seed, self-sow.
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they propagated socialist ideas
spread, disseminate, communicate, make known, promulgate, circulate, broadcast, publicize, proclaim, preach, promote; poetic/literary bruit abroad.
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propel

verb
a boat propelled by oars
move, power, push, drive.
he propelled the ball into the air
throw, thrust, toss, fling, hurl, launch, pitch, project, send, shoot.
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confusion propelled her into action
spur, drive, prompt, precipitate, catapult, motivate, force, impel.
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propeller

noun
rotor, screw, airscrew; informal prop.

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propensity

noun
tendency, inclination, predisposition, proneness, proclivity, readiness, liability, disposition, leaning, weakness.

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proper

adjective
he's not a proper scientist
real, genuine, actual, true, bona fide; informal kosher.
the proper channels
right, correct, accepted, orthodox, conventional, established, official, formal, regular, acceptable, appropriate; archaic meet.
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they were terribly proper
respectable, decorous, seemly, decent, refined, ladylike, gentlemanly, genteel; formal, conventional, correct, comme il faut, done, orthodox, polite, punctilious.
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(Brit. informal) a proper mess
complete, absolute, real, perfect, total, thorough, utter, out-and-out, positive, unmitigated, consummate; Brit. informal right; Austral./NZ informal fair.
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ANTONYMS :fake, inappropriate, wrong, unconventional.

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property

noun
lost property
possessions, belongings, things, effects, stuff, chattels, movables; resources, assets, valuables, fortune, capital, riches, wealth; Law personalty, goods and chattels; informal gear.
private property
building(s), premises, house(s), land, estates; Law real property, realty; N. Amer. real estate.
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healing properties
quality, attribute, characteristic, feature, power, trait, mark, hallmark.
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prophecy

noun
her prophecy is coming true
prediction, forecast, prognostication, prognosis, divination, augury.
the gift of prophecy
foretelling the future, fortune telling, crystal-gazing, prediction, second sight, prognostication, divination, augury, soothsaying.
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prophesy

verb
predict, foretell, forecast, foresee, forewarn of, prognosticate.

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prophet prophetess

noun
seer, soothsayer, fortune teller, clairvoyant, diviner; oracle, augur, sibyl.
prophet of doom
pessimist, doom-monger, doomsayer, doomster, Cassandra, Jeremiah; informal doom (and gloom) merchant.

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prophetic

adjective
prescient, predictive, far-seeing, prognostic, divinatory, sibylline, apocalyptic; rare vatic, mantic.

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prophylactic

adjective
prophylactic measures
preventive, preventative, precautionary, protective, inhibitory.
noun
a prophylactic against malaria
preventive measure, precaution, safeguard, safety measure; preventive medicine.

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prophylaxis

noun
preventive treatment, prevention, protection, precaution.

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propitiate

verb
appease, placate, mollify, pacify, make peace with, conciliate, make amends to, soothe, calm. ANTONYMS :provoke.

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propitious

adjective
favourable, auspicious, promising, providential, advantageous, optimistic, bright, rosy, heaven-sent, hopeful; opportune, timely. ANTONYMS :inauspicious, unfortunate.

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proponent

noun
advocate, champion, supporter, backer, promoter, protagonist, campaigner; N. Amer. booster.

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proportion

noun
a small proportion of the land
part, portion, amount, quantity, bit, piece, percentage, fraction, section, segment, share.
the proportion of water to alcohol
ratio, distribution, relative amount/number; relationship.
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the drawing is out of proportion
balance, symmetry, harmony, correspondence, correlation, agreement.
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men of huge proportions
size, dimensions, magnitude, measurements; mass, volume, bulk; expanse, extent, width, breadth.
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proportional

adjective
corresponding, proportionate, comparable, in proportion, pro rata, commensurate, equivalent, consistent, relative, analogous. ANTONYMS :disproportionate.

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proposal

noun
the proposal was rejected
scheme, plan, idea, project, programme, manifesto, motion, proposition, suggestion, submission.
the proposal of a new constitution
putting forward, proposing, suggesting, submitting.
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ANTONYMS :withdrawal.

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propose

verb
he proposed a solution
put forward, suggest, submit, advance, offer, present, move, come up with, lodge, table, nominate.
do you propose to go?
intend, mean, plan, have in mind/view, resolve, aim, purpose, think of, aspire, want.
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you've proposed to her!
ask someone to marry you, make an offer of marriage, offer marriage; informal pop the question; dated ask for someone's hand in marriage.
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ANTONYMS :withdraw.

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proposition

noun
the analysis derives from one proposition
theory, hypothesis, thesis, argument, premiss, theorem, concept, idea, statement.
a business proposition
proposal, scheme, plan, project, idea, programme, bid.
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doing it for real is a very different proposition
task, job, undertaking, venture, activity, affair, problem.
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verb
he never dared proposition her
propose sex with, make sexual advances to, make an indecent proposal to, make an improper suggestion to; informal give someone the come-on.

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propound

verb
put forward, advance, offer, proffer, present, set forth, submit, tender, suggest, introduce, postulate, propose, pose, posit; advocate, promote, peddle, spread.

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proprietor proprietress

noun
owner, possessor, holder, master/mistress; landowner, landlord/landlady; innkeeper, hotel-keeper, hotelier, shopkeeper; Brit. publican.

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propriety

noun
he behaves with the utmost propriety
decorum, respectability, decency, correctness, protocol, appropriateness, suitability, good manners, courtesy, politeness, rectitude, morality, civility, modesty, demureness; sobriety, refinement, discretion.
he was careful to preserve the proprieties in public
etiquette, convention(s), social grace(s), niceties, one's Ps and Qs, protocol, standards, civilities, formalities, accepted behaviour, good form, the done thing, the thing to do, punctilio.
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ANTONYMS :indecorum.

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propulsion

noun
thrust, motive force, impetus, impulse, drive, driving force, actuation, push, pressure, power.

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prosaic

adjective
ordinary, everyday, commonplace, conventional, straightforward, routine, run-of-the-mill, workaday; unimaginative, uninspired, uninspiring, matter-of-fact, dull, dry, dreary, tedious, boring, humdrum, mundane, pedestrian, tame, plodding; bland, insipid, banal, trite, literal, factual, unpoetic, unemotional, unsentimental. ANTONYMS :interesting, imaginative, inspired.

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proscribe

verb
gambling was proscribed
forbid, prohibit, ban, bar, interdict, make illegal, embargo, outlaw, disallow, veto; Law enjoin.
the book was proscribed by the Church
condemn, denounce, attack, criticize, censure, damn, reject.
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ANTONYMS :allow, authorize, accept.

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proscription

noun
the proscription of alcohol
banning, forbidding, prohibition, prohibiting, barring, debarment, vetoing, interdiction, outlawing.
a proscription was imposed
ban, prohibition, bar, interdict, veto, embargo, moratorium.
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the proscription of his recordings
condemnation, denunciation, attacking, criticism, censuring, damning, rejection.
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ANTONYMS :allowing, authorization, acceptance.

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prosecute

verb
they prosecute offenders
take to court, bring/institute legal proceedings against, bring an action against, take legal action against, sue, try, bring to trial, put on trial, put in the dock, bring a suit against, indict, arraign; N. Amer. impeach; informal have the law on.
they helped him prosecute the war
pursue, fight, wage, carry on, conduct, direct, engage in, proceed with, continue (with), keep on with.
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ANTONYMS :defend, let off, give up.

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proselyte

noun
convert, new believer, catechumen.

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proselytize

verb
I'm not here to proselytize
evangelize, convert, save, redeem, win over, preach (to), recruit, act as a missionary.
he wanted to proselytize his ideas
promote, advocate, champion, advance, further, spread, proclaim, peddle, preach, endorse, urge, recommend, boost.
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prospect

noun
there is little prospect of success
likelihood, hope, expectation, anticipation, (good/poor) chance, odds, probability, possibility, promise, lookout; fear, danger.
her job prospects
possibilities, potential, promise, expectations, outlook.
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a daunting prospect
vision, thought, idea; task, undertaking.
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Jimmy is an exciting prospect
candidate, possibility; informal catch.
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there is a pleasant prospect from the lounge
view, vista, outlook, perspective, panorama, aspect, scene; picture, spectacle, sight.
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verb
they are prospecting for oil
search, look, explore, survey, scout, hunt, reconnoitre, examine, inspect.
in prospect
expected, likely, coming soon, on the way, to come, at hand, near, imminent, in the offing, in store, on the horizon, just around the corner, in the air, in the wind, brewing, looming; informal on the cards.

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prospective

adjective
potential, possible, probable, likely, future, eventual, -to-be, soon-to-be, in the making; intending, aspiring, would-be; forthcoming, approaching, coming, imminent.

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prospectus

noun
brochure, pamphlet, description, particulars, announcement, advertisement; syllabus, curriculum, catalogue, programme, list, scheme, schedule.

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prosper

verb
flourish, thrive, do well, bloom, blossom, burgeon, progress, do all right for oneself, get ahead, get on (in the world), be successful; informal go places. ANTONYMS :fail, flounder.

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prosperity

noun
success, profitability, affluence, wealth, opulence, luxury, the good life, milk and honey, (good) fortune, ease, plenty, comfort, security, well-being. ANTONYMS :hardship, failure.

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prosperous

adjective
thriving, flourishing, successful, strong, vigorous, profitable, lucrative, expanding, booming, burgeoning; affluent, wealthy, rich, moneyed, well off, well-to-do, opulent, substantial, in clover; informal on a roll, on the up and up, in the money. ANTONYMS :ailing, poor.

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prostitute

noun
whore, sex worker, call girl; rent boy; informal tart, pro, moll, working girl, member of the oldest profession; Brit. informal tom, woman on the game, renter; N. Amer. informal hooker, hustler, chippy; black English ho; dated streetwalker, woman of the streets, lady/woman of the night, scarlet woman, cocotte; archaic courtesan, strumpet, harlot, trollop, woman of ill repute, lady of pleasure, wench.
verb
they prostituted their art
betray, sacrifice, sell, sell out, debase, degrade, demean, devalue, cheapen, lower, shame, misuse, pervert; abandon one's principles, be untrue to oneself.

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prostitution

noun
whoring, the sex industry, streetwalking, Mrs Warren's profession, sex tourism; informal the oldest profession, the trade; rough trade; Brit. informal the game; N. Amer. informal hooking, hustling; dated whoredom; archaic harlotry.

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prostrate

adjective
the prostrate figure on the ground
prone, lying flat, lying down, stretched out, spreadeagled, sprawling, horizontal, recumbent; rare procumbent.
his wife was prostrate with shock
overwhelmed, overcome, overpowered, brought to one's knees, stunned, dazed; speechless, helpless; informal knocked/hit for six.
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the fever left me prostrate
worn out, exhausted, fatigued, tired out, sapped, dog-tired, spent, drained, debilitated, enervated, laid low; informal all in, done in, dead, dead beat, dead on one's feet, ready to drop, fagged out, bushed, frazzled, worn to a frazzle; Brit. informal whacked, knackered; N. Amer. informal pooped.
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ANTONYMS :upright, fresh.

verb
she was prostrated by the tragedy
overwhelm, overcome, overpower, bring to one's knees, devastate, debilitate, weaken, enfeeble, enervate, lay low, wear out, exhaust, tire out, drain, sap, wash out, take it out of; informal knacker, frazzle, do in; N. Amer. informal poop.
prostrate onese lf
throw oneself flat/down, lie down, stretch oneself out, throw oneself at someone's feet; dated measure one's length.

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prostration

noun
collapse, weakness, debility, lassitude, exhaustion, fatigue, tiredness, enervation, emotional exhaustion.

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protagonist

noun
the protagonist in the plot
chief/central/principal/main/leading character, chief etc. participant/figure/player, principal, hero/heroine, leading man/lady, title role, lead.
a protagonist of deregulation
champion, advocate, upholder, supporter, backer, promoter, proponent, exponent, campaigner, fighter, crusader; apostle, apologist; N. Amer. booster.
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ANTONYMS :opponent.

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protean

adjective
the protean nature of mental disorders
ever-changing, variable, changeable, mutable, kaleidoscopic, inconstant, inconsistent, unstable, shifting, unsettled, fluctuating, fluid, wavering, vacillating, mercurial, volatile; technical labile.
a remarkably protean composer
versatile, adaptable, flexible, all-round, multifaceted, multitalented, many-sided.
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ANTONYMS :constant, consistent, limited.

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protect

verb
keep safe, keep from harm, save, safeguard, preserve, defend, shield, cushion, insulate, hedge, shelter, screen, secure, fortify, guard, watch over, look after, take care of, keep; inoculate. ANTONYMS :expose, neglect, attack, harm.

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protection

noun
protection against frost
defence, security, shielding, preservation, conservation, safe keeping, safeguarding, safety, sanctuary, shelter, refuge, lee, immunity, insurance, indemnity.
under the protection of the Church
safe keeping, care, charge, keeping, protectorship, guidance, aegis, auspices, umbrella, guardianship, support, patronage, championship, providence.
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good protection against noise
barrier, buffer, shield, screen, hedge, cushion, preventative, armour, refuge, bulwark.
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protective

adjective
protective clothing
preservative, protecting, safeguarding, shielding, defensive, safety, precautionary, preventive, preventative.
he felt protective towards the girl
solicitous, caring, warm, paternal/maternal, fatherly/motherly, gallant, chivalrous; overprotective, possessive, jealous.
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protector

noun
a protector of the environment
defender, preserver, guardian, guard, champion, watchdog, ombudsman, knight in shining armour, guardian angel, patron, chaperon, escort, keeper, custodian, bodyguard, minder; informal hired gun.
ear protectors
guard, shield, buffer, cushion, pad, screen.
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protégé protégée, fem.

noun
pupil, student, trainee, apprentice; disciple, follower; discovery, find, ward.

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protest

noun
he resigned as a protest
objection, complaint, exception, disapproval, challenge, dissent, demurral, remonstration, fuss, outcry.
women staged a protest
demonstration, (protest) march, rally; sit-in, occupation; work-to-rule, industrial action, stoppage, strike, walkout, mutiny, picket, boycott; informal demo.
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ANTONYMS :support, approval.

verb
residents protested at the plans
express opposition, object, dissent, take issue, make/take a stand, put up a fight, kick, take exception, complain, express disapproval, disagree, demur, remonstrate, make a fuss; cry out, speak out, rail, inveigh, fulminate; informal kick up a fuss/stink.
people protested outside the cathedral
demonstrate, march, hold a rally, sit in, occupy somewhere; work to rule, take industrial action, stop work, down tools, strike, go on strike, walk out, mutiny, picket somewhere; boycott something.
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he protested his innocence
insist on, maintain, assert, affirm, announce, proclaim, declare, profess, contend , argue, claim, vow, swear (to), stress; formal aver, asseverate.
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ANTONYMS :acquiesce, support, deny.

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protestation

noun
his protestations of innocence
declaration, announcement, profession, assertion, insistence, claim, affirmation, assurance, oath, vow; rare aver, asseveration.
we helped him despite his protestations
objection, protest, exception, complaint, disapproval, opposition, challenge, dissent, demurral, remonstration, fuss, outcry; informal stink.
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ANTONYMS :denial, acquiescence, support.

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protester

noun
the council lost protesters' letters
objector, opposer, opponent, complainant, complainer, dissenter, dissident, nonconformist.
the protesters were moved on
demonstrator, protest marcher; striker, mutineer, picket.
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protocol

noun
a stickler for protocol
etiquette, conventions, formalities, customs, rules of conduct, procedure, ritual, accepted behaviour, propriety, proprieties, one's Ps and Qs, decorum, good form, the done thing, the thing to do, punctilio.
the two countries signed a protocol
agreement, treaty, entente, concordat, convention, deal, pact, contract, compact; formal concord.
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prototype

noun
a protoype of the weapon
original, first example/model, master, mould, template, framework, mock-up, pattern, sample; design, guide, blueprint.
the prototype of an ideal wife
typical example, paradigm, archetype, exemplar.
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protract

verb
prolong, lengthen, extend, draw out, drag out, spin out, stretch out, string out, elongate; carry on, continue, keep up, perpetuate. ANTONYMS :curtail, shorten.

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protracted

adjective
prolonged, long-lasting, extended, long-drawn-out, spun out, dragged out, strung out, lengthy, long. ANTONYMS :short.

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protrude

verb
stick out, jut (out), project, extend, stand out, bulge out, poke out, thrust out, cantilever.

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protruding

adjective
sticking out, protuberant, projecting, prominent, jutting, overhanging, proud, bulging; informal sticky-out. ANTONYMS :sunken, flush.

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protrusion

noun
the neck vertebrae have short vertical protrusions
bump, lump, knob; protuberance, projection, sticking-out bit, prominence, swelling, eminence, outcrop, outgrowth, jut, jag, snag; ledge, shelf, ridge; informal sticky-out bit.
protrusion of the lips
sticking out, jutting, projection, obtrusion, prominence; swelling, bulging.
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protuberance

noun
a protuberance can cause drag
bump, lump, knob, projection, protrusion, sticking-out bit, prominence, swelling, eminence, outcrop, outgrowth, jut, jag, snag; ledge, shelf, ridge; informal sticky-out bit.
the protuberance of the incisors
sticking out, jutting, projection, obtrusion, prominence; swelling, bulging.
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protuberant

adjective
sticking out, protruding, projecting, prominent, jutting, overhanging, proud, bulging; informal sticky-out. ANTONYMS :sunken, flush.

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proud

adjective
the proud parents beamed
pleased, glad, happy, delighted, joyful, overjoyed, thrilled, satisfied, gratified, content.
a proud day
pleasing, gratifying, satisfying, cheering, heart-warming; happy, good, glorious, memorable, notable, red-letter.
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they were poor but proud
self-respecting, dignified, noble, worthy; independent.
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I'm not too proud to admit I'm wrong
arrogant, conceited, vain, self-important, full of oneself, puffed up, jumped-up, smug, complacent, disdainful, condescending, scornful, supercilious, snobbish, imperious, pompous, overbearing, bumptious, haughty; informal big-headed, swollen-headed, too big for one's boots, high and mighty, stuck-up, uppity, snooty, highfalutin; Brit. informal toffee-nosed; poetic/literary vainglorious; rare hubristic.
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the proud ships
magnificent, splendid, resplendent, grand, noble, stately, imposing, dignified, striking, impressive, majestic, glorious, awe-inspiring, awesome, monumental.
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the switch is proud of the wall
projecting, sticking out/up, jutting (out), protruding, prominent, raised, convex, elevated.
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ANTONYMS :ashamed, shameful, humble, modest, unimpressive, concave, flush.

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prove

verb
that proves I'm right
show (to be true), demonstrate (the truth of), show beyond doubt, manifest, produce proof/evidence; witness to, give substance to, determine, substantiate, corroborate, verify, ratify, validate, authenticate, document, bear out, confirm; formal evince.
the rumour proved to be correct
turn out, be found, happen.
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ANTONYMS :disprove.

prove oneself
demonstrate one's abilities/qualities, show one's (true) mettle, show what one is made of.

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provenance

noun
origin, source, place of origin; birthplace, fount, roots, pedigree, derivation, root, etymology; N. Amer. provenience; formal radix.

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proverb

noun
saying, adage, saw, maxim, axiom, motto, bon mot, aphorism, apophthegm, epigram, gnome, dictum, precept; words of wisdom.

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proverbial

adjective
well known, famous, famed, renowned, traditional, time-honoured, legendary; notorious, infamous.

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provide

verb
the Foundation will provide funds
supply, give, issue, furnish, come up with, dispense, bestow, impart, produce, yield, bring forth, bear, deliver, donate, contribute, pledge, advance, spare, part with, allocate, distribute, allot, put up; informal fork out, lay out; N. Amer. informal ante up, pony up.
he was provided with enough tools
equip, furnish, issue, supply, outfit; fit out, rig out, kit out, arm, provision; informal fix up.
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he had to provide for his family
feed, nurture, nourish; support, maintain, keep, sustain, provide sustenance for, fend for, finance, endow.
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the test may provide the answer
make available, present, offer, afford, give, add, bring, yield, impart.
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we have provided for further restructuring
prepare, allow, make provision, be prepared, arrange, get ready, plan, cater.
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the banks have to provide against bad debts
take precautions, take steps/measures, guard, forearm oneself; make provision for.
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the Act provides that factories must be kept clean
stipulate, lay down, make it a condition, require, order, ordain, demand, prescribe, state, specify.
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ANTONYMS :refuse, withhold, deprive, neglect.

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provided

conjunction
if, on condition that, providing (that), provided that, presuming (that), assuming (that), on the assumption that, as long as, given (that), with the provision/proviso that, with/on the understanding that, contingent on.

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providence

noun
a life mapped out by providence
fate, destiny, nemesis, kismet, God's will, divine intervention, predestination, predetermination, the stars; one's lot (in life); archaic one's portion.
he had a streak of providence
prudence, foresight, forethought, far-sightedness, judiciousness, shrewdness, circumspection, wisdom, sagacity, common sense; careful budgeting, thrift, economy.
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provident

adjective
prudent, far-sighted, judicious, shrewd, circumspect, forearmed, wise, sagacious, sensible; thrifty, economical. ANTONYMS :improvident.

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providential

adjective
opportune, advantageous, favourable, auspicious, propitious, heaven-sent, welcome, golden, lucky, happy, fortunate, felicitous, timely, well timed, seasonable, convenient, expedient. ANTONYMS :inopportune.

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provider

noun
supplier, donor, giver, contributor, source.

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providing

conjunction
. See provided.

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province

noun
a province of the Ottoman Empire
territory, region, state, department, canton, area, district, sector, zone, division.
people in the provinces
non-metropolitan areas/counties, the rest of the country, middle England/America, rural areas/districts, the countryside, the backwoods, the wilds; informal the sticks, the middle of nowhere; N. Amer. informal the boondocks.
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that's outside my province
responsibility, area of activity, area of interest, knowledge, department, sphere, world, realm, field, domain, territory, orbit, preserve, line of country; business, affair, concern; speciality, forte; jurisdiction, authority; informal pigeon, bailiwick, turf.
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provincial

adjective
the provincial government
regional, state, territorial, district, local; sectoral, zonal, cantonal, county.
provincial areas
non-metropolitan, small-town, non-urban, outlying, rural, country, rustic, backwoods, backwater; informal one-horse; N. Amer. informal hick, freshwater.
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they're so dull and provincial
unsophisticated, narrow-minded, parochial, small-town, suburban, insular, parish-pump, inward-looking, conservative; small-minded, blinkered, bigoted, prejudiced; N. Amer. informal jerkwater, corn-fed.
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ANTONYMS :national, metropolitan, cosmopolitan, sophisticated, broad-minded.

noun
they were dismissed as provincials
(country) bumpkin, country cousin, rustic, yokel, village idiot, peasant; Irish informal culchie; N. Amer. informal hayseed, hick, rube, hillbilly. ANTONYMS :sophisticate.

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provision

noun
the provision of weapons to guerrillas
supplying, supply, providing, giving, presentation, donation; equipping, furnishing.
there has been limited provision for gifted children
facilities, services, amenities, resource(s), arrangements; means, funds, benefits, assistance, allowance(s).
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provisions for the trip
supplies, food and drink, stores, groceries, foodstuff(s), provender, rations; informal grub, eats, nosh; N. Amer. informal chuck; formal comestibles; poetic/literary viands; dated victuals.
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he made no provision for the future
preparations, plans, arrangements, pre-arrangement, precautions, contingency.
Top
the provisions of the Act
term, clause; requirement, specification, stipulation; proviso, condition, qualification, restriction, limitation.
Top

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provisional

adjective
interim, temporary, pro tem; transitional, changeover, stopgap, short-term, fill-in, acting, caretaker, TBC (to be confirmed), subject to confirmation; pencilled in, working, tentative, contingent. ANTONYMS :permanent, definite.

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provisionally

adverb
temporarily, short-term, pro tem, for the interim, for the present, for the time being, for now, for the nonce; subject to confirmation, in an acting capacity, conditionally, tentatively.

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proviso

noun
condition, stipulation, provision, clause, rider, qualification, restriction, caveat.

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provocation

noun
he remained calm despite severe provocation
goading, prodding, egging on, incitement, pressure; annoyance, irritation, nettling; harassment, plaguing, molestation; teasing, taunting, torment; affront, insults; informal hassle, aggravation.
without provocation, Jones punched Mr Cartwright
justification, excuse, pretext, occasion, call, motivation, motive, cause, grounds, reason, need.
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provocative

adjective
provocative remarks
annoying, irritating, exasperating, infuriating, maddening, vexing, galling; insulting, offensive, inflammatory, incendiary, controversial; informal aggravating, in-your-face.
a provocative pose
sexy, sexually arousing, sexually exciting, alluring, seductive, suggestive, inviting, tantalizing, titillating; indecent, pornographic, indelicate, immodest, shameless; erotic, sensuous, slinky, coquettish, amorous, flirtatious; informal tarty, come-hither.
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ANTONYMS :soothing, calming, modest, decorous.

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provoke

verb
the plan has provoked outrage
arouse, produce, evoke, cause, give rise to, occasion, call forth, elicit, induce, excite, spark off, touch off, kindle, generate, engender, instigate, result in, lead to, bring on, precipitate, prompt, trigger; poetic/literary beget.
he was provoked into replying
goad, spur, prick, sting, prod, egg on, incite, rouse, stir, move, stimulate, motivate, excite, inflame, work/fire up, impel.
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he wouldn't be provoked
annoy, anger, incense, enrage, irritate, infuriate, exasperate, madden, nettle, get/take a rise out of, ruffle, ruffle someone's feathers, make someone's hackles rise; harass, harry, plague, molest; tease, taunt, torment; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal peeve, aggravate, hassle, miff, rile, needle, get, bug, hack off, make someone's blood boil, get under someone's skin, get in someone's hair, get/put someone's back up, get up someone's nose, get someone's goat, get across someone; Brit. informal wind up, nark ; N. Amer. informal rankle, ride, gravel.
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ANTONYMS :allay, deter, pacify, appease.

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prow

noun
bow(s), stem, front, nose, head, cutwater; Brit. humorous sharp end.

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prowess

noun
his prowess as a winemaker
skill, expertise, mastery, facility, ability, capability, capacity, savoir faire, talent, genius, adeptness, aptitude, dexterity, deftness, competence, accomplishment, proficiency, finesse; informal know-how.
the knights' prowess in battle
courage, bravery, gallantry, valour, heroism, intrepidity, nerve, pluck, pluckiness, boldness, daring, audacity, fearlessness; informal bottle, guts, spunk; N. Amer. informal moxie, sand.
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ANTONYMS :inability, ineptitude, cowardice.

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prowl

verb
move stealthily, slink, skulk, steal, nose, pussyfoot, sneak, stalk, creep; informal snoop.

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proximity

noun
closeness, nearness, propinquity; accessibility, handiness; archaic vicinity.

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proxy

noun
deputy, representative, substitute, delegate, agent, surrogate, stand-in, attorney, go-between.

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prude

noun
puritan, prig, killjoy, moralist, pietist; informal goody-goody; N. Amer. informal bluenose.

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prudence

noun
you have gone beyond the bounds of prudence
wisdom, judgement, good judgement, common sense, sense, sagacity, shrewdness, advisability.
financial prudence
caution, care, providence, far-sightedness, foresight, forethought, shrewdness, circumspection; thrift, economy.
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ANTONYMS :folly, recklessness, extravagance.

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prudent

adjective
it is prudent to obtain consent
wise, well judged, sensible, politic, judicious, sagacious, sage, shrewd, advisable, well advised.
a prudent approach to borrowing
cautious, careful, provident, far-sighted, judicious, shrewd, circumspect; thrifty, economical.
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ANTONYMS :unwise, reckless, extravagant.

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prudish

adjective
puritanical, priggish, prim, prim and proper, moralistic, pietistic, sententious, censorious, strait-laced, Victorian, old-maidish, stuffy; informal goody-goody; rare Grundyish, starchy. ANTONYMS :permissive.

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prune

verb
I pruned the roses
cut back, trim, thin, pinch back, clip, shear, pollard, top, dock.
prune lateral shoots of wisteria
cut off, lop (off), chop off, clip, snip (off), nip off, dock.
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staff numbers have been pruned
reduce, cut (back/down), pare (down), slim down, make reductions in, make cutbacks in, trim, decrease, diminish, downsize, axe, shrink; informal slash.
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ANTONYMS :increase.

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prurient

adjective
salacious, licentious, voyeuristic, lascivious, lecherous, lustful, lewd, libidinous, lubricious; formal concupiscent.

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pry

verb
enquire impertinently, be inquisitive, be curious, poke about/around, ferret (about/around), spy, be a busybody; eavesdrop, listen in, tap someone's phone, intrude; informal stick/poke one's nose in/into, be nosy, nose, snoop; Austral./NZ informal stickybeak. ANTONYMS :mind one's own business.

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psalm

noun
sacred song, religious song, hymn, song of praise; chant, plainsong; (psalms) psalmody, psalter.

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pseud

noun
pretentious person, poser, poseur, sham, fraud; informal show-off, phoney.

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pseudo

adjective
bogus, sham, phoney, artificial, mock, ersatz, quasi-, fake, false, spurious, deceptive, misleading, assumed, contrived, affected, insincere; informal pretend, put-on; Brit. informal cod. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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pseudonym

noun
pen name, nom de plume, assumed name, false name, alias, professional name, sobriquet, stage name, nom de guerre.

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psych (informal)

psych someone out
intimidate, daunt, browbeat, bully, cow, tyrannize, scare, terrorize, frighten, dishearten, unnerve, subdue; informal bulldoze; N. Amer. informal buffalo. psych oneself up
nerve oneself, steel oneself, brace oneself, summon one's courage, prepare oneself, gear oneself up, urge oneself on, gird (up) one's loins.

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psyche

noun
soul, spirit, (inner) self, ego, true being, inner man/woman, persona, subconscious, mind, intellect; technical anima, pneuma. ANTONYMS :body.

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psychiatrist

noun
psychotherapist, psychoanalyst; informal shrink, head doctor; Brit. humorous trick cyclist.

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psychic

adjective
psychic powers
supernatural, paranormal, other-worldly, supernormal, preternatural, metaphysical, extrasensory, magic, magical, mystical, mystic, occult.
I'm not psychic
clairvoyant, telepathic, having second sight, having a sixth sense.
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psychic development
emotional, spiritual, inner; cognitive, psychological, intellectual, mental, psychiatric, psychogenic.
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ANTONYMS :normal, physical.

noun
she is a psychic
clairvoyant, fortune teller, crystal-gazer; medium, spiritualist; telepathist, telepath, mind-reader, palmist, palm-reader.

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psychological

adjective
his psychological state
mental, emotional, intellectual, inner, cerebral, brain, rational, cognitive.
her pain was psychological
(all) in the mind, psychosomatic, emotional, irrational, subjective, subconscious, unconscious.
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ANTONYMS :physical.

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psychology

noun
a degree in psychology
study of the mind, science of the mind.
the psychology of the road user
mindset, mind, mental processes, thought processes, way of thinking, cast of mind, mentality, persona, psyche, (mental) attitude(s), make-up, character; informal what makes someone tick.
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psychopath

noun
madman, madwoman, maniac, lunatic, psychotic, sociopath; informal loony, fruitcake, nutcase, nut, psycho, schizo, head case, headbanger, sicko; Brit. informal nutter; N. Amer. informal screwball, crazy, kook, meshuggener.

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psychopathic.

adjective
. See mad sense 1.

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psychosomatic

adjective
(all) in the mind, psychological, irrational, stress-related, stress-induced, subjective, subconscious, unconscious.

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psychotic

adjective
. See mad sense 1.

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pub

noun
(Brit.) bar, inn, tavern, hostelry, wine bar, taproom, roadhouse; Brit. public house; Austral./NZ hotel; informal watering hole; Brit. informal local, boozer; dated alehouse; historical pot-house, beerhouse; N. Amer. historical saloon.

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puberty

noun
adolescence, pubescence, sexual maturity, growing up; youth, young adulthood, teenage years, teens, the awkward age; formal juvenescence.

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public

adjective
public affairs
state, national, federal, government; constitutional, civic, civil, official, social, municipal, community, communal, local; nationalized.
by public demand
popular, general, common, communal, collective, shared, joint, universal, widespread.
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a public figure
prominent, well known, important, leading, eminent, distinguished, notable, noteworthy, noted, celebrated, household, famous, famed, influential; N. Amer. major-league.
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public places
open (to the public), communal, accessible to all, available, free, unrestricted, community.
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the news became public
known, published, publicized, in circulation, exposed, overt, plain, obvious.
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ANTONYMS :private, obscure, unknown, restricted, secret.

noun
the British public
people, citizens, subjects, general public, electors, electorate, voters, taxpayers, residents, inhabitants, citizenry, population, populace, community, society, country, nation, world; everyone.
his adoring public
audience, spectators, followers, following, fans, devotees, aficionados, admirers; patrons, clientele, market, consumers, buyers, customers, readers.
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in public
publicly, in full view of people, openly, in the open, for all to see, undisguisedly, blatantly, flagrantly, brazenly, with no attempt at concealment, overtly; formal coram populo.

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publication

noun
the author of this publication
book, volume, title, work, tome, opus; newspaper, paper, magazine, periodical, newsletter, bulletin, journal, report; organ, booklet, brochure, catalogue; daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual; informal rag, mag, 'zine.
the publication of her new book
issuing, announcement, publishing, printing, notification, reporting, declaration, communication, proclamation, broadcasting, publicizing, advertising, distribution, spreading, dissemination, promulgation, issuance, appearance.
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publicity

noun
the blaze of publicity
public attention, public interest, public notice, media attention/interest, exposure, glare, limelight.
publicity should boost sales
promotion, advertising, propaganda; boost, push; informal hype, ballyhoo, puff, puffery, build-up, razzmatazz; plug.
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publicize

verb
I never publicize the fact
make known, make public, publish, announce, report, post, communicate, broadcast, issue, put out, distribute, spread, promulgate, disseminate, circulate, air; disclose, reveal, divulge, leak.
he just wants to publicize his book
advertise, promote, build up, talk up, push, beat the drum for, boost; informal hype, plug, puff (up).
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ANTONYMS :conceal, suppress.

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public-spirited

adjective
community-minded, socially concerned, philanthropic, charitable; altruistic, humanitarian, generous, unselfish.

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publish

verb
we publish novels
issue, bring out, produce, print.
he ought to publish his views
make known, make public, publicize, announce, report, post, communicate, broadcast, issue, put out, distribute, spread, promulgate, disseminate, circulate, air; disclose, reveal, divulge, leak.
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pucker

verb
she puckered her forehead
wrinkle, crinkle, crease, furrow, crumple, rumple, ruck up, scrunch up, corrugate, ruffle, screw up, shrivel; cockle.
noun
a pucker in the sewing
wrinkle, crinkle, crumple, corrugation, furrow, line, fold.

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puckish

adjective
mischievous, naughty, impish, roguish, playful, arch, prankish; informal waggish.

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pudding

noun
dessert, sweet, second course, last course; Brit. informal afters, pud.

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puddle

noun
pool, spill, splash; poetic/literary plash.

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puerile

adjective
childish, immature, infantile, juvenile, babyish; silly, inane, fatuous, jejune, asinine, foolish, petty. ANTONYMS :mature, sensible.

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puff

noun
a puff of wind
gust, blast, flurry, rush, draught, waft, breeze, breath.
he took a puff at his cigar
pull; informal drag.
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(informal) they expected a puff in our review column
favourable mention, review, recommendation, good word, advertisement, promotion, commercial; informal ad; Brit. informal advert.
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(informal) a salesman's puff
publicity, advertising, promotion, marketing, propaganda, build-up; patter, line, pitch, sales talk; informal spiel.
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verb
he walked fast, puffing a little
breathe heavily, pant, blow; gasp, fight for breath.
she puffed at her cigarette
smoke, draw on, drag on, suck at/on.
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(informal) new ways to puff our products
advertise, promote, publicize, push, recommend, endorse, beat the drum for; informal hype (up), plug.
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puff out/up
bulge, swell (out), stick out, distend, tumefy, balloon (up/out), expand, inflate, enlarge. puff something out/up
dist end, expand, dilate, inflate, blow up, pump up, enlarge, bloat.

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puffed

adjective
out of breath, breathless, short of breath; panting, puffing, gasping, wheezing, wheezy, winded; informal out of puff.

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puffed-up

adjective
self-important, conceited, arrogant, bumptious, pompous, overbearing; affected, stiff, vain, proud; informal snooty, uppity, uppish.

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puffy

adjective
swollen, puffed up, distended, enlarged, inflated, dilated, bloated, engorged, bulging, tumid, tumescent.

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pugilism

noun
(dated) boxing, prizefighting, bare-knuckle boxing, sparring; fisticuffs; the ring.

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pugilist

noun
(dated) boxer, fighter, prizefighter; informal bruiser, pug.

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pugnacious

adjective
combative, aggressive, antagonistic, belligerent, bellicose, warlike, quarrelsome, argumentative, contentious, disputatious, hostile, threatening, truculent; fiery, hot-tempered. ANTONYMS :peaceable.

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puke

verb
(informal). See vomit verb senses 1, 2.

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pukka

adjective
(informal) the pukka thing to do
respectable, decorous, proper, genteel, polite; conventional, right, correct, accepted, decent.
pukka racing cars
genuine, authentic, proper, actual, real, true, bona fide, veritable, legitimate; informal kosher, the real McCoy.
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a pukka meal
excellent, very good, outstanding, exceptional, marvellous, wonderful, first-class; informal A1, ace, great, terrific, fantastic, fabulous, fab, awesome, wicked; Brit. informal brilliant, brill.
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ANTONYMS :improper, imitation, bad.

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pull

verb
he pulled the box towards him
tug, haul, drag, draw, tow, heave, lug, jerk, wrench; informal yank.
he pulled the bad tooth out
extract, take out, remove.
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she pulled a muscle
strain, sprain, wrench, turn, rick, tear; damage.
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race day pulled big crowds
attract, draw, bring in, pull in, lure, seduce, entice, tempt, beckon, interest, fascinate.
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ANTONYMS :push, repel.

noun
give the chain a pull
tug, jerk, heave; informal yank.
she took a pull on her beer
gulp, draught, drink, swallow, mouthful, slug; informal swill, swig.
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a pull on a cigarette
puff; informal drag.
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she felt the pull of the sea
attraction, draw, lure, allurement, enticement, magnetism, temptation, fascination, appeal.
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he has a lot of pull in finance
influence, sway, power, authority, say, prestige, standing, weight, leverage, muscle, teeth; informal clout .
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pull something apart
dismantle, disassemble, take/pull to pieces, take/pull to bits, take apart, strip down; demolish, destroy, break up. pull back
withdraw, retreat, fall back, back off; pull out, retire, disengage; flee, turn tail. pull something down
demolish, knock down, tear down, dismantle, raze (to the ground), level, flatten, bulldoze, destroy. pull in
stop, halt, come to a halt, pull over, pull up, draw up, brake, park. pull someone/something in
they pulled in big audiences.
See pull verb sense 4.

(informal) the police pulled him in
arrest, apprehend, detain, take into custody, seize, capture, catch; informal collar, nab, nick, pinch, run in, bust, feel someone's collar.
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pull someone's leg
tease, fool, play a trick on, rag, pull the wool over someone's eyes; informal kid, rib, lead up the garden path, take for a ride; Brit. informal wind up, have on. pull something off
achieve, fulfil, succeed in, accomplish, bring off, carry off, perform, discharge, complete, clinch, fix, effect, engineer. pull out
withdraw, resign, leave, retire, step down, bow out, back out, give up; informal quit. pull through
get better, get well again, improve, recover, rally, come through, recuperate. pull something to pieces
don't pull my radio to pieces.
See pull something apart.

they pulled the plan to pieces
criticize, attack, censure, condemn, find fault with, pillory, maul, savage; informal knock, slam, pan, bash, crucify, lay into, roast; Brit. informal slate, rubbish, slag off.
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pull oneself together
regain one's composure, recover, get a grip on oneself, get over it; informal snap out of it, get one's act together, buck up. pull up. See pull in. pull someone up
reprimand, rebuke, scold, chide, chastise, upbraid, berate, reprove, reproach, censure, take to task, admonish, lecture, read someone the Riot Act, haul over the coals; informal tell off, bawl out, dress down, give someone hell, give someone an earful; Brit. informal tick off, carpet, give someone a rollicking; N. Amer. informal chew out; Austral. informal monster; formal castigate.

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pulp

noun
he kneaded it into a pulp
mush, mash, paste, purée, pomace, pap, slop, slush, mulch; informal gloop, goo; N. Amer. informal glop.
the sweet pulp on cocoa seeds
flesh, marrow, meat.
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verb
pulp the gooseberries
mash, purée, cream, crush, press, liquidize, liquefy, sieve, squash, pound, macerate, grind, mince.
adjective
pulp fiction
trashy, cheap, sensational, lurid, tasteless; informal tacky, rubbishy.

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pulpit

noun
stand, lectern, platform, podium, stage, dais, rostrum.

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pulsate

verb
palpitate, pulse, throb, pump, undulate, surge, heave, rise and fall; beat, thump, drum, thrum; flutter, quiver.

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pulse 1

noun
the pulse in her neck
heartbeat, pulsation, pulsing, throbbing, pounding.
the pulse of the train wheels
rhythm, beat, tempo, cadence, pounding, thudding, drumming.
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pulses of ultrasound
burst, blast, spurt, impulse, surge.
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verb
music pulsed through the building
throb, pulsate, vibrate, beat, pound, thud, thump, drum, thrum, reverberate, echo.

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pulse 2

noun
eat plenty of pulses
legume, pea, bean, lentil.

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pulverize

verb
the seeds are pulverized into flour
grind, crush, pound, powder, mill, crunch, squash, press, pulp, mash, sieve, mince, macerate; technical comminute.
(informal) he pulverized the opposition.
See trounce.
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pummel

verb
batter, pound, belabour, drub, beat; punch, strike, hit, thump, thrash; informal clobber, wallop, bash, whack, beat the living daylights out of, give someone a (good) hiding, belt, biff, lay into, lam; Brit. informal slosh; N. Amer. informal bust, slug; Austral./NZ informal quilt; poetic/literary smite.

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pump

verb
I pumped air out of the tube
force, drive, push; suck, draw, tap, siphon, withdraw, expel, extract, bleed, drain.
she pumped up the tyre
inflate, aerate, blow up, fill up; swell, enlarge, distend, expand, dilate, puff up.
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blood was pumping from his leg
spurt, spout, squirt, jet, surge, spew, gush, stream, flow, pour, spill, well, cascade, run, course.
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(informal) I pumped them for information
interrogate, cross-examine, ask, question, quiz, probe, sound out, catechize, give someone the third degree; informal grill.
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pun

noun
play on words, wordplay, double entendre, innuendo, witticism, quip, bon mot.

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punch 1

verb
Jim punched him in the face
hit, strike, thump, jab, smash, welt, cuff, clip; batter, buffet, pound, pummel; informal sock, slug, biff, bop, wallop, clobber, bash, whack, thwack, clout, lam, whomp; Brit. informal stick one on, dot, slosh; N. Amer. informal boff, bust; Austral./NZ informal quilt; poetic/literary smite.
noun
a punch on the nose
blow, hit, knock, thump, box, jab, clip, welt; uppercut, hook; informal sock, slug, biff, bop, wallop, bash, whack, clout, belt; N. Amer. informal boff, bust; dated buffet.
the album is full of punch
vigour, liveliness, vitality, drive, strength, zest, verve, enthusiasm; impact, bite, kick; informal oomph, zing.
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punch 2

verb
he punched her ticket
make a hole in, perforate, puncture, pierce, prick, hole, spike, skewer; poetic/literary transpierce.

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punch-up

noun
(Brit. informal). See fight noun sense 1.

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punchy

adjective
punchy dialogue
forceful, incisive, strong, powerful, vigorous, dynamic, effective, impressive, telling, compelling; dramatic, passionate, graphic, vivid, potent, authoritative, aggressive; informal in-your-face. ANTONYMS :ineffectual.

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punctilio

noun
a stickler for punctilio
conformity, conscientiousness, punctiliousness; etiquette, protocol, conventions, formalities, propriety, decorum, manners, politesse, good form, the done thing.
the punctilios of court procedure
nicety, detail, fine point, subtlety, nuance, refinement.
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ANTONYMS :informality.

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punctilious

adjective
meticulous, conscientious, diligent, scrupulous, careful, painstaking, rigorous, perfectionist, methodical, particular, strict; fussy, fastidious, finicky, pedantic; informal nit-picking, pernickety; N. Amer. informal persnickety; archaic nice. ANTONYMS :careless.

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punctual

adjective
on time, prompt, on schedule, in (good) time; informal on the dot. ANTONYMS :late.

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punctuate

verb
how to punctuate direct speech
add punctuation to, put punctuation marks in, dot, apostrophize.
slides punctuated the talk
break up, interrupt, intersperse, pepper, sprinkle, scatter.
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puncture

noun
the tyre developed a puncture
hole, perforation, rupture; cut, slit; leak.
my car has a puncture
flat tyre; informal flat.
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verb
he punctured her balloon
make a hole in, pierce, rupture, perforate, stab, cut, slit, prick, spike, stick, lance; deflate.
she knows how to puncture his speeches
put an end to, cut short, deflate, reduce.
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pundit

noun
expert, authority, specialist, doyen(ne), master, guru, sage, savant; informal buff, whizz.

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pungent

adjective
a pungent marinade
strong, powerful, pervasive, penetrating; sharp, acid, sour, biting, bitter, tart, vinegary, tangy; highly flavoured, aromatic, spicy, piquant, peppery, hot.
pungent remarks
caustic, biting, trenchant, cutting, acerbic, sardonic, sarcastic, scathing, acrimonious, barbed, sharp, tart, incisive, bitter, venomous, waspish.
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ANTONYMS :bland, mild.

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punish

verb
they punished their children
discipline, bring someone to book, teach someone a lesson; tan someone's hide; informal murder, wallop, come down on (like a ton of bricks), have someone's guts for garters; Brit. informal give someone what for; dated chastise.
higher charges would punish the poor
penalize, unfairly disadvantage, handicap, hurt, wrong, ill-use, maltreat.
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the strikers punished the defence's mistakes
exploit, take advantage of, turn to account, profit from, capitalize on, cash in on; informal walk all over.
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punishable

adjective
illegal, unlawful, illegitimate, criminal, felonious, actionable, indictable, penal; blameworthy, dishonest, fraudulent, unauthorized, outlawed, banned, forbidden, prohibited, interdicted, proscribed.

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punishing

adjective
a punishing schedule
arduous, demanding, taxing, onerous, burdensome, strenuous, rigorous, stressful, trying; hard, difficult, tough, exhausting, tiring, gruelling, crippling, relentless; informal killing. ANTONYMS :easy.

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punishment

noun
the punishment of the guilty
penalizing, punishing, disciplining; retribution; dated chastisement.
the teacher imposed punishments
penalty, penance, sanction, sentence, one's just deserts; discipline, correction, vengeance, justice, judgement; informal comeuppance.
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both boxers took punishment
a battering, a thrashing, a beating, a drubbing; informal a hiding.
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ovens take continual punishment
maltreatment, mistreatment, abuse, ill-use, manhandling; damage, harm.
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punitive, penal.

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punitive

adjective
punitive measures
penal, disciplinary, corrective, correctional, retributive.
punitive taxes
harsh, severe, stiff, stringent, burdensome, demanding, crushing, crippling; high, sky-high, inflated, exorbitant, extortionate, excessive, inordinate, unreasonable; Brit. swingeing.
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punter

noun
(informal) each punter has a 1:39 chance
gambler, backer, staker, speculator, bettor; informal plunger, high roller.
(Brit. informal) sales bring the punters in
customer, client, patron; buyer, purchaser, shopper, consumer; (punters) clientele, audience, trade, business; Brit. informal bums on seats.
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puny

adjective
he grew up puny
undersized, undernourished, underfed, stunted, slight, small, little; weak, feeble, sickly, delicate, frail, fragile; informal weedy, pint-sized.
puny efforts to save their homes
pitiful, pitiable, inadequate, insufficient, derisory, miserable, sorry, meagre, paltry, trifling, inconsequential; informal pathetic, measly, piddling; formal exiguous.
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ANTONYMS :sturdy, substantial.

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pupil

noun
former pupils of the school
student, scholar; schoolchild, schoolboy, schoolgirl.
the guru's pupils
disciple, follower, student, protégé, apprentice, trainee, novice.
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puppet

noun
a show with puppets
marionette; glove puppet, hand puppet, finger puppet.
a puppet of the government
pawn, tool, instrument, cat's paw, poodle, creature, dupe; mouthpiece, minion, stooge.
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purchase

verb
we purchased the software
buy, pay for, acquire, obtain, pick up, snap up, take, procure; invest in; informal get hold of, score. ANTONYMS :sell.

noun
he's happy with his purchase
acquisition, buy, investment, order, bargain; shopping, goods.
he could get no purchase on the wall
grip, grasp, hold, foothold, toehold, anchorage, attachment, support; resistance, friction, leverage.
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ANTONYMS :sale.

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purchaser

noun
buyer, shopper, customer, consumer, patron; Law vendee.

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pure

adjective
pure gold
unadulterated, uncontaminated, unmixed, undiluted, unalloyed, unblended; sterling, solid, refined, 100%; clarified, clear, filtered; flawless, perfect, genuine, real.
the air is so pure
clean, clear, fresh, sparkling, unpolluted, uncontaminated, untainted; wholesome, natural, healthy; sanitary, uninfected, disinfected, germ-free, sterile, sterilized, aseptic.
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pure in body and mind
virtuous, moral, ethical, good, righteous, saintly, honourable, reputable, wholesome, clean, honest, upright, upstanding, exemplary, irreproachable; chaste, virginal, maidenly; decent, worthy, noble, blameless, guiltless, spotless, unsullied, uncorrupted, undefiled; informal squeaky clean.
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pure maths
theoretical, abstract, conceptual, academic, hypothetical, speculative, conjectural.
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three hours of pure magic
sheer, utter, absolute, out-and-out, complete, total, perfect, unmitigated.
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ANTONYMS :adulterated, polluted, immoral, practical.

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pure-bred

adjective
pedigree, thoroughbred, full-bred, blooded, pedigreed, pure. ANTONYMS :hybrid.

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purely

adverb
entirely, completely, absolutely, wholly, exclusively, solely, only, just, merely.

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purgative

adjective
purgative medicine
laxative, evacuant; Medicine aperient; Medicine, archaic lenitive.
noun
orris root is a purgative
laxative, evacuant; Medicine aperient; Medicine, archaic lenitive; dated purge.

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purgatory

noun
torment, torture, misery, suffering, affliction, anguish, agony, woe, hell; an ordeal, a nightmare. ANTONYMS :paradise.

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purge

verb
he purged them of their doubt
cleanse, clear, purify, wash, shrive, absolve; rare lustrate.
lawbreakers were purged from the army
remove, get rid of, expel, eject, exclude, dismiss, sack, oust, eradicate, clear out, weed out.
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noun
the purge of dissidents
removal, expulsion, ejection, exclusion, eviction, dismissal, sacking, ousting, eradication.

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purify

verb
trees help to purify the air
clean, cleanse, refine, decontaminate; filter, clarify, clear, freshen, deodorize; sanitize, disinfect, sterilize.
they purify themselves before the ceremony
purge, cleanse, unburden, deliver; redeem, shrive, exorcize, sanctify; rare lustrate.
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purist

noun
pedant, perfectionist, formalist, literalist, stickler, traditionalist, doctrinaire, quibbler, dogmatist; informal nit-picker; archaic precisian.

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puritan

noun
moralist, pietist, prude, prig, killjoy; ascetic; informal goody-goody, Holy Joe; N. Amer. informal bluenose.

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puritanical

adjective
moralistic, puritan, pietistic, strait-laced, stuffy, prudish, prim, priggish; narrow-minded, sententious, censorious; austere, severe, ascetic, abstemious; informal goody-goody, starchy. ANTONYMS :permissive.

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purity

noun
the purity of our tap water
cleanness, clearness, clarity, freshness; sterility.
they sought purity in a foul world
virtue, morality, goodness, righteousness, saintliness, piety, honour, honesty, integrity, decency, ethicality, impeccability; innocence, chastity.
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purloin

verb
(formal) steal, thieve, rob, take, snatch, pilfer, loot, appropriate; informal swipe, nab, rip off, lift, "liberate", "borrow", filch, snaffle; Brit. informal pinch, half-inch, nick, whip, knock off, nobble; N. Amer. informal heist.

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purport

verb
this work purports to be authoritative
claim, profess, pretend; appear, seem; be ostensibly, pose as, impersonate, masquerade as, pass for.
noun
the purport of his remarks
gist, substance, drift, implication, intention, meaning, significance, sense, essence, thrust, message.
the purport of the attack
intention, purpose, object, objective, aim, goal, target, end, design, idea.
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purpose

noun
the purpose of his visit
motive, motivation, grounds, cause, occasion, reason, point, basis, justification.
their purpose was to subvert the economy
intention, aim, object, objective, goal, end, plan, scheme, target; ambition, aspiration.
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I cannot see any purpose in it
advantage, benefit, good, use, value, merit, worth, profit; informal mileage, percentage.
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the original purpose of the porch
function, role, use.
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they started the game with purpose
determination, resolution, resolve, steadfastness, backbone, drive, push, enthusiasm, ambition, motivation, commitment, conviction, dedication; informal get-up-and-go.
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verb
(formal) they purposed to reach the summit
intend, mean, aim, plan, design, have the intention; decide, resolve, determine, propose, aspire, set one's sights on.
on purpose
deliberately, intentionally, purposely, by design, wilfully, knowingly, consciously, of one's own volition; expressly, specifically, especially, specially.

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purposeful

adjective
determined, resolute, steadfast, single-minded; enthusiastic, motivated, committed, dedicated, persistent, dogged, unfaltering, unshakeable. ANTONYMS :aimless.

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purposely

adverb
. See on purpose at purpose.

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purse

noun
the money fell out of her purse
wallet, money bag; N. Amer. change purse, billfold.
(N. Amer.) a woman's purse.
See handbag.
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the public purse
fund(s), kitty, coffers, pool, bank, treasury, exchequer; money, finances, wealth, reserves, cash, capital, assets.
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the fight will net him a $75,000 purse
prize, reward, award; winnings, stake(s).
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verb
he pursed his lips
press together, compress, tighten, pucker, pout.

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pursuance

noun
(formal) he was arrested in pursuance of this Act
execution, discharge, implementation, performance, accomplishment, fulfilment, dispatch, prosecution, enforcement.
their pursuance of power
search for, pursuit of, quest for, hunt for.
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pursue

verb
I pursued him down the garden
follow, run after, chase; hunt, stalk, track, trail, shadow, hound, course; informal tail.
pursue the goal of political union
strive for, work towards, seek, search for, aim at/for, aspire to.
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he had been pursuing her for weeks
woo, pay court to, chase, run after; informal make up to; dated court, make love to, romance, set one's cap at.
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she pursued a political career
engage in, be occupied in, practise, follow, prosecute, conduct, ply, take up, undertake, carry on.
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we will not pursue the matter
investigate, research, inquire into, look into, examine, scrutinize, analyse, delve into, probe.
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ANTONYMS :avoid, shun.

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pursuit

noun
the pursuit of profit
striving towards, quest after/for, search for; aim, goal, objective, dream.
a worthwhile pursuit
activity, hobby, pastime, diversion, recreation, relaxation, divertissement, amusement; occupation, trade, vocation, business, work, job, employment.
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purvey

verb
sell, supply, provide, furnish, cater, retail, deal in, trade, stock, offer; peddle, hawk, tout, traffic in; informal flog.

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purveyor

noun
seller, vendor, retailer, supplier, stockist, trader, pedlar, hawker; Brit. tout.

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pus

noun
suppuration, matter; discharge, secretion. purulent.

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push

verb
she tried to push him away
shove, thrust, propel; send, drive, force, prod, poke, nudge, elbow, shoulder; sweep, bundle, hustle, manhandle.
she pushed her way into the flat
force, shove, thrust, squeeze, jostle, elbow, shoulder, bundle, hustle; work, inch.
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he pushed the panic button
press, depress, bear down on, hold down, squeeze; operate, activate.
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don't push her to join in
urge, press, pressure, pressurize, force, impel, coerce, nag; prevail on, browbeat into; informal lean on, twist someone's arm, bulldoze.
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they push their own products
advertise, publicize, promote, bang the drum for; sell, market, merchandise; informal plug, hype (up), puff, flog; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo.
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ANTONYMS :pull.

noun
I felt a push in the back
shove, thrust, nudge, ram, bump, jolt, butt, prod, poke.
the enemy's eastward push
advance, drive, thrust, charge, attack, assault, onslaught, onrush, offensive, sortie, sally, incursion.
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at a push (Brit. informal)
if necessary, if need be, if needs must, if all else fails, in an emergency. push someone around
bully, domineer, ride roughshod over, trample on, bulldoze, browbeat, tyrannize, intimidate, threaten, victimize, pick on; informal lean on, boss about/around. push for
demand, call for, request, press for, campaign for, lobby for, speak up for; urge, promote, advocate, champion, espouse. push off (informal)
go away, depart, leave, get out; go, get moving, be off (with you), shoo; informal skedaddle, split, scram, run along, beat it, get lost, shove off, buzz off, clear off, on your bike; Brit. informal get stuffed, sling your hook, hop it, bog off, naff off; N. Amer. informal bug off, take a powder, take a hike; Austral./NZ informal rack off, nick off; poetic/literary begone. push on
press on, continue one's journey, carry on, advance, proceed, go on, progress, make headway, forge ahead.

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pushover

noun
the teacher was a pushover
weakling, feeble opponent, man of straw; informal soft touch, easy touch, easy meat.
this course is no pushover
easy task, walkover, five-finger exercise, gift; child's play; informal doddle, piece of cake, picnic, money for old rope, cinch, breeze; Brit. informal doss; N. Amer. informal duck soup, snap; Austral./NZ informal bludge; dated snip.
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pushy

adjective
assertive, self-assertive, overbearing, domineering, aggressive, forceful, forward, bold, bumptious, officious; thrusting, ambitious, overconfident, cocky; informal bossy; dated pushful. ANTONYMS :submissive.

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pusillanimous

adjective
timid, timorous, cowardly, fearful, faint-hearted, lily-livered, spineless, craven, shrinking; informal chicken, gutless, wimpy, wimpish, sissy, yellow, yellow-bellied. ANTONYMS :brave.

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pussyfoot

verb
you can't pussyfoot around with this
equivocate, tergiversate, be evasive, be non-committal, sidestep the issue, prevaricate, quibble, hedge, beat about the bush; Brit. hum and haw; informal duck the question, sit on the fence, shilly-shally.
I had to pussyfoot over the gravel
creep, tiptoe, pad, soft-shoe, steal, sneak, slink.
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pustule

noun
pimple, spot, bleb, boil, swelling, eruption, carbuncle, blister, abscess; informal whitehead, zit; Scottish informal plook; technical comedo, papule.

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put

verb
she put the parcel on a chair
place, set (down), lay (down), deposit, position, settle; leave, plant; informal stick, dump, bung, park, plonk, pop; N. Amer. informal plunk.
he didn't want to be put in a category
assign to, consign to, allocate to, place in.
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don't put the blame on me
lay, pin, place, fix; attribute to, impute to, assign to, allocate to, ascribe to.
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the proposals put to the committee
submit, present, tender, offer, proffer, advance, suggest, propose.
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she put it bluntly
express, word, phrase, frame, formulate, render, convey, couch; state, say, utter.
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he put the cost at £8,000
estimate, calculate, reckon, gauge, assess, evaluate, value, judge, measure, compute, fix, set; informal guesstimate.
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put about the ship put about

turn round, come about, change course. put something about the rumour had been put about

spread, circulate, make public, diss eminate, broadcast, publicize, pass on, propagate, bandy about. put something across/over
communicate, convey, get across/over, explain, make clear, spell out, clarify; get through to someone. put something aside
we've got a bit put aside in the bank
save, put by, set aside, deposit, reserve, store, stockpile, hoard, stow, cache; informal salt away, squirrel away, stash away.

they put aside their differences
disregard, set aside, ignore, forget, discount, bury.
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put someone away (informal)
they put him away for life
jail, imprison, put in prison, put behind bars, lock up, incarcerate; informal cage; Brit. informal bang up, send down; N. Amer. informal jug.

you should be put away!
certify, commit, hospitalize, institutionalize, put in a psychiatric hospital.
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put something away
I put away some money.
See put something aside sense 1.

she never puts her things away
replace, put back, tidy away, tidy up, clear away.
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(informal) she can put away a lot of food.
See eat sense 1.
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put something back
he put the books back
replace, return, restore, put away, tidy away.

they put back the film's release date.
See put something off.
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put someone down
(informal) he often puts me down
criticize, belittle, disparage, deprecate, denigrate, slight, humiliate, shame, crush, squash, deflate; informal show up, cut down to size.

I put him down as shy
consider to be, judge to be, reckon to be, take to be; regard, have down, take for.
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put something down
he put his ideas down on paper
write down, note down, jot down, take down, set down; list, record, register, log.

they put down the rebellion
suppress, check, crush, quash, squash, quell, overthrow, stamp out, repress, subdue.
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the horse had to be put down
destroy, put to sleep, put out of its misery, put to death, kill.
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put it down to the heat
attribute, ascribe, chalk up, impute; blame on.
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put something forward. See put sense 4. put in for
apply for, put in an application for, try for; request, seek, ask for. put someone off
deter, discourage, dissuade, daunt, unnerve, intimidate, scare off, repel, repulse; distract, disturb, divert, sidetrack; informal turn off. put something off
postpone, defer, delay, put back, adjourn, hold over, reschedule, shelve, table; informal put on ice, put on the back burner. put it on
pretend, play-act, make believe, fake it, go through the motions. put something on
she put on jeans
dress in, don, pull on, throw on, slip into, change into; informal doll oneself up in.

I put the light on
switch on, turn on, activate.
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they put on an extra train
provide, lay on, supply, make available.
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the museum put on an exhibition
organize, stage, mount, present, produce.
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she put on an American accent
feign, fake, simulate, affect, assume.
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he put a fiver on Oxford United
bet, gamble, stake, wager; place, lay; risk, chance, hazard.
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put one over on (informal). See hoodwink. put someone out
Maria was put out by the slur
annoy, anger, irritate, offend, affront, displease, irk, vex, pique, nettle, gall, upset; informal rile, miff, peeve; Brit. informal nark.

I don't want to put you out
inconvenience, trouble, bother, impose on, disoblige; informal put someone on the spot; formal discommode.
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put something out
firemen put out the blaze
extinguish, quench, douse, smother; blow out, snuff out.

he put out a press release
issue, publish, release, bring out, circulate, publicize, post.
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put someone up
we can put him up for a few days
accommodate, house, take in, lodge, quarter, billet; give someone a roof over their head.

they put up a candidate
nominate, propose, put forward, recommend.
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put something up
the building was put up 100 years ago
build, construct, erect, raise.

she put up a poster
display, pin up, stick up, hang up, post.
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we put up alternative schemes
propose, put forward, present, submit, suggest, tender.
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the chancellor put up taxes
increase, raise; informal jack up, hike, bump up.
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he put up most of the funding
provide, supply, furnish, give, contribute, donate, pledge, pay; informal fork out, cough up, shell out; N. Amer. informal ante up, pony up.
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put upon (informal)
take advantage of, impose on, exploit, use, misuse; informal walk all over. put someone up to something (informal)
persuade to, encourage to, urge to, egg on to, incite to, goad into. put up with
tolerate, take, stand (for), accept, stomach, swallow, endure, bear, support, take something lying down; informal abide, lump it; Brit. informal stick, be doing with; formal brook; archaic suffer.

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putative

adjective
supposed, assumed, presumed; accepted, recognized; commonly regarded, presumptive, alleged, reputed, reported, rumoured.

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put-down

noun
(informal) snub, slight, affront, rebuff, sneer, disparagement, humiliation, barb, jibe, criticism; informal dig.

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putrefy

verb
decay, rot, decompose, go bad, go off, spoil, fester, perish, deteriorate; moulder.

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putrid

adjective
decomposing, decaying, rotting, rotten, bad, off, putrefied, putrescent, rancid, mouldy; foul, fetid, rank.

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puzzle

verb
her decision puzzled me
perplex, confuse, bewilder, bemuse, baffle, mystify, confound, nonplus; informal flummox, faze, stump, beat; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.
she puzzled over the problem
think hard about, mull over, muse over, ponder, contemplate, meditate on, consider, deliberate on, chew over, wonder about.
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she tried to puzzle out what he meant
work out, understand, comprehend, sort out, reason out, solve, make sense of, make head or tail of, unravel, decipher; informal figure out, suss out.
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noun
the poem has always been a puzzle
enigma, mystery, paradox, conundrum, poser, riddle, problem; informal stumper.

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puzzled

adjective
perplexed, confused, bewildered, bemused, baffled, mystified, confounded, nonplussed, at a loss, at sea; informal flummoxed, stumped, fazed, clueless; N. Amer. informal discombobulated.

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puzzling

adjective
baffling, perplexing, bewildering, confusing, complicated, unclear, mysterious, enigmatic, ambiguous, obscure, abstruse, unfathomable, incomprehensible, impenetrable, cryptic. ANTONYMS :clear.

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pygmy

noun
a Congo pygmy
very small person, person of restricted growth, midget, dwarf, homunculus, manikin; Lilliputian; informal shrimp.
an intellectual pygmy
lightweight, mediocrity, nonentity, nobody, cipher; small fry; informal pipsqueak, no-hoper; Brit. informal squit; N. Amer. informal picayune.
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ANTONYMS :giant.

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pyromaniac

noun
arsonist, incendiary; Brit. fire-raiser; informal firebug, pyro; N. Amer. informal torch.

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Q

quack

noun
a quack selling fake medicines
swindler, charlatan, mountebank, trickster, fraud, fraudster, impostor, hoaxer, sharper; informal con man, shark; Brit. informal twister; N. Amer. informal grifter; Austral. informal shicer.
(Brit. informal) get the quack to examine you.
See doctor noun.
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quadrangle

noun
courtyard, quad, court, cloister, precinct; square, plaza, piazza.

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quaff

verb
drink, swallow, gulp (down), guzzle, slurp, down, drain, empty; imbibe, partake of, consume, sup, sip; informal sink, kill, glug, swig, swill, slug, knock back, toss off; Brit. informal get outside (of), shift, murder, neck; N. Amer. informal chug, snarf (down).

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quagmire

noun
the field became a quagmire
swamp, morass, bog, marsh, mire, slough; archaic quag.
a judicial quagmire
muddle, mix-up, mess, predicament, mare's nest, quandary, tangle, imbroglio; trouble, confusion, difficulty; informal sticky situation, pickle, stew, dilemma, fix, bind.
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quail

verb
cower, cringe, flinch, shrink, recoil, shy (away), pull back; shiver, tremble, shake, quake, blench, blanch.

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quaint

adjective
a quaint town
picturesque, charming, sweet, attractive, old-fashioned, old-world; Brit. twee; N. Amer. cunning; pseudo-archaic olde (worlde).
quaint customs
unusual, different, out of the ordinary, curious, eccentric, quirky, bizarre, whimsical, unconventional; informal offbeat.
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ANTONYMS :ugly, ordinary.

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quake

verb
the ground quaked
shake, tremble, quiver, shudder, sway, rock, wobble, move, heave, convulse.
we quaked when we saw the soldiers
tremble, shake, quiver, shiver; blench, blanch, flinch, shrink, recoil, cower, cringe.
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qualification

noun
a teaching qualification
certificate, diploma, degree, licence, document, warrant; eligibility, acceptability, adequacy; proficiency, skill, ability, capability, aptitude.
I can't accept it without qualification
modification, limitation, reservation, stipulation; alteration, amendment, revision, moderation, mitigation; condition, proviso, caveat.
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qualified

adjective
certified, certificated, chartered, licensed, professional; trained, fit, competent, accomplished, proficient, skilled, experienced, expert.

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qualify

verb
I qualify for free travel
be eligible, meet the requirements; be entitled to, be permitted.
they qualify as refugees
count, be considered, be designated, be eligible.
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she qualified as a solicitor
be certified, be licensed; pass, graduate, make the grade, succeed, pass muster.
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the course qualified them to teach
authorize, empower, allow, permit, license; equip, prepare, train, educate, teach.
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they qualified their findings
modify, limit, restrict, make conditional; moderate, temper, modulate, mitigate.
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quality

noun
a poor quality of signal
standard, grade, class, calibre, condition, character, nature, form, rank, value, level; sort, type, kind, variety.
work of such quality
excellence, superiority, merit, worth, value, virtue, calibre, eminence, distinction, incomparability; talent, skill, virtuosity, craftsmanship.
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her good qualities
feature, trait, attribute, characteristic, point, aspect, facet, side, property.
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qualm

noun
misgiving, doubt, reservation, second thought, worry, concern, anxiety; (qualms) hesitation, hesitance, hesitancy, demur, reluctance, disinclination, apprehension, trepidation, unease; scruples, remorse, compunction.

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quandary

noun
predicament, plight, difficult situation, awkward situation; trouble, muddle, mess, confusion, difficulty, mare's nest; informal dilemma, sticky situation, pickle, hole, stew, fix, bind, jam.

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quantity

noun
the quantity of food collected
amount, total, aggregate, sum, quota, mass, weight, volume, bulk; quantum, proportion, portion, part.
a quantity of ammunition
amount, lot, great deal, good deal, an abundance, a wealth, a profusion, plenty; informal piles, oodles, tons, lots, loads, heaps, masses, stacks, bags; Brit. informal shedloads.
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quarrel

noun
they had a quarrel about money
argument, disagreement, squabble, fight, dispute, wrangle, clash, altercation, feud, contretemps, disputation, falling-out, war of words, shouting match; informal tiff, slanging match, run-in; Brit. informal barney, row, bust-up.
verb
don't quarrel over it
argue, fight, disagree, fall out; differ, be at odds; bicker, squabble, cross swords, lock horns, be at each other's throats; informal argufy; Brit. informal row.
quarrel with you can't quarrel with the verdict

fault, criticize, object to, oppose, take exception to; attack, take issue with, impugn, contradict, dispute, controvert; informal knock; formal gainsay.

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quarrelsome

adjective
argumentative, disputatious, confrontational, captious, pugnacious, combative, antagonistic, bellicose, belligerent, cantankerous, choleric; Brit. informal stroppy; N. Amer. informal scrappy. ANTONYMS :peaceable.

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quarry

noun
prey, victim; object, goal, target; kill, game.

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quarter

noun
the Latin quarter
district, area, region, part, side, neighbourhood, precinct, locality, sector, zone; ghetto, community, enclave.
help from an unexpected quarter
source, direction, place, location; person.
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the servants' quarters
accommodation, lodgings, rooms, chambers; home; informal pad, digs; formal abode, residence, domicile.
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the riot squads gave no quarter
mercy, leniency, clemency, lenity, compassion, pity, charity, sympathy, tolerance.
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verb
they were quartered in a villa
accommodate, house, board, lodge, put up, take in, install, shelter; Military billet.
I quartered the streets
patrol, range over, tour, reconnoitre, traverse, survey, scout; Brit. informal recce.
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quash

verb
he may quash the sentence
cancel, reverse, rescind, repeal, revoke, retract, countermand, withdraw, overturn, overrule, veto, annul, nullify, invalidate, negate, void; Law vacate; formal abrogate.
we want to quash these rumours
put an end to, put a stop to, stamp out, crush, put down, check, curb, nip in the bud, squash, quell, subdue, suppress, extinguish, stifle; informal squelch, put the kibosh on.
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ANTONYMS :validate.

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quasi-

combining form
quasi-scientific
supposedly, seemingly, apparently, allegedly, ostensibly, on the face of it, on the surface, to all intents and purposes, outwardly, superficially, purportedly, nominally; pseudo-.
a quasi-autonomous organization
partly, partially, part, to a certain extent, to some extent, half, relatively, comparatively, (up) to a point; almost, nearly, just about, all but.
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quaver

verb
tremble, waver, quiver, shake, vibrate, oscillate, fluctuate, falter, warble.

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quay

noun
wharf, pier, jetty, landing stage, berth; marina, dock, harbour.

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queasy

adjective
nauseous, nauseated, bilious, sick; ill, unwell, poorly, green about the gills; Brit. off colour.

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queen

noun
the Queen was crowned
monarch, sovereign, ruler, head of state; Her Majesty; king's consort, queen consort.
(informal) the queen of soul music
doyenne, star, superstar, leading light, big name, queen bee, prima donna, idol, heroine, favourite, darling, goddess.
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queer

adjective
it seemed queer to see him here
odd, strange, unusual, funny, peculiar, curious, bizarre, weird, uncanny, freakish, eerie, unnatural; unconventional, unorthodox, unexpected, unfamiliar, abnormal, anomalous, atypical, untypical, out of the ordinary, incongruous, irregular; puzzling, perplexing, baffling, unaccountable; informal fishy, creepy, spooky, freaky; Brit. informal rum.
(Brit. informal, dated) the pills made her feel queer.
See ill adjective sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :normal, well.

verb
he queered the whole deal
spoil, ruin, wreck, destroy, scotch, disrupt, undo, thwart, foil, blight, cripple, jeopardize, threaten, undermine, compromise; informal botch, blow, put the kibosh on; Brit. informal scupper.

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quell

verb
troops quelled the unrest
put an end to, put a stop to, end, crush, put down, check, crack down on, curb, nip in the bud, squash, quash, subdue, suppress, overcome; informal squelch.
he quelled his misgivings
calm, soothe, pacify, settle, quieten, quiet, silence, allay, assuage, mitigate, moderate; poetic/literary stay.
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quench

verb
they quenched their thirst
satisfy, slake, sate, satiate, gratify, relieve, assuage, take the edge off, indulge; lessen, reduce, diminish, check, suppress, extinguish, overcome.
the flames were quenched
extinguish, put out, snuff out, smother, douse.
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querulous

adjective
petulant, peevish, pettish, complaining, fractious, fretful, irritable, testy, tetchy, cross, snappish, crabby, crotchety, cantankerous, miserable, moody, grumpy, bad-tempered, sullen, sulky, sour, churlish; informal snappy, grouchy, whingy; Brit. informal ratty, cranky; N. English informal mardy; N. Amer. informal soreheaded.

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query

noun
we are happy to answer any queries
question, enquiry; Brit. informal quiz.
there was a query as to who owned the hotel
doubt, uncertainty, question (mark), reservation; scepticism.
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verb
"Why do that?" queried Isobel
ask, enquire, question; Brit. informal quiz.
folk may query his credentials
question, call into question, challenge, dispute, cast aspersions on, doubt, have suspicions about, have reservations about.
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quest

noun
their quest for her killer
search, hunt; pursuance of.
Sir Galahad's quest
expedition, journey, voyage, trek, travels, odyssey, adventure, exploration, search; crusade, mission, pilgrimage.
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in quest of
in search of, in pursuit of, seeking, looking for, on the lookout for, after.

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question

noun
please answer my question
enquiry, query; interrogation; Brit. informal quiz.
there is no question that he is ill
doubt, dispute, argument, debate, uncertainty, dubiousness, reservation; formal dubiety.
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the political questions of the day
issue, matter, business, problem, concern, topic, theme, case; debate, argument, dispute, controversy.
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interrogative. ANTONYMS :answer, certainty.

verb
the magistrate questions the suspect
interrogate, cross-examine, cross-question, quiz, catechize; interview, debrief, examine, give the third degree to; informal grill, pump.
she questioned his motives
query, call into question, challenge, dispute, cast aspersions on, doubt, suspect, have suspicions about, have reservations about.
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beyond question
her loyalty is beyond question
undoubted, beyond doubt, certain, indubitable, indisputable, incontrovertible, unquestionable, undeniable, clear, patent, manifest.

the results demonstrated this beyond question
indisputably , irrefutably, incontestably, incontrovertibly, unquestionably, undeniably, undoubtedly, beyond doubt, without doubt, clearly, patently, obviously.
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in question
at issue, under discussion, under consideration, on the agenda, to be decided. out of the question
impossible, impracticable, unfeasible, unworkable, inconceivable, unimaginable, unrealizable, unsuitable; informal not on.

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questionable

adjective
jokes of questionable taste
controversial, contentious, doubtful, dubious, uncertain, debatable, arguable; unverified, unprovable, unresolved, unconvincing, implausible, improbable; borderline, marginal, moot; informal iffy; Brit. informal dodgy.
questionable financial dealings
suspicious, suspect, dubious, irregular, odd, strange, murky, dark, unsavoury, disreputable; informal funny, fishy, shady, iffy; Brit. informal dodgy.
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ANTONYMS :indisputable, honest.

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questionnaire

noun
question sheet, survey form, opinion poll; test, exam, examination, quiz; Medicine questionary.

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queue

noun
a queue of people
line, row, column, file, chain, string; procession, train, cavalcade; waiting list; N. Amer. wait list; Brit. informal crocodile.
a traffic queue
(traffic) jam, tailback, gridlock; N. Amer. back-up; informal snarl-up.
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verb
we queued for ice creams
line up, form a queue, queue up, wait in line, form a line, fall in.

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quibble

noun
I have just one quibble
criticism, objection, complaint, protest, argument, exception, grumble, grouse, cavil; informal niggle, moan, gripe, beef, grouch.
verb
no one quibbled with the title
object to, find fault with, complain about, cavil at; split hairs, chop logic; criticize, query, fault, pick holes in; informal nit-pick; archaic pettifog.

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quick

adjective
a quick worker
fast, swift, rapid, speedy, high-speed, expeditious, brisk, smart; lightning, whirlwind, fast-track, whistle-stop, breakneck; informal nippy, zippy; poetic/literary fleet.
she took a quick look
hasty, hurried, cursory, perfunctory, desultory, superficial, summary; brief, short, fleeting, transient, transitory, short-lived, lightning, momentary.
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a quick end to the recession
sudden, instantaneous, immediate, instant, abrupt, precipitate.
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she isn't as quick as the others
intelligent, bright, clever, gifted, able, astute, quick-witted, sharp-witted, smart; observant, alert, sharp, perceptive; informal brainy, on the ball, quick on the uptake.
Top
ANTONYMS :slow, long.

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quicken

verb
she quickened her pace
speed up, accelerate, step up, hasten, hurry (up); informal gee up.
the film quickened his interest in nature
stimulate, excite, arouse, rouse, stir up, activate, galvanize, whet, inspire, kindle; invigorate, revive, revitalize.
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quickly

adverb
he walked quickly
fast, swiftly, briskly, rapidly, speedily, at the speed of light, at full tilt, as fast as one's legs can carry one, at a gallop, at the double, post-haste, hotfoot; informal double quick, p.d.q. (pretty damn quick), like (greased) lightning, hell for leather, like mad, like blazes, like the wind; Brit. informal like the clappers, like billy-o; N. Amer. informal lickety-split; poetic/literary apace.
you'd better leave quickly
immediately, directly, at once, now, straight away, right away, instantly, forthwith, without delay, without further ado; soon, promptly, early; N. Amer. momentarily; informal like a shot, a.s.a.p. (as soon as possible), pronto, before you can say Jack Robinson, straight off.
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he quickly inspected it
briefly, fleetingly, briskly; hastily, hurriedly, cursorily, perfunctorily, superficially, desultorily.
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quick-tempered

adjective
irritable, irascible, hot-tempered, short-tempered, snappish, fiery, touchy, volatile; cross, crabby, crotchety, cantankerous, grumpy, ill-tempered, bad-tempered, testy, tetchy, prickly, choleric; informal snappy, chippy, grouchy, cranky, on a short fuse; Brit. informal narky, ratty, eggy, like a bear with a sore head; N. Amer. informal soreheaded. ANTONYMS :placid.

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quick-witted

adjective
intelligent, bright, clever, gifted, able, astute, quick, smart, sharp-witted; observant, alert, sharp, perceptive; informal brainy, on the ball, quick on the uptake. ANTONYMS :slow.

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quid pro quo

noun
exchange, trade, trade-off, swap, switch, barter, substitute, reciprocation, return; amends, compensation, recompense, restitution, reparation.

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quiescent

adjective
inactive, inert, idle, dormant, at rest, inoperative, deactivated, quiet; still, motionless, immobile, passive. ANTONYMS :active.

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quiet

adjective
the whole pub went quiet
silent, still, hushed, noiseless, soundless; mute, dumb, speechless.
a quiet voice
soft, low, muted, muffled, faint, indistinct, inaudible, hushed, whispered, suppressed.
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a quiet village
peaceful, sleepy, tranquil, calm, still, restful, undisturbed, untroubled; unfrequented.
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can I have a quiet word?
private, confidential, secret, discreet, unofficial, off the record, between ourselves.
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quiet colours
unobtrusive, restrained, muted, understated, subdued, subtle, low-key; soft, pale, pastel.
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you can't keep it quiet for long
secret, confidential, classified, unrevealed, undisclosed, unknown, under wraps; informal hush-hush, mum; formal sub rosa.
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business is quiet
slow, stagnant, slack, sluggish, inactive, idle.
Top
ANTONYMS :loud, busy, public.

noun
the quiet of the countryside
peacefulness, peace, restfulness, calm, tranquillity, serenity; silence , quietness, stillness, still, quietude, hush, soundlessness.

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quieten

verb
quieten the children down
silence, hush, shush, quiet; informal shut up.
her companions quietened
fall silent, stop talking, break off, shush, hold one's tongue; informal shut up, clam up, shut it, pipe down, shut one's mouth, put a sock in it, button it.
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he tried to quieten manic patients
pacify, calm (down), soothe, subdue, tranquillize, relax, comfort, compose.
Top

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quietly

adverb
she quietly entered the room
silently, in silence, noiselessly, soundlessly, inaudibly; mutely, dumbly.
he spoke quietly
softly, in a low voice, in a whisper, in a murmur, under one's breath, in an undertone, sotto voce, gently, faintly, weakly, feebly.
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some bonds were sold quietly
discreetly, privately, confidentially, secretly, unofficially, off the record.
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she is quietly confident
calmly, patiently, placidly, serenely.
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quilt

noun
duvet, cover(s); Brit. eiderdown; N. Amer. comforter, puff; Austral. trademark Doona.

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quintessence

noun
it's the quintessence of the modern home
perfect example, exemplar, prototype, stereotype, picture, epitome, embodiment, ideal; best, pick, prime, acme, crème de la crème.
the quintessence of intelligence
essence, soul, spirit, nature, core, heart, crux, kernel, marrow, substance; informal nitty-gritty; Philosophy quiddity, esse.
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quintessential

adjective
typical, prototypical, stereotypical, archetypal, classic, model, standard, stock, representative, conventional; ideal, consummate, exemplary, best, ultimate.

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quip

noun
the quip provoked a smile
joke, witty remark, witticism, jest, pun, sally, pleasantry, bon mot; informal one-liner, gag, crack, wisecrack, funny.
verb
"Enjoy your trip?" he quipped
joke, jest, pun, sally; informal gag, wisecrack.

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quirk

noun
they all know his quirks
idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, oddity, eccentricity, foible, whim, vagary, caprice, fancy, crotchet, habit, characteristic, trait, fad; informal hang-up.
a quirk of fate
chance, fluke, freak, anomaly, twist.
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quirky

adjective
eccentric, idiosyncratic, unconventional, unorthodox, unusual, strange, bizarre, peculiar, odd, outlandish, zany; informal wacky, freaky, kinky, way-out, far out, kooky, offbeat. ANTONYMS :conventional.

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quisling

noun
collaborator, fraternizer, colluder, sympathizer; traitor, turncoat, back-stabber, double-crosser, defector, Judas, snake in the grass, fifth columnist.

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quit

verb
he quit the office at 12.30
leave, vacate, exit, depart from, withdraw from; abandon, desert.
(informal) he's decided to quit his job
resign from, leave, give up, hand in one's notice, stand down from, relinquish, vacate, walk out on, retire from; informal chuck, pack in.
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(informal) quit living in the past
give up, stop, cease, discontinue, drop, break off, abandon, abstain from, desist from, refrain from, avoid, forgo; informal pack (it) in, leave off.
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quite

adverb
two quite different types
completely, entirely, totally, wholly, absolutely, utterly, thoroughly, altogether.
red hair was quite common
fairly, rather, somewhat, slightly, relatively, comparatively, moderately, reasonably, to a certain extent; informal pretty, kind of, sort of.
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quiver

verb
I quivered with terror
tremble, shake, shiver, quaver, quake, shudder.
the bird quivers its wings
flutter, flap, beat, agitate, vibrate.
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noun
a quiver in her voice
tremor, tremble, shake, quaver, flutter, fluctuation, waver.

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quixotic

adjective
idealistic, romantic, visionary, Utopian, extravagant, starry-eyed, unrealistic, unworldly; impracticable, unworkable, impossible.

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quiz

noun
a music quiz
competition, test of knowledge.
(informal) jockey faces quiz over bribes
interrogation, questioning, interview, examination, the third degree; informal grilling.
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verb
a man was being quizzed by police
question, interrogate, cross-examine, cross-question, interview, sound out, give someone the third degree; informal grill, pump.

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quizzical

adjective
enquiring, questioning, curious; puzzled, perplexed, baffled, mystified; amused, mocking, teasing.

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quota

noun
allocation, share, allowance, limit, ration, portion, dispensation, slice (of the cake); percentage, commission; proportion, fraction, bit, amount, quantity; informal cut, rake-off; Brit. informal whack.

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quotation

noun
a quotation from Dryden
citation, quote, excerpt, extract, passage, line, paragraph, verse, phrase; reference, allusion; N. Amer. cite.
a quotation for the building work
estimate, quote, price, tender, bid, costing, charge, figure.
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quote

verb
he quoted a sentence from the book
recite, repeat, reproduce, retell, echo, iterate; take, extract.
she quoted one case in which a girl died
cite, mention, refer to, name, instance, specify, identify; relate, recount; allude to, point out, present, offer, advance.
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noun
a Shakespeare quote.
See quotation sense 1.
ask the contractor for a quote.
See quotation sense 2.
Top

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quotidian

adjective
the quotidian routine
daily, everyday, day-to-day, diurnal.
her dreadfully quotidian car
ordinary, average, run-of-the-mill, everyday, standard, typical, middle-of-the-road, common, conventional, mainstream, unremarkable, unexceptional, workaday, commonplace, mundane, uninteresting; informal bog-standard, nothing to write home about, a dime a dozen; Brit. informal common or garden.
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ANTONYMS :unusual.

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R

rabbit

noun
buck, doe; Brit. coney; informal bunny.

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rabble

noun
a rabble of noisy youths
mob, crowd, throng, gang, swarm, horde, pack, mass, group.
rule by the rabble
the common people, the masses, the populace, the multitude, the rank and file, the commonality, the commonalty, the plebeians, the proletariat, the peasantry, the hoi polloi, the lower classes, the riff-raff; informal the proles, the plebs.
Top
ANTONYMS :nobility.

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rabble-rouser

noun
agitator, troublemaker, instigator, firebrand, revolutionary, demagogue.

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rabid

adjective
a rabid dog
rabies-infected, mad.
a rabid anti-royalist
extreme, fanatical, overzealous, extremist, maniacal, passionate, fervent, diehard, uncompromising, illiberal; informal gung-ho.
Top
ANTONYMS :moderate.

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race 1

noun
Dave won the race
contest, competition, event, fixture, heat, trial(s).
the race for naval domination
competition, rivalry, contention; quest.
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the mill race
channel, waterway, conduit, sluice, spillway.
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verb
he will race in the final
compete, contend; run.
Claire raced after him
hurry, dash, rush, run, sprint, bolt, dart, gallop, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, fly, speed, scurry; informal tear, belt, pelt, scoot, hotfoot it, leg it; Brit. informal bomb; N. Amer. informal hightail it.
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her heart was racing
pound, beat rapidly, throb, pulsate, thud, thump, hammer, palpitate, flutter, pitter-patter, quiver, pump.
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race 2

noun
pupils of many different races
ethnic group, racial type, (ethnic) origin.
a bloodthirsty race
people, nation.
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racial

adjective
ethnic, ethnological, race-related; cultural, national, tribal.

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racism

noun
racial discrimination, racialism, racial prejudice, xenophobia, chauvinism, bigotry; anti-Semitism.

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racist

noun
he was exposed as a racist
racial bigot, racialist, xenophobe, chauvinist; anti-Semite.
adjective
a racist society
(racially) discriminatory, racialist, prejudiced, bigoted; anti-Semitic.

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rack

noun
put the cake on a wire rack
frame, framework, stand, holder, trestle, support, shelf.
verb
she was racked with guilt
torment, afflict, torture, agonize, harrow; plague, bedevil, persecute, trouble, worry.
on the rack
under pressure, under stress, under a strain, in distress; in trouble, in difficulties, having problems. rack one's brains
think hard, concentrate, cudgel one's brains; informal scratch one's head.

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racket

noun
the engine makes such a racket
noise, din, hubbub, clamour, uproar, tumult, commotion, rumpus, pandemonium, babel; informal hullabaloo; Brit. informal row.
(informal) a gold-smuggling racket
illegal scheme, fraud, swindle; informal rip-off; N. Amer. informal shakedown.
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raconteur

noun
storyteller, narrator, anecdotalist; Austral. informal magsman.

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racy

adjective
risqué, suggestive, naughty, sexy, spicy, ribald; indecorous, indecent, immodest, off colour, dirty, rude, smutty, crude, salacious; N. Amer. gamy; informal raunchy, blue; Brit. informal saucy; euphemistic adult. ANTONYMS :prim.

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raddled

adjective
haggard, gaunt, drawn, tired, fatigued, drained, exhausted, worn out, washed out; unwell, unhealthy; informal the worse for wear.

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radiance

noun
the radiance of the sun
light, brightness, brilliance, luminosity, beams, rays, illumination, blaze, glow, gleam, lustre, glare; luminescence, incandescence.
her face flooded with radiance
joy, elation, jubilance, ecstasy, rapture, euphoria, delirium, happiness, delight, pleasure.
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radiant

adjective
the radiant moon
shining, bright, illuminated, brilliant, gleaming, glowing, ablaze, luminous, luminescent, lustrous, incandescent, dazzling, shimmering; archaic splendent.
she looked radiant
joyful, elated, thrilled, overjoyed, jubilant, rapturous, ecstatic, euphoric, in seventh heaven, on cloud nine, delighted, very happy; informal on top of the world, over the moon; Austral. informal wrapped.
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ANTONYMS :dark, gloomy.

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radiate

verb
the stars radiate energy
emit, give off, give out, discharge, diffuse; shed, cast.
light radiated from the hall
shine, beam, emanate.
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their faces radiate hope
display, show, exhibit; emanate, breathe, be a picture of.
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four spokes radiate from the hub
fan out, spread out, branch out/off, extend, issue.
Top

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radical

adjective
radical reform
thoroughgoing, thorough, complete, total, comprehensive, exhaustive, sweeping, far-reaching, wide-ranging, extensive, profound, major, stringent, rigorous.
radical differences between the two theories
fundamental, basic, essential, quintessential; structural, deep-seated, intrinsic, organic, constitutive.
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a radical political movement
revolutionary, progressive, reformist, revisionist, progressivist; extreme, extremist, fanatical, militant, diehard.
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ANTONYMS :superficial, minor, conservative.

noun
the arrested man was a radical
revolutionary, progressive, reformer, revisionist; militant, zealot, extremist, fanatic, diehard; informal ultra. ANTONYMS :conservative.

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raffish

adjective
rakish, unconventional, bohemian; devil-may-care, casual, careless; louche, disreputable, dissolute, decadent.

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raffle

noun
lottery, (prize) draw, sweepstake, sweep, tombola; N. Amer. lotto.

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rag 1

noun
an oily rag
cloth, scrap of cloth; N. Amer. informal schmatte.
a man dressed in rags
tatters, torn clothing, old clothes; cast-offs, hand-me-downs.
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rag 2

noun
(Brit.) the student rag
fund-raising event, charity event, charitable event.
verb
(informal) he was ragged mercilessly.
See tease.

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ragamuffin

noun
urchin, waif, guttersnipe; informal scarecrow; dated gamin(e).

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ragbag

noun
jumble, hotchpotch, mishmash, mess, hash; assortment, mixture, miscellany, medley, mixed bag, melange, variety, diversity, pot-pourri; N. Amer. hodgepodge.

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rage

noun
his rage is due to frustration
fury, anger, wrath, outrage, indignation, temper, spleen, resentment, pique, annoyance, vexation, displeasure; pet, tantrum, (bad) mood; informal grump, strop; poetic/literary ire, choler.
the current rage for DIY
craze, passion, fashion, taste, trend, vogue, fad, enthusiasm, obsession, compulsion, fixation, fetish, mania, preoccupation; informal thing.
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verb
she raged silently
be angry, be furious, be enraged, be incensed, seethe, be beside oneself, rave, storm, fume, spit; informal be livid, be wild, foam at the mouth, have a fit, be steamed up.
he raged against the reforms
protest about, complain about, oppose, denounce; fulminate, storm, rail; informal kick up a stink about.
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a storm was raging
be violent, be turbulent, be tempestuous; thunder, rampage.
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(all) the rage
popular, fashionable, in fashion, in vogue, the (latest) thing, in great demand, sought-after, l e dernier cri; informal in, the in thing, cool, big, trendy, hot, hip.

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ragged

adjective
ragged jeans
tattered, in tatters, torn, ripped, holey, in holes, moth-eaten, frayed, worn (out), falling to pieces, threadbare, scruffy, shabby; informal tatty.
a ragged child
shabby, scruffy, down at heel, unkempt, dressed in rags.
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a ragged coastline
jagged, craggy, rugged, uneven, rough, irregular; serrated, sawtooth, indented; technical crenulate, crenulated.
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ANTONYMS :smart.

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raging

adjective
a raging mob
angry, furious, enraged, incensed, infuriated, irate, fuming, seething, ranting; informal livid, wild; poetic/literary wrathful.
raging seas
stormy, violent, wild, turbulent, tempestuous.
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a raging headache
excruciating, agonizing, painful, throbbing, acute, bad.
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her raging thirst
severe, extreme, great, excessive.
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raid

noun
the raid on Dieppe
attack, assault, descent, blitz, incursion, sortie; onslaught, storming, charge, offensive, invasion, blitzkrieg.
a raid on a shop
robbery, burglary, hold-up, break-in, ram raid; looting, plunder; informal smash-and-grab, stick-up; Brit. informal blag; N. Amer. informal heist.
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a police raid on the flat
swoop, search; N. Amer. informal bust, takedown.
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verb
they raided shipping in the harbour
attack, assault, set upon, descend on, swoop on, blitz, assail, storm, rush.
armed men raided the store
rob, hold up, break into; plunder, steal from, pillage, loot, ransack, sack; informal stick up.
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homes were raided by police
search, swoop on; N. Amer. informal bust.
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raider

noun
robber, burglar, thief, housebreaker, plunderer, pillager, looter, marauder; attacker, assailant, invader.

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rail

verb
he rails against injustice
protest, fulminate, inveigh, rage, speak out, make a stand; expostulate about, criticize, denounce, condemn; object to, oppose, complain about, challenge; informal kick up a fuss about.

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railing

noun
fence, fencing, rail(s), paling, palisade, balustrade, banister, hurdle.

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raillery

noun
teasing, mockery, chaff, ragging; banter, badinage; informal leg-pulling, ribbing, kidding; N. Amer. informal josh.

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rain

noun
the rain had stopped
rainfall, precipitation, raindrops, wet weather; drizzle, mizzle, shower, rainstorm, cloudburst, torrent, downpour, deluge, storm.
a rain of hot ash
shower, deluge, flood, torrent, avalanche, flurry; storm, hail.
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pluvial.
verb
it rained heavily
pour (down), pelt down, tip down, teem down, beat down, lash down, sheet down, rain cats and dogs; fall, drizzle, spit; informal be chucking it down; Brit. informal bucket down.
bombs rained on the city
fall, hail, drop, shower.
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rainy

adjective
wet, showery, drizzly, damp, inclement.

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raise

verb
he raised a hand in greeting
lift (up), hold aloft, elevate, uplift, upraise, upthrust; hoist, haul up, hitch up; Brit. informal hoick up.
he raised himself in the bed
set upright, set vertical; sit up, stand up.
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they raised prices
increase, put up, push up, up, mark up, escalate, inflate; informal hike (up), jack up, bump up.
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he raised his voice
amplify, louden, magnify, intensify, boost, lift, increase, heighten, augment.
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the temple was raised in 900 BC
build, construct, erect, assemble, put up.
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how will you raise the money?
get, obtain, acquire; accumulate, amass, collect, fetch, net, make.
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the city raised troops to fight for them
recruit, enlist, sign up, conscript, call up, mobilize, rally, assemble; US draft.
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a tax raised on imports
levy, impose, exact, demand, charge.
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he raised several objections
bring up, air, ventilate; present, table, propose, sub mit, advance, suggest, moot, put forward.
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the disaster raised doubts about safety
give rise to, occasion, cause, produce, engender, elicit, create, result in, lead to, prompt, awaken, arouse, induce, kindle, incite, stir up, trigger, spark off, provoke, instigate, foment, whip up; poetic/literary beget.
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most parents raise their children well
bring up, rear, nurture, look after, care for, provide for, mother, parent, tend, cherish; educate, train.
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he raised cattle
breed, rear, nurture, keep, tend; grow, farm, cultivate, produce.
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he was raised to the peerage
promote, advance, upgrade, elevate, ennoble; informal kick upstairs; archaic prefer.
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(Brit. informal) raise them on the radio
contact, get hold of, reach, get in touch with, communicate with, call.
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ANTONYMS :lower, reduce, demolish.

noun
the workers wanted a raise
pay rise, pay increase, increment.
raise hell (informal). See hell.

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raised

adjective
embossed, relief, relievo, die-stamped.

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rake 1

verb
he raked the leaves into a pile
scrape up, collect, gather.
she raked the gravel
smooth (out), level, even out, flatten, comb.
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the cat raked his arm with its claws
scratch, lacerate, scrape, rasp, graze, grate; Medicine excoriate.
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she raked a hand through her hair
drag, pull, scrape, tug, comb.
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I raked through my pockets
rummage, search, hunt, sift, rifle.
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machine-gun fire raked the streets
sweep, enfilade, pepper, strafe.
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rake something in (informal)
earn, make, get, gain, obtain, acquire, accumulate, bring in, pull in, pocket, realize, fetch, return, yield, raise, net, gross. rake something up
remind people of, recollect, remember, call to mind; drag up, dredge up.

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rake 2

noun
he was something of a rake
playboy, libertine, profligate; degenerate, roué, debauchee; lecher, seducer, womanizer, philanderer, adulterer, Don Juan, Lothario, Casanova; informal ladykiller, ladies' man, lech.

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rake-off

noun
(informal). See cut noun sense 3.

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rakish

adjective
dashing, debonair, stylish, jaunty, devil-may-care; raffish, disreputable, louche; informal sharp.

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rally

verb
the troops rallied and held their ground
regroup, reassemble, re-form, reunite.
he rallied an army
muster, marshal, mobilize, raise, call up, recruit, enlist, conscript; assemble, gather, round up; US draft; formal convoke.
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ministers rallied to denounce the rumours
get together, band together, assemble, join forces, unite, ally, collaborate, cooperate, pull together.
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share prices rallied
recover, improve, get better, pick up, revive, bounce back, perk up, look up, turn a corner.
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ANTONYMS :disperse, disband, slump.

noun
a rally in support of the strike
(mass) meeting, gathering, assembly; demonstration, (protest) march; informal demo.
a rally in oil prices
recovery, upturn, improvement, comeback, resurgence; Stock Exchange dead cat bounce.
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ANTONYMS :slump.

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ram

verb
he rammed his sword into its sheath
force, thrust, plunge, stab, push, sink, dig, stick, cram, jam, stuff, pack.
a van rammed the police car
hit, strike, crash into, collide with, impact, run into, smash into, bump (into), butt.
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ramble

verb
we rambled around the lanes
walk, hike, tramp, trek, backpack; wander, stroll, saunter, amble, roam, range, rove, traipse; Scottish & Irish stravaig; informal mosey, tootle; Brit. informal pootle; formal perambulate.
she does ramble on
chatter, babble, prattle, prate, blather, gabble, jabber, twitter, rattle, maunder; informal jaw, gas, gab, yak, yabber; Brit. informal witter, chunter, natter, waffle, rabbit.
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noun
a ramble in the hills
walk, hike, trek; wander, stroll, saunter, amble, roam, traipse, jaunt, promenade; informal mosey, tootle; Brit. informal pootle; formal perambulation.

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rambler

noun
walker, hiker, backpacker, wanderer, rover; poetic/literary wayfarer.

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rambling

adjective
a rambling speech
long-winded, verbose, wordy, prolix; digressive, maundering, roundabout, circuitous, circumlocutory; disconnected, disjointed, incoherent.
rambling streets
winding, twisting, twisty, labyrinthine; sprawling.
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a rambling rose
trailing, creeping, climbing, vining.
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ANTONYMS :concise.

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ramification

noun
consequence, result, aftermath, outcome, effect, upshot; development, implication; product, by-product.

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ramp

noun
slope, bank, incline, gradient, tilt; rise, ascent, acclivity; drop, descent, declivity.

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rampage

verb
mobs rampaged through the streets
riot, run riot, go on the rampage, run amok, go berserk; storm, charge, tear.
go on the rampage
riot, rampage, go berserk, get out of control, run amok; N. Amer. informal go postal.

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rampant

adjective
rampant inflation
uncontrolled, unrestrained, unchecked, unbridled, widespread; out of control, out of hand, rife.
rampant dislike
vehement, strong, violent, forceful, intense, passionate, fanatical.
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rampant vegetation
luxuriant, exuberant, lush, rich, riotous, rank, profuse, vigorous; informal jungly.
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(Heraldry) a lion rampant
upright, erect, standing (up), rearing up.
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ANTONYMS :controlled, mild.

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rampart

noun
defensive wall, embankment, earthwork, parapet, breastwork, battlement, bulwark, outwork.

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ramshackle

adjective
tumbledown, dilapidated, derelict, decrepit, neglected, run down, gone to rack and ruin, crumbling, decaying; rickety, shaky, unsound; informal shambly; N. Amer. informal shacky. ANTONYMS :sound.

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rancid

adjective
sour, stale, turned, rank, putrid, foul, rotten, bad, off; gamy, high, fetid, stinking, malodorous, foul-smelling; poetic/literary noisome. ANTONYMS :fresh.

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rancorous

adjective
bitter, spiteful, hateful, resentful, acrimonious, malicious, malevolent, hostile, venomous, vindictive, baleful, vitriolic, vengeful, pernicious, mean, nasty; informal bitchy, catty. ANTONYMS :amicable.

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rancour

noun
bitterness, spite, hate, hatred, resentment, malice, ill will, malevolence, animosity, antipathy, enmity, hostility, acrimony, venom, vitriol.

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random

adjective
random spot checks
unsystematic, unmethodical, arbitrary, unplanned, undirected, casual, indiscriminate, non-specific, haphazard, stray, erratic; chance, accidental.
ANTONYMS :systematic.

at random
unsystematically, arbitrarily, randomly, unmethodically, haphazardly.

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range

noun
his range of vision
span, scope, compass, sweep, extent, area, field, orbit, ambit, horizon, latitude; limits, bounds, confines, parameters.
a range of mountains
row, chain, sierra, ridge, massif; line, string, series.
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a range of quality foods
assortment, variety, diversity, mixture, collection, array, selection, choice.
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she put the dish into the range
stove, cooker; trademark Aga.
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cows grazed on open range
pasture, pasturage, pastureland, grass, grassland, grazing land, bocage, veld; Scottish shieling; poetic/literary greensward.
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verb
charges range from 1% to 5%
vary, fluctuate, differ; extend, stretch, reach, cover, go, run.
on the stalls are ranged fresh foods
arrange, line up, order, position, dispose, set out, array.
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they ranged over the steppes
roam, rove, traverse, travel, journey, wander, drift, ramble, meander, stroll, traipse, walk, hike, trek.
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rangy

adjective
long-legged, long-limbed, leggy, tall; slender, slim, lean, thin, gangling, gangly, lanky, spindly, skinny, spare. ANTONYMS :squat.

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rank 1

noun
he was elevated to ministerial rank
position, level, grade, echelon; class, status, standing; dated station.
a family of rank
high standing, blue blood, high birth, nobility, aristocracy; eminence, distinction, prestige; prominence, influence, consequence, power.
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a rank of riflemen
row, line, file, column, string, train, procession.
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verb
the plant is ranked as endangered
classify, class, categorize, rate, grade, bracket, group, pigeonhole, designate; catalogue, file, list.
he ranked below the others
have a rank, be graded, have a status, be classed, be classified, be categorized; belong.
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tulips ranked like guardsmen
line up, align, order, arrange, dispose, set out, array, range.
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the rank and file
the officers and the rank and file
other ranks, soldiers, NCOs, lower ranks; men, troops.

a speech appealing to the rank and file
the (common) people, the proletariat, the masses, the populace, the commonality, the commonalty, the third estate, the plebeians; the hoi polloi, the rabble, the riff-raff, the great unwashed; informal the proles, the plebs.
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rank 2

adjective
rank vegetation
abundant, lush, luxuriant, dense, profuse, vigorous, overgrown; informal jungly.
a rank smell
offensive, unpleasant, nasty, revolting, sickening, obnoxious, noxious; foul, fetid, smelly, stinking, reeking, high, off, rancid, putrid, malodorous; Brit. informal niffy, pongy, whiffy, humming; poetic/literary noisome.
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rank stupidity
downright, utter, outright, out-and-out, absolute, complete, sheer, arrant, thoroughgoing, unqualified, unmitigated, positive, perfect, patent, pure, total.
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ANTONYMS :sparse, pleasant.

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rankle

verb
cause resentment, annoy, upset, anger, irritate, offend, affront, displease, provoke, irk, vex, pique, nettle, gall; informal rile, miff, peeve, aggravate, hack off; Brit. informal nark; N. Amer. informal tick off.

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ransack

verb
plunder, pillage, raid, rob, loot, sack, strip, despoil; ravage, devastate, turn upside down; scour, rifle, comb, search.

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ransom

noun
they demanded a huge ransom
pay-off, payment, sum, price.
verb
the girl was ransomed for £4 million
release, free, deliver, liberate, rescue; exchange for a ransom, buy the freedom of.

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rant

verb
she ranted on about the unfairness
hold forth, go on, fulminate, vociferate, sound off, spout, pontificate, bluster, declaim; shout, yell, bellow; informal mouth off.
noun
he went into a rant about them
tirade, diatribe, broadside; poetic/literary philippic.

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rap 1

verb
she rapped his fingers with a ruler
hit, strike; informal whack, thwack, bash, wallop; poetic/literary smite.
I rapped on the door
knock, tap, bang, hammer, pound.
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(informal) banks were rapped for high charges.
See reprimand verb.
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noun
a rap on the knuckles
blow, hit, knock, bang, crack; informal whack, thwack, bash, wallop.
a rap at the door
knock, tap, rat-tat, bang, hammering, pounding.
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take the rap (informal)
be punished, take the blame, suffer (the consequences), pay (the price).

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rap 2

noun
they didn't care a rap
whit, iota, jot, hoot, scrap, bit, fig; informal damn, monkey's.

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rapacious

adjective
grasping, greedy, avaricious, acquisitive, covetous; mercenary, materialistic; insatiable, predatory; informal money-grubbing; N. Amer. informal grabby. ANTONYMS :generous.

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rape

noun
he was charged with rape
sexual assault, sexual abuse; archaic ravishment, defilement.
the rape of rainforest
destruction, violation, ravaging, pillaging, plundering, desecration, defilement, sacking, sack.
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verb
he raped her at knifepoint
sexually assault, sexually abuse, violate, force oneself on; poetic/literary ravish; archaic defile.
they raped our country
ravage, violate, desecrate, defile, plunder, pillage, despoil; lay waste, ransack, sack.
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rapid

adjective
quick, fast, swift, speedy, expeditious, express, brisk; lightning, meteoric, whirlwind; sudden, instantaneous, instant, immediate; hurried, hasty, precipitate; informal p.d.q. (pretty damn quick); poetic/literary fleet. ANTONYMS :slow.

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rapidly

adverb
quickly, fast, swiftly, speedily, at the speed of light, post-haste, hotfoot, at full tilt, briskly; hurriedly, hastily, in haste, in a rush, precipitately; informal like a shot, double quick, p.d.q. (pretty damn quick), in a flash, hell for leather, at the double, like a bat out of hell, like (greased) lightning, like mad, like the wind; Brit. informal like the clappers, at a rate of knots, like billy-o; N. Amer. informal lickety-split; poetic/literary apace. ANTONYMS :slowly.

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rapport

noun
affinity, close relationship, (mutual) understanding, bond, empathy, sympathy, accord.

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rapt

adjective
fascinated, enthralled, spellbound, captivated, riveted, gripped, mesmerized, enchanted, entranced, bewitched; transported, enraptured, thrilled, ecstatic. ANTONYMS :inattentive.

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rapture

noun
she gazed at him in rapture
ecstasy, bliss, exaltation, euphoria, elation, joy, enchantment, delight, happiness, pleasure.
go into raptures
enthuse, rhapsodize, rave, gush, wax lyrical; praise something to the skies.

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rapturous

adjective
ecstatic, joyful, elated, euphoric, enraptured, on cloud nine, in seventh heaven, transported, enchanted, blissful, happy; enthusiastic, delighted, thrilled, overjoyed, rapt; informal over the moon, on top of the world, blissed out; Austral. informal wrapped.

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rara avis

noun
rarity, rare bird, wonder, marvel, nonpareil, nonsuch, one of a kind; curiosity, oddity, freak; Brit. informal one-off.

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rare

adjective
rare moments of privacy
infrequent, scarce, sparse, few and far between, thin on the ground, like gold dust; occasional, limited, odd, isolated, unaccustomed, unwonted; Brit. out of the common.
rare stamps
unusual, recherché, uncommon, unfamiliar, atypical, singular.
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a man of rare talent
exceptional, outstanding, unparalleled, peerless, matchless, unique, unrivalled, inimitable, beyond compare, without equal, second to none, unsurpassed; consummate, superior, superlative, first-class; informal A1, top-notch.
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ANTONYMS :common, commonplace.

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rarefied

adjective
esoteric, exclusive, select; elevated, lofty.

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rarely

adverb
seldom, infrequently, hardly (ever), scarcely, not often; once in a while, now and then, occasionally; informal once in a blue moon. ANTONYMS :often.

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raring

adjective
eager, keen, enthusiastic; impatient, longing, desperate; ready; informal dying, itching, gagging.

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rarity

noun
the rarity of earthquakes in the UK
infrequency, rareness, unusualness, uncommonness, scarcity, scarceness.
this book is a rarity
collector's item, rare thing, rare bird, rara avis; wonder, nonpareil, one of a kind; curiosity, oddity; Brit. informal one-off.
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rascal

noun
scallywag, imp, monkey, mischief-maker, wretch; informal scamp, tyke, horror, monster; Brit. informal perisher; N. Amer. informal varmint; archaic rapscallion.

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rash 1

noun
he broke out in a rash
spots, breakout, eruption; hives; Medicine erythema, exanthema, urticaria.
a rash of articles in the press
series, succession, spate, wave, flood, deluge, torrent; outbreak, epidemic, flurry.
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rash 2

adjective
a rash decision
reckless, impulsive, impetuous, hasty, foolhardy, incautious, precipitate; careless, heedless, thoughtless, imprudent, foolish; ill-advised, injudicious, ill-judged, misguided, hare-brained; poetic/literary temerarious. ANTONYMS :prudent.

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rasp

verb
enamel is rasped off the teeth
scrape, rub, abrade, grate, grind, sand, file, scratch, scour; Medicine excoriate.
"Help!" he rasped
croak, squawk, caw, say hoarsely.
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rasping

adjective
harsh, grating, jarring; raspy, scratchy, hoarse, rough, gravelly, croaky, gruff, husky, throaty, guttural.

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rat (informal)

noun
her rat of a husband
scoundrel, wretch, rogue; informal beast, pig, swine, creep, louse, lowlife, scumbag, heel, dog, weasel; N. Amer. informal rat fink; dated cad; informal, dated rotter.
the most famous rat in mob history
informer, betrayer, stool pigeon; informal snitch, squealer; Brit. informal grass, supergrass, nark, snout; Scottish & N. Irish informal tout; N. Amer. informal fink, stoolie.
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rat on
we don't rat on our friends
inform on, betray, be unfaithful to, stab in the back; informal tell on, sell down the river, blow the whistle on, squeal on, stitch up, peach on, do the dirty on; Brit. informal grass on, shop; N. Amer. informal rat out, finger.

he ratted on his pledge
break, renege on, go back on, welsh on.
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rate

noun
a fixed rate of interest
percentage, ratio, proportion; scale, standard.
an hourly rate of £30
charge, price, cost, tariff, fare, levy, toll; fee, remuneration, payment, wage, allowance.
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the rate of change
speed, pace, tempo, velocity, momentum.
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verb
they rated their ability at driving
assess, evaluate, appraise, judge, weigh up, estimate, calculate, gauge, measure, adjudge; grade, rank, classify, categorize.
the scheme was rated effective
consider, judge, reckon, think, hold, deem, find; regard as, look on as, count as.
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he rated only a brief mention
merit, deserve, warrant, be worthy of, be deserving of.
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(informal) Ben doesn't rate him
think highly of, think much of, set much store by; admire, esteem, value.
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at any rate
in any case, anyhow, anyway, in any event, nevertheless; whatever happens, come what may, regardless, notwithstanding.

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rather

adverb
I'd rather you went
sooner, by preference, preferably, by choice.
it's rather complicated
quite, a bit, a little, fairly, slightly, somewhat, relatively, to some degree, comparatively; informal pretty, sort of, kind of.
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her true feelings or rather, lack of feelings
more precisely, to be precise, to be exact, strictly speaking.
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she seemed sad rather than angry
more; as opposed to, instead of.
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it was not impulsive, but rather a considered decision
on the contrary, instead.
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ratify

verb
confirm, approve, sanction, endorse, agree to, accept, uphold, authorize, formalize, validate, recognize; sign. ANTONYMS :reject.

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rating

noun
grade, grading, classification, ranking, rank, category, designation; assessment, evaluation, appraisal; mark, score.

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ratio

noun
proportion, comparative number, correlation, relationship, correspondence; percentage, fraction, quotient.

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ration

noun
a daily ration of chocolate
allowance, allocation, quota, quantum, share, portion, helping; amount, quantity, measure, proportion, percentage.
the garrison ran out of rations
supplies, provisions, food, foodstuffs, eatables, edibles, provender; stores; informal grub, eats; N. Amer. informal chuck; formal comestibles; dated victuals.
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verb
fuel supplies were rationed
control, limit, restrict; conserve.

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rational

adjective
a rational approach
logical, reasoned, sensible, reasonable, cogent, intelligent, judicious, shrewd, common-sense, commonsensical, sound, prudent; down-to-earth, practical, pragmatic.
she was not rational at the time of signing
sane, compos mentis, in one's right mind, of sound mind; normal, balanced, lucid, coherent; informal all there.
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man is a rational being
intelligent, thinking, reasoning; cerebral, logical, analytical; formal ratiocinative.
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ANTONYMS :illogical, insane.

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rationale

noun
reason(s), reasoning, thinking, logic, grounds, sense; principle, theory, argument, case; motive, motivation, explanation, justification, excuse; the whys and wherefores.

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rationalize

verb
he tried to rationalize his behaviour
justify, explain (away), account for, defend, vindicate, excuse.
an attempt to rationalize the industry
streamline, reorganize, modernize, update; trim, hone, simplify, downsize, prune.
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rattle

verb
hailstones rattled against the window
clatter, patter; clink, clunk.
he rattled some coins
jingle, jangle, clink, tinkle.
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the bus rattled along
jolt, bump, bounce, jounce, shake, judder.
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the government were rattled by the strike
unnerve, disconcert, disturb, fluster, shake, perturb, discompose, discomfit, ruffle, throw; informal faze.
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noun
the rattle of the bottles
clatter, clank, clink, clang; jingle, jangle.
rattle something off
reel off, recite, list, fire off, run through, enumerate. rattle on/away
prattle, babble, chatter, gabble, prate, go on, jabber, gibber, blether, ramble; informal gab, yak, yap; Brit. informal witter, rabbit, chunter, waffle.

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ratty

adjective
(Brit. informal). See irritable.

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raucous

adjective
raucous laughter
harsh, strident, screeching, piercing, shrill, grating, discordant, dissonant; noisy, loud, cacophonous.
a raucous hen night
rowdy, noisy, boisterous, roisterous, wild.
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ANTONYMS :soft, quiet.

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raunchy

adjective
(informal). See sexy sense 2.

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ravage

verb
lay waste, devastate, ruin, destroy, wreak havoc on, leave desolate; pillage, plunder, despoil, ransack, sack, loot; poetic/literary rape; archaic spoil.

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ravages

plural noun
the ravages of time
damaging effects, ill effects.
the ravages of man
(acts of) destruction, damage, devastation, ruin, havoc, depredation(s).
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rave

verb
he was raving about the fires of hell
talk wildly, babble, jabber, talk incoherently.
I raved and swore at them
rant (and rave), rage, lose one's temper, storm, fulminate, fume; shout, roar, thunder, bellow; informal fly off the handle, blow one's top, go up the wall, hit the roof; Brit. informal go spare; N. Amer. informal flip one's wig.
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he raved about her talent
praise enthusiastically, go into raptures about/over, wax lyrical about, sing the praises of, rhapsodize over, enthuse about/over, acclaim, eulogize, extol; N. Amer. informal ballyhoo; formal laud; archaic panegyrize.
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ANTONYMS :criticize.

noun
(informal) the food won raves from the critics
enthusiastic/lavish praise, a rapturous reception, tribute, plaudits, acclaim.
a fancy-dress rave.
See party noun sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :criticism.

adjective
(informal) rave reviews
very enthusiastic, rapturous, glowing, ecstatic, excellent, highly favourable.

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raven

noun
. corvine.
adjective
raven hair
black, jet-black, ebony; poetic/literary sable.

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ravenous

adjective
I'm absolutely ravenous
very hungry, starving, famished; rare esurient.
her ravenous appetite
voracious, insatiable; greedy, gluttonous; poetic/literary insatiate.
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rave-up

noun
(Brit. informal). See party noun sense 1.

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ravine

noun
gorge, canyon, gully, defile, couloir; chasm, abyss, gulf; S. English chine; N. English clough, gill, thrutch; N. Amer. gulch, coulee.

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raving

adjective
she's raving mad.
See mad sense 1.
a raving beauty
very great, remarkable, extraordinary, singular, striking, outstanding, stunning.
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ravings

plural noun
gibberish, rambling, babbling, wild/incoherent talk.

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ravish

verb
(poetic/literary) he tried to ravish her
rape, sexually assault/abuse, violate, force oneself on, molest; archaic dishonour, defile.
(poetic/literary) you will be ravished by this wine
enrapture, enchant, delight, charm, entrance, enthral, captivate.
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(archaic) her child was ravished from her breast
seize, snatch, carry off/away, steal, abduct.
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ravishing

adjective
very beautiful, gorgeous, stunning, wonderful, lovely, striking, magnificent, dazzling, radiant, delightful, charming, enchanting; informal amazing, sensational, fantastic, fabulous, terrific; Brit. informal smashing; N. Amer. informal bodacious. ANTONYMS :hideous.

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raw

adjective
raw carrot
uncooked, fresh.
raw materials
unprocessed, untreated, unrefined, crude, natural.
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raw recruits
inexperienced, new, untrained, untried, untested; callow, immature, green, naive; informal wet behind the ears.
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his skin is raw
sore, red, painful, tender; abraded, chafed; Medicine excoriated.
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a raw morning
bleak, cold, chilly, freezing, icy, icy-cold, wintry, bitter; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky.
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raw emotions
strong, intense, passionate, fervent, powerful, violent; undisguised, unconcealed, unrestrained, uninhibited.
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raw images of Latin America
realistic, unembellished, unvarnished, brutal, harsh.
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ANTONYMS :cooked, processed.

in the raw (informal). See naked sense 1.

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raw-boned

adjective
thin, lean, gaunt, bony, skinny, spare. ANTONYMS :plump.

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ray

noun
rays of light
beam, shaft, streak, stream.
a ray of hope
glimmer, flicker, spark, hint, suggestion, sign.
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verb
her hair rayed out in the water
spread out, fan out.

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raze

verb
destroy, demolish, raze to the ground, tear down, pull down, knock down, level, flatten, bulldoze, wipe out, lay waste.

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re

preposition
about, concerning, regarding, with regard to, relating to, apropos (of), on the subject of, in respect of, with reference to, in connection with.

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reach

verb
Travis reached out a hand
stretch out, hold out, extend, outstretch, thrust out, stick out.
reach me that book
pass, hand, give, let someone have.
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soon she reached Helen's house
arrive at, get to, come to; end up at.
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the temperature reached 94 degrees
attain, get to; rise to, climb to; fall to, sink to, drop to; informal hit.
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the leaders reached an agreement
achieve, work out, draw up, put together, negotiate, thrash out, hammer out.
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I have been trying to reach you all day
get in touch with, contact, get through to, get, speak to; informal get hold of.
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our concern is to reach more people
influence, sway, get (through) to, make an impression on, have an impact on.
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noun
Bobby moved out of her reach
grasp, range.
small goals within your reach
capabilities, capacity.
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beyond the reach of the law
jurisdiction, authority, influence; scope, range, compass, ambit.
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react

verb
how he would react if she told him the truth?
behave, act, take it, conduct oneself; respond, reply, answer.
he reacted against the new regulations
rebel against, oppose, rise up against.
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reaction

noun
his reaction had bewildered her
response, answer, reply, rejoinder, retort, riposte; informal comeback.
a reaction against modernism
backlash, counteraction.
Top
the forces of reaction
conservatism, the right (wing), the extreme right.
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reactionary

adjective
a reactionary policy
right-wing, conservative, rightist, traditionalist, conventional, unprogressive. ANTONYMS :progressive.

noun
an extreme reactionary
right-winger, conservative, rightist, traditionalist, conventionalist. ANTONYMS :radical.

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read

verb
he was reading the newspaper
peruse, study, scrutinize, look through; pore over, be absorbed in; run one's eye over, cast an eye over, leaf through, scan, flick through, skim through, thumb through.
he read a passage of the letter
read out/aloud, recite, declaim.
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I can't read my own writing
decipher, make out, make sense of, interpret, understand.
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his remark could be read as a criticism
interpret, take (to mean), construe, see, understand.
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the dial read 70mph
indicate, register, record, display, show.
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he read modern history
study, take; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ major in.
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legible.
noun
have a read of this
perusal, study, scan; look (at), browse (through), leaf (through), flick (through), skim (through).
read something into something
infer from, interpolate from, assume from, attribute to; read between the lines. read up on
study; informal bone up on; Brit. informal mug up on, swot; archaic con.

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readable

adjective
the inscription is perfectly readable
legible, easy to read, decipherable, clear, intelligible, comprehensible.
her novels are immensely readable
enjoyable, entertaining, interesting, absorbing, gripping, enthralling, engrossing, stimulating; informal unputdownable.
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ANTONYMS :illegible.

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readily

adverb
Durkin readily offered to drive him
willingly, without hesitation, unhesitatingly, ungrudgingly, gladly, happily, eagerly, promptly.
the island is readily accessible
easily, with ease, without difficulty.
Top
ANTONYMS :reluctantly.

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readiness

noun
their readiness to accept change
willingness, enthusiasm, eagerness, keenness; promptness, quickness, alacrity.
a state of readiness
preparedness, preparation.
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the readiness of his reply
promptness, quickness, rapidity, swiftness, speed, speediness.
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in readiness
(at the) ready, available, on hand, accessible, handy; prepared, primed, on standby, standing by, on full alert.

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reading

noun
a cursory reading of the financial pages
perusal, study, scan, scanning; browse (through), look (through), glance (through), leaf (through), flick (through), skim (through).
a man of wide reading
(book) learning, scholarship, education, erudition.
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readings from the Bible
passage, lesson; section, piece; recital, recitation.
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my reading of the situation
interpretation, construal, understanding, explanation, analysis.
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a meter reading
record, figure, indication, measurement.
Top

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ready

adjective
are you ready?
prepared, (all) set, organized, primed; informal fit, psyched up, geared up.
everything is ready
completed, finished, prepared, organized, done, arranged, fixed, in readiness.
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he's always ready to help
willing, prepared, pleased, inclined, disposed, predisposed; eager, keen, happy, glad; informal game.
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she looked ready to collapse
about to, on the point of, on the verge of, close to, liable to, likely to.
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a ready supply of food
(easily) available, accessible; handy, close/near at hand, to/on hand, convenient, within reach, at the ready, near, at one's fingertips.
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a ready answer
prompt, quick, swift, speedy, fast, immediate, unhesitating; clever, sharp, astute, shrewd, keen, perceptive, discerning; poetic/literary rathe.
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verb
he needed time to ready himself
prepare, get/make ready, organize; gear oneself up; informal psych oneself up.
at the ready
in position, poised, ready f or use/action, waiting; N. Amer. on deck. make ready
prepare, make preparations, get everything ready, gear up for.

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ready-made

adjective
ready-made clothing
ready-to-wear; Brit. off the peg; N. Amer. off the rack.
ready-made meals
pre-cooked, oven-ready, convenience.
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ANTONYMS :tailor-made.

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real

adjective
is she a fictional character or a real person?
actual, non-fictional, factual; historical; material, physical, tangible, concrete, palpable.
real gold
genuine, authentic, bona fide; informal pukka, kosher.
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my real name
true, actual.
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tears of real grief
sincere, genuine, true, unfeigned, heartfelt, unaffected.
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a real man
proper, true; informal regular; archaic very.
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you're a real idiot
complete, utter, thorough, absolute, total, prize, perfect; Brit. informal right, proper; Austral./NZ informal fair.
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ANTONYMS :imaginary, imitation.

adverb
(N. Amer. informal) that's real good of you.
See very adverb.

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realism

noun
optimism tinged with realism
pragmatism, practicality, common sense, level-headedness.
a degree of realism
authenticity, fidelity, verisimilitude, truthfulness, faithfulness.
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realistic

adjective
you've got to be realistic
practical, pragmatic, matter-of-fact, down-to-earth, sensible, commonsensical; rational, reasonable, level-headed, clear-sighted, businesslike; informal having both/one's feet on the ground, hard-nosed, no-nonsense.
a realistic aim
achievable, attainable, feasible, practicable, viable, reasonable, sensible, workable; informal doable.
Top
a realistic portrayal of war
true (to life), lifelike, truthful, faithful, real-life, naturalistic, graphic.
Top
ANTONYMS :idealistic, impracticable.

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reality

noun
distinguishing fantasy from reality
the real world, real life, actuality; truth; physical existence.
the harsh realities of life
fact, actuality, truth.
Top
the reality of the detail
verisimilitude, authenticity, realism, fidelity, faithfulness.
Top
ANTONYMS :fantasy.

in reality
in (actual) fact, in point of fact, as a matter of fact, actually, really, in truth; in practice; archaic in sooth.

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realization

noun
a growing realization of the danger
awareness, understanding, comprehension, consciousness, appreciation, recognition, discernment; formal cognizance.
the realization of our dreams
fulfilment, achievement, accomplishment, attainment; formal effectuation.
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realize

verb
he suddenly realized what she meant
register, perceive, discern, be/become aware of (the fact that), be/become conscious of (the fact that), notice; understand, grasp, comprehend, see, recognize, work out, fathom (out), apprehend; informal latch on to, cotton on to, tumble to, savvy, figure out, get (the message); Brit. informal twig, suss; formal be/become cognizant of.
they realized their dream
fulfil, achieve, accomplish, make a reality, make happen, bring to fruition, bring about/off, carry out/through; formal effectuate.
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the company realized significant profits
make, clear, gain, earn, return, produce.
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the goods realized £3000
be sold for, fetch, go for, make, net.
Top
he realized his assets
cash in, liquidate, capitalize.
Top

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really

adverb
he is really very wealthy
in (actual) fact, actually, in reality, in point of fact, as a matter of fact, in truth, to tell the truth; archaic in sooth.
he really likes her
genuinely, truly, honestly; undoubtedly, without a doubt, indubitably, certainly, assuredly, unquestionably; archaic verily.
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they were really kind to me
very, extremely, thoroughly, decidedly, dreadfully, exceptionally, exceedingly, immensely, tremendously, uncommonly, remarkably, eminently, extraordinarily, most, downright; Scottish unco; N. Amer. quite; informal awfully, terribly, terrifically, fearfully, right, devilishly, ultra, too for words, seriously, majorly; Brit. informal jolly, ever so, dead, well, fair; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful, plumb, powerful, way; informal, dated devilish, frightfully; archaic exceeding.
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exclamation
"They've split up." "Really?"
is that so, is that a fact, well I never (did); informal (well, knock/blow me down with a feather) ; Brit. informal (well, I'll be blowed).

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realm

noun
peace in the realm
kingdom, country, land, dominion, nation.
the realm of academia
domain, sphere, area, field, world, province, territory.
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reap

verb
the corn has been reaped
harvest, garner, gather in, bring in.
reaping the benefits
receive, obtain, get, acquire, secure, realize.
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rear 1

verb
I was reared in Newcastle
bring up, care for, look after, nurture, parent; educate; N. Amer. raise.
he reared cattle
breed, raise, keep.
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laboratory-reared plants
grow, cultivate.
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Harry reared his head
raise, lift (up), hold up, uplift.
Top
Creagan Hill reared up before them
rise (up), tower, soar, loom.
Top

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rear 2

noun
the rear of the building
back (part), hind part, back end; Nautical stern.
the rear of the queue
(tail) end, rear end, back end, tail; N. Amer. tag end.
Top
he slapped her on the rear.
See bottom noun sense 6.
Top
ANTONYMS :front.

adjective
the rear bumper
back, end, rearmost; hind, hinder, hindmost; technical posterior.

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rearrange

verb
the furniture has been rearranged
reposition, move round, change round, arrange differently.
Tony had rearranged his schedule
reorganize, alter, adjust, change (round), reschedule; informal jigger.
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reason

noun
the main reason for his decision
cause, ground(s), basis, rationale; motive, motivation, purpose, point, aim, intention, objective, goal; explanation, justification, argument, defence, vindication, excuse, pretext.
postmodern voices railing against reason
rationality, logic, logical thought, reasoning, cognition; formal ratiocination.
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he was losing his reason
sanity, mind, mental faculties; senses, wits; informal marbles.
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he continues, against reason, to love her
good sense, good judgement, common sense, wisdom, sagacity, reasonableness.
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verb
a young child is unable to reason
think rationally, think logically, use one's common sense, use one's head/brain; formal cogitate, ratiocinate.
Scott reasoned that Annabel might be ill
calculate, come to the conclusion, conclude, reckon, think, judge, deduce, infer, surmise; informal figure.
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her husband tried to reason with her
talk round, bring round, win round, persuade, prevail on, convince, make someone see the light.
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by reason of (formal)
because of, on account of, as a result of, owing to, due to, by virtue of, thanks to. reason something out
work out, think through, make sense of, get to the bottom of, puzzle out; informal figure out. reason with someone
talk round, bring round, persuade, prevail on, convince; make someone see the light. with reason
justifiably, justly, legitimately, rightly, reasonably.

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reasonable

adjective
a reasonable man | a reasonable explanation
sensible, rational, logical, fair, fair-minded, just, equitable; intelligent, wise, level-headed, practical, realistic; sound, (well) reasoned, valid, commonsensical; tenable, plausible, credible, believable.
you must take all reasonable precautions
within reason, practicable, sensible; appropriate, suitable.
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cars in reasonable condition
fairly good, acceptable, satisfactory, average, adequate, fair, all right, tolerable, passable; informal OK.
Top
reasonable prices
inexpensive, moderate, low, cheap, budget, bargain; competitive.
Top

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reasoned

adjective
logical, rational, well thought out, clear, lucid, coherent, cogent, well expressed, well presented, considered, sensible.

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reasoning

noun
thinking, reason, (train of) thought, thought process, logic, analysis, interpretation, explanation, rationalization; reasons, rationale, arguments; formal ratiocination.

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reassure

verb
put/set someone's mind at rest, put someone at ease, encourage, inspirit, hearten, buoy up, cheer up; comfort, soothe. ANTONYMS :alarm.

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rebate

noun
(partial) refund, repayment; discount, deduction, reduction, decrease.

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rebel

noun
the rebels took control of the capital
revolutionary, insurgent, revolutionist, mutineer, insurrectionist, insurrectionary, guerrilla, terrorist, freedom fighter.
the concept of the artist as a rebel
nonconformist, dissenter, dissident, iconoclast, maverick.
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verb
the citizens rebelled
revolt, mutiny, riot, rise up, take up arms, stage/mount a rebellion, be insubordinate.
his stomach rebelled at the thought of food
recoil, show/feel repugnance.
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teenagers rebelling against their parents
defy, disobey, refuse to obey, kick against, challenge, oppose, resist.
Top
ANTONYMS :obey.

adjective
rebel troops
insurgent, revolutionary, mutinous, rebellious, insurrectionary, insurrectionist.
rebel MPs
rebellious, defiant, disobedient, insubordinate, subversive, resistant, recalcitrant; nonconformist, maverick, iconoclastic; archaic contumacious.
Top
ANTONYMS :compliant.

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rebellion

noun
troops suppressed the rebellion
uprising, revolt, insurrection, mutiny, revolution, insurgence, insurgency; rioting, riot, disorder, unrest.
an act of rebellion
defiance, disobedience, rebelliousness, insubordination, subversion, subversiveness, resistance.
Top

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rebellious

adjective
rebellious troops
rebel, insurgent, mutinous, mutinying, rebelling, rioting, riotous, insurrectionary, insurrectionist, revolutionary.
a rebellious adolescent
defiant, disobedient, insubordinate, unruly, mutinous, wayward, obstreperous, recalcitrant, intractable; Brit. informal bolshie; formal refractory; archaic contumacious.
Top

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rebirth

noun
revival, renaissance, resurrection, reawakening, renewal, regeneration; revitalization, rejuvenation; formal renascence.

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rebound

verb
the ball rebounded off the wall
bounce (back), spring back, ricochet, boomerang; N. Amer. carom.
later sterling rebounded
recover, rally, pick up, make a recovery.
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Thomas's tactics rebounded on him
backfire, boomerang, have unwelcome repercussions; archaic redound on.
Top

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rebuff

verb
his offer was rebuffed
reject, turn down, spurn, refuse, decline, repudiate; snub, slight, repulse, repel, dismiss, brush off, give someone the cold shoulder; informal give someone the brush-off; N. Amer. informal give someone the bum's rush. ANTONYMS :accept.

noun
the rebuff did little to dampen his ardour
rejection, snub, slight, repulse; refusal, spurning, cold-shouldering, discouragement; informal brush-off, kick in the teeth, slap in the face.

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rebuild

verb
reconstruct, renovate, restore, remodel, remake, reassemble. ANTONYMS :demolish.

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rebuke

verb
she never rebuked him in front of others
reprimand, reproach, scold, admonish, reprove, chastise, upbraid, berate, take to task, criticize, censure; informal tell off, give someone a telling-off, give someone a talking-to, give someone a dressing-down, give someone an earful; Brit. informal tick off; N. Amer. informal chew out, ream out; Austral. informal monster; formal castigate. ANTONYMS :praise.

noun
Damian was silenced by the rebuke
reprimand, reproach, reproof, scolding, admonishment, admonition, reproval, upbraiding; informal telling-off, dressing-down; Brit. informal ticking-off; formal castigation. ANTONYMS :compliment.

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rebut

verb
refute, deny, disprove; invalidate, negate, contradict, controvert, counter, discredit, give the lie to, explode; informal shoot full of holes; formal confute. ANTONYMS :confirm.

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rebuttal

noun
refutation, denial, countering, invalidation, negation, contradiction.

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recalcitrant

adjective
uncooperative, intractable, insubordinate, defiant, rebellious, wilful, wayward, headstrong, self-willed, contrary, perverse, difficult, awkward; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie, stroppy; formal refractory; archaic contumacious, froward. ANTONYMS :amenable.

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recall

verb
he recalled his student days
remember, recollect, call to mind; think back on/to, look back on, reminisce about.
their exploits recall the days of chivalry
bring to mind, call to mind, put one in mind of, call up, conjure up, evoke.
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the ambassador was recalled
summon back, order back, call back.
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(archaic) he recalled his earlier communication
revoke, rescind, cancel, retract, countermand, withdraw; formal abrogate.
Top
ANTONYMS :forget.

noun
the recall of the ambassador
summoning back, ordering back, calling back.
their recall of dreams
recollection, remembrance, memory.
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recant

verb
he was forced to recant his political beliefs
renounce, disavow, deny, repudiate, renege on; formal forswear, abjure.
he refused to recant
change one's mind, be apostate; rare tergiversate.
Top
he recanted his testimony
retract, take back, withdraw.
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recantation

noun
renunciation, renouncement, disavowal, denial, repudiation, retraction, withdrawal.

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recapitulate

verb
summarize, sum up; restate, repeat, reiterate, go over, review; informal recap.

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recede

verb
the flood waters receded
retreat, go back/down, move back/away, withdraw, ebb, subside, abate.
the lights receded into the distance
disappear from view, fade into the distance, be lost to view.
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fears of violence have receded
diminish, lessen, decrease, dwindle, fade, abate, subside, ebb, wane.
Top
ANTONYMS :advance, grow.

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receipt

noun
the receipt of a letter
receiving, getting, obtaining, gaining; arrival, delivery.
make sure you get a receipt
proof of purchase, sales ticket, till receipt.
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receipts from house sales
proceeds, takings, money/payment received, income, revenue, earnings; profits, (financial) return(s); N. Amer. take.
Top

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receive

verb
Tony received an award | they received £650 in damages
be given, be presented with, be awarded, collect; get, obtain, gain, acquire; win, be paid, earn, gross, net.
she received a letter
be sent, be in receipt of, accept (delivery of).
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Alec received the news on Monday
be told, be informed of, be notified of, hear, discover, find out (about), learn; informal get wind of.
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he received her suggestion with a complete lack of interest
hear, listen to; respond to, react to.
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she received a serious injury
experience, sustain, undergo, meet with; suffer, bear.
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they received their guests
greet, welcome, say hello to.
Top
she's not receiving visitors
entertain, be at home to.
Top
ANTONYMS :give, send.

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receiver

noun
the receiver of a gift
recipient, beneficiary, donee.
a telephone receiver
handset.
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ANTONYMS :donor.

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recent

adjective
recent research
new, the latest, current, fresh, modern, contemporary, up to date, up to the minute.
his recent visit
not long past, occurring recently, just gone.
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ANTONYMS :old.

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recently

adverb
not long ago, a short time ago, in the past few days/weeks/months, a little while back; lately, latterly, just now.

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receptacle

noun
container, holder, repository; box, tin, bin, can, canister, case, pot, bag.

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reception

noun
the reception of the goods
receipt, receiving, getting.
the reception of foreign diplomats
greeting, welcoming, entertaining.
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a chilly reception
response, reaction, treatment.
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a wedding reception
(formal) party, function, social occasion, soirée; N. Amer. levee; informal do, bash; Brit. informal rave-up, knees-up, beanfeast, bunfight, beano.
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receptive

adjective
open-minded, responsive, amenable, well disposed, flexible, approachable, accessible; archaic susceptive. ANTONYMS :unresponsive.

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recess

noun
two recesses fitted with bookshelves
alcove, bay, niche, nook, corner, hollow, oriel.
the deepest recesses of Broadcasting House
innermost parts/reaches, remote/secret places, heart, depths, bowels.
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the Christmas recess
adjournment, break, interlude, interval, rest; holiday, vacation; informal breather.
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verb
let's recess for lunch
adjourn, take a recess, stop, (take a) break; informal take five.

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recession

noun
economic decline, downturn, depression, slump, slowdown. ANTONYMS :boom.

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recherché

adjective
obscure, rare, esoteric, abstruse, arcane, recondite, exotic, strange, unusual, unfamiliar, out of the ordinary.

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recipe

noun
a tasty recipe
cooking instructions/directions; archaic receipt.
a recipe for success
means/way of achieving, prescription, formula, blueprint.
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recipient

noun
receiver, beneficiary, legatee, donee. ANTONYMS :donor.

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reciprocal

adjective
reciprocal love
given/felt in return, requited, reciprocated.
reciprocal obligations and duties
mutual, common, shared, joint, corresponding, complementary.
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reciprocate

verb
I was happy to reciprocate
do the same (in return), return the favour.
love that was not reciprocated
requite, return, give back.
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recital

noun
a piano recital
concert, (musical) performance, solo (performance); informal gig.
her recital of Adam's failures
enumeration, list, litany, catalogue, listing, detailing; account, report, description, recapitulation, recounting.
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a recital of the Lord's Prayer.
See recitation sense 1.
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recitation

noun
the recitation of his poem
recital, saying aloud, declamation, rendering, rendition, delivery, performance.
a recitation of her life story
account, description, narration, narrative, story.
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songs and recitations
reading, passage; poem, verse, monologue.
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recite

verb
he began to recite verses of the Koran
repeat from memory, say aloud, declaim, quote, deliver, render.
he stood up and started reciting
give a recitation, say a poem.
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Sir John recited the facts they knew
enumerate, list, detail, reel off; recount, relate, describe, narrate, give an account of, recapitulate, repeat.
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reckless

adjective
rash, careless, thoughtless, heedless, unheeding, hasty, overhasty, precipitate, precipitous, impetuous, impulsive, daredevil, devil-may-care; irresponsible, foolhardy, over-adventurous, audacious; ill-advised, injudicious, madcap, imprudent, unwise, ill-considered; poetic/literary temerarious. ANTONYMS :careful.

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reckon

verb
the cost was reckoned at £6,000
calculate, compute, work out, put a figure on, figure; count (up), add up, total; Brit. tot up.
Anselm reckoned Hugh among his friends
include, count, consider to be, regard as, look on as.
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(informal) I reckon I can manage that
believe, think, be of the opinion/view, be convinced, dare say, imagine, guess, suppose, consider; informal figure.
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it was reckoned a failure
regard as, consider, judge, hold to be, think of as; deem, rate, gauge, count.
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I reckon to get good value for money
expect, anticipate, hope to, be looking to; count on, rely on, depend on, bank on; N. Amer. informal figure on.
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to be reckoned with
important, of considerable importance, significant; influential, powerful, strong, potent, formidable, redoubtable. reckon with
it's her mother you'll have to reckon with
deal with, contend with, face (up to).

they hadn't reckoned with her burning ambition
take into account, take into consideration, bargain for/on , anticipate, foresee, be prepared for, consider; formal take cognizance of.
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reckon without
overlook, fail to take account of, disregard.

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reckoning

noun
by my reckoning, this comes to £2 million
calculation, estimation, computation, working out, summation, addition.
by her reckoning, the train was late
opinion, view, judgement, evaluation, estimate, estimation.
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the terrible reckoning that he deserved
retribution, fate, doom, nemesis, punishment.
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day of reckoning
judgement day, day of retribution, doomsday.

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reclaim

verb
travelling expenses can be reclaimed
get back, claim back, recover, regain, retrieve, recoup.
Henrietta had reclaimed him from a life of vice
save, rescue, redeem; reform.
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recline

verb
lie (down/back), lean back; be recumbent; relax, repose, loll, lounge, sprawl, stretch out; poetic/literary couch.

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recluse

noun
a religious recluse
hermit, ascetic, eremite; historical anchorite, anchoress.
a natural recluse
loner, solitary, lone wolf.
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reclusive

adjective
solitary, secluded, isolated, hermit-like, hermitic, eremitic, eremitical, cloistered. ANTONYMS :gregarious.

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recognition

noun
there was no sign of recognition on his face
identification, recollection, remembrance.
his recognition of his lack of experience
acknowledgement, acceptance, admission; realization, awareness, consciousness, knowledge, appreciation; formal cognizance.
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official recognition
official approval, certification, accreditation, endorsement, validation.
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you deserve recognition for the tremendous job you are doing
appreciation, gratitude, thanks, congratulations, credit, commendation, acclaim, acknowledgement; informal bouquets.
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recognizable

adjective
identifiable, noticeable, perceptible, discernible, detectable, distinguishable, observable, perceivable; distinct, unmistakable, clear; archaic sensible. ANTONYMS :imperceptible.

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recognize

verb
Hannah recognized him at once
identify, place, know, put a name to; remember, recall, recollect; know by sight; Scottish & N. English ken.
they recognized Alan's ability
acknowledge, accept, admit; realize, be aware of, be conscious of, perceive, discern, appreciate; formal be cognizant of.
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psychotherapists who are recognized
officially approve, certify, accredit, endorse, sanction, validate.
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the Trust recognized their hard work
pay tribute to, show appreciation of, appreciate, be grateful for, acclaim, commend.
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recoil

verb
she instinctively recoiled
draw back, jump back, pull back; flinch, shy away, shrink (back), blench.
he recoiled from the thought
feel revulsion at, feel disgust at, be unable to stomach, shrink from, baulk at.
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his rifle recoiled
kick (back), jerk back, spring back.
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this will eventually recoil on him
have an adverse effect on, rebound on, affect badly, backfire, boomerang; archaic redound on.
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noun
the recoil of the gun
kickback, kick.

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recollect

verb
remember, recall, call to mind, think of; think back to, look back on, reminisce about. ANTONYMS :forget.

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recollection

noun
memory, remembrance, impression, reminiscence.

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recommend

verb
his former employer recommended him for the post
advocate, endorse, commend, suggest, put forward, propose, nominate, put up; speak favourably of, speak well of, put in a good word for, vouch for; informal plug.
the committee recommended a cautious approach
advise, counsel, urge, exhort, enjoin, prescribe, argue for, back, support; suggest, advocate, propose.
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there was little to recommend her
have in one's favour, give an advantage to; informal have going for one.
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recommendation

noun
the advisory group's recommendations
advice, counsel, guidance, direction, enjoinder; suggestion, proposal.
a personal recommendation
commendation, endorsement, good word, favourable mention, testimonial; suggestion, tip; informal plug.
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a place whose only recommendation is that it has very few women
advantage, good point/feature, benefit, asset, boon, attraction, appeal.
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recompense

verb
offenders should recompense their victims
compensate, indemnify, repay, reimburse, make reparation to, make restitution to, make amends to.
she wanted to recompense him
reward, pay back; archaic guerdon.
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nothing could recompense her loss
make up for, compensate for, make amends for, make restitution for, make reparation for, redress, make good.
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noun
damages were paid in recompense
compensation, reparation, restitution, indemnification, indemnity; reimbursement, repayment, redress; archaic guerdon.

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reconcilable

adjective
compatible, consistent, congruous, congruent.

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reconcile

verb
the news reconciled us
reunite, bring (back) together (again), restore friendly relations between, make peace between; pacify, appease, placate, mollify; formal conciliate.
her divorced parents have reconciled
settle one's differences, make (one's) peace, (kiss and) make up, bury the hatchet, declare a truce.
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trying to reconcile his religious beliefs with his career
make compatible, harmonize, square, make congruent, balance.
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the quarrel was reconciled
settle, resolve, sort out, mend, remedy, heal, rectify; informal patch up.
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they had to reconcile themselves to drastic losses
(come to) accept, resign oneself to, come to terms with, learn to live with, get used to.
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ANTONYMS :estrange, quarrel.

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reconciliation

noun
the reconciliation of the disputants
reuniting, reunion, bringing together (again), conciliation, reconcilement; pacification, appeasement, placating, mollification.
a reconciliation of their differences
resolution, settlement, settling, resolving, mending, remedying.
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there was little hope of reconciliation
restoration of harmony, agreement, compromise, understanding, peace; formal concord.
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the reconciliation of theory with practice
harmonizing, harmonization, squaring, balancing.
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recondite

adjective
obscure, abstruse, arcane, esoteric, recherché, profound, difficult, complex, complicated, involved; incomprehensible, unfathomable, impenetrable, cryptic, opaque.

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recondition

verb
overhaul, rebuild, renovate, restore, repair, reconstruct, remodel, refurbish; informal do up, revamp.

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reconnaissance

noun
(preliminary) survey, exploration, observation, investigation, examination, inspection; patrol, search; reconnoitring; informal recce; N. Amer. informal recon.

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reconnoitre

verb
survey, make a reconnaissance of, explore; investigate, examine, scrutinize, inspect, observe, take a look at; patrol; informal recce, make a recce of, check out; N. Amer. informal recon.

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reconsider

verb
rethink, review, revise, re-examine, re-evaluate, reassess, reappraise; change, alter, modify; have second thoughts, change one's mind.

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reconsideration

noun
review, rethink, re-examination, reassessment, re-evaluation, reappraisal.

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reconstruct

verb
the building had to be reconstructed
rebuild, restore, renovate, recreate, remake, reassemble, remodel, refashion, revamp, recondition, refurbish.
reconstructing the events of that day
recreate, build up a picture/impression of, piece together, re-enact.
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record

noun
written records of the past
account(s), document(s), documentation, data, file(s), dossier(s), evidence, report(s); annal(s), archive(s), chronicle(s); minutes, transactions, proceedings, transcript(s); certificate(s), instrument(s), deed(s); register, log, logbook; Law muniment(s).
listening to records
album, vinyl; dated gramophone record, LP, EP, single, forty-five, seventy-eight.
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his previous good record
previous conduct/performance, track record, (life) history, reputation.
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he's got a record
criminal record, police record; previous; Brit. informal form; N. Amer. informal rap sheet.
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a new British record
best performance, highest achievement; best time, fastest time; world record.
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a lasting record of what they have achieved
reminder, memorial, souvenir, memento, remembrance, testament.
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adjective
record profits
record-breaking, best ever, unsurpassed, unparalleled, unequalled, second to none.
verb
the doctor recorded her blood pressure
write down, put in writing, take down, note, make a note of, jot down, put down on paper; document, put on record, enter, minute, register, log; list, catalogue.
the thermometer recorded a high temperature
indicate, register, show, display.
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the team recorded their fourth away win
achieve, accomplish, chalk up, notch up; informal clock up.
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the recital was recorded live
make a record/recording of, tape, tape-record; video-record, videotape, video.
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off the record
his comments were off the record
unofficial, confidential, in (strict) confidence, not to be made public.

they admitted, off the record, that they had made a mistake
unofficially, privately, in (strict) confidence, confidentially, between ourselves.
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recorder

noun
he put a tape in the recorder
tape recorder, cassette recorder; video (recorder), VCR, videotape recorder.
a recorder of rural life
record keeper, archivist, annalist, diarist, chronicler, historian.
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recount

verb
tell, relate, narrate, give an account of, describe, report, outline, delineate, relay, convey, communicate, impart.

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recoup

verb
get back, regain, recover, win back, retrieve, redeem, recuperate.

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recourse

noun
surgery may be the only recourse
option, possibility, alternative, resort, way out, hope, remedy, choice, expedient.
have recourse to
resort to, make use of, avail oneself of, turn to, call on, look to, fall back on.

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recover

verb
he's recovering from a heart attack
recuperate, get better, convalesce, regain one's strength, get stronger, get back on one's feet; be on the mend, be on the road to recovery, pick up, rally, respond to treatment, improve, heal, pull through, bounce back.
later, shares recovered
rally, improve, pick up, make a recovery, rebound, bounce back.
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the stolen material has been recovered
retrieve, regain (possession of), get back, recoup, reclaim, repossess, redeem, recuperate, find (again), track down.
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gold coins recovered from a wreck
salvage, save, rescue, retrieve.
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ANTONYMS :deteriorate.

recover oneself
pull oneself together, regain one's composure, regain one's self-control; informal get a grip (on oneself).

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recovery

noun
her recovery may be slow
recuperation, convalescence.
the economy was showing signs of recovery
improvement, rallying, picking up, upturn, upswing.
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the recovery of the stolen goods
retrieval, regaining, repossession, getting back, reclamation, recouping, redemption, recuperation.
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ANTONYMS :relapse, deterioration.

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recreation

noun
she cycles for recreation
pleasure, leisure, relaxation, fun, enjoyment, entertainment, amusement; play, sport; informal R and R; N. Amer. informal rec; archaic disport.
his favourite recreations
pastime, hobby, leisure activity.
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ANTONYMS :work.

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recrimination

noun
accusation(s), counter-accusation(s), countercharge(s), counter-attack(s), retaliation(s).

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recruit

verb
more soldiers were recruited
enlist, call up, conscript; US draft, muster in; archaic levy.
the king recruited an army
muster, form, raise, mobilize.
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the company is recruiting staff
hire, employ, take on; enrol, sign up, engage.
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ANTONYMS :disband, dismiss.

noun
new recruits were enlisted
conscript, new soldier; US draftee; Brit. informal sprog; N. Amer. informal yardbird.
top-quality recruits
new member, new entrant, newcomer, initiate, beginner, novice; N. Amer. tenderfoot, hire; informal rookie, newbie; N. Amer. informal greenhorn.
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rectify

verb
correct, (put) right, put to rights, sort out, deal with, amend, remedy, repair, fix, make good, resolve, settle; informal patch up.

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rectitude

noun
righteousness, goodness, virtue, morality, honour, honourableness, integrity, principle, probity, honesty, trustworthiness, uprightness, decency, good character.

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recumbent

adjective
lying, flat, horizontal, stretched out, sprawled (out), reclining, prone, prostrate, supine; lying down. ANTONYMS :upright.

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recuperate

verb
he went to France to recuperate
get better, recover, convalesce, get well, regain one's strength/health, get over something.
he recuperated the money
get back, regain, recover, recoup, retrieve, reclaim, repossess, redeem.
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recur

verb
happen again, reoccur, occur again, repeat (itself); come back (again), return, reappear, appear again; formal recrudesce.

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recurrent

adjective
repeated, recurring, repetitive, periodic, cyclical, seasonal, perennial, regular, frequent; intermittent, sporadic, spasmodic.

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recycle

verb
reuse, reprocess, reclaim, recover; salvage, save.

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red

adjective
a red dress
scarlet, vermilion, ruby, cherry, cerise, cardinal, carmine, wine, blood-red; coral, cochineal, rose; brick-red, maroon, rusty, rufous; reddish; poetic/literary damask, vermeil, sanguine.
he was red in the face
flushed, reddish, pink, pinkish, florid, rubicund; ruddy, rosy, glowing; burning, feverish; poetic/literary rubescent; archaic sanguine.
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his eyes were red
bloodshot, swollen, sore.
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red hair
reddish, auburn, Titian, chestnut, carroty, ginger.
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noun
(informal, derogatory) the war against the Reds
Communist, socialist, left-winger, leftist; informal Commie, lefty.
in the red
overdrawn, in debt, in debit, in deficit, in arrears. see red (informal)
become very angry, become enraged, lose one's temper; informal go mad, go crazy, go wild, go bananas, hit the roof, go up the wall, fly off the handle, blow one's top, flip (one's lid), go ballistic; Brit. informal go spare, do one's nut; N. Amer. informal flip one's wig, blow one's lid/stack.

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red-blooded

adjective
manly, masculine, virile, macho.

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redden

verb
go/turn red, blush, flush, colour (up), burn.

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redeem

verb
one feature redeems the book
save, compensate for the defects of, vindicate.
he fully redeemed himself next time
vindicate, free from blame, absolve.
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you cannot redeem their sins
atone for, make amends for, make restitution for.
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redeeming sinners
save, deliver from sin, convert.
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Billy redeemed his drums from the pawnbrokers
retrieve, regain, recover, get back, reclaim, repossess; buy back.
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this voucher can be redeemed at any branch
(give in) exchange, cash in, convert, trade in.
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they could not redeem their debts
pay off/back, clear, discharge, honour.
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he made no effort to redeem his promise
fulfil, carry out, discharge, make good; keep (to), stick to, hold to, adhere to, abide by, honour.
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redeeming

adjective
compensating, compensatory, extenuating, redemptive.

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redemption

noun
God's redemption of his people
saving, freeing from sin, absolution.
the redemption of their possessions
retrieval, recovery, reclamation, repossession, return.
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the redemption of credit vouchers
exchange, cashing in, conversion.
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the redemption of the mortgage
paying off/back, discharge, clearing, honouring.
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the redemption of his obligations
fulfilment, carrying out, discharge, performing, honouring, meeting.
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red-handed

adjective
in the act, with one's fingers/hand in the till, in flagrante delicto; Brit. informal with one's trousers down; N. Amer. informal with one's pants down.

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redolent

adjective
names redolent of history
evocative, suggestive, reminiscent.
(poetic/literary) the air was redolent of incense
smelling of, scented with, fragrant with, perfumed with.
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redoubtable

adjective
formidable, awe-inspiring, fearsome, daunting; impressive, commanding, indomitable, invincible, doughty, mighty.

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redound

verb
(formal) his effort will redound to his credit
contribute to, be conducive to, result in, lead to, have an effect; formal conduce to.
(archaic) the consequences redounded upon them
rebound on, have an adverse effect on, backfire.
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redress

verb
we redressed the problem
rectify, correct, right, put to rights, compensate for, amend, remedy, make good, resolve, settle.
we aim to redress the balance
even up, regulate, equalize.
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noun
your best hope of redress
compensation, reparation, restitution, recompense, repayment, indemnity, indemnification, retribution, satisfaction; justice.

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reduce

verb
the aim to reduce pollution
lessen, make smaller, lower, bring down, decrease, diminish, minimize; shrink, narrow, contract, shorten; axe, cut (back/down), make cutbacks in, trim, slim (down), prune; informal chop.
he reduced her to tears
bring to, bring to the point of, drive to.
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he was reduced to the ranks
demote, downgrade, lower (in rank).
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bread has been reduced
make cheaper, lower the price of, cut (in price), mark down, discount, put on sale; informal slash, knock down.
Top
ANTONYMS :increase, put up.

in reduced circumstances
impoverished, in straitened circumstances, ruined, bankrupted; poor, indigent, impecunious, in penury, poverty-stricken, destitute; needy, badly off, hard up; informal flat (broke), without two pennies to rub together, strapped for cash; Brit. informal stony broke, skint, in Queer Street; N. Amer. informal stone broke; formal penurious.

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reduction

noun
a reduction in pollution
lessening, lowering, decrease, diminution.
a reduction in staff
cut, cutback, scaling down, trimming, pruning, axing, chopping.
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a reduction in inflationary pressure
easing, lightening, moderation, alleviation.
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a reduction in status
demotion, downgrading, lowering.
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substantial reductions
discount, markdown, deduction, (price) cut, concession.
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redundancy

noun
redundancy in language
superfluity, unnecessariness, excess.
redundancies are in the offing
sacking, dismissal, lay-off, discharge; unemployment.
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redundant

adjective
many churches are now redundant
unnecessary, not required, unneeded, uncalled for, surplus (to requirements), superfluous.
2,000 workers were made redundant
sacked, dismissed, laid off, discharged; unemployed, jobless, out of work.
Top
ANTONYMS :employed.

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reef

noun
shoal, bar, sandbar, sandbank, spit; Scottish skerry.

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reek

verb
the whole place reeked
stink, smell (bad), stink to high heaven.
noun
the reek of cattle dung
stink, bad smell, stench, malodour; Brit. informal niff, pong, whiff; poetic/literary miasma.

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reel

verb
he reeled as the ship began to roll
stagger, lurch, sway, rock, stumble, totter, wobble, falter.
we were reeling from the crisis
be shaken, be stunned, be in shock, be shocked, be taken aback, be staggered, be aghast, be upset.
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the room reeled
go round (and round), whirl, spin, revolve, swirl, twirl, turn, swim.
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reel something off
recite, rattle off, list rapidly, run through, enumerate, detail, itemize.

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refer

verb
he referred to errors in the article
mention, make reference to, allude to, touch on, speak of/about, talk of/about, write about, comment on, deal with, point out, call attention to.
the matter has been referred to my insurers
pass, hand on/over, send on, transfer, remit, entrust, assign.
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these figures refer only to 2001
apply to, be relevant to, concern, relate to, be connected with, pertain to, appertain to, be pertinent to, have a bearing on, cover.
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the name refers to a Saxon village
denote, describe, indicate, mean, signify, designate.
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the constable referred to his notes
consult, turn to, look at, have recourse to.
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referee

noun
the referee blew his whistle
umpire, judge; informal ref.
include the names of two referees
supporter, character witness, advocate.
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verb
he refereed the game
umpire, judge.
they asked him to referee in the dispute
arbitrate, mediate.
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reference

noun
his journal contains many references to railways
mention of, allusion to, comment on, remark about.
references are given in the bibliography
(information) source, citation, authority, credit; bibliographical data.
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reference to a higher court
referral, transfer, remission.
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a glowing reference
testimonial, character reference, recommendation; credentials; dated character.
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with reference to
apropos, with regard to, regarding, with respect to, on the subject of, re; in relation to, relating to, in connection with.

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referendum

noun
(popular) vote, plebiscite, ballot, poll.

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refine

verb
refining our cereal foods
purify, process, treat.
helping students to refine their language skills
improve, perfect, polish (up), hone, fine-tune.
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refined

adjective
refined sugar
purified, processed, treated.
a refined lady
cultivated, cultured, polished, stylish, elegant, sophisticated, urbane; polite, gracious, well mannered, well bred, gentlemanly, ladylike, genteel.
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a person of refined taste
discriminating, discerning, fastidious, exquisite, impeccable, fine.
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ANTONYMS :crude, coarse.

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refinement

noun
the refinement of sugar
purification, refining, processing, treatment, treating.
all writing needs endless refinement
improvement, polishing, honing, fine-tuning, touching up, finishing off, revision, editing.
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a woman of refinement
style, elegance, finesse, polish, sophistication, urbanity; politeness, grace, graciousness, good manners, good breeding, gentility; cultivation, taste, discrimination.
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reflect

verb
the snow reflects light
send back, throw back, cast back.
their expressions reflected their feelings
indicate, show, display, demonstrate, be evidence of, register, reveal, betray, disclose; express, communicate; formal evince.
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he reflected on his responsibilities
think about, give thought to, consider, give consideration to, review, mull over, contemplate, cogitate about/on, meditate on, muse on, brood on/over, turn over in one's mind; archaic pore on; rare cerebrate.
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reflect badly on
discredit, disgrace, shame, put in a bad light, damage, tarnish the reputation of, give a bad name to, bring into disrepute.

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reflection

noun
the reflection of light
sending back, throwing back, casting back.
her reflection in the mirror
(mirror) image, likeness.
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your hands are a reflection of your well-being
indication, display, demonstration, manifestation; expression, evidence.
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a sad reflection on society
slur, aspersion, imputation, reproach, shame, criticism.
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after some reflection, he turned it down
thought, thinking, consideration, contemplation, deliberation, pondering, meditation, musing, rumination; formal cogitation; rare cerebration.
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write down your reflections
opinion, thought, view, belief, feeling, idea, impression, conclusion, assessment; comment, observation, remark.
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reflex

adjective
instinctive, automatic, involuntary, reflexive, impulsive, intuitive, spontaneous, unconscious, unconditioned, untaught, unlearned. ANTONYMS :conscious.

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reform

verb
a plan to reform the system
improve, (make) better, ameliorate, refine; alter, make alterations to, change, adjust, make adjustments to, adapt, amend, revise, reshape, refashion, redesign, restyle, revamp, rebuild, reconstruct, remodel, reorganize.
after his marriage he reformed
mend one's ways, change for the better, turn over a new leaf, improve.
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noun
the reform of the prison system
improvement, amelioration, refinement; alteration, change, adaptation, amendment, revision, reshaping, refashioning, redesigning, restyling, revamp, revamping, renovation, rebuilding, reconstruction, remodelling, reorganizing, reorganization.

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refractory

adjective
(formal) obstinate, stubborn, mulish, pig-headed, obdurate, headstrong, self-willed, wayward, wilful, perverse, contrary, recalcitrant, obstreperous, disobedient; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie, stroppy; N. Amer. informal balky; archaic contumacious, froward. ANTONYMS :obedient.

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refrain

verb
abstain, desist, hold back, stop oneself, forbear, avoid, eschew, shun, renounce; informal swear off; formal forswear, abjure.

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refresh

verb
the cool air will refresh me
reinvigorate, revitalize, revive, restore, fortify, enliven, perk up, stimulate, freshen, energize, exhilarate, reanimate, wake up, revivify, inspirit; blow away the cobwebs; informal buck up, pep up.
let me refresh your memory
jog, stimulate, prompt, prod.
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(N. Amer.) I refreshed his glass
refill, top up, replenish, recharge.
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ANTONYMS :weary.

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refreshing

adjective
a refreshing drink
invigorating, revitalizing, reviving, restoring, bracing, fortifying, enlivening, inspiriting, stimulating, energizing, exhilarating.
a refreshing change of direction
welcome, stimulating, fresh, imaginative, innovative, innovatory.
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refreshment

noun
refreshments were available in the interval
food and drink, sustenance, provender; snacks, titbits, eatables; informal nibbles, eats, grub, nosh; formal comestibles; poetic/literary viands; dated victuals; archaic aliment.
spiritual refreshment
invigoration, revival, stimulation, reanimation, revivification, rejuvenation, regeneration, renewal.
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refrigerate

verb
keep cold, cool (down), chill. ANTONYMS :heat.

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refuge

noun
homeless people seeking refuge in subway stations
shelter, protection, safety, security, asylum, sanctuary.
a refuge for mountain gorillas
sanctuary, shelter, place of safety, (safe) haven, sanctum; retreat, bolt-hole, hiding place, hideaway, hideout.
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refugee

noun
displaced person, DP, fugitive, asylum seeker, exile, émigré, stateless person; Austral. informal reffo.

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refund

verb
we will refund your money if you're not satisfied
repay, give back, return, pay back.
they refunded the subscribers
reimburse, compensate, recompense, remunerate, indemnify.
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noun
a full refund
repayment, reimbursement, rebate.

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refurbish

verb
renovate, recondition, rehabilitate, revamp, overhaul, restore, renew, redevelop, rebuild, reconstruct; redecorate, spruce up, upgrade, refit; N. Amer. bring up to code; informal do up; N. Amer. informal rehab.

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refusal

noun
we had one refusal to our invitation
non-acceptance, no, dissent, demurral, negation, turndown; regrets.
you can have first refusal
option, choice, opportunity to purchase.
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the refusal of planning permission
withholding, denial, turndown.
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refuse 1

verb
he refused their invitation
decline, turn down, say no to; reject, spurn, rebuff, dismiss; send one's regrets; informal pass up.
the Council refused planning permission
withhold, not grant, deny.
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ANTONYMS :accept, grant.

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refuse 2

noun
piles of refuse
rubbish, waste, debris, litter, detritus, dross; dregs, leftovers; N. Amer. garbage, trash; Austral./NZ mullock; informal dreck, junk.

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refute

verb
attempts to refute Einstein's theory
disprove, prove wrong/false, controvert, rebut, give the lie to, explode, debunk, discredit, invalidate; informal shoot full of holes; formal confute.
she refuted the allegation
deny, reject, repudiate, rebut; contradict; formal gainsay.
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regain

verb
government troops regained the capital
recover, get back, win back, recoup, retrieve, reclaim, repossess; take back, retake, recapture, reconquer.
they regained dry land
return to, get back to, reach again, rejoin.
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regal

adjective
a regal feast.
See splendid sense 1.
his regal forebears
royal, kingly, queenly, princely.
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regale

verb
they were lavishly regaled
entertain, wine and dine, fête, feast, serve, feed.
he regaled her with colourful stories
entertain, amuse, divert, delight, fascinate, captivate.
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regard

verb
we regard these results as encouraging
consider, look on, view, see, think of, judge, deem, estimate, assess, reckon, adjudge, rate, gauge.
he regarded her coldly
look at, contemplate, eye, gaze at, stare at; watch, observe, view, study, scrutinize; poetic/literary behold.
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(archaic) he seldom regards her advice
heed, pay heed to, pay attention to, listen to, take notice of.
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noun
he has no regard for human life
consideration, care, concern, thought, notice, heed, attention.
doctors are held in high regard
esteem, respect, acclaim, admiration, approval, approbation, estimation.
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Jamie sends his regards
best wishes, good wishes, greetings, kind/kindest regards, felicitations, salutations, respects, compliments, best, love.
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his steady regard
(fixed) look, gaze, stare; observation, contemplation, study, scrutiny.
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in this regard I disagree with you
respect, aspect, point, item, particular, detail, specific ; matter, issue, topic, question.
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with regard to. See regarding.

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regarding

preposition
concerning, as regards, with/in regard to, with respect to, with reference to, relating to, respecting, re, about, apropos, on the subject of, in connection with, vis-à-vis.

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regardless

adverb
he decided to go, regardless
anyway, anyhow, in any case, nevertheless, nonetheless, despite everything, in spite of everything, even so, all the same, in any event, come what may; informal irregardless.
regardless of
irrespective of, without regard to, without reference to, disregarding, without consideration of, discounting, ignoring, notwithstanding, no matter; informal irregardless of.

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regenerate

verb
revive, revitalize, renew, restore, breathe new life into, revivify, rejuvenate, reanimate, resuscitate; informal give a shot in the arm to.

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regime

noun
the former Communist regime
(system of) government, authorities, rule, authority, control, command, administration, leadership.
a health regime
system, arrangement, scheme; order, pattern, method, procedure, routine, course, plan, programme.
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regiment

noun
the regiment was fighting in France
unit, outfit, force, corps, division, brigade, battalion, squadron, company, platoon.
verb
their life is strictly regimented
organize, order, systematize, control, regulate, manage, discipline.

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regimented

adjective
strictly regulated, organized, disciplined, controlled, ordered, systematic, orderly.

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region

noun
the western region of the country
district, province, territory, division, area, section, sector, zone, belt, part, quarter; informal parts.
in the region of. See approximately.

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regional

adjective
regional variation
geographical, territorial; by region.
a regional parliament
local, localized, provincial, district, parochial.
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ANTONYMS :national.

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register

noun
the register of electors
official list, listing, roll, roster, index, directory, catalogue, inventory.
the parish register
record, chronicle, log, logbook, ledger, archive; annals, files.
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the lower register of the piano
range, reaches; notes, octaves.
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verb
I wish to register a complaint
record, put on record, enter, file, lodge, write down, put in writing, submit, report, note, minute, log.
it is not too late to register
enrol, put one's name down, enlist, sign on/up, apply.
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the dial registered a speed of 100mph
indicate, read, record, show, display.
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her face registered anger
display, show, express, exhibit, betray, evidence, reveal, manifest, demonstrate, bespeak; formal evince.
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the content of her statement did not register
make an impression, get through, sink in, penetrate, have an effect, strike home.
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regress

verb
revert, retrogress, relapse, lapse, backslide, slip back; deteriorate, decline, worsen, degenerate, get worse; informal go downhill. ANTONYMS :progress.

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regret

verb
they came to regret their decision
be sorry about, feel contrite about, feel remorse about/for, be remorseful about, rue, repent (of), feel repentant about, be regretful at/about.
regretting the passing of youth
mourn, grieve for/over, feel grief at, weep over, sigh over, feel sad about, lament, sorrow for, deplore.
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ANTONYMS :welcome.

noun
both players later expressed regret
remorse, sorrow, contrition, contriteness, repentance, penitence, guilt, compunction, remorsefulness, ruefulness.
please give your grandmother my regrets
apology, apologies; refusal.
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they left with genuine regret
sadness, sorrow, disappointment, unhappiness, grief.
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ANTONYMS :satisfaction.

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regretful

adjective
sorry, remorseful, contrite, repentant, rueful, penitent, conscience-stricken, apologetic, guilt-ridden, ashamed, shamefaced. ANTONYMS :unrepentant.

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regrettable

adjective
undesirable, unfortunate, unwelcome, sorry, woeful, disappointing; deplorable, lamentable, shameful, disgraceful.

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regular

adjective
plant them at regular intervals
uniform, even, consistent, constant, unchanging, unvarying, fixed.
a regular beat
rhythmic, steady, even, uniform, constant, unchanging, unvarying.
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the subject of regular protests
frequent, repeated, continual, recurrent, periodic, constant, perpetual, numerous.
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regular methods of business
established, conventional, orthodox, proper, official, approved, bona fide, standard, usual, traditional, tried and tested.
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a regular procedure
methodical, systematic, structured, well ordered, well organized, orderly, efficient.
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his regular route to work
usual, normal, customary, habitual, routine, typical, accustomed, established.
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(informal, dated) he's a regular charmer
utter, real, absolute, complete, thorough, total, out-and-out, perfect; N. Amer. full-bore; Brit. informal right, proper; Austral./NZ informal fair.
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ANTONYMS :erratic, occasional.

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regulate

verb
the flow of the river has been regulated
control, adjust, manage.
a new act regulating businesses
supervise, police, monitor, check (up on), be responsible for; control, manage, direct, guide, govern.
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regulation

noun
EC regulations
rule, ruling, order, directive, act, law, by-law, statute, edict, canon, pronouncement, dictate, dictum, decree, fiat, command, precept.
the regulation of blood sugar
adjustment, control, management, balancing.
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the regulation of financial services
supervision, policing, superintendence, monitoring, inspection; control, management, responsibility for.
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adjective
regulation dress
official, prescribed, set, fixed, mandatory, compulsory, obligatory. ANTONYMS :unofficial.

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regurgitate

verb
a ruminant continually regurgitates food
disgorge, bring up; archaic regorge.
regurgitating facts
repeat, say again, restate, reiterate, recite, parrot; informal trot out.
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rehabilitate

verb
efforts to rehabilitate patients
restore to normality, reintegrate, readapt; N. Amer. informal rehab.
former dissidents were rehabilitated
reinstate, restore, bring back; pardon, absolve, exonerate, forgive; formal exculpate.
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rehabilitating vacant housing
recondition, restore, renovate, refurbish, revamp, overhaul, redevelop, rebuild, reconstruct; redecorate, spruce up; upgrade, refit, modernize; informal do up; N. Amer. informal rehab.
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rehearsal

noun
practice (session), trial performance, read-through, run-through; informal dry run.

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rehearse

verb
I rehearsed the role
prepare, practise, read through, run through/over, go over.
he rehearsed the Vienna Philharmonic
train, drill, prepare, coach, put someone through their paces.
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the document rehearsed all the arguments
enumerate, list, itemize, detail, spell out, catalogue, recite, rattle off; restate, repeat, reiterate, recapitulate, go over, run through; informal recap.
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reign

verb
Robert II reigned for nineteen years
be king/queen, be monarch, be sovereign, sit on the throne, wear the crown, rule.
chaos reigned
prevail, exist, be present, be the case, occur, be prevalent, be current, be rife, be rampant, be the order of the day, be in force, be in effect; formal obtain.
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noun
during Henry's reign
rule, sovereignty, monarchy.
his reign as manager
period in office, incumbency, managership, leadership.
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reigning

adjective
the reigning monarch
ruling, regnant; on the throne.
the reigning world champion
incumbent, current.
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the reigning legal conventions
prevailing, existing, current; usual, common, recognized, established, accepted, popular, widespread.
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reimburse

verb
they will reimburse your travel costs
repay, refund, return, pay back.
we'll reimburse you
compensate, recompense, repay.
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rein

noun
there is no rein on his behaviour
restraint, check, curb, constraint, restriction, limitation, control, brake.
verb
they reined back costs
restrain, check, curb, constrain, hold back/in, keep under control, regulate, restrict, control, curtail, limit.
free rein
freedom, a free hand, leeway, latitude, flexibility, liberty, independence, free play, licence, room to manoeuvre, carte blanche. keep a tight rein on
exercise strict control over, regulate, discipline, regiment, keep in line.

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reincarnation

noun
rebirth, transmigration of the soul, metempsychosis.

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reinforce

verb
troops reinforced the dam
strengthen, fortify, bolster up, shore up, buttress, prop up, underpin, brace, support.
reinforcing links between colleges and companies
strengthen, fortify, support; cement, boost, promote, encourage, deepen, enrich, enhance, intensify, improve.
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the need to reinforce NATO troops
augment, increase, add to, supplement, boost, top up.
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reinforcement

noun
the reinforcement of our defences
strengthening, fortification, bolstering, shoring up, buttressing, bracing.
reinforcement of the bomber force
augmentation, increase, supplementing, boosting, topping up.
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they returned later with reinforcements
additional troops, fresh troops, auxiliaries, reserves; support, back-up, help.
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reinstate

verb
restore, return to power, put back, bring back, reinstitute, reinstall.

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reiterate

verb
repeat, say again, restate, recapitulate, go over (and over), rehearse.

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reject

verb
the miners rejected the offer
turn down, refuse, decline, say no to, spurn; informal give the thumbs down to.
Jamie rejected her
rebuff, spurn, shun, snub, repudiate, cast off/aside, discard, abandon, desert, turn one's back on, have nothing (more) to do with, wash one's hands of; informal give someone the brush-off; poetic/literary forsake.
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ANTONYMS :accept.

noun
it is only a reject
substandard article, discard, second.
what a reject!
failure, loser, incompetent.
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rejection

noun
a rejection of the offer
refusal, declining, turning down, dismissal, spurning.
Madeleine's rejection of him
repudiation, rebuff, spurning, abandonment, desertion; informal brush-off; poetic/literary forsaking.
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rejoice

verb
they rejoiced when she returned
be joyful, be happy, be pleased, be glad, be delighted, be elated, be ecstatic, be euphoric, be overjoyed, be as pleased as Punch, be cock-a-hoop, be jubilant, be in raptures, be beside oneself with joy, be delirious, be thrilled, be on cloud nine, be in seventh heaven; celebrate, make merry; informal be over the moon, be on top of the world; Austral. informal be wrapped; poetic/literary joy; archaic jubilate.
he rejoiced in their success
take delight, find/take pleasure, feel satisfaction, find joy, enjoy, revel in, glory in, delight in, relish, savour.
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ANTONYMS :mourn.

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rejoicing

noun
happiness, pleasure, joy, gladness, delight, elation, jubilation, exuberance, exultation, celebration, revelry, merrymaking.

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rejoin 1

verb
the path rejoins the main road further on
return to, be reunited with, join again, reach again, regain.

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rejoin 2

verb
Eugene rejoined that you couldn't expect much
answer, reply, respond, return, retort, riposte, counter.

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rejoinder

noun
answer, reply, response, retort, riposte, counter; informal comeback.

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rejuvenate

verb
revive, revitalize, regenerate, breathe new life into, revivify, reanimate, resuscitate, refresh, reawaken, put new life into; informal give a shot in the arm to, pep up, buck up.

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relapse

verb
a few patients relapse
get ill/worse again, have/suffer a relapse, deteriorate, degenerate, take a turn for the worse.
she relapsed into silence
revert, lapse; regress, retrogress, slip back, slide back, degenerate.
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ANTONYMS :improve.

noun
one patient suffered a relapse
deterioration, turn for the worse.
a relapse into alcoholism
decline, lapse, deterioration, degeneration, reversion, regression, retrogression, fall, descent, slide.
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relate

verb
he related many stories
tell, recount, narrate, report, chronicle, outline, delineate, retail, recite, repeat, communicate, impart.
mortality is related to unemployment levels
connect (with), associate (with), link (with), correlate (with), ally (with), couple (with).
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the charges relate to offences committed in August
apply, be relevant, concern, pertain to, be pertinent to, have a bearing on, appertain to, involve; archaic regard.
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she cannot relate to her step-father
have a rapport, get on (well), feel sympathy, feel for, identify with, empathize with, understand; informal hit it off with.
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related

adjective
related ideas
connected, interconnected, associated, linked, coupled, allied, affiliated, concomitant, corresponding, analogous, kindred, parallel, comparable, homologous, equivalent.
are you two related?
of the same family, kin, akin, kindred, consanguineous; formal cognate.
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ANTONYMS :unconnected.

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relation

noun
the relation between church and state
connection, relationship, association, link, correlation, correspondence, parallel, alliance, bond, interrelation, interconnection.
this had no relation to national security
relevance, applicability, reference, pertinence, bearing.
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are you a relation of his?
relative, member of the family, kinsman, kinswoman; (relations) family, (kith and) kin, kindred.
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improving relations with India
dealings, communication, relationship, connections, contact, interaction.
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sexual relations.
See sex sense 1.
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relationship

noun
the relationship between diet and diabetes
connection, relation, association, link, correlation, correspondence, parallel, alliance, bond, interrelation, interconnection.
evidence of their relationship to a common ancestor
family ties/connections, blood relationship, kinship, affinity, consanguinity, common ancestry/lineage.
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the end of their relationship
romance, (love) affair, love, liaison, amour.
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relative

adjective
the relative importance of each factor
comparative, respective, comparable, correlative, parallel, corresponding.
the food required is relative to body weight
proportionate, proportional, in proportion, commensurate, corresponding.
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relative ease
moderate, reasonable, a fair degree of, considerable, comparative.
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noun
he's a relative of mine
relation, member of someone's/the family, kinsman, kinswoman; (relatives) family, (kith and) kin, kindred, kinsfolk.

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relatively

adverb
comparatively, by comparison; quite, fairly, reasonably, rather, somewhat, to a certain degree/degree, tolerably, passably; informal pretty, kind of, sort of.

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relax

verb
yoga is helpful in learning to relax
unwind, loosen up, ease up/off, slow down, de-stress, unbend, rest, put one's feet up, take it easy; informal unbutton; N. Amer. informal hang loose, chill out.
a walk will relax you
calm (down), unwind, loosen up, make less tense/uptight, soothe, pacify, compose.
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he relaxed his grip
loosen, loose, slacken, unclench, weaken, lessen.
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her muscles relaxed
become less tense, loosen, slacken, unknot.
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they relaxed the restrictions
moderate, modify, temper, ease (up on), loosen, lighten, dilute, weaken, reduce, decrease; informal let up on.
Top
ANTONYMS :tense, tighten.

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relaxation

noun
a state of relaxation
(mental) repose, calm, tranquillity, peacefulness, loosening up, unwinding.
I just play for relaxation
recreation, enjoyment, amusement, entertainment, fun, pleasure, leisure; informal R and R.
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muscle relaxation
loosening, slackening, loosing.
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relaxation of censorship rules
moderation, easing, loosening, lightening; alleviation, mitigation, dilution, weakening, reduction; informal letting up.
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relay

noun
a live relay of the performance
broadcast, transmission, showing.
verb
relaying messages through a third party
pass on, hand on, transfer, repeat, communicate, send, transmit, disseminate, spread, circulate.

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release

verb
all prisoners were released
(set) free, let go/out, allow to leave, liberate, set at liberty.
Burke released the animal
untie, undo, loose, let go, unleash, unfetter.
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this released staff for other duties
make available, free (up), put at someone's disposal, supply, furnish, provide.
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she released Stephen from his promise
excuse, exempt, discharge, deliver, absolve; informal let off.
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police released the news yesterday
make public, make known, issue, break, announce, declare, report, reveal, divulge, disclose, publish, broadcast, circulate, communicate, disseminate.
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the film has been released on video
launch, put on the market, put on sale, bring out, make available.
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ANTONYMS :imprison, tie up.

noun
the release of political prisoners
freeing, liberation, deliverance; freedom, liberty.
the release of the news
issuing, announcement, declaration, reporting, revealing, divulging, disclosure, publication, communication, dissemination.
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a press release
announcement, bulletin, newsflash, dispatch, proclamation.
Top
the group's last release
CD, album, single, record; video, film; book.
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relegate

verb
downgrade, lower (in rank/status), put down, move down; demote, degrade. ANTONYMS :upgrade.

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relent

verb
the government finally relented
change one's mind, do a U-turn, back-pedal, back down, give way/in, capitulate; become merciful, become lenient, agree to something, allow something, concede something; Brit. do an about-turn; formal accede.
the rain has relented
ease (off/up), slacken, let up, abate, drop, die down, lessen, decrease, subside, weaken, tail off.
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relentless

adjective
their relentless pursuit of quality
persistent, continuing, constant, continual, continuous, non-stop, never-ending, unabating, interminable, incessant, unceasing, endless, unending, unremitting, unrelenting, unrelieved; unfaltering, unflagging, untiring, unwavering, dogged, single-minded, tireless, indefatigable; formal pertinacious.
a relentless taskmaster
harsh, grim, cruel, severe, strict, remorseless, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, unmerciful, heartless, hard-hearted, unforgiving; inflexible, unbending, uncompromising, obdurate, unyielding.
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relevant

adjective
pertinent, applicable, apposite, material, apropos, to the point, germane; connected, related, linked.

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reliable

adjective
reliable evidence
dependable, good, well founded, authentic, valid, genuine, sound, true.
a reliable friend
trustworthy, dependable, good, true, faithful, devoted, steadfast, staunch, constant, loyal, trusty, dedicated, unfailing; truthful, honest.
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reliable brakes
dependable, safe, fail-safe.
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a reliable firm
reputable, dependable, trustworthy, honest, responsible, established, proven.
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ANTONYMS :untrustworthy.

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reliance

noun
reliance on the state
dependence, dependency.
reliance on his own judgement
trust, confidence, faith, belief, conviction.
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relic

noun
a Viking relic
artefact, historical object, ancient object, antiquity, antique.
a saint's relics
remains, corpse, bones, reliquiae; Medicine cadaver.
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relief

noun
it was such a relief to share my worries
reassurance, consolation, comfort, solace.
the relief of pain
alleviation, alleviating, relieving, assuagement, assuaging, palliation, allaying, soothing, easing, lessening, reduction.
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relief from her burden
freedom, release, liberation, deliverance.
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a little light relief
respite, amusement, diversion, entertainment, jollity, jollification, recreation.
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bringing relief to the starving
help, aid, assistance, succour, sustenance; charity, gifts, donations.
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his relief arrived to take over
replacement, substitute, deputy, reserve, cover, stand-in, supply, locum (tenens), understudy.
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ANTONYMS :intensification.

throw something into relief
highlight, spotlight, give prominence to, point up, show up, emphasize, bring out, stress, accent, underline, underscore, accentuate.

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relieve

verb
this helps relieve pain
alleviate, mitigate, assuage, ease, dull, reduce, lessen, diminish.
relieving the boredom
counteract, reduce, alleviate, mitigate; interrupt, vary, stop, dispel, prevent.
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the helpers relieved us
replace, take over from, stand in for, fill in for, substitute for, deputize for, cover for.
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this relieves the teacher of a heavy load
(set) free, release, exempt, excuse, absolve, let off, discharge.
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ANTONYMS :aggravate.

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relieved

adjective
glad, thankful, grateful, pleased, happy, easy/easier in one's mind, reassured. ANTONYMS :worried.

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religion

noun
faith, belief, worship, creed; sect, cult, church, denomination.

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religious

adjective
a religious person
devout, pious, reverent, godly, God-fearing, churchgoing, practising, faithful, devoted, committed.
religious beliefs
spiritual, theological, scriptural, doctrinal, ecclesiastical, church, churchly, holy, divine, sacred.
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religious attention to detail
scrupulous, conscientious, meticulous, sedulous, punctilious, strict, rigorous, close.
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ANTONYMS :atheistic, secular.

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relinquish

verb
he relinquished control of the company
renounce, give up/away, hand over, let go of.
he relinquished his post
leave, resign from, stand down from, bow out of, give up; informal quit, chuck.
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he relinquished his pipe-smoking
discontinue, stop, cease, give up, desist from; informal quit, leave off, kick; formal forswear.
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she relinquished her grip
let go, release, loose, loosen, relax.
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ANTONYMS :retain, continue.

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relish

noun
he dug into his food with relish
enjoyment, gusto, delight, pleasure, glee, rapture, satisfaction, contentment, appreciation, enthusiasm, appetite; humorous delectation.
a hot relish
condiment, sauce, dressing, flavouring, seasoning, dip.
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ANTONYMS :dislike.

verb
he was relishing his moment of glory
enjoy, delight in, love, adore, take pleasure in, rejoice in, appreciate, savour, revel in, luxuriate in, glory in.
I don't relish the drive
look forward to, fancy, anticipate with pleasure.
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reluctance

noun
unwillingness, disinclination; hesitation, wavering, vacillation; doubts, second thoughts, misgivings; archaic disrelish.

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reluctant

adjective
her parents were reluctant
unwilling, disinclined, unenthusiastic, resistant, resisting, opposed; hesitant.
a reluctant smile
shy, bashful, coy, diffident, reserved, timid, timorous.
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he was reluctant to leave
loath, unwilling, disinclined, indisposed; not in favour of, against, opposed to.
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ANTONYMS :willing, eager.

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rely

verb
we can rely on his discretion
depend, count, bank, place reliance, reckon; be confident of, be sure of, believe in, have faith in, trust in; informal swear by; N. Amer. informal figure on.
we rely on government funding
be dependent, depend, be unable to manage without.
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remain

verb
the problem will remain
continue to exist, endure, last, abide, carry on, persist, stay (around), prevail, survive, live on.
he remained in hospital
stay (behind/put), wait (around), be left, hang on; informal hang around/round; Brit. informal hang about; archaic bide.
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union leaders remain sceptical
continue to be, stay, keep, persist in being, carry on being.
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the few minutes that remain
be left (over), be still available, be unused; have not yet passed.
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remainder

noun
residue, balance, remaining part/number, rest, others, those left, remnant(s), surplus, extra, excess, overflow; technical residuum.

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remaining

adjective
the remaining workers
residual, surviving, left (over); extra, surplus, spare, superfluous, excess.
his remaining jobs
unsettled, outstanding, unfinished, incomplete, to be done, unattended to.
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my only remaining memories
surviving, lasting, enduring, continuing, persisting, abiding, (still) existing.
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remains

plural noun
the remains of her drink
remainder, residue, remaining part/number, rest, remnant(s); technical residuum.
Roman remains
antiquities, relics, reliquiae.
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the saint's remains
corpse, (dead) body, carcass; bones, skeleton; Medicine cadaver.
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remark

verb
"You're quiet," he remarked
comment, say, observe, mention, reflect, state, declare, announce, pronounce, assert; formal opine.
many critics remarked on their rapport
comment, mention, refer to, speak of, pass comment on.
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he remarked the absence of policemen
note, notice, observe, take note of, perceive, discern.
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noun
his remarks have been misinterpreted
comment, statement, utterance, observation, declaration, pronouncement.
worthy of remark
attention, notice, comment, mention, observation, acknowledgement.
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remarkable

adjective
extraordinary, exceptional, amazing, astonishing, astounding, marvellous, wonderful, sensational, stunning, incredible, unbelievable, phenomenal, outstanding, momentous; out of the ordinary, unusual, uncommon, surprising; informal fantastic, terrific, tremendous, stupendous, awesome; poetic/literary wondrous. ANTONYMS :ordinary.

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remediable

adjective
curable, treatable, operable; solvable, reparable, rectifiable, resolvable. ANTONYMS :incurable.

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remedy

noun
herbal remedies
treatment, cure, medicine, medication, medicament, drug; archaic physic.
a remedy for all kinds of problems
solution, answer, cure, antidote, curative, nostrum, panacea, cure-all; informal magic bullet.
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verb
remedying the situation
put/set right, put/set to rights, right, rectify, solve, sort out, straighten out, resolve, correct, repair, mend, make good.
anaemia can be remedied by iron tablets
cure, treat, heal, make better; relieve, ease, alleviate, palliate.
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remember

verb
remembering happy times
recall, call to mind, recollect, think of; reminisce about, look back on; archaic bethink oneself of.
can you remember all that?
memorize, commit to memory, retain; learn off by heart.
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you must remember she's only five
bear/keep in mind, be mindful of the fact; take into account, take into consideration.
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remember to feed the cat
be sure, be certain; mind that you, make sure that you.
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remember me to Alice
send one's best wishes to, send one's regards to, give one's love to, send one's compliments to, say hello to.
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the nation remembered those who gave their lives
commemorate, pay tribute to, honour, salute, pay homage to.
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she remembered them in her will
bequeath something to, leave something to, bestow something on.
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ANTONYMS :forget.

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remembrance

noun
an expression of remembrance
recollection, reminiscence; remembering, recalling, recollecting, reminiscing.
she smiled at the remembrance
memory, recollection, reminiscence, thought.
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we sold poppies in remembrance
commemoration, memory, recognition.
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a remembrance of my father
memento, reminder, keepsake, souvenir, memorial, token.
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remind

verb
I left a note to remind him
jog someone's memory, help someone remember, prompt.
the song reminded me of my sister
make one think of, cause one to remember, put one in mind of, bring/call to mind, evoke.
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reminder

noun
prompt, prompting, aide-memoire.

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reminisce

verb
remember (with pleasure), cast one's mind back to, look back on, be nostalgic about, recall, recollect, reflect on, call to mind.

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reminiscences

plural noun
memories, recollections, reflections, remembrances.

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reminiscent

adjective
similar to, comparable with, evocative of, suggestive of, redolent of.

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remiss

adjective
negligent, neglectful, irresponsible, careless, thoughtless, heedless, lax, slack, slipshod, lackadaisical; N. Amer. derelict; informal sloppy; formal delinquent. ANTONYMS :careful.

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remission

noun
the remission of all fees
cancellation, setting aside, suspension, revocation; formal abrogation.
the cancer is in remission
respite, abeyance.
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the wind howled without remission
respite, lessening, abatement, easing, decrease, reduction, diminution, dying down, slackening, lull; informal let-up.
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the remission of sins
forgiveness, pardoning, absolution, exoneration; formal exculpation.
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remit

verb
the fines were remitted
cancel, set aside, suspend, revoke; formal abrogate.
remitting duties to the authorities
send, dispatch, forward, hand over; pay.
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the case was remitted to the Court of Appeal
pass (on), refer, send on, transfer.
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(rare) we remitted all further discussion
postpone, defer, put off/back, shelve, delay, suspend; N. Amer. table; informal put on the back burner, put on ice.
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remitting their sins
pardon, forgive; excuse.
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(archaic) the fever remitted
diminish, lessen, decrease, ease (up), abate, moderate, subside.
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noun
that is outside his remit
area of responsibility, sphere, orbit, scope, ambit, province; brief, instructions, orders; informal bailiwick.

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remittance

noun
send the form with your remittance
payment, money, fee; cheque; formal monies.
a monthly remittance
allowance, sum of money.
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remnant

noun
the remnants of the picnic
remains, remainder, leftovers, residue, rest; technical residuum.
remnants of cloth
scrap, piece, bit, fragment, shred, offcut, oddment.
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remonstrate

verb
"I'm not a child!" he remonstrated
protest, complain, expostulate; argue with, take issue with.
we remonstrated against this proposal
object strongly to, complain vociferously about, protest against, argue against, oppose strongly, make a fuss about, challenge; deplore, condemn, denounce, criticize; informal kick up a fuss/stink about.
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remorse

noun
contrition, deep regret, repentance, penitence, guilt, compunction, remorsefulness, ruefulness, contriteness; pangs of conscience.

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remorseful

adjective
sorry, full of regret, regretful, contrite, repentant, penitent, guilt-ridden, conscience-stricken, guilty, chastened, self-reproachful. ANTONYMS :unrepentant.

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remorseless

adjective
heartless, pitiless, merciless, ruthless, callous, cruel, hard-hearted, inhumane, unmerciful, unforgiving, unfeeling.
remorseless cost-cutting
relentless, unrelenting, unremitting, unabating, inexorable, unstoppable.
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ANTONYMS :compassionate.

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remote

adjective
areas remote from hospitals
faraway, distant, far (off), far removed.
a remote mountain village
isolated, out of the way, off the beaten track, secluded, lonely, in the back of beyond, godforsaken, inaccessible; N. Amer. in the backwoods, lonesome; Austral./NZ in the backblocks, in the booay; informal in the sticks, in the middle of nowhere; N. Amer. informal in the tall timbers; Austral./NZ informal beyond the black stump; archaic unapproachable.
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events remote from modern times
irrelevant to, unrelated to, unconnected to, unconcerned with, not pertinent to, immaterial to, unassociated with; foreign to, alien to.
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a remote possibility
unlikely, improbable, implausible, doubtful, dubious; faint, slight, slim, small, slender.
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she seems very remote
aloof, distant, detached, withdrawn, reserved, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, unapproachable, unresponsive, unfriendly, unsociable, introspective, introverted; informal stand-offish.
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ANTONYMS :close, central.

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removal

noun
the removal of heavy artillery
taking away, moving, carrying away.
his removal from office
dismissal, ejection, expulsion, ousting, displacement, deposition; N. Amer. ouster; informal sacking, firing.
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the removal of customs barriers
withdrawal, elimination, taking away.
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the removal of errors
deletion, elimination, erasing, effacing, obliteration.
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the removal of weeds
uprooting, eradication.
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the removal of old branches
cutting off, chopping off, hacking off.
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her removal to France
move, transfer, relocation.
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the removal of a rival
killing, murder, elimination; informal liquidation.
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ANTONYMS :installation.

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remove

verb
remove the plug
detach, unfasten; pull out, take out, disconnect.
she removed the lid
take off, undo, unfasten.
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he removed a note from his wallet
take out, produce, bring out, get out, pull out, withdraw.
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police removed boxes of documents
take away, carry away, move, transport; confiscate; informal cart off.
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Sheila removed the mud
clean off, wash off, wipe off, rinse off, scrub off, sponge out.
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Henry removed his coat
take off, pull off, slip out of; Brit. informal peel off.
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he was removed from his post
dismiss, discharge, get rid of, dislodge, displace, expel, oust, depose; informal sack, fire, kick out, boot out; Brit. informal turf out.
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tax relief was removed
withdraw, abolish, eliminate, get rid of, do away with, stop, cut, axe.
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Gabriel removed two words
delete, erase, rub out, cross out, strike out, score out.
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weeds have to be removed
uproot, pull out, eradicate.
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removing branches
cut off, chop off, lop off, hack off.
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(dated) he removed to Edinburgh
move (house), relocate, transfer; emigrate; Brit. informal up sticks; N. Amer. informal pull up stakes.
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the mobsters removed their enemies.
See kill verb sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :attach, insert, replace.

noun
it is impossible, at this remove, to reconstruct the accident
distance, space of time, interval.

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removed

adjective
distant, remote, disconnected; unrelated, unconnected, alien, foreign.

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remunerate

verb
pay, reward, reimburse, recompense.

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remuneration

noun
payment, pay, salary, wages; earnings, fee(s), reward, recompense, reimbursement; formal emolument(s).

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remunerative

adjective
lucrative, well paid, financially rewarding; profitable.

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renaissance

noun
revival, renewal, resurrection, reawakening, re-emergence, rebirth, reappearance, resurgence, regeneration; formal renascence.

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rend

verb
tear/rip apart, tear/rip in two, split, rupture, sever; poetic/literary tear/rip asunder, sunder; rare dissever; archaic rive.

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render

verb
her fury rendered her speechless
make, cause to be/become, leave.
rendering assistance
give, provide, supply, furnish, contribute; offer, proffer.
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the invoices rendered by the accountants
send in, present, submit.
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the jury rendered their verdict
deliver, return, hand down, give, announce.
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paintings rendered in vivid colours
paint, draw, depict, portray, represent, execute; poetic/literary limn.
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she rendered all three verses
perform, sing.
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the characters are vividly rendered
act, perform, play, depict, interpret.
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the phrase was rendered into English
translate, put, express, rephrase, reword.
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he rendered up the stolen money
give back, return, restore, pay back, repay, hand over, give up, surrender.
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the fat can be rendered
melt down, clarify.
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rendezvous

noun
Edward was late for their rendezvous
meeting, appointment, assignation; informal date; poetic/literary tryst.
verb
the bar where they had agreed to rendezvous
meet, come together, gather, assemble.

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rendition

noun
our rendition of Beethoven's Fifth
performance, rendering, interpretation, presentation, execution, delivery.
the artist's rendition of Adam and Eve
depiction, portrayal, representation.
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an interpreter's rendition of the message
translation, interpretation, version.
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renegade

noun
he was denounced as a renegade
traitor, defector, deserter, turncoat, rebel, mutineer; rare tergiversator.
(archaic) a religious renegade
apostate, heretic, dissenter; archaic recreant.
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adjective
renegade troops
treacherous, traitorous, disloyal, treasonous, rebel, mutinous.
a renegade monk
apostate, heretic, heretical, dissident; archaic recreant.
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ANTONYMS :loyal.

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renege

verb
default on, fail to honour, go back on, break, back out of, withdraw from, retreat from, welsh on, backtrack on; break one's word/promise. ANTONYMS :honour.

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renew

verb
I renewed my search
resume, return to, take up again, come back to, begin again, start again, restart, recommence; continue (with), carry on (with).
they renewed their vows
reaffirm, reassert; repeat, reiterate, restate.
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something to renew her interest in life
revive, regenerate, revitalize, reinvigorate, restore, resuscitate, breathe new life into; archaic renovate.
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the hotel was completely renewed
renovate, restore, refurbish, modernize, overhaul, redevelop, rebuild, reconstruct, remodel; N. Amer. bring something up to code; informal do up; N. Amer. informal rehab.
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they renewed Jackie's contract
extend, prolong.
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I renewed my supply of toilet paper
replenish, restock, resupply, top up, replace.
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renewal

noun
the renewal of our friendship
resumption, recommencement, re-establishment; continuation.
spiritual renewal
regeneration, revival, reinvigoration, revitalization; archaic renovation.
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the renewal of older urban areas
renovation, restoration, modernization, reconditioning, overhauling, redevelopment, rebuilding, reconstruction.
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renounce

verb
Edward renounced his claim to the throne
give up, relinquish, abandon, abdicate, surrender, waive, forego; Law disclaim; formal abnegate.
Hungary renounced the agreement
reject, refuse to abide by, repudiate.
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she renounced her family
repudiate, deny, reject, abandon, wash one's hands of, turn one's back on, disown, spurn, shun; poetic/literary forsake.
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he renounced alcohol
abstain from, give up, desist from, refrain from, keep off, eschew; informal quit, pack in, lay off; formal forswear.
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ANTONYMS :assert, accept.

renounce the world
become a recluse, turn one's back on society, cloister oneself, hide oneself away.

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renovate

verb
modernize, restore, refurbish, revamp, recondition, rehabilitate, overhaul, redevelop; update, upgrade, refit; N. Amer. bring something up to code; informal do up; N. Amer. informal rehab.

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renown

noun
fame, distinction, eminence, pre-eminence, prominence, repute, reputation, prestige, acclaim, celebrity, notability.

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renowned

adjective
famous, celebrated, famed, eminent, distinguished, acclaimed, illustrious, pre-eminent, prominent, great, esteemed, of note, of repute, well known, well thought of. ANTONYMS :unknown.

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rent 1

noun
I can't afford to pay the rent
hire charge, rental.
verb
she rented a car
hire, lease, charter.
why don't you rent it out?
let (out), lease (out), hire (out); sublet, sublease.
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rent 2

noun
the rent in his trousers
rip, tear, split, hole, slash, slit.
a vast rent in the mountains
gorge, chasm, fault, rift, fissure, crevasse.
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renunciation

noun
Henry's renunciation of his throne
relinquishment, giving up, abandonment, abdication, surrender, waiving, foregoing; Law disclaimer; rare abnegation.
his renunciation of luxury
abstention, refraining, going without, giving up, eschewal; formal forswearing.
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their renunciation of terrorism
repudiation, rejection, abandonment.
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reorganize

verb
restructure, change, alter, adjust, transform, shake up, rationalize, rearrange, reshape, overhaul.

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repair 1

verb
the car was repaired
mend, fix (up), put/set right, restore (to working order), overhaul, service; informal patch up.
they repaired the costumes
mend, darn; informal patch up.
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repairing relations with other countries
put/set right, mend, fix, straighten out, improve; informal patch up.
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she sought to repair the wrong she had done
rectify, make good, (put) right, correct, make up for, make amends for, make reparation for.
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noun
in need of repair
restoration, fixing (up), mending, renovation; archaic reparation.
an invisible repair
mend, darn.
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in good repair
condition, working order, state, shape, fettle; Brit. informal nick.
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beyond repair
irreparable, irreversible, irretrievable, irremediable, irrecoverable, past hope.

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repair 2

verb
(formal) we repaired to the sitting room
go to, head for, adjourn, wend one's way; formal remove; poetic/literary betake oneself.

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reparable

adjective
rectifiable, remediable, curable, restorable, recoverable, retrievable, salvageable.

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reparation

noun
amends, restitution, redress, compensation, recompense, repayment, atonement.

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repartee

noun
banter, badinage, bantering, raillery, witticism(s), ripostes, sallies, quips, joking, jesting, chaff, chaffing; formal persiflage.

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repast

noun
(formal) meal, feast, banquet; informal spread, feed, bite (to eat); Brit. informal nosh-up; formal collation; poetic/literary refection.

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repay

verb
repaying customers who have been cheated
reimburse, refund, pay back/off, recompense, compensate, indemnify.
the grants have to be repaid
pay back, return, refund, reimburse.
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I'd like to repay her generosity
reciprocate, return, requite, recompense, reward.
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interesting books that would repay further study
be well worth, be worth one's while.
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repayment

noun
the repayment of tax
refund, reimbursement, paying back.
repayment for all they have done
recompense, reward, compensation.
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repeal

verb
the Act was repealed
revoke, rescind, cancel, reverse, annul, nullify, declare null and void, quash, abolish; Law vacate; formal abrogate; archaic recall. ANTONYMS :enact.

noun
the repeal of the law
revocation, rescinding, cancellation, reversal, annulment, nullification, quashing, abolition; formal abrogation; archaic recall.

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repeat

verb
she repeated her story
say again, restate, reiterate, go/run through again, recapitulate; informal recap.
children can repeat large chunks of text
recite, quote, parrot, regurgitate; informal trot out.
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Steele was invited to repeat his work
do again, redo, replicate, duplicate.
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the episodes were repeated
rebroadcast, rerun, reshow.
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noun
a repeat of the previous year's final
repetition, duplication, replication, duplicate.
repeats of his TV show
rerun, rebroadcast, reshowing.
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repeat itself
reoccur, recur, occur again, happen again.

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repeated

adjective
recurrent, frequent, persistent, continual, incessant, constant; regular, periodic, numerous, (very) many, a great many. ANTONYMS :occasional.

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repeatedly

adverb
frequently, often, again and again, over and over (again), time and (time) again, many times, many a time; persistently, recurrently, constantly, continually, regularly; N. Amer. oftentimes; informal 24-7; poetic/literary oft, oft-times.

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repel

verb
the rebels were repelled
fight off, repulse, drive back/away, force back, beat back, push back; hold off, ward off, keep at bay; Brit. see off; archaic rebut.
the coating will repel water
be impervious to, be impermeable to, keep out, resist.
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the thought of kissing him repelled me
revolt, disgust, repulse, sicken, nauseate, turn someone's stomach, be repulsive, be distasteful, be repugnant; informal turn off; N. Amer. informal gross out.
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repellent

adjective
a repellent stench
revolting, repulsive, disgusting, repugnant, sickening, nauseating, stomach-turning, nauseous, vile, nasty, foul, horrible, awful, dreadful, terrible, obnoxious, loathsome, offensive, objectionable; abhorrent, despicable, reprehensible, contemptible, odious, hateful, execrable; N. Amer. vomitous; informal ghastly, horrid, gross, yucky, icky; poetic/literary noisome; archaic disgustful.
a repellent coating
impermeable, impervious, resistant; -proof.
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ANTONYMS :delightful.

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repent

verb
feel remorse, regret, be sorry, rue, reproach oneself, be ashamed, feel contrite; be penitent, be remorseful, be repentant.

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repentance

noun
remorse, contrition, contriteness, penitence, regret, ruefulness, remorsefulness, shame, guilt; archaic rue.

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repentant

adjective
penitent, contrite, regretful, rueful, remorseful, apologetic, chastened, ashamed, shamefaced. ANTONYMS :impenitent.

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repercussion

noun
political repercussions
consequence, result, effect, outcome; reverberation, backlash, aftermath, fallout.
(archaic) a vicious repercussion
reverberation, recoil, kickback.
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repertoire

noun
collection, stock, range, repertory, reserve, store, repository, supply.

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repetition

noun
the statistics bear repetition
reiteration, repeating, restatement, retelling.
the repetition the of words
repeating, echoing, parroting.
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a repetition of the scene in the kitchen
recurrence, reoccurrence, rerun, repeat.
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there is some repetition
repetitiousness, repetitiveness, redundancy, tautology.
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repetitious

adjective
repetitious work.
See repetitive.

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repetitive

adjective
monotonous, tedious, boring, humdrum, mundane, dreary, tiresome; unvaried, unchanging, unvarying, recurrent, recurring, repeated, repetitious, routine, mechanical, automatic.

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rephrase

verb
reword, put in other words, express differently, paraphrase.

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repine

verb
(poetic/literary) fret, be/feel unhappy, mope, eat one's heart out, brood; lament, grieve, mourn, sorrow, pine.

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replace

verb
Adam replaced the receiver
put back, return, restore.
a new chairman came in to replace him
take the place of, succeed, take over from, supersede; stand in for, substitute for, deputize for, cover for, relieve; informal step into someone's shoes/boots.
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she replaced the spoon with a fork
substitute, exchange, change, swap.
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ANTONYMS :remove.

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replacement

noun
we have to find a replacement
successor; substitute, stand-in, locum, relief, cover.
the wiring was in need of replacement
renewal, replacing.
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replenish

verb
she replenished their glasses
refill, top up, fill up, recharge; N. Amer. freshen.
their supplies were replenished
stock up, restock, restore, replace.
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ANTONYMS :empty, exhaust.

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replete

adjective
the guests were replete
well fed, sated, satiated, full (up); glutted, gorged; informal stuffed.
a sumptuous environment replete with antiques
filled, full, well stocked, well supplied, crammed, packed, jammed, teeming, overflowing, bursting; informal jam-packed, chock-a-block.
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replica

noun
is it real or a replica?
(carbon) copy, model, duplicate, reproduction, replication; dummy, imitation, facsimile.
a replica of her mother
perfect likeness, double, lookalike, (living) image, twin, clone; informal spitting image, (dead) ringer.
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replicate

verb
copy, reproduce, duplicate, recreate, repeat, perform again; clone.

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reply

verb
Rachel didn't reply
answer, respond, come back, write back.
he replied defensively
respond, answer, rejoin, retort, riposte, counter, come back.
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noun
he waited for a reply
answer, response, rejoinder, retort, riposte; informal comeback.

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report

verb
the government reported a fall in inflation
announce, describe, give an account of, detail, outline, communicate, divulge, disclose, reveal, make public, publish, broadcast, proclaim, publicize.
the newspapers reported on the scandal
investigate, look into, inquire into; write about, cover, describe, give details of, commentate on.
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I reported him to the police
inform on, tattle on; informal shop, tell on, squeal on, rat on, peach on; Brit. informal grass on.
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Juliet reported for duty
present oneself, arrive, turn up, clock in, sign in; Brit. clock on; N. Amer. punch in; informal show up.
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noun
a full report on the meeting
account, review, record, description, statement; transactions, proceedings, transcripts, minutes.
reports of drug dealing
news, information, word, intelligence; poetic/literary tidings.
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newspaper reports
story, account, article, piece, item, column, feature, bulletin, dispatch.
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(Brit.) a sch ool report
assessment, evaluation, appraisal; N. Amer. report card.
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reports of his imminent resignation
rumour, whisper; informal buzz; archaic bruit.
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the report of a gun
bang, blast, crack, shot, gunshot, explosion, boom.
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(archaic) of good report.
See reputation.
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reporter

noun
journalist, correspondent, newspaperman, newspaperwoman, newsman, newswoman, columnist; Brit. pressman; N. Amer. legman, wireman; Austral. roundsman; informal news hound, hack, stringer, journo; N. Amer. informal newsy.

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repose

noun
a face in repose
rest, relaxation, inactivity; sleep, slumber.
they found true repose
peace (and quiet), peacefulness, quiet, quietness, calm, tranquillity.
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he lost his repose
composure, serenity, equanimity, poise, self-possession, aplomb.
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verb
the diamond reposed on a bed of velvet
lie, rest, be placed, be situated.
(poetic/literary) the trust he had reposed in her
put, place, invest, entrust.
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the beds where we reposed
lie (down), recline, rest, sleep; poetic/literary slumber.
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repository

noun
store, storehouse, depository; reservoir, bank, cache, treasury, fund, mine.

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reprehensible

adjective
deplorable, disgraceful, discreditable, despicable, blameworthy, culpable, wrong, bad, shameful, dishonourable, objectionable, opprobrious, repugnant, inexcusable, unforgivable, indefensible, unjustifiable; criminal, sinful, scandalous, iniquitous; formal exceptionable. ANTONYMS :praiseworthy.

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represent

verb
a character representing a single quality
symbolize, stand for, personify, epitomize, typify, embody, illustrate.
the initials which represent her qualification
stand for, designate, denote; poetic/literary betoken.
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Hathor is represented as a woman with cow's horns
depict, portray, render, picture, delineate, show, illustrate; poetic/literary limn.
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he represented himself as the owner of the factory
describe as, present as, profess to be, claim to be, pass oneself off as, pose as, pretend to be.
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ageing represents a threat to one's independence
constitute, be, amount to, be regarded as.
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a panel representing a cross section of the public
be a typical sample of, be representative of, typify.
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his solicitor represented him in court
appear for, act for, speak on behalf of.
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the Queen was represented by Lord Lewin
deputize for, substitute for, stand in for.
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(formal) I represented the case as I saw it
point out, state, present, put forward.
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(formal) the vendors represented that the information was accurate
claim, maintain, state, affirm, con tend; rare asseverate.
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representation

noun
Rossetti's representation of women
portrayal, depiction, delineation, presentation, rendition.
representations of the human form
likeness, painting, drawing, picture, illustration, sketch, image, model, figure, figurine, statue, statuette.
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(formal) making representations to the council
statement, deposition, allegation, declaration, exposition, report, protestation.
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representative

adjective
a representative sample
typical, prototypical, characteristic, illustrative, archetypal.
a female figure representative of Britain
symbolic, emblematic.
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representative government
elected, elective, democratic, popular.
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ANTONYMS :atypical, totalitarian.

noun
a representative of the Royal Society
spokesperson, spokesman, spokeswoman, agent, official, mouthpiece.
a sales representative
(commercial) traveller, (travelling) salesman, saleswoman, agent; informal rep; N. Amer. informal drummer.
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the Cambodian representative at the UN
delegate, commissioner, ambassador, attaché, envoy, emissary, chargé d'affaires, deputy.
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our representatives in parliament
Member (of Parliament), MP; councillor; N. Amer. Member of Congress, senator.
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he acted as his father's representative
deputy, substitute, stand-in, proxy.
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fossil representatives of lampreys
example, specimen, exemplar, exemplification.
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repress

verb
the rebellion was repressed
suppress, quell, quash, subdue, put down, crush, extinguish, stamp out, defeat, conquer, rout, overwhelm, contain.
the peasants were repressed
oppress, subjugate, keep down, rule with a rod of iron, intimidate, tyrannize, crush.
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these emotions may well be repressed
restrain, hold back/in, keep back, suppress, keep in check, control, keep under control, curb, stifle, bottle up; informal button up, keep the lid on.
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repressed

adjective
a repressed country
oppressed, subjugated, subdued, tyrannized.
repressed feelings
restrained, suppressed, held back/in, kept in check, stifled, pent up, bottled up.
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emotionally repressed
inhibited, frustrated, restrained; informal uptight, hung up.
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ANTONYMS :democratic, uninhibited.

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repression

noun
the repression of the protests
suppression, quashing, subduing, crushing, stamping out.
political repression
oppression, subjugation, suppression, tyranny, despotism, authoritarianism.
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the repression of sexual urges
restraint, restraining, holding back, keeping back, suppression, keeping in check, control, keeping under control, stifling, bottling up.
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repressive

adjective
oppressive, authoritarian, despotic, tyrannical, dictatorial, fascist, autocratic, totalitarian, undemocratic.

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reprieve

verb
she was reprieved
grant a stay of execution to, pardon, spare, grant an amnesty to, amnesty; informal let off (the hook); archaic respite.
the project has been reprieved
save, rescue; informal take off the hit list.
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noun
a last-minute reprieve
stay of execution, remission, pardon, amnesty; US Law continuance; informal let-off.

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reprimand

verb
he was publicly reprimanded
rebuke, admonish, chastise, chide, upbraid, reprove, reproach, scold, berate, take to task, lambaste, give someone a piece of one's mind, haul over the coals, lecture, criticize, censure; informal tell off, give someone a telling-off, give someone a talking-to, dress down, give someone a dressing-down, give someone an earful, give someone a roasting, rap over the knuckles, slap someone's wrist, bawl out, pitch into, lay into, lace into, blast; Brit. informal tick off, carpet, tear off a strip, give someone what for, give someone a wigging, give someone a rocket, give someone a rollicking; N. Amer. informal chew out, ream out; Austral. informal monster; formal castigate; dated give someone a rating; rare reprehend, objurgate. ANTONYMS :praise.

noun
they received a severe reprimand
rebuke, reproof, admonishment, admonition, reproach, reproval, scolding, upbraiding, censure; informal telling-off, rap over the knuckles, slap on the wrist, flea in one's ear, dressing-down, earful, roasting, tongue-lashing; Brit. informal ticking- off, carpeting, wigging, rocket, rollicking; formal castigation; dated rating. ANTONYMS :commendation.

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reprisal

noun
retaliation, counter-attack, comeback; revenge, vengeance, retribution, requital; informal a taste of one's own medicine.

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reproach

verb
Albert reproached him for being late.
See reprimand verb.
noun
an expression of reproach.
See reprimand noun.
this party is a reproach to British politics
disgrace, discredit, source of shame, blemish, stain, blot; poetic/literary smirch.
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beyond/above reproach
perfect, blameless, above suspicion, without fault, faultless, flawless, irreproachable, exemplary, impeccable, immaculate, unblemished, spotless, untarnished, stainless, unsullied, whiter than white; informal squeaky clean.

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reproachful

adjective
disapproving, reproving, critical, censorious, disparaging, withering, accusatory, admonitory; formal castigatory. ANTONYMS :approving.

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reprobate

noun
a hardened reprobate
rogue, rascal, scoundrel, miscreant, good-for-nothing, villain, wretch, rake, degenerate, libertine, debauchee; informal, dated rotter, bounder; dated cad; archaic blackguard, knave, rapscallion, scapegrace.
adjective
reprobate behaviour
unprincipled, bad, roguish, wicked, rakish, shameless, immoral, degenerate, dissipated, debauched, depraved; archaic knavish.
verb
(archaic) they reprobated his conduct
criticize, condemn, censure, denounce.

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reproduce

verb
each artwork is reproduced in colour
copy, duplicate, replicate; photocopy, xerox, photostat, print.
this work has not been reproduced in other laboratories
repeat, replicate, recreate, redo; simulate, imitate, emulate, mirror, mimic.
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some animals reproduce prolifically
breed, produce offspring, procreate, propagate, multiply.
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reproduction

noun
colour reproduction
copying, duplication, duplicating; photocopying, xeroxing, photostatting, printing.
a reproduction of the original
print, copy, reprint, duplicate, facsimile, carbon copy, photocopy; trademark Xerox.
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the process of reproduction
breeding, procreation, multiplying, propagation.
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reproductive

adjective
generative, procreative, propagative; sexual, genital.

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reproof

noun
rebuke, reprimand, reproach, admonishment, admonition; disapproval, censure, criticism, condemnation; informal telling-off, dressing down; Brit. informal ticking-off; dated rating.

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reprove

verb
reprimand, rebuke, reproach, scold, admonish, chastise, chide, upbraid, berate, take to task, haul over the coals, criticize, censure; informal tell off, give someone a telling-off, give someone a talking-to, dress down, give someone a dressing-down, give someone an earful, give someone a roasting, rap over the knuckles, slap someone's wrist; Brit. informal tick off, carpet, tear off a strip, give someone a rocket, give someone a rollicking; formal castigate; dated give someone a rating; rare reprehend, objurgate.

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reptile

saurian.

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reptilian

adjective
reptilian species
reptile, reptile-like, saurian; cold-blooded.
a reptilian smirk
unpleasant, distasteful, nasty, disagreeable, unattractive, off-putting, horrible, horrid; unctuous, ingratiating, oily, oleaginous; informal smarmy, slimy, creepy.
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repudiate

verb
she repudiated communism
reject, renounce, abandon, give up, turn one's back on, disown, cast off, lay aside; formal forswear, abjure; poetic/literary forsake.
Cranham repudiated the allegations
deny, refute, contradict, controvert, rebut, dispute, dismiss, brush aside; formal gainsay.
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Egypt repudiated the treaty
cancel, revoke, rescind, reverse, overrule, overturn, invalidate, nullify; disregard, flout, renege on; Law disaffirm; formal abrogate.
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ANTONYMS :embrace, confirm.

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repudiation

noun
the repudiation of one's religion
rejection, renunciation, abandonment, forswearing, giving up; rare abjuration.
his repudiation of the allegations
denial, refutation, rebuttal, rejection.
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a repudiation of the contract
cancellation, revocation, rescindment, reversal, invalidation, nullification; Law disaffirmation; formal abrogation.
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repugnance

noun
revulsion, disgust, abhorrence, repulsion, loathing, hatred, detestation, aversion, distaste, antipathy, contempt; archaic disrelish.

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repugnant

adjective
the idea of cannibalism is repugnant
abhorrent, revolting, repulsive, repellent, disgusting, offensive, objectionable, vile, foul, nasty, loathsome, sickening, nauseating, hateful, detestable, execrable, abominable, monstrous, appalling, insufferable, intolerable, unacceptable, contemptible, unsavoury, unpalatable; informal ghastly, gross, horrible, horrid; poetic/literary noisome.
(formal) the restriction is repugnant to the tenancy
incompatible with, in conflict with, contrary to, at variance with, inconsistent with.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant.

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repulse

verb
the rebels were repulsed
repel, drive back/away, fight back/off, put to flight, force back, beat off/back; ward off, hold off; Brit. see off; archaic rebut.
her advances repulsed
rebuff, reject, spurn, snub, cold-shoulder; informal give someone the brush-off, freeze out; Brit. informal knock back; N. Amer. informal give someone the bum's rush.
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his bid for the company was repulsed
reject, turn down, refuse, decline.
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the brutality repulsed her
revolt, disgust, repel, sicken, nauseate, turn someone's stomach, be repugnant to; informal turn off; N. Amer. informal gross out.
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noun
the repulse of the attack
repelling, driving back; warding off, holding off.
he was mortified by this repulse
rebuff, rejection, snub, slight; informal brush-off, knock-back.
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repulsion

noun
disgust, revulsion, abhorrence, repugnance, nausea, horror, aversion, abomination, distaste; archaic disrelish.

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repulsive

adjective
revolting, disgusting, abhorrent, repellent, repugnant, offensive, objectionable, vile, foul, nasty, loathsome, sickening, nauseating, hateful, detestable, execrable, abominable, monstrous, noxious, horrendous, awful, terrible, dreadful, frightful, obnoxious, unsavoury, unpleasant, disagreeable, distasteful; ugly, hideous, grotesque; informal ghastly, horrible, horrid, gross; poetic/literary noisome; archaic disgustful, loathly. ANTONYMS :attractive.

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reputable

adjective
well thought of, highly regarded, (well) respected, respectable, of (good) repute, prestigious, established; reliable, dependable, trustworthy; archaic of good report. ANTONYMS :untrustworthy.

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reputation

noun
(good) name, character, repute, standing, stature, status, position, renown, esteem, prestige; N. Amer. informal rep, rap; archaic honour, report.

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repute

noun
a woman of ill repute
reputation, name, character; archaic report.
a firm of international repute
fame, renown, celebrity, distinction, high standing, stature, prestige.
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reputed

adjective
they are reputed to be very rich
thought, said, reported, rumoured, believed, held, considered, regarded, deemed, alleged.
his reputed father
supposed, putative.
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a reputed naturalist
well thought of, (well) respected, highly regarded, of good repute.
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reputedly

adverb
supposedly, by all accounts, so I'm told, so people say, allegedly.

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request

noun
requests for assistance
appeal, entreaty, plea, petition, application, demand, call; formal adjuration; poetic/literary behest.
Charlotte spoke, at Ursula's request
bidding, entreaty, demand, insistence.
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indicate your requests on the form
requirement, wish, desire; choice.
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verb
the government requested military aid
ask for, appeal for, call for, seek, solicit, plead for, apply for, demand; formal adjure.
I requested him to help
call on, beg, entreat, implore; poetic/literary beseech.
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require

verb
the child required hospital treatment
need, be in need of.
a situation requiring patience
necessitate, demand, call for, involve, entail.
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unquestioning obedience is required
demand, insist on, call for, ask for, expect.
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she was required to pay costs
order, instruct, command, enjoin, oblige, compel, force.
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do you require anything else?
want, wish to have, desire; lack, be short of.
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required

adjective
required reading
essential, vital, indispensable, necessary, compulsory, obligatory, mandatory, prescribed.
cut it to the required length
desired, preferred, chosen; correct, proper, right.
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ANTONYMS :optional.

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requirement

noun
need, wish, demand, want, necessity, essential, prerequisite, stipulation.

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requisite

adjective
he lacks the requisite skills
necessary, required, prerequisite, essential, indispensable, vital. ANTONYMS :optional.

noun
toilet requisites
requirement, need, necessity, essential.
a requisite for a successful career
necessity, essential (requirement), prerequisite, precondition, sine qua non; informal must.
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requisition

noun
requisitions for staff
order, request, call, application, claim, demand; Brit. indent.
the requisition of cultural treasures
appropriation, commandeering, seizure, confiscation, expropriation.
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verb
the house was requisitioned by the army
commandeer, appropriate, take over, take possession of, occupy, seize, confiscate, expropriate.
she requisitioned statements
request, order, call for, demand.
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requital

noun
in requital of your kindness
repayment, return, payment, recompense.
personal requital
revenge, vengeance, retribution, redress.
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requite

verb
requiting their hospitality
return, reciprocate, repay.
Drake had requited the wrongs inflicted on them
avenge, exact revenge for, revenge, pay someone back for; take reprisals, settle the score, get even.
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she did not requite his love
reciprocate, return.
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rescind

verb
revoke, repeal, cancel, reverse, overturn, overrule, annul, nullify, void, invalidate, quash, abolish; Law vacate; formal abrogate; archaic recall. ANTONYMS :enforce.

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rescission

noun
(formal) revocation, repeal, rescindment, annulment, nullification, invalidation, voiding; formal abrogation; archaic recall.

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rescue

verb
an attempt to rescue the hostages
save (from danger), save the life of, come to the aid of; (set) free, release, liberate.
Boyd rescued his papers
retrieve, recover, salvage, get back.
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noun
the rescue of 10 crewmen
saving, rescuing; release, freeing, liberation, deliverance, redemption.
come to someone's rescue
help, assist, lend a (helping) hand to, bail out; informal save someone's bacon, save someone's neck, save someone's skin.

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research

noun
medical research
investigation, experimentation, testing, analysis, fact-finding, examination, scrutiny, scrutinization.
he continued his researches
experiments, experimentation, tests, inquiries, studies.
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verb
the phenomenon has been widely researched
investigate, study, inquire into, look into, probe, explore, analyse, examine, scrutinize, review.
I researched all the available material
study, read (up on), sift through; informal check out.
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resemblance

noun
similarity, likeness, similitude, correspondence, congruity, congruence, coincidence, conformity, agreement, equivalence, comparability, parallelism, uniformity, sameness.

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resemble

verb
look like, be similar to, be like, bear a resemblance to, remind one of, take after, favour, have the look of; approximate to, smack of, have (all) the hallmarks of, correspond to, echo, mirror, parallel.

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resent

verb
begrudge, feel aggrieved at/about, feel bitter about, grudge, be annoyed at/about, be resentful of, dislike, take exception to, object to, take amiss, take offence at, take umbrage at, bear/harbour a grudge about. ANTONYMS :welcome.

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resentful

adjective
aggrieved, indignant, irritated, piqued, put out, in high dudgeon, dissatisfied, disgruntled, discontented, offended, bitter, jaundiced; envious, jealous; informal miffed, peeved; Brit. informal narked; N. Amer. informal sore.

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resentment

noun
bitterness, indignation, irritation, pique, dissatisfaction, disgruntlement, discontentment, discontent, resentfulness, bad feelings, hard feelings, ill will, acrimony, rancour, animosity, jaundice; envy, jealousy.

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reservation

noun
grave reservations
doubt, qualm, scruple; misgivings, scepticism, unease, hesitation, objection.
group reservations
(advance) booking; dated engagement.
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the reservation of the room
booking, ordering, securing; dated engagement.
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Indian reservation
reserve, enclave, sanctuary, territory, homeland.
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without reservation
wholeheartedly, unreservedly, without qualification, fully, completely, totally, entirely, wholly, unconditionally.

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reserve

verb
ask your newsagent to reserve you a copy
put to one side, put aside, set aside, keep (back), save, hold back, keep in reserve, earmark.
he reserved a table
book, make a reservation for, order, arrange for, secure; formal bespeak; dated engage.
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the management reserves the right to alter the programme
retain, keep, hold.
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reserve your judgement until you know him better
defer, postpone, put off, delay, withhold.
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noun
reserves of petrol
stock, store, supply, stockpile, pool, hoard, cache.
the army are calling up reserves
reinforcements, extras, auxiliaries.
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a nature reserve
national park, sanctuary, preserve, conservation area.
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his natural reserve
reticence, detachment, distance, remoteness, coolness, aloofness, constraint, formality; shyness, diffidence, timidity, taciturnity, inhibition; informal stand-offishness.
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she trusted him without reserve
reservation, qualification, condition, limitation, hesitation, doubt.
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adjective
a reserve goalkeeper
substitute, stand-in, relief, replacement, fallback, spare, extra.
in reserve
available, to/on hand, ready, in readiness, set aside, at one's disposal.

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reserved

adjective
Sewell is rather reserved
reticent, quiet, private, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, undemonstrative, unsociable, formal, constrained, cool, aloof, detached, distant, remote, unapproachable, unfriendly, withdrawn, secretive, silent, taciturn; shy, retiring, diffident, timid, self-effacing, inhibited, introverted; informal stand-offish.
that table is reserved
booked, taken, spoken for, pre-arranged; dated engaged; formal bespoken.
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ANTONYMS :outgoing.

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reservoir

noun
sailing on the reservoir
lake, pool, pond; water supply; Scottish loch.
an ink reservoir
receptacle, container, holder, repository, tank.
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the reservoir of managerial talent
stock, store, stockpile, reserve(s), supply, bank, pool, fund.
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reshuffle

verb
the prime minister reshuffled his cabinet
reorganize, restructure, rearrange, change (around), shake up, shuffle.
noun
a management reshuffle
reorganization, restructuring, change, rearrangement; informal shake-up.

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reside

verb
most students reside in flats
live in, occupy, inhabit, stay in, lodge in; formal dwell in, be domiciled in.
the paintings reside in an air-conditioned vault
be situated, be found, be located, lie.
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executive power resides in the president
be vested in, be bestowed on, be conferred on, be in the hands of.
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the qualities that reside within each individual
be inherent, be present, exist.
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residence

noun
(formal) her private residence
home, house, place of residence, address; quarters, lodgings; informal pad; formal dwelling (place), domicile, abode.
his place of residence
occupancy, habitation, residency; formal abode.
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resident

noun
the residents of New York City
inhabitant, local, citizen, native; householder, homeowner, occupier, tenant; formal denizen.
(Brit.) the bar is open to residents only
guest, lodger.
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adjective
resident in the UK
living, residing, in residence; formal dwelling.
a resident nanny
live-in, living in.
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the resident registrar in obstetrics
permanent, incumbent.
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residential

adjective
suburban, commuter, dormitory.

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residual

adjective
residual heat
remaining, leftover, unused, unconsumed.
residual affection
lingering, enduring, abiding, surviving, vestigial.
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residue

noun
remainder, remaining part, rest, remnant(s); surplus, extra, excess; remains, leftovers; technical residuum.

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resign

verb
the senior manager resigned
leave, hand in one's notice, give notice, stand down, step down; informal quit.
19 MPs resigned their seats
give up, leave, vacate, stand down from; informal quit, pack in; archaic demit.
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he resigned his right to the title
renounce, relinquish, give up, abandon, surrender, forego, cede; Law disclaim; poetic/literary forsake.
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we resigned ourselves to a long wait
reconcile oneself to, become resigned to, come to terms with.
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resignation

noun
his resignation from his post
departure, leaving, standing down, stepping down; informal quitting.
she handed in her resignation
notice (to quit), letter of resignation.
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he accepted his fate with resignation
patience, forbearance, stoicism, fortitude, fatalism, acceptance, acquiescence, compliance, passivity.
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resigned

adjective
patient, long-suffering, uncomplaining, forbearing, stoical, philosophical, fatalistic, acquiescent, compliant, passive.

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resilient

adjective
resilient materials
flexible, pliable, supple; durable, hard-wearing, stout, strong, sturdy, tough.
young and resilient
strong, tough, hardy; quick to recover, buoyant, irrepressible.
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resist

verb
built to resist cold winters
withstand, be proof against, combat, weather, endure, be resistant to, keep out.
they resisted his attempts to change things
oppose, fight against, refuse to accept, object to, defy, set one's face against, kick against; obstruct, impede, hinder, block, thwart, frustrate; informal be anti.
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I resisted the urge to retort
refrain from, abstain from, forbear from, desist from, not give in to, restrain oneself from, stop oneself from.
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she tried to resist him
struggle with/against, fight (against), stand up to, withstand, hold off; fend off, ward off.
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ANTONYMS :welcome, submit.

cannot resist
love, adore, relish, have a weakness for, be very keen on, like, delight in, enjoy, take great pleasure in; informal be mad about, get a kick/thrill out of.

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resistance

noun
resistance to change
opposition, hostility, refusal to accept.
a spirited resistance
opposition, fight, stand, struggle.
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the body's resistance to disease
ability to fight off, immunity from, defences against.
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the French resistance
resistance movement, freedom fighters, underground, partisans.
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resistant

adjective
resistant to water
impervious, unsusceptible, immune, invulnerable, proof against, unaffected by.
resistant to change
opposed, averse, hostile, inimical, against; informal anti.
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resolute

adjective
determined, purposeful, resolved, adamant, single-minded, firm, unswerving, unwavering, steadfast, staunch, stalwart, unfaltering, unhesitating, persistent, indefatigable, tenacious, strong-willed, unshakeable; stubborn, dogged, obstinate, obdurate, inflexible, intransigent, implacable, unyielding, unrelenting; spirited, brave, bold, courageous, plucky, indomitable; N. Amer. rock-ribbed; informal gutsy, spunky; formal pertinacious. ANTONYMS :half-hearted.

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resolution

noun
her resolution not to smoke
intention, resolve, decision, intent, aim, plan; commitment, pledge, promise.
the committee passed the resolution
motion, proposal, proposition; N. Amer. resolve.
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she handled the work with resolution
determination, purpose, purposefulness, resolve, resoluteness, single-mindedness, firmness (of purpose); steadfastness, staunchness, perseverance, persistence, indefatigability, tenacity, tenaciousness, staying power, dedication, commitment; stubbornness, doggedness, obstinacy, obduracy; boldness, spiritedness, braveness, bravery, courage, pluck, grit, courageousness; informal guts, spunk; formal pertinacity.
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a satisfactory resolution of the problem
solution, answer, end, ending, settlement, conclusion.
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resolve

verb
this matter cannot be resolved overnight
settle, sort out, solve, find a solution to, fix, straighten out, deal with, put right, put to rights, rectify; informal hammer out, thrash out, figure out.
Charity resolved not to wait any longer
determine, decide, make up one's mind, take a decision.
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the committee resolved that the project should proceed
vote, pass a resolution, rule, decide formally, agree.
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the compounds were resolved into their active constituents
break down/up, separate, reduce, divide.
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the ability to resolve facts into their legal categories
analyse, dissect, break down.
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the grey smudge resolved into a sandy beach
turn, change, be transformed.
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noun
their intimidation merely strengthened his resolve.
See resolution sense 3.
(N. Amer.) he made a resolve not to go there again
decision, resolution, commitment.
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resolved

adjective
determined, hell bent, intent, set.

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resonant

adjective
a resonant voice
deep, low, sonorous, full, full-bodied, vibrant, rich, clear, ringing; loud, booming, thunderous.
valleys resonant with the sound of church bells
reverberating, reverberant, resounding, echoing, filled.
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resonant words
evocative, suggestive, expressive, redolent.
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resort

noun
a seaside resort
holiday destination, (tourist) centre; informal honeypot.
settle the matter without resort to legal proceedings
recourse to, turning to, the use of, utilizing.
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strike action is our last resort
expedient, measure, step, recourse, alternative, option, choice, possibility, hope.
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in the last resort
ultimately, in the end, at the end of the day, in the long run, when all is said and done. resort to
have recourse to, fall back on, turn to, make use of, use, employ, avail oneself of; stoop to, descend to, sink to.

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resound

verb
the explosion resounded round the silent street
echo, re-echo, reverberate, ring out, boom, thunder, rumble.
resounding with the clang of hammers
reverberate, echo, re-echo, resonate, ring.
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nothing will resound like their earlier achievements
be acclaimed, be celebrated, be renowned, be famed, be glorified, be trumpeted.
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resounding

adjective
a resounding voice
reverberant, reverberating, resonant, resonating, echoing, ringing, sonorous, deep, rich, clear; loud, booming.
a resounding success
enormous, huge, very great, tremendous, terrific, colossal; emphatic, decisive, conclusive, outstanding, remarkable, phenomenal.
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resource

noun
use your resources efficiently
assets, funds, wealth, money, capital; staff; supplies, materials, store(s), stock(s), reserve(s).
your tutor is there as a resource
facility, amenity, aid, help, support.
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tears were her only resource
expedient, resort, course, scheme, stratagem; trick, ruse, device.
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a person of resource
initiative, resourcefulness, enterprise, ingenuity, inventiveness; talent, ability, capability; informal gumption.
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resourceful

adjective
ingenious, enterprising, inventive, creative; clever, talented, able, capable.

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respect

noun
the respect due to a great artist
esteem, regard, high opinion, admiration, reverence, deference, honour.
he spoke to her with respect
due regard, politeness, courtesy, civility, deference.
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paying one's respects
(kind) regards, compliments, greetings, best/good wishes, felicitations, salutations; archaic remembrances.
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the report was accurate in every respect
aspect, regard, facet, feature, way, sense, particular, point, detail.
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ANTONYMS :contempt.

verb
he is highly respected for his industry
esteem, admire, think highly of, have a high opinion of, hold in high regard, hold in (high) esteem, look up to, revere, reverence, honour.
they respected our privacy
show consideration for, have regard for, observe, be mindful of, be heedful of; formal take cognizance of.
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father respected her wishes
abide by, comply with, follow, adhere to, conform to, act in accordance with, defer to, obey, observe, keep (to).
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ANTONYMS :despise, disobey.

with respect to/in respect of
concerning, regarding, in/with regard to, with reference to, respecting, re, about, apropos, on the subject of, in connection with, vis-à-vis.

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respectable

adjective
a respectable middle-class background
reputable, of good repute, upright, honest, honourable, trustworthy, decent, good, well bred, clean-living.
a respectable salary
fairly good, decent, fair, reasonable, moderately good; substantial, considerable, sizable.
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ANTONYMS :disreputable, paltry.

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respectful

adjective
deferential, reverent, reverential, dutiful; polite, well mannered, civil, courteous, gracious. ANTONYMS :rude.

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respective

adjective
separate, personal, own, particular, individual, specific, special, appropriate, different, various.

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respite

noun
a brief respite
rest, break, breathing space, interval, intermission, interlude, recess, lull, pause, time out; relief, relaxation, repose; informal breather, let-up.
respite from debts
postponement, deferment, delay, reprieve; US Law continuance.
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resplendent

adjective
splendid, magnificent, brilliant, dazzling, glittering, gorgeous, impressive, imposing, spectacular, striking, stunning, majestic; informal splendiferous.

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respond

verb
they do not respond to questions
answer, reply, make a response, make a rejoinder.
"No," she responded
say in response, answer, reply, rejoin, retort, riposte, counter.
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they were slow to respond
react, make a response, reciprocate, retaliate.
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response

noun
his response to the question
answer, reply, rejoinder, retort, riposte; informal comeback.
an angry response
reaction, reply, retaliation; informal comeback.
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ANTONYMS :question.

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responsibility

noun
it was his responsibility to find witnesses
duty, task, function, job, role, business; Brit. informal pigeon.
they denied responsibility for the bomb attack
blame, fault, guilt, culpability, liability.
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a sense of responsibility
trustworthiness, (common) sense, maturity, reliability, dependability.
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managerial responsibility
authority, control, power, leadership.
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responsible

adjective
who is responsible for prisons?
in charge of, in control of, at the helm of, accountable for, liable for.
I am responsible for the mistake
accountable, answerable, to blame, guilty, culpable, blameworthy, at fault, in the wrong.
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a responsible job
important, powerful, executive.
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he is responsible to the president
answerable, accountable.
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a responsible tenant
trustworthy, sensible, mature, reliable, dependable.
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responsive

adjective
quick to react, reactive, receptive, open to suggestions, amenable, flexible, forthcoming.

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rest 1

verb
he needed to rest
relax, take a rest, ease up/off, let up, slow down, have/take a break, unbend, unwind, recharge one's batteries, be at leisure, take it easy, put one's feet up; lie down, go to bed, have/take a nap, catnap, doze, sleep; informal take five, have/take a breather, snatch forty winks, get some shut-eye; Brit. informal have a kip; N. Amer. informal chill out, catch some Zs.
his hands rested on the rail
lie, be laid, repose, be placed, be positioned, be supported by.
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she rested her basket on the ground
support, prop (up), lean, lay, set, stand, position, place, put.
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the film script rests on an improbable premise
be based, depend, be dependent, rely, hinge, turn on, be contingent, revolve around.
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noun
get some rest
repose, relaxation, leisure, respite, time off, breathing space; sleep, nap, doze; informal shut-eye, snooze, lie-down, forty winks; Brit. informal kip.
a short rest from work
holiday, vacation, b reak, breathing space, interval, interlude, intermission, time off/out; informal breather.
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she took the poker from its rest
stand, base, holder, support, rack, frame, shelf.
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we came to rest 100 metres lower
a standstill, a halt, a stop.
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rest 2

noun
the rest of the board are appointees
remainder, residue, balance, remaining part/number/quantity, others, those left, remains, remnant(s), surplus, excess; technical residuum.
verb
you may rest assured that he is there
remain, continue to be, stay, keep, carry on being.

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restaurant

noun
eating place, bistro, cafe, cafeteria, carvery, brasserie; N. Amer. diner; informal eatery.

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restful

adjective
relaxed, relaxing, quiet, calm, calming, tranquil, soothing, peaceful, placid, reposeful, leisurely, undisturbed, untroubled. ANTONYMS :exciting.

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restitution

noun
restitution of the land seized
return, restoration, handing back, surrender.
restitution for the damage caused
compensation, recompense, reparation, damages, indemnification, indemnity, reimbursement, repayment, remuneration, redress; archaic guerdon.
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restive

adjective
Edward is getting restive.
See restless sense 1.
the militants are increasingly restive
unruly, disorderly, uncontrollable, unmanageable, wilful, recalcitrant, insubordinate; Brit. informal bolshie; formal refractory; archaic contumacious.
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restless

adjective
Maria was restless
uneasy, ill at ease, restive, fidgety, edgy, on edge, tense, worked up, nervous, agitated, anxious, on tenterhooks, keyed up; Brit. nervy; informal jumpy, jittery, twitchy, uptight, like a cat on a hot tin roof; Brit. informal like a cat on hot bricks.
a restless night
sleepless, wakeful; fitful, broken, disturbed, troubled, unsettled; rare insomnolent.
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restlessness

noun
unease, restiveness, edginess, tenseness, nervousness, agitation, anxiety, fretfulness, apprehension, disquiet; informal jitteriness.

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restoration

noun
the restoration of democracy
reinstatement, reinstitution, re-establishment, reimposition, return.
the restoration of derelict housing
repair, repairing, fixing, mending, refurbishment, reconditioning, rehabilitation, rebuilding, reconstruction, overhaul, redevelopment, renovation; N. Amer. informal rehab.
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restore

verb
the aim to restore democracy
reinstate, bring back, reinstitute, reimpose, reinstall, re-establish.
he restored it to its rightful owner
return, give back, hand back.
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the building has been restored
repair, fix, mend, refurbish, recondition, rehabilitate, rebuild, reconstruct, remodel, overhaul, redevelop, renovate; informal do up; N. Amer. informal rehab.
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a good sleep can restore you
reinvigorate, revitalize, revive, refresh, energize, fortify, revivify, regenerate, stimulate, freshen.
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ANTONYMS :abolish.

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restrain

verb
Charles restrained his anger
control, keep under control, check, hold/keep in check, curb, suppress, repress, contain, dampen, subdue, smother, choke back, stifle, bottle up, rein back/in; informal keep the lid on.
she could barely restrain herself from swearing
prevent, stop, keep, hold back.
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the insane used to be restrained
tie up, bind, tether, chain (up), fetter, shackle, manacle, put in irons.
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restrained

adjective
Julie was quite restrained
self-controlled, self-restrained, not given to excesses, sober, steady, unemotional, undemonstrative.
restrained elegance
muted, soft, discreet, subtle, quiet, unobtrusive, unostentatious, understated, tasteful.
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restraint

noun
a restraint on their impulsiveness
constraint, check, control, restriction, limitation, curtailment; rein, bridle, brake, damper, impediment, obstacle.
the customary restraint of the police
self-control, self-restraint, self-discipline, control, moderation, prudence, judiciousness.
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the room has been decorated with restraint
subtlety, understatedness, taste, tastefulness, discretion, discrimination.
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a child restraint
belt, harness, strap.
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restrict

verb
a busy working life restricted his leisure activities
limit, keep within bounds, regulate, control, moderate, cut down.
the cuff supports the ankle without restricting movement
hinder, interfere with, impede, hamper, obstruct, block, check, curb.
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he restricted himself to a 15-minute speech
confine, limit.
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restricted

adjective
restricted space
cramped, confined, constricted, small, narrow, tight; archaic strait.
a restricted calorie intake
limited, controlled, regulated, reduced.
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a restricted zone
out of bounds, off limits, private, exclusive.
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restricted information
(top) secret, classified; informal hush-hush.
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ANTONYMS :unlimited.

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restriction

noun
there is no restriction on the number of places
limitation, limit, constraint, control, check, curb; condition, proviso, qualification.
the restriction of personal freedom
reduction, limitation, diminution, curtailment.
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restriction of movement
hindrance, impediment, slowing, reduction, limitation.
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result

noun
stress is the result of overwork
consequence, outcome, upshot, sequel, effect, reaction, repercussion, ramification, conclusion, culmination.
what is your result?
answer, solution; sum, total, product.
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exam results
mark, score, grade.
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the result of the trial
verdict, decision, outcome, conclusion, judgement, findings, ruling.
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ANTONYMS :cause.

verb
differences between species could result from their habitat
follow, ensue, develop, stem, spring, arise, derive, evolve, proceed; occur, happen, take place, come about; be caused by, be brought about by, be produced by, originate in, be consequent on.
the shooting resulted in five deaths
end in, culminate in, finish in, terminate in, lead to, prompt, precipitate, trigger; cause, bring about, occasion, effect, give rise to, produce, engender, generate; poetic/literary beget.
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resume

verb
the government resumed negotiations
restart, recommence, begin again, start again, reopen; renew, return to, continue with, carry on with.
the priest resumed his kneeling posture
return to, come back to, take up again, reoccupy.
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ANTONYMS :suspend, abandon.

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résumé

noun
summary, precis, synopsis, abstract, outline, summarization, summation, epitome; abridgement, digest, condensation, abbreviation, overview, review.

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resumption

noun
restart, restarting, recommencement, reopening; continuation, carrying on, renewal, return to.

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resurgence

noun
renewal, revival, recovery, comeback, reawakening, resurrection, reappearance, re-emergence, regeneration; resumption, recommencement, continuation; formal renascence.

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resurrect

verb
Jesus was resurrected
raise from the dead, restore to life, revive.
resurrecting his career
revive, restore, regenerate, revitalize, breathe new life into, reinvigorate, resuscitate, rejuvenate, stimulate, re-establish, relaunch.
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resuscitate

verb
medics resuscitated him
bring round, revive, bring back to consciousness; give artificial respiration to, give the kiss of life to.
measures to resuscitate the economy
revive, resurrect, restore, regenerate, revitalize, breathe new life into, reinvigorate, rejuvenate, stimulate.
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retain

verb
the government retained a share in the industries
keep (possession of), keep hold of, hold on to, hang on to.
existing footpaths are to be retained
maintain, keep, preserve, conserve.
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some students retain facts easily
remember, memorize, keep in one's mind/memory.
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solicitors can retain a barrister
employ, contract, keep on the payroll.
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ANTONYMS :give up, abolish.

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retainer

noun
they're paid a retainer
(retaining) fee, periodic payment, advance, standing charge.
a faithful retainer.
See servant sense 1.
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retaliate

verb
fight back, hit back, respond, react, reply, reciprocate, counter-attack, return like for like, get back at someone, give tit for tat, give someone a taste of their own medicine; have/get/take one's revenge, be revenged, avenge oneself, take reprisals, get even, pay someone back; informal get one's own back; archaic give someone a Roland for an Oliver.

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retaliation

noun
revenge, vengeance, reprisal, retribution, requital, recrimination, repayment; response, reaction, reply, counter-attack; archaic a Roland for an Oliver.

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retard

verb
delay, slow down/up, hold back/up, set back, postpone, put back, detain, decelerate; hinder, hamper, obstruct, inhibit, impede, check, restrain, restrict, trammel; poetic/literary stay. ANTONYMS :accelerate.

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retch

verb
the sour taste made her retch
gag, heave; informal keck.
he retched all over the table.
See vomit verb sense 1.
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reticence

noun
reserve, restraint, inhibition, diffidence, shyness; unresponsiveness, quietness, taciturnity, secretiveness.

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reticent

adjective
reserved, withdrawn, introverted, inhibited, diffident, shy; uncommunicative, unforthcoming, unresponsive, tight-lipped, quiet, taciturn, silent, guarded, secretive. ANTONYMS :expansive.

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retinue

noun
entourage, escort, company, court, staff, personnel, household, train, suite, following, bodyguard; aides, attendants, servants, retainers.

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retire

verb
he has retired
give up work, stop working, stop work.
we've retired him on full pension
pension off, force to retire.
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Gillian retired to her office
withdraw, go away, take oneself off, decamp, shut oneself away; formal repair; poetic/literary betake oneself.
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their forces retired
retreat, withdraw, pull back, fall back, disengage, back off, give ground.
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everyone retired early
go to bed, call it a day, go to sleep; informal turn in, hit the hay/sack.
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retired

adjective
a retired schoolteacher
former, ex-, past, in retirement, elderly.
noun
apartments for the retired
retired people, (old-age) pensioners, OAPs, senior citizens, the elderly; N. Amer. seniors.

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retirement

noun
they are nearing retirement
giving up work, stopping working, stopping work.
retirement in an English village
seclusion, retreat, solitude, isolation, obscurity.
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retiring

adjective
the retiring president
departing, outgoing.
a retiring man
shy, diffident, self-effacing, unassuming, unassertive, reserved, reticent, quiet, timid, modest; private, secret, secretive, withdrawn, reclusive, unsociable.
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ANTONYMS :incoming, outgoing.

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retort

verb
"Oh, sure," she retorted
answer, reply, respond, say in response, return, counter, rejoin, riposte, retaliate, snap back.
noun
a sarcastic retort
answer, reply, response, return, counter, rejoinder, riposte, retaliation; informal comeback.

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retract

verb
the sea otter can retract its claws
pull in/back, draw in.
he retracted his allegation
take back, withdraw, recant, disavow, disclaim, repudiate, renounce, reverse, revoke, rescind, go back on, backtrack on; formal abjure.
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retreat

verb
the army retreated
withdraw, retire, draw back, pull back/out, fall back, give way, give ground, beat a retreat.
the tide was retreating
go out, ebb, recede, fall, go down.
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the government had to retreat
change one's mind, change one's plans; back down, climb down, do a U-turn, backtrack, back-pedal, give in, concede defeat; Brit. do an about-turn.
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ANTONYMS :advance.

noun
the retreat of the army
withdrawal, pulling back.
the President's retreat
climbdown, backdown, about-face; Brit. about-turn.
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her rural retreat
refuge, haven, sanctuary; hideaway, hideout, hiding place; informal hidey-hole.
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a period of retreat from the world
seclusion, withdrawal, retirement, solitude, isolation, sanctuary.
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retrench

verb
we have to retrench
economize, cut back, make cutbacks, make savings, make economies, reduce expenditure, be economical, be frugal, tighten one's belt.
services have to be retrenched
reduce, cut (back/down), pare (down), slim down, make reductions in, make cutbacks in, trim, prune; informal slash.
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retribution

noun
punishment, penalty, one's just deserts; revenge, reprisal, requital, retaliation, vengeance, an eye for an eye (and a tooth for a tooth), tit for tat; redress, reparation, restitution, recompense, repayment, indemnification, atonement, amends.

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retrieve

verb
I retrieved our balls from their garden
get back, bring back, recover, regain (possession of), recoup, reclaim, repossess, redeem, recuperate.
they were trying to retrieve the situation
put/set right, rectify, remedy, restore, sort out, straighten out, resolve.
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retrograde

adjective
a retrograde step
for the worse, regressive, negative, downhill, unwelcome.
retrograde motion
backward(s), reverse, rearward.
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ANTONYMS :positive.

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retrospect

in retrospect
looking back, on reflection, in/with hindsight.

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retrospective

adjective
backdated, retroactive, ex post facto.

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return

verb
he returned to London
go back, come back, arrive back, come home.
the symptoms returned
recur, reoccur, occur again, repeat (itself); reappear, appear again.
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he returned the money
give back, hand back; pay back, repay.
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Peter returned the book to the shelf
restore, put back, replace, reinstall.
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he returned the volley
hit back, throw back.
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she returned his kiss
reciprocate, requite, give in return, repay, give back.
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"Later," returned Isabel
answer, reply, respond, counter, rejoin, retort.
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the jury returned a unanimous verdict
deliver, bring in, hand down.
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the club returned a profit
yield, earn, realize, net, gross, clear.
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the Labour candidate was returned
elect, vote in, choose, select.
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ANTONYMS :depart, disappear, keep.

noun
his return to Paris
homecoming.
the return of hard times
recurrence, reoccurrence, repeat, repetition, reappearance, revival, resurrection, re-emergence, resurgence.
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I requested the return of my books
giving back, handing back, replacement, restoration, reinstatement, restitution.
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two returns to London
return ticket/fare; N. Amer. round trip ticket/fare.
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a quick return on investments
yield, profit, gain, revenue, interest, dividend.
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a census return
statement, report, submission, record, dossier; document, form.
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ANTONYMS :departure, disappearance, single.

in return for
in exchange for, as a reward for, as compensation for.

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revamp

verb
renovate, redecorate, refurbish, recondition, rehabilitate, overhaul, make over; upgrade, refit, re-equip; remodel, refashion, redesign, restyle; informal do up, give something a facelift, vamp up; Brit. informal tart up; N. Amer. informal rehab.

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reveal

verb
the police can't reveal his whereabouts
divulge, disclose, tell, let slip/drop, give away/out, blurt (out), release, leak; make known, make public, broadcast, publicize, circulate, disseminate; informal let on; archaic discover.
he revealed his new car
show, display, exhibit, disclose, uncover; poetic/literary uncloak.
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the data reveal a good deal of information
bring to light, uncover, lay bare, unearth, unveil; formal evince; poetic/literary uncloak.
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ANTONYMS :hide.

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revel

verb
they revelled all night
celebrate, make merry, have a party, carouse, roister, go on a spree; informal party, live it up, whoop it up, make whoopee, rave, paint the town red.
he revelled in the applause
enjoy, delight in, love, like, adore, be pleased by, take pleasure in, appreciate, relish, lap up, savour; informal get a kick out of.
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noun
late-night revels
celebration, festivity, jollification, merrymaking, carousal, carouse, spree; party, jamboree; informal rave, shindig, bash; Brit. informal rave-up, knees-up; N. Amer. informal wingding, blast; Austral. informal rage, ding, jollo.

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revelation

noun
revelations about his personal life
disclosure, surprising fact, announcement, report; admission, confession.
the revelation of a secret
divulging, divulgence, disclosure, disclosing, letting slip/drop, giving away/out, leaking, leak, betrayal, unveiling, making known, making public, broadcasting, publicizing, dissemination, reporting, report, declaring, declaration.
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reveller

noun
merrymaker, partygoer, carouser, roisterer; archaic wassailer.

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revelry

noun
celebration(s), parties, revels, festivity, festivities, jollification, merrymaking, carousing, carousal, roistering; informal partying.

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revenge

noun
she is seeking revenge
vengeance, retribution, retaliation, reprisal, requital, recrimination, an eye for an eye (and a tooth for a tooth), redress, satisfaction.
they were filled with revenge
vengefulness, vindictiveness, vitriol, spite, spitefulness, malice, maliciousness, malevolence, ill will, animosity, hate, hatred, rancour, bitterness; poetic/literary maleficence.
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verb
he revenged his brother's murder
avenge, take/exact revenge for, exact retribution for, take reprisals for, get redress for, get satisfaction for.
I'll be revenged on the whole pack of you
take revenge on, get one's revenge on, avenge oneself on, take vengeance on, get even with, settle a/the score with, pay back, take reprisals against; informal get one's own back on; archaic give someone a Roland for an Oliver.
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revenue

noun
income, takings, receipts, proceeds, earnings; profit(s). ANTONYMS :expenditure.

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reverberate

verb
resound, echo, re-echo, resonate, ring, boom, rumble.

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reverberation

noun
natural reverberation
resonance, echo, echoing, re-echoing, resounding, ringing, booming, rumbling.
political reverberations
repercussions, ramifications, consequences, shock waves; aftermath, fallout, backlash.
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revere

verb
respect, admire, think highly of, have a high opinion of, esteem, hold in high esteem/regard, look up to. ANTONYMS :despise.

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reverence

noun
reverence for the countryside
high esteem, high regard, great respect, acclaim, admiration, appreciation, estimation, favour. ANTONYMS :scorn.

verb
they reverence modern jazz.
See revere.

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reverent

adjective
respectful, reverential, admiring, devoted, devout, dutiful, awed, deferential.

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reverie

noun
daydream, daydreaming, trance, musing; inattention, inattentiveness, wool-gathering, preoccupation, absorption, abstraction, lack of concentration.

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reversal

noun
there was no reversal on this issue
turnaround, turnabout, about-face, volte-face, change of heart, U-turn, backtracking; Brit. about-turn; rare tergiversation.
a reversal of roles
swap, exchange, change, swapping, interchange.
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the reversal of the decision
alteration, changing; countermanding, undoing, overturning, overthrow, disallowing, overriding, overruling, veto, vetoing, revocation, repeal, rescinding, annulment, nullification, voiding, invalidation; formal rescission, abrogation.
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they suffered a reversal
setback, reverse, upset, failure, misfortune, mishap, disaster, blow, disappointment, adversity, hardship, affliction, vicissitude, defeat; bad luck.
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reverse

verb
the car reversed into a lamp post
back, drive back/backwards, move back/backwards.
reverse the bottle in the ice bucket
turn upside down, turn over, upend, upturn, invert; archaic overset.
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I reversed my jacket
turn inside out.
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reverse your roles
swap (round), change (round), exchange, interchange, switch (round).
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the umpire reversed the decision
alter, change; overturn, overthrow, disallow, override, overrule, veto, revoke, repeal, rescind, annul, nullify, void, invalidate; Brit. do an about-turn on; formal abrogate.
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adjective
in reverse order
backward(s), reversed, inverted, transposed.
noun
the reverse is the case
opposite, contrary, converse, inverse, obverse, antithesis.
successes and reverses.
See reversal sense 4.
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the reverse of the page
other side, reverse side, back, underside, wrong side, verso.
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revert

verb
life will soon revert to normal
return, go back, change back, default; fall back, regress, relapse.
the property reverted to the landlord
be returned; historical escheat.
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review

noun
the Council undertook a review
analysis, evaluation, assessment, appraisal, examination, investigation, inquiry, probe, inspection, study.
the rent is due for review
reconsideration, reassessment, re-evaluation, reappraisal; change, alteration, modification, revision.
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book reviews
criticism, critique, assessment, evaluation, commentary; Brit. informal crit.
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a scientific review
journal, periodical, magazine, publication.
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their review of the economy
survey, report, study, account, description, statement, overview.
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a military review
inspection, parade, tattoo, procession; Brit. march past.
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verb
I reviewed the evidence
survey, study, research, consider, analyse, examine, scrutinize, explore, look into, probe, investigate, inspect, assess, appraise; informal size up.
the referee reviewed his decision
reconsider, re-examine, reassess, re-evaluate, reappraise, rethink; change, alter, modify, revise.
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he reviewed the day
remember, recall, reflect on, think through, go over in one's mind, look back on.
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reviewing troops
inspect, view.
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she reviewed the play
comment on, evaluate, assess, appraise, judge, critique, criticize.
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reviewer

noun
critic, commentator, judge, observer, pundit, analyst.

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revile

verb
criticize, censure, condemn, attack, inveigh against, rail against, lambaste, denounce; slander, libel, malign, vilify, besmirch, abuse; informal knock, slam, pan, crucify, roast, bad-mouth; Brit. informal slate, rubbish, slag off; N. Amer. informal pummel; Austral./NZ informal bag, monster; formal excoriate, calumniate. ANTONYMS :praise.

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revise

verb
she revised her opinion
reconsider, review, re-examine, reassess, re-evaluate, reappraise, rethink; change, alter, modify.
the editor revised the text
amend, emend, correct, alter, change, edit, rewrite, redraft, rephrase, rework.
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(Brit.) revise your lecture notes
go over, reread, memorize; cram; informal bone up on; Brit. informal swot up (on), mug up (on).
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revision

noun
a revision of the Prayer Book
emendation, correction, alteration, adaptation, editing, rewriting, redrafting.
a new revision
version, edition, rewrite.
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a major revision of the system
reconsideration, review, re-examination, reassessment, re-evaluation, reappraisal, rethink; change, alteration, modification.
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(Brit.) he was doing some revision
rereading, memorizing, cramming; Brit. informal swotting.
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revitalize

verb
reinvigorate, re-energize, boost, regenerate, revive, revivify, rejuvenate, reanimate, resuscitate, refresh, stimulate, breathe new life into; informal give a shot in the arm to, pep up, buck up.

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revival

noun
a revival in the economy
improvement, rallying, picking up, amelioration, turn for the better, upturn, upswing, resurgence.
the revival of traditional crafts
comeback, re-establishment, reintroduction, restoration, reappearance, resurrection, regeneration, rejuvenation.
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ANTONYMS :downturn, disappearance.

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revive

verb
attempts to revive her failed
resuscitate, bring round, bring back to consciousness.
the man soon revived
regain consciousness, come round, wake up.
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a cup of tea revived her
reinvigorate, revitalize, refresh, energize, reanimate, resuscitate, revivify, rejuvenate, regenerate, enliven, stimulate.
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reviving old traditions
reintroduce, re-establish, restore, resurrect, bring back, regenerate, resuscitate.
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revoke

verb
cancel, repeal, rescind, reverse, annul, nullify, void, invalidate, countermand, retract, withdraw, overrule, override; Law vacate; formal abrogate.

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revolt

verb
the people revolted
rebel, rise (up), take to the streets, riot, mutiny.
the smell revolted him
disgust, sicken, nauseate, make someone sick, make someone's gorge rise, turn someone's stomach, be repugnant to, be repulsive to, put off, be offensive to; informal turn off; N. Amer. informal gross out.
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noun
an armed revolt
rebellion, revolution, insurrection, mutiny, uprising, riot, rioting, insurgence, seizure of power, coup (d'état).

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revolting

adjective
disgusting, sickening, nauseating, stomach-turning, stomach-churning, repulsive, repellent, repugnant, appalling, abominable, hideous, horrible, awful, dreadful, terrible, obnoxious, vile, nasty, foul, loathsome, offensive, objectionable, off-putting, distasteful, disagreeable; N. Amer. vomitous; informal ghastly, putrid, horrid, gross, gut-churning, yucky, skanky, icky; formal rebarbative; poetic/literary noisome; archaic disgustful, loathly. ANTONYMS :attractive, pleasant.

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revolution

noun
the French Revolution
rebellion, revolt, insurrection, mutiny, uprising, riot, rioting, insurgence, seizure of power, coup (d'état).
a revolution in printing techniques
dramatic change, radical alteration, sea change, metamorphosis, transformation, innovation, reorganization, restructuring; informal shake-up; N. Amer. informal shakedown.
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one revolution of a wheel
(single) turn, rotation, circle, spin; circuit, lap.
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the revolution of the earth
turning, rotation, circling; orbit.
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revolutionary

adjective
revolutionary troops
rebellious, rebel, insurgent, rioting, mutinous, renegade, insurrectionary, insurrectionist, seditious, subversive, extremist.
revolutionary change
thoroughgoing, thorough, complete, total, absolute, utter, comprehensive, sweeping, far-reaching, extensive, profound.
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a revolutionary kind of wheelchair
new, novel, original, unusual, unconventional, unorthodox, newfangled, innovative, innovatory, innovational, modern, state-of-the-art, futuristic, pioneering.
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noun
political revolutionaries
rebel, insurgent, revolutionist, mutineer, insurrectionist, agitator, subversive.

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revolutionize

verb
transform, alter dramatically, shake up, turn upside down, restructure, reorganize, transmute, metamorphose; humorous transmogrify.

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revolve

verb
a fan revolved slowly
go round, turn round, rotate, spin.
the moon revolves around the earth
circle, travel, orbit.
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his life revolves around cars
be concerned with, be preoccupied with, focus on, centre around.
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her mind revolved the possibilities
think about/over, give thought to, consider, reflect on, mull over, muse on, cogitate about/on, chew over, weigh up; archaic pore on.
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revulsion

noun
disgust, repulsion, abhorrence, repugnance, nausea, horror, aversion, abomination, distaste; archaic disrelish. ANTONYMS :delight.

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reward

noun
a reward for its safe return
recompense, prize, award, honour, decoration, bonus, premium, bounty, present, gift, payment; informal pay-off, perk; formal perquisite.
verb
they were well rewarded
recompense, pay, remunerate, make something worth someone's while; give an award to. ANTONYMS :punish.

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rewarding

adjective
satisfying, gratifying, pleasing, fulfilling, enriching, edifying, beneficial, illuminating, worthwhile, productive, fruitful.

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reword

verb
rewrite, rephrase, recast, put in other words, express differently, redraft, revise; paraphrase.

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rewrite

verb
revise, recast, reword, rephrase, redraft.

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rhetoric

noun
a form of rhetoric
oratory, eloquence, command of language, way with words.
empty rhetoric
bombast, turgidity, grandiloquence, magniloquence, pomposity, extravagant language, purple prose; wordiness, verbosity, prolixity; informal hot air; rare fustian.
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rhetorical

adjective
rhetorical devices
stylistic, oratorical, linguistic, verbal.
rhetorical hyperbole
extravagant, grandiloquent, magniloquent, high-flown, orotund, bombastic, grandiose, pompous, pretentious, overblown, oratorical, turgid, flowery, florid; informal highfalutin; rare fustian.
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rhyme

noun
poem, piece of poetry, verse; (rhymes) poetry, doggerel.

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rhythm

noun
the rhythm of the music
beat, cadence, tempo, time, pulse, throb, swing.
poetic features such as rhythm
metre, measure, stress, accent, cadence.
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the rhythm of daily life
pattern, flow, tempo.
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rhythmic

adjective
rhythmical, with a steady pulse, measured, throbbing, beating, pulsating, regular, steady, even.

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rib

costal.

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ribald

adjective
. See crude sense 3.

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rich

adjective
rich people
wealthy, affluent, moneyed, well off, well-to-do, prosperous, opulent; N. Amer. silk-stocking; informal rolling in money, in the money, loaded, stinking rich, filthy rich, well heeled, made of money; informal, dated oofy.
rich furnishings
sumptuous, opulent, luxurious, luxury, de luxe, lavish, gorgeous, splendid, magnificent, costly, expensive, fancy; informal posh, plush, ritzy, swanky, classy; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal swank.
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a garden rich in flowers
abounding, well provided, well stocked, crammed, packed, teeming, bursting; informal jam-packed, chock-a-block, chock-full; Austral./NZ informal chocker.
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a rich supply of restaurants
plentiful, abundant, copious, ample, profuse, lavish, liberal, generous, bountiful; poetic/literary plenteous, bounteous.
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rich soil
fertile, productive, fecund, fruitful.
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a rich sauce
creamy, fatty, heavy, full-flavoured.
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a rich wine
full-bodied, heavy, fruity.
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rich colours
strong, deep, full, intense, vivid, brilliant.
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her rich voice
sonorous, full, resonant, deep, clear, mellow, mellifluous; rare mellifluent.
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(informal) that's rich!
preposterous, outrageous, absurd, ridiculous, ludicrous, laughable, risible; informal a bit much; Brit. informal a bit thick.
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ANTONYMS :poor, light.

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riches

plural noun
his new-found riches
money, wealth, funds, (hard) cash, (filthy) lucre, wherewithal, means, (liquid) assets, capital, resources, reserves; opulence, affluence, prosperity; informal dough, bread, loot, readies, shekels, moolah, the necessary; Brit. informal dosh, brass, lolly, spondulicks; N. Amer. informal bucks, mazuma, dinero; US informal greenbacks, simoleons, jack, rocks; Austral./NZ informal Oscar; Brit. dated l.s.d.; archaic pelf.
underwater riches
resources, treasure(s), bounty, jewels, gems.
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richly

adverb
the richly furnished chamber
sumptuously, opulently, luxuriously, lavishly, gorgeously, splendidly, magnificently; informal poshly, plushly, ritzily, swankily, classily; Brit. informal swishly.
the joy she richly deserves
fully, thoroughly, in full measure, well, completely, wholly, totally, entirely, absolutely, amply, utterly.
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ANTONYMS :meanly.

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rickety

adjective
shaky, unsteady, unsound, unsafe, tumbledown, broken-down, dilapidated, ramshackle; informal shambly; N. Amer. informal shacky.

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rid

verb
ridding the building of asbestos
clear, free, purge, empty, strip.
get rid of
we must get rid of some stuff
dispose of, throw away/out, clear out, discard, scrap, dump, bin, jettison; informal chuck (away), ditch, junk, get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of; N. Amer. informal trash.

the cats got rid of the rats
destroy, eliminate, annihilate, obliterate, wipe out, kill.
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riddle 1

noun
an answer to the riddle
puzzle, conundrum, brain-teaser, (unsolved) problem, question, poser, enigma, mystery; informal stumper.

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riddle 2

verb
his car was riddled by gunfire
perforate, hole, pierce, puncture, pepper.
he was riddled with cancer
permeate, suffuse, fill, pervade, spread through, imbue, saturate, overrun, beset.
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the soil must be riddled
sieve, sift, strain, screen, filter; archaic griddle.
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ride

verb
she can ride a horse
sit on, mount, bestride; manage, handle, control.
riding round the town on motor bikes
travel, move, proceed, make one's way; drive, cycle; trot, canter, gallop.
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noun
he took us for a ride
trip, journey, drive, run, excursion, outing, jaunt; lift; informal spin.

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ridicule

noun
he was subjected to ridicule
mockery, derision, laughter, scorn, scoffing, contempt, jeering, sneering, sneers, jibes, jibing, teasing, taunts, taunting, ragging, chaffing, sarcasm, satire; informal kidding, ribbing, joshing; N. Amer. informal goofing, razzing; Austral./NZ informal chiacking; dated sport. ANTONYMS :respect.

verb
his theory was ridiculed
deride, mock, laugh at, heap scorn on, jeer at, jibe at, sneer at, treat with contempt, scorn, make fun of, poke fun at, scoff at, satirize, lampoon, burlesque, caricature, parody, tease, taunt, rag, chaff; informal kid, rib, josh, take the mickey out of; N. Amer. informal goof on, rag on, razz, pull someone's chain; Austral./NZ informal chiack, poke mullock at, sling off at; dated make sport of, twit.

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ridiculous

adjective
that looks ridiculous
laughable, absurd, comical, funny, hilarious, risible, droll, amusing, farcical, silly, ludicrous; rare derisible.
a ridiculous suggestion
senseless, silly, foolish, foolhardy, stupid, inane, fatuous, childish, puerile, half-baked, hare-brained, ill-thought-out, crackpot, idiotic.
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a ridiculous exaggeration
absurd, preposterous, ludicrous, laughable, risible, nonsensical, senseless, outrageous.
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ANTONYMS :sensible.

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rife

adjective
violence is rife
widespread, general, common, universal, extensive, ubiquitous, omnipresent, endemic, inescapable, insidious, prevalent.
the village was rife with gossip
overflowing, bursting, alive, teeming, abounding.
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ANTONYMS :unknown.

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riff-raff

noun
rabble, scum, the lowest of the low, good-for-nothings, undesirables; informal peasants. ANTONYMS :elite.

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rifle

verb
she rifled through her wardrobe
rummage, search, hunt, forage.
a thief rifled her home
burgle, rob, steal from, loot, raid, plunder, ransack.
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rift

noun
a deep rift in the ice
crack, fault, flaw, split, break, breach, fissure, fracture, cleft, crevice, cavity, opening.
the rift between them
breach, division, split; quarrel, squabble, disagreement, falling-out, row, argument, dispute, conflict, feud; estrangement; informal spat, scrap; Brit. informal bust-up.
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rig 1

verb
the boats were rigged with a single sail
equip, kit out, fit out, supply, furnish, provide, arm.
I rigged myself out in black
dress, clothe, attire, robe, garb, array, deck out, drape, accoutre, outfit, get up, trick out/up; informal doll up; archaic apparel.
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he will rig up a shelter
set up, erect, assemble; throw together, cobble together, put together, whip up, improvise, contrive; Brit. informal knock up.
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noun
a CB radio rig
apparatus, appliance, machine, device, instrument, contraption, system; tackle, gear, kit, outfit.
the rig of the American Army Air Corps
uniform, costume, ensemble, outfit, livery, attire, clothes, clothing, garments, dress, garb, regimentals, regalia, trappings; Brit. strip; informal get-up, gear, togs; Brit. informal kit; formal apparel; archaic raiment, vestments.
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rig 2

verb
they rigged the election
manipulate, engineer, distort, misrepresent, pervert, tamper with, doctor; falsify, fake, trump up; informal fix; Brit. informal fiddle.

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right

adjective
it wouldn't be right to do that
just, fair, proper, good, upright, righteous, virtuous, moral, ethical, honourable, honest; lawful, legal.
the right answer
correct, accurate, exact, precise; proper, valid, conventional, established, official, formal; Brit. informal spot on.
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the right person for the job
suitable, appropriate, fitting, correct, proper, desirable, preferable, ideal; archaic meet.
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you've come at the right time
opportune, advantageous, favourable, propitious, good, lucky, happy, fortunate, providential, felicitous; timely, seasonable, convenient, expedient, suitable, appropriate.
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he's not right in the head
sane, lucid, rational, balanced, compos mentis; informal all there.
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he does not look right
healthy, well, (fighting) fit, normal, up to par; informal up to scratch, in the pink.
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my right hand
dextral.
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(informal) it's a right mess
absolute, complete, total, real, thorough, perfect, utter, sheer, unmitigated, veritable.
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ANTONYMS :wrong, insane, unhealthy.

adverb
she was right at the limit of her patience
completely, fully, totally, absolutely, utterly, thoroughly, quite.
right in the middle of the village
exactly, precisely, directly, immediately, just, squarely, dead; informal (slap) bang, smack, plumb; N. Amer. informal smack dab.
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keep going right on
straight, directly, as the crow flies.
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(informal) he'll be right down
straight, immediately, instantly, at once, straight away, now, right now, this minute, directly, forthwith, without further ado, promptly, quickly, a.s.a.p., as soon as possible; N. Amer. in short order; informal straight off, p.d.q. (pretty damn quick), pronto; N. Amer. informal lickety-split.
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I think I heard right
correctly, accurately, properly, precisely, aright, rightly, perfectly.
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make sure you're treated right
well, properly, justly, fairly, equitably, impartially, honourably, lawfully, legally.
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things will turn out right
well, for the best, favourably, happily, advantageously, profitably, providentially, luckily, conveniently.
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ANTONYMS :wrong, badly.

noun
the difference between right and wrong
goodness, righteousness, virtue, integrity, rectitude, propriety, morality, truth, honesty, honour, justice, fairness, equity; lawfulness, legality.
you have the right to say no
entitlement, prerogative, privilege, advantage, due, birthright, liberty, authority, power, licence, permission, dispensation, leave, sanction; Law, historical droit.
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ANTONYMS :wrong.

verb
the way to right a capsized dinghy
set upright, turn back over.
we must right the situation
remedy, put right, rectify, retrieve, fix, resolve, sort out, settle, square; straighten out, correct, repair, mend, redress, make good, ameliorate, better.
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by rights
properly, correctly, technically, in fairness; legally, de jure. in the right
justified, vindicated, right. put something to rights. See right verb sense 2. right away
at once, straight away, (right) now, this (very) minute, this instant, immediately, instantly, directly, forthwith, without further ado, promptly, quickly, without delay, a.s.a.p., as soon as possible; N. Amer. in short order; informal straight off, p.d.q. (pretty damn quick), pronto; N. Amer. informal lickety-split. within one's rights
entitled, permitted, allowed, at liberty, empowered, authorized, qualified, licensed, justified.

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righteous

adjective
righteous living
good, virtuous, upright, upstanding, decent; ethical, principled, moral, high-minded, law-abiding, honest, honourable, blameless, irreproachable, noble; saintly, angelic, pure.
righteous anger
justifiable, justified, legitimate, defensible, supportable, rightful; admissible, allowable, understandable, excusable, acceptable, reasonable.
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ANTONYMS :sinful, unjustifiable.

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rightful

adjective
the car's rightful owner
legal, lawful, real, true, proper, correct, recognized, genuine, authentic, acknowledged, approved, licensed, valid, bona fide, de jure; informal legit, kosher.
their rightful place in society
deserved, merited, due, just, right, fair, proper, fitting, appropriate, suitable.
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right-wing

adjective
conservative, rightist, ultra-conservative, blimpish, diehard; reactionary, traditionalist, conventional, unprogressive. ANTONYMS :left-wing.

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rigid

adjective
a rigid container
stiff, hard, firm, inflexible, unbending, unyielding, inelastic.
a rigid routine
fixed, set, firm, inflexible, unalterable, unchangeable, immutable, unvarying, invariable, hard and fast, cast-iron.
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a rigid approach to funding
strict, severe, stern, stringent, rigorous, inflexible, uncompromising, intransigent.
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ANTONYMS :flexible, lenient.

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rigmarole

noun
the rigmarole of dressing up
fuss, bother, trouble, folderol, ado, pother; NZ bobsy-die; informal palaver, song and dance, performance, to-do, pantomime, hassle; Brit. informal carry-on.
that rigmarole about the house being haunted
tale, saga, yarn, shaggy-dog story; informal spiel.
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rigorous

adjective
rigorous attention to detail
meticulous, conscientious, punctilious, careful, diligent, attentive, scrupulous, painstaking, exact, precise, accurate, thorough, particular, strict, demanding, exacting; informal pernickety.
the rigorous enforcement of rules
strict, severe, stern, stringent, tough, harsh, rigid, relentless, unsparing, inflexible, draconian, intransigent, uncompromising, exacting.
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rigorous yachting conditions
harsh, severe, bad, bleak, extreme, inclement; unpleasant, disagreeable, foul, nasty, filthy; stormy, wild, tempestuous.
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ANTONYMS :slapdash, lax, mild.

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rigour

noun
a mine operated under conditions of rigour
strictness, severity, stringency, toughness, harshness, rigidity, inflexibility, intransigence.
intellectual rigour
meticulousness, thoroughness, carefulness, diligence, scrupulousness, exactness, exactitude, precision, accuracy, correctness, strictness.
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the rigours of the journey
hardship, harshness, severity, adversity; ordeal, misery, trial; discomfort, inconvenience, privation.
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rile

verb
(informal). See annoy.

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rim

noun
the rim of her cup
brim, edge, lip.
the rim of the crater
edge, border, side, margin, brink, fringe, boundary, perimeter, limits, periphery; archaic skirt.
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rind

noun
skin, peel, zest, integument; Botany pericarp.

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ring 1

noun
a ring round the moon
circle, band, halo, disc.
she wore a ring
wedding ring, band.
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a circus ring
arena, enclosure, field, ground; amphitheatre, stadium.
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a ring of onlookers
circle, group, knot, cluster, bunch, band, throng, crowd, flock, pack.
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a spy ring
gang, syndicate, cartel, mob, band, circle, organization, association, society, alliance, league, coterie, cabal.
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verb
police ringed the building
surround, circle, encircle, encompass, girdle, enclose, hem in, confine, seal off.

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ring 2

verb
church bells rang all day
toll, sound, peal, chime, clang, bong, ding, jingle, tinkle; poetic/literary knell.
the room rang with laughter
resound, reverberate, resonate, echo.
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I'll ring you tomorrow
telephone, phone (up), call (up); reach, dial; informal give someone a buzz; Brit. informal give someone a bell, give someone a tinkle, get on the blower to; N. Amer. informal get someone on the horn.
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noun
the ring of a bell
chime, toll, peal, clang, clink, ding, jingle, tinkle, tintinnabulation, sound; poetic/literary knell.
I'll give Chris a ring
call, telephone call, phone call; informal buzz; Brit. informal bell, tinkle.
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ring something in
herald, signal, announce, proclaim, usher in, introduce; mark, signify, indicate; poetic/literary betoken, knell.

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rinse

verb
wash (out), clean, cleanse, bathe; dip, drench, splash, swill, sluice, hose down.

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riot

noun
a riot in the capital
uproar, commotion, upheaval, disturbance, furore, tumult, melee, scuffle, fracas, fray, brawl, free-for-all; violence, fighting, vandalism, mayhem, turmoil, lawlessness, anarchy; N. Amer. informal wilding; Law, dated affray.
the garden was a riot of colour
mass, sea, splash, show, exhibition.
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verb
the miners rioted
(go on the) rampage, run riot, fight in the streets, run wild, run amok, go berserk; informal raise hell.
run riot
the children ran riot
(go on the) rampage, riot, run amok, go berserk, go out of control; informal raise hell.

the vegetation has run riot
grow profusely, spread uncontrolled, grow rapidly, spread like wildfire; burgeon, multiply, rocket.
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riotous

adjective
the demonstration turned riotous
unruly, rowdy, disorderly, uncontrollable, unmanageable, undisciplined, uproarious, tumultuous; violent, wild, ugly, lawless, anarchic.
a riotous party
boisterous, lively, loud, noisy, unrestrained, uninhibited, uproarious, unruly, rollicking; Brit. informal rumbustious; N. Amer. informal rambunctious.
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ANTONYMS :peaceable.

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rip

verb
he ripped the posters down
tear, wrench, wrest, pull, snatch, tug, prise, heave, drag, peel, pluck; informal yank.
she ripped Leo's note into pieces
tear, claw, hack, slit, cut; poetic/literary rend.
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noun
a rip in my sleeve
tear, slit, split, rent, laceration, cut, gash, slash.

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ripe

adjective
a ripe tomato
mature, ripened, full grown, ready to eat; luscious, juicy, tender, sweet.
the dock is ripe for development
ready, fit, suitable, right.
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the ripe old age of ninety
advanced, hoary, venerable, old.
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the time is ripe for his return
opportune, advantageous, favourable, auspicious, propitious, promising, good, right, fortunate, benign, providential, felicitous, seasonable; convenient, suitable, appropriate, apt, fitting.
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ANTONYMS :unsuitable, young.

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ripen

verb
become ripe, mature, mellow.

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rip-off

noun
(informal) fraud, swindle, confidence trick; informal con, scam, flimflam, gyp; Brit. informal swizz, daylight robbery; N. Amer. informal rip, shakedown, bunco; Austral. informal rort.

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riposte

noun
an indignant riposte
retort, counter, rejoinder, sally, return, answer, reply, response; informal comeback.
verb
"Heaven help you," riposted Sally
retort, counter, rejoin, return, retaliate, hurl back, answer, reply, respond, come back.

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ripple

noun
he blew ripples in his coffee
wavelet, wave, undulation, ripplet, ridge, ruffle.
verb
a breeze rippled the lake
form ripples on, ruffle, wrinkle.

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rise

verb
the sun rose
move up/upwards, come up, make one's/its way up, arise, ascend, climb, mount, soar.
the mountains rising above us
loom, tower, soar, rise up, rear (up).
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prices rose
go up, increase, soar, shoot up, surge, leap, jump, rocket, escalate, spiral.
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living standards have risen
improve, get better, advance, go up, soar, shoot up.
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his voice rose
get higher, grow, increase, become louder, swell, intensify.
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he rose from his chair
stand up, get to one's feet, get up, jump up, leap up; formal arise.
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he rises at dawn
get up, get out of bed, rouse oneself, stir, bestir oneself, be up and about; informal rise and shine, shake a leg, surface; formal arise.
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the court rose at midday
adjourn, recess, be suspended, pause, take a break; informal knock off, take five.
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he rose through the ranks
make progress, climb, advance, get on, work one's way, be promoted.
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he wouldn't rise to t he bait
react, respond; take.
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Christ rose again
come back to life, be resurrected, revive.
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the dough started to rise
swell, expand, enlarge, puff up.
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the nation rose against its oppressors
rebel, revolt, mutiny, riot, take up arms.
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the Rhine rises in the Alps
originate, begin, start, emerge; issue from, spring from, flow from, emanate from.
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her spirits rose
brighten, lift, cheer up, improve, pick up; informal buck up.
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the ground rose gently
slope upwards, go uphill, incline, climb.
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ANTONYMS :fall, descend, drop, sit, retire, resume, die, shelve.

noun
a price rise
increase, hike, leap, upsurge, upswing, climb, escalation.
he got a rise of 11%
raise, pay increase, wage increase; hike, increment.
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a rise in standards
improvement, amelioration, upturn, leap.
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his rise to power
progress, climb, promotion, elevation, aggrandizement.
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we walked up the rise
slope, incline, acclivity, hillock, hill; formal eminence.
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risible

adjective
laughable, ridiculous, absurd, comical, comic, amusing, funny, hilarious, humorous, droll, farcical, silly, ludicrous, hysterical; informal rib-tickling, priceless; informal, dated killing.

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risk

noun
there is a certain amount of risk
chance, uncertainty, unpredictability, precariousness, instability, insecurity, perilousness, riskiness.
the risk of fire
possibility, chance, probability, likelihood, danger, peril, threat, menace, fear, prospect.
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ANTONYMS :safety, impossibility.

verb
he risked his life to save them
endanger, imperil, jeopardize, hazard, gamble (with), chance; put on the line, put in jeopardy.
you risk getting cold and wet
chance, stand a chance of.
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at risk
in danger, in peril, in jeopardy, under threat.

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risky

adjective
dangerous, hazardous, perilous, fraught with danger, unsafe, insecure, precarious, parlous, touch-and-go, treacherous; uncertain, unpredictable; informal chancy, dicey, hairy; N. Amer. informal gnarly.

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risqué

adjective
ribald, rude, bawdy, racy, earthy, indecent, suggestive, improper, naughty, locker-room; vulgar, dirty, smutty, crude, coarse, obscene, lewd, X-rated; informal blue, raunchy; Brit. informal fruity, off colour, saucy; N. Amer. informal gamy.

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rite

noun
ceremony, ritual, ceremonial; service, sacrament, liturgy, worship, office; act, practice, custom, tradition, convention, institution, procedure.

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ritual

noun
an elaborate civic ritual
ceremony, rite, ceremonial, observance; service, sacrament, liturgy, worship; act, practice, custom, tradition, convention, formality, procedure, protocol.
adjective
a ritual burial
ceremonial, ritualistic, prescribed, set, formal; sacramental, liturgical; traditional, conventional.

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ritzy

adjective
(informal). See posh sense 1.

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rival

noun
his rival for the nomination
opponent, challenger, competitor, contender; adversary, antagonist, enemy; poetic/literary foe.
the tool has no rival
equal, match, peer, equivalent, counterpart, like.
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ANTONYMS :ally.

verb
few countries can rival it for scenery
match, compare with, compete with, vie with, equal, measure up to, be in the same league as, be on a par with, touch, challenge; informal hold a candle to.
adjective
rival candidates
competing, opposing, contending.

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rivalry

noun
competitiveness, competition, contention, vying; opposition, conflict, feuding, antagonism, friction, enmity; informal keeping up with the Joneses.

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riven

adjective
a country riven by civil war
torn apart, split, rent, severed; poetic/literary cleft, torn asunder.

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river

noun
watercourse, waterway, tributary, stream, rivulet, brook, inlet, rill, runnel, freshet; Scottish & N. English burn; N. English beck; S. English bourn; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ creek; Austral. billabong.
a river of molten lava
stream, torrent, flood, deluge, cascade.
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fluvial, fluvio-.
sell someone down the river (informal). See double-cross.

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riveted

adjective
she stood riveted to the spot
fixed, rooted, frozen, unable to move; motionless, unmoving, immobile, stock-still.
he was riveted by the newsreels
fascinated, engrossed, gripped, captivated, enthralled, spellbound, mesmerized, transfixed.
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their eyes were riveted on the teacher
fixed, fastened, focused, concentrated, locked.
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ANTONYMS :bored.

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riveting

adjective
fascinating, gripping, engrossing, interesting, intriguing, absorbing, captivating, enthralling, compelling, spellbinding, mesmerizing; informal unputdownable. ANTONYMS :boring.

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road

noun
the roads were crowded with traffic
street, thoroughfare, roadway, avenue, broadway, bypass, ring road, trunk road, byroad; lane, crescent, drive, parade, row; Brit. dual carriageway, clearway, motorway; N. Amer. highway, freeway, parkway, throughway, expressway; US turnpike, interstate.
a step on the road to recovery
way, path, route, course.
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oil tankers waiting in the roads
anchorage, channel, haven, roadstead.
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on the road
on tour, touring, travelling.

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roam

verb
wander, rove, ramble, drift, walk, traipse; range, travel, tramp, traverse, trek; Scottish & Irish stravaig; informal cruise, mosey; formal perambulate; archaic peregrinate.

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roar

noun
the roars of the crowd
shout, bellow, yell, cry, howl; clamour; informal holler.
the roar of the sea
boom, crash, rumble, roll, thundering.
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roars of laughter
guffaw, howl, hoot, shriek, gale, peal.
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verb
"Get out!" roared Angus
bellow, yell, shout, bawl, howl; informal holler.
thunder roared
boom, rumble, crash, roll, thunder.
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the movie left them roaring
guffaw, laugh, hoot; informal split one's sides, be rolling in the aisles, be doubled up, crack up, be in stitches, die laughing; Brit. informal crease up, fall about.
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a motorbike roared past
speed, zoom, whizz, flash; informal belt, tear, zip; Brit. informal bomb.
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roaring

adjective
a roaring fire
blazing, burning, flaming.
(informal) a roaring success
enormous, huge, massive, (very) great, tremendous; complete, out-and-out, thorough; informal rip-roaring, whopping, fantastic.
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roast

verb
potatoes roasted in olive oil
cook, bake, grill; N. Amer. broil.
(informal) they roasted him for wasting time.
See criticize.
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roasting (informal)

adjective
a roasting day
hot, sweltering, scorching, blistering, searing, torrid; informal boiling (hot), baking (hot).
noun
the boss gave him a roasting.
See lecture noun sense 2.

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rob

verb
the gang robbed the local bank
burgle, steal from, hold up, break into; raid, loot, plunder, pillage; N. Amer. burglarize; informal do, turn over, knock off, stick up.
he robbed an old woman
steal from; informal mug, jump; N. Amer. informal clip.
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he was robbed of his savings
cheat, swindle, defraud; informal do out of, con out of, fleece; N. Amer. informal stiff.
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(informal) it cost £70 I was robbed
overcharge; informal rip off, sting, do, diddle; N. Amer. informal gouge.
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defeat robbed him of his title
deprive, strip, divest; deny.
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robber

noun
burglar, thief, housebreaker, mugger, shoplifter; stealer, pilferer, raider, looter, plunderer, pillager; bandit, highwayman; informal crook, cracksman; Brit. informal tea leaf; N. Amer. informal yegg; poetic/literary brigand.

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robbery

noun
they were arrested for the robbery
burglary, theft, thievery, stealing, breaking and entering, housebreaking, larceny, shoplifting; embezzlement, fraud; hold-up, break-in, raid; informal mugging, smash-and-grab, stick-up; Brit. informal blag; N. Amer. informal heist.
(informal) Six quid? That's robbery.
a swindle; informal a con, a rip-off; Brit. informal daylight robbery.
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robe

noun
the women wore black robes
cloak, kaftan, djellaba, wrap, mantle, cape; N. Amer. wrapper.
coronation robes
garb, regalia, costume, finery; garments, clothes; formal apparel; archaic raiment, habiliments, vestments.
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priestly robes
vestment, surplice, cassock, rochet, alb, dalmatic, chasuble; canonicals.
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a towelling robe
dressing gown, bathrobe, housecoat; N. Amer. wrapper.
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verb
he robed for Mass
dress, clothe oneself; formal enrobe.

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robot

noun
automaton, android, golem; informal bot, droid.

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robust

adjective
a large, robust man
strong, vigorous, sturdy, tough, powerful, solid, muscular, sinewy, rugged, hardy, strapping, brawny, burly, husky; healthy, (fighting) fit, hale and hearty, lusty, in fine fettle; informal beefy, hunky.
these knives are robust
durable, resilient, tough, hard-wearing, long-lasting, sturdy, strong.
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her usual robust view of things
down-to-earth, practical, realistic, pragmatic, common-sense, commonsensical, matter-of-fact, businesslike, sensible, unromantic, unsentimental; informal no-nonsense.
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a robust red wine
strong, full-bodied, flavourful, flavoursome, rich.
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ANTONYMS :frail, fragile, romantic, insipid.

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rock 1

verb
the ship rocked on the water
move to and fro, move back and forth, sway, see-saw; roll, pitch, plunge, toss, lurch, reel, list; wobble, oscillate.
the building began to rock
shake, vibrate, quake, tremble.
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Wall Street was rocked by the news
stun, shock, stagger, astonish, startle, surprise, shake (up), take aback, throw, unnerve, disconcert.
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rock 2

noun
a gully strewn with rocks
boulder, stone, pebble; Austral. informal goolie.
a castle built on a rock
crag, cliff, outcrop.
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he was the rock on which they relied
foundation, cornerstone, support, prop, mainstay; tower of strength, bulwark, anchor.
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(informal) she wore a massive rock
diamond (ring), jewel, precious stone.
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litho-, petro-.
on the rocks (informal)
her marriage is on the rocks
in difficulty, in trouble, breaking up, over; in tatters, in ruins, ruined.

a Scotch on the rocks
with ice, on ice.
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rocket

noun
guerrillas fired rockets at them
missile, projectile.
they lit some colourful rockets
firework, Roman candle, banger.
Top
(Brit. informal) he got a rocket from the boss.
See lecture noun sense 2.
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verb
prices have rocketed
shoot up, soar, increase, rise, escalate, spiral; informal go through the roof.
they rocketed into the alley
speed, zoom, shoot, whizz, tear, career; Brit. informal bomb; N. Amer. informal barrel, hightail it.
Top
ANTONYMS :plummet.

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rocky 1

adjective
a rocky path
stony, pebbly, shingly; rough, bumpy; craggy, mountainous.

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rocky 2

adjective
that table's rocky
unsteady, shaky, unstable, wobbly, tottery, rickety, flimsy.
a rocky marriage
difficult, problematic, precarious, unstable, unreliable, undependable; informal iffy, up and down.
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ANTONYMS :steady, stable.

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rococo

adjective
ornate, fancy, elaborate, extravagant, baroque; fussy, busy, ostentatious, showy; flowery, florid, flamboyant, high-flown, magniloquent, orotund, bombastic, overwrought, overblown, inflated, turgid; informal highfalutin. ANTONYMS :plain.

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rod

noun
an iron rod
bar, stick, pole, baton, staff; shaft, strut, rail, spoke.
the ceremonial rod
staff, mace, sceptre.
Top
instruction was accompanied by the rod
corporal punishment, the cane, the lash, the birch; beating, flogging, caning, birching.
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rogue

noun
a rogue without ethics
scoundrel, villain, miscreant, reprobate, rascal, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, wretch; informal rat, dog, louse, crook; informal, dated rotter, bounder, blighter; dated cad; archaic blackguard, knave.
your boy's a little rogue
rascal, imp, devil, monkey; informal scamp, scallywag, monster, horror, terror, tyke; Brit. informal perisher; N. Amer. informal hellion.
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roguish

adjective
a roguish character
unprincipled, dishonest, deceitful, unscrupulous, untrustworthy, shameless; wicked, villainous; informal shady, scoundrelly, rascally; archaic knavish.
a roguish grin
mischievous, playful, teasing, cheeky, naughty, wicked, impish, devilish, arch; informal waggish.
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roister

verb
enjoy oneself, celebrate, revel, carouse, frolic, romp, have fun, make merry, rollick; informal party, live it up, whoop it up, have a ball, make whoopee.

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role

noun
a small role in the film
part; character.
his role as President of the EC
capacity, position, job, post, office, duty, responsibility, mantle, place; function, part.
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roll

verb
the bottle rolled down the table
bowl, turn over and over, spin, rotate.
waiters rolled in the trolleys
wheel, push, trundle.
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we rolled past fields
travel, go, move, pass, cruise, sweep.
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the months rolled by
pass, go by, slip by, fly by, elapse, wear on, march on.
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tears rolled down her cheeks
flow, run, course, stream, pour, spill, trickle.
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the mist rolled in
billow, undulate, tumble.
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he rolled his handkerchief into a ball
wind, coil, fold, curl; twist.
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roll out the pastry
flatten, level; even out.
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they rolled about with laughter
stagger, lurch, reel, totter, teeter, wobble.
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the ship began to roll
lurch, toss, rock, pitch, plunge, sway, reel, list, keel.
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thunder rolled
rumble, reverberate, echo, resound, boom, roar, grumble.
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noun
a roll of wrapping paper
cylinder, tube, scroll; bolt.
a roll of film
reel, spool.
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a roll of notes
wad, bundle.
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a roll of the dice
throw, toss, turn, spin.
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crusty rolls
bread roll, bun, bagel; Brit. bap, muffin; N. English barm; N. Amer. hoagie; Military slang wad.
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the electoral roll
list, register, directory, record, file, index, catalogue, inventory; census.
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a roll of thunder
rumble, reverberation, echo, boom, clap, crack, roar, grumble.
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roll in (informal)
money has been rolling in
pour in, flood in, flow in.

he rolled in at nine o'clock
arrive, turn up, appear, show one's face; informal show up, roll up, blow in.
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rolling in it (informal). See rich sense 1. roll something out
unroll, spread out, unfurl, unfold, open (out), unwind, uncoil. roll something up
fold (up), furl, wind up, coil (up), bundle up. roll up (informal). See roll in sense 2.

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rollicking 1

noun
(Brit. informal) I got a rollicking for being late.
See lecture noun sense 2.

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rollicking 2

adjective
a rollicking party
lively, boisterous, exuberant, spirited; riotous, noisy, wild, rowdy, roisterous; Brit. informal rumbustious; N. Amer. informal rambunctious.

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roly-poly

adjective
(informal) chubby, plump, fat, stout, rotund, round, dumpy, chunky, portly, overweight, fleshy, paunchy, bulky, corpulent; informal tubby, pudgy, beefy, porky, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy; N. Amer. informal zaftig, corn-fed. ANTONYMS :skinny.

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romance

noun
their romance blossomed
love, passion, ardour, adoration, devotion; affection, fondness, attachment.
he's had many romances
love affair, relationship, liaison, courtship, attachment; flirtation, dalliance.
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an author of historical romances
love story, novel; romantic fiction; informal tear-jerker.
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the romance of the Far East
mystery, glamour, excitement, exoticism, mystique; appeal, allure, charm.
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verb
(dated) he was romancing Meg
woo, chase, pursue; go out with, pay court to; informal see, go steady with, date; dated court, make love to.
I am romancing the past
romanticize, idealize, paint a rosy picture of.
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romantic

adjective
he's so romantic
loving, amorous, passionate, tender, affectionate; informal lovey-dovey.
romantic songs
sentimental, hearts-and-flowers; mawkish, sickly, saccharine, syrupy; informal slushy, mushy, sloppy, schmaltzy, gooey, treacly, cheesy, corny; Brit. informal soppy; N. Amer. informal cornball, sappy.
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a romantic setting
idyllic, picturesque, fairy-tale; beautiful, lovely, charming, pretty.
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romantic notions of rural communities
idealistic, idealized, unrealistic, fanciful, impractical; head-in-the-clouds, starry-eyed, optimistic, hopeful, visionary, utopian, fairy-tale.
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ANTONYMS :unsentimental, realistic.

noun
an incurable romantic
idealist, sentimentalist, romanticist; dreamer, visionary, utopian, Don Quixote, fantasist; N. Amer. fantast. ANTONYMS :realist.

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Romeo

noun
ladies' man, Don Juan, Casanova, Lothario, womanizer, playboy, lover, seducer, philanderer, flirt; gigolo; informal ladykiller, stud.

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romp

verb
two fox cubs romped playfully
play, frolic, frisk, gambol, skip, prance, caper, cavort, rollick; dated sport.
South Africa romped to a win
sail, coast, sweep; win hands down, run away with it; informal win by a mile, walk it.
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roof

hit the roof (informal)
be very angry, be furious, lose one's temper; informal go mad, go crazy, go wild, go bananas, have a fit, blow one's top, do one's nut, go up the wall, go off the deep end, go ape, flip, lose one's rag; Brit. informal go spare.

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room

noun
there isn't much room
space; headroom, legroom; area, expanse, extent; informal elbow room.
room for improvement
scope, capacity, leeway, latitude, freedom; opportunity, chance.
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he wandered around the room
chamber.
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he had rooms in the Pepys building
lodgings, quarters; accommodation; a suite, an apartment; informal a pad, digs.
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verb
he roomed there in September
lodge, board, live, stay; be quartered, be housed; formal dwell, reside, sojourn.

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roomy

adjective
spacious, capacious, sizeable, generous, big, large, extensive; voluminous, ample; formal commodious. ANTONYMS :cramped.

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root

noun
a plant's roots
rootstock, tuber, rootlet; Botany rhizome, radicle.
the root of the problem
source, origin, germ, beginnings, genesis; cause, reason, basis, foundation, bottom, seat; core, heart, nub, essence; formal radix.
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he rejected his roots
origins, beginnings, family, ancestors, predecessors, heritage; birthplace, homeland.
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radical, rhizo-.
verb
has the shoot rooted?
take root, grow roots, establish, strike, take.
root the cuttings
plant, bed out, sow.
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he rooted around in the cupboard
rummage, hunt, search, rifle, delve, forage, dig, nose, poke; Brit. informal rootle.
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put down roots
settle, establish oneself, set up home. root and branch
the firm should be eradicated, root and branch
completely, entirely, wholly, totally, thoroughly.

a root-and-branch reform
complete, total, thorough, radical.
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root for (informal)
cheer (on), applaud, support, encourage. root something out
the hedge was rooted out
uproot, deracinate, pull up, grub out.

root out corruption
eradicate, eliminate, weed out, destroy, wipe out, stamp out, extirpate, abolish, end, put a stop to.
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he rooted out a dark secret
unearth, dig up, bring to light, uncover, discover, dredge up, ferret out, expose.
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take root
leave the plants to take root
germinate, sprout, establish, strike, take.

Christianity took root in Persia
become established, take hold; develop, thrive, flourish.
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rooted

adjective
views rooted in Indian culture
embedded, fixed, established, entrenched, ingrained.
Neil was rooted to the spot
frozen, riveted, paralysed, glued, fixed; stock-still, motionless, unmoving.
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rootless

adjective
itinerant, unsettled, drifting, roving, footloose; homeless, of no fixed abode.

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rope

noun
cord, cable, line, hawser; string. funicular.
verb
his feet were roped together
tie, bind, lash, truss; secure, moor, fasten, attach; hitch, tether, lasso.
know the ropes (informal)
know what to do, know the routine, know one's way around, know one's stuff, know what's what; be experienced; informal know the drill, know the score. rope someone in/into
persuade to/into, talk into, inveigle into; enlist, engage.

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ropy

adjective
ropy strands of lava
stringy, thready, fibrous, filamentous; viscous, sticky, mucilaginous, thick.
(Brit. informal) I feel a bit ropy.
See ill adjective sense 1.
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(Brit. informal) ropy defending from the home team.
See substandard.
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roster

noun
schedule, list, listing, register, agenda, calendar, table; Brit. rota.

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rostrum

noun
dais, platform, podium, stage; soapbox.

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rosy

adjective
a rosy complexion
pink, pinkish, roseate, reddish; glowing, healthy, fresh, radiant, blooming; blushing, flushed; ruddy, high-coloured, florid.
his future looks rosy
promising, optimistic, auspicious, hopeful, encouraging, favourable, bright, golden; informal upbeat.
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ANTONYMS :pale, bleak.

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rot

verb
the floorboards rotted
decay, decompose, become rotten; disintegrate, crumble, perish.
the meat began to rot
go bad, go off, spoil; moulder, putrefy, fester.
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poor neighbourhoods have been left to rot
deteriorate, degenerate, decline, decay, go to rack and ruin, go to seed, go downhill; informal go to pot, go to the dogs.
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sapro-. ANTONYMS :improve.

noun
the leaves turned black with rot
decay, decomposition, mould, mouldiness, mildew, blight, canker; putrefaction, putrescence.
traditionalists said the rot had set in
deterioration, decline; corruption, cancer.
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(informal) stop talking rot.
See nonsense sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :sense.

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rota

noun
(Brit.). See roster.

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rotary

adjective
rotating, rotatory, rotational, revolving, turning, spinning, gyrating, gyratory.

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rotate

verb
the wheels rotate continually
revolve, go round, turn (round), spin, gyrate, whirl, twirl, swivel, circle, pivot.
many nurses rotate jobs
alternate, take turns, change, switch, interchange, exchange, swap; move around.
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rotation

noun
the rotation of the wheels
revolving, turning, spinning, gyration, circling.
a rotation of the Earth
turn, revolution, orbit, spin.
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each member is chair for six months in rotation
sequence, succession; alternation, cycle.
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gyro-.

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rote

by rote
mechanically, automatically, parrot-fashion, unthinkingly, mindlessly; from memory, by heart.

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rotten

adjective
rotten meat
decaying, rotting, bad, off, decomposing, putrid, putrescent, perished, mouldy, mouldering, mildewy, rancid, festering, fetid; addled; maggoty, wormy, flyblown.
rotten teeth
decaying, decayed, carious, black; disintegrating, crumbling.
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he's rotten to the core
corrupt, unprincipled, dishonest, dishonourable, unscrupulous, untrustworthy, immoral; villainous, bad, wicked, evil, iniquitous, venal; informal crooked, warped; Brit. informal bent.
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(informal) a rotten thing to do
nasty, unkind, unpleasant, obnoxious, vile, contemptible, despicable, shabby; spiteful, mean, malicious, hateful, hurtful; unfair, uncharitable, uncalled for; informal dirty, low-down; Brit. informal out of order.
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(informal) he was a rotten singer
bad, poor, dreadful, awful, terrible, frightful, atrocious, hopeless, inadequate, inferior, substandard; informal crummy, pathetic, useless, lousy, appalling, abysmal, dire; Brit. informal duff, rubbish, a load of pants.
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(informal) I feel rotten about it
guilty, conscience-stricken, remorseful, ashamed, shamefaced, chastened, contrite, sorry, regretful, repentant, penitent.
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(informal) I felt rotten with that cold.
See ill adjective sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :fresh, honourable, kind, good, well.

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rotter

noun
(informal, dated). See scoundrel.

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rotund

adjective
a small, rotund man
plump, chubby, fat, stout, portly, dumpy, round, chunky, overweight, heavy, paunchy, ample; flabby, fleshy, bulky, corpulent, obese; informal tubby, roly-poly, pudgy, beefy, porky, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy; N. Amer. informal zaftig, corn-fed.
rotund cauldrons
round, bulbous, spherical, spheric; poetic/literary orbicular.
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ANTONYMS :thin.

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roué

noun
libertine, rake, debauchee, degenerate, profligate; lecher, seducer, womanizer, philanderer, adulterer, Don Juan, Lothario; informal ladykiller, lech, dirty old man.

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rough

adjective
rough ground
uneven, irregular, bumpy, lumpy, knobbly, stony, rocky, rugged, rutted, pitted, rutty.
the terrier's rough coat
coarse, bristly, scratchy, prickly; shaggy, hairy, bushy.
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rough skin
dry, leathery, weather-beaten; chapped, calloused, scaly, scabrous.
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his voice was rough
gruff, hoarse, harsh, rasping, raspy, husky, throaty, gravelly, guttural.
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rough red wine
sharp, sour, acidic, acid, vinegary, acidulous.
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he gets rough when he's drunk
violent, brutal, vicious; aggressive, belligerent, pugnacious, thuggish; boisterous, rowdy, disorderly, unruly, riotous.
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a machine that can take rough handling
careless, clumsy, inept, unskilful.
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rough manners
boorish, loutish, oafish, brutish, coarse, crude, uncouth, vulgar, unrefined, unladylike, ungentlemanly, uncultured; unmannerly, impolite, discourteous, uncivil, ungracious, rude.
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ro ugh seas
turbulent, stormy, tempestuous, violent, heavy, heaving, choppy.
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(informal) I've had a rough time
difficult, hard, tough, bad, unpleasant; demanding, arduous.
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(informal) you were a bit rough on her
harsh, hard, tough, stern, severe, unfair, unjust; insensitive, nasty, cruel, unkind, unsympathetic, brutal, heartless, merciless.
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(informal) I'm feeling rough.
See ill adjective sense 1.
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a rough draft
preliminary, hasty, quick, sketchy, cursory, basic, crude, rudimentary, raw, unpolished; incomplete, unfinished.
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a rough estimate
approximate, inexact, imprecise, vague, estimated, hazy; N. Amer. informal ballpark.
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the accommodation is rather rough
plain, basic, simple, rough and ready, rude, crude, primitive, spartan.
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ANTONYMS :smooth, sleek, soft, dulcet, sweet, gentle, careful, refined, calm, easy, kind, well, exact, luxurious.

noun
the artist's initial roughs
sketch, draft, outline, mock-up.
(Brit.) a bunch of roughs attacked him
ruffian, thug, lout, hooligan, hoodlum, rowdy; informal tough, roughneck, bruiser, gorilla, yahoo; Brit. informal yob, yobbo.
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verb
rough the surface with sandpaper
roughen.
rough something out
draft, sketch out, outline, block out, mock up; formal adumbrate. rough someone up (informal)
beat up, attack, assault, knock about/around, batter, manhandle; informal do over, beat the living daylights out of; Brit. informal duff up.

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rough and ready

adjective
basic, simple, crude, unrefined, unsophisticated; makeshift, provisional, stopgap, improvised, extemporary, ad hoc; hurried, sketchy.

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rough and tumble

noun
scuffle, fight, brawl, melee, free-for-all, fracas, rumpus; horseplay; Law, dated affray; informal scrap, dust-up, punch-up, shindy; N. Amer. informal rough house.

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roughly

adverb
he shoved her roughly away
violently, forcefully, forcibly, abruptly, unceremoniously.
they treated him roughly
harshly, unkindly, unsympathetically; brutally, savagely, mercilessly, cruelly, heartlessly.
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roughly £2.4 million
approximately, (round) about, around, circa, in the region of, something like, of the order of, or so, or thereabouts, more or less, give or take; nearly, close to, approaching; Brit. getting on for.
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roughneck

noun
(informal). See ruffian.

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round

adjective
a round window
circular, disc-shaped, ring-shaped, hoop-shaped; spherical, spheroidal, globular, globe-shaped, orb-shaped; cylindrical; bulbous, rounded, rotund; technical annular, discoid, discoidal; poetic/literary orbicular.
a short, round man
plump, chubby, fat, stout, rotund, portly, dumpy, chunky, overweight, pot-bellied, paunchy; flabby, corpulent, fleshy, bulky, obese; informal tubby, roly-poly, pudgy, beefy, porky, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy; N. Amer. informal zaftig, corn-fed.
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his deep, round voice
sonorous, resonant, rich, full, mellow, mellifluous, orotund.
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a round dozen
complete, entire, whole, full.
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she berated him in round terms
candid, frank, direct, honest, truthful, straightforward, plain, blunt, forthright, bald, explicit, unequivocal.
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ANTONYMS :thin, reedy.

noun
mould the dough into rounds
ball, sphere, globe, orb, circle, disc, ring, hoop; technical annulus.
a policeman on his rounds
circuit, beat, route, tour.
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the first round of the contest
stage, level; heat, game, bout, contest.
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an endless round of parties
succession, sequence, series, cycle.
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the gun fires thirty rounds a second
bullet, cartridge, shell, shot.
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preposition & adverb
the alleys round the station
around, about, encircling; near, in the vicinity of; orbiting.
casinos dotted round France
throughout, all over, here and there in.
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verb
the ship rounded the point
go round, travel round, skirt, circumnavigate, orbit.
round about
approximately, about, around, circa, roughly, of the order of, something like, more or less, as near as dammit to, close to, near to, practically; or so, or thereabouts, give or take a few; not far off, nearly, almost, approaching; Brit. getting on for. round the bend (informal). See mad sense 1. round the clock
we're working round the clock
day and night, night and day, all the time, (morning, noon, and night), continuously, non-stop, steadily, unremittingly; informal 24-7.

round-the-clock supervision
continuous, constant, non-stop, continual, uninterrupted.
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round something off
the square edges were rounded off
smooth off, plane off, sand off, level off.

the party rounded off a successful year
complete, finish off, crown, cap, top; conclude, close, end.
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round on someone
snap at, attack, turn on, weigh into, let fly at, lash out at, hit out at; informal bite someone's head off, jump down someone's throat, lay into, tear into; Brit. informal have a go at; N. Amer. informal light into. round someone/something up
gather together, herd together, muster, marshal, rally, assemble, collect, group; N. Amer. corral.

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roundabout

adjective
a roundabout route
circuitous, indirect, meandering, serpentine, tortuous.
I asked in a roundabout sort of way
indirect, oblique, circuitous, circumlocutory, periphrastic, digressive, long-winded; evasive.
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ANTONYMS :direct.

noun
(Brit.) go straight on at the roundabout
N. Amer. rotary, traffic circle.
a roundabout with wooden horses
merry-go-round, carousel; archaic whirligig.
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roundly

adverb
he was roundly condemned
vehemently, emphatically, fiercely, forcefully, severely; plainly, frankly, candidly.
she was roundly defeated
utterly, completely, thoroughly, decisively, conclusively, heavily, soundly.
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round-up

noun
a cattle round-up
assembly, muster, rally; N. Amer. rodeo.
the sports round-up
summary, synopsis, overview, review, outline, digest, precis; N. Amer. wrap-up; informal recap.
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rouse

verb
he roused Ralph at dawn
wake (up), awaken, arouse; Brit. informal knock up; formal waken.
she roused and looked around
wake up, awake, awaken, come to, get up, rise, bestir oneself; formal arise.
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he roused the crowd
stir up, excite, galvanize, electrify, stimulate, inspire, inspirit, move, inflame, agitate, goad, provoke; incite, spur on; N. Amer. light a fire under.
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he's got a temper when he's roused
provoke, annoy, anger, infuriate, madden, incense, vex, irk; informal aggravate.
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her disappearance roused my suspicions
arouse, awaken, prompt, provoke, stimulate, pique, trigger, spark off, touch off, kindle, elicit.
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ANTONYMS :calm, pacify, allay.

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rousing

adjective
stirring, inspiring, exciting, stimulating, moving, electrifying, invigorating, energizing, exhilarating; enthusiastic, vigorous, spirited; inflammatory.

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rout

noun
the army's ignominious rout
retreat, flight.
Newcastle scored 13 tries in the rout
crushing defeat, trouncing, annihilation; debacle, fiasco; informal licking, hammering, thrashing, pasting, drubbing, massacre.
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ANTONYMS :victory.

verb
his army was routed
put to flight, drive off, scatter; defeat, beat, conquer, vanquish, crush, overpower.
he routed the defending champion
beat hollow, trounce, defeat, get the better of; informal lick, hammer, clobber, thrash, paste, demolish, annihilate, drub, cane, wipe the floor with, walk all over, make mincemeat of, massacre, slaughter; Brit. informal stuff; N. Amer. informal cream, shellac, skunk.
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ANTONYMS :lose.

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route

noun
a different route to the shops
way, course, road, path, direction; passage, journey.
verb
enquiries are routed to the relevant desk
direct, send, convey, dispatch, forward.

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routine

noun
his morning routine
procedure, practice, pattern, drill, regime, regimen; programme, schedule, plan; formula, method, system; customs, habits; wont.
a stand-up routine
act, performance, number, turn, piece; informal spiel, patter.
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adjective
a routine health check
standard, regular, customary, normal, usual, ordinary, typical; everyday, common, commonplace, conventional, habitual, wonted.
a routine action movie
boring, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, monotonous, humdrum, run-of-the-mill, prosaic, dreary, pedestrian; predictable, hackneyed, stock, unimaginative, unoriginal, banal, trite.
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ANTONYMS :unusual.

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rove

verb
wander, roam, ramble, drift, meander; range, travel; Scottish stravaig; archaic peregrinate.

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rover

noun
wanderer, traveller, globetrotter, drifter, bird of passage, roamer, itinerant, transient; nomad, gypsy, Romany; tramp, vagrant, vagabond; N. Amer. hobo.

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row 1

noun
rows of children
line, column, file, queue; procession, chain, string, succession; informal crocodile.
the middle row of seats
tier, line, rank, bank.
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in a row three days in a row

consecutively, in succession; running, straight; informal on the trot.

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row 2 (Brit.informal)

noun
have you two had a row?
argument, quarrel, squabble, fight, contretemps, falling-out, disagreement, dispute, clash, altercation, shouting match; informal tiff, set-to, run-in, slanging match, spat; Brit. informal barney, bust-up.
the row the crowd was making
din, noise, racket, clamour, uproar, tumult, hubbub, commotion, brouhaha, rumpus, pandemonium, babel; informal hullabaloo.
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Mum give me a row
reprimand, rebuke, reproof, admonition, reproach, remonstration, lecture, criticism; informal telling-off, slap on the wrist, dressing-down, roasting, tongue-lashing; Brit. informal ticking-off, carpeting, rollicking, rocket.
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verb
they rowed about money
argue, quarrel, squabble, bicker, fight, fall out, disagree, have words, dispute, wrangle, cross swords, lock horns, be at loggerheads; informal scrap, argufy.

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rowdy

adjective
rowdy youths
unruly, disorderly, obstreperous, riotous, undisciplined, uncontrollable, ungovernable, disruptive, out of control, rough, wild, lawless; boisterous, uproarious, noisy, loud, clamorous; Brit. informal rumbustious; N. Amer. informal rambunctious. ANTONYMS :peaceful.

noun
the pub filled up with rowdies
ruffian, troublemaker, lout, hooligan, thug, hoodlum; Brit. tearaway; informal tough, bruiser, yahoo; Brit. informal rough, yob, yobbo.

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royal

adjective
the royal prerogative
regal, kingly, queenly, princely; sovereign, monarchical.
a royal welcome
excellent, fine, magnificent, splendid, superb, wonderful, first-rate, first-class; informal fantastic, great, tremendous.
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rub

verb
Polly rubbed her arm
massage, knead; stroke, pat.
he rubbed sun lotion on her back
apply, smear, spread, work in.
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my shoes rub painfully
chafe, pinch; hurt, be painful.
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noun
she gave his back a rub
massage, rub-down.
I gave my shoes a rub
polish, wipe, clean.
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it's too complicated that's the rub
problem, difficulty, trouble, drawback, hindrance, impediment; snag, hitch, catch.
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rub along (Brit. informal)
manage, cope, get by, make do, muddle along/through; informal make out. rub something down
clean, sponge, wash; groom. rub it in (informal)
emphasize, stress, underline, highlight; go on, harp on; informal rub someone's nose in it. rub off on
be transferred to, be passed on to, be transmitted to, be communicated to; affect, influence. rub something out
erase, delete, remove, efface, obliterate, expunge. rub shoulders with
associate with, mingle with, fraternize with, socialize with, mix with, keep company with, consort with; N. Amer. rub elbows with; informal hang around/out with, hobnob with, knock about/around with. rub something up
polish, buff up, burnish, shine, wax; clean, wipe. rub someone up the wrong way (Brit.). See annoy.

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rubbish

noun
throw away that rubbish
refuse, waste, litter, debris, detritus, scrap, dross; flotsam and jetsam, lumber; sweepings, scraps, dregs; N. Amer. garbage, trash; informal dreck, junk.
she's talking rubbish
nonsense, balderdash, gibberish, claptrap, blarney, moonshine, garbage; informal hogwash, baloney, tripe, drivel, bilge, bunk, piffle, poppycock, phooey, twaddle, gobbledegook; Brit. informal codswallop, cobblers, tosh, cack; Scottish & N. English informal havers; N. Amer. informal bushwa, applesauce.
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verb
(Brit. informal) they often rubbish trade unions.
See criticize.
adjective
(Brit. informal) a rubbish team.
See hopeless sense 3.

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rubbishy

adjective
(informal) worthless, substandard, trashy, inferior, second-rate, third-rate, poor-quality, cheap, shoddy; bad, poor, dreadful, awful, terrible; informal crummy, appalling, lousy, dire, tacky; Brit. informal duff, chronic, rubbish.

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rubble

noun
debris, remains, ruins, wreckage.

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ruction

noun
(informal) disturbance, noise, racket, din, commotion, fuss, uproar, furore, hue and cry, rumpus, fracas; (ructions) trouble, hell to pay; informal to-do, hullabaloo, hoo-ha, ballyhoo, stink, kerfuffle; Brit. informal row, carry-on.

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ruddy

adjective
a ruddy complexion
rosy, red, pink, roseate, rubicund; healthy, glowing, fresh; flushed, blushing; florid, high-coloured; poetic/literary rubescent.
(Brit. informal) you ruddy idiot!
See damned sense 2.
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ANTONYMS :pale.

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rude

adjective
a rude man
ill-mannered, bad-mannered, impolite, discourteous, uncivil, unmannerly, mannerless; impertinent, insolent, impudent, disrespectful, cheeky; churlish, curt, brusque, brash, offhand, short, sharp; offensive, insulting, derogatory, disparaging, abusive; tactless, undiplomatic, uncomplimentary.
rude jokes
vulgar, coarse, smutty, dirty, filthy, crude, lewd, obscene, off colour, offensive, indelicate, tasteless; risqué, naughty, ribald, bawdy, racy; informal blue; Brit. informal near the knuckle; N. Amer. informal gamy; euphemistic adult.
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a rude awakening
abrupt, sudden, sharp, startling; unpleasant, nasty, harsh.
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(dated) a rude cabin
primitive, crude, rudimentary, rough, simple, basic.
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(archaic) a rude and barbarous people
uneducated, ignorant, illiterate; uncultured, uncivilized, unrefined; rough, coarse, uncouth, boorish.
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ANTONYMS :polite, clean, luxurious, civi lized.

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rudimentary

adjective
rudimentary carpentry skills
basic, elementary, primary, fundamental, essential.
the equipment was rudimentary
primitive, crude, simple, unsophisticated, rough (and ready), makeshift.
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a rudimentary thumb
vestigial, undeveloped, incomplete; Biology abortive, primitive.
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ANTONYMS :advanced, sophisticated, developed.

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rudiments

plural noun
basics, fundamentals, essentials, first principles, foundation; informal nuts and bolts, ABC.

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rue

verb
regret, be sorry about, feel remorseful about, repent of, reproach oneself for; deplore, lament, bemoan, bewail.

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rueful

adjective
regretful, apologetic, sorry, remorseful, shamefaced, sheepish, hangdog, contrite, repentant, penitent, conscience-stricken, self-reproachful; sorrowful, sad.

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ruffian

noun
thug, lout, hooligan, hoodlum, vandal, delinquent, rowdy, scoundrel, villain, rogue, bully boy, brute; informal tough, bruiser, heavy, yahoo; Brit. informal rough, yob, yobbo; N. Amer. informal goon.

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ruffle

verb
he ruffled her hair
disarrange, tousle, dishevel, rumple, riffle, disorder, mess up, tangle; N. Amer. informal muss up.
the wind ruffled the water
ripple, riffle.
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don't let him ruffle you
annoy, irritate, vex, nettle, anger, exasperate; disconcert, unnerve, fluster, agitate, harass, upset, disturb, discomfit, put off, perturb, unsettle, bother, worry, trouble; informal rattle, faze, throw, get to, rile, needle, aggravate, bug, peeve; Brit. informal wind up, nark.
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ANTONYMS :smooth, soothe.

noun
a shirt with ruffles
frill, flounce, ruff, ruche, jabot, furbelow.

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rug

noun
they sat on the rug
mat, carpet, drugget, runner; hearthrug; N. Amer. floorcloth.
he was wrapped in a tartan rug
blanket, coverlet, throw, wrap; N. Amer. lap robe.
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(informal) he's wearing a ridiculous rug
toupee, wig, hairpiece.
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rugged

adjective
the rugged coast path
rough, uneven, bumpy, rocky, stony, pitted, jagged, craggy.
a rugged vehicle
robust, durable, sturdy, strong, tough, resilient.
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rugged manly types
well built, burly, strong, muscular, muscly, brawny, strapping, husky, hulking; tough, hardy, robust, sturdy, lusty, solid; informal hunky, beefy.
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his rugged features
strong, craggy, rough-hewn; manly, masculine; irregular, weathered.
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ANTONYMS :smooth, flimsy, weedy, delicate.

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ruin

noun
the buildings were saved from ruin
disintegration, decay, disrepair, dilapidation, ruination; destruction, demolition, wreckage.
the ruins of a church
remains, remnants, fragments, relics; rubble, debris, wreckage.
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electoral ruin for Labour
downfall, collapse, defeat, undoing, failure, breakdown, ruination; Waterloo.
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shopkeepers are facing ruin
bankruptcy, insolvency, penury, poverty, destitution, impoverishment, indigence; failure.
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ANTONYMS :preservation, triumph, wealth.

verb
don't ruin my plans
wreck, destroy, spoil, mar, blight, shatter, dash, torpedo, scotch, mess up; sabotage; informal screw up, foul up, put the kibosh on, do for, nix, queer; Brit. informal scupper.
the bank's collapse ruined them all
bankrupt, make insolvent, impoverish, pauperize, wipe out, break, cripple; bring someone to their knees.
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a country ruined by civil war
destroy, devastate, lay waste, ravage; raze, demolish, wreck, wipe out , flatten.
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ANTONYMS :save, rebuild.

in ruins
the abbey is in ruins
derelict, ruined, in disrepair, falling to pieces, dilapidated, tumbledown, ramshackle, decrepit, decaying, ruinous.

his career is in ruins
destroyed, ruined, in pieces, in ashes; over, finished; informal in tatters, on the rocks, done for.
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ruined

adjective
derelict, in ruins, dilapidated, ruinous, tumbledown, ramshackle, decrepit, falling to pieces, crumbling, decaying, disintegrating; informal shambly.

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ruinous

adjective
a ruinous trade war
disastrous, devastating, catastrophic, calamitous, crippling, crushing, damaging, destructive, harmful; costly.
ruinous interest rates
extortionate, exorbitant, excessive, sky-high, outrageous, inflated; Brit. over the odds; informal criminal, steep.
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a ruinous chapel.
See ruined.
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rule

noun
health and safety rules
regulation, ruling, directive, order, act, law, statute, edict, canon, mandate, command, dictate, decree, fiat, injunction, commandment, stipulation, requirement, guideline, direction; formal ordinance.
church attendance on Sunday was the general rule
procedure, practice, protocol, convention, norm, routine, custom, habit, wont; formal praxis.
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moderation is the golden rule
precept, principle, standard, axiom, truth, maxim.
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Punjab came under British rule
control, jurisdiction, command, power, dominion; government, administration, sovereignty, leadership, supremacy, authority; raj.
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hegemonic, -cracy, -archy.
verb
El Salvador was ruled by Spain
govern, preside over, control, lead, dominate, run, head, administer, manage.
Mary ruled for six years
be in power, be in control, be in command, be in charge, govern; reign, be monarch, be sovereign.
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the judge ruled that they be set free
decree, order, pronounce, judge, adjudge, ordain; decide, find, determine, resolve, settle.
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subversion ruled
prevail, predominate, be the order of the day, reign supreme; formal obtain.
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as a rule
usually, generally, in general, normally, ordinarily, customarily, for the most part, on the whole, by and large, in the main, mainly, mostly, commonly, typically. rule something out
exclude, eliminate, disregard; preclude, prohibit, prevent, disallow.

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ruler

noun
leader, sovereign, monarch, potentate, king, queen, emperor, empress, prince, princess; crowned head, head of state, president, premier, governor; overlord, chief, chieftain, lord; dictator, autocrat. ANTONYMS :subject.

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ruling

noun
the judge's ruling
judgement, decision, adjudication, finding, verdict; pronouncement, resolution, decree, injunction.
adjective
the ruling monarch
reigning, sovereign, regnant.
Japan's ruling party
governing, controlling, commanding, supreme, leading, dominant, ascendant.
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football was their ruling passion
main, chief, principal, major, prime, dominating, foremost; predominant, central, focal; informal number-one.
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rum

adjective
(Brit. informal, dated). See peculiar sense 1.

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rumble

verb
boom, thunder, roll, roar, resound, reverberate, echo, grumble.

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rumbustious

adjective
(Brit. informal). See boisterous sense 1.

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ruminate

verb
we ruminated on life
think about, contemplate, consider, meditate on, muse on, mull over, ponder on/over, deliberate about/on, chew over, puzzle over; formal cogitate about.
cows ruminating
chew the cud.
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rummage

verb
search, hunt, root about/around, ferret about/around, fish about/around, poke around in, dig, delve, go through, explore, sift through, rifle through; Brit. informal rootle around.

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rumour

noun
gossip, hearsay, talk, tittle-tattle, speculation, word, on dit; (rumours) reports, stories, whispers, canards; informal the grapevine, the word on the street, the buzz; N. Amer. informal scuttlebutt.

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rump

noun
a smack on the rump
rear (end), backside, seat; buttocks, cheeks; Brit. bottom; informal behind, BTM, sit-upon, derrière; Brit. informal bum, botty, jacksie; N. Amer. informal butt, fanny, tush, tail, buns, booty, heinie; humorous fundament, posterior, stern; Anatomy nates.
the rump of the army
remainder, rest, remnant, remains.
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rumple

verb
the sheet was rumpled
crumple, crease, wrinkle, crinkle, ruck (up), scrunch up; Brit. ruckle.
Ian rumpled her hair
ruffle, disarrange, tousle, dishevel, riffle; mess up; N. Amer. informal muss up.
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ANTONYMS :smooth.

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rumpus

noun
disturbance, commotion, uproar, furore, brouhaha, hue and cry, ruckus; fracas, melee, tumult, noise, racket, din; informal to-do, hullabaloo, hoo-ha, kerfuffle, ballyhoo; Brit. informal row, carry-on; Scottish informal stushie.

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run

verb
she ran across the road
sprint, race, dart, rush, dash, hasten, hurry, scurry, scamper, hare, bolt, fly, gallop, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, speed, zoom, go like lightning, go hell for leather, go like the wind; jog, trot; informal tear, pelt, scoot, hotfoot it, leg it, belt, zip, whip; Brit. informal bomb; N. Amer. informal hightail it, barrel.
the robbers turned and ran
flee, run away, run off, run for it, take flight, make off, take off, take to one's heels, make a break for it, bolt, make one's getaway, escape; informal beat it, clear off/out, vamoose, skedaddle, split, leg it, scram; Brit. informal do a runner, scarper, do a bunk; N. Amer. informal light out, take a powder, skidoo; Austral. informal shoot through.
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he ran in the marathon
compete, take part, participate.
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a shiver ran down my spine
go, pass, slide, move, travel.
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he ran his eye down the list
cast, pass, skim, flick.
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the road runs the length of the valley
extend, stretch, reach, continue.
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water ran from the eaves
flow, pour, stream, gush, flood, cascade, roll, course, spill, trickle, drip, dribble, leak.
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a bus runs to Sorrento
travel, shuttle, go.
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I'll run you home
drive, take, bring, ferry, chauffeur, give someone a lift.
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he runs a transport company
be in charge of, manage, direct, control, head, govern, supervise, superintend, oversee; operate, conduct, own.
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it's expensive to run a car
maintain, keep, own, possess, have; drive.
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they ran some tests
carry out, do, perform, execute.
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he left the engine running
operate, function, work, go; tick over, idle.
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the lease runs for twenty years
be valid, last, be in effect, be operative, continue, be effective.
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the show ran for two years
be staged, be performed, be on, be mounted, be screened.
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he ran for president
stand for, be a can didate for, be a contender for.
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the paper ran the story
publish, print, feature, carry, put out, release, issue.
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they run drugs
smuggle, traffic in, deal in.
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they were run out of town
chase, drive, hound.
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noun
his morning run
sprint, jog, dash, gallop, trot.
she did the school run
route, journey; circuit, round, beat.
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a run in the car
drive, ride, turn; trip, excursion, outing, jaunt, airing; informal spin, tootle; Scottish informal hurl.
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an unbeaten run of victories
series, succession, sequence, string, chain, streak, spell, stretch, spate.
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a run on sterling
demand for, rush on.
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they had the run of her home
free use of, unrestricted access to.
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the usual run of cafes
type, kind, sort, variety, class.
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against the run of play, he scored again
trend, tendency, course, direction, movement, drift, tide.
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a chicken run
enclosure, pen, coop.
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a ski run
slope, track, piste; N. Amer. trail.
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a run in her tights
ladder, rip, tear, snag, hole.
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in the long run
eventually, in the end, ultimately, when all is said and done, in the fullness of time; Brit. informal at the end of the day. on the run
on the loose, at large, loose; running away, fleeing, fugitive; informal AWOL; N. Amer. informal on the lam. run across
meet (by chance), come across, run into, chance on, stumble on, happen on; informal bump into. run after (informal)
pursue, chase; make advances to, flirt with; informal make up to, come on to, be all over, vamp; dated set one's cap at. run along (informal)
go away, be off with you, shoo; informal scram, buzz off, skedaddle, scat, beat it, get lost, shove off, clear off; Brit. informal hop it; poetic/literary begone. run around (informal)
be unfaithful, have affairs, philander; informal play the field, sleep around; Brit. informal play away; N. Amer. informal fool around. run away
her attacker ran away.
See run verb sense 2.

she ran away with the championship
win easily, win hands down; informal win by a mile, walk it, romp home.
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run down
decline, degenerate, go downhill, go to seed, decay, go to rack and ruin; informal go to pot, go to the dogs. run someone down
he was run down by joyriders
run over, knock down/over; hit, strike.

she ran him down in front of other people
criticize, denigrate, belittle, disparage, deprecate, find fault with; informal put down, knock, bad-mouth; Brit. informal rubbish, slag off; formal derogate.
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run something down
she finally ran a copy of the book down
find, discover, locate, track down, trace, unearth.

employers ran down their workforces gradually
reduce, cut back on, downsize, decrease, trim; phase out, wind down/up.
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run for it. See run verb sense 2. run high feelings were running high

be strong, be fervent, be passionate, be intense. run in heart disease runs in the family

be common in, be inherent in. run someone in (informal). See arrest verb sense 1. run into
a car ran into his van
collide with, hit, strike, crash into, smash into, plough into, ram, impact.

I ran into Hugo the other day
meet (by chance), run across, chance on, stumble on, happen on; informal bump into.
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we ran into a problem
experience, encounter, meet with, be faced with, be confronted with.
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his debts run into six figures
reach, extend to, be as much as.
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run low supplies were running low

dwindle, diminish, become depleted, be used up, be in short supply, be tight. run off
the youths ran off.
See run verb sense 2.

(informal) he ran off with her money.
See steal verb sense 1.
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run something off
would you run off that list for me?
copy, photocopy, xerox, duplicate, print, produce, do.

run off some of the excess water
drain, bleed, draw off, pump out.
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run on
the call ran on for hours
continue, go on, carry on, last, keep going, stretch.

your mother does run on
talk incessantly, talk a lot, go on, chatter on, ramble on; informal yak, gab, yabber; Brit. informal rabbit on, witter on, chunter on, talk the hind leg off a donkey; N. Amer. informal run off at the mouth.
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run out
supplies ran out
be used up, dry up, be exhausted, be finished, peter out.

they ran out of cash
be out of; use up, consume, eat up; informal be fresh out of, be cleaned out of.
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her contract ran out
expire, end, terminate, finish; lapse.
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run out on someone (informal). See abandon verb sense 3. run over
the bathwater ran over
overflow, spill over, brim over; archaic overbrim.

the project ran over budget
exceed, go over, overshoot, overreach.
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he quickly ran over the story
recapitulate, repeat, run through, go over, reiterate, review; look over, read through; informal recap on.
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run someone over. See run someone down sense 1. run the show (informal)
be in charge, be in control, be at the helm, be in the driving seat, be at the wheel; informal be the boss, call the shots. run through
they quickly ran through their money
squander, spend, fritter away, dissipate, waste, go through, consume, use up; informal blow.

the attitude that runs through his writing
pervade, permeate, suffuse, imbue, inform.
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he ran through his notes.
See run over sense 3.
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let's run through scene three
rehearse, practise, go over, repeat; N. Amer. run down; informal recap on.
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run someone through
stab, pierce, transfix, impale. run to
the bill ran to £22,000
amount to, add up to, total, come to, equal, reach, be as much as.

we can't run to champagne
afford, stretch to, manage.
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he was running to fat
tend to, become, get, grow.
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runaway

noun
a teenage runaway
fugitive, escaper, escapee; refugee; truant; absconder, deserter.
adjective
a runaway horse
out of control, escaped, loose, on the loose.
a runaway victory
easy, effortless; informal as easy as pie.
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runaway inflation
rampant, out of control, unchecked, unbridled.
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rundown

noun
summary, synopsis, precis, run-through, summarization, summation, review, overview, briefing, sketch, outline; informal low-down, recap.

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run down

adjective
a run-down area of London
dilapidated, tumbledown, ramshackle, derelict, ruinous, in ruins, crumbling; neglected, uncared-for, depressed, seedy, shabby, slummy, squalid; informal shambly; Brit. informal grotty.
she was feeling rather run down
unwell, ill, poorly, unhealthy, peaky; tired, drained, exhausted, fatigued, worn out, below par, washed out; Brit. off colour; informal under the weather; Brit. informal off, ropy, knackered; Scottish informal wabbit; Austral./NZ informal crook; dated seedy.
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run-in

noun
(informal) disagreement, argument, dispute, altercation, confrontation, contretemps, quarrel; brush, encounter, tangle, fight, clash; informal set-to, spat, scrap; Brit. informal row.

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runner

noun
the runners were limbering up
athlete, sprinter, hurdler, racer, jogger.
a strawberry runner
shoot, offshoot, sprout, tendril; Botany stolon.
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the bookmaker employed runners
messenger, courier, errand boy; informal gofer.
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do a runner (Brit. informal). See abscond.

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running

noun
his running was particularly fast
sprinting, sprint, racing, jogging, jog.
the running of the school
administration, management, organization, coordination, orchestration, handling, direction, control, regulation, supervision.
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the smooth running of her department
operation, working, function, performance.
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adjective
running water
flowing, gushing, rushing, moving.
a running argument
ongoing, sustained, continuous, incessant, ceaseless, constant, perpetual; recurrent, recurring.
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she was late two days running
in succession, in a row, in sequence, consecutively; straight, together; informal on the trot.
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in the running he's in the running for a prize

likely to get, a candidate for, in line for, on the shortlist for, up for.

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runny

adjective
liquefied, liquid, fluid, melted, molten; watery, thin. ANTONYMS :solid.

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run-of-the-mill

adjective
ordinary, average, middle-of-the-road, commonplace, humdrum, mundane, standard, nondescript, characterless, conventional; unremarkable, unexceptional, uninteresting, dull, boring, routine, bland, lacklustre; N. Amer. garden-variety; informal bog-standard, nothing to write home about, nothing special, a dime a dozen; Brit. informal common or garden. ANTONYMS :exceptional.

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rupture

noun
pipeline ruptures
break, fracture, crack, burst, split, fissure.
a rupture due to personal differences
rift, estrangement, falling-out, break-up, breach, split, separation, parting, division, schism; informal bust-up.
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an abdominal rupture
hernia.
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verb
the reactor core might rupture
break, fracture, crack, breach, burst, split; informal bust.
the problem ruptured their relationships
sever, break off, breach, disrupt; poetic/literary sunder.
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rural

adjective
country, countryside, bucolic, rustic, pastoral; agricultural, agrarian; poetic/literary sylvan, georgic. ANTONYMS :urban.

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ruse

noun
ploy, stratagem, tactic, scheme, trick, gambit, cunning plan, dodge, subterfuge, machination, wile; Brit. informal wheeze.

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rush

verb
she rushed home
hurry, dash, run, race, sprint, bolt, dart, gallop, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, fly, speed, zoom, scurry, scuttle, scamper, hasten; informal tear, belt, pelt, scoot, zip, whip, hotfoot it, leg it; Brit. informal bomb; N. Amer. informal hightail it.
water rushed along gutters
flow, pour, gush, surge, stream, cascade, run, course.
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the tax was rushed through parliament
push, hurry, hasten, speed, hustle, press, force.
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they rushed the cordon of troops
attack, charge, run at, assail, storm.
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noun
Tim made a rush for the exit
dash, run, sprint, dart, bolt, charge, scramble, break.
the lunchtime rush
hustle and bustle, commotion, hubbub, hurly-burly, stir.
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a last minute rush for flights
demand, clamour, call, request; run on.
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he was in no rush to leave
hurry, haste, urgency.
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a rus h of adrenalin
surge, flow, flood, spurt, stream; dart, thrill, flash.
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a rush of cold air
gust, draught, flurry.
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I made a sudden rush at him
charge, onslaught, attack, assault, onrush.
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adjective
a rush job
urgent, high-priority, emergency; hurried, hasty, fast, quick, swift; N. Amer. informal hurry-up.

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rushed

adjective
a rushed divorce
hasty, fast, speedy, quick, swift, rapid, hurried.
he was too rushed to enjoy his stay
pushed for time, pressed for time, busy, in a hurry, run off one's feet.
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rust

verb
corrode, oxidize, become rusty, tarnish. ferruginous.

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rustic

adjective
a rustic setting
rural, country, countryside, countrified, pastoral, bucolic; agricultural, agrarian; poetic/literary sylvan, georgic.
rustic wooden tables
plain, simple, homely, unsophisticated; rough, rude, crude.
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rustic peasants
unsophisticated, uncultured, unrefined, simple; artless, unassuming, guileless, naive, ingenuous; coarse, rough, uncouth, boorish; N. Amer. informal hillbilly, hick.
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ANTONYMS :urban, ornate, sophisticated.

noun
the rustics were carousing
peasant, countryman, countrywoman, bumpkin, yokel, country cousin; N. Amer. informal hillbilly, hayseed, hick; Austral./NZ informal bushy; archaic swain, cottier.

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rustle

verb
her dress rustled as she moved
swish, whoosh, whisper, sigh.
he was rustling cattle
steal, thieve, take; abduct, kidnap.
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noun
the rustle of the leaves
swish, whisper, rustling; poetic/literary susurration, susurrus.
rustle something up (informal)
prepare hastily, throw together, make; informal fix; Brit. informal knock up.

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rusty

adjective
rusty wire
rusted, rust-covered, corroded, oxidized; tarnished, discoloured.
his hair was a rusty colour
reddish-brown, chestnut, auburn, tawny, russet, coppery, copper, Titian, red.
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my French is a little rusty
out of practice, below par; unpractised, deficient, impaired, weak.
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rut

noun
the car bumped across the ruts
furrow, groove, trough, ditch, hollow, pothole, crater.
he was stuck in a rut
boring routine, humdrum existence, groove, dead end.
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ruthless

adjective
merciless, pitiless, cruel, heartless, hard-hearted, cold-hearted, cold-blooded, harsh, callous, unmerciful, unforgiving, uncaring, unsympathetic, uncharitable; remorseless, unbending, inflexible, implacable; brutal, inhuman, inhumane, barbarous, barbaric, savage, sadistic, vicious. ANTONYMS :merciful.

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S

sable

adjective
black, jet-black, pitch-black, ebony, raven, sooty, dusky, inky, coal-black.

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sabotage

noun
vandalism, wrecking, destruction, impairment, incapacitation, damage; subversion, obstruction, disruption, spoiling, undermining; Brit. informal a spanner in the works.
verb
vandalize, wreck, damage, destroy, cripple, impair, incapacitate; obstruct, disrupt, spoil, ruin, undermine, threaten, subvert.

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sac

noun
bag, pouch; Medicine blister, cyst; Anatomy bladder, bursa, saccule, vesicle.

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saccharine

adjective
sentimental, sickly, mawkish, cloying, sugary, sickening, nauseating; informal mushy, slushy, schmaltzy, weepy, gooey, drippy, cheesy, corny, toe-curling; Brit. informal soppy, twee; N. Amer. informal cornball, sappy.

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sack 1

noun
a sack of flour
bag, pouch, pocket, pack.
(informal) work hard or you'll get the sack
dismissal, discharge, redundancy; informal the boot, the bullet, the axe, the heave-ho, one's marching orders, the elbow, the push; Brit. informal one's cards.
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(informal) she stayed in the sack
bed; informal kip; Brit. informal pit.
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verb
(informal) she was sacked for stealing
dismiss, discharge, lay off, make redundant, let go, throw out; Military cashier; informal fire, kick out, boot out, give someone the bullet, give someone the sack, give someone their marching orders, show someone the door, send packing; Brit. informal give someone their cards.
hit the sack (informal)
go to bed, retire, go to sleep; informal turn in, hit the hay.

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sack 2

verb
raiders sacked the town
ravage, lay waste, devastate, raid, ransack, strip, plunder, despoil, pillage, loot, rob.

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sackcloth

noun
hessian, sacking, hopsack, burlap; N. Amer. gunny.
wearing sackcloth and ashes
penitent, contrite, regretful, sorrowful, rueful, remorseful, apologetic, ashamed, guilt-ridden, chastened, shamefaced, self-reproachful, guilty.

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sacred

adjective
the priest entered the sacred place
holy, hallowed, blessed, consecrated, sanctified, venerated, revered; archaic blest.
sacred music
religious, spiritual, devotional, church, ecclesiastical.
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the hill is sacred to the tribe
sacrosanct, inviolable, inviolate, invulnerable, untouchable, protected, defended, secure.
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hiero-. ANTONYMS :secular, profane.

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sacrifice

noun
the sacrifice of animals
ritual slaughter, offering, oblation, immolation.
the calf was a sacrifice
(votive) offering, burnt offering, gift, oblation.
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the sacrifice of sovereignty
surrender, giving up, abandonment, renunciation, forfeiture, relinquishment, resignation, abdication.
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verb
two goats were sacrificed
offer up, immolate, slaughter.
he sacrificed his principles
give up, abandon, surrender, forgo, renounce, forfeit, relinquish, resign, abdicate; betray.
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sacrificial

adjective
votive, oblatory, oblational; expiatory, propitiatory.

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sacrilege

noun
desecration, profanity, profanation, blasphemy, impiety, irreligion, unholiness, irreverence, disrespect. ANTONYMS :piety.

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sacrilegious

adjective
profane, blasphemous, impious, sinful, irreverent, irreligious, unholy, disrespectful.

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sacrosanct

adjective
sacred, hallowed, respected, inviolable, inviolate, unimpeachable, invulnerable, untouchable, inalienable; protected, defended, secure, safe.

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sad

adjective
we felt sad when we left
unhappy, sorrowful, dejected, depressed, downcast, miserable, down, despondent, despairing, disconsolate, desolate, wretched, glum, gloomy, doleful, dismal, melancholy, mournful, woebegone, forlorn, crestfallen, heartbroken, inconsolable; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps.
they knew her sad story
tragic, unhappy, unfortunate, awful, miserable, wretched, sorry, pitiful, pathetic, traumatic, heartbreaking, heart-rending, harrowing.
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a sad state of affairs
unfortunate, regrettable, sorry, deplorable, lamentable, pitiful, shameful, disgraceful.
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ANTONYMS :happy, cheerful, fortunate.

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sadden

verb
depress, dispirit, deject, dishearten, grieve, desolate, discourage, upset, get down, bring down, break someone's heart.

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saddle

verb
they were saddled with the children
burden, encumber, lumber, hamper; land, charge; impose something on, thrust something on, fob something off on to.

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sadism

noun
callousness, schadenfreude, barbarity, brutality, cruelty, cold-bloodedness, inhumanity, ruthlessness, heartlessness; perversion.

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sadistic

adjective
callous, barbarous, vicious, brutal, cruel, fiendish, cold-blooded, inhuman, ruthless, heartless; perverted.

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sadness

noun
unhappiness, sorrow, dejection, depression, misery, despondency, despair, desolation, wretchedness, gloom, gloominess, dolefulness, melancholy, mournfulness, woe, heartache, grief.

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safe

adjective
the jewels are safe in the bank
secure, protected, shielded, sheltered, guarded, out of harm's way.
the lost children are all safe
unharmed, unhurt, uninjured, unscathed, all right, well, in one piece, out of danger; informal OK.
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a safe place to hide
secure, sound, impregnable, unassailable, invulnerable.
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a safe driver
cautious, circumspect, prudent, attentive; unadventurous, conservative, unenterprising.
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the drug is safe
harmless, innocuous, benign, non-toxic, non-poisonous; wholesome.
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ANTONYMS :insecure, dangerous, reckless, harmful.

noun
I keep the ring in a safe
strongbox, safety-deposit box, safe-deposit box, coffer, casket; strongroom, vault.

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safeguard

noun
a safeguard against crises
protection, defence, guard, screen, buffer, preventive, precaution, provision, security; surety, cover, insurance, indemnity.
verb
the contract will safeguard 1000 jobs
protect, preserve, conserve, save, secure, shield, guard, keep safe. ANTONYMS :jeopardize.

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safety

noun
the safety of the residents
welfare, well-being, protection, security.
the safety of ferries
security, soundness, dependability, reliability.
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we reached the safety of the shore
shelter, sanctuary, refuge.
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sag

verb
he sagged back in his chair
sink, slump, loll, flop, crumple.
the floors all sag
dip, droop; bulge, bag.
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production has sagged
decline, fall (off), drop, decrease, diminish, slump, plummet; informal nosedive.
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saga

noun
Celtic tribal sagas
epic, chronicle, legend, folk tale, romance, history, narrative, adventure, myth, fairy story.
the saga of how they met
long story, rigmarole; chain of events; informal spiel.
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sagacious

adjective
wise, clever, intelligent, knowledgeable, sensible, sage; discerning, judicious, canny, perceptive, astute, shrewd, prudent, thoughtful, insightful, perspicacious; informal streetwise; formal sapient. ANTONYMS :foolish.

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sage

noun
the Chinese sage Confucius
wise man/woman, learned person, philosopher, thinker, scholar, savant; authority, expert, guru.
adjective
some very sage comments.
See sagacious.

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sail

noun
the ship's sails
canvas.
verb
we sailed across the Atlantic
voyage, travel by water, steam, navigate, cruise.
you can learn to sail here
yacht, boat, go sailing; crew, helm.
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we sail tonight
set sail, put to sea, leave port, hoist sail, weigh anchor, shove off.
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he is sailing the ship
steer, pilot, navigate, con, helm, captain; informal skipper.
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clouds were sailing past
glide, drift, float, flow, sweep, skim, coast, flit.
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a pencil sailed past his ear
whizz, speed, streak, shoot, whip, buzz, zoom, flash; fly, wing, soar; informal zip.
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sail into
attack, set upon, set about, fall on, assault, assail, lay into, pitch into, hit out at, thump, batter, pummel, beat, thrash, belabour; berate, abuse, round on; informal let someone have it; Brit. informal have a go at; N. Amer. informal light into. sail through
succeed easily at , pass easily, romp through, walk through.

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sailor

noun
seaman, seafarer, mariner; boatman, yachtsman, yachtswoman; hand; informal (old) salt, sea dog, bluejacket; Brit. informal matelot; Brit. informal, dated Jack tar.

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saintly

adjective
holy, godly, pious, religious, devout, spiritual, prayerful; virtuous, righteous, good, moral, innocent, sinless, guiltless, irreproachable, spotless, uncorrupted, pure, angelic. ANTONYMS :ungodly.

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sake

noun
this is simplified for the sake of clarity
purpose, reason, aim, end, objective, object, goal, motive.
she had to be brave for the her daughter's sake
benefit, advantage, good, well-being, welfare, interest, profit.
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salacious

adjective
salacious writing
pornographic, obscene, indecent, crude, lewd, vulgar, dirty, filthy; erotic, titillating, arousing, suggestive, sexy, risqué, ribald, smutty, bawdy; X-rated; informal porn, porno, blue; euphemistic adult.
salacious women
lustful, lecherous, licentious, lascivious, libidinous, prurient, lewd; debauched, wanton, loose, fast, impure, unchaste, degenerate, sinful, depraved, promiscuous; informal randy, horny, raunchy, pervy.
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salary

noun
pay, wages, earnings, payment, remuneration, fee(s), stipend, income; formal emolument.

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sale

noun
the sale of firearms
selling, vending; dealing, trading.
they make a sale every minute
deal, transaction, bargain.
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ANTONYMS :purchase.

for sale
on the market, on sale, on offer, available, purchasable, obtainable.

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salesperson

noun
sales assistant, salesman, saleswoman, shop assistant, seller, agent; shopkeeper, trader, merchant, dealer, pedlar, hawker; N. Amer. clerk; informal counter-jumper, rep.

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salient

adjective
important, main, principal, major, chief, primary; notable, noteworthy, outstanding, conspicuous, striking, noticeable, obvious, remarkable, prominent, predominant, dominant; key, crucial, vital, essential, pivotal, prime, central, paramount. ANTONYMS :minor.

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saliva

noun
spit, spittle, dribble, drool, slaver, slobber, sputum.

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sallow

adjective
yellowish, jaundiced, pallid, wan, pale, anaemic, bloodless, pasty; unhealthy, sickly, washed out, peaky; informal like death warmed up.

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sally

noun
the garrison made a sally against us
sortie, charge, foray, thrust, drive, offensive, attack, assault, raid, incursion, invasion, onset, onslaught.
a fruitless sally into Wales
expedition, excursion, trip, outing, jaunt, visit.
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he was delighted with his sally
witticism, smart remark, quip, barb, pleasantry; joke, pun, jest, bon mot; retort, riposte, counter, rejoinder; informal gag, wisecrack, comeback.
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salon

noun
a hairdressing salon
shop, parlour, establishment, premises; boutique, store.
the chateau's mirrored salon
reception room, drawing room, sitting room, living room, lounge; dated parlour.
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salt

noun
the potatoes need salt
sodium chloride.
(poetic/literary) danger is the salt of pleasure
zest, spice, piquancy, bite, edge; vitality, spirit, sparkle; informal zing, punch.
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saline.
adjective
salt water
salty, salted, saline, briny, brackish.
salt something away (informal)
save, put aside, put by, set aside, reserve, keep, store, stockpile, hoard, stow away; informal squirrel away, stash away. with a pinch of salt
with reservations, with misgivings, sceptically, cynically, doubtfully, doubtingly, suspiciously, quizzically, incredulously.

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salty

adjective
salty water
salt, salted, saline, briny, brackish.
a salty sense of humour
earthy, colourful, spicy, racy, naughty, vulgar, rude; piquant, biting.
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salubrious

adjective
I found the climate salubrious
healthy, health-giving, healthful, beneficial, wholesome; archaic salutary.
a salubrious area of London
pleasant, agreeable, nice, select, high-class; Brit. upmarket; informal posh, swanky, classy; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal swank.
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ANTONYMS :unhealthy, unpleasant.

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salutary

adjective
a salutary lesson on the fragility of nature
beneficial, advantageous, good, profitable, productive, helpful, useful, valuable, worthwhile; timely.
(archaic) the salutary Atlantic air
healthy, health-giving, healthful, salubrious, beneficial.
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ANTONYMS :unwelcome, unhealthy.

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salutation

noun
greeting, salute, address, welcome.

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salute

noun
he gave the Brigadier a salute
greeting, salutation, gesture of respect, obeisance, acknowledgement, welcome, address.
a salute to British courage
tribute, testimonial, homage, toast, honour, eulogy; celebration of, acknowledgement of.
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verb
he saluted the ambassadors
greet, address, hail, welcome, acknowledge, toast; make obeisance to.
we salute a great photographer
pay tribute to, pay homage to, honour, celebrate, acknowledge, take one's hat off to.
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salvage

verb
an attempt to salvage the vessel
rescue, save, recover, retrieve, raise, reclaim.
he salvaged a precious point for his club
retain, preserve, conserve; regain, recoup, redeem, snatch.
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noun
the salvage is taking place off the coast
rescue, recovery, reclamation.

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salvation

noun
salvation by way of repentance
redemption, deliverance, reclamation.
that conviction was her salvation
lifeline, preservation; means of escape, help.
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ANTONYMS :damnation.

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salve

noun
lip salve
ointment, cream, balm, unguent, emollient; embrocation, liniment; archaic unction.
verb
she did it to salve her conscience
soothe, assuage, ease, allay, lighten, alleviate, comfort, mollify.

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salver

noun
platter, plate, dish, paten, tray; archaic charger.

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same

adjective
we stayed at the same hotel
identical, selfsame, very same, one and the same.
they had the same symptoms
matching, identical, alike, duplicate, carbon-copy, twin; indistinguishable, interchangeable, corresponding, equivalent, parallel, like, comparable, similar, congruent, concordant, consonant.
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it happened that same month
selfsame; aforesaid, aforementioned.
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they provide the same menu worldwide
unchanging, unvarying, unvaried, invariable, consistent, uniform, regular.
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homo-. ANTONYMS :another, different, dissimilar, varying.

noun
Louise said the same
the same thing, the aforementioned, the aforesaid, the above-mentioned.
all the same
I was frightened all the same
in spite of everything, despite that, nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, however, but, still, yet, though, be that as it may, just the same, at the same time, in any event, notwithstanding, regardless, anyway, anyhow; informal still and all.

it's all the same to me
immaterial, of no importance, of no consequence, inconsequential, unimportant, of little account, irrelevant, insignificant, trivial, petty.
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sample

noun
a sample of the fabric
specimen, example, bit, snippet, swatch, exemplification, representative piece; prototype, test piece, dummy, pilot, trial, taste, taster, tester.
a sample of 10,000 people nationwide
cross section, variety, sampling, test.
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verb
we sampled the culinary offerings
try (out), taste, test, put to the test, experiment with; appraise, evaluate; informal check out.
adjective
the sample group is small
representative, illustrative, selected, specimen, test, trial, typical.
a sample copy can be obtained
specimen, test, trial, pilot, dummy.
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sanatorium

noun
infirmary, clinic, hospital, medical centre, hospice; sickbay, sickroom; N. Amer. sanitarium; informal san.

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sanctify

verb
he came to sanctify the site
consecrate, bless, make holy, hallow, make sacred, dedicate to God.
they sanctified themselves
purify, cleanse, free from sin, absolve, unburden, redeem; rare lustrate.
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we must not sanctify this outrage
approve, sanction, condone, vindicate, endorse, support, back, permit, allow, authorize, legitimize, legitimatize.
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sanctimonious

adjective
self-righteous, holier-than-thou, pious, pietistic, churchy, moralizing, smug, superior, priggish, hypocritical, insincere; informal goody-goody, pi.

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sanction

noun
trade sanctions
penalty, punishment, deterrent; punitive action, discipline, penalization, restriction; embargo, ban, prohibition, boycott.
the scheme has the sanction of the court
authorization, consent, leave, permission, authority, warrant, licence, dispensation, assent, acquiescence, agreement, approval, approbation, endorsement, accreditation, ratification, validation, blessing, imprimatur; informal the go-ahead, the thumbs up, the OK, the green light.
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ANTONYMS :reward, prohibition.

verb
the rally was sanctioned by the government
authorize, permit, allow, warrant, accredit, license, endorse, approve, accept, back, support; informal OK.
the penalties available to sanction crime
punish, discipline someone for.
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ANTONYMS :prohibit.

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sanctity

noun
the sanctity of St Francis
holiness, godliness, blessedness, saintliness, spirituality, piety, piousness, devoutness, righteousness, goodness, virtue, purity; formal sanctitude.
the sanctity of the family meal
sacrosanctity, inviolability; importance, paramountcy.
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sanctuary

noun
the sanctuary at Delphi
holy place, temple; shrine, altar; sanctum, sacrarium, holy of holies, sanctum sanctorum.
the island is our sanctuary
refuge, haven, harbour, port in a storm, oasis, shelter, retreat, bolt-hole, hideaway, fastness.
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he was given sanctuary in the embassy
safety, protection, shelter, immunity, asylum.
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a bird sanctuary
reserve, park, reservation, preserve.
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sanctum

noun
the sanctum in the temple
holy place, shrine, sanctuary, holy of holies, sanctum sanctorum.
a private sanctum for the bar's regulars
refuge, retreat, bolt-hole, hideout, hideaway, den.
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sand

noun
she ran across the sand
beach, sands, shore, seashore; (sand) dunes; poetic/literary strand.

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sane

adjective
the accused is presumed to be sane
of sound mind, in one's right mind, compos mentis, lucid, rational, balanced, stable, normal; informal all there.
it isn't sane to use nuclear weapons
sensible, practical, advisable, responsible, realistic, prudent, wise, reasonable, rational, level-headed, commonsensical, judicious, politic.
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ANTONYMS :mad, foolish.

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sangfroid

noun
composure, equanimity, self-possession, equilibrium, aplomb, poise, self-assurance, self-control, nerve, calm, presence of mind; informal cool, unflappability.

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sanguine

adjective
he is sanguine about the advance of technology
optimistic, bullish, hopeful, buoyant, positive, confident, cheerful, cheery; informal upbeat.
(archaic) a sanguine complexion.
See florid sense 1.
Top
ANTONYMS :gloomy.

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sanitary

adjective
hygienic, clean, antiseptic, aseptic, sterile, uninfected, disinfected, unpolluted, uncontaminated; salubrious, healthy, wholesome.

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sanitize

verb
the best way to sanitize a bottle
sterilize, disinfect, clean, cleanse, purify, fumigate, decontaminate.
the diaries have not been sanitized
make presentable, make acceptable, make palatable, clean up; expurgate, bowdlerize, censor.
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sanity

noun
she was losing her sanity
mental health, faculties, reason, rationality, saneness, stability, lucidity; sense, wits, mind.
sanity has prevailed
(common) sense, wisdom, prudence, judiciousness, rationality, soundness, sensibleness.
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sap 1

noun
sap from the roots of trees
juice, secretion, fluid, liquid.
they're full of youthful sap
vigour, energy, drive, dynamism, life, spirit, liveliness, sparkle, verve, ebullience, enthusiasm, gusto, vitality, vivacity, fire, zest, zeal, exuberance; informal get-up-and-go, oomph, vim.
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verb
they sapped the will of the troops
erode, wear away/down, deplete, reduce, lessen, attenuate, undermine, exhaust, drain, bleed.

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sap 2

noun
(informal) he fell for it what a sap!
See idiot.

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sarcasm

noun
derision, mockery, ridicule, scorn, sneering, scoffing; irony.

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sarcastic

adjective
sardonic, ironic, ironical; derisive, snide, scornful, contemptuous, mocking, sneering, jeering; caustic, scathing, trenchant, cutting, sharp, acerbic; Brit. informal sarky; N. Amer. informal snarky.

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sardonic

adjective
mocking, satirical, sarcastic, ironical, ironic; cynical, scornful, contemptuous, derisive, derisory, sneering, jeering; scathing, caustic, trenchant, cutting, sharp, acerbic; Brit. informal sarky.

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sash

noun
belt, cummerbund, waistband, girdle, obi; poetic/literary cincture.

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Satan

noun
. See devil sense 1.

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satanic

adjective
diabolical, fiendish, devilish, demonic, demoniacal, ungodly, hellish, infernal, wicked, evil, sinful, iniquitous, nefarious, vile, foul, abominable, unspeakable, loathsome, monstrous, heinous, hideous, horrible, horrifying, shocking, appalling, dreadful, awful, terrible, ghastly, abhorrent, despicable, damnable.

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sate

verb
. See satiate.

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satellite

noun
the European Space Agency's ERS-1 satellite
space station, space capsule, spacecraft; sputnik.
the two small satellites of Mars
moon, secondary planet.
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Bulgaria was then a Russian satellite
dependency, colony, protectorate, possession, holding; historical fief, vassal.
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adjective
a satellite state
dependent, subordinate, subsidiary; puppet.

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satiate

verb
fill, satisfy, sate; slake, quench; gorge, stuff, surfeit, glut, cloy, sicken, nauseate.

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satiety

noun
satiation, satisfaction, repleteness, repletion, fullness; surfeit.

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satiny

adjective
smooth, shiny, glossy, shining, gleaming, lustrous, sleek, silky.

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satire

noun
a satire on American politics
parody, burlesque, caricature, lampoon, skit, pasquinade; informal spoof, take-off, send-up.
he has become the subject of satire
mockery, ridicule, derision, scorn, caricature; irony, sarcasm.
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satirical

adjective
mocking, ironic, ironical, satiric, sarcastic, sardonic; caustic, trenchant, mordant, biting, cutting, stinging, acerbic; critical, irreverent, disparaging, disrespectful.

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satirize

verb
mock, ridicule, deride, make fun of, poke fun at, parody, lampoon, burlesque, caricature, take off; criticize; informal send up, take the mickey out of.

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satisfaction

noun
he derived great satisfaction from his work
contentment, content, pleasure, gratification, fulfilment, enjoyment, happiness, pride; self-satisfaction, smugness, complacency.
the satisfaction of consumer needs
fulfilment, gratification; appeasement, assuaging.
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investors turned to the courts for satisfaction
compensation, recompense, redress, reparation, restitution, repayment, payment, settlement, reimbursement, indemnification, indemnity.
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satisfactory

adjective
adequate, all right, acceptable, good enough, sufficient, reasonable, quite good, competent, fair, decent, average, passable; fine, in order, up to scratch, up to the mark, up to standard, up to par; informal OK, so-so. ANTONYMS :inadequate, poor.

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satisfied

adjective
a satisfied smile
pleased, well pleased, content, contented, happy, proud, triumphant; smug, self-satisfied, pleased with oneself, complacent; Brit. informal like the cat that's got the cream.
the pleasure of satisfied desire
fulfilled, gratified.
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I am satisfied that she is happy with the decision
convinced, certain, sure, positive, persuaded, easy in one's mind.
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ANTONYMS :discontented, unhappy.

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satisfy

verb
a last chance to satisfy his hunger for romance
fulfil, gratify, meet, fill; indulge, cater to, pander to; appease, assuage; quench, slake, satiate, sate, take the edge off.
she satisfied herself that it had been an accident
convince, persuade, assure; reassure, put someone's mind at rest.
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products which satisfy the EC's criteria
comply with, meet, fulfil, answer, conform to; measure up to, come up to; suffice, be good enough, fit/fill the bill.
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there was insufficient collateral to satisfy the loan
repay, pay (off), settle, make good, discharge, square, liquidate, clear.
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ANTONYMS :frustrate.

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satisfying

adjective
fulfilling, rewarding, gratifying, pleasing, enjoyable, pleasurable, to one's liking.

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saturate

verb
heavy rain saturated the ground
soak, drench, waterlog, wet through; souse, steep, douse.
the air was saturated with the stench of joss sticks
permeate, suffuse, imbue, pervade, charge, infuse, fill.
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the company has saturated the market
flood, glut, oversupply, overfill, overload.
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saturated

adjective
his trousers were saturated
soaked, soaking (wet), wet through, sopping (wet), sodden, dripping, wringing wet, drenched; soaked to the skin, like a drowned rat.
the saturated ground
waterlogged, soggy, squelchy, heavy, muddy, boggy.
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ANTONYMS :dry.

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saturnine

adjective
a saturnine temperament
gloomy, sombre, melancholy, moody, lugubrious, dour, glum, morose, unsmiling, humourless.
his saturnine good looks
swarthy, dark, dark-skinned, dark-complexioned; mysterious, mercurial, moody.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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sauce

noun
a piquant sauce
relish, condiment, ketchup; dip, dressing; jus, coulis.
(Brit. informal) "I'll have less of your sauce," said Aunt Edie
impudence, impertinence, cheek, cheekiness, effrontery, forwardness, brazenness; insolence, rudeness, disrespect; informal mouth, lip; N. Amer. informal sassiness.
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saucepan

noun
pan, pot, casserole, skillet, stockpot, stewpot; billy, billycan.

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saucy

adjective
(informal) (Brit.) saucy postcards
suggestive, titillating, risqué, rude, bawdy, racy, ribald, spicy; informal raunchy, smutty, nudge-nudge; Brit. informal fruity; N. Amer. informal gamy.
you saucy little minx!
cheeky, impudent, impertinent, irreverent, forward, disrespectful, bold, as bold as brass, brazen; informal fresh, lippy, mouthy; N. Amer. informal sassy; archaic malapert.
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(N. Amer.) the cap sat at a saucy angle on her black hair
jaunty, rakish, sporty, raffish.
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ANTONYMS :demure, polite.

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saunter

verb
stroll, amble, wander, meander, drift, walk; stretch one's legs, take the air; informal mosey, tootle; Brit. informal pootle; formal promenade.

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savage

adjective
savage dogs
ferocious, fierce; wild, untamed, undomesticated, feral.
a savage assault
vicious, brutal, cruel, sadistic, ferocious, fierce, violent, bloody, murderous, homicidal, bloodthirsty; poetic/literary fell; archaic sanguinary.
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a savage attack on European free-trade policy
fierce, blistering, scathing, searing, stinging, devastating, mordant, trenchant, caustic, cutting, biting, withering, virulent, vitriolic.
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a savage race
primitive, uncivilized, unenlightened, non-literate, in a state of nature.
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a savage landscape
rugged, rough, wild, inhospitable, uninhabitable.
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a savage blow for the town
severe, crushing, devastating, crippling, terrible, awful, dreadful, dire, catastrophic, calamitous, ruinous.
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ANTONYMS :tame, mild, civilized.

noun
she'd expected mud huts and savages
barbarian, wild man, wild woman, primitive.
she described her son's assailants as savages
brute, beast, monster, barbarian, sa dist, animal.
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verb
he was savaged by a dog
maul, attack, tear to pieces, lacerate, claw, bite.
critics savaged the film
criticize severely, attack, lambaste, condemn, denounce, pillory, revile; informal pan, tear to pieces, hammer, slam, do a hatchet job on, crucify; Brit. informal slate, rubbish; N. Amer. informal trash; Austral./NZ informal bag, monster; formal excoriate.
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savant

noun
intellectual, scholar, sage, philosopher, thinker, wise/learned person; guru, master, pandit. ANTONYMS :ignoramus.

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save

verb
the captain was saved by his crew
rescue, come to someone's rescue, save someone's life; set free, free, liberate, deliver, extricate; bail out; informal save someone's bacon/neck/skin.
the farmhouse has been saved from demolition
preserve, keep safe, keep, protect, safeguard; salvage, retrieve, reclaim, rescue.
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start saving old newspapers for wrapping china
put aside, set aside, put by, put to one side, save up, keep, retain, reserve, conserve, stockpile, store, hoard, save for a rainy day; informal salt away, squirrel away, stash away, hang on to.
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asking me first would have saved a lot of trouble
prevent, obviate, forestall, spare; stop; avoid, avert.
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preposition & conjunction
(formal) no one needed to know save herself
except, apart from, but, other than, besides, aside from, bar, barring, excluding, leaving out, saving; informal outside of.

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saving

noun
a considerable saving in development costs
reduction, cut, decrease, economy.
I'll have to use some of my savings
nest egg, money put by for a rainy day, life savings; capital, assets, funds, resources, reserves.
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saving grace

noun
redeeming feature, good point, thing in its/one's favour, advantage, asset, selling point.

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saviour

noun
the country's saviour
rescuer, liberator, deliverer, emancipator; champion, knight in shining armour, friend in need, good Samaritan.
the Saviour is depicted with two archangels
Christ, Jesus (Christ), the Redeemer, the Messiah, Our Lord, the Lamb of God, the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Prince of Peace.
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savoir faire

noun
social skill, social grace(s), urbanity, suavity, finesse, sophistication, poise, aplomb, adroitness, polish, style, smoothness, tact, tactfulness, diplomacy, discretion, delicacy, sensitivity; informal savvy. ANTONYMS :gaucheness.

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savour

verb
she wanted to savour every moment
relish, enjoy (to the full), appreciate, delight in, revel in, smack one's lips over, luxuriate in, bask in.
such a declaration savoured of immodesty
suggest, smack of, have the hallmarks of, seem like, have the air of, show signs of.
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noun
the subtle savour of wood smoke
smell, aroma, fragrance, scent, perfume, bouquet; taste, flavour, tang, smack.
a savour of bitterness seasoned my feelings for him
trace, hint, suggestion, touch, smack.
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her usual diversions had lost their savour
piquancy, interest, attraction, flavour, spice, zest, excitement, enjoyment; informal zing.
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savoury

adjective
sweet or savoury dishes
salty, spicy, piquant, tangy.
a rich, savoury aroma
appetizing, mouth-watering, delicious, delectable, luscious; tasty, flavoursome, flavourful, palatable, toothsome; informal scrumptious, finger-licking, yummy, scrummy, moreish.
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one of the less savoury aspects of the affair
acceptable, pleasant, respectable, wholesome, honourable, proper, seemly.
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ANTONYMS :sweet, unappetizing.

noun
cocktail savouries
canapé, hors d'oeuvre, appetizer, titbit.

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savvy (informal)

noun
his political savvy.
See acumen.
adjective
a savvy investor.
See shrewd.

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saw

noun
saying, maxim, proverb, aphorism, axiom, adage, apophthegm, epigram, gnome.

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say

verb
she felt her stomach flutter as he said her name
speak, utter, voice, pronounce, give voice to, vocalize.
"I must go," she said
declare, state, announce, remark, observe, mention, comment, note, add; reply, respond, answer, rejoin; informal come out with.
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Newall says he's innocent
claim, maintain, assert, hold, insist, contend; allege, profess; formal opine, aver; rare asseverate.
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I can't conjure up the words to say how I feel
express, put into words, phrase, articulate, communicate, make known, put/get across, convey, verbalize; reveal, divulge, impart, disclose; imply, suggest.
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they sang hymns and said a prayer
recite, repeat, utter, deliver, perform, declaim, orate.
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the dial of her watch said one twenty
indicate, show, read.
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I'd say it's about five miles
estimate, judge, guess, hazard a guess, predict, speculate, surmise, conjecture, venture; informal reckon.
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let's say you'd just won a million pounds
suppose, assume, imagine, presume, hypothesize, postulate, posit.
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noun
everyone is entitled to their say
chance to speak, turn to speak, opinion, view, voice; informal twopence worth, twopenn'orth.
don't I have any say in the matter?
influence, sway, weight, voice, input, share, part.
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that is to say
in other words, to put it another way; i.e., that is, to wit, viz, namely. to say the least
to put it mildly, putting it mildly, without any exaggeration, at the very least.

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saying

noun
proverb, maxim, aphorism, axiom, adage, saw, tag, motto, apophthegm, epigram, dictum, gnome; expression, phrase, formula; slogan, catchphrase; platitude, cliché, commonplace, truism.
it goes without saying
of course, naturally, needless to say, it's taken for granted, it's understood/assumed, it's taken as read, it's an accepted fact; obviously, self-evidently, manifestly; informal natch.

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say-so

noun
(informal) authorization, (seal of) approval, agreement, consent, assent, permission, endorsement, sanction, ratification, approbation, acquiescence, blessing, leave; informal the OK, the go-ahead, the green light, the thumbs up. ANTONYMS :refusal, denial.

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scalding

adjective
extremely hot, burning, blistering, searing, red-hot; piping hot; informal boiling (hot), sizzling.

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scale 1

noun
the reptile's scales
plate; technical lamella, lamina, squama, scute, scutum.
scales on the skin
flake; (scales) scurf, dandruff.
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scale in kettles
limescale, deposit, incrustation; Brit. fur.
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scale 2

noun
the Celsius scale of temperature
calibrated system, graduated system, system of measurement.
opposite ends of the social scale
hierarchy, ladder, ranking, pecking order, order, spectrum; succession, sequence, series.
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the scale of the map
ratio, proportion, relative size.
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no one foresaw the scale of the disaster
extent, size, scope, magnitude, dimensions, range, breadth, compass, degree, reach.
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verb
thieves scaled an 8ft high fence
climb, ascend, clamber up, shin (up), scramble up, mount; N. Amer. shinny (up).
scale something down
reduce, cut down, cut back, cut, decrease, lessen, lower, trim, slim down, prune. scale something up
increase, expand, augment, build up, add to; step up, boost, escalate.

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scaly

adjective
the dragon's scaly hide
technical squamous, squamulose, squamate, lamellate.
scaly patches of dead skin
dry, flaky, flaking, scurfy, rough, scabrous, mangy, scabious; technical furfuraceous.
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scam

noun
(informal) fraud, swindle, racket, trick, diddle; informal con (trick); Brit. informal ramp; N. Amer. informal hustle, grift, bunco.

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scamp

noun
(informal) rascal, monkey, devil, imp, wretch, mischief-maker; informal scallywag, horror, monster, tyke; Brit. informal perisher; N. English informal scally; N. Amer. informal varmint; archaic rapscallion, scapegrace.

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scamper

verb
scurry, scuttle, dart, run, rush, race, dash, hurry, hasten; informal scoot; dated make haste.

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scan

verb
Adam scanned the horizon
scrutinize, examine, study, inspect, survey, search, scour, sweep, rake; look at, stare at, gaze at, eye, watch; informal check out; N. Amer. informal scope.
I scanned the papers
glance through, look through, have a look at, run/cast one's eye over, skim through, flick through, flip through, leaf through, thumb through.
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noun
a careful scan of the terrain
inspection, scrutiny, examination, survey.
a quick scan through the report
glance, look, flick, browse.
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a brain scan
examination, screening.
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scandal

noun
revelation of the sex scandal forced him to resign
wrongdoing, impropriety, misconduct, immoral behaviour, unethical behaviour; offence, transgression, crime, sin; skeleton in the closet; informal -gate.
it's a scandal that the disease is not adequately treated
disgrace, outrage, injustice; (crying) shame.
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no scandal attached to her name
malicious gossip, malicious rumour(s), slander, libel, calumny, defamation, aspersions, muckraking; informal dirt.
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scandalize

verb
shock, appal, outrage, horrify, disgust; offend, affront, insult, cause raised eyebrows. ANTONYMS :impress.

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scandalous

adjective
a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money
disgraceful, shocking, outrageous, monstrous, criminal, wicked, shameful, appalling, deplorable, reprehensible, inexcusable, intolerable, insupportable, unforgivable, unpardonable.
a series of scandalous liaisons
discreditable, disreputable, dishonourable, improper, unseemly, sordid.
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scandalous rumours
scurrilous, malicious, slanderous, libellous, defamatory.
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scant

adjective
little, little or no, minimal, limited, negligible, meagre; insufficient, inadequate, deficient; formal exiguous. ANTONYMS :abundant, ample.

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scanty

adjective
their scanty wages
meagre, scant, minimal, limited, modest, restricted, sparse; tiny, small, paltry, negligible, insufficient, inadequate, deficient; scarce, in short supply, thin on the ground, few and far between; informal measly, piddling, mingy, pathetic; formal exiguous.
her scanty nightdress
skimpy, revealing, short, brief; low, low-cut; indecent.
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ANTONYMS :ample, plentiful.

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scapegoat

noun
whipping boy, Aunt Sally; informal fall guy; N. Amer. informal patsy.

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scar

noun
the scar on his left cheek
cicatrix, mark, blemish, disfigurement, discoloration; pockmark, pock, pit; lesion, stigma; birthmark, naevus.
deep psychological scars
trauma, damage, injury.
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verb
he's likely to be scarred for life
disfigure, mark, blemish; pockmark, pit; Christianity stigmatize.
a landscape which has been scarred by strip mining
damage, spoil, mar, deface, injure.
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she was profoundly scarred by the incident
traumatize, damage, injure; distress, disturb, upset.
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scarce

adjective
food was scarce
in short supply, scant, scanty, meagre, sparse, hard to find, hard to come by, insufficient, deficient, inadequate; at a premium, like gold dust; paltry, negligible; informal not to be had for love nor money; formal exiguous.
birds that prefer dense forest are becoming scarcer
rare, few and far between, thin on the ground; uncommon, unusual; Brit. out of the common.
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ANTONYMS :plentiful.

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scarcely

adverb
she could scarcely hear what he was saying
hardly, barely, only just; almost not.
I scarcely ever see him
rarely, seldom, infrequently, not often, hardly ever, every once in a while; informal once in a blue moon.
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this could scarcely be accidental
surely not, not, hardly, certainly not, not at all, on no account, under no circumstances, by no means; N. Amer. noway.
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ANTONYMS :often.

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scarcity

noun
shortage, dearth, lack, undersupply, insufficiency, paucity, scantness, meagreness, sparseness, poverty; deficiency, inadequacy; unavailability, absence; formal exiguity.

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scare

verb
stop it, you're scaring me
frighten, startle, alarm, terrify, petrify, unnerve, intimidate, terrorize, cow; strike terror into, put the fear of God into, chill someone to the bone/marrow, make someone's blood run cold; informal frighten/scare the living daylights out of, scare stiff, frighten/scare someone out of their wits, scare witless, frighten/scare to death, scare the pants off, make someone's hair stand on end, throw into a blue funk, make someone jump out of their skin; Brit. informal put the wind up, make someone's hair curl; N. Amer. informal spook; Irish informal scare the bejesus out of; archaic affright.
noun
you gave me a scare how did you get here?
fright, shock, start, turn, jump.

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scared

adjective
frightened, afraid, fearful, nervous, panicky; terrified, petrified, horrified, panic-stricken, scared stiff, frightened/scared out of one's wits, scared witless, frightened/scared to death; Scottish feart; informal in a cold sweat, in a (blue) funk; Brit. informal funky, windy; N. Amer. informal spooked; dialect frit; archaic afeared, affrighted.

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scaremonger

noun
alarmist, prophet of doom, Cassandra, voice of doom, doom-monger; informal doom (and gloom) merchant.

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scarf

noun
muffler, headscarf, headsquare, square; mantilla, stole, tippet; N. Amer. babushka.

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scarper

verb
(Brit. informal). See run verb sense 2.

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scary

adjective
(informal) frightening, alarming, terrifying, hair-raising, spine-chilling, blood-curdling, horrifying, nerve-racking, unnerving; eerie, sinister; informal creepy, spine-tingling, spooky, hairy.

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scathing

adjective
withering, blistering, searing, devastating, fierce, ferocious, savage, severe, stinging, biting, cutting, mordant, trenchant, virulent, caustic, vitriolic, scornful, sharp, bitter, harsh, unsparing; formal mordacious. ANTONYMS :mild.

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scatter

verb
scatter the seeds as evenly as possible
throw, strew, toss, fling; sprinkle, spread, distribute, sow, broadcast, disseminate.
the crowd scattered | onlookers were scattered in all directions
disperse, break up, disband, separate, go separate ways, dissolve; drive, send, put to flight, chase.
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the sky was scattered with stars
fleck, stud, dot, cover, sprinkle, stipple, spot, pepper; poetic/literary bestrew.
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ANTONYMS :gather, assemble.

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scatterbrained

adjective
absent-minded, forgetful, disorganized; dreamy, wool-gathering, with one's head in the clouds, feather-brained, giddy; informal scatty, with a mind/memory like a sieve, dizzy, dippy.

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scavenge

verb
search, hunt, look, forage, rummage, root about/around, grub about/around.

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scenario

noun
Walt wrote scenarios for a major Hollywood studio
plot, outline, storyline, framework; screenplay, script; formal diegesis.
every possible scenario must be explored
sequence of events, course of events, chain of events, situation.
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this film has a more contemporary scenario
setting, background, context, scene, milieu.
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scene

noun
the scene of the accident
location, site, place, position, point, spot; locale, whereabouts; technical locus.
the scene is London, in the late 1890s
background, setting, context, milieu, backdrop, mise en scène.
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terrible scenes of violence
incident, event, episode, happening.
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an impressive mountain scene
view, vista, outlook, panorama, sight; landscape, scenery.
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she made an embarrassing scene
fuss, exhibition of oneself, performance, tantrum, commotion, disturbance, row, upset, furore, brouhaha; informal to-do; Brit. informal carry-on.
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the political scene
arena, stage, sphere, world, milieu, realm, domain; area of interest, field, province, preserve.
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a scene from a Laurel and Hardy film
clip, section, segment, part, sequence.
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behind the scenes
secretly, in secret, privately, in private, behind closed doors, surreptitiously; informal on the quiet, on the q.t.; formal sub rosa.

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scenery

noun
the beautiful scenery of west Wales
landscape, countryside, country, terrain, topography, setting, surroundings, environment; view, vista, panorama.
we all helped with the scenery and costumes
stage set, set, mise en scène, flats, backdrop, drop curtain; Brit. backcloth.
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scenic

adjective
picturesque, pretty, pleasing, attractive, lovely, beautiful, charming, pretty as a picture, easy on the eye; impressive, striking, spectacular, breathtaking; panoramic.

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scent

noun
the scent of freshly cut hay
smell, fragrance, aroma, perfume, redolence, savour, odour; bouquet, nose.
a bottle of scent
perfume, fragrance, toilet water, eau de toilette, cologne; eau de cologne.
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the hounds picked up the scent of a hare
spoor, trail, track; Hunting foil, wind.
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verb
a shark can scent blood from over half a kilometre away
smell, detect the smell of, get a whiff of.
Rose looked at him, scenting a threat
sense, become aware of, detect, discern, recognize, get wind of.
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scented

adjective
perfumed, fragranced, perfumy; sweet-smelling, fragrant, aromatic.

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sceptic

noun
sceptics said the marriage wouldn't last
cynic, doubter; pessimist, prophet of doom.
sceptics who have found faith
agnostic, atheist, unbeliever, non-believer, disbeliever, doubting Thomas; rare nullifidian.
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sceptical

adjective
dubious, doubtful, taking something with a pinch of salt, doubting; cynical, distrustful, mistrustful, suspicious, disbelieving, unconvinced, incredulous, scoffing; pessimistic, defeatist. ANTONYMS :certain, convinced.

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scepticism

noun
his ideas were met with scepticism
doubt, doubtfulness, a pinch of salt; disbelief, cynicism, distrust, mistrust, suspicion, incredulity; pessimism, defeatism; formal dubiety.
he passed from scepticism to religious belief
agnosticism, doubt; atheism, unbelief, non-belief.
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schedule

noun
we need to draw up a production schedule
plan, programme, timetable, scheme.
I have a very busy schedule
timetable, agenda, diary, calendar; itinerary.
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verb
another meeting was scheduled for April 20
arrange, organize, plan, programme, timetable, set up, line up; N. Amer. slate.
behind schedule
late, running late, overdue, behind time, behind, behindhand.

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scheme

noun
adventurous fund-raising schemes
plan, project, plan of action, programme, strategy, stratagem, tactic, game plan, course/line of action; system, procedure, design, formula, recipe; Brit. informal wheeze; archaic shift.
police uncovered a scheme to steal the paintings
plot, intrigue, conspiracy; ruse, ploy, stratagem, manoeuvre, subterfuge; machinations; informal game, racket.
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the sonnet's rhyme scheme
arrangement, system, organization, configuration, pattern, format; technical schema.
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verb
he schemed to bring about the collapse of the government
plot, hatch a plot, conspire, intrigue, connive, manoeuvre, plan.

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scheming

adjective
cunning, crafty, calculating, devious, designing, conniving, wily, sly, tricky, artful, guileful, slippery, slick, manipulative, Machiavellian, unscrupulous, disingenuous; duplicitous, deceitful, underhand, treacherous. ANTONYMS :ingenuous, honest.

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schism

noun
division, split, rift, breach, rupture, break, separation, severance; chasm, gulf; discord, disagreement, dissension.

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schismatic

adjective
separatist, heterodox, dissident, dissentient, dissenting, heretical; breakaway, splinter. ANTONYMS :orthodox.

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schmaltzy

adjective
(informal). See sentimental sense 2.

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scholar

noun
a leading biblical scholar
academic, intellectual, learned person, man/woman of letters, mind, intellect, savant, polymath, highbrow, bluestocking; authority, expert; informal egghead; N. Amer. informal pointy-head; archaic bookman.
(archaic) the school had 28 scholars
pupil, student, schoolchild, schoolboy, schoolgirl.
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scholarly

adjective
an earnest, scholarly man
learned, erudite, academic, well read, widely read, intellectual, literary, lettered, educated, knowledgeable, highbrow; studious, bookish, donnish, bluestocking, cerebral; N. Amer. informal pointy-headed; archaic clerkly.
a scholarly career
academic, scholastic, pedagogic.
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ANTONYMS :uneducated, illiterate.

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scholarship

noun
a centre of medieval scholarship
learning, book learning, knowledge, erudition, education, letters, culture, academic study, academic achievement.
a scholarship of £200 per term
grant, award, endowment, payment; Brit. bursary, exhibition.
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scholastic

adjective
academic, educational, school, scholarly.

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school

noun
their children went to the village school
educational institution; academy, college; seminary; alma mater.
the university's School of English
department, faculty, division.
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the Barbizon school
group, set, circle; followers, following, disciples, apostles, admirers, devotees, votaries; proponents, adherents.
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the school of linguistics associated with his ideas
way of thinking, school of thought, persuasion, creed, credo, doctrine, belief, faith, opinion, point of view; approach, method, style.
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scholastic.
verb
he was born in Paris and schooled in Lyon
educate, teach, instruct.
he schooled her in horsemanship
train, teach, tutor, coach, instruct, drill, discipline, direct, guide, prepare, groom; prime, verse.
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schooling

noun
his parents paid for his schooling
education, teaching, tuition, instruction, tutoring, tutelage; lessons; (book) learning.
the schooling of horses
training, coaching, instruction, drill, drilling, discipline, disciplining.
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schoolteacher

noun
teacher, schoolmaster, schoolmistress, tutor, educationist; Brit. master, mistress; N. Amer. informal schoolmarm; Austral./NZ informal chalkie, schoolie; formal pedagogue.

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science

noun
a science teacher
physics, chemistry, biology; physical sciences, life sciences.
the science of criminology
branch of knowledge, body of knowledge/information, area of study, discipline, field.
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scientific

adjective
scientific research
technological, technical; research-based, knowledge-based, empirical.
you need to approach it in a more scientific way
systematic, methodical, organized, well organized, ordered, orderly, meticulous, rigorous; exact, precise, accurate, mathematical; analytical, rational.
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scintilla

noun
particle, iota, jot, whit, atom, speck, bit, trace, ounce, shred, crumb, fragment, grain, drop, spot, mite, modicum, hint, touch, suggestion, whisper, suspicion; informal smidgen, tad; archaic scantling.

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scintillate

verb
sparkle, shine, gleam, glitter, flash, shimmer, twinkle, glint, glisten, wink; poetic/literary glister, coruscate.

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scintillating

adjective
a scintillating diamond necklace
sparkling, shining, bright, brilliant, gleaming, glittering, twinkling, shimmering.
a scintillating second-half performance
brilliant, dazzling, exciting, exhilarating, stimulating; sparkling, lively, vivacious, vibrant, animated, ebullient, effervescent; witty, clever; poetic/literary coruscating.
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ANTONYMS :dull, boring.

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scion

noun
a scion of the tree
cutting, graft, slip; shoot, offshoot, twig.
the scion of an aristocratic family
descendant; heir, successor; child, offspring; Law issue.
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scoff 1

verb
they scoffed at her article
mock, deride, ridicule, sneer at, jeer at, jibe at, taunt, make fun of, poke fun at, laugh at, scorn, laugh to scorn, dismiss, make light of, belittle; informal pooh-pooh.

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scoff 2

verb
(Brit. informal) the bears scoffed our packed lunch
eat, devour, consume, guzzle, gobble, wolf down, bolt; informal put away, nosh, polish off, demolish, shovel down, stuff one's face with, pig oneself on, pig out on; Brit. informal gollop, shift; N. Amer. informal scarf (down/up), snarf (down/up).

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scold

verb
Mum took Anna away, scolding her for her bad behaviour
rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove, admonish, remonstrate with, chastise, chide, upbraid, berate, take to task, read someone the Riot Act, give someone a piece of one's mind, haul over the coals; informal tell off, dress down, give someone an earful, give someone a roasting, rap over the knuckles, let someone have it, bawl out, give someone hell; Brit. informal tick off, have a go at, carpet, tear someone off a strip, give someone what for, give someone some stick, give someone a rollicking/rocket/row; N. Amer. informal chew out, ream out; Austral. informal monster; formal castigate. ANTONYMS :praise.

noun
(archaic) she is turning into a scold
nag, shrew, fishwife, harpy, termagant, harridan; complainer, moaner, grumbler; N. Amer. informal kvetch.

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scolding

noun
rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reproof, admonishment, reproval, remonstration, lecture, upbraiding; informal telling-off, talking-to, rap over the knuckles, dressing-down, earful, roasting; Brit. informal ticking-off, carpeting, rocket, rollicking; formal castigation.

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scoop

noun
a measuring scoop
spoon, ladle, dipper; bailer.
a scoop of vanilla ice cream
spoonful, ladleful, portion, lump, ball; informal dollop.
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(informal) reporters competed for scoops
exclusive (story), inside story, exposé, revelation.
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verb
a hole was scooped out in the floor
hollow out, gouge out, dig, excavate, cut out.
cut the tomatoes in half and scoop out the flesh
remove, take out, spoon out, scrape out.
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she scooped up armfuls of clothes
pick up, gather up, lift, take up; snatch up, grab.
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scoot

verb
(informal). See dash verb sense 1.

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scope

noun
the scope of the investigation
extent, range, breadth, width, reach, sweep, purview, span, horizon; area, sphere, field, realm, compass, orbit, ambit, terms/field of reference, jurisdiction, remit; confine, limit; gamut.
the scope for change is limited by political realities
opportunity, freedom, latitude, leeway, capacity, liberty, room (to manoeuvre), elbow room; possibility, chance.
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scorch

verb
the buildings were scorched by the fire
burn, sear, singe, char, blacken, discolour.
grass scorched by the sun
dry up, desiccate, parch, wither, shrivel; burn, bake.
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scorching

adjective
the scorching July sun
extremely hot, red-hot, blazing, flaming, fiery, burning, blistering, searing, sweltering, torrid; N. Amer. broiling; informal boiling (hot), baking (hot), sizzling.
scorching criticism
fierce, savage, scathing, withering, blistering, searing, devastating, stringent, severe, harsh, stinging, biting, mordant, trenchant, caustic, virulent, vitriolic.
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ANTONYMS :freezing, mild.

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score

noun
the final score was 4 3
result, outcome; total, sum total, tally, count.
an IQ score of 161
rating, grade, mark, percentage.
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I've got a score to settle with you
grievance, bone to pick, axe to grind, grudge, complaint; dispute, bone of contention.
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(informal) he knew the score before he got here
the situation, the position, the facts, the truth of the matter, the (true) state of affairs, the picture, how things stand, the lie of the land; Brit. the state of play; N. Amer. the lay of the land; informal the set-up, what's what.
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scores of complaints
a great many, a lot, a great/good deal, large quantities, plenty; informal lots, umpteen, a slew, loads, masses, stacks, scads, heaps, piles, bags, tons, oodles, dozens, hundreds, thousands, millions, billions; Brit. informal shedloads; N. Amer. informal a bunch, gazillions; Austral./NZ informal a swag.
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verb
he's already scored 13 goals this season
get, gain, chalk up, achieve, make; record , rack up, notch up; informal bag, knock up.
(informal) his new movie really scored
be successful, be a success, triumph, make an impression, go down well; informal be a hit, be a winner, be a sell-out, go down a storm.
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the piece was scored for flute, violin, and continuo
orchestrate, arrange, set, adapt; write, compose.
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score the wood in criss-cross patterns
scratch, cut, notch, incise, scrape, nick, snick, chip, gouge; mark; archaic scotch.
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score points off
get the better of, gain the advantage over, outdo, worst, have the edge over; have the last laugh on, make a fool of, humiliate; informal get/be one up on, get one over on, best. score something out/through
cross out, strike out, put a line through, ink out, blue-pencil, scratch out; delete, obliterate, expunge.

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scorn

noun
he was unable to hide the scorn in his voice
contempt, derision, contemptuousness, disdain, derisiveness, mockery, sneering; archaic contumely, despite. ANTONYMS :admiration, respect.

verb
critics scorned the painting
deride, hold in contempt, treat with contempt, pour/heap scorn on, look down on, look down one's nose at, disdain, curl one's lip at, mock, scoff at, sneer at, jeer at, laugh at, laugh out of court; disparage, slight; dismiss, cock a snook at, spit in the eye/face of, thumb one's nose at; informal turn one's nose up at; archaic contemn.
"I am a woman scorned," she thought
spurn, rebuff, reject, ignore, shun, snub.
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she would have scorned to stoop to such tactics
refuse to, refrain from, not lower oneself to; be above, consider it beneath one.
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ANTONYMS :admire, respect.

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scornful

adjective
contemptuous, derisive, withering, mocking, scoffing, sneering, jeering, scathing, snide, disparaging, supercilious, disdainful, superior; archaic contumelious. ANTONYMS :admiring, respectful.

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scotch

verb
put an end to, put a stop to, nip in the bud, put the lid on; ruin, wreck, destroy, smash, shatter, demolish, queer; frustrate, thwart; informal put paid to, put the kibosh on; Brit. informal scupper.

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scot-free

adverb
unpunished, without punishment; unscathed, unhurt, unharmed, without a scratch.

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Scotland

noun
Caledonia; Brit. north of the border; informal the land of cakes.

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scoundrel

noun
rogue, rascal, miscreant, good-for-nothing, reprobate; cheat, swindler, fraudster, trickster, charlatan; informal villain, bastard, beast, son of a bitch, SOB, rat, louse, swine, dog, skunk, heel, snake (in the grass), wretch, scumbag; Irish informal sleeveen, spalpeen; N. Amer. informal rat fink; informal, dated rotter, hound, bounder, blighter; dated cad; archaic blackguard, knave, varlet, whoreson.

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scour 1

verb
she scoured the cooker and cleaned out the cupboards
scrub, rub, clean, wash, cleanse, wipe; polish, buff (up), shine, burnish; abrade.

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scour 2

verb
Christine scoured the shops for a gift
search, comb, hunt through, rummage through, go through with a fine-tooth comb, root through, rake through, leave no stone unturned, look high and low in; ransack, turn upside-down; Austral./NZ informal fossick through.

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scourge

noun
(historical) he was beaten with a scourge
whip, horsewhip, lash, strap, birch, switch; N. Amer. bullwhip, rawhide; historical cat-o'-nine-tails.
inflation was the scourge of the mid-1970s
affliction, bane, curse, plague, menace, evil, misfortune, burden, cross to bear; blight, cancer, canker.
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ANTONYMS :blessing, godsend.

verb
(historical) he was publicly scourged
flog, whip, beat, horsewhip, lash, flagellate, strap, birch, cane, thrash, belt, leather; informal tan someone's hide, take a strap to.
a disease which scourged the English for centuries
afflict, plague, torment, torture, curse, oppress, burden, bedevil, beset.
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scout

noun
scouts reported that the enemy were massing ahead
lookout, outrider, advance guard, vanguard; spy.
a lengthy scout round the area
reconnaissance, reconnoitre; exploration, search, expedition; informal recce; Brit. informal shufti; N. Amer. informal recon.
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a record company scout
talent spotter, talent scout; N. Amer. informal bird dog.
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verb
I scouted around for some logs
search, look, hunt, ferret about/around, root about/around.
a night patrol was sent to scout out the area
reconnoitre, explore, make a reconnaissance of, inspect, investigate, spy out, survey; examine, scan, study, observe; informal make a recce of, check out, case; Brit. informal take a shufti round; N. Amer. informal recon.
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scowl

verb
glower, frown, glare, grimace, lour, look daggers at, give someone a black look; make a face, pull a face, turn the corner's of one's mouth down, pout; informal give someone a dirty look. ANTONYMS :smile, grin.

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scraggy

adjective
scrawny, thin, as thin as a rake, skinny, skin-and-bones, gaunt, bony, angular, gawky, raw-boned; dated spindle-shanked. ANTONYMS :fat.

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scram

verb
(informal) scram or I'll call the police
go away, leave, get out; go, get moving, be off (with you), shoo; informal skedaddle, split, run along, beat it, get lost, shove off, buzz off, push off, clear off, on your bike; Brit. informal get stuffed, sling your hook, hop it, bog off, naff off; N. Amer. informal bug off, take a powder, take a hike; Austral./NZ informal rack off; poetic/literary begone.

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scramble

verb
we scrambled over the boulders
clamber, climb, crawl, claw one's way, scrabble, grope one's way, struggle; N. Amer. shinny.
small children scrambled for the scattered coins
jostle, scuffle, tussle, struggle, strive, compete, contend, vie, jockey.
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the alcohol has scrambled his brains
muddle, confuse, mix up, jumble (up), disarrange, disorganize, disorder, disturb, mess up.
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noun
a short scramble over the rocks
clamber, climb, trek.
I lost Tommy in the scramble for a seat
tussle, jostle, scrimmage, scuffle, struggle, free-for-all, competition, contention, vying, jockeying; muddle, confusion, melee.
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scrap 1

noun
a scrap of paper
fragment, piece, bit, snippet, shred; offcut, oddment, remnant.
there wasn't a scrap of evidence
bit, speck, iota, particle, ounce, whit, jot, atom, shred, scintilla, tittle, jot or tittle; informal smidgen, tad.
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he slept rough and lived on scraps
leftovers, leavings, crumbs, scrapings, remains, remnants, residue, odds and ends, bits and pieces.
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the whole thing was made from bits of scrap
waste, rubbish, refuse, litter, debris, detritus; flotsam and jetsam; N. Amer. garbage, trash; informal junk.
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verb
old cars which are due to be scrapped
throw away, throw out, dispose of, get rid of, toss out, throw on the scrap heap, discard, remove, dispense with, lose, bin; decommission, recycle, break up, demolish; informal chuck (away/out), ditch, dump, junk, get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of; N. Amer. informal trash.
campaigners called for the plans to be scrapped
abandon, drop, abolish, withdraw, throw out, do away with, put an end to, cancel, axe, jettison; informal ditch, dump, junk.
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ANTONYMS :keep, preserve.

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scrap 2 (informal)

noun
he and Joe had several scraps
quarrel, argument, row, fight, disagreement, difference of opinion, falling-out, dispute, squabble, contretemps, clash, altercation, brawl, tussle, conflict, shouting match; informal tiff, set-to, run-in, slanging match, shindy, spat, dust-up, ruction; Brit. informal barney, ding-dong, bust-up.
verb
the older boys started scrapping with me
quarrel, argue, row, fight, squabble, brawl, bicker, spar, wrangle, lock horns, be at each other's throats.

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scrape

verb
we scraped all the paint off the windows
abrade, grate, sand, sandpaper, scour, scratch, rub, file, rasp.
their boots scraped along the floor
grate, creak, rasp, grind, scratch.
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she scraped her hair back behind her ears
rake, drag, pull, tug, draw.
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he scraped a hole in the ground
scoop out, hollow out, dig (out), excavate, gouge out.
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Ellen had scraped her shins on the wall
graze, scratch, abrade, scuff, rasp, skin, rub raw, cut, lacerate, bark, chafe; Medicine excoriate.
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noun
the scrape of her key in the lock
grating, creaking, grinding, rasp, rasping, scratch, scratching.
there was a long scrape on his shin
graze, scratch, abrasion, cut, laceration, wound.
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(informal) he's always getting into scrapes
predicament, plight, tight corner/spot, ticklish/tricky situation, problem, crisis, mess, muddle; informal jam, fix, stew, bind, hole, hot water, a pretty/fine kettle of fish; Brit. informal spot of bother.
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scrape by
manage, cope, survive, muddle through/along, make ends meet, get by/along, make do, keep the wolf from the door, keep one's head above water, eke out a living; informal make out.

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scrappy

adjective
disorganized, untidy, disjointed, unsystematic, uneven, bitty, sketchy; piecemeal; fragmentary, incomplete, unfinished.

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scratch

verb
the paintwork was scratched
score, abrade, scrape, scuff.
thorns scratched her skin
graze, scrape, abrade, skin, rub raw, cut, lacerate, bark, chafe; wound; Medicine excoriate.
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many names had been scratched out
cross out, strike out, score out, delete, erase, remove, eliminate, expunge, obliterate.
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she was forced to scratch from the race
withdraw, pull out of, back out of, bow out of, stand down.
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noun
he had two scratches on his cheek
graze, scrape, abrasion, cut, laceration, wound.
a scratch on the paintwork
score, mark, line, scrape.
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up to scratch
good enough, up to the mark, up to standard, up to par, satisfactory, acceptable, adequate, passable, sufficient, all right; informal OK, up to snuff.

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scrawl

verb
he scrawled his name at the bottom of the page
scribble, write hurriedly, write untidily, dash off.
noun
pages of handwritten scrawl
scribble, squiggle(s), hieroglyphics; rare cacography.

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scrawny

adjective
skinny, thin, as thin as a rake, skin-and-bones, gaunt, bony, angular, gawky, scraggy, raw-boned; dated spindle-shanked. ANTONYMS :fat.

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scream

verb
he screamed in pain
shriek, screech, yell, howl, shout, bellow, bawl, cry out, call out, yelp, squeal, wail, squawk; informal holler.
noun
a scream of pain
shriek, screech, yell, howl, shout, bellow, bawl, cry, yelp, squeal, wail, squawk; informal holler.
(informal) the whole thing's a scream
laugh, hoot; informal gas, giggle, riot, bundle of fun/laughs.
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(informal) he's an absolute scream
wit, hoot, comedian, comic, entertainer, joker, clown, character; informal gas, giggle, riot; informal, dated caution, case, card.
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screech

verb
. See scream verb.

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screen

noun
he dressed hurriedly behind the screen
partition, (room) divider; windbreak.
a computer with a 15-inch screen
display, monitor, visual display unit, VDU; cathode-ray tube, CRT.
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every window has a screen because of mosquitoes
mesh, net, netting.
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the hedge acts as a screen against the wind
buffer, protection, shield, shelter, guard.
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the earth must be put through a screen
sieve, riddle, strainer, colander, filter.
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verb
the end of the hall had been screened of
partition off, divide off, separate off, curtain off.
the cottage was screened by the trees
conceal, hide, veil; shield, shelter, shade, protect, guard, safeguard.
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the prospective candidates will have to be screened
vet, check, check up on, investigate; informal check out.
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all donated blood is screened for the virus
check, test, examine, investigate.
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coal used to be screened by hand
sieve, riddle, sift, strain, filter, winnow.
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the programme is screened on Thursday evenings
show, broadcast, transmit , televise, put out, put on the air.
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screw

noun
stainless steel screws
bolt, fastener; nail, pin, tack, spike, rivet, brad.
the handle needs a couple of screws to tighten it
turn, twist, wrench.
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the ship's twin screws
propeller, rotor.
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verb
he screwed the lid back on the jar
tighten, turn, twist, wind.
the bracket was screwed in place
fasten, secure, fix, attach.
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(informal) she intended to screw money out of them
extort, force, extract, wrest, wring, squeeze; informal bleed.
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put the screws on (informal)
pressurize, put pressure on, pressure, coerce, browbeat, use strong-arm tactics on; hold a gun to someone's head; informal put the heat on, lean on. screw something up
Christina screwed up her face in disgust
wrinkle (up), pucker, crumple, crease, furrow, contort, distort, twist, purse.

(informal) they'll screw up the whole economy
wreck, ruin, destroy, wreak havoc on, damage, spoil, mar; dash, shatter, scotch, make a mess of, mess up; informal louse up, foul up, put the kibosh on, banjax, do for, nix, queer; Brit. informal scupper, cock up.
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scribble

verb
he scribbled a few lines on a piece of paper
scrawl, write hurriedly, write untidily, scratch, dash off, jot (down); doodle.
noun
a page of scribble
scrawl, squiggle(s), jottings; doodle, doodlings; rare cacography.

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scribe

noun
(historical) a medieval scribe
clerk, secretary, copyist, transcriber, amanuensis; historical penman, scrivener.
(informal) a local cricket scribe
writer, author, penman; journalist, reporter; informal hack.
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scrimmage

noun
fight, tussle, brawl, struggle, fracas, free-for-all, rough and tumble; Law, dated affray; informal scrap, dust-up, punch-up, set-to, shindy; Brit. informal scrum; N. Amer. informal rough house.

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scrimp

verb
economize, skimp, scrimp and save, save; be thrifty, be frugal, tighten one's belt, cut back, husband one's resources, draw in one's horns, watch one's pennies; N. Amer. pinch the pennies.

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script

noun
her neat, tidy script
handwriting, writing, hand, pen, penmanship, calligraphy.
the script of the play
text, screenplay; libretto, score; lines, dialogue, words.
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scripture

noun
the Bible, the Holy Bible, Holy Writ, the Gospel, the Good Book, the Word of God, the Book of Books; sacred text(s).

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Scrooge

noun
miser, penny-pincher, pinchpenny, niggard; informal skinflint, meanie, money-grubber, cheapskate; N. Amer. informal tightwad. ANTONYMS :spendthrift.

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scrounge

verb
beg, borrow; informal cadge, sponge, bum, touch someone for; Brit. informal scab; N. Amer. informal mooch; Austral./NZ informal bludge.

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scrounger

noun
beggar, borrower, parasite, cadger; informal sponger, freeloader; N. Amer. informal mooch, moocher, schnorrer; Austral./NZ informal bludger.

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scrub 1

verb
he scrubbed the kitchen floor
scour, rub; clean, cleanse, wash, wipe.
(informal) the plans were scrubbed
abandon, scrap, drop, cancel, call off, axe, jettison, discard, discontinue, abort; informal ditch, dump, junk.
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scrub 2

noun
there the buildings ended and the scrub began
brush, brushwood, scrubland, undergrowth.

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scruffy

adjective
shabby, worn, down at heel, ragged, tattered, mangy, dirty; untidy, unkempt, bedraggled, messy, dishevelled, ill-groomed; informal tatty, the worse for wear; N. Amer. informal raggedy. ANTONYMS :smart, tidy.

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scrumptious

adjective
(informal) delicious, delectable, mouth-watering, tasty, appetizing, rich, savoury, flavoursome, flavourful, toothsome; succulent, luscious; informal scrummy, yummy; Brit. informal moreish; N. Amer. informal finger-licking, nummy. ANTONYMS :unpalatable.

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scrunch

verb
crumple, crunch, crush, rumple, screw up, squash, squeeze, compress; informal squidge.

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scruple

verb
she would not scruple to ask them for money
hesitate, be reluctant, be loath, have qualms, have scruples, have misgivings, have reservations, think twice, baulk, demur; recoil from, shrink from, shy away from, flinch from.

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scruples

plural noun
he had no scruples about eavesdropping
qualms, compunction, pangs/twinges of conscience, hesitation, reservations, second thoughts, doubt(s), misgivings, uneasiness, reluctance.

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scrupulous

adjective
scrupulous attention to detail
careful, meticulous, painstaking, thorough, assiduous, sedulous, attentive, conscientious, punctilious, searching, close, minute, rigorous, particular, strict.
a scrupulous man
honest, honourable, upright, upstanding, high-minded, right-minded, moral, ethical, good, virtuous, principled, incorruptible.
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ANTONYMS :careless, dishonest.

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scrutinize

verb
examine, inspect, survey, study, look at, peruse; investigate, explore, probe, inquire into, go into, check.

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scrutiny

noun
examination, inspection, survey, study, perusal; investigation, exploration, probe, inquiry; informal going-over.

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scud

verb
speed, race, rush, sail, shoot, sweep, skim, whip, whizz, flash, fly, scurry, flit, scutter.

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scuff

verb
scrape, scratch, rub, abrade; mark.

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scuffle

noun
there was a scuffle outside the pub
fight, struggle, tussle, brawl, fracas, free-for-all, rough and tumble, scrimmage; Law, dated affray; informal scrap, dust-up, punch-up, set-to, shindy; N. Amer. informal rough house.
verb
demonstrators scuffled with police
fight, struggle, tussle, exchange blows, come to blows, brawl, clash; informal scrap.

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sculpt

verb
carve, model, chisel, sculpture, fashion, form, shape, cast, cut, hew.

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sculpture

noun
a bronze sculpture
model, carving, statue, statuette, figure, figurine, effigy, bust, head, likeness.
verb
the choir stalls were carefully sculptured.
See sculpt.

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scum

noun
the water was covered with a thick green scum
film, layer, covering, froth; filth, dross, dirt.
(informal) drug dealers are scum
despicable people, the lowest of the low, the dregs of society, vermin, riff-raff; informal the scum of the earth, dirt.
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scupper (Brit.)

verb
the captain decided to scupper the ship
sink, scuttle, submerge, send to the bottom.
(informal) he denied trying to scupper the agreement
ruin, wreck, destroy, sabotage, torpedo, spoil, ruin, mess up; informal screw up, foul up, put the kibosh on, banjax, do for; archaic bring to naught.
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scurrilous

adjective
defamatory, slanderous, libellous, scandalous, insulting, offensive, gross; abusive, vituperative, malicious; informal bitchy.

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scurry

verb
pedestrians scurried for cover
hurry, hasten, run, rush, dash; scamper, scuttle, scramble; Brit. scutter; informal scoot, beetle; dated make haste. ANTONYMS :amble.

noun
there was a scurry to get out
rush, race, dash, run, hurry; scramble, bustle.

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scuttle

verb
. See scurry verb.

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sea

noun
the sea sparkled in the sun
(the) ocean, the waves; informal the drink; Brit. informal the briny; poetic/literary the deep, the main, the foam.
the boat overturned in the heavy seas
waves, swell, breakers, rollers, combers; informal boomers.
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a sea of roofs and turrets
expanse, stretch, area, tract, sweep, blanket, sheet, carpet, mass; multitude, host, profusion, abundance, plethora.
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marine, maritime, nautical. ANTONYMS :land.

adjective
sea creatures
marine, ocean, oceanic; saltwater, seawater; ocean-going, seagoing, seafaring; maritime, naval, nautical; technical pelagic, thalassic.
at sea
confused, perplexed, puzzled, baffled, mystified, bemused, bewildered, nonplussed, disconcerted, disoriented, dumbfounded, at a loss, at sixes and sevens; informal flummoxed, bamboozled, fazed; N. Amer. informal discombobulated; archaic wildered, mazed.

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seafaring

adjective
maritime, nautical, naval, seagoing, sea.

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seal

noun
the seal round the bath
sealant, sealer, adhesive.
the king put his seal on the letter
emblem, symbol, insignia, device, badge, crest, coat of arms, mark, monogram, stamp.
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the Minister gave his seal of approval to the project
ratification, approval, blessing, consent, agreement, permission, sanction, endorsement, clearance.
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verb
she quietly sealed the door behind her
fasten, secure, shut, close, lock, bolt.
seal each bottle while it is hot
stop up, seal up, make airtight/watertight, cork, stopper, plug.
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police sealed off the High Street
close off, shut off, cordon off, fence off, isolate.
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he held out his hand to seal the bargain
clinch, secure, settle, conclude, complete, establish, set the seal on, confirm, guarantee; informal sew up.
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seam

noun
the seam was coming undone
join, stitching; Surgery suture.
a seam of coal
layer, stratum, vein, lode.
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the seams of his face
wrinkle, line, crow's foot, furrow, crease, corrugation, crinkle, pucker, groove, ridge.
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seaman

noun
sailor, seafarer, mariner, boatman, hand; informal (old) salt, sea dog, bluejacket; Brit. informal matelot; informal, dated tar, Jack Tar. ANTONYMS :landlubber.

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seamy

adjective
sordid, disreputable, seedy, sleazy, squalid, insalubrious, unwholesome, unsavoury, rough, unpleasant. ANTONYMS :salubrious.

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sear

verb
the heat of the blast seared his face
scorch, burn, singe, char.
sear the meat before adding the other ingredients
flash-fry, seal, brown.
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his betrayal had seared her terribly
hurt, wound, pain, cut to the quick, sting; distress, grieve, upset, trouble, harrow, torment, torture.
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search

verb
I searched for the key in my handbag
hunt, look, seek, forage, fish about/around, look high and low, cast about/around, ferret about/around, root about/around, rummage about/around; Brit. informal rootle about/around.
he searched the house thoroughly
look through, hunt through, explore, scour, rifle through, go through, sift through, comb, go through with a fine-tooth comb; turn upside down, turn inside out, leave no stone unturned in; Austral./NZ informal fossick through.
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the guards searched him for weapons
examine, inspect, check, frisk.
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noun
we continued our search for a hotel
hunt, look, quest; pursuit.
in search of
searching for, hunting for, seeking, looking for, on the lookout for, in pursuit of. search me! (informal)
I don't know, how should I know?, it's a mystery, I haven't a clue, I haven't the least idea, I've no idea; informal dunno, don't ask me, I haven't the faintest/foggiest (idea/notion), it beats me, ask me another.

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searching

adjective
penetrating, piercing, probing, penetrative, keen, shrewd, sharp, intent.

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searing

adjective
the searing heat
scorching, blistering, sweltering, blazing (hot), burning, fiery, torrid; informal boiling (hot), baking (hot), sizzling, roasting.
searing pain
intense, excruciating, agonizing, sharp, stabbing, shooting, stinging, severe, extreme, racking.
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a searing attack
fierce, savage, blistering, scathing, stinging, devastating, mordant, trenchant, caustic, cutting, biting, withering.
Top

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seaside

noun
coast, shore, seashore, waterside; beach, sand, sands; poetic/literary strand. littoral.

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season

noun
the rainy season | the opera season
period, time, time of year, spell, term.
verb
season the casserole to taste
flavour, add flavouring to, add salt/pepper to, spice.
his albums include standard numbers seasoned with a few of his own tunes
enliven, leaven, spice (up), liven up; informal pep up.
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in season
available, obtainable, to be had, on offer, on the market; plentiful, abundant.

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seasonable

adjective
usual, expected, predictable, normal for the time of year.

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seasoned

adjective
experienced, practised, well versed, knowledgeable, established, habituated, veteran, hardened, battle-scarred. ANTONYMS :inexperienced.

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seasoning

noun
flavouring, salt and pepper, herbs, spices, condiments.

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seat

noun
a wooden seat
chair, bench, stool, settle, stall; (seats) seating, room; Brit. informal pew.
the seat of government
headquarters, base, centre, nerve centre, hub, heart; location, site, whereabouts, place.
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the family's country seat
residence, ancestral home, mansion, stately home; formal abode.
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verb
they seated themselves round the table
position, put, place; ensconce, install, settle; informal plonk, park.
the hall seats 500
have room for, contain, take, sit, hold, accommodate.
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seating

noun
seats, room, places, chairs, accommodation.

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secede

verb
the Kingdom of Belgium seceded from the Netherlands in 1830
withdraw from, break away from, break with, separate (oneself) from, leave, split with, split off from, disaffiliate from, resign from, pull out of; informal quit. ANTONYMS :join.

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secluded

adjective
sheltered, private, concealed, hidden, unfrequented, sequestered, tucked away. ANTONYMS :busy.

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seclusion

noun
isolation, solitude, retreat, privacy, retirement, withdrawal, purdah, concealment, hiding, secrecy.

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second 1

adjective
the second day of the trial
next, following, subsequent, succeeding.
he keeps a second pair of glasses in his office
additional, extra, alternative, another, spare, back-up, relief, fallback; N. Amer. alternate.
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he dropped down to captain the second team
secondary, lower, subordinate, subsidiary, lesser, inferior.
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the conflict could turn into a second Vietnam
another, new; repeat of, copy of, carbon copy of.
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ANTONYMS :first.

noun
Eva had been working as his second
assistant, attendant, helper, aide, supporter, auxiliary, right-hand man/woman, girl/man Friday, second in command, number two, deputy, understudy, subordinate; informal sidekick.
(informal) he enjoyed the pie and asked for seconds
a second helping, a further helping, more.
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verb
George Beale seconded the motion
formally support, give one's support to, vote for, back, approve, endorse.
second to none
incomparable, matchless, unrivalled, inimitable, beyond compare/comparison, unparalleled, without parallel , unequalled, without equal, in a class of its own, peerless, unsurpassed, unsurpassable, nonpareil, unique; perfect, consummate, transcendent, surpassing, superlative, supreme; formal unexampled.

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second 2

noun
I'll only be gone for a second
moment, bit, little while, short time, instant, split second; informal sec, jiffy; Brit. informal mo, tick, two ticks.
in a second
very soon, in a minute, in a moment, in a trice, shortly, any minute (now), in the twinkling of an eye, in (less than) no time, in no time at all; N. Amer. momentarily; informal in a jiffy, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), before you can say Jack Robinson, in the blink of an eye; Brit. informal in a tick, in two ticks, in a mo; N. Amer. informal in a snap; poetic/literary ere long.

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second 3

verb
he was seconded to their Welsh office
assign temporarily, lend; transfer, move, shift, relocate, assign, reassign, send.

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secondary

adjective
a secondary issue
less important, subordinate, lesser, minor, peripheral, incidental, ancillary, subsidiary, non-essential, inessential, of little account, unimportant.
secondary infections
accompanying, attendant, concomitant, consequential, resulting, resultant.
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ANTONYMS :primary, main.

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second-class

adjective
second-rate, second-best, inferior, lesser, unimportant.

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second-hand

adjective
second-hand clothes
used, old, worn, pre-owned, handed-down, hand-me-down, cast-off; Brit. informal reach-me-down.
second-hand information
indirect, derivative; vicarious.
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ANTONYMS :new, direct.

adverb
I was discounting anything I heard second-hand
indirectly, at second-hand, on the bush telegraph; informal on the grapevine. ANTONYMS :directly.

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second in command

noun
deputy, number two, subordinate, right-hand man/woman; understudy.

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secondly

adverb
furthermore, also, moreover; second, in the second place, next; secondarily.

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second-rate

adjective
inferior, substandard, low-quality, below par, bad, poor, deficient, defective, faulty, imperfect, shoddy, inadequate, insufficient, unacceptable; Brit. informal ropy, duff, rubbish. ANTONYMS :first-rate, excellent.

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secrecy

noun
the secrecy of the material
confidentiality, classified nature.
a government which thrived on secrecy
secretiveness, covertness, furtiveness, surreptitiousness, stealth, stealthiness.
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secret

adjective
a secret plan
confidential, top secret, classified, undisclosed, unknown, private, under wraps; informal hush-hush; formal sub rosa.
a secret drawer in the table
hidden, concealed, disguised; invisible.
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a secret operation to infiltrate terrorist groups
clandestine, covert, undercover, underground, surreptitious, stealthy, furtive, cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner, closet; informal hush-hush.
Top
a secret message | a secret code
cryptic, encoded, coded; mysterious, abstruse, recondite, arcane, esoteric, cabbalistic.
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a secret place
secluded, private, concealed, hidden, unfrequented, out of the way, tucked away.
Top
a very secret person.
See secretive.
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ANTONYMS :public, open.

noun
he just can't keep a secret
confidential matter, confidence, private affair; skeleton in the cupboard.
the secrets of the universe
mystery, enigma, paradox, puzzle, conundrum, poser, riddle.
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the secret of their success
recipe, (magic) formula, blueprint, key, answer, solution.
Top

in secret
secretly, in private, privately, behind closed doors, behind the scenes, in camera, under cover, under the counter, discreetly, behind someone's back, furtively, stealthily, on the sly, on the quiet, conspiratorially, covertly, clandestinely, on the side; informal on the q.t.; formal sub rosa.

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secret agent

noun
spy, double agent, counterspy, undercover agent, operative, plant, mole; N. Amer. informal spook.

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secretary

noun
assistant, personal assistant, PA, administrator, amanuensis, girl/man Friday.

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secrete 1

verb
a substance secreted by the prostate gland
produce, discharge, emit, excrete, release, send out. ANTONYMS :absorb.

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secrete 2

verb
we secreted ourselves in the bushes
conceal, hide, cover up, veil, shroud, screen, stow away; bury, cache; informal stash away. ANTONYMS :reveal.

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secretive

adjective
uncommunicative, secret, unforthcoming, playing one's cards close to one's chest, reticent, reserved, silent, non-communicative, quiet, tight-lipped, close-mouthed, taciturn. ANTONYMS :open, communicative.

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secretly

adverb
they met secretly for a year
in secret, in private, privately, behind closed doors, in camera, behind the scenes, under cover, under the counter, behind someone's back, furtively, stealthily, on the sly, on the quiet, conspiratorially, covertly, clandestinely, on the side; informal on the q.t.; formal sub rosa.
he was secretly jealous of Bartholomew
privately, in one's heart (of hearts), deep down.
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sect

noun
(religious) cult, religious group, denomination, persuasion, religious order; splinter group, faction.

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sectarian

adjective
factional, separatist, partisan, parti pris; doctrinaire, dogmatic, extreme, fanatical, rigid, inflexible, bigoted, hidebound, narrow-minded.ANTONYMS :tolerant, liberal.

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section

noun
the separate sections of a train
part, piece, bit, segment, component, division, portion, element, unit, constituent.
the last section of the questionnaire
subdivision, part, subsection, division, portion, bit, chapter, passage, clause.
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the reference section of the library
department, area, part, division.
Top
a residential section of the capital.
See sector sense 2.
Top

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sector

adjective
every sector of the industry is affected
part, branch, arm, division, area, department, field, sphere.
the north-eastern sector of the town
district, quarter, part, section, zone, region, area, belt.
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secular

adjective
non-religious, lay, temporal, worldly, earthly, profane; formal laic. ANTONYMS :holy, religious.

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secure

adjective
check to ensure that all bolts are secure
fastened, fixed, secured, done up; closed, shut, locked.
an environment in which children can feel secure
safe, protected from harm/danger, out of from danger, sheltered, safe and sound, out of harm's way, in a safe place, in safe hands, invulnerable; at ease, unworried, relaxed, happy, confident.
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a secure future
certain, assured, reliable, dependable, settled, fixed.
Top
ANTONYMS :loose, vulnerable, uncertain.

verb
pins secure the handle to the main body
fix, attach, fasten, affix, connect, couple.
the doors had not been properly secured
fasten, close, shut, lock, bolt, chain, seal.
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he leapt out to secure the boat
tie up, moor, make fast; anchor.
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they sought to secure the country against attack
protect, make safe, fortify, strengthen.
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a written constitution would secure the rights of the individual
assure, ensure, guarantee, protect, confirm, establish.
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the division secured a major contract
obtain, acquire, gain , get, get possession of; informal get hold of, land.
Top

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security

noun
the security of the nation's citizens
safety, freedom from danger, protection, invulnerability.
he could give her the security she needed
peace of mind, feeling of safety, stability, certainty, happiness, confidence.
Top
security at the court was tight
safety measures, safeguards, surveillance, defence, protection.
Top
additional security for your loan may be required
guarantee, collateral, surety, pledge, bond; archaic gage.
Top
ANTONYMS :vulnerability, danger.

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sedate 1

verb
the patient had to be sedated
tranquillize, put under sedation, drug.

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sedate 2

adjective
a sedate pace
slow, steady, dignified, unhurried, relaxed, measured, leisurely, slow-moving, easy, easy-going, gentle.
he had lived a sedate and straightforward life
calm, placid, tranquil, quiet, uneventful; boring, dull.
Top
ANTONYMS :exciting, fast.

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sedative

adjective
sedative drugs
tranquillizing, calming, calmative, relaxing, soporific; depressant; Medicine neuroleptic.
noun
the doctor gave him a sedative
tranquillizer, calmative, sleeping pill, narcotic, opiate; depressant; informal trank, sleeper, downer.

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sedentary

adjective
sitting, seated, desk-bound; inactive. ANTONYMS :active.

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sediment

noun
dregs, lees, precipitate, deposit, grounds, settlings, residue, remains; silt, alluvium; technical residuum; archaic grouts.

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sedition

noun
rabble-rousing, incitement to rebel, subversion, troublemaking, provocation; rebellion, insurrection, mutiny, insurgence, civil disorder.

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seditious

adjective
rabble-rousing, provocative, inflammatory, subversive, troublemaking; rebellious, insurrectionist, mutinous, insurgent.

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seduce

verb
he took her to his hotel room and tried to seduce her
persuade to have sex; euphemistic have one's (wicked) way with, take advantage of; dated debauch.
a firm which had seduced customers into buying worthless products
attract, allure, lure, tempt, entice, beguile, inveigle, manoeuvre.
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seducer

noun
womanizer, philanderer, Romeo, Don Juan, Lothario, Casanova, playboy, ladies' man; informal ladykiller, wolf, skirt-chaser.

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seductive

adjective
sexy, alluring, tempting, exciting, provocative, sultry, slinky; coquettish, flirtatious; informal vampish, come-hither, come-to-bed.

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seductress

noun
temptress, siren, femme fatale, Mata Hari; flirt, coquette; informal vamp.

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sedulous

adjective
diligent, careful, meticulous, thorough, assiduous, attentive, industrious, conscientious, ultra-careful, punctilious, scrupulous, painstaking, minute, rigorous, particular.

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see 1

verb
he saw her running across the road
discern, spot, notice, catch sight of, glimpse, catch/get a glimpse of, make out, pick out, spy, distinguish, detect, perceive, note; informal clap/lay/set eyes on, clock; poetic/literary behold, descry, espy.
I saw a documentary about it last week
watch, look at, view; catch.
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would you like to see over the house?
inspect, view, look round, tour, survey, examine, scrutinize; informal give something a/the once-over.
Top
I finally saw what she meant
understand, grasp, comprehend, follow, take in, realize, appreciate, recognize, work out, get the drift of, perceive, fathom (out); informal get, latch on to, cotton on to, catch on to, tumble to, savvy, figure out, get a fix on; Brit. informal twig, suss (out).
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I must go and see what Victor is up to
find out, discover, learn, ascertain, determine, establish.
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see that no harm comes to him
ensure, make sure/certain, see to it, take care, mind.
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I see trouble ahead
foresee , predict, forecast, prophesy, anticipate, envisage, picture, visualize.
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about a year later, I saw him in town
encounter, meet, run into/across, come across, stumble on/across, happen on, chance on; informal bump into; archaic run against.
Top
they see each other from time to time
meet, meet up with, get together with, socialize with.
Top
you'd better see a doctor
consult, confer with, talk to, speak to, have recourse to, call on, call in, turn to, ask.
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he's seeing someone else now
go out with, date, take out, be involved with; informal go steady with; Brit. informal, dated walk out with; N. Amer. informal, dated step out with; dated court.
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he saw her to her car
escort, accompany, show, walk, conduct, lead, take, usher, attend.
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see about
arrange, see to, deal with, take care of, look after, attend to, sort out. see through
understand, get/have the measure of, read like a book; informal be wise to, have someone's number, know someone's (little) game. see someone through
sustain, encourage, buoy up, keep going, support, be a tower of strength to, comfort, help (out), stand by, stick by. see something through
persevere with, persist with, continue (with), carry on with, keep at, follow through, stay with; informal stick at, stick it out, hang in there. see to
attend to, deal with, see about, take care of, look after, sort out, fix, organize, arrange.

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see 2

noun
a bishop's see
diocese, bishopric.

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seed

noun
sow the seeds in trays or pots
pip, stone, kernel; ovule.
each war contains within it the seeds of a fresh war
genesis, source, origin, root, starting point, germ, beginnings, potential (for); cause, reason, motivation, motive, grounds.
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(archaic) Abraham and his seed
descendants, heirs, successors, scions; offspring, children, sons and daughters, progeny, family; Law issue; derogatory spawn; archaic fruit of someone's loins.
Top
seminal.
go/run to seed
deteriorate, degenerate, decline, decay, fall into decay, go to rack and ruin, go downhill, moulder, rot; informal go to pot, go to the dogs, go down the toilet.

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seedy

adjective
the seedy world of prostitution
sordid, disreputable, seamy, sleazy, squalid, unwholesome, unsavoury.
a seedy block of flats
dilapidated, tumbledown, ramshackle, falling to pieces, decrepit, gone to rack and ruin, run down, down at heel, shabby, dingy, slummy, insalubrious, squalid; informal crummy; Brit. informal grotty.
Top
ANTONYMS :high-class.

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seek

verb
they sought shelter from the winter snows
search for, try to find, look for, be on the lookout for, be after, hunt for, be in quest of.
the company is seeking a judicial review of the decision
try to obtain, work towards, be intent on, aim at/for.
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he sought help from the police
ask for, request, solicit, call for, entreat, beg for, petition for, appeal for, apply for, put in for.
Top
we constantly seek to improve the service
try, attempt, endeavour, strive, work, do one's best; formal essay.
Top

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seem

verb
appear (to be), have the appearance/air of being, give the impression of being, look, look as though one is, look like, show signs of, look to be; come across as, strike someone as, sound.

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seeming

adjective
apparent, ostensible, supposed, outward, surface, superficial; pretended, feigned. ANTONYMS :actual, genuine.

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seemingly

adverb
apparently, on the face of it, to all appearances, as far as one can see/tell, on the surface, to all intents and purposes, outwardly, superficially, supposedly.

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seemly

adjective
decorous, proper, decent, becoming, fitting, suitable, appropriate, apt, apposite, meet, in good taste, genteel, polite, the done thing, right, correct, acceptable, comme il faut. ANTONYMS :unseemly, unbecoming.

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seep

verb
ooze, trickle, exude, drip, dribble, flow, issue, escape, leak, drain, bleed, filter, percolate, soak.

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seer

noun
soothsayer, oracle, prophet(ess), augur, prognosticator, diviner, fortune teller, crystal-gazer, clairvoyant, psychic; Scottish spaewife; poetic/literary sibyl.

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see-saw

verb
fluctuate, swing, go up and down, rise and fall, oscillate, alternate, yo-yo, vary.

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seethe

verb
the brew seethed
boil, bubble, simmer, foam, froth, fizz, effervesce.
the water seethed with fish
teem, swarm, boil, swirl, churn, surge.
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I seethed at the injustice of it all
be angry, be furious, be enraged, be incensed, be beside oneself, boil, simmer, rage, rant, rave, storm, fume, smoulder; informal be livid, be wild, foam at the mouth, be steamed up, be hot under the collar; Brit. informal do one's nut, throw a wobbly.
Top

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see-through

adjective
transparent, translucent, clear, limpid, pellucid; thin, lightweight, flimsy, sheer, diaphanous, filmy, gossamer, chiffony, gauzy. ANTONYMS :opaque.

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segment

noun
orange segments
piece, bit, section, part, chunk, portion, division, slice; fragment, wedge, lump, tranche.
all segments of society
part, section, sector, division, portion, constituent, element, unit, compartment; branch, wing.
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verb
they plan to segment their market share
divide (up), subdivide, separate, split, cut up, carve up, slice up, break up; segregate, divorce, partition, section. ANTONYMS :amalgamate.

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segregate

verb
separate, set apart, keep apart, isolate, quarantine, closet; partition, divide, detach, disconnect, sever, dissociate. ANTONYMS :amalgamate.

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seize

verb
she seized the microphone
grab, grasp, snatch, take hold of, get one's hands on; grip, clutch; Brit. informal nab.
rebels seized the air base
capture, take, overrun, occupy, conquer, take over.
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the drugs were seized by customs
confiscate, impound, commandeer, requisition, appropriate, expropriate, take away; Law distrain; Scottish Law poind.
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terrorists seized his wife
kidnap, abduct, take captive, take prisoner, take hostage, hold to ransom; informal snatch.
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ANTONYMS :relinquish, release.

seize on they seized on the opportunity

take advantage of, exploit, grasp with both hands, leap at, jump at, pounce on.

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seizure

noun
Napoleon's seizure of Spain
capture, takeover, annexation, invasion, occupation, colonization.
the seizure of defaulters' property
confiscation, appropriation, expropriation, sequestration; Law distraint; Scottish Law poind.
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the seizure of UN staff by rebels
kidnapping, kidnap, abduction.
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the baby suffered a seizure
convulsion, fit, spasm, paroxysm; Medicine ictus; dated apoplexy.
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seldom

adverb
rarely, infrequently, hardly (ever), scarcely (ever), almost never; now and then, occasionally, sporadically; informal once in a blue moon. ANTONYMS :often.

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select

verb
select the correct tool for the job
choose, pick (out), single out, sort out, take; opt for, decide on, settle on, determine, nominate, appoint, elect.
adjective
a select group of SAS members
choice, hand-picked, prime, first-rate, first-class, superior, finest, best, top-class, supreme, superb, excellent; informal A1, top-notch.
a select clientele
exclusive, elite, favoured, privileged; wealthy; informal posh.
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ANTONYMS :inferior.

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selection

noun
Jim made his selection of toys
choice, pick; option, preference.
a wide selection of dishes
range, array, diversity, variety, assortment, mixture.
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a selection of his poems
anthology, assortment, collection, assemblage; miscellany, medley, pot-pourri.
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selective

adjective
discerning, discriminating, discriminatory, critical, exacting, demanding, particular; fussy, fastidious, faddish; informal choosy, pernickety, picky; Brit. informal faddy.

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self

noun
ego, I, oneself, persona, person, identity, character, personality, psyche, soul, spirit, mind, inner self. ANTONYMS :other.

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self-assembly

noun
kits for self-assembly
do-it-yourself, DIY.
adjective
self-assembly furniture
flat-pack, kit, self-build, do-it-yourself, DIY.

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self-assurance

noun
self-confidence, confidence, assertiveness, self-reliance, self-possession, composure, presence of mind, aplomb. ANTONYMS :diffidence.

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self-assured

adjective
self-confident, confident, assertive, assured, authoritative, commanding, self-reliant, self-possessed, poised.

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self-centred

adjective
egocentric, egotistic, egotistical, egomaniacal, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, self-seeking, self-interested, self-serving; narcissistic, vain; inconsiderate, thoughtless; informal looking after number one.

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self-confidence

noun
morale, confidence, self-assurance, assurance, assertiveness, self-reliance, self-possession, composure.

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self-conscious

adjective
embarrassed, uncomfortable, uneasy, nervous; unnatural, inhibited, gauche, awkward; modest, shy, diffident, bashful, retiring, shrinking. ANTONYMS :confident.

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self-contained

adjective
each train was a self-contained unit
complete, independent, separate, free-standing, enclosed.
a very self-contained child
independent, self-sufficient, self-reliant; introverted, quiet, private, aloof, insular, reserved, reticent, secretive.
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self-control

noun
self-discipline, restraint, self-possession, will power, composure, coolness; moderation, temperance, abstemiousness; informal cool.

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self-denial

noun
self-sacrifice, selflessness, unselfishness; self-discipline, asceticism, self-deprivation, abstemiousness, abstinence, abstention; moderation, temperance. ANTONYMS :self-indulgence.

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self-discipline

noun
self-control; restraint, self-restraint; will power, purposefulness, strong-mindedness, resolve, moral fibre; doggedness, persistence, determination, grit.

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self-employed

adjective
freelance, independent, casual; consultant, consulting; temporary, jobbing, visiting, outside, external, extramural, peripatetic.

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self-esteem

noun
self-respect, pride, dignity, self-regard, faith in oneself; morale, self-confidence, confidence, self-assurance.

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self-evident

adjective
obvious, clear, plain, evident, apparent, manifest, patent; distinct, transparent, overt, conspicuous, palpable, unmistakable, undeniable. ANTONYMS :unclear.

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self-explanatory

adjective
easily understood, comprehensible, intelligible, straightforward, unambiguous, accessible, crystal clear, user-friendly, simple, self-evident, obvious. ANTONYMS :impenetrable.

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self-governing

noun
independent, sovereign, autonomous, free; self-legislating, self-determining. ANTONYMS :dependent.

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self-important

adjective
conceited, arrogant, bumptious, full of oneself, puffed up, swollen-headed, pompous, overbearing, opinionated, cocky, presumptuous, sententious, vain, overweening, proud, egotistical; informal snooty, uppity, uppish. ANTONYMS :humble.

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self-indulgent

adjective
hedonistic, pleasure-seeking, sybaritic, indulgent, luxurious, lotus-eating, epicurean; intemperate, immoderate, overindulgent, excessive, extravagant, licentious, dissolute, decadent. ANTONYMS :abstemious.

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self-interest

noun
self-seeking, self-serving, self-obsession, self-absorption, self-regard, egocentrism, egotism, egomania, selfishness; informal looking after number one. ANTONYMS :altruism.

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self-interested

adjective
self-seeking, self-serving, self-obsessed, self-absorbed, wrapped up in oneself, egocentric, egotistic, egotistical, egomaniacal, selfish.

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selfish

adjective
egocentric, egotistic, egotistical, egomaniacal, self-centred, self-absorbed, self-obsessed, self-seeking, self-serving, wrapped up in oneself; inconsiderate, thoughtless, unthinking, uncaring, uncharitable; mean, miserly, grasping, greedy, mercenary, acquisitive, opportunistic; informal looking after number one. ANTONYMS :altruistic.

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selfless

adjective
unselfish, altruistic, self-sacrificing, self-denying; considerate, compassionate, kind, noble, generous, magnanimous, ungrudging, charitable, benevolent, open-handed. ANTONYMS :inconsiderate.

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self-possessed

adjective
assured, self-assured, calm, cool, composed, at ease, unperturbed, unruffled, confident, self-confident, poised, imperturbable; informal together, unfazed, unflappable. ANTONYMS :unsure.

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self-possession

noun
composure, assurance, self-assurance, self-control, imperturbability, impassivity, equanimity, nonchalance, confidence, self-confidence, poise, aplomb, presence of mind, nerve, sangfroid; informal cool.

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self-reliant

adjective
self-sufficient, self-supporting, self-sustaining, able to stand on one's own two feet; independent, autarkic.

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self-respect

noun
self-esteem, self-regard, amour propre, faith in oneself, pride, dignity, morale, self-confidence.

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self-restraint

noun
self-control, restraint, self-discipline, self-possession, will power, moderation, temperance, abstemiousness, abstention. ANTONYMS :self-indulgence.

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self-righteous

adjective
sanctimonious, holier-than-thou, self-satisfied, smug, priggish, complacent, pious, moralizing, superior, hypocritical; informal goody-goody. ANTONYMS :humble.

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self-sacrifice

noun
self-denial, selflessness, unselfishness; self-discipline, abstinence, asceticism, abnegation, self-deprivation, moderation, austerity, temperance, abstention.

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self-satisfied

adjective
complacent, self-congratulatory, smug, superior, puffed up, pleased with oneself; informal goody-goody, I'm-all-right-Jack; Brit. informal like the cat that's got the cream.

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self-seeking

adjective
self-interested, self-serving, selfish; egocentric, egotistic, egotistical, self-obsessed, self-absorbed; inconsiderate, thoughtless, unthinking; informal looking after number one. ANTONYMS :altruistic.

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self-styled

adjective
would-be, so-called, self-appointed, self-titled, professed, self-confessed, soi-disant.

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self-sufficient

adjective
self-supporting, self-reliant, self-sustaining, able to stand on one's own two feet; independent, autarkic.

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self-willed

adjective
wilful, contrary, perverse, uncooperative, wayward, headstrong, stubborn, obstinate, obdurate, pig-headed, mulish, intransigent, recalcitrant, intractable; Brit. informal bloody-minded; formal refractory. ANTONYMS :biddable.

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sell

verb
they are selling their house
put up for sale, offer for sale, put on sale, dispose of, vend, auction (off); trade, barter.
he sells cakes
trade in, deal in, traffic in, stock, carry, offer for sale, peddle, hawk, retail, market.
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the book should sell well
go, be bought, be purchased; move, be in demand.
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it sells for £79.95
cost, be priced at, retail at, go for, be.
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he still has to sell the deal to Congress
promote; persuade someone to accept, talk someone into, bring someone round to, win someone over to, win approval for.
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ANTONYMS :buy.

sell someone down the river (informal). See double-cross. sell out
we've sold out of petrol
have none left, be out of stock, have run out; informal be fresh out, be cleaned out.

the edition sold out quickly
be bought up, be depleted, be exhausted.
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they say the band has sold out
abandon one's principles, prostitute oneself, sell one's soul, betray one's ideals, be untrue to oneself; debase oneself, degrade oneself, demean oneself.
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sell someone out
betray, inform on; be disloyal to, be unfaithful to, double-cross, break faith with, stab in the back; informal tell on, sell down the river, blow the whistle on, squeal on, stitch up, peach on, do the dirty on; Brit. informal grass on, shop; N. Amer. informal finger. sell someone short
undervalue, underrate, underestimate, disparage, deprecate, belittle; formal derogate.

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seller

noun
vendor, retailer, purveyor, supplier, stockist, trader, merchant, dealer; shopkeeper, salesperson, salesman, saleswoman, sales assistant, shop assistant, travelling salesperson, pedlar, hawker; auctioneer; N. Amer. clerk; informal counter-jumper.

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semblance

noun
(outward) appearance, air, show, facade, front, veneer, guise, pretence.

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seminal

adjective
influential, formative, ground-breaking, pioneering, original, innovative; major, important.

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seminar

noun
a seminar for education officials
conference, symposium, meeting, convention, forum, summit, discussion, consultation.
teaching in the form of seminars
study group, workshop, tutorial, class, lesson.
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seminary

noun
theological college, rabbinical college, Talmudical college; academy, training college, training institute, school.

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send

verb
they sent a message to HQ
dispatch, post, mail, address, consign, direct, forward; transmit, convey, communicate; telephone, phone, broadcast, radio, fax, e-mail; dated telegraph, wire, cable.
we sent for a doctor
call, summon, contact; ask for, request, order.
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the pump sent out a jet of petrol
propel, project, eject, deliver, discharge, spout, fire, shoot, release; throw, let fly; informal chuck.
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the barrels send off nasty fumes
emit, give off, discharge, exude, send out, release, leak.
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it's enough to send one mad
make, drive, turn.
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(informal) it's the music that sends us
excite, stimulate, move, rouse, stir, thrill, electrify, intoxicate, enrapture, enthral, grip; charm, delight; informal blow away, give someone a kick.
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ANTONYMS :receive.

send someone down
(Brit.) she was sent down from Cambridge
expel, exclude; Brit. rusticate.

(informal) he was sent down for life
send to prison, imprison, jail, incarcerate, lock up, confine, detain, intern; informal put away; Brit. informal bang up.
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send someone off (Sport)
order off, dismiss; show someone the red card; informal red-card, send for an early bath, sin-bin. send someone/something up (informal)
satirize, ridicule, make fun of, parody, lampoon, mock, caricature, imitate, ape; informal take off, spoof, take the mickey out of.

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send-off

noun
farewell, goodbye, adieu, leave-taking, valediction; funeral; archaic vale. ANTONYMS :welcome.

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send-up

noun
(informal) satire, burlesque, lampoon, pastiche, caricature, imitation, impression, impersonation; mockery, mimicry, travesty; informal spoof, take-off, mickey-take.

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senile

adjective
doddering, doddery, decrepit, senescent, declining, infirm, feeble; aged, long in the tooth, in one's dotage; mentally confused, having Alzheimer's (disease), having senile dementia; informal past it, gaga.

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senior

adjective
senior school pupils
older, elder.
a senior officer
superior, higher-ranking, high-ranking, more important; top, chief; N. Amer. ranking.
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Albert Stone Senior
the Elder; Brit. major; N. Amer. I.
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ANTONYMS :junior, subordinate.

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senior citizen

noun
retired person, (old-age) pensioner, OAP; old person, elderly person, geriatric, dotard, Methuselah; N. Amer. senior, retiree, golden ager; informal old stager, old-timer, oldie, oldster, wrinkly, crumbly; Brit. informal buffer, josser.

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seniority

noun
rank, superiority, standing, primacy, precedence, priority; age.

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sensation

noun
a sensation of light
feeling, sense, awareness, consciousness, perception, impression.
I caused a sensation by donating £1m
commotion, stir, uproar, furore, scandal, impact; interest, excitement; informal splash, to-do, hullabaloo.
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the new cars were a sensation
triumph, success, sell-out; talking point; informal smash (hit), hit, winner, crowd-puller, wow, knockout.
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sensational

adjective
a sensational murder trial
shocking, scandalous, appalling; amazing, startling, astonishing, staggering; stirring, exciting, thrilling, electrifying; fascinating, interesting, noteworthy, significant, remarkable, momentous, historic, newsworthy.
sensational stories
over-dramatized, dramatic, melodramatic, exaggerated, sensationalist, sensationalistic; graphic, explicit, lurid; informal shock-horror, juicy.
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(informal) she looked sensational
gorgeous, stunning, wonderful, exquisite, lovely, radiant, delightful, charming, enchanting, captivating; striking, spectacular, remarkable, outstanding, arresting, eye-catching; marvellous, superb, excellent, fine, first-class; informal great, terrific, tremendous, super, fantastic, fabulous, fab, heavenly, divine, knockout, delectable, scrumptious, awesome, magic, wicked, out of this world; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill.
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ANTONYMS :dull, understated, unremarkable.

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sense

noun
the sense of touch
sensory faculty, feeling, sensation, perception; sight, hearing, touch, taste, smell.
a sense of guilt
feeling, awareness, sensation, consciousness, recognition.
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a sense of humour
appreciation, awareness, understanding, comprehension, discernment.
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she had the sense to press the panic button
wisdom, common sense, sagacity, discernment, perception; wit, intelligence, cleverness, shrewdness, judgement, reason, logic, brain(s); informal gumption, nous, horse sense, savvy; Brit. informal loaf, common; N. Amer. informal smarts.
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I can't see the sense in this
purpose, point, reason, object, motive; use, value, advantage, benefit.
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the different senses of "well"
meaning, definition, import, signification, significance, purport, implication, nuance; drift, gist, thrust, tenor, message.
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ANTONYMS :stupidity.

verb
she sensed their hostility
discern, feel, observe, notice, recognize, pick up, be aware of, distinguish, make out, identify; comprehend, apprehend, see, appreciate, realize; suspect, have a funny feeling about, have a hunch, divine, intuit; informal catch on to; Brit. informal twig.

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senseless

adjective
they found him senseless on the floor
unconscious, stunned, insensible, insensate, comatose, knocked out, out cold, out for the count; numb; informal KO'd, dead to the world; Brit. informal spark out.
a senseless waste
pointless, futile, useless, needless, unavailing, in vain, purposeless, meaningless, unprofitable; absurd, foolish, insane, stupid, idiotic, ridiculous, ludicrous, mindless, illogical.
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ANTONYMS :conscious, wise.

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sensibility

noun
study leads to the growth of sensibility
sensitivity, finer feelings, delicacy, taste, discrimination, discernment; understanding, insight, empathy, appreciation; feeling, intuition, responsiveness, receptiveness, perceptiveness, awareness.
the wording might offend their sensibilities
(finer) feelings, emotions, sensitivities, moral sense.
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sensible

adjective
practical, realistic, responsible, reasonable, commonsensical, rational, logical, sound, balanced, sober, no-nonsense, pragmatic, level-headed, thoughtful, down-to-earth, wise, prudent, judicious, sagacious, shrewd. ANTONYMS :foolish.

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sensitive

adjective
she's sensitive to changes in temperature
responsive to, reactive to, sentient of, sensitized to; aware of, conscious of, alive to; susceptible to, affected by, vulnerable to; attuned to.
sensitive skin
delicate, fragile; tender, sore, raw.
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the matter needs sensitive handling
tactful, careful, thoughtful, diplomatic, delicate, subtle, kid-glove; sympathetic, compassionate, understanding, intuitive, responsive, insightful.
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he's sensitive about his bald patch
touchy, oversensitive, hypersensitive, easily offended, easily upset, easily hurt, thin-skinned, defensive; paranoid, neurotic; informal twitchy, uptight.
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a sensitive issue
difficult, delicate, tricky, awkward, problematic, ticklish, precarious; controversial, emotive; informal sticky.
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ANTONYMS :impervious, resilient, clumsy, thick-skinned, uncontroversial.

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sensitivity

noun
the sensitivity of the skin
responsiveness, sensitiveness, reactivity; susceptibility, vulnerability.
the job calls for sensitivity
consideration, care, thoughtfulness, tact, diplomacy, delicacy, subtlety, finer feelings; understanding, empathy, sensibility, feeling, intuition, responsiveness, receptiveness; perception, discernment, insight; savoir faire.
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her sensitivity on the subject of boyfriends
touchiness, oversensitivity, hypersensitivity, defensiveness.
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the sensitivity of the issue
delicacy, trickiness, awkwardness, ticklishness.
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sensual

adjective
sensual pleasure
physical, carnal, bodily, fleshly, animal; hedonistic, epicurean, sybaritic, voluptuary.
a beautiful, sensual woman
sexually attractive, sexy, voluptuous, sultry, seductive, passionate; sexually arousing, erotic, sexual.
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ANTONYMS :spiritual, passionless.

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sensualist

noun
hedonist, pleasure-seeker, sybarite, voluptuary; epicure, gastronome; bon vivant, bon viveur.

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sensuality

noun
sexiness, sexual attractiveness, sultriness, seductiveness; sexuality, eroticism; physicality, carnality.

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sensuous

adjective
big sensuous canvases
aesthetically pleasing, gratifying, rich, sumptuous, luxurious; sensory, sensorial.
sensuous lips
sexually attractive, sexy, seductive, voluptuous, luscious, lush.
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sentence

noun
prison term, prison sentence; punishment; informal time, stretch, stint; Brit. informal porridge, bird.
verb
they were sentenced to death
pass judgement on, punish, convict; condemn, doom.

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sententious

adjective
moralistic, moralizing, sanctimonious, self-righteous, pietistic, pious, priggish, judgemental; pompous, pontifical, self-important; informal preachifying, preachy; Brit. informal pi.

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sentient

adjective
(capable of) feeling, living, live; conscious, aware, responsive, reactive.

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sentiment

noun
the comments echo my own sentiments
view, feeling, attitude, thought, opinion, belief.
there's no room for sentiment in sport
sentimentality, sentimentalism, mawkishness, emotionalism; emotion, sensibility, soft-heartedness, tender-heartedness; informal schmaltz, mush, slushiness, corniness, cheese; Brit. informal soppiness; N. Amer. informal sappiness.
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sentimental

adjective
she kept the vase for sentimental reasons
nostalgic, tender, emotional, affectionate.
the film is too sentimental
mawkish, over-emotional, cloying, sickly, saccharine, sugary; romantic, hearts-and-flowers, touching; Brit. twee; informal slushy, mushy, weepy, tear-jerking, schmaltzy, lovey-dovey, gooey, drippy, cheesy, corny; Brit. informal soppy; N. Amer. informal cornball, sappy, hokey.
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she is sentimental about animals
soft-hearted, tender-hearted, soft; informal soppy.
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ANTONYMS :practical, gritty.

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sentry

noun
guard, sentinel, lookout, watch, watchman, patrol.

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separable

adjective
divisible, distinct, independent, distinguishable; detachable, removable.

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separate

adjective
his personal life was separate from his job
unconnected, unrelated, different, distinct, discrete; detached, divorced, disconnected, independent, autonomous.
the infirmary was separate from the school
set apart, detached, disjoined; fenced off, cut off, segregated, isolated; free-standing, self-contained.
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ANTONYMS :linked, attached.

verb
they separated two rioting mobs
split (up), break up, part, pull apart, divide; poetic/literary sunder.
the connectors can be separated
disconnect, detach, disengage, uncouple, unyoke, disunite, disjoin; split, divide, sever; disentangle.
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the wall that separated the two estates
partition, divide, come between, keep apart; bisect, intersect.
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the south aisle was separated off
isolate, partition off, section off; close off, shut off, cordon off, fence off, screen off.
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they separated at the airport
part (company), go their separate ways, split up; say goodbye; disperse, disband, scatter.
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the road separated
fork, divide, bran ch, bifurcate, diverge.
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her parents separated
split up, break up, part, be estranged, divorce.
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separate fact from fiction
isolate, set apart, segregate; distinguish, differentiate, dissociate; sort out, sift out, filter out, remove, weed out.
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those who separate themselves from society
break away from, break with, secede from, withdraw from, leave, quit, dissociate oneself from, resign from, drop out of, repudiate, reject.
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ANTONYMS :unite, join, link, meet, merge, marry.

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separately

adverb
individually, one by one, one at a time, singly, severally; apart, independently, alone, by oneself, on one's own.

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separation

noun
the separation of the two companies
disconnection, detachment, severance, dissociation, disunion, disaffiliation, segregation, partition.
her parent's separation
break-up, split, parting (of the ways), estrangement, rift, rupture, breach; divorce; Brit. informal bust-up.
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the separation between art and life
distinction, difference, differentiation, division, dividing line; gulf, gap, chasm.
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septic

adjective
infected, festering, suppurating, pus-filled, putrid, putrefying, poisoned, diseased; Medicine purulent.

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sepulchral

adjective
gloomy, lugubrious, sombre, melancholy, melancholic, sad, sorrowful, mournful, doleful, dismal; poetic/literary dolorous. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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sepulchre

noun
tomb, vault, burial chamber, mausoleum, crypt, undercroft, catacomb; grave.

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sequel

noun
the film inspired a sequel
follow-up, continuation.
the sequel was an armed uprising
consequence, result, upshot, outcome, development, issue, postscript; effect, after-effect, aftermath; informal pay-off.
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sequence

noun
the sequence of events
succession, order, course, series, chain, train, string, progression, chronology; pattern, flow; formal concatenation.
a sequence from his film
excerpt, clip, extract, episode, section.
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sequester

verb
he sequestered himself from the world
isolate oneself, hide away, shut oneself away, seclude oneself, cut oneself off, segregate oneself; closet oneself, withdraw, retire.
the government sequestered his property.
See sequestrate.
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sequestrate

verb
confiscate, seize, take, sequester, appropriate, expropriate, impound, commandeer; Law distrain; Scottish Law poind.

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seraphic

adjective
blissful, beatific, sublime, rapturous, ecstatic, joyful, rapt; serene, ethereal; cherubic, saintly, angelic.

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serendipitous

adjective
chance, accidental, coincidental; lucky, fluky, fortuitous; unexpected, unforeseen.

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serendipity

noun
(happy) chance, (happy) accident, fluke; luck, good luck, good fortune, fortuity, providence; happy coincidence.

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serene

adjective
on the surface she seemed serene
calm, composed, tranquil, peaceful, untroubled, relaxed, at ease, unperturbed, unruffled, unworried; placid, equable; N. Amer. centered; informal together, unflappable.
serene valleys
peaceful, tranquil, quiet, still, restful, relaxing, undisturbed.
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ANTONYMS :agitated, turbulent.

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series

noun
a series of lectures
succession, sequence, string, chain, run, round; spate, wave, rash; set, course, cycle; row, line; formal concatenation.
a new drama series
serial, programme; soap opera; informal soap.
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serious

adjective
a serious expression
solemn, earnest, grave, sombre, sober, unsmiling, poker-faced, stern, grim, dour, humourless, stony-faced; thoughtful, preoccupied, pensive.
serious decisions
important, significant, consequential, momentous, weighty, far-reaching, major, grave; urgent, pressing, crucial, critical, vital, life-and-death, high-priority.
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give serious consideration to this
careful, detailed, in-depth, deep, profound, meaningful.
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a serious play
intellectual, highbrow, heavyweight, deep, profound, literary, learned, scholarly; informal heavy.
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serious injuries
severe, grave, bad, critical, acute, terrible, dire, dangerous, perilous, parlous; formal grievous.
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we're serious about equality
in earnest, earnest, sincere, wholehearted, genuine; committed, resolute, determined.
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ANTONYMS :light-hearted, trivial, superficial, lowbrow, minor, half-hearted.

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seriously

adverb
Faye nodded seriously
solemnly, earnestly, gravely, soberly, sombrely, sternly, grimly, dourly, humourlessly; pensively, thoughtfully.
she was seriously injured
severely, gravely, badly, critically, acutely, dangerously; formal grievously.
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do you seriously expect me to come?
really, actually, honestly.
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seriously, I'm very pleased
joking aside, to be serious, honestly, truthfully, truly, I mean it; informal Scout's honour; Brit. informal straight up; dated honest Injun.
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(informal) "I've resigned." "Seriously?"
really, is that so, is that a fact, you're joking, well I never, go on, you don't say; informal you're kidding; Brit. informal (well, I'll be blowed).
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(informal) he was seriously rich.
See extremely.
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sermon

noun
he preached a sermon
homily, address, speech, talk, discourse, oration; lesson.
the headmaster gave them a lengthy sermon
lecture, tirade, harangue, diatribe; speech, disquisition, monologue; reprimand, reproach, reproof, admonishment, admonition, reproval, remonstration, criticism; informal telling-off, talking-to, dressing-down, earful; Brit. informal ticking-off, row, rocket, rollicking; formal castigation.
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serpentine

adjective
a serpentine path
winding, windy, zigzag, twisty, twisting and turning, meandering, sinuous, snaky, tortuous.
serpentine election rules
complicated, complex, intricate, involved, tortuous, convoluted, elaborate, knotty, confusing, bewildering, baffling, impenetrable.
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ANTONYMS :straight, simple.

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serrated

adjective
jagged, sawtoothed, sawtooth, zigzag, notched, indented, toothed, denticulate, denticulated; Botany serrate; technical crenulated. ANTONYMS :smooth.

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serried

adjective
close together, packed together, close-set, dense, tight, compact.

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servant

noun
servants were cleaning the hall
attendant, retainer; domestic (worker), (hired) help, cleaner; lackey, flunkey, minion; maid, housemaid, footman, page (boy), valet, butler, batman, manservant; housekeeper, steward; drudge, menial, slave; Brit. informal Mrs Mop, daily (woman), skivvy, scout; Brit. dated charwoman, charlady, boots; archaic abigail, scullion.
a servant of the Labour Party
helper, supporter, follower.
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serve

verb
they served their masters faithfully
work for, be in the service of, be employed by; obey.
this job serves the community
be of service to, be of use to, help, assist, aid, make a contribution to, do one's bit for, do something for, benefit.
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she served on the committee for years
be a member of, work on, be on, sit on, have a place on.
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he served his apprenticeship in Scotland
carry out, perform, do, fulfil, complete, discharge; spend.
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serve the soup hot
dish up/out, give out, distribute; present, provide, supply; eat.
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she served another customer
attend to, deal with, see to; assist, help, look after.
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they served him with a writ
present, deliver, give, hand over.
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a saucer serving as an ashtray
act as, function as, do the work of, be a substitute for.
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official forms will serve in most cases
suffice, be adequate, be good enough, fit/fill the bill, do, answer, be useful, meet requirements, suit.
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service

noun
your conditions of service
work, employment, employ, labour.
he has done us a service
favour, kindness, good turn, helping hand; (services) assistance, help, aid, offices, ministrations.
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the food and service were excellent
waiting, waitressing, serving, attendance.
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products which give reliable service
use, usage; functioning.
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he took his car in for a service
overhaul, maintenance check, servicing.
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a marriage service
ceremony, ritual, rite, observance; liturgy, sacrament; formal ordinance.
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a range of local services
amenity, facility, resource, utility.
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soldiers leaving the services
(armed) forces, armed services, military; army, navy, air force.
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verb
the appliances are serviced regularly
overhaul, check, go over, maintain; repair, mend, recondition.
be of service
help, assist, benefit, be of assistance, be beneficial, serve, be useful, be of use, be valuable; do someone a good turn. out of service
out of order, broken, broken-down, out of commission, unserviceable, faulty, defective, inoperative, in disrepair; down; informal conked out, bust, kaput, on the blink, acting up, shot; Brit. informal knackered.

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serviceable

adjective
a serviceable heating system
in working order, working, functioning, functional, operational, operative; usable, workable, viable.
serviceable lace-up shoes
functional, utilitarian, sensible, practical; hard-wearing, durable, tough, robust.
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ANTONYMS :unusable, impractical.

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servile

adjective
obsequious, sycophantic, deferential, subservient, fawning, ingratiating, unctuous, grovelling, toadyish, slavish, humble, self-abasing; informal slimy, bootlicking, smarmy, sucky; N. Amer. informal apple-polishing. ANTONYMS :assertive.

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serving

noun
portion, helping, plateful, plate, bowlful; amount, quantity, ration.

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servitude

noun
slavery, enslavement, bondage, subjugation, subjection, domination; historical serfdom. ANTONYMS :liberty.

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session

noun
a special session of the committee
meeting, sitting, assembly, conclave, plenary; hearing; conference, discussion, forum, symposium; Scottish sederunt, diet; N. Amer. & NZ caucus.
training sessions
period, time, spell, stretch, bout.
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the next college session begins in August
academic year, school year; term, semester; N. Amer. trimester.
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set 1

verb
Beth set the bag on the table
put (down), place, lay, deposit, position, settle, leave, stand, plant, posit; informal stick, dump, bung, park, plonk, pop; N. Amer. informal plunk.
the cottage is set on a hill
be situated, be located, lie, stand, be sited, be perched.
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the fence is set in concrete
fix, embed, insert; mount.
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a ring set with precious stones
adorn, ornament, decorate, embellish; poetic/literary bejewel.
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I'll go and set the table
lay, prepare, arrange.
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we set them some easy tasks
assign, allocate, give, allot, prescribe.
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just set your mind to it
apply, address, direct, aim, turn, focus, concentrate.
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they set a date for the election
decide on, select, choose, arrange, schedule; fix (on), settle on, determine, designate, name, appoint, specify, stipulate.
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he set his horse towards her
direct, steer, orientate, point, aim, train.
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hi s jump set a national record
establish, create, institute.
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he set his watch
adjust, regulate, synchronize; calibrate; put right, correct; programme, activate, turn on.
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the adhesive will set in an hour
solidify, harden, stiffen, thicken, gel, gelatinize; cake, congeal, coagulate, clot; freeze, crystallize.
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the sun was setting
go down, sink, dip; vanish, disappear.
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ANTONYMS :melt, rise.

set about
Mike set about raising £5000
begin, start, commence, go about, get to work on, get down to, embark on, tackle, address oneself to, undertake.

the youths set about him
attack, assail, assault, hit, strike, beat, thrash, pummel, wallop, tear into, set upon, fall on; informal lay into, lace into, pitch into, let someone have it, do over, work over, rough up, knock about/around; Brit. informal duff up, have a go at; N. Amer. informal beat up on.
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set someone against someone else
alienate from, estrange from; drive a wedge between, sow dissension, set at odds. set someone apart
distinguish, differentiate, mark out, single out, separate, demarcate. set something apart
isolate, separate, segregate, put to one side. set something aside
set aside some money each month
save, put by, put aside, put away, lay by, keep, reserve; store, stockpile, hoard, stow away, cache, withhold; informal salt away, squirrel away, stash away.

he set aside his cup
put down, cast aside, discard, abandon, dispense with.
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set aside your differences
disregard, put aside, ignore, forget, discount, shrug off, bury.
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the Appeal Court set aside the decision
overrule, overturn, reverse, revoke, countermand, nullify, annul, cancel, quash, dismiss, reject, repudiate; Law disaffirm; formal abrogate.
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set someone back (informal). See cost verb sense 1. set someone/something back
delay, hold up, hold back, slow down/up, retard, check, decelerate; hinder, impede, obstruct, hamper, inhibit , frustrate, thwart. set something down
he set down his thoughts
write down, put in writing, jot down, note down, make a note of; record, register, log.

we set down a code of practice
formulate, draw up, establish, frame; lay down, determine, fix, stipulate, specify, prescribe, impose, ordain.
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I set it down to the fact that he was drunk
attribute, put down, ascribe, assign, chalk up; blame on, impute.
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set something forth
present, describe, set out, detail, delineate, explain, expound; state, declare, announce; submit, offer, put forward, advance, propose, propound. set someone free
release, free, let go, turn loose, let out, liberate, deliver, emancipate. set in bad weather set in

begin, start, arrive, come, develop. set off
set out, start out, sally forth, leave, depart, embark, set sail; informal hit the road. set something off
the bomb was set off
detonate, explode, blow up, touch off, trigger; ignite.

it set off a wave of protest
give rise to, cause, lead to, set in motion, occasion, bring about, initiate, precipitate, prompt, trigger (off), spark (off), touch off, provoke, incite.
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the blue dress set off her auburn hair
enhance, bring out, emphasize, show off, throw into relief; complement.
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set on/upon
attack, assail, assault, hit, strike, beat, thrash, pummel, wallop, set about, fall on; informal lay into, lace into, let someone have it, get stuck into, work over, rough up, knock about/around; Brit. informal duff up, have a go at; N. Amer. informal beat up on, light into. set one's heart on
want desperately, wish for, desire, long for, yearn for, hanker after, ache for, hunger for, thirst for, burn for; informal be itching for, be dying for. set out
he set out early.
See set off.

you've done what you set out to achieve
aim, intend, mean, seek; hope, aspire, want.
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set something out
the gifts were set out on tables
arrange, lay out, put out, array, dispose, display, exhibit.

they set out some guidelines
present, set forth, detail; state, declare, announce; submit, put forward, advance, propose, propound.
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set someone up
his father set him up in business
establish, finance, fund, back, subsidize.

(informal) she set him up for Newley's murder
falsely incriminate, frame, entrap; Brit. informal fit up.
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set something up
a monument to her memory was set up
erect, put up, construct, build, raise, elevate.

she set up her own business
establish, start, begin, initiate, institute, found, create.
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set up a meeting
arrange, organize, fix (up), schedule, timetable, line up.
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set 2

noun
a set of colour postcards
group, collection, series; assortment, selection, compendium, batch, number; arrangement, array.
the literary set
clique, coterie, circle, crowd, group, crew, band, company, ring, camp, fraternity, school, faction, league; informal gang, bunch.
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a chemistry set
kit, apparatus, equipment, outfit.
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a set of cutlery
canteen, box, case.
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a set of china
service.
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he's in the bottom set at school
class, form, group; stream, band.
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the set of his shoulders
posture, position, cast, attitude; bearing, carriage.
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a stage set
scenery, setting, backdrop, flats; mise en scène.
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set 3

adjective
a set routine
fixed, established, predetermined, hard and fast, pre-arranged, prescribed, specified, defined; unvarying, unchanging, invariable, unvaried, rigid, inflexible, cast-iron, strict, settled, predictable; routine, standard, customary, regular, usual, habitual, accustomed, wonted.
she had set ideas
inflexible, rigid, fixed, firm, deep-rooted, deep-seated, ingrained, entrenched.
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he had a set speech for such occasions
stock, standard, routine, rehearsed, well worn, formulaic, conventional.
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I was all set for the evening
ready, prepared, organized, equipped, primed; informal geared up, psyched up.
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he's set on marrying her
determined to, intent on, (hell) bent on, resolute about, insistent about.
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you were dead set against the idea
opposed to, averse to, hostile to, resistant to, antipathetic to, unsympathetic to; informal anti.
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ANTONYMS :variable, flexible, original, unprepared, uncertain.

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setback

noun
problem, difficulty, hitch, complication, upset, disappointment, misfortune, mishap, reversal; blow, stumbling block, hindrance, impediment, obstruction; delay, hold-up; informal glitch, hiccup. ANTONYMS :breakthrough.

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settee

noun
sofa, couch, divan, chaise longue, chesterfield; Brit. put-you-up; N. Amer. davenport, day bed.

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setting

noun
a rural setting
surroundings, position, situation, environment, background, backdrop, milieu, environs, habitat; spot, place, location, locale, site, scene; area, region, district.
a garnet in a gold setting
mount, fixture, surround.
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settle

verb
they settled the dispute
resolve, sort out, solve, clear up, end, fix, work out, iron out, straighten out, set right, rectify, remedy, reconcile; informal patch up.
she settled their affairs
put in order, sort out, tidy up, arrange, organize, order, clear up.
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they settled on a date for the wedding
decide on, set, fix, agree on, name, establish, arrange, appoint, designate, assign; choose, select, pick.
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she went down to the lobby to settle her bill
pay, settle up, square, clear, defray.
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they settled for a 4.2% pay rise
accept, agree to, assent to; formal accede to.
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he settled in London
make one's home, set up home, take up residence, put down roots, establish oneself; live, move to, emigrate to.
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immigrants settled much of Australia
colonize, occupy, inhabit, people, populate.
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Catherine settled down to her work
apply oneself to, get down to, set about, attack; concentrate on, focus on, devote oneself to.
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the class wouldn't settle down
calm down, quieten down, be quiet, be still; informal shut up.
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a brandy will settle your nerves
calm, quieten, quiet, soothe, pacify, quell; sedate, tranquillize.
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he settled into an armchair
sit down, seat oneself, install oneself, ensconce oneself, plant oneself; informal park oneself, plonk oneself.
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a butterfly settled on the flower
land, come to rest, alight, descend, perch; archaic light.
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sediment settles at the bottom
sink, subside, fall, gravitate.
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ANTONYMS :agitate, rise.

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settlement

noun
a pay settlement
agreement, deal, arrangement, resolution, bargain, understanding, pact.
the settlement of the dispute
resolution, settling, solution, reconciliation.
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a frontier settlement
community, colony, outpost, encampment, post; village, commune; historical plantation.
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the settlement of the area
colonization, settling, populating; historical plantation.
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the settlement of their debts
payment, discharge, defrayal, liquidation, clearance.
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settler

noun
colonist, colonizer, frontiersman, frontierswoman, pioneer; immigrant, newcomer, incomer; N. Amer. historical homesteader. ANTONYMS :native.

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set-up

noun
a telecommunications set-up
system, structure, organization, arrangement, framework, layout, configuration.
a set-up called Film International
organization, group, body, agency, association, operation; company, firm; informal outfit.
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(informal) the whole thing was a set-up
trick, trap; conspiracy; informal put-up job, frame-up.
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seven

cardinal number
septet, septuplets; technical heptad. hepta-, septi-.

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sever

verb
the head was severed from the body
cut off, chop off, detach, disconnect, dissever, separate, part; amputate, dock; poetic/literary sunder.
a knife had severed the artery
cut (through), rupture, split, pierce.
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they severed diplomatic relations
break off, discontinue, suspend, end, terminate, cease, dissolve.
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ANTONYMS :join, maintain.

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several

adjective
several people
some, a number of, a few; various, assorted, sundry, diverse; poetic/literary divers.
they sorted out their several responsibilities
respective, individual, own, particular, specific; separate, different, disparate, distinct; various.
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severe

adjective
severe injuries
acute, very bad, serious, grave, critical, dreadful, terrible, awful; dangerous, parlous, life-threatening; formal grievous.
severe storms
fierce, violent, strong, powerful, intense; tempestuous, turbulent.
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a severe winter
harsh, bitter, cold, bleak, freezing, icy, arctic, extreme.
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a severe headache
excruciating, agonizing, intense, dreadful, awful, terrible, unbearable, intolerable; informal splitting, pounding.
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a severe test of their stamina
difficult, demanding, tough, arduous, formidable, exacting, rigorous, punishing, onerous, gruelling.
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severe criticism
harsh, scathing, sharp, strong, fierce, savage, scorching, devastating, trenchant, caustic, biting, withering.
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severe tax penalties
extortionate, excessive, unreasonable, inordinate, outrageous, sky-high, harsh, stiff; punitive; Brit. swingeing.
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they received severe treatment
harsh, stern, hard, inflexible, uncompromising, unrelenting, merciless, pitiless, ruthless, draconian, oppressive, repressive, punitive; brutal, cruel, savage.
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his severe expression
stern, dour, grim, forbidding, disapproving, unsmiling, unfriendly, sombre, grave, serious, stony, steely; cold, frosty.
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a severe style of architecture
plain, simple, austere, unadorned, unembellished, unornamented, stark, spartan, ascetic; clinical, uncluttered.
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ANTONYMS :minor, gentle, mild, easy, lenient, friendly, ornate.

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severely

adjective
he was severely injured
badly, seriously, critically; fatally; formal grievously.
she was severely criticized
sharply, roundly, soundly, fiercely, savagely.
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murderers should be treated more severely
harshly, strictly, sternly, rigorously, mercilessly, pitilessly, roughly, sharply; with a rod of iron; brutally, cruelly, savagely.
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she looked severely at Harriet
sternly, grimly, dourly, disapprovingly; coldly, frostily.
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she dressed severely in black
plainly, simply, austerely, starkly.
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sew

verb
she sewed the seams of the tunic
stitch, tack, baste, seam, hem; embroider.
sew something up
the tear was sewn up
darn, mend, repair, patch.

(informal) the company sewed up a deal with IBM
secure, clinch, pull off, bring off, settle, conclude, complete, finalize, tie up; informal swing.
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sewing

noun
stitching, needlework, needlecraft, fancy-work.

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sex

noun
they talked about sex
sexual intercourse, intercourse, lovemaking, making love, sex act, (sexual) relations; mating, copulation; informal nooky; Brit. informal bonking, rumpy pumpy, how's your father; formal fornication; technical coitus, coition; dated carnal knowledge.
teach your children about sex
the facts of life, reproduction; informal the birds and the bees.
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adults of both sexes
gender.
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have sex
have sexual intercourse, make love, sleep with, go to bed; mate, copulate; seduce, rape; informal do it, go all the way, know in the biblical sense; Brit. informal bonk; N. Amer. informal get it on; euphemistic be intimate; poetic/literary ravish; formal fornicate.

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sex appeal

noun
sexiness, seductiveness, sexual attractiveness, desirability, sensuality, sexuality; informal it, SA.

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sexism

noun
sexual discrimination, chauvinism, prejudice, bias.

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sexless

adjective
asexual, non-sexual, neuter; androgynous, epicene.

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sexual

adjective
the sexual organs
reproductive, genital, sex, procreative.
sexual activity
carnal, erotic; formal venereal; technical coital.
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she's so sexual.
See sexy sense 1.
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sexual intercourse

noun
. See sex sense 1.

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sexuality

noun
she had a powerful sexuality
sensuality, sexiness, seductiveness, desirability, eroticism, physicality; sexual appetite, passion, desire, lust.
I'm open about my sexuality
sexual orientation, sexual preference, leaning, persuasion; heterosexuality, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality.
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sexuality within holy matrimony
sexual activity, sexual relations, sexual intercourse, sex, procreation.
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sexy

adjective
she's so sexy
sexually attractive, seductive, desirable, alluring, sensual, sultry, slinky, provocative, tempting, tantalizing; nubile, voluptuous, luscious, lush; informal fanciable, beddable; Brit. informal fit; N. Amer. informal foxy, cute; Austral. informal spunky.
sexy videos
erotic, sexually explicit, arousing, exciting, stimulating, hot, titillating, racy, naughty, risqué, adult, X-rated; rude, pornographic, crude, lewd; informal raunchy, steamy, porno, blue, skin.
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they weren't feeling sexy
(sexually) aroused, sexually excited, amorous, lustful, passionate; informal horny, hot, turned on, sexed up; Brit. informal randy.
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(informal) a sexy sales promotion
exciting, stimulating, interesting, appealing, intriguing.
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shabby

adjective
a shabby little bar
run down, down at heel, scruffy, dilapidated, ramshackle, tumbledown; seedy, slummy, insalubrious, squalid, sordid; informal crummy, scuzzy, shambly; Brit. informal grotty; N. Amer. informal shacky.
a shabby grey coat
scruffy, old, worn out, threadbare, ragged, frayed, tattered, battered, faded, moth-eaten, mangy; informal tatty, ratty, the worse for wear; N. Amer. informal raggedy.
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her shabby treatment of Ben
contemptible, despicable, dishonourable, discreditable, mean, low, dirty, hateful, shameful, sorry, ignoble, unfair, unworthy, unkind, shoddy, nasty; informal rotten, low-down; Brit. informal beastly.
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ANTONYMS :smart, honourable.

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shack

noun
hut, shanty, cabin, lean-to, shed; hovel; Scottish bothy, shieling.
shack up with (informal)
cohabit, live with; informal, dated live in sin.

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shackle

verb
he was shackled to the wall
chain, fetter, manacle; secure, tie (up), bind, tether, hobble; put in chains, clap in irons, handcuff.
journalists were shackled by a new law
restrain, restrict, limit, constrain, handicap, hamstring, hamper, hinder, impede, obstruct, inhibit, check, curb.
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shackles

plural noun
the men filed through their shackles
chains, fetters, irons, leg-irons, manacles, handcuffs; bonds; informal cuffs, bracelets.
the shackles of bureaucracy
restrictions, restraints, constraints, impediments, hindrances, obstacles, barriers, obstructions, checks, curbs; poetic/literary trammels.
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shade

noun
they sat in the shade
shadow(s), shadiness, shelter, cover; cool.
shades of blue
colour, hue, tone, tint, tinge.
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shades of meaning
nuance, gradation, degree, difference, variation, variety; nicety, subtlety; undertone, overtone.
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her skirt was a shade too short
a little, a bit, a trace, a touch, a modicum, a tinge; slightly, rather, somewhat; informal a tad, a smidgen.
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the window shade
blind, curtain, screen, cover, covering; awning, canopy.
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(informal) he was wearing shades
sunglasses, dark glasses; Austral. informal sunnies.
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ANTONYMS :light.

verb
vines shaded the garden
cast a shadow over, shadow, shelter, cover, screen; darken.
she shaded in the picture
darken, colour in, pencil in, block in, fill in; cross-hatch.
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the sky shaded from turquoise to blue
change, transmute, turn, go; merge, blend.
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put someone/something in the shade
surpass, outsh ine, outclass, overshadow, eclipse, transcend, cap, top, outstrip, outdo, put to shame, beat, outperform, upstage; informal run rings around, be a cut above, leave standing. shades of
echoes of, a reminder of, memories of, suggestions of, hints of.

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shadow

noun
he saw her shadow in the doorway
silhouette, outline, shape, contour, profile.
he emerged from the shadows
shade, darkness, twilight; gloom, murkiness; archaic umbrage.
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the shadow of war
(black) cloud, pall; gloom, blight; threat.
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she knew without any shadow of doubt
trace, scrap, shred, crumb, iota, scintilla, jot, whit, grain; informal smidgen, smidge, tad.
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a shadow of a smile
trace, hint, suggestion, suspicion, ghost, glimmer.
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he's a shadow of his former self
inferior version, poor imitation, apology, travesty; remnant.
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the dog became her shadow
constant companion, alter ego, second self; close friend, bosom friend, fidus Achates; informal Siamese twin.
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verb
the market is shadowed by the church
overshadow, shade; darken, dim.
he is shadowing a poacher
follow, trail, track, stalk, pursue, hunt; informal tail, keep tabs on.
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shadowy

adjective
a shadowy corridor
dark, dim, gloomy, murky, crepuscular, shady, shaded; poetic/literary tenebrous.
a shadowy figure
indistinct, hazy, indefinite, vague, nebulous, ill-defined, faint, blurred, blurry, unclear, indistinguishable, unrecognizable; ghostly, spectral, wraithlike.
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ANTONYMS :bright, clear.

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shady

adjective
a shady garden
shaded, shadowy, dim, dark; sheltered, screened, shrouded; leafy; poetic/literary bosky, tenebrous.
(informal) shady deals
suspicious, suspect, questionable, dubious, doubtful, disreputable, untrustworthy, dishonest, dishonourable, devious, underhand, unscrupulous, irregular, unethical; N. Amer. snide; informal fishy, murky; Brit. informal dodgy; Austral./NZ informal shonky.
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ANTONYMS :bright, honest.

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shaft

noun
the shaft of a golf club
pole, shank, stick, rod, staff; handle, hilt, stem.
the shaft of a feather
quill; Ornithology rachis.
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shafts of sunlight
ray, beam, gleam, streak, finger.
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he directs his shafts against her
cutting remark, barb, gibe, taunt; informal dig.
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a ventilation shaft
mineshaft, tunnel, passage, pit, adit, downcast, upcast; borehole, bore; duct, well, flue, vent.
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shaggy

adjective
hairy, bushy, thick, woolly; tangled, tousled, unkempt, dishevelled, untidy, matted; formal hirsute. ANTONYMS :sleek.

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shake

verb
the whole building shook
vibrate, tremble, quiver, quake, shiver, shudder, judder, jiggle, wobble, rock, sway; convulse.
she shook the bottle
jiggle, joggle, agitate; informal waggle.
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he shook his stick at them
brandish, wave, flourish, swing, wield; informal waggle.
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the look in his eyes really shook her
upset, distress, disturb, unsettle, disconcert, discompose, disquiet, unnerve, trouble, throw off balance, agitate, fluster; shock, alarm, frighten, scare, worry; informal rattle.
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this will shake their confidence
weaken, undermine, damage, impair, harm; reduce, diminish, decrease.
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ANTONYMS :soothe, strengthen.

noun
he gave his coat a shake
jiggle, joggle; informal waggle.
a shake of his fist
flourish, brandish, wave.
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it gives me the shakes
tremors, delirium tremens; informal DTs, jitters, willies, heebie-jeebies, yips; Austral. informal Joe Blakes.
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in two shakes (of a lamb's tail) (informal). See in a moment at moment. no great shakes (informal)
not very good, unexceptional, unmemorable, forgettable, uninspired, uninteresting, indifferent, unimpressive, lacklustre; informal nothing to write home about, nothing special, not up to much. shake a leg (informal). See hurry verb sense 1. shake someone off
get away from, escape, elude, dodge, lose, leave behind, get rid of, give someone the slip, throw off the scent; Brit. informal get shot of. shake something off
recover from, get over; get rid of, free oneself from; Brit. informal get shot of; N. Amer. informal shuck off. shake someone/something up
the accident shook him up.
See shake verb sense 4.

plans to shake up the legal profession
reorganize, restructure, revolutionize, alter, change, transform, reform, overhaul.
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shake-up

noun
(informal) reorganization, restructuring, reshuffle, change, overhaul, makeover; upheaval; N. Amer. informal shakedown.

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shaky

adjective
shaky legs
trembling, shaking, tremulous, quivering, quivery, unsteady, wobbly, weak; tottering, tottery, teetering, doddery; informal trembly.
I feel a bit shaky
faint, dizzy, light-headed, giddy; weak, wobbly, quivery, groggy, muzzy; informal trembly, woozy.
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a shaky table
unsteady, unstable, wobbly, precarious, rocky, rickety, ramshackle; Brit. informal wonky.
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the evidence is shaky
unreliable, untrustworthy, questionable, dubious, doubtful, tenuous, suspect, flimsy, weak, unsound, unsupported, unsubstantiated, unfounded; informal iffy; Brit. informal dodgy.
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ANTONYMS :steady, stable, sound.

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shallow

adjective
superficial, facile, simplistic, oversimplified; flimsy, insubstantial, lightweight, empty, trivial, trifling; surface, skin-deep; frivolous, foolish, silly. ANTONYMS :profound.

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sham

noun
his tenderness had been a sham
pretence, fake, act, fiction, simulation, fraud, feint, lie, counterfeit; humbug.
the doctor was a sham
charlatan, fake, fraud, impostor, pretender; quack, mountebank; informal phoney.
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adjective
sham togetherness
fake, pretended, feigned, simulated, false, artificial, bogus, insincere, contrived, affected, make-believe, fictitious; imitation, mock, counterfeit, fraudulent; informal pretend, put-on, phoney, pseudo; Brit. informal cod. ANTONYMS :genuine.

verb
she shams indifference
feign, fake, pretend, put on, simulate, affect.
was he ill or just shamming?
pretend, fake, dissemble; malinger; informal put it on; Brit. informal swing the lead.
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shaman

noun
witch doctor, medicine man/woman, healer, kahuna.

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shamble

verb
shuffle, drag one's feet, lumber, totter, dodder; hobble, limp.

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shambles

plural noun
we have to sort out this shambles
chaos, mess, muddle, confusion, disorder, havoc, mare's nest; Brit. informal dog's dinner/breakfast.
the room was a shambles
mess, pigsty; informal disaster area; Brit. informal tip.
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shambolic

adjective
(Brit. informal). See chaotic.

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shame

noun
her face was scarlet with shame
humiliation, mortification, chagrin, ignominy, embarrassment, indignity, abashment, discomfort.
I felt shame at telling a lie
guilt, remorse, contrition, compunction.
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he brought shame on the family
disgrace, dishonour, discredit, degradation, ignominy, disrepute, infamy, scandal, opprobrium, contempt; dated disesteem.
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it's a shame she never married
pity, misfortune, sad thing; bad luck; informal bummer, crime, sin.
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ANTONYMS :pride, honour.

verb
you shamed your family's name
disgrace, dishonour, discredit, degrade, debase; stigmatize, taint, sully, tarnish, besmirch, blacken, drag through the mud.
he was shamed in public
humiliate, mortify, chagrin, embarrass, abash, chasten, humble, take down a peg or two, cut down to size; informal show up; N. Amer. informal make someone eat crow.
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ANTONYMS :honour.

put someone/something to shame
outshine, outclass, eclipse, surpass, excel, outstrip, outdo, put in the shade, upstage; informal run rings around, leave standing; Brit. informal knock spots off.

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shamefaced

adjective
ashamed, abashed, sheepish, guilty, conscience-stricken, guilt-ridden, contrite, sorry, remorseful, repentant, penitent, regretful, rueful, apologetic; embarrassed, mortified, red-faced, chagrined, humiliated; informal with one's tail between one's legs. ANTONYMS :unrepentant.

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shameful

adjective
shameful behaviour
disgraceful, deplorable, despicable, contemptible, dishonourable, discreditable, reprehensible, low, unworthy, ignoble, shabby; shocking, scandalous, outrageous, abominable, atrocious, appalling, vile, odious, heinous, egregious, loathsome, bad; inexcusable, unforgivable; informal low-down, hateful.
a shameful secret
embarrassing, mortifying, humiliating, degrading, ignominious.
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ANTONYMS :admirable.

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shameless

adjective
flagrant, blatant, barefaced, overt, brazen, brash, audacious, outrageous, undisguised, unconcealed, transparent; immodest, indecorous; unabashed, unashamed, unblushing, unrepentant. ANTONYMS :modest.

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shanty

noun
shack, hut, cabin, lean-to, shed; hovel; Scottish bothy, shieling.

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shape

noun
the shape of the dining table
form, appearance, configuration, formation, structure; figure, build, physique, body; contours, lines, outline, silhouette, profile.
a spirit in the shape of a fox
guise, likeness, semblance, form, appearance, image.
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you're in pretty good shape
condition, health, trim, fettle, order; Brit. informal nick.
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morpho-.
verb
the metal is shaped into tools
form, fashion, make, mould, model, cast; sculpt, sculpture, carve, cut, whittle.
attitudes were shaped by his report
determine, form, fashion, mould, define, develop; influence, affect.
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shape up
her work is shaping up nicely
improve, get better, progress, show promise; develop, take shape, come on, come along.

a regime to help you shape up
get fit, get into shape, tone up; slim, lose weight.
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take shape
become clear, become definite, become tangible, crystallize, come together, fall into place .

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shapeless

adjective
shapeless lumps
formless, amorphous, unformed, indefinite.
a shapeless dress
baggy, saggy, ill-fitting, sack-like, oversized, unshapely, formless.
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shapely

adjective
well proportioned, clean-limbed, curvaceous, voluptuous, full-figured, Junoesque; attractive, sexy; informal curvy; archaic comely.

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shard

noun
fragment, sliver, splinter, shiver, chip, piece, bit, particle.

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share

noun
her share of the profits
portion, part, division, quota, quantum, allowance, ration, allocation, measure, due; percentage, commission, dividend; helping, serving; informal cut, slice, rake-off; Brit. informal whack, divvy.
verb
we share the bills
split, divide, go halves on; informal go fifty-fifty, go Dutch.
they shared out the peanuts
apportion, divide up, allocate, portion out, ration out, parcel out, measure out; carve up; Brit. informal divvy up.
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we all share in the learning process
participate in, take part in, play a part in, be involved in, contribute to, have a hand in, partake in.
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sharp

adjective
a sharp knife
keen, razor-edged; sharpened, honed.
a sharp pain
excruciating, agonizing, intense, stabbing, shooting, severe, acute, keen, fierce, searing; exquisite.
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a sharp taste
tangy, piquant, strong; acidic, acid, sour, tart, pungent, acrid, bitter, acidulous.
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a sharp cry of pain
loud, piercing, shrill, high-pitched, penetrating, harsh, strident, ear-splitting, deafening.
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a sharp wind
cold, chilly, chill, brisk, keen, penetrating, biting, icy, bitter, freezing, raw; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky.
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sharp words
harsh, bitter, cutting, scathing, caustic, barbed, trenchant, acrimonious, acerbic, sarcastic, sardonic, spiteful, venomous, malicious, vitriolic, vicious, hurtful, nasty, cruel, abrasive; informal bitchy, catty.
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a sharp sense of loss
intense, acute, keen, strong, bitter, fierce, heartfelt, o verwhelming.
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her nose is sharp
pointed, tapering, tapered; spiky; informal pointy.
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the lens brings it into sharp focus
distinct, clear, crisp; stark, obvious, marked, definite, pronounced.
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a sharp increase
sudden, abrupt, rapid; steep, precipitous.
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a sharp corner
hairpin, tight.
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a sharp drop
steep, sheer, abrupt, precipitous, vertical.
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sharp eyes
keen, perceptive, observant, acute, beady, hawklike.
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she was sharp and witty
perceptive, percipient, perspicacious, incisive, sensitive, keen, acute, quick-witted, clever, shrewd, canny, astute, intelligent, intuitive, bright, alert, smart, quick off the mark, insightful, knowing; informal on the ball, quick on the uptake, savvy; Brit. informal suss; Scottish & N. English informal pawky; N. Amer. informal heads-up.
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(informal) a sharp suit
smart, stylish, fashionable, chic, modish, elegant; informal trendy, cool, snazzy, classy , flash, snappy, natty, nifty; N. Amer. informal fly, spiffy.
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ANTONYMS :blunt, mild, sweet, soft, kind, rounded, indistinct, gradual, slow, weak, stupid, naive, untidy.

adverb
nine o'clock sharp
precisely, exactly, on the dot; promptly, prompt, punctually, dead on; informal on the nose; N. Amer. informal on the button.
the recession pulled people up sharp
abruptly, suddenly, sharply, unexpectedly.
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ANTONYMS :roughly.

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sharpen

verb
sharpen the carving knife
hone, whet, strop, grind, file.
the players are sharpening up their skills
improve, brush up, polish up, better, enhance; hone, fine-tune, perfect.
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sharp-eyed

adjective
observant, perceptive, eagle-eyed, hawk-eyed, keen-eyed, gimlet-eyed; watchful, vigilant, alert, on the lookout; informal beady-eyed.

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shatter

verb
the glasses shattered
smash, break, splinter, crack, fracture, fragment, disintegrate, shiver; informal bust.
the announcement shattered their hopes
destroy, wreck, ruin, dash, crush, devastate, demolish, torpedo, scotch; informal put the kibosh on, banjax, do for, put paid to; Brit. informal scupper.
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we were shattered by the news
devastate, shock, stun, daze, traumatize, crush, distress; informal knock sideways; Brit. informal knock for six.
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shattered

adjective
he was shattered by the reviews
devastated, shocked, stunned, dazed, traumatized, crushed; heartbroken.
(informal) I feel too shattered to move.
See exhausted sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :thrilled.

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shave

verb
he shaved his beard
cut off, snip off; crop, trim, barber.
shave off excess wood
plane, pare, whittle, scrape.
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shave parmesan over the top
grate, shred.
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he shaved the MP's majority to 2,000
reduce, cut, lessen, decrease, pare down, shrink, slim down.
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his shot shaved the post
graze, brush, touch, glance off, kiss.
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sheaf

noun
bundle, bunch, stack, pile, heap, mass; Brit. informal wodge.

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sheath

noun
put the sword in its sheath
scabbard, case.
the wire has a plastic sheath
covering, cover, case, casing, envelope, sleeve, wrapper, capsule.
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a contraceptive sheath.
See condom.
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shed 1

noun
the rabbit lives in the shed
hut, lean-to, outhouse, outbuilding; shack; potting shed, woodshed; Brit. lock-up.

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shed 2

verb
the trees shed their leaves
drop, scatter, spill.
the caterpillar shed its skin
slough off, cast off, moult; technical exuviate.
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we shed our jackets
take off, remove, shrug off, discard, doff, climb out of, slip out of, divest oneself of; Brit. informal peel off.
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much blood has been shed
spill, discharge.
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the firm is to shed ten workers
make redundant, dismiss, let go, discharge, get rid of, discard; informal sack, fire, give someone their marching orders, send packing, give someone the push, boot out.
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they must shed their illusions
discard, get rid of, dispose of, do away with, drop, abandon, jettison, scrap, cast aside, dump, reject, repudiate; informal ditch, junk, get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of.
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the moon shed a watery light
cast, radiate, diffuse, disperse, give out.
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ANTONYMS :don, hire, keep.

shed tears
weep, cry, sob; lament, grieve, mourn; Scottish greet; informal blub, blubber, boohoo.

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sheen

noun
shine, lustre, gloss, patina, shininess, burnish, polish, shimmer, brilliance, radiance.

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sheep

noun
ram, ewe, lamb, wether, bellwether, tup; Austral. informal jumbuck, woolly. ovine.

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sheepish

adjective
embarrassed, uncomfortable, hangdog, self-conscious; shamefaced, ashamed, abashed, mortified, chastened, remorseful, contrite, apologetic, rueful, regretful, penitent, repentant.

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sheer 1

adjective
the sheer audacity of the plan
utter, complete, absolute, total, pure, downright, out-and-out, arrant, thorough, thoroughgoing, patent, veritable, unmitigated, plain; Austral./NZ informal fair.
a sheer drop
precipitous, steep, vertical, perpendicular, abrupt, bluff, sharp.
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a sheer dress
diaphanous, gauzy, filmy, floaty, gossamer, thin, translucent, transparent, see-through, insubstantial.
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ANTONYMS :gradual, thick.

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sheer 2

verb
the boat sheered off along the coast
swerve, veer, slew, skew, swing, change course.
her mind sheered away from his image
turn away, flinch, recoil, shy away; avoid.
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sheet

noun
she changed the sheets
bed linen, linen, bedclothes.
a sheet of ice
layer, stratum, covering, blanket, coating, coat, film, skin.
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a sheet of glass
pane, panel, piece, plate; slab.
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she put a fresh sheet in the typewriter
piece of paper, leaf, page, folio.
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a sheet of water
expanse, area, stretch, sweep.
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shelf

noun
the plant on the shelf
ledge, sill, bracket, rack; mantelpiece; shelving.
the waters above the shelf
sandbank, sandbar, bank, bar, reef, shoal.
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on the shelf
unmarried, single, unattached; lonely, unloved, neglected.

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shell

noun
a crab shell
carapace, exterior; armour; Zoology exoskeleton.
peanut shells
pod, husk, hull, casing, case, covering, integument; N. Amer. shuck.
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shells passing overhead
projectile, bomb, explosive; grenade; bullet, cartridge.
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the metal shell of the car
framework, frame, chassis, skeleton; hull, exterior.
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conchoidal, concho-.
verb
they were shelling peas
hull, pod, husk; N. Amer. shuck.
rebel artillery shelled the city
bombard, fire on, shoot at, attack, bomb, blitz, strafe.
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shell something out (informal). See pay verb sense 2.

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shellfish

noun
crustacean, bivalve, mollusc.

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shelter

noun
the trees provide shelter for animals
protection, cover, screening, shade; safety, security, refuge, sanctuary, asylum.
a shelter for abandoned cats
sanctuary, refuge, home, haven, safe house; harbour, port in a storm.
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ANTONYMS :exposure.

verb
the hut sheltered him from the wind
protect, shield, screen, cover, shade, save, safeguard, preserve, defend, cushion, guard, insulate.
the anchorage where the convoy sheltered
take shelter, take refuge, seek sanctuary, take cover; informal hole up.
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ANTONYMS :expose.

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sheltered

adjective
a sheltered stretch of water
protected, screened, shielded, covered; shady; cosy.
she led a sheltered life
secluded, cloistered, isolated, protected, withdrawn, sequestered, reclusive; privileged, secure, safe, quiet.
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shelve

verb
postpone, put off, delay, defer, put back, reschedule, hold over/off, put to one side, suspend, stay, keep in abeyance, mothball; abandon, drop, give up, stop, cancel, jettison, axe; N. Amer. put over, table, take a rain check on; informal put on ice, put on the back burner, ditch, dump, junk. ANTONYMS :execute.

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shepherd

noun
he worked as a shepherd
shepherdess, herdsman, herder, sheepman.
verb
we shepherded them away
usher, steer, herd, lead, take, escort, guide, conduct, marshal, walk; show, see, chaperone.

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shield

noun
he used his shield to fend off blows
Heraldry escutcheon; historical buckler, target; archaic targe.
a shield against dirt
protection, guard, defence, cover, screen, security, shelter, safeguard, protector.
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verb
he shielded his eyes
protect, cover, screen, shade; save, safeguard, preserve, defend, secure, guard; cushion, insulate. ANTONYMS :expose.

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shift

verb
he shifted some chairs
move, carry, transfer, transport, convey, lug, haul, fetch, switch, relocate, reposition, rearrange; informal cart.
she shifted her position
change, alter, adjust, vary; modify, revise, reverse, retract; do a U-turn.
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the cargo has shifted
move, slide, slip, be displaced.
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the wind shifted
veer, alter, change, turn, swing round.
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(Brit.) this brush really shifts the dirt
get rid of, remove, get off, budge, lift, expunge.
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ANTONYMS :keep.

noun
the southward shift of people
movement, move, transference, transport, transposition, relocation.
a shift in public opinion
change, alteration, adjustment, amendment, variation, modification, revision, reversal, retraction, U-turn; Brit. about-turn.
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they worked three shifts
stint, stretch, spell of work.
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the night shift went home
workers, crew, gang, team, squad, patrol.
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(archaic) dubio us shifts to make money
stratagem, scheme, subterfuge, expedient, dodge, trick, ruse, wile, strategy, device, plan.
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shift for oneself
cope, manage, survive, make it, fend for oneself, take care of oneself, make do, get by/along, scrape by/along, muddle through; stand on one's own two feet; informal make out.

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shiftless

adjective
lazy, idle, indolent, slothful, lethargic, lackadaisical; spiritless, apathetic, feckless, good-for-nothing, worthless; unambitious, unenterprising.

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shifty

adjective
(informal) devious, evasive, slippery, duplicitous, false, deceitful, underhand, untrustworthy, dishonest, shady, wily, crafty, tricky, sneaky, treacherous, artful, sly, scheming; N. Amer. snide; Brit. informal dodgy; Austral./NZ informal shonky. ANTONYMS :honest.

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shilly-shally

verb
dither, be indecisive, be irresolute, vacillate, waver, hesitate, blow hot and cold, falter, drag one's feet; Brit. haver, hum and haw; Scottish swither; informal dilly-dally.

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shimmer

verb
the lake shimmered
glint, glisten, twinkle, sparkle, flash, scintillate, gleam, glow, glimmer, glitter, wink; poetic/literary coruscate.
noun
the shimmer of lights from the traffic
glint, twinkle, sparkle, flash, gleam, glow, glimmer, lustre, glitter; poetic/literary coruscation.

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shin

verb
climb, clamber, scramble, swarm, shoot, go; mount, ascend, scale; descend; N. Amer. shinny.

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shine

verb
the sun shone
emit light, beam, radiate, gleam, glow, glint, glimmer, sparkle, twinkle, glitter, glisten, shimmer, flash, flare, glare, fluoresce, luminesce; poetic/literary glister, coruscate.
she shone his shoes
polish, burnish, buff, wax, gloss, rub up.
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they shone at university
excel, be outstanding, be brilliant, be successful, stand out.
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noun
the shine of the moon on her face
light, brightness, gleam, glow, glint, glimmer, sparkle, twinkle, glitter, glisten, shimmer, beam, glare, radiance, illumination, luminescence, luminosity, incandescence.
linseed oil restores the shine
polish, burnish, gleam, gloss, lustre, sheen, patina.
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shining

adjective
a shining expanse of water
gleaming, bright, brilliant, illuminated, lustrous, glowing, glinting, sparkling, twinkling, glittering, glistening, shimmering, dazzling, luminous, luminescent, incandescent; poetic/literary glistering, coruscating.
a shining face
glowing, beaming, radiant, happy.
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shining chromium tubes
shiny, bright, polished, gleaming, glossy, glassy, sheeny, lustrous.
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a shining example
paragon, model, epitome, archetype, ideal, exemplar, nonpareil, paradigm, quintessence, the crème de la crème, the beau idéal, acme, jewel, flower, treasure; informal one in a million, the bee's knees.

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shiny

adjective
glossy, glassy, bright, polished, gleaming, satiny, sheeny, lustrous. ANTONYMS :matt.

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ship

noun
boat, vessel, craft. marine, maritime, naval.

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shirk

verb
she didn't shirk any task
evade, dodge, avoid, get out of, sidestep, shrink from, shun, slide out of, skip, miss; neglect; informal duck (out of), cop out of; Brit. informal skive off; N. Amer. informal cut; Austral./NZ informal duck-shove.
no one shirked
avoid one's duty, be remiss, be negligent, play truant; Brit. informal skive (off), swing the lead, scrimshank, slack off; N. Amer. informal goof off, play hookey.
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shirker

noun
dodger, truant, absentee, layabout, loafer, idler; informal slacker; Brit. informal skiver, scrimshanker; archaic shirk.

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shiver 1

verb
she was shivering with fear
tremble, quiver, shake, shudder, quaver, quake.
noun
she gave a shiver as the door opened
tremble, quiver, shake, shudder, quaver, quake, tremor, twitch.

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shiver 2

noun
a shiver of glass
splinter, sliver, shard, fragment, chip, shaving, smithereen, particle, bit, piece.
verb
the window shivered into thousands of pieces
shatter, splinter, smash, fragment, crack, break.

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shivery

adjective
trembling, trembly, quivery, shaky, shuddering, shuddery, quavery, quaking; cold, chilly.

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shoal

noun
sandbank, bank, mudbank, bar, sandbar, tombolo, shelf, cay.

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shock 1

noun
the news came as a shock
blow, upset, disturbance; surprise, revelation, a bolt from the blue, thunderbolt, bombshell, rude awakening, eye-opener; informal whammy.
you gave me a shock
fright, scare, jolt, start; informal turn.
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she was suffering from shock
trauma, traumatism, prostration; collapse, breakdown.
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the first shock of the earthquake
vibration, reverberation, shake, jolt, jar, jerk; impact, blow.
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verb
the murder shocked the nation
appal, horrify, outrage, revolt, disgust, nauseate, sicken; traumatize, distress, upset, disturb, disquiet, unsettle; stun, rock, stagger, astound, astonish, amaze, startle, surprise, dumbfound, shake, take aback, throw, unnerve.

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shock 2

noun
a shock of red hair
mass, mane, mop, thatch, head, crop, bush, frizz, tangle, cascade, halo.

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shocking

adjective
appalling, horrifying, horrific, dreadful, awful, frightful, terrible; scandalous, outrageous, disgraceful, vile, abominable, abhorrent, atrocious; odious, repugnant, disgusting, nauseating, sickening, loathsome; distressing, upsetting, disturbing, disquieting, unsettling; staggering, amazing, astonishing, startling, surprising.

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shoddy

adjective
shoddy goods
poor-quality, inferior, second-rate, third-rate, cheap, cheapjack, trashy, jerry-built; informal tacky, rubbishy, junky; Brit. informal duff, rubbish.
shoddy workmanship
careless, slapdash, sloppy, slipshod, scrappy, crude; negligent, cursory.
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ANTONYMS :quality, careful.

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shoemaker

noun
cobbler, bootmaker, clogger; Scottish & N. English souter.

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shoot

verb
they shot him in the street
gun down, mow down, hit, wound, injure; put a bullet in, pick off, bag, fell, kill; informal pot, blast, pump full of lead, plug.
they shot at the enemy
fire, open fire, aim, snipe, let fly; bombard, shell.
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faster than a gun can shoot bullets
discharge, fire, launch, loose off, let fly, emit.
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a car shot past
race, speed, flash, dash, dart, rush, hurtle, streak, whizz, go like lightning, go hell for leather, zoom, charge; career, sweep, fly, wing; informal belt, scoot, scorch, tear, zip, whip, step on it, burn rubber; Brit. informal bomb, bucket, shift; N. Amer. informal clip, hightail it, barrel.
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the plant failed to shoot
sprout, bud, burgeon, germinate.
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the film was shot in Tunisia
film, photograph, take, snap, capture, record; televise, video.
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noun
nip off the new shoots
sprout, bud, offshoot, sc ion, sucker, spear, runner, tendril, sprig.

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shop

noun
a shop selling clothes
store, (retail) outlet, boutique, cash and carry, emporium, department store, supermarket, hypermarket, superstore, chain store, concession, market, mart, trading post; N. Amer. minimart.
he works in the machine shop
workshop, workroom, plant, factory, works, industrial unit, mill, foundry, yard.
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verb
he was shopping for spices
go shopping, go to the shops; buy, purchase, get, acquire, obtain, pick up, snap up, procure, stock up on; humorous indulge in retail therapy.
(Brit. informal) he shopped his fellow robbers.
See betray sense 1.
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shopkeeper

noun
shop-owner, shop manager, vendor, retailer, dealer, seller, trader, wholesaler, salesperson, tradesman, distributor; N. Amer. storekeeper.

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shopper

noun
buyer, purchaser, customer, consumer, client, patron; Law vendee.

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shopping centre

noun
shopping precinct, (shopping) mall, (shopping) arcade, galleria, parade; marketplace, mart; N. Amer. plaza.

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shore 1

noun
he swam out from the shore
seashore, beach, foreshore, sand(s), shoreline, waterside, front, coast, seaboard; poetic/literary strand. littoral.

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shore 2

verb
we had to shore up the building
prop up, hold up, bolster, support, brace, buttress, strengthen, fortify, reinforce, underpin.

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short

adjective
a short piece of string
small, little, tiny; informal teeny.
short people
small, little, petite, tiny, diminutive, stubby, elfin, dwarfish, midget, pygmy, Lilliputian, minuscule, miniature; Scottish wee; informal pint-sized, teeny, knee-high to a grasshopper.
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a short report
concise, brief, succinct, compact, summary, economical, crisp, pithy, epigrammatic, laconic, thumbnail, abridged, abbreviated, condensed, synoptic, summarized, contracted, truncated; formal compendious.
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a short time
brief, momentary, temporary, short-lived, impermanent, cursory, fleeting, passing, fugitive, lightning, transitory, transient, ephemeral, quick.
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money is a bit short
scarce, in short supply, scant, meagre, sparse, insufficient, deficient, inadequate, lacking, wanting.
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he was rather short with her
curt, sharp, abrupt, blunt, brusque, terse, offhand, gruff, surly, testy, rude, uncivil; informal snappy.
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ANTONYMS :long, tall, plentiful, courteous.

adverb
she stopped short
abruptly, suddenly, sharply, all of a sudden, all at once, unexpectedly, without warning, out of the blue.
in short
briefly, in a word, in a nutshell, in precis, in essence, to come to the point; in conclusion, in summary, to sum up. short of
we are short of nurses
deficient in, lacking, wanting, in need of, low on, short on, missing; informal strapped for, pushed for, minus.

short of searching everyone, there is nothing we can do
apart from, other than, aside from, besides, except (for), excepting, without, excluding, not counting, save (for).
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shortage

noun
scarcity, sparseness, sparsity, dearth, paucity, poverty, insufficiency, deficiency, inadequacy, famine, lack, want, deficit, shortfall, rarity. ANTONYMS :abundance.

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shortcoming

noun
defect, fault, flaw, imperfection, deficiency, limitation, failing, drawback, weakness, weak point, foible, frailty, vice. ANTONYMS :strength.

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shorten

verb
make shorter, abbreviate, abridge, condense, precis, synopsize, contract, compress, reduce, shrink, diminish, cut (down); dock, trim, crop, pare down, prune; curtail, truncate. ANTONYMS :extend.

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short-lived

adjective
brief, short, momentary, temporary, impermanent, cursory, fleeting, passing, fugitive, lightning, transitory, transient, ephemeral, quick.

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shortly

adverb
she will be with you shortly
soon, presently, in a little while, at any moment, in a minute, in next to no time, before long, by and by; N. Amer. momentarily; informal anon, any time now, pretty soon, before one can say Jack Robinson, in a jiffy; Brit. informal in a mo, sharpish; dated directly.
"I know," he replied shortly
curtly, sharply, abruptly, bluntly, brusquely, tersely, gruffly, snappily, testily, rudely.
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short-sighted

adjective
I'm a little short-sighted
myopic, near-sighted; informal as blind as a bat.
short-sighted critics
narrow-minded, unimaginative, improvident, small-minded, insular, parochial, provincial.
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ANTONYMS :long-sighted, imaginative.

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short-staffed

adjective
understaffed, short-handed, undermanned, below strength.

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short-tempered

adjective
irritable, irascible, hot-tempered, quick-tempered, snappish, fiery, touchy, volatile; cross, crabby, crotchety, cantankerous, grumpy, ill-tempered, bad-tempered, testy, tetchy, prickly, choleric; informal snappy, chippy, grouchy, cranky, on a short fuse; Brit. informal narky, ratty, eggy, like a bear with a sore head; N. Amer. informal soreheaded. ANTONYMS :placid.

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shot 1

noun
a shot rang out
report of a gun, crack, bang, blast; (shots) gunfire.
the cannon have run out of shot
bullets, cannonballs, pellets, ammunition.
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a winning shot
stroke, hit, strike; kick, throw, pitch, lob.
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Mike was an excellent shot
marksman, markswoman, shooter.
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a shot of us on holiday
photograph, photo, snap, snapshot, picture, print, slide, still; Brit. enprint.
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(informal) it's nice to get a shot at driving
attempt, try; turn, chance, opportunity; informal go, stab, crack, bash; formal essay.
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tetanus shots
injection, inoculation, immunization, vaccination, booster; informal jab.
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a shot in the arm (informal)
boost, fillip, tonic, stimulus, spur, impetus, encouragement. a shot in the dark
(wild) guess, surmise, supposition, conjecture, speculation. like a shot (informal)
without hesitation, unhesitatingly, eagerly, enthusiast ically; immediately, at once, right away/now, straight away, instantly, instantaneously, without delay; informal in/like a flash, before one can say Jack Robinson. not by a long shot
by no (manner of) means, not at all, in no way, certainly not, absolutely not, definitely not; Brit. not by a long chalk.

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shot 2

adjective
shot silk
variegated, mottled; multicoloured, varicoloured; iridescent, opalescent.

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shoulder

verb
Britain shouldered the primary responsibility
take on (oneself), undertake, accept, assume; bear, carry.
another lad shouldered him aside
push, shove, thrust, jostle, force, bulldoze, bundle.
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give someone the cold shoulder
snub, shun, cold-shoulder, ignore, cut (dead), rebuff, spurn, ostracize; informal give someone the brush-off, freeze out; Brit. informal send to Coventry; N. Amer. informal give someone the brush. put one's shoulder to the wheel
get (down) to work, apply oneself, set to work, buckle down, roll up one's sleeves; work hard, be diligent, be industrious, exert oneself. shoulder to shoulder
the regiment lined up shoulder to shoulder
side by side, abreast, alongside (each other).

he fought shoulder to shoulder with the others
united, (working) together, jointly, in partnership, in collaboration, in cooperation, side by side, in alliance.
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shout

verb
"Help," he shouted
yell, cry (out), call (out), roar, howl, bellow, bawl, call at the top of one's voice, clamour, shriek, scream; raise one's voice, vociferate; informal holler. ANTONYMS :whisper.

noun
a shout of pain
yell, cry, call, roar, howl, bellow, bawl, clamour, vociferation, shriek, scream; informal holler.

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shove

verb
she shoved him back into the chair
push, thrust, propel, drive, force, ram, knock, elbow, shoulder; jostle, bundle, hustle, manhandle.
she shoved past him
push (one's way), force one's way, barge (one's way), elbow (one's way), shoulder one's way.
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noun
a hefty shove
push, thrust, bump, jolt.
shove off (informal) shove off!

go away, get out (of my sight); get going, take oneself off, be off (with you), shoo; informal scram, make yourself scarce, be on your way, beat it, get lost, push off, buzz off, clear off, go (and) jump in the lake; Brit. informal hop it, bog off, naff off; N. Amer. informal bug off, haul off, take a hike; Austral. informal nick off; Austral./NZ informal rack off; poetic/literary begone.

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shovel

noun
a pick and shovel
spade; Austral./NZ banjo.
verb
shovelling snow
scoop (up), dig, excavate.

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show

verb
the stitches do not show
be visible, be seen, be in view, be obvious.
he wouldn't show the picture
display, exhibit, put on show/display, put on view, parade, uncover, reveal.
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Frank showed his frustration
manifest, exhibit, reveal, convey, communicate, make known; express, proclaim, make plain, make obvious, disclose, betray; formal evince.
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I'll show you how to make a daisy chain
demonstrate, explain, describe, illustrate; teach, instruct, give instructions.
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recent events show this to be true
prove, demonstrate, confirm, show beyond doubt; substantiate, corroborate, verify, establish, attest, certify, testify, bear out; formal evince.
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a young woman showed them to their seats
escort, accompany, take, conduct, lead, usher, guide, direct, steer, shepherd.
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(informal) they never showed
appear, arrive, come, get here/there, put in an appearance, materialize, turn up; informal show up.
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ANTONYMS :conceal.

noun
a spectacular show of blu ebells
display, array, exhibition, presentation, exposition, spectacle.
the motor show
exhibition, exposition, fair, extravaganza, spectacle; N. Amer. exhibit.
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they took in a show
(theatrical) performance, musical, play.
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she's only doing it for show
appearance, display, impression, ostentation, image.
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Drew made a show of looking busy
pretence, outward appearance, (false) front, guise, semblance, pose, parade.
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(informal) I don't run the show
undertaking, affair, operation, proceedings, enterprise, business, venture.
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show off (informal)
behave affectedly, put on airs, put on an act, swagger around, swank, strut, strike an attitude, posture; draw attention to oneself; N. Amer. informal cop an attitude. show something off
display, show to advantage, exhibit, demonstrate, parade, draw attention to, flaunt. show up
cancers show up on X-rays
be visible, be obvious, be seen, be revealed.

(informal) only two waitresses showed up.
See show verb se nse 7.
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show someone/something up
the sun showed up the shabbiness of the room
expose, reveal, make visible, make obvious, highlight.

(informal) they showed him up in front of his friends.
See humiliate.
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showdown

noun
confrontation, clash, face-off.

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shower

noun
a shower of rain
(light) fall, drizzle, sprinkling, mizzle.
a shower of arrows
volley, hail, salvo, bombardment, barrage, fusillade, cannonade.
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a shower of awards
avalanche, deluge, flood, spate, flurry; profusion, abundance, plethora.
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verb
confetti showered down on us
rain, fall, hail.
she showered them with gifts
deluge, flood, inundate, swamp, engulf; overwhelm, overload, snow under.
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showering honours on his cronies
lavish, heap, bestow freely.
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showing

noun
another showing of the series
presentation, broadcast, airing, televising.
the party's present showing
performance, (track) record, results, success, achievement.
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showman

noun
a travelling showman
impresario, stage manager; ringmaster, host, compère, master of ceremonies, MC; presenter; N. Amer. informal emcee.
he is a great showman
entertainer, performer, virtuoso.
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show-off

noun
(informal) exhibitionist, extrovert, poser, poseur, peacock, swaggerer, self-publicist; informal pseud.

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showy

adjective
ostentatious, conspicuous, pretentious, flamboyant, gaudy, garish, brash, vulgar, loud, extravagant, fancy, ornate, over-elaborate, kitsch; informal flash, flashy, glitzy, ritzy, swanky; N. Amer. informal superfly. ANTONYMS :restrained.

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shred

noun
her dress was torn to shreds
tatter, scrap, strip, ribbon, rag, fragment, sliver, (tiny) bit/piece.
not a shred of evidence
scrap, bit, speck, iota, particle, ounce, whit, jot, crumb, morsel, fragment, grain, drop, trace, scintilla, spot; informal smidgen.
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verb
shredding vegetables
chop finely, cut up, tear up, grate, mince, macerate, grind.

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shrew

noun
virago, dragon, termagant, fishwife, witch, tartar, hag; informal battleaxe, old bag, old bat; archaic scold.

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shrewd

adjective
astute, sharp-witted, sharp, smart, acute, intelligent, clever, canny, perceptive, perspicacious, sagacious, wise; informal on the ball, savvy; N. Amer. informal heads-up; formal sapient. ANTONYMS :stupid.

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shrewdness

noun
astuteness, sharp-wittedness, acuteness, acumen, acuity, intelligence, cleverness, smartness, wit, canniness, common sense, discernment, insight, understanding, perception, perceptiveness, perspicacity, perspicaciousness, discrimination, sagacity, sageness; informal nous, horse sense, savvy; formal sapience.

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shrewish

adjective
bad-tempered, quarrelsome, spiteful, sharp-tongued, scolding, nagging; venomous, rancorous, bitchy.

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shriek

verb
she shrieked with laughter
scream, screech, squeal, squawk, roar, howl, shout, yelp; informal holler.
noun
a shriek of laughter
scream, screech, squeal, squawk, roar, howl, shout, yelp; informal holler.

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shrill

adjective
high-pitched, piercing, high, sharp, ear-piercing, ear-splitting, penetrating, screeching, shrieking, screechy.

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shrine

noun
the shrine of St James
holy place, temple, church, chapel, tabernacle, sanctuary, sanctum.
a shrine to the Beatles
memorial, monument.
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shrink

verb
the number of competitors shrank
get smaller, become/grow smaller, contract, diminish, lessen, reduce, decrease, dwindle, decline, fall off, drop off.
he shrank back against the wall
draw back, recoil, back away, retreat, withdraw, cringe, cower, quail.
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he doesn't shrink from naming names
recoil, shy away, demur, flinch, have scruples, have misgivings, have qualms, be loath, be reluctant, be unwilling, be averse, fight shy of, be hesitant, be afraid, hesitate, baulk at; archaic disrelish something.
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ANTONYMS :expand, increase.

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shrivel

verb
wither, shrink; wilt; dry up, desiccate, dehydrate, parch, frazzle.

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shroud

noun
the Turin Shroud
winding sheet; historical cerements.
a shroud of mist | a shroud of secrecy
covering, cover, cloak, mantle, blanket, layer, cloud, veil.
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verb
a mist shrouded the jetties
cover, envelop, veil, cloak, blanket, screen, conceal, hide, mask, obscure; poetic/literary enshroud.

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shrub

noun
bush, woody plant.

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shrug

shrug something off
disregard, dismiss, take no notice of, ignore, pay no heed to, play down, make light of.

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shudder

verb
she shuddered at the thought
shake, shiver, tremble, quiver, vibrate, palpitate.
noun
a shudder racked his body
shake, shiver, tremor, tremble, trembling, quiver, quivering, vibration, palpitation.

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shuffle

verb
they shuffled along the passage
shamble, drag one's feet, totter, dodder.
she shuffled her feet
scrape, drag, scuffle, scuff.
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he shuffled the cards
mix (up), mingle, rearrange, jumble.
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shun

noun
avoid, evade, eschew, steer clear of, shy away from, fight shy of, keep one's distance from, give a wide berth to, have nothing to do with; snub, give someone the cold shoulder, cold-shoulder, ignore, cut (dead), look right through; reject, rebuff, spurn, ostracize; informal give someone the brush-off, freeze out, stiff-arm; Brit. informal send to Coventry; N. Amer. informal give someone the bum's rush, give someone the brush. ANTONYMS :welcome.

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shut

verb
please shut the door
close, pull/push to, slam, fasten; put the lid on, bar, lock, secure. ANTONYMS :open, unlock.

shut down
cease activity, close (down), cease operating, cease trading, be shut (down); informal fold. shut someone/something in
confine, enclose, impound, shut up, pen (in/up), fence in, immure, lock up/in, cage, imprison, intern, incarcerate; N. Amer. corral. shut someone/something out
he shut me out of the house
lock out, keep out, refuse entrance to.

she shut out the memories
block, suppress.
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the bamboo shut out the light
keep out, block out, screen, veil.
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shut up (informal)
be quiet, keep quiet, hold one's tongue, keep one's lips sealed; stop talking, quieten (down); informal keep mum, button it, cut the cackle, shut it, shut your face/mouth/trap, belt up, put a sock in it, give it a rest; Brit. informal shut your gob; N. Amer. informal save it. shut someone/something up
I haven't shut the hens up yet.
See shut someone/something in.

(informal) that should shut them up
quieten (down), silence, hush, shush, quiet, gag, muzzle.
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shuttle

verb
ply, run, commute, go/travel back and forth, go/travel to and fro; ferry.

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shy 1

adjective
I was painfully shy
bashful, diffident, timid, sheepish, reserved, reticent, introverted, retiring, self-effacing, withdrawn, timorous, mousy, nervous, insecure, unconfident, inhibited, repressed, self-conscious, embarrassed. ANTONYMS :confident.

shy away from
flinch, demur, recoil, hang back, have scruples, have misgivings, have qualms, be chary, be diffident, be bashful, fight shy, be coy; be loath, be reluctant, be unwilling, be disinclined, be hesitant, hesitate, baulk at; informal boggle at; archaic disrelish.

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shy 2

verb
(dated) they began shying stones
throw, toss, fling, hurl, cast, lob, launch, pitch; informal chuck, heave, sling, bung.

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shyness

noun
bashfulness, diffidence, sheepishness, reserve, reservedness, introversion, reticence, timidity, timidness, timorousness, mousiness, lack of confidence, inhibitedness, self-consciousness, embarrassment, coyness, demureness.

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sibling

noun
brother, sister; Zoology sib.

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sick

adjective
the children are sick
ill, unwell, poorly, ailing, indisposed, not oneself; Brit. off colour; informal laid up, under the weather; Austral./NZ informal crook.
he was feeling sick
nauseous, nauseated, queasy, bilious, green about the gills; seasick, carsick, airsick, travel-sick; informal about to throw up.
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(informal) we're sick about the plans
disappointed, depressed, dejected, despondent, downcast, unhappy; angry, cross, annoyed, displeased, disgruntled, fed up; Brit. informal cheesed off.
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I'm sick of this music
fed up, bored, tired, weary.
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(informal) a sick joke
macabre, black, ghoulish, morbid, perverted, gruesome, sadistic, cruel.
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ANTONYMS :well.

be sick (Brit.)
vomit, throw up, retch, heave, gag; informal chunder, chuck up, hurl, spew, keck; Brit. informal honk; N. Amer. informal spit up, barf, upchuck, toss one's cookies.

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sicken

verb
the stench sickened him
cause to feel sick/nauseous, make sick, turn someone's stomach, revolt, disgust; informal make someone want to throw up; N. Amer. informal gross out.
she sickened and died
become ill, fall ill, be taken ill/sick, catch something.
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I'm sickening for something
become ill with, fall ill with, be taken ill with, show symptoms of, develop, come down with; Brit. go down with; N. Amer. informal take sick with.
Top
ANTONYMS :recover.

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sickening

adjective
nauseating, stomach-turning, stomach-churning, repulsive, revolting, disgusting, repellent, repugnant, appalling, obnoxious, nauseous, vile, nasty, foul, loathsome, offensive, objectionable, off-putting, distasteful, obscene, gruesome, grisly; N. Amer. vomitous; informal gross; formal rebarbative; archaic disgustful.

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sickly

adjective
a sickly child
unhealthy, in poor health, delicate, frail, weak.
sickly faces
pale, wan, pasty, sallow, pallid, ashen, anaemic.
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a sickly green
insipid, pale, light, light-coloured, washed out, faded.
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sickly love songs
sentimental, mawkish, cloying, sugary, syrupy, saccharine; informal mushy, slushy, schmaltzy, weepy, lovey-dovey, corny; Brit. informal soppy; N. Amer. informal cornball, sappy, hokey, three-hankie.
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ANTONYMS :healthy.

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sickness

noun
she was absent through sickness
illness, disease, ailment, complaint, infection, malady, infirmity, indisposition; informal bug, virus; Brit. informal lurgy; Austral. informal wog.
a wave of sickness
nausea, biliousness, queasiness.
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he suffered sickness and diarrhoea
vomiting, retching, gagging; travel-sickness, seasickness, carsickness, airsickness, motion sickness; informal throwing up, puking.
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side

noun
the side of the road
edge, border, verge, boundary, margin, fringe(s), flank, bank, perimeter, extremity, periphery, (outer) limit, limits, bounds; poetic/literary marge, bourn.
the wrong side of the road
half, part; carriageway, lane.
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the east side of the city
district, quarter, area, region, part, neighbourhood, sector, section, zone, ward.
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one side of the paper
surface, face, plane.
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his side of the argument
point of view, viewpoint, perspective, opinion, way of thinking, standpoint, position, outlook, slant, angle.
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the losing side in the war
faction, camp, bloc, party, wing.
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the players in their side
team, squad, line-up.
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(Brit. informal) there's absolutely no side about her.
See affectation sense 1.
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lateral. ANTONYMS :centre, end.

adjective
elaborate side pieces
lateral, wing, flanking.
a side issue
subordinate, lesser, lower-level, se condary, minor, peripheral, incidental, ancillary, subsidiary, of little account, extraneous.
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ANTONYMS :front, central.

verb
siding with the underdog.
See take someone's side.
side by side
they cycled along side by side
alongside (each other), beside each other, abreast, shoulder to shoulder, close together.

most transactions proceed side by side
at (one and) the same time, simultaneously, contemporaneously.
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take someone's side
support, take someone's part, side with, be on someone's side, stand by, back, give someone one's backing, be loyal to, defend, champion, ally (oneself) with, sympathize with, favour.

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sideline

noun
he founded the company as a sideline
secondary occupation, second job; hobby, leisure activity/pursuit, recreation.
on the sidelines
without taking part, without getting involved.

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sidelong

adjective
a sidelong glance
indirect, oblique, sideways, sideward; surreptitious, furtive, covert, sly. ANTONYMS :overt.

adverb
he looked sidelong at her
indirectly, obliquely, sideways, out of the corner of one's eye; surreptitiously, furtively, covertly, slyly.

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side-splitting

adjective
(informal). See funny sense 1.

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sidestep

verb
avoid, evade, dodge, circumvent, skirt round, bypass; informal duck.

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sidetrack

verb
distract, divert, deflect, draw away.

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sideways

adverb
I slid off sideways
to the side, laterally.
the expansion slots are mounted sideways
edgewise, sidewards, side first, edgeways, end on.
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he looked sideways at her.
See sidelong adverb.
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adjective
sideways force
lateral, sideward, on the side, side to side.
a sideways look.
See sidelong adjective.
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sidle

verb
creep, sneak, slink, slip, slide, steal, edge, inch, move furtively.

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siege

noun
blockade, encirclement; archaic investment. ANTONYMS :relief.

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siesta

noun
afternoon sleep, nap, catnap, doze, rest; informal snooze, lie-down, forty winks, a bit of shut-eye; Brit. informal kip, zizz.

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sieve

noun
use a sieve to strain the mixture
strainer, sifter, filter, riddle, screen.
verb
sieve the mixture into a bowl
strain, sift, screen, filter, riddle; archaic bolt.
the coins were sieved from the ash
separate out, filter out, sift, sort out, divide, segregate, extract.
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sift

verb
sift the flour into a large bowl
sieve, strain, screen, filter, riddle; archaic bolt.
we sift out unsuitable applications
separate out, filter out, sort out, put to one side, weed out, get rid of, remove.
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investigators are sifting through the wreckage
search through, look through, examine, inspect, scrutinize, pore over, investigate, analyse, dissect, review.
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sigh

verb
she sighed with relief
breathe out, exhale; groan, moan.
the wind sighed in the trees
rustle, whisper, murmur, sough.
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he sighed for days gone by
yearn, long, pine, ache, grieve, cry for/over, weep for/over, rue, miss, mourn, lament, hanker for/after.
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sight

noun
she has excellent sight
eyesight, vision, eyes, faculty of sight, visual perception.
her first sight of it
view, glimpse, glance, look.
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within sight of the enemy
range of vision, field of vision, view.
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(dated) we are all equal in the sight of God
perception, judgement, belief, opinion, point of view, view, viewpoint, mind, perspective, standpoint.
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historic sights
landmark, place of interest, monument, spectacle, view, marvel, wonder.
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(informal) I must look a sight
eyesore, spectacle, mess; informal fright.
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optical, visual.
verb
one of the helicopters sighted wreckage
glimpse, catch/get a glimpse of, catch sight of, see, spot, spy, notice, observe; poetic/literary espy, descry.
catch sight of
glimpse, catch/get a glimpse of, see, spot, spy, make out, pick out, sight, have sight of; poetic/literary espy, descry. set one's sights on
aspire to, aim at/for, try for, strive for/towards, work towards.

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sightseer

noun
sightseers to the city
tourist, visitor, tripper, holidaymaker; Brit. informal grockle.
gawping sightseers
busybody, gawker; informal rubberneck; Brit. informal gawper.
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sign

noun
a sign of affection
indication, signal, symptom, pointer, suggestion, intimation, mark, manifestation, demonstration, token, evidence; poetic/literary sigil.
a sign of things to come
portent, omen, warning, forewarning, augury, presage; promise, threat.
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at his sign the soldiers followed
gesture, signal, wave, gesticulation, cue, nod.
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signs saying "keep out"
notice, signpost, signboard, warning sign, road sign, traffic sign.
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the dancers were daubed with signs
symbol, mark, cipher, letter, character, figure, hieroglyph, ideogram, rune, emblem, device, logo.
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verb
he signed the letter
write one's name on, autograph, endorse, initial, countersign; formal subscribe.
the government signed the agreement
endorse, validate, certify, authenticate, sanction, authorize; agree to, approve, ratify, adopt, give one's approval to; informal give something the go-ahead, give something the green light, give something the thumbs up.
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he signe d his name
write, inscribe, pen.
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we have signed a new player
recruit, hire, engage, employ, take on, appoint, sign on/up, enlist.
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she signed to Susan to leave
gesture, signal, give a sign to, motion; wave, beckon, nod.
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sign on/up
enlist, take a job, join (up), enrol, register, volunteer. sign someone on/up. See sign verb sense 4. sign something over
transfer, make over, hand over, bequeath, pass on, transmit, cede; Law devolve, convey.

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signal 1

noun
a signal to stop
gesture, sign, wave, gesticulation, cue, indication, warning, motion.
a clear signal that the company is in trouble
indication, sign, symptom, hint, pointer, intimation, clue, demonstration, evidence, proof.
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the encroaching dark is a signal for people to emerge
cue, prompt, impetus, stimulus; informal go-ahead.
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verb
the driver signalled to her to cross
gesture, sign, give a sign to, direct, motion; wave, beckon, nod.
they signalled displeasure by refusing to cooperate
indicate, show, express, communicate, proclaim, declare.
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his death signals the end of an era
mark, signify, mean, be a sign of, be evidence of, herald; poetic/literary betoken, foretoken.
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signal 2

adjective
a signal failure
notable, noteworthy, remarkable, striking, glaring, significant, momentous, memorable, unforgettable, obvious, special, extraordinary, exceptional, conspicuous.

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significance

noun
a matter of considerable significance
importance, import, consequence, seriousness, gravity, weight, magnitude, momentousness; formal moment.
the significance of his remarks
meaning, sense, signification, import, thrust, drift, gist, implication, message, essence, substance, point.
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significant

adjective
a significant increase
notable, noteworthy, worthy of attention, remarkable, important, of importance, of consequence; serious, crucial, weighty, momentous, uncommon, unusual, rare, extraordinary, exceptional, special; formal of moment.
a significant look
meaningful, expressive, eloquent, suggestive, knowing, telling.
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significantly

adverb
significantly better
notably, remarkably, outstandingly, importantly, crucially, materially, appreciably; markedly, considerably, obviously, conspicuously, strikingly, signally.
he paused significantly
meaningfully, expressively, eloquently, revealingly, suggestively, knowingly.
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signify

verb
this signified a fundamental change
be evidence of, be a sign of, mark, signal, mean, spell, be symptomatic of, herald, indicate; poetic/literary betoken.
the egg signifies life
mean, denote, designate, represent, symbolize, stand for; poetic/literary betoken.
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signify your agreement by signing below
express, indicate, show, proclaim, declare.
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the locked door doesn't signify
mean anything, be of importance, be important, be significant, be of significance, be of account, count, matter, be relevant.
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silence

noun
the silence of the night
quietness, quiet, quietude, still, stillness, hush, tranquillity, noiselessness, soundlessness, peacefulness, peace (and quiet).
she was reduced to silence
speechlessness, wordlessness, dumbness, muteness, taciturnity.
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the politicians kept their silence
secretiveness, secrecy, reticence, taciturnity, uncommunicativeness.
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ANTONYMS :sound.

verb
he silenced her with a kiss
quieten, quiet, hush, shush; gag, muzzle, censor.
silencing outside noises
muffle, deaden, soften, mute, smother, dampen, damp down, mask, suppress, reduce.
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this would silence their complaints
stop, put an end to, put a stop to.
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silent

adjective
the night was silent
completely quiet, still, hushed, inaudible, noiseless, soundless.
the right to remain silent
speechless, quiet, unspeaking, dumb, mute, taciturn, uncommunicative, tight-lipped; informal mum.
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silent thanks
unspoken, wordless, unsaid, unexpressed, unvoiced, tacit, implicit, understood.
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ANTONYMS :audible, noisy.

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silently

adverb
Nancy crept silently up the stairs
quietly, inaudibly, noiselessly, soundlessly, in silence.
they drove on silently
without a word, saying nothing, in silence.
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I silently said goodbye
without words, wordlessly, in one's head, tacitly, implicitly.
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ANTONYMS :audibly, out loud.

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silhouette

noun
the silhouette of the dome
outline, contour(s), profile, form, shape, figure, shadow.
verb
the castle was silhouetted against the sky
outline, delineate, define; stand out.

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silky

adjective
smooth, soft, sleek, fine, glossy, satiny, silken.

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silly

adjective
don't be so silly
foolish, stupid, unintelligent, idiotic, brainless, mindless, witless, imbecilic, doltish; imprudent, thoughtless, rash, reckless, foolhardy, irresponsible; mad, scatterbrained, feather-brained; frivolous, giddy, inane, immature, childish, puerile, empty-headed; informal crazy, dotty, scatty, loopy, screwy, thick, thickheaded, birdbrained, pea-brained, dopey, dim, dim-witted, half-witted, dippy, blockheaded, boneheaded, lamebrained; Brit. informal daft, divvy; N. Amer. informal chowderheaded; dated tomfool.
that was a silly thing to do
unwise, imprudent, thoughtless, foolish, stupid, idiotic, senseless, mindless; rash, reckless, foolhardy, irresponsible, injudicious, misguided, irrational; informal crazy; Brit. informal daft.
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he would brood about silly things
trivial, trifling, frivolous, footling, petty, small, insignificant, unimportant; informal piffling, piddling; N. Amer. informal small-bore.
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he drank himself silly
senseless, insensible, unconscious, stupid, into a stupor, into senselessness, stupefied.
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ANTONYMS :sensible.

noun
(informal) you are a silly!
See fool noun sense 1.

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silt

noun
the flooding brought more silt
sediment, deposit, alluvium, mud.
verb
the harbour had silted up
become blocked, become clogged, fill up (with silt).

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silver

noun
freshly polished silver
silverware, (silver) plate; cutlery, (knives, forks, and spoons).
a handful of silver
coins, coinage, specie; (small) change, loose change.
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she won three silvers
silver medal, second prize.
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adjective
silver hair
grey, greyish, white.
the silver water
silvery, shining, lustrous, gleaming; poetic/literary argent.
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similar

adjective
you two are very similar
alike, (much) the same, indistinguishable, almost identical, homogeneous; informal much of a muchness.
northern India and similar areas
comparable, like, corresponding, homogeneous, equivalent, analogous.
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other parts were similar to Wales
like, much the same as, comparable to.
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ANTONYMS :different, unlike.

be similar to
resemble, look like, have the appearance of.

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similarity

noun
resemblance, likeness, sameness, similitude, comparability, correspondence, parallel, equivalence, homogeneity, indistinguishability, uniformity; archaic semblance.

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similarly

adverb
likewise, in similar fashion, in like manner, comparably, correspondingly, uniformly, indistinguishably, analogously, homogeneously, equivalently, in the same way, the same, identically.

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similitude

noun
. See similarity.

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simmer

verb
the soup was simmering on the stove
boil gently, cook gently, bubble.
she was simmering with resentment
be furious, be enraged, be angry, be incensed, be infuriated, seethe, fume, smoulder; informal be steamed up, be hot under the collar.
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simmer down
become less angry, cool off/down, be placated, control oneself, become calmer, calm down, become quieter, quieten down.

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simper

verb
smile affectedly, smile coquettishly, look coy.

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simple

adjective
it's really pretty simple
straightforward, easy, uncomplicated, uninvolved, effortless, painless, undemanding, elementary, child's play; informal as easy as falling off a log, as easy as pie, as easy as ABC, a piece of cake, a cinch, no sweat, a doddle, a pushover, money for old rope, kids' stuff, a breeze; Brit. informal easy-peasy, a doss; N. Amer. informal duck soup, a snap; Austral./NZ informal a bludge, a snack.
simple language
clear, plain, straightforward, intelligible, comprehensible, uncomplicated, in words of one syllable, accessible; informal user-friendly.
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a simple white blouse
plain, unadorned, undecorated, unembellished, unornamented, unelaborate, basic, unsophisticated, no-frills; classic, understated, uncluttered, restrained.
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the simple truth
candid, frank, honest, sincere, plain, absolute, unqualified, bald, stark, unadorned, unvarnished, unembellished.
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simple country people
unpretentious, unsophisticated, ordinary, unaffected, unassuming, natural, honest-to-goodness; N. Amer. cracker-barrel.
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he's a bit simple
having learning difficulties, having special (educational) needs; of low intelligence, simple-minded, unintelligent, backward, (mentally) retarded; dated (mentally) subnormal, educationally subnormal, ESN.
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simple chemical substances
non-compound, non-complex, uncombined, unblended, unalloyed, pure, single.
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ANTONYMS :difficult, complex, fancy, compound.

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simpleton

noun
. See fool noun sense 1.

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simplicity

noun
the simplicity of the recipes
straightforwardness, ease, easiness, simpleness, effortlessness.
the simplicity of the language
clarity, clearness, plainness, simpleness, intelligibility, comprehensibility, understandability, straightforwardness, accessibility.
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the building's simplicity
plainness, lack/absence of adornment, lack/absence of decoration, austerity, spareness, clean lines.
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the simplicity of their lifestyle
unpretentiousness, ordinariness, lack of sophistication, lack of affectation, naturalness.
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simplify

verb
make simple/simpler, make easy/easier to understand, make plainer, clarify, make more comprehensible/intelligible; paraphrase, put in words of one syllable. ANTONYMS :complicate.

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simplistic

adjective
facile, superficial, oversimple, oversimplified; shallow, jejune, naive; N. Amer. informal dime-store.

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simply

adverb
he spoke simply and forcefully
straightforwardly, directly, clearly, plainly, intelligibly, lucidly, unambiguously.
she was dressed simply
plainly, without adornment, without decoration, without ornament/ornamentation, soberly, unfussily, unelaborately, classically.
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they lived simply
unpretentiously, modestly, quietly.
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they are welcomed simply because they have plenty of money
merely, just, purely, solely, only.
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Mrs Marks was simply livid
utterly, absolutely, completely, positively, really; informal plain.
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it's simply the best thing ever written
without doubt, unquestionably, undeniably, incontrovertibly, certainly, categorically.
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simulate

verb
they simulated pleasure
feign, pretend, fake, sham, affect, put on, give the appearance of.
simulating conditions in space
imitate, reproduce, replicate, duplicate, mimic.
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simulated

adjective
simulated fear
feigned, fake, mock, affected, sham, insincere, false, bogus; informal pretend, put-on, phoney.
simulated leather
artificial, imitation, fake, mock, synthetic, man-made, ersatz.
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ANTONYMS :real.

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simultaneous

adjective
concurrent, happening at the same time, contemporaneous, concomitant, coinciding, coincident, synchronous, synchronized.

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simultaneously

adverb
at (one and) the same time, at the same instant/moment, at once, concurrently, concomitantly; (all) together, in unison, in concert, in chorus.

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sin

noun
a sin in the eyes of God
immoral act, wrong, wrongdoing, act of evil/wickedness, transgression, crime, offence, misdeed, misdemeanour; archaic trespass.
the human capacity for sin
wickedness, wrongdoing, wrong, evil, evil-doing, sinfulness, immorality, iniquity, vice, crime.
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(informal) wasting money it's a sin
scandal, crime, disgrace, outrage.
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ANTONYMS :virtue.

verb
I have sinned
commit a sin, commit an offence, transgress, do wrong, commit a crime, break the law, misbehave, go astray; archaic trespass.

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sincere

adjective
our sincere gratitude
heartfelt, wholehearted, profound, deep; genuine, real, unfeigned, unaffected, true, honest, bona fide.
a sincere person
honest, genuine, truthful, unhypocritical, straightforward, direct, frank, candid; informal straight, upfront, on the level; N. Amer. informal on the up and up.
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sincerely

adverb
genuinely, honestly, really, truly, truthfully, wholeheartedly, earnestly, fervently.

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sincerity

noun
honesty, genuineness, truthfulness, integrity, probity, trustworthiness; straightforwardness, openness, candour, candidness.

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sinecure

noun
easy job, soft option; informal cushy number, money for old rope, picnic, doddle, cinch; Austral. informal bludge.

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sinewy

adjective
muscular, muscly, brawny, powerfully built, burly, strapping, sturdy, rugged, strong, powerful, athletic, muscle-bound; informal hunky, beefy; dated stalwart; poetic/literary thewy. ANTONYMS :puny.

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sinful

adjective
sinful conduct
immoral, wicked, (morally) wrong, wrongful, evil, bad, iniquitous, corrupt, criminal, nefarious, depraved, degenerate; rare peccable.
a sinful waste of money
reprehensible, scandalous, disgraceful, deplorable, shameful, criminal.
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ANTONYMS :virtuous.

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sinfulness

noun
immorality, wickedness, sin, wrongdoing, evil, evil-doing, iniquitousness, corruption, depravity, degeneracy, vice; formal turpitude; rare peccability. ANTONYMS :virtue.

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sing

verb
Miguelito began to sing
croon, carol, trill, troll, chant, intone, chorus.
the birds were singing
warble, trill, chirp, chirrup, cheep, peep.
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he sang out a greeting
call (out), cry (out), shout, yell; informal holler.
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(informal) he's going to sing to the police
inform (on someone); informal squeal, rat on someone, blow the whistle on someone, peach (on someone), snitch (on someone); Brit. informal grass (on someone), shop someone; N. Amer. informal finger someone, fink on someone, drop a/the dime on someone; Austral. informal pimp on someone.
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singe

verb
scorch, burn, sear, char.

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singer

noun
vocalist, soloist, songster, songstress, cantor.

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single

adjective
a single red rose
one (only), sole, lone, solitary, by itself/oneself, unaccompanied, alone.
she wrote down every single word
individual, separate, distinct, particular.
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is she single?
unmarried, unwed, unwedded, unattached, free, a bachelor, a spinster; archaic sole.
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ANTONYMS :double, married.

single someone/something out
select, pick out, choose, decide on; target, earmark, mark out, separate out, set apart/aside.

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single-handed

adverb
by oneself, alone, on one's own, solo, unaided, unassisted, without help.

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single-minded

adjective
determined, committed, unswerving, unwavering, resolute, purposeful, devoted, dedicated, uncompromising, tireless, tenacious, persistent, indefatigable, dogged; formal pertinacious. ANTONYMS :half-hearted.

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singly

adverb
one by one, one at a time, one after the other, individually, separately, by oneself, on one's own. ANTONYMS :together.

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singular

adjective
the gallery's singular capacity to attract sponsors
remarkable, extraordinary, exceptional, outstanding, signal, notable, noteworthy; rare, unique, unparalleled, unprecedented, amazing, astonishing, phenomenal, astounding; informal fantastic, terrific.
why was Betty was behaving in so singular a fashion?
strange, unusual, odd, peculiar, funny, curious, extraordinary, bizarre, eccentric, weird, queer, unexpected, unfamiliar, abnormal, atypical, unconventional, out of the ordinary, untypical, puzzling, mysterious, perplexing, baffling, unaccountable.
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singularity

noun
the singularity of their concerns
uniqueness, distinctiveness.
his singularities
idiosyncrasy, quirk, foible, peculiarity, oddity, eccentricity.
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singularly

adverb
. See extremely.

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sinister

adjective
there was a sinister undertone in his words
menacing, threatening, ominous, forbidding, baleful, frightening, alarming, disturbing, disquieting, dark, black; formal minatory; poetic/literary direful.
a sinister motive
evil, wicked, criminal, corrupt, nefarious, villainous, base, vile, malevolent, malicious; informal shady.
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ANTONYMS :innocent.

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sink

verb
the coffin sank below the waves
become submerged, be engulfed, go down, drop, fall, descend.
the cruise liner sank yesterday
founder, go under, submerge.
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they sank their ships
scuttle, send to the bottom; Brit. scupper.
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the announcement sank hopes of a recovery
destroy, ruin, wreck, put an end to, demolish, smash, shatter, dash; informal put the kibosh on, put paid to; Brit. informal scupper; archaic bring to naught.
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they agreed to sink their differences
ignore, overlook, disregard, forget, put aside, set aside, bury.
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I sank myself in student life
immerse, plunge, lose, bury.
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the plane sank towards the airstrip
descend, drop, go down/downwards.
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the sun was sinking
set, go down/downwards.
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Loretta sank into an armchair
lower oneself, flop, collapse, drop down, slump; informal plonk oneself.
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her voice sank to a whisper
fall, drop, become/get quieter, become/get softer.
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she would never sink to your level
stoop, lower oneself, d escend.
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he was sinking fast
deteriorate, decline, fade, grow weak, flag, waste away; be at death's door, be on one's deathbed, be slipping away; informal go downhill, be on one's last legs, be giving up the ghost.
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sink the pots into the ground
embed, insert, drive, plant.
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sinking a gold mine
dig, excavate, bore, drill.
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(informal) he sank five pints of lager
drink, quaff; informal down, knock back, polish off; N. Amer. informal chug, scarf down.
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they sank their life savings in the company
invest, venture, risk.
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ANTONYMS :float, rise.

noun
he washed himself at the sink
basin, washbasin, handbasin; dated lavabo.
sink in
register, be understood, be comprehended, be grasped, get through.

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sinless

adjective
innocent, pure, virtuous, as pure as the driven snow, uncorrupted, faultless, blameless, guiltless, immaculate. ANTONYMS :wicked.

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sinner

noun
wrongdoer, evil-doer, transgressor, miscreant, offender, criminal; archaic trespasser.

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sinuous

adjective
a sinuous river
winding, windy, serpentine, curving, twisting, meandering, snaking, zigzag, curling, coiling.
sinuous grace
lithe, supple, agile, graceful, loose-limbed, limber, lissom.
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sip

verb
Amanda sipped her coffee
drink (slowly); dated sup.
noun
a sip of whisky
mouthful, swallow, drink, drop, dram, nip; informal swig; dated sup.

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siren

noun
an air-raid siren
alarm (bell), warning bell, danger signal; archaic tocsin.
the siren's allure
seductress, temptress, femme fatale; flirt, coquette; informal mantrap, vamp.
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sissy (informal)

noun
he's a real sissy.
See drip noun sense 2.
adjective
don't be so sissy
cowardly, weak, feeble, spineless, effeminate, effete, unmanly; informal wet, weedy, wimpish, wimpy.

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sister

noun
I have two sisters
sibling.
our European sisters
comrade, partner, colleague.
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the sisters in the convent
nun, novice, abbess, prioress.
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sororal.

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sit

verb
you'd better sit down
take a seat, seat oneself, be seated, perch, ensconce oneself, plump oneself, flop; informal take the load/weight off one's feet, plonk oneself; Brit. informal take a pew.
she sat the package on the table
put (down), place, set (down), lay, deposit, rest, stand; informal stick, bung, dump, park, plonk.
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the chapel sat about 3,000 people
hold, seat, have seats for, have space/room for, accommodate.
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she sat for Picasso
pose, model.
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a hotel sitting on the bank of the River Dee
be situated, be located, be sited, stand.
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the committee sits on Saturday
be in session, meet, be convened.
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women jurists sit on the tribunal
serve on, have a seat on, be a member of.
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his shyness doesn't sit easily with Hollywood tradition
be harmonious, go, fit in, harmonize.
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Mrs Hillman will sit for us
babysit, childmind.
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ANTONYMS :stand.

sit back
relax, unwind, lie back; informal let it all hang out, veg out; N. Amer. informal hang loose, chil l out. sit in for
stand in for, fill in for, cover for, substitute for, deputize for; informal sub for. sit in on
attend, be present at, be an observer at, observe; N. Amer. audit. sit tight (informal)
just sit tight
stay put, wait there, remain in one's place.

we're advising our clients to sit tight
take no action, wait, hold back, bide one's time; informal hold one's horses.
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site

noun
the site of the battle
location, place, position, situation, locality, whereabouts; technical locus.
verb
bins sited at police stations
place, put, position, situate, locate.

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sitting

noun
all-night sittings
session, meeting, assembly; hearing.
adjective
a sitting position
sedentary, seated. ANTONYMS :standing.

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sitting room

noun
living room, lounge, front room, drawing room, reception room, family room; dated parlour.

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situate

verb
locate, site, position, place, station, build.

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situation

noun
their financial situation
circumstances, (state of) affairs, state, condition.
I'll fill you in on the situation
the facts, how things stand, the lie of the land, what's going on; Brit. the state of play; N. Amer. the lay of the land; informal the score.
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the hotel's pleasant situation
location, position, spot, site, setting, environment; technical locus.
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he was offered a situation in America
job, post, position, appointment; employment; archaic employ.
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six

cardinal number
sextet, sextuplets; technical hexad. hexa-, sexi-.

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size

noun
the room was of medium size
dimensions, measurements, proportions, magnitude, largeness, bigness, area, expanse; breadth, width, length, height, depth; immensity, hugeness, vastness.
verb
the drills are sized in millimetres
sort, categorize, classify.
size someone/something up (informal)
assess, appraise, form an estimate of, take the measure of, judge, take stock of, evaluate; Brit. informal suss out.

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sizeable

adjective
fairly large, substantial, considerable, respectable, significant, largish, biggish, goodly. ANTONYMS :small.

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sizzle

verb
crackle, frizzle, sputter, spit.

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sizzling

adjective
(informal) sizzling temperatures
extremely hot, unbearably hot, blazing, burning, scorching, sweltering; N. Amer. broiling; informal boiling (hot), baking (hot).
a sizzling affair
passionate, torrid, ardent, lustful, erotic; informal steamy, hot.
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ANTONYMS :freezing.

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skedaddle

verb
(informal). See run verb sense 2.

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skeletal

adjective
a skeletal man
emaciated, very thin, as thin as a rake, cadaverous, skin-and-bones, skinny, bony, gaunt; informal anorexic.
a skeletal account
lacking in detail, incomplete, outline, fragmentary, sketchy; thumbnail.
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ANTONYMS :fat, detailed.

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skeleton

noun
the human skeleton
bones.
she was no more than a skeleton
skin and bone; informal bag of bones.
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a concrete skeleton
framework, frame, shell.
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the skeleton of a report
outline, (rough) draft, abstract, (bare) bones.
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adjective
a skeleton staff
minimum, minimal, basic; essential.

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sketch

noun
a sketch of the proposed design
(preliminary) drawing, outline; diagram, design, plan; informal rough.
she gave a rough sketch of what had happened
outline, brief description, rundown, main points, thumbnail sketch, (bare) bones; summary, synopsis, summarization, precis, résumé; N. Amer. wrap-up.
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a biographical sketch
description, portrait, profile, portrayal, depiction.
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a hilarious sketch
skit, scene, piece, act, item, routine.
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verb
he sketched the garden
draw, make a drawing of, draw a picture of, pencil, rough out, outline.
the company sketched out its plans
describe, outline, give a brief idea of, rough out; summarize, precis.
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sketchily

adverb
perfunctorily, cursorily, incompletely, patchily, vaguely, imprecisely; hastily, hurriedly.

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sketchy

adjective
incomplete, patchy, fragmentary, cursory, perfunctory, scanty, vague, imprecise; hurried, hasty. ANTONYMS :detailed.

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skew-whiff

adjective
(Brit. informal). See crooked sense 3.

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skilful

adjective
expert, accomplished, skilled, masterly, master, virtuoso, consummate, proficient, talented, gifted, adept, adroit, deft, dexterous, able, good, competent, capable, brilliant, handy; informal mean, wicked, crack, ace, wizard; N. Amer. informal crackerjack.

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skill

noun
his skill as a politician
expertise, skilfulness, expertness, adeptness, adroitness, deftness, dexterity, ability, prowess, mastery, competence, capability, aptitude, artistry, virtuosity, talent.
bringing up a family gives you many skills
accomplishment, strength, gift.
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ANTONYMS :incompetence.

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skilled

adjective
experienced, trained, qualified, proficient, practised, accomplished, expert, skilful, talented, gifted, adept, adroit, deft, dexterous, able, good, competent; informal crack; N. Amer. informal crackerjack. ANTONYMS :inexperienced.

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skim

verb
skim off the scum
remove, cream off, scoop off.
the boat skimmed over the water
glide, move lightly, slide, sail, skate, float.
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he skimmed the pebble across the water
throw, toss, cast, pitch; bounce.
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she skimmed through the newspaper
glance, flick, flip, leaf, thumb, read quickly, scan, run one's eye over.
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Hannah skimmed over this part of the story
mention briefly, pass over quickly, skate over, gloss over.
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ANTONYMS :elaborate on.

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skimp

verb
don't skimp on the quantity
stint on, scrimp on, economize on, cut back on, be sparing, be frugal, be mean, be parsimonious, cut corners; informal be stingy, be mingy, be tight.
the process cannot be skimped
do hastily, do carelessly.
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skimpy

adjective
a skimpy black dress
revealing, short, low, low-cut; flimsy, thin, see-through, indecent.
my information is rather skimpy
meagre, scanty, sketchy, limited, paltry, deficient, sparse.
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skin

noun
these chemicals could damage the skin
epidermis, dermis, derma.
Mary's fair skin
complexion, colouring, skin colour/tone, pigmentation.
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leopard skins
hide, pelt, fleece; archaic fell.
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a banana skin
peel, rind, integument.
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milk with a skin on it
film, layer, membrane.
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the plane's skin was damaged
casing, exterior.
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cutaneous.
verb
skin the tomatoes
peel, pare, hull; technical decorticate.
he skinned his knee
graze, scrape, abrade, bark, rub something raw, chafe; Medicine excoriate.
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(informal) Dad would skin me alive if I forgot it
punish severely; informal murder, come down on someone (like a ton of bricks); Brit. informal give someone what for.
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by the skin of one's teeth
(only) just, narrowly, by a hair's breadth, by a very small margin; informal by a whisker. get under someone's skin (informal)
the children really got under my skin.
See irritate sense 1.

she got under my skin
obsess , intrigue, captivate, charm; enthral, enchant, entrance.
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it's no skin off my nose (informal)
I don't care, I don't mind, I'm not bothered, it doesn't bother me, it doesn't matter to me; informal I don't give a damn, I don't give a monkey's.

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skin-deep

adjective
superficial, (on the) surface, external, outward, shallow.

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skinflint

noun
(informal). See miser.

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skinny

adjective
. See thin adjective sense 3.

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skip

verb
skipping down the path
caper, prance, trip, dance, bound, bounce, gambol, frisk, romp, cavort.
we skipped the boring stuff
omit, leave out, miss out, dispense with, pass over, skim over, disregard; informal give something a miss.
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I skipped school
play truant from, miss; N. Amer. cut; Brit. informal skive off; N. Amer. informal play hookey from; Austral./NZ informal play the wag from.
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I skipped through the magazine
have a quick look at, flick through, flip through, leaf through.
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(informal) they skipped off again
run off/away, take off; informal beat it, clear off, cut and run; Brit. informal do a runner, do a bunk, scarper; N. Amer. informal light out, cut out; Austral. informal shoot through.
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skirmish

noun
the unit was caught up in a skirmish
fight, battle, clash, conflict, encounter, engagement, fray, combat.
there was a skirmish over the budget
argument, quarrel, squabble, contretemps, disagreement, difference of opinion, falling-out, dispute, clash, altercation; informal tiff, spat; Brit. informal row, barney, ding-dong.
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verb
they skirmished with enemy soldiers
fight, (do) battle with, engage with, close with, combat, clash with.

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skirt

verb
he skirted the city
go round, walk round, circle.
the fields that skirt the highway
border, edge, flank, line, lie alongside.
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he carefully skirted round the subject
avoid, evade, sidestep, dodge, pass over, gloss over; informal duck; Austral./NZ informal duck-shove.
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skit

noun
comedy sketch, comedy act, parody, pastiche, burlesque, satire, pasquinade; informal spoof, take-off, send-up.

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skittish

adjective
she grew increasingly skittish
playful, lively, high-spirited, sportive, frisky; poetic/literary frolicsome, wanton.
his horse was skittish
restive, excitable, nervous, skittery, jumpy, highly strung.
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skive

verb
(Brit. informal) malinger, play truant, truant, shirk, idle; N. Amer. cut; Brit. informal bunk off, swing the lead, scrimshank; N. Amer. informal gold-brick, play hookey, goof off; Austral./NZ informal play the wag.

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skulduggery

noun
trickery, fraudulence, sharp practice, underhandedness, chicanery; informal shenanigans, funny business, monkey business; Brit. informal monkey tricks, jiggery-pokery; N. Amer. informal monkeyshines.

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skulk

verb
lurk, loiter, hide; creep, sneak, slink, prowl, pussyfoot.

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skull

cranial.

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sky

noun
the sun was shining in the sky
the upper atmosphere; poetic/literary the heavens, the firmament, the blue, the (wide) blue yonder, the welkin, the azure, the empyrean. celestial.
to the skies
effusively, profusely, very highly, very enthusiastically, unreservedly, fervently, fulsomely, extravagantly.

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slab

noun
piece, block, hunk, chunk, lump; cake, tablet, brick.

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slack

adjective
the rope went slack
loose, limp, hanging, flexible.
slack skin
flaccid, flabby, loose, sagging, saggy.
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business is slack
sluggish, slow, quiet, slow-moving, flat, depressed, stagnant.
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slack accounting procedures
lax, negligent, remiss, careless, slapdash, slipshod, lackadaisical, inefficient, casual; informal sloppy, slap-happy.
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ANTONYMS :tight, taut.

noun
the rope had some slack in it
looseness, play, give.
foreign demand will help pick up the slack
surplus, excess, residue, spare capacity.
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a little slack in the daily routine
lull, pause, respite, break, hiatus, breathing space; informal let-up, breather.
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verb
the horse slacked his pace
reduce, lessen, slacken, slow.
(Brit. informal) no slacking!
idle, shirk, be lazy, be indolent, waste time, lounge about; Brit. informal skive; N. Amer. informal goof off.
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slack off
the rain has slacked off
decrease, subside, let up, ease off, abate, diminish, die down, fall off.

slack off a bit!
relax, take things easy, let up, ease up/off, loosen up, slow down; N. Amer. informal hang loose, chill out.
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slack up the horse slacked up

slow (down), decelerate, reduce speed.

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slacken

verb
he slackened his grip
loosen, release, relax, loose, lessen, weaken.
he slackened his pace
slow (down), become/get/make slower, decelerate, slack (up).
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the rain is slackening
decrease, lessen, subside, ease up/off, let up, abate, slack off, diminish, die down, fall off.
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ANTONYMS :tighten.

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slacker

noun
(informal). See layabout.

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slag

slag someone/something off (Brit. informal). See criticize.

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slake

verb
quench, satisfy, sate, satiate, relieve, assuage.

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slam

verb
he slammed the door behind him
bang, shut/close with a bang, shut/close noisily, shut/close with force.
the car slammed into a lamp post
crash into, smash into, collide with, hit, strike, ram, plough into, run into, bump into; N. Amer. impact.
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(informal) he was slammed by the critics.
See criticize.
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slander

noun
he could sue us for slander
defamation (of character), character assassination, calumny, libel; scandalmongering, malicious gossip, disparagement, denigration, aspersions, vilification, traducement, obloquy; lie, slur, smear, false accusation; informal mud-slinging, bad-mouthing; archaic contumely.
verb
they were accused of slandering the minister
defame (someone's character), blacken someone's name, tell lies about, speak ill/evil of, sully someone's reputation, libel, smear, cast aspersions on, spread scandal about, besmirch, tarnish, taint; malign, traduce, vilify, disparage, denigrate, run down; N. Amer. slur; formal derogate, calumniate.

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slanderous

adjective
defamatory, denigratory, disparaging, libellous, pejorative, false, misrepresentative, scurrilous, scandalous, malicious, abusive, insulting; informal mud-slinging. ANTONYMS :complimentary.

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slang

noun
informal language, colloquialisms, patois, argot, cant.

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slanging match

noun
(informal). See quarrel noun.

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slant

verb
the floor was slanting
slope, tilt, incline, be at an angle, tip, cant, lean, dip, pitch, shelve, list, bank.
their findings were slanted in our favour
bias, distort, twist, skew, weight, give a bias to.
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noun
the slant of the roof
slope, incline, tilt, gradient, pitch, angle, cant, camber, inclination.
a feminist slant
point of view, viewpoint, standpoint, stance, angle, perspective, approach, view, attitude, position; bias, leaning.
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slanting

adjective
oblique, sloping, at an angle, on an incline, inclined, tilting, tilted, slanted, aslant, diagonal, canted, cambered.

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slap

verb
he slapped her hard
hit, strike, smack, clout, cuff, thump, punch, spank; informal whack, thwack, wallop, biff, bash; Brit. informal slosh; N. Amer. informal boff, slug, bust; Austral./NZ informal dong, quilt; archaic smite.
he slapped down a £10 note
fling, throw, toss, slam, bang; informal plonk.
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slap on a coat of paint
daub, plaster, spread.
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(informal) they slapped a huge tax on imports
impose, levy, put on.
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noun
a slap across the cheek
smack, blow, thump, cuff, clout, punch, spank; informal whack, thwack, wallop, clip, biff, bash.
adverb
(informal) the bypass goes slap through the green belt
straight, right, directly, plumb; informal smack, (slap) bang; N. Amer. informal spang, smack dab.
a slap in the face
rebuff, rejection, snub, insult, put-down, humiliation. a slap on the back
congratulations , commendation, approbation, approval, accolades, compliments, tributes, a pat on the back, praise, acclaim, acclamation; formal laudation. a slap on the wrist
reprimand, rebuke, reproof, scolding, admonishment; informal telling-off, rap over the knuckles, dressing-down; Brit. informal ticking-off, wigging; Austral./NZ informal serve. slap someone down (informal). See berate.

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slapdash

adjective
careless, slipshod, hurried, haphazard, unsystematic, untidy, messy, hit-or-miss, negligent, neglectful, lax; informal sloppy, slap-happy; Brit. informal shambolic. ANTONYMS :meticulous.

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slap-happy

adverb
(informal) his slap-happy friend
happy-go-lucky, devil-may-care, carefree, easy-going, nonchalant, insouciant, blithe, airy, casual.
slap-happy work.
See slapdash.
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she's a bit slap-happy after such a narrow escape
dazed, stupefied, punch-drunk.
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slap-up

adjective
(Brit. informal) lavish, sumptuous, elaborate, expensive, fit for a king, princely, splendid. ANTONYMS :meagre.

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slash

verb
her tyres had been slashed
cut (open), gash, slit, split open, lacerate, knife, make an incision in.
(informal) the company slashed prices
reduce, cut, lower, bring down, mark down.
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(informal) they have slashed 10,000 jobs
get rid of, axe, cut, shed.
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noun
a slash across his temple
cut, gash, laceration, slit, incision; wound.
sentence breaks are indicated by slashes
solidus, oblique, backslash.
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slate

verb
(Brit. informal). See criticize.

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slatternly

adjective
slovenly, untidy, messy, scruffy, unkempt, ill-groomed, dishevelled, frowzy; N. Amer. informal raggedy.

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slaughter

verb
the animals were slaughtered
kill, butcher.
innocent civilians are being slaughtered
massacre, murder, butcher, kill (off), annihilate, exterminate, liquidate, eliminate, destroy, decimate, wipe out, put to death; poetic/literary slay.
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(informal) their team were slaughtered.
See defeat verb sense 1.
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noun
the slaughter of 20 demonstrators
massacre, murdering, (mass) murder, mass killing, mass execution, annihilation, extermination, liquidation, decimation, carnage, butchery, genocide; poetic/literary slaying.
a scene of slaughter
carnage, bloodshed, bloodletting, bloodbath.
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(informal) their electoral slaughter.
See defeat noun sense 1.
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slaughterhouse

noun
abattoir; Brit. butchery; archaic shambles.

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slave

noun
the work was done by slaves
historical serf, vassal, thrall; archaic bondsman, bondswoman.
Anna was his willing slave
drudge, servant, man/maid of all work, lackey; informal gofer; Brit. informal skivvy, dogsbody, poodle.
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servile. ANTONYMS :freeman, master.

verb
slaving away for a pittance
toil, labour, grind, sweat, work one's fingers to the bone, work like a Trojan/dog; informal work one's socks off, kill oneself, sweat blood, slog away; Brit. informal graft; Austral./NZ informal bullock; poetic/literary travail; archaic drudge, moil.

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slaver

verb
drool, slobber, dribble, salivate; archaic drivel.

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slavery

noun
thousands were sold into slavery
bondage, enslavement, servitude, thraldom, thrall, serfdom, vassalage.
this work is sheer slavery
drudgery, toil, (hard) slog, hard labour, grind; poetic/literary travail; archaic moil.
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ANTONYMS :freedom.

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slavish

adjective
slavish lackeys of the government
servile, subservient, fawning, obsequious, sycophantic, toadying, unctuous; informal bootlicking, forelock-tugging; N. Amer. informal apple-polishing.
slavish copying
unoriginal, uninspired, unimaginative, uninventive, imitative.
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slay

verb
(poetic/literary) 8,000 men were slain
kill, murder, put to death, butcher, cut down, cut to pieces, slaughter, massacre, shoot down, gun down, mow down, eliminate, annihilate, exterminate, liquidate; informal wipe out, bump off, do in/for.
(informal) you slay me, you really do
amuse greatly, entertain greatly, make someone laugh; informal have people rolling in the aisles, kill, knock dead, be a hit with.
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slaying

noun
(poetic/literary) murder, killing, butchery, slaughter, massacre, extermination, liquidation.

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sleazy

adjective
sleazy arms dealers
corrupt, immoral, unsavoury, disreputable; informal shady, sleazoid.
a sleazy bar
squalid, seedy, seamy, sordid, insalubrious, mean, cheap, low-class, run down; informal scruffy, scuzzy, crummy, skanky; Brit. informal grotty.
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ANTONYMS :reputable, upmarket.

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sledge

noun
toboggan, bobsleigh, sleigh; N. Amer. sled.

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sleek

adjective
his sleek dark hair
smooth, glossy, shiny, shining, lustrous, silken, silky.
the car's sleek lines
streamlined, trim, elegant, graceful.
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sleek young men in city suits
well groomed, stylish, wealthy-looking.
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sleep

noun
go and have a sleep
nap, doze, siesta, catnap, beauty sleep; informal snooze, forty winks, a bit of shut-eye; Brit. informal kip, zizz; children's language bye-byes; poetic/literary slumber.
verb
she slept for about an hour
be asleep, doze, take a siesta, take a nap, catnap, sleep like a log/top; informal snooze, snatch forty winks, get some shut-eye; Brit. informal (have a) kip, get one's head down, (get some) zizz; N. Amer. informal catch some Zs; humorous be in the land of Nod; poetic/literary slumber. ANTONYMS :wake up.

go to sleep
fall asleep, get to sleep; informal drop off, nod off, drift off, crash out, flake out; N. Amer. informal sack out, zone out. put something to sleep
put down, destroy.

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sleepiness

noun
drowsiness, tiredness, somnolence, languor, languidness, doziness; lethargy, sluggishness, lassitude, enervation.

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sleepless

adjective
wakeful, restless, without sleep, insomniac; (wide) awake, unsleeping, tossing and turning; archaic watchful.

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sleeplessness

noun
insomnia, wakefulness.

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sleepwalker

noun
somnambulist; rare noctambulist.

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sleepy

adjective
she felt very sleepy
drowsy, tired, somnolent, languid, languorous, heavy-eyed, asleep on one's feet; lethargic, sluggish, enervated, torpid; informal dopey; poetic/literary slumberous.
the sleepy heat of the afternoon
soporific, sleep-inducing, somnolent.
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a sleepy little village
quiet, peaceful, tranquil, placid, slow-moving; dull, boring.
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ANTONYMS :awake, alert.

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sleight of hand

noun
impressive sleight of hand
dexterity, adroitness, deftness, skill.
financial sleight of hand
deception, deceit, dissimulation, chicanery, trickery, sharp practice.
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slender

adjective
her tall slender figure
slim, lean, willowy, sylphlike, svelte, lissom, graceful; slight, slightly built, thin, skinny.
slender evidence
meagre, limited, slight, scanty, scant, sparse, paltry, insubstantial, insufficient, deficient, negligible; formal exiguous.
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the chances seemed slender
faint, remote, flimsy, tenuous, fragile, slim; unlikely, improbable.
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ANTONYMS :plump.

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sleuth

noun
(informal) (private) detective, (private) investigator; informal private eye, snoop, sleuth-hound; N. Amer. informal shamus, gumshoe.

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slice

noun
a slice of fruitcake
piece, portion, slab, rasher, sliver, wafer, shaving.
a huge slice of public spending
share, part, portion, tranche, piece, proportion, allocation, percentage.
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verb
slice the cheese thinly
cut (up), carve.
one man had his ear sliced off
cut off, sever, chop off, shear off.
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slick

adjective
a slick advertising campaign
efficient, smooth, smooth-running, polished, well organized, well run, streamlined.
his slick use of words
glib, smooth, fluent, plausible.
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a slick salesman
suave, urbane, polished, assured, self-assured, smooth-talking, glib; informal smarmy.
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her slick brown hair
shiny, glossy, shining, sleek, smooth, oiled.
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the pavements were slick with rain
slippery, slithery, wet, greasy; informal slippy.
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verb
his hair was slicked down
smooth, sleek, grease, oil, gel; informal smarm.

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slide

verb
the glass slid across the table
glide, move smoothly, slip, slither, skim, skate; skid, slew.
tears slid down her cheeks
trickle, run, flow, pour, stream.
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four men slid out of the shadows
creep, steal, slink, slip, tiptoe, sidle.
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the country is sliding into recession
sink, fall, drop, descend; decline, degenerate.
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noun
the current slide in house prices
fall, decline, drop, slump, downturn, downswing.
a slide show
transparency, diapositive.
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ANTONYMS :rise.

let something slide
neglect, pay little/no attention to, not attend to, be remiss about, let something go downhill.

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slight

adjective
the chance of success is slight
small, modest, tiny, minute, inappreciable, negligible, insignificant, minimal, remote, slim, faint; informal minuscule; formal exiguous.
the book is a slight work
minor, inconsequential, trivial, unimportant, lightweight, superficial, shallow.
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Elizabeth's slight figure
slim, slender, petite, diminutive, small, delicate, dainty.
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ANTONYMS :considerable.

verb
he had been slighted
insult, snub, rebuff, repulse, spurn, treat disrespectfully, give someone the cold shoulder, cut (dead), scorn; informal give someone the brush-off, freeze out, stiff-arm. ANTONYMS :respect.

noun
an unintended slight
insult, affront, snub, rebuff; informal put-down, dig. ANTONYMS :compliment.

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slighting

adjective
insulting, disparaging, derogatory, disrespectful, denigratory, pejorative, abusive, offensive, defamatory, slanderous, scurrilous; disdainful, scornful, contemptuous; archaic contumelious.

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slightly

adverb
a little, a bit, somewhat, rather, moderately, to a certain extent, faintly, vaguely, a shade. ANTONYMS :very.

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slim

adjective
she was tall and slim
slender, lean, thin, willowy, sylphlike, svelte, lissom, trim, slight, slightly built.
a slim silver bracelet
narrow, slender, slimline.
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a slim chance of escape
slight, small, slender, faint, poor, remote, unlikely, improbable.
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ANTONYMS :plump.

verb
I'm trying to slim
lose weight, get thinner, lose some pounds/inches, get into shape; N. Amer. slenderize.
the number of staff had been slimmed down
reduce, cut (down/back), scale down, decrease, diminish, pare down.
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slime

noun
ooze, sludge, muck, mud, mire; informal goo, gunk, gook, gloop; Brit. informal gunge; N. Amer. informal guck, glop.

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slimy

adjective
the floor was slimy
slippery, slithery, greasy, muddy, mucky, sludgy, wet, sticky; informal slippy, gunky, gooey, gloopy.
(informal) her slimy press agent.
See obsequious.
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sling

noun
she had her arm in a sling
(support) bandage, support, strap.
armed only with a sling
catapult, slingshot; Austral./NZ shanghai.
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verb
a hammock was slung between two trees
hang, suspend, string, swing.
(informal) she slung her jacket on the sofa.
See throw verb sense 1.
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slink

verb
creep, sneak, steal, slip, slide, sidle, tiptoe, pussyfoot.

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slinky

adjective
(informal) a slinky black dress
tight-fitting, close-fitting, figure-hugging, sexy.
her slinky elegance
sinuous, willowy, graceful, sleek.
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slip 1

verb
she slipped on the ice
slide, skid, slither, glide; fall (over), lose one's balance, tumble.
the envelope slipped through Luke's fingers
fall, drop, slide.
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we slipped out by a back door
creep, steal, sneak, slide, sidle, slope, slink, tiptoe.
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standards have slipped
decline, deteriorate, degenerate, worsen, get worse, fall (off), drop; informal go downhill, go to the dogs, go to pot.
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the bank's shares slipped 1.5p
drop, go down, sink, slump, decrease, depreciate.
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the hours slipped by
pass, elapse, go by/past, roll by/past, fly by/past, tick by/past.
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she slipped the map into her pocket
put, tuck, shove; informal pop, stick, stuff.
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Sarah slipped into a black skirt
put on, pull on, don, dress/clothe oneself in; change into.
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she slipped out of her clothes
take off, remove, pull off, doff; Brit. informal peel off.
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he slipped the knot of his tie
untie, unfasten, undo.
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noun
a single slip could send them plummeting downwards
false step, misstep, slide, skid, fall, tumble.
a careless slip
mistake, error, blunder, gaffe, slip of the tongue/pen; oversight, omission, lapse, inaccuracy; informal slip-up, boo-boo, howler; Brit. informal boob, clanger, bloomer; N. Amer. informal goof, blooper, bloop.
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a silk slip
underskirt, petticoat, underslip.
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give someone the slip (informal)
escape from, get away from, evade, dodge, elude, lose, shake off, throw off (the scent), get clear of. let something slip
reveal, disclose, divulge, let out, give away, blurt out; give the game away; informal let on, blab, let the cat out of the bag, spill the beans; Brit. informal blow the gaff. slip away
they managed to slip away
escape, get away, break free; informal fly the coop; Brit. informal do a bunk, do a runner; N. Amer. informal take a powder.

she slipped away in her sleep.
See die sense 1.
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slip up (informal)
make a mistake, (make a) blunder, get something wrong, make an error, err; informal make a bloomer, make a boo-boo; Brit. informal boob, drop a clanger; N. Amer. informal goof up.

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slip 2

noun
a slip of paper
piece of paper, scrap of paper, sheet, note; chit; informal stickie.
they took slips from rare plants
cutting, graft; scion, shoot, offshoot.
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a slip of a
small, slender, slim, slight, slightly built, petite, little, tiny, diminutive; informal pint-sized.

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slipper

noun
he pulled on his slippers
carpet slipper, bedroom slipper, house shoe; N. Amer. slipperette.
satin slippers
pump, mule.
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slippery

adjective
the roads are slippery
slithery, greasy, oily, icy, glassy, smooth, slimy, wet; informal slippy.
a slippery customer
evasive, unreliable, unpredictable; devious, crafty, cunning, wily, tricky, artful, slick, sly, sneaky, scheming, untrustworthy, deceitful, duplicitous, dishonest, treacherous, two-faced; N. Amer. snide; informal shady, shifty; Brit. informal dodgy; Austral./NZ informal shonky.
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slipshod

adjective
careless, lackadaisical, slapdash, disorganized, haphazard, hit-or-miss, untidy, messy, unsystematic, unmethodical, casual, negligent, neglectful, remiss, lax, slack; informal sloppy, slap-happy. ANTONYMS :meticulous.

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slip-up

noun
(informal) mistake, slip, error, blunder, oversight, omission, gaffe, slip of the tongue/pen, inaccuracy; informal boo-boo, howler; Brit. informal boob, clanger, bloomer; N. Amer. informal goof, blooper, bloop.

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slit

noun
three diagonal slits
cut, incision, split, slash, gash, laceration.
a slit in the curtains
opening, gap, chink, crack, aperture, slot.
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verb
he threatened to slit her throat
cut, slash, split open, slice open, gash, lacerate, make an incision in.

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slither

verb
slide, slip, glide, wriggle, crawl; skid.

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sliver

noun
splinter, shard, shiver, chip, flake, shred, scrap, slither, shaving, paring, piece, fragment.

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slob

noun
(informal) layabout, good-for-nothing, sluggard, laggard; informal slacker, couch potato; archaic sloven.

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slobber

verb
drool, slaver, dribble, salivate; archaic drivel.

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slog

verb
they were all slogging away
work hard, toil, labour, work one's fingers to the bone, work like a Trojan/dog, exert oneself, grind, slave, grub, plough, plod, peg; informal beaver, plug, work one's guts out, work one's socks off, sweat blood; Brit. informal graft; Austral./NZ informal bullock; poetic/literary travail; archaic drudge, moil.
they slogged around the streets
trudge, tramp, traipse, toil, plod, trek, footslog, drag oneself.
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ANTONYMS :relax.

noun
10 months' hard slog
hard work, toil, toiling, labour, effort, exertion, grind, drudgery; informal sweat; Brit. informal graft; Austral./NZ informal (hard) yakka; poetic/literary travail; archaic moil.
a steady uphill slog
trudge, tramp, traipse, plod, trek, footslog.
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ANTONYMS :leisure.

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slogan

noun
catchphrase, catchline, jingle; N. Amer. informal tag line.

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slop

verb
water slopped over the edge
spill, flow, overflow, run, slosh, splash.
slop around/about (Brit. informal)
laze (around/about), lounge (around/about), loll (around/about), loaf (around/about), slouch (about/around); informal hang around; Brit. informal hang about, mooch about/around; N. Amer. informal bum around, lollygag.

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slope

noun
the slope of the roof
gradient, incline, angle, slant, inclination, pitch, decline, ascent, declivity, acclivity, rise, fall, tilt, tip, downslope, upslope; N. Amer. grade, downgrade, upgrade.
a grassy slope
hill, hillside, hillock, bank, escarpment, scarp; poetic/literary steep.
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the ski slopes
piste, run, nursery slope, dry slope; N. Amer. trail.
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verb
the garden sloped down to a stream
slant, incline, tilt; drop away, fall away, decline, descend, shelve, lean; rise, ascend, climb.
slope off (informal)
leave, go away, slip away, steal away, slink off, creep off, sneak off; informal push off, clear off.

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sloping

adjective
at a slant, on the slant, at an angle, slanting, slanted, leaning, inclining, inclined, angled, cambered, canted, tilting, tilted, dipping, declivitous, acclivitous. ANTONYMS :level.

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sloppy

adjective
sloppy chicken curry
runny, watery, thin, liquid, semi-liquid, mushy; informal gloopy.
their defending was sloppy
careless, slapdash, slipshod, lackadaisical, haphazard, lax, slack, slovenly; informal slap-happy; Brit. informal shambolic.
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sloppy T-shirts
baggy, loose-fitting, loose, generously cut; shapeless, sack-like, oversized.
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sloppy letters
sentimental, mawkish, cloying, saccharine, sugary, syrupy; romantic, hearts-and-flowers; informal slushy, schmaltzy, lovey-dovey; Brit. informal soppy; N. Amer. informal cornball, sappy, hokey, three-hankie.
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slosh

verb
beer sloshed over the side of the glass
spill, slop, splash, flow, overflow.
workers sloshed round in boots
splash, swash, squelch, wade; informal splosh.
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she sloshed more wine into her glass
pour, slop, splash.
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(Brit. informal) Gary sloshed him.
See hit verb sense 1.
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slot

noun
he slid a coin into the slot
aperture, slit, crack, hole, opening.
a mid-morning slot
spot, time, period, niche, space; informal window.
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verb
he slotted a cassette into the machine
insert, put, place, slide, slip.

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sloth

noun
laziness, idleness, indolence, slothfulness, inactivity, inertia, sluggishness, shiftlessness, apathy, accidie, listlessness, lassitude, lethargy, languor, torpidity; poetic/literary hebetude. ANTONYMS :industriousness.

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slothful

adjective
lazy, idle, indolent, work-shy, inactive, sluggish, apathetic, lethargic, listless, languid, torpid; informal bone idle; archaic otiose.

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slouch

verb
slump, hunch; loll, droop.

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slovenly

adjective
his slovenly appearance
scruffy, untidy, messy, unkempt, ill-groomed, slatternly, dishevelled, bedraggled, tousled, rumpled, frowzy; informal slobbish, slobby; N. Amer. informal raggedy, raunchy.
his work is slovenly
careless, slapdash, slipshod, haphazard, hit-or-miss, untidy, messy, negligent, lax, lackadaisical, slack; informal sloppy, slap-happy.
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ANTONYMS :tidy, careful.

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slow

adjective
their slow walk home
unhurried, leisurely, steady, sedate, slow-moving, plodding, dawdling, sluggish, sluggardly.
a slow process
long-drawn-out, time-consuming, lengthy, protracted, prolonged, gradual.
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he can be so slow
obtuse, stupid, unperceptive, insensitive, bovine, stolid, slow-witted, dull-witted, unintelligent, doltish, witless; informal dense, dim, dim-witted, thick, slow on the uptake, dumb, dopey, boneheaded; Brit. informal dozy; N. Amer. informal chowderheaded.
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they were slow to voice their opinions
reluctant, unwilling, disinclined, loath, hesitant, afraid, chary, shy.
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the slow season
sluggish, slack, quiet, inactive, flat, depressed, stagnant, dead.
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a slow narrative
dull, boring, uninteresting, unexciting, uneventful, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, monotonous, dreary, lacklustre.
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ANTONYMS :fast.

verb
the traffic forced him to slow down
reduce speed, go slower, decelerate, br ake.
you need to slow down
take it easy, relax, ease up/off, take a break, slack off, let up; N. Amer. informal chill out, hang loose.
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this would slow down economic growth
hold back/up, delay, retard, set back; restrict, check, curb, inhibit, impede, obstruct, hinder, hamper; archaic stay.
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ANTONYMS :accelerate.

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slowly

adverb
Rose walked off slowly
at a slow pace, without hurrying, unhurriedly, steadily, at a leisurely pace, at a snail's pace; Music adagio, lento, largo.
her health is improving slowly
gradually, bit by bit, little by little, slowly but surely, step by step.
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ANTONYMS :quickly.

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sludge

noun
mud, muck, mire, ooze, silt, alluvium; informal gunk, crud, gloop, gook, goo; Brit. informal gunge, grot; N. Amer. informal guck, glop.

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sluggish

adjective
Alex felt tired and sluggish
lethargic, listless, lacking in energy, lifeless, inert, inactive, slow, torpid, languid, apathetic, weary, tired, fatigued, sleepy, drowsy, enervated; lazy, idle, indolent, slothful, sluggardly; Medicine asthenic; N. Amer. logy; informal dozy, dopey.
the economy is sluggish
inactive, quiet, slow, slack, flat, depressed, stagnant.
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ANTONYMS :vigorous.

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sluice

verb
crews sluiced down the decks
wash (down), rinse, clean, cleanse.
the water sluiced out
pour, flow, run, gush, stream, course, flood, surge, spill.
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slum

noun
hovel; (slums) ghetto, shanty town.

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slumber (poetic/literary)

verb
the child slumbered fitfully.
See sleep verb.
noun
an uneasy slumber.
See sleep noun.

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slummy

adjective
seedy, insalubrious, squalid, sleazy, run down, down at heel, shabby, dilapidated; informal scruffy, skanky; Brit. informal grotty; N. Amer. informal shacky. ANTONYMS :upmarket.

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slump

verb
he slumped into a chair
sit heavily, flop, flump, collapse, sink, fall; informal plonk oneself.
houses prices slumped
fall steeply, plummet, tumble, drop, go down; informal crash, nosedive.
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reading standards have slumped
decline, deteriorate, degenerate, worsen, slip; informal go downhill.
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noun
a slump in profits
steep fall, drop, tumble, downturn, downswing, slide, decline, decrease; informal nosedive.
an economic slump
recession, economic decline, depression, slowdown, stagnation.
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ANTONYMS :rise, boom.

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slur

verb
she was slurring her words
mumble, speak unclearly, garble.
noun
a gross slur
insult, slight, slander, slanderous statement, aspersion, smear, allegation.

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slush

noun
he wiped the slush off his shoes
melting snow, wet snow, mush, sludge.
(informal) the slush of romantic films
sentimentality, mawkishness, sentimentalism; informal schmaltz, mush, slushiness, corniness; Brit. informal soppiness; N. Amer. informal sappiness, hokeyness.
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slut

noun
promiscuous woman, prostitute, whore; informal tart, floozie, pro; Brit. informal scrubber, slag, slapper; N. Amer. informal tramp, hooker, hustler, roundheel; dated scarlet woman, loose woman, hussy, trollop; archaic harlot, strumpet, wanton.

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sly

adjective
she's rather sly
cunning, crafty, clever, wily, artful, guileful, tricky, scheming, devious, deceitful, duplicitous, dishonest, underhand, sneaky; archaic subtle.
a sly grin
roguish, mischievous, impish, playful, wicked, arch, knowing.
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she took a sly sip of water
surreptitious, furtive, stealthy, covert.
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on the sly
in secret, secretly, furtively, surreptitiously, covertly, clandestinely, on the quiet, behind someone's back.

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smack 1

noun
she gave him a smack
slap, clout, cuff, blow, spank, rap, swat, crack, thump, punch; informal whack, thwack, clip, biff, wallop, swipe, bop, belt, bash, sock.
the parcel landed with a smack
bang, crash, crack, thud, thump.
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(informal) a smack on the lips
kiss, peck; informal smacker.
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verb
he tried to smack her
slap, hit, strike, spank, cuff, clout, thump, punch, swat; box someone's ears; informal whack, clip, wallop, biff, swipe, bop, belt, bash, sock; Scottish & N. English informal skelp; N. Amer. informal boff, slug, bust.
the waiter smacked a plate down
bang, slam, crash, thump; sling, fling; informal plonk; N. Amer. informal plunk.
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adverb
(informal) smack in the middle
exactly, precisely, straight, right, directly, squarely, dead, plumb, point-blank; informal slap, bang; N. Amer. informal smack dab.

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smack 2

noun
the beer has a smack of hops
taste, flavour, savour.
a smack of bitterness in his words
trace, tinge, touch, suggestion, hint, overtone, suspicion, whisper.
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smack of
the tea smacked of tannin
taste of, have the flavour of.

the plan smacked of self-promotion
suggest, hint at, have overtones of, give the impression of, have the stamp of, seem like; smell of, reek of.
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small

adjective
a small flat
little, compact, bijou, tiny, miniature, mini; minute, microscopic, minuscule; toy, baby; poky, cramped, boxy; Scottish wee; informal tiddly, teeny, teensy, itsy-bitsy, itty-bitty, pocket-sized, half-pint, dinky, ickle; Brit. informal titchy; N. Amer. informal little-bitty.
a very small man
short, little, petite, diminutive, elfin, tiny; puny, undersized, stunted, dwarfish, midget, pygmy, Lilliputian; Scottish wee; informal teeny, pint-sized.
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a few small changes
slight, minor, unimportant, trifling, trivial, insignificant, inconsequential, negligible, nugatory, infinitesimal; informal minuscule, piffling, piddling.
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small helpings
inadequate, meagre, insufficient, ungenerous; informal measly, stingy, mingy, pathetic.
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they made him feel small
foolish, stupid, insignificant, unimportant; embarrassed, humiliated, uncomfortable, mortified, ashamed; crushed.
Top
a small farmer
small-scale, small-time; modest, unpretentious, humble.
Top
micro-, mini-, nano-. ANTONYMS :big, tall, major, ample, substantial.

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small change

noun
coins, change, coppers, silver, cash, specie.

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small-minded

adjective
narrow-minded, petty, mean-spirited, uncharitable; close-minded, short-sighted, myopic, blinkered, inward-looking, unimaginative, parochial, provincial, insular, small-town; intolerant, illiberal, conservative, hidebound, dyed-in-the-wool, set in one's ways, inflexible; prejudiced, bigoted; Brit. parish-pump, blimpish. ANTONYMS :tolerant.

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small-time

adjective
minor, small-scale; petty, unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential; N. Amer. minor-league; informal penny-ante, piddling; N. Amer. informal two-bit, bush-league, picayune. ANTONYMS :major.

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smarmy

adjective
(informal) unctuous, ingratiating, slick, oily, greasy, obsequious, sycophantic, fawning; informal slimy, sucky.

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smart

adjective
you look very smart
well dressed, stylish, chic, fashionable, modish, elegant, neat, spruce, trim, dapper; N. Amer. trig; informal snazzy, natty, snappy, sharp, cool; N. Amer. informal sassy, spiffy, fly, kicky.
a smart restaurant
fashionable, stylish, high-class, exclusive, chic, fancy; Brit. upmarket; N. Amer. high-toned; informal trendy, posh, ritzy, plush, classy, swanky, glitzy; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal swank.
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(informal) he's the smart one
clever, bright, intelligent, sharp-witted, quick-witted, shrewd, astute, able; perceptive, percipient; informal brainy, savvy, quick on the uptake.
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a smart pace
brisk, quick, fast, rapid, swift, lively, spanking, energetic, vigorous; informal snappy, cracking.
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a smart blow on the snout
sharp, severe, forceful, violent.
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ANTONYMS :untidy, downmarket, stupid, slow, gentle.

verb
her eyes were smarting
sting, burn, tingle, prickle; hurt, ache.
she smarted at the accusations
feel annoyed, feel upset, take offence, feel aggrieved, feel indignant, be put out, feel hurt.
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look smart (Brit.)
be quick, hurry up, speed up; informal make it snappy, get cracking, get moving, step on it; Brit. informal get one's skates on, stir one's stumps; N. Amer. informal get a wiggle on.

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smarten

verb
spruce up, clean up, tidy up, neaten, tidy; groom, freshen, preen, primp, beautify; redecorate, refurbish, modernize; informal do up, titivate, doll up; Brit. informal tart up, posh up; N. Amer. informal gussy up.

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smash

verb
he smashed a window
break, shatter, splinter, crack, shiver; informal bust.
she's smashed the car
crash, wreck; Brit. write off; Brit. informal prang; N. Amer. informal total.
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they smashed into a wall
crash into, collide with, hit, strike, ram, smack into, slam into, plough into, run into, bump into; N. Amer. impact.
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Don smashed him over the head
hit, strike, thump, punch, smack; informal whack, bash, biff, bop, clout, wallop, crown; Brit. informal slosh, dot; N. Amer. informal slug.
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he smashed their hopes of glory
destroy, wreck, ruin, shatter, dash, crush, devastate, demolish, overturn, scotch; informal put the kibosh on, do for, put paid to, queer; Brit. informal scupper.
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noun
the smash of glass
breaking, shattering, crash.
a motorway smash
crash, collision, accident, bump; Brit. RTA; N. Amer. wreck; informal pile- up, smash-up; Brit. informal prang, shunt.
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(informal) a box-office smash
success, sensation, sell-out, triumph; informal (smash) hit, winner, crowd-puller, knockout, wow, biggie.
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smashing

adjective
(Brit. informal). See marvellous sense 2.

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smattering

noun
bit, little, modicum, touch, soupçon; nodding acquaintance; rudiments, basics; informal smidgen, smidge, tad.

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smear

verb
the table was smeared with grease
streak, smudge, mark, soil, dirty; informal splotch, splodge; poetic/literary besmear.
smear the meat with olive oil
cover, coat, grease; poetic/literary bedaub.
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she smeared sunblock on her skin
spread, rub, daub, slap, slather, smother, plaster, cream, slick; apply; poetic/literary besmear.
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they are trying to smear our reputation
sully, tarnish, blacken, drag through the mud, taint, damage, defame, discredit, malign, slander, libel; N. Amer. slur; informal do a hatchet job on; formal calumniate; poetic/literary besmirch.
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noun
smears of blood
streak, smudge, daub, dab, spot, patch, blotch, mark; informal splotch, splodge.
press smears about his closest aides
false accusation, lie, untruth, slur, slander, libel, defamation, calumny.
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smell

noun
the smell of the kitchen
odour, aroma, fragrance, scent, perfume, redolence; bouquet, nose; stench, stink, reek; Brit. informal pong, niff, whiff, hum; Scottish informal guff; N. Amer. informal funk; poetic/literary miasma. osmic, olfactory.
verb
he smelled her perfume
scent, get a sniff of, detect.
the dogs smelled each other
sniff, nose.
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the cellar smells
stink, reek, have a bad smell; Brit. informal pong, hum, niff, whiff.
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it smells like a hoax to me
smack of, have the hallmarks of, seem like, have the air of, suggest.
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smelly

adjective
foul-smelling, stinking, reeking, fetid, malodorous, pungent, rank, noxious; off, gamy, high; musty, fusty; informal stinky; Brit. informal pongy, whiffy, humming; N. Amer. informal funky; poetic/literary miasmic, noisome.

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smile

verb
he smiled at her
beam, grin (from ear to ear), dimple, twinkle; smirk, simper; leer. ANTONYMS :frown.

noun
the smile on her face
beam, grin, twinkle; smirk, simper; leer.

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smirk

verb
smile smugly, simper, snigger; leer.

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smitten

adjective
he was smitten with cholera
struck down, laid low, suffering, affected, afflicted, plagued, stricken.
Jane's smitten with you
infatuated, besotted, in love, obsessed, head over heels; enamoured of, attracted to, taken with; captivated, enchanted, under someone's spell; informal bowled over, swept off one's feet, crazy about, mad about, keen on, gone on, sweet on; Brit. informal potty about.
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smog

noun
fog, haze; fumes, smoke, pollution; Brit. informal pea-souper.

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smoke

verb
the fire was smoking
smoulder, emit smoke; archaic reek.
he smoked his cigarette
puff on, draw on, pull on; inhale; light; informal drag on.
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they smoke their salmon
cure, preserve, dry.
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noun
the smoke from the bonfire
fumes, exhaust, gas, vapour; smog.

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smoky

adjective
the smoky atmosphere
smoke-filled, sooty, smoggy, hazy, foggy, murky, thick; Brit. informal fuggy.
her smoky eyes
grey, sooty, dark, black.
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smooth

adjective
the smooth flat rocks
even, level, flat, plane; unwrinkled, featureless; glassy, glossy, silky, polished.
his face was smooth
clean-shaven, hairless.
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a smooth sauce
creamy, velvety, blended.
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a smooth sea
calm, still, tranquil, undisturbed, unruffled, even, flat, waveless, like a millpond.
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the smooth running of the equipment
steady, regular, uninterrupted, unbroken, fluid, fluent; straightforward, easy, effortless, trouble-free.
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a smooth wine
mellow, mild, agreeable, pleasant.
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the smooth tone of the clarinet
dulcet, soft, soothing, mellow, sweet, silvery, honeyed, mellifluous, melodious, lilting, lyrical, harmonious.
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a smooth, confident man
suave, urbane, sophisticated, polished, debonair; courteous, gracious, glib, slick, ingratiating, unctuous; informal smarmy.
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ANTONYMS :uneven, rough, hairy, lumpy, irregular, raucous, gauche.

verb
she smoothed the so il
flatten, level (out/off), even out/off; press, roll, steamroll, iron, plane.
a plan to smooth the way for the agreement
ease, facilitate, clear the way for, pave the way for, expedite, assist, aid, help, oil the wheels of, lubricate.
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smoothly

adverb
her hair was combed smoothly back
evenly, level, flat, flush.
the door closed smoothly
fluidly, fluently, steadily, frictionlessly, easily; quietly.
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the plan had gone smoothly
without a hitch, like clockwork, without difficulty, easily, effortlessly, according to plan, swimmingly, satisfactorily, very well; informal like a dream.
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smooth-talking

adjective
(informal) persuasive, glib, plausible, silver-tongued, slick, eloquent, fast-talking; ingratiating, flattering, unctuous, obsequious, sycophantic; informal smarmy. ANTONYMS :blunt.

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smother

verb
she tried to smother her baby
suffocate, asphyxiate, stifle, choke.
we smothered the flames
extinguish, put out, snuff out, dampen, douse, stamp out, choke.
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we smothered ourselves with suncream
smear, daub, spread, cover; poetic/literary besmear, bedaub.
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their granny always smothers them
overwhelm, inundate, envelop, cocoon; Brit. wrap someone in cotton wool.
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she smothered a sigh
stifle, muffle, strangle, repress, suppress, hold back, fight back, bite back, swallow, contain, bottle up, conceal, hide; bite one's lip; informal keep a/the lid on.
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smoulder

verb
the bonfire still smouldered
smoke, glow, burn; archaic reek.
she was smouldering with resentment
seethe, boil, fume, burn, simmer, be boiling over, be beside oneself; informal be livid.
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smudge

noun
a smudge of blood
streak, smear, mark, stain, blotch, stripe, blob, dab; informal splotch, splodge.
verb
her face was smudged with dust
streak, mark, dirty, soil, blotch, blacken, smear, blot, daub, stain; informal splotch, splodge; poetic/literary bedaub, besmirch.
she smudged her make-up
smear, streak, mess up.
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smug

adjective
self-satisfied, self-congratulatory, complacent, superior, pleased with oneself, self-approving; Brit. informal like the cat that got the cream, I'm-all-right-Jack.

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smuggle

verb
import/export illegally, traffic in, run.

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smuggler

noun
contrabandist, runner, courier; informal mule, moonshiner.

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smutty

adjective
vulgar, rude, crude, dirty, filthy, salacious, coarse, obscene, lewd, pornographic, X-rated; risqué, racy, earthy, bawdy, suggestive, naughty, ribald, off colour; informal blue, raunchy; Brit. informal near the knuckle, saucy; N. Amer. informal gamy; euphemistic adult.

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snack

noun
she made herself a snack
light meal, sandwich, treat, refreshments, nibbles, titbit(s); informal bite (to eat); Brit. informal elevenses.
verb
don't snack on sugary foods
eat between meals, nibble, munch; informal graze.

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snaffle

verb
(informal). See steal verb sense 1.

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snag

noun
the snag is that this might affect inflation
complication, difficulty, catch, hitch, obstacle, stumbling block, pitfall, problem, impediment, hindrance, inconvenience, setback, hurdle, disadvantage, downside, drawback.
smooth rails with no snags
sharp projection, jag; thorn, spur.
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a snag in her tights
tear, rip, hole, gash, slash; ladder, run.
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verb
she snagged her tights
tear, rip, ladder.
the zip snagged on the fabric
catch, get caught, hook.
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snake

noun
the snake shed its skin
poetic/literary serpent; Zoology ophidian; Austral./NZ rhyming slang Joe Blake. colubrine, serpentine.
verb
the road snakes inland
twist, wind, meander, zigzag, curve.
snake in the grass
traitor, turncoat, betrayer, informer, back-stabber, double-crosser, quisling, Judas; fraudster, trickster, charlatan; informal two-timer, rat.

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snap

verb
the ruler snapped
break, fracture, splinter, come apart, split, crack; informal bust.
she snapped after years of violence
flare up, lose one's self-control, freak out, go to pieces, get worked up; informal crack up, lose one's cool, blow one's top, fly off the handle; Brit. informal throw a wobbly.
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a dog was snapping at his heels
bite; gnash its teeth.
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"shut up!" Anna snapped
say roughly, say brusquely, say abruptly, say angrily, bark, snarl, growl; retort, rejoin, retaliate; round on someone; informal jump down someone's throat.
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photographers snapped the royals
photograph, picture, take, shoot, film, capture.
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noun
she closed her purse with a snap
click, crack, pop.
a cold snap
period, spell, time, interval, stretch; Brit. informal patch.
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(informal) holiday snaps
photograph, picture, photo, shot, snapshot, print, slide, frame, still; Brit. enprint.
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snap out of it (informal)
recover, get a grip, pull oneself together, get over it, get better, cheer up, perk up; informal buck up. snap something up
buy eagerly, accept eagerly, jump at, take advantage of, grab, seize (on), grasp with both hands, pounce on.

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snappy

adjective
(informal) a snappy mood
irritable, irascible, short-tempered, hot-tempered, quick-tempered, snappish, fiery, touchy, volatile; cross, crabby, crotchety, cantankerous, grumpy, bad-tempered, testy, tetchy; informal chippy, grouchy, cranky, on a short fuse; Brit. informal narky, ratty, eggy, like a bear with a sore head; N. Amer. informal soreheaded.
a snappy catchphrase
concise, succinct, memorable, catchy, neat, clever, crisp, pithy, witty, incisive, brief, short.
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a snappy dresser
smart, fashionable, stylish, chic, modish, elegant, neat, spruce, trim, dapper; informal snazzy, natty, sharp, nifty, cool; N. Amer. informal sassy, spiffy, fly.
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ANTONYMS :peaceable, long-winded, slovenly.

make it snappy
hurry (up), be quick (about it), get a move on, look lively, speed up; informal get cracking, step on it, move it, buck up, shake a leg; Brit. informal get your skates on; N. Amer. informal get a wiggle on; dated make haste.

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snare

noun
the hare was caught in a snare
trap, gin, net, noose.
avoid the snares of the new law
pitfall, trap, catch, danger, hazard, peril; web, mesh; poetic/literary toils.
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verb
game birds were snared
trap, catch, net, bag, ensnare, entrap.
he managed to snare an heiress
ensnare, catch, get hold of, bag, hook, land.
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snarl 1

verb
the wolves are snarling
growl, gnash one's teeth.
"Shut it!" he snarled
say roughly, say brusquely, say nastily, bark, snap, growl; informal jump down someone's throat.
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snarl 2

verb
the rope got snarled up in a bush
tangle, entangle, entwine, enmesh, ravel, knot, foul.
this case has snarled up the court process
complicate, confuse, muddle, jumble; informal mess up.
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snarl-up

noun
(informal) a snarl-up in Edinburgh
traffic jam, tailback, gridlock.
a snarl-up in terminology
muddle, mess, tangle, jumble; misunderstanding, misinterpretation, misconception, confusion; mistake, mix-up, bungle; informal hash, foul-up, screw-up; N. Amer. informal snafu.
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snatch

verb
she snatched the sandwich
grab, seize, take hold of, get one's hands on, take, pluck; grasp at, clutch at.
(informal) someone snatched my bag.
See steal verb sense 1.
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(informal) she snatched the newborn from the hospital.
See abduct.
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he snatched victory
seize, pluck, wrest, achieve, secure, obtain; scrape.
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noun
brief snatches of sleep
period, spell, time, fit, bout, interval, stretch.
a snatch of conversation
fragment, snippet, bit, scrap, part, extract, excerpt, portion.
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snazzy

adjective
(informal). See stylish.

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sneak

verb
I sneaked out
creep, slink, steal, slip, slide, sidle, edge, move furtively, tiptoe, pussyfoot, pad, prowl.
she sneaked a camera in
bring/take surreptitiously, bring/take secretly, bring/take illicitly, smuggle, spirit, slip.
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he sneaked a doughnut
take furtively, take surreptitiously; steal; informal snatch.
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(Brit. informal) the little squirt sneaked on me
inform, tell tales; report, give someone away, be disloyal, sell out, stab in the back; informal squeal, rat, blow the whistle, peach, snitch, stitch up; Brit. informal grass, split, shop; Scottish informal clype; N. Amer. informal finger; Austral./NZ informal dob.
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noun
(Brit. informal) Ethel was the class sneak
informer, traitor; informal snitch, squealer, rat, whistle-blower; Brit. informal grass; Scottish informal clype; N. Amer. informal fink; Austral./NZ informal dobber.
adjective
a sneak preview
furtive, secret, stealt hy, sly, surreptitious, clandestine, covert; private, quick.

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sneaking

adjective
she had a sneaking admiration for him
secret, private, hidden, concealed, unvoiced, undisclosed, undeclared, unavowed.
a sneaking feeling
niggling, nagging, lurking, insidious, lingering, gnawing, persistent.
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sneaky

adjective
sly, crafty, cunning, wily, artful, scheming, devious, guileful, deceitful, duplicitous, underhand, unscrupulous; furtive, secretive, secret, stealthy, surreptitious, clandestine, covert; informal foxy, shifty, dirty. ANTONYMS :honest.

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sneer

noun
she had a sneer on her face
smirk, curl of the lip, disparaging smile, contemptuous smile, cruel smile.
the sneers of others
jibe, barb, jeer, taunt, insult, slight, affront, slur; informal dig.
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verb
he looked at me and sneered
smirk, curl one's lip, smile disparagingly, smile contemptuously, smile cruelly.
it is easy to sneer at them
scoff at, scorn, disdain, mock, jeer at, hold in contempt, ridicule, deride, insult, slight; N. Amer. slur.
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snicker

verb
they all snickered at her
snigger, titter, giggle, chortle, simper.
noun
he could not suppress a snicker
snigger, titter, giggle, chortle, simper.

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snide

adjective
disparaging, derogatory, deprecating, denigratory, insulting, contemptuous; mocking, taunting, sneering, scornful, derisive, sarcastic, spiteful, nasty, mean; Brit. informal sarky.

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sniff

verb
she sniffed and blew her nose
inhale, breathe in; snuffle.
Tom sniffed the fruit
smell, scent, get a whiff of.
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noun
she gave a loud sniff
snuffle, inhalation.
a sniff of fresh air
smell, scent, whiff; lungful.
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(informal) the first sniff of trouble
indication, hint, whiff, inkling, suggestion, whisper, trace, sign, suspicion.
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sniff at
scorn, disdain, hold in contempt, look down one's nose at, treat as inferior, look down on, sneer at, scoff at; informal turn one's nose up at. sniff something out (informal)
detect, find, discover, bring to light, track down, dig up, hunt out, ferret out, root out, uncover, unearth, run to earth/ground.

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snigger

verb
they snigger at him behind his back
snicker, titter, giggle, chortle, laugh; sneer, smirk.
noun
the joke got hardly a snigger
snicker, titter, giggle, chortle, laugh; sneer, smirk.

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snip

verb
an usher snipped our tickets
cut, clip, snick, slit, nick, notch.
snip off the faded flowers
cut off, trim (off), clip, prune, chop off, lop (off), dock, crop, sever, detach, remove, take off.
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noun
make snips along the edge
cut, slit, snick, nick, notch, incision.
snips of wallpaper
scrap, snippet, cutting, shred, remnant, fragment, sliver, bit, piece.
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(Brit. informal) the book was a snip.
See bargain noun sense 2.
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(informal) the job was a snip.
See cinch sense 1.
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snippet

noun
piece, bit, scrap, fragment, particle, shred; excerpt, extract.

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snivel

verb
he slumped in a chair, snivelling
sniffle, snuffle, whimper, whine, weep, cry; Scottish greet; informal blub, blubber, boohoo; Brit. informal grizzle.
don't snivel about what you get
complain, mutter, grumble, grouse, groan, carp, bleat, whine; informal gripe, moan, grouch, beef, bellyache, whinge, sound off; Brit. informal create; N. Amer. informal kvetch.
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snobbery

noun
affectation, pretension, pretentiousness, arrogance, haughtiness, airs and graces, elitism; disdain, condescension, superciliousness; informal snootiness, uppitiness; Brit. informal side.

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snobbish

adjective
elitist, snobby, superior, supercilious; arrogant, haughty, disdainful, condescending; pretentious, affected; informal snooty, uppity, high and mighty, la-di-da, stuck-up, hoity-toity, snotty; Brit. informal toffee-nosed.

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snoop (informal)

verb
don't snoop into our affairs
pry, inquire, be inquisitive, be curious, poke about/around, be a busybody, poke one's nose into; interfere (in/with), meddle (in/with), intrude (on); informal be nosy; Austral./NZ informal stickybeak.
they snooped around the building
investigate, explore, search, nose, have a good look; prowl around.
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noun
he went for a snoop around
search, nose, look, prowl, ferret, poke, investigation.
radio snoops.
See snooper.
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snooper

noun
meddler, busybody, eavesdropper; investigator, detective; informal nosy parker, Paul Pry, snoop, private eye, PI, sleuth; N. Amer. informal gumshoe; Austral./NZ informal stickybeak.

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snooty

adjective
(informal) arrogant, proud, haughty, conceited, aloof, superior, self-important, disdainful, supercilious, snobbish, snobby, patronizing, condescending; informal uppity, high and mighty, la-di-da, stuck-up, hoity-toity; Brit. informal toffee-nosed. ANTONYMS :modest.

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snooze (informal)

noun
a good place for a snooze
nap, doze, sleep, rest, siesta, catnap; informal forty winks; Brit. informal kip; poetic/literary slumber.
verb
she gently snoozed
nap, doze, sleep, rest, take a siesta, catnap; informal snatch forty winks, get some shut-eye; Brit. informal kip, get one's head down; N. Amer. informal catch some Zs; poetic/literary slumber.

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snout

noun
muzzle, nose, proboscis, trunk; Scottish & N. English neb.

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snow

noun
snowflakes, flakes, snowfall, snowstorm, blizzard, sleet; snowdrift, avalanche. niveous, nival.

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snub

verb
they snubbed their hosts
rebuff, spurn, repulse, cold-shoulder, brush off, give the cold shoulder to, keep at arm's length; cut (dead), ignore; insult, slight, affront, humiliate; informal freeze out, knock back; N. Amer. informal stiff.
noun
a very public snub
rebuff, repulse, slap in the face; humiliation, insult, slight, affront; informal brush-off, put-down.

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snuff

verb
extinguish, put out, douse, smother, choke, blow out, quench, stub out.

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snug

adjective
our tents were snug
cosy, comfortable, warm, homely, welcoming, restful, reassuring, intimate, sheltered, secure; informal comfy.
a snug dress
tight, skintight, close-fitting, figure-hugging, slinky.
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ANTONYMS :bleak, loose.

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snuggle

verb
nestle, curl up, huddle (up), cuddle up, nuzzle, settle; N. Amer. snug down.

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soak

verb
soak the beans in water
immerse, steep, submerge, submerse, dip, dunk, bathe, douse, marinate, souse.
we got soaked outside
drench, wet through, saturate, waterlog, deluge, inundate, submerge, drown, swamp.
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the sweat soaked through his clothes
permeate, penetrate, percolate, seep into, spread through, infuse, impregnate.
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use towels to soak up the water
absorb, suck up, blot (up), mop (up), sponge up, sop up.
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soaking

adjective
drenched, wet (through), soaked (through), sodden, soggy, waterlogged, saturated, sopping wet, dripping wet, wringing wet. ANTONYMS :parched.

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soar

verb
the bird soared into the air
fly, wing, ascend, climb, rise; take off, take flight.
the gulls soared on the winds
glide, plane, float, drift, wheel, hover.
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the cost of living soared
increase, escalate, shoot up, rise, spiral; informal go through the roof, skyrocket.
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ANTONYMS :plummet.

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sob

verb
weep, cry, shed tears, snivel, whimper; howl, bawl; Scottish greet; informal blub, blubber, boohoo; Brit. informal grizzle.

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sober

adjective
the driver was clearly sober
not drunk, clear-headed; teetotal, abstinent, abstemious, dry; informal on the wagon.
a sober view of life
serious, solemn, sensible, thoughtful, grave, sombre, staid, level-headed, businesslike, down-to-earth, commonsensical, pragmatic, conservative; unemotional, dispassionate, objective, matter-of-fact, no-nonsense, rational, logical, straightforward; Scottish douce.
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a sober suit
sombre, subdued, severe; conventional, traditional, quiet, drab, plain.
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ANTONYMS :drunk, frivolous, sensational, flamboyant.

verb
I ought to sober up
become sober; informal dry out.
his expression sobered her
make serious, subdue, calm down, quieten, steady; bring down to earth, make someone stop and think, give someone pause for thought.
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sobriety

noun
she noted his sobriety
soberness, clear-headedness; abstinence, teetotalism, non-indulgence, abstemiousness, temperance.
the mayor is a model of sobriety
seriousness, solemnity, gravity, dignity, level-headedness, common sense, pragmatism, practicality, self-control, self-restraint, conservatism.
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so-called

adjective
inappropriately named, supposed, alleged, presumed, ostensible, reputed; nominal, titular, self-styled, professed, would-be, self-appointed, soi-disant.

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sociable

adjective
friendly, affable, companionable, gregarious, convivial, clubbable, amicable, cordial, warm, genial; communicative, responsive, forthcoming, open, outgoing, extrovert, hail-fellow-well-met, approachable; informal chummy, clubby; Brit. informal matey. ANTONYMS :unfriendly.

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social

adjective
a major social problem
communal, community, collective, group, general, popular, civil, public, societal.
a social club
recreational, leisure, entertainment, amusement.
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a uniquely social animal
gregarious, interactional; organized.
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ANTONYMS :individual.

noun
the club has a social once a month
party, gathering, function, get-together; celebration, reunion, jamboree; informal bash, shindig, do; Brit. informal rave-up, knees-up, beano, bunfight, jolly.

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socialism

noun
leftism, Fabianism, labourism, welfarism; radicalism, progressivism, social democracy; communism, Marxism, Leninism, Maoism; historical Bolshevism.

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socialist

adjective
the socialist movement
left-wing, leftist, Labour, Labourite, labourist, Fabian, progressive, reform; radical, revolutionary, militant, red; communist, Marxist, Leninist, Maoist; informal, derogatory lefty, Bolshie, Commie. ANTONYMS :conservative.

noun
a well-known socialist
left-winger, leftist, Fabian, Labourite, labourist, progressive, progressivist, reformer; radical, revolutionary, militant, red; communist, Marxist, Leninist, Maoist; informal, derogatory lefty, Bolshie, Commie. ANTONYMS :conservative.

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socialize

verb
interact, converse, be sociable, mix, mingle, get together, meet, fraternize, consort; entertain, go out; informal hobnob.

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society

noun
a danger to society
the community, the (general) public, the people, the population; civilization, humankind, mankind, humanity.
an industrial society
culture, community, civilization, nation, population.
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Lady Angela will help you enter society
high society, polite society, the upper classes, the elite, the county set, the smart set, the beautiful people, the beau monde, the haut monde; informal the upper crust, the top drawer.
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a local history society
association, club, group, circle, fellowship, guild, lodge, fraternity, brotherhood, sisterhood, sorority, league, union, alliance.
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the society of others
company, companionship, fellowship, friendship, comradeship, camaraderie.
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sodden

adjective
his clothes were sodden
soaking, soaked (through), wet (through), saturated, drenched, sopping wet, wringing wet.
sodden fields
waterlogged, soggy, saturated, boggy, swampy, miry, marshy; heavy, squelchy, soft.
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ANTONYMS :arid.

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sofa

noun
settee, couch, divan, chaise longue, chesterfield; Brit. put-you-up; N. Amer. davenport, day bed.

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soft

adjective
soft fruit
mushy, squashy, pulpy, pappy, slushy, squelchy, squishy, doughy; informal gooey; Brit. informal squidgy.
soft ground
swampy, marshy, boggy, miry, oozy; heavy, squelchy.
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a soft cushion
squashy, spongy, compressible, supple, springy, pliable, pliant, resilient, malleable.
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soft fabric
velvety, smooth, fleecy, downy, furry, silky, silken, satiny.
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a soft wind
gentle, light, mild, moderate.
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soft light
dim, low, faint, subdued, muted, mellow.
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soft colours
pale, pastel, muted, understated, restrained, subdued, subtle.
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soft voices
quiet, low, faint, muted, subdued, muffled, hushed, whispered, stifled, murmured, gentle, dulcet; indistinct, inaudible.
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soft outlines
blurred, vague, hazy, misty, foggy, nebulous, fuzzy, blurry, indistinct, unclear.
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he seduced he r with soft words
kind, gentle, sympathetic, soothing, tender, sensitive, affectionate, loving, warm, sweet, sentimental; informal mushy, slushy, schmaltzy.
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she's too soft with her pupils
lenient, easy-going, tolerant, forgiving, forbearing, indulgent, clement, permissive, liberal, lax.
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(informal) he's soft in the head
foolish, stupid, simple, brainless, mindless; mad, scatterbrained, feather-brained; slow, weak, feeble; informal dopey, dippy, dotty, scatty, loopy; Brit. informal daft; Scottish & N. English informal glaikit.
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ANTONYMS :hard, firm, rough, strong, harsh, lurid, strident, sharp, strict, sensible.

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soften

verb
he tried to soften the blow of new taxes
alleviate, ease, relieve, soothe, take the edge off, assuage, cushion, moderate, mitigate, palliate, diminish, blunt, deaden.
the winds softened
die down, abate, subside, moderate, let up, calm, diminish, slacken, weaken.
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soften someone up
charm, win over, persuade, influence, weaken, disarm, sweeten, butter up, soft-soap.

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soft-hearted

adjective
kind, kindly, tender-hearted, tender, gentle, sympathetic, compassionate, humane; generous, indulgent, lenient, merciful, benevolent.

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softly-softly

adjective
cautious, circumspect, discreet, gentle, patient, tactful, diplomatic.

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soggy

adjective
mushy, squashy, pulpy, slushy, squelchy, squishy; swampy, marshy, boggy, miry; soaking, soaked through, wet, saturated, drenched; Brit. informal squidgy.

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soil 1

noun
acid soil
earth, loam, dirt, clay, sod, turf; ground.
British soil
territory, land, domain, dominion, region, country.
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soil 2

verb
he soiled his tie
dirty, stain, splash, spot, spatter, splatter, smear, smudge, sully, spoil, foul; informal muck up; poetic/literary begrime.
our reputation is being soiled
dishonour, damage, sully, stain, blacken, tarnish, taint, blemish, defile, blot, smear, drag through the mud; poetic/literary besmirch.
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sojourn (formal)

noun
a sojourn in France
stay, visit, stop, stopover; holiday, vacation.
verb
they sojourned in the monastery
stay, live, put up, stop (over), lodge, room, board; holiday, vacation.

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solace

noun
they found solace in each other
comfort, consolation, cheer, support, relief.
verb
she was solaced with tea and sympathy
comfort, console, cheer, support, soothe, calm.

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soldier

noun
fighter, trooper, serviceman, servicewoman; warrior; US GI; Brit. informal squaddie; archaic man-at-arms.
soldier on (informal). See persevere.

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sole

adjective
only, one (and only), single, solitary, lone, unique, exclusive.

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solecism

noun
a poem marred by solecisms
(grammatical) mistake, error, blunder; informal howler, blooper; Brit. informal boob.
it would have been a solecism to answer
faux pas, gaffe, impropriety, social indiscretion, infelicity, slip, error, blunder, lapse; informal slip-up, boo-boo; Brit. informal boob, clanger, bloomer; N. Amer. informal goof, blooper.
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solely

adverb
only, simply, just, merely, uniquely, exclusively, entirely, wholly; alone.

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solemn

adjective
a solemn occasion
dignified, ceremonious, ceremonial, stately, formal, courtly, majestic; imposing, awe-inspiring, splendid, magnificent, grand.
he looked very solemn
serious, grave, sober, sombre, unsmiling, stern, grim, dour, humourless; pensive, meditative.
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a solemn promise
sincere, earnest, honest, genuine, firm, heartfelt, wholehearted, sworn.
Top
ANTONYMS :frivolous, light-hearted, insincere.

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solemnize

verb
perform, celebrate; formalize, officiate at.

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solicit

verb
Phil tried to solicit his help
ask for, request, seek, apply for, put in for, call for, press for, beg, plead for; dated crave.
they are solicited for their opinions
ask, beg, implore, plead with, entreat, appeal to, lobby, petition, importune, supplicate, call on, press; poetic/literary beseech.
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the girls gathered to solicit
work as a prostitute, make sexual advances, tout (for business); N. Amer. informal hustle.
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solicitor

noun
(Brit.) lawyer, legal representative, legal practitioner, notary (public), advocate, attorney; Brit. articled clerk; Scottish law agent; informal brief.

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solicitous

adjective
concerned, caring, considerate, attentive, mindful, thoughtful, interested; anxious, worried.

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solid

adjective
the ice cream was solid
hard, rock-hard, rigid, firm, solidified, set, frozen, concrete.
solid gold
pure, 24-carat, unalloyed, unadulterated, genuine.
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a solid line
continuous, uninterrupted, unbroken, non-stop, undivided.
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solid houses
well built, sound, substantial, strong, sturdy, durable.
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a solid argument
well founded, valid, sound, reasonable, logical, authoritative, convincing, cogent, plausible, credible, reliable.
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a solid friendship
dependable, reliable, firm, unshakeable, trustworthy, stable, steadfast, staunch, constant.
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solid citizens
sensible, dependable, trustworthy, decent, law-abiding, upright, upstanding, worthy.
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the company is very solid
financially sound, secure, creditworthy, profit-making, solvent, in credit, in the black; Finance ungeared, unlevered.
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solid support from their colleagues
unanimous, united, consistent, undivided.
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ANTONYMS :liquid, alloyed, broken, flimsy, untenable, unreliable.

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solidarity

noun
unanimity, unity, like-mindedness, agreement, accord, harmony, consensus, concurrence, cooperation, cohesion; formal concord.

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solidify

verb
harden, set, freeze, thicken, stiffen, congeal, cake, dry, bake; ossify, fossilize, petrify. ANTONYMS :liquefy.

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soliloquy

noun
monologue, speech, address, lecture, oration, sermon, homily, aside.

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solitary

adjective
a solitary life
lonely, companionless, unaccompanied, by oneself, on one's own, alone, friendless; antisocial, unsociable, withdrawn, reclusive, cloistered, hermitic; N. Amer. lonesome.
solitary farmsteads
isolated, remote, lonely, out of the way, in the back of beyond, outlying, off the beaten track, godforsaken, obscure, inaccessible, cut-off; secluded, private, sequestered, desolate; N. Amer. in the backwoods; Austral./NZ in the backblocks; informal in the sticks, in the middle of nowhere; N. Amer. informal in the boondocks; Austral./NZ informal beyond the black stump; poetic/literary lone.
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a solitary piece of evidence
single, lone, sole, unique; only, one, individual; odd.
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ANTONYMS :sociable, accessible.

noun
he became a solitary
recluse, loner, hermit, eremite; historical anchorite.

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solitude

noun
she savoured her solitude
loneliness, solitariness, isolation, seclusion, sequestration, withdrawal, privacy, peace.
solitudes like the area around the loch
wilderness, rural area, wilds, backwoods; desert, emptiness, wasteland; Austral. the bush, the outback; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ backcountry; informal the sticks; N. Amer. informal the boondocks.
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solo

adjective
a solo flight
unaccompanied, single-handed, companionless, unescorted, unattended, unchaperoned, independent, solitary; alone, on one's own, by oneself. ANTONYMS :accompanied.

adverb
she sailed solo
unaccompanied, alone, on one's own, single-handed(ly), by oneself, unescorted, unattended, unchaperoned, unaided, independently. ANTONYMS :accompanied.

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solution

noun
an easy solution to the problem
answer, result, resolution, way out, panacea; key, formula, explanation, interpretation.
a solution of ammonia in water
mixture, mix, blend, compound, suspension, tincture, infusion, emulsion.
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solve

verb
resolve, answer, work out, find a solution to, find the key to, puzzle out, fathom, decipher, decode, clear up, straighten out, get to the bottom of, unravel, piece together, explain; informal figure out, crack; Brit. informal suss out.

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solvent

adjective
financially sound, debt-free, in the black, in credit, creditworthy, solid, secure, profit-making; Finance ungeared, unlevered.

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sombre

adjective
sombre clothes
dark, drab, dull, dingy; restrained, subdued, sober, funereal.
a sombre expression
solemn, earnest, serious, grave, sober, unsmiling, stern, grim, dour, humourless; gloomy, depressed, sad, melancholy, dismal, doleful, mournful, lugubrious.
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ANTONYMS :bright, cheerful.

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somebody

noun
she wanted to be a somebody
important person, VIP, public figure, notable, dignitary, worthy; someone, (big/household) name, celebrity, star, superstar; grandee, luminary; informal celeb, bigwig, big shot, big cheese, hotshot, megastar. ANTONYMS :nonentity.

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some day

adverb
sometime, one day, one of these (fine) days, at a future date, sooner or later, by and by, in due course, in the fullness of time, in the long run. ANTONYMS :never.

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somehow

adverb
by some means, by any means, in some way, one way or another, no matter how, by fair means or foul, by hook or by crook, come what may.

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sometime

adverb
I'll visit sometime
some day, one day, one of these (fine) days, at a future date, sooner or later, by and by, in due course, in the fullness of time, in the long run.
it happened sometime on Sunday
at some time, at some point; during, in the course of.
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ANTONYMS :never.

adjective
the sometime editor of the paper
former, past, previous, prior, foregoing, late, erstwhile, one-time, ex-; formal quondam.

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sometimes

adverb
occasionally, from time to time, now and then, every so often, once in a while, on occasion, at times, off and on, at intervals, periodically, sporadically, spasmodically, intermittently.

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somewhat

adverb
matters have improved somewhat
a little, a bit, to some extent, (up) to a point, in some measure, rather, quite; N. Amer. informal some; informal kind of, sort of.
a somewhat thicker book
slightly, relatively, comparatively, moderately, fairly, rather, quite, marginally.
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ANTONYMS :greatly.

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somnolent

adjective
he felt somnolent after lunch
sleepy, drowsy, tired, languid, dozy, groggy, lethargic, sluggish, enervated, torpid; informal snoozy, dopey, yawny; poetic/literary slumberous.
a somnolent village
quiet, restful, tranquil, calm, peaceful, relaxing, soothing, undisturbed, untroubled.
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son

noun
male child, boy, heir; descendant, offspring; informal lad. filial.

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song

noun
a beautiful song
air, strain, ditty, melody, tune, number, track.
the song of the birds
call(s), chirping, cheeping, peeping, chirruping, warble(s), warbling, trilling, twitter; birdsong.
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song and dance (informal). See fuss noun sense 1.

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songster songstress

noun
singer, vocalist, soloist, crooner, chorister, choirboy, choirgirl; alto, bass, baritone, contralto, tenor, soprano; balladeer; informal warbler, popster, soulster, folkie; historical minstrel, troubadour; archaic melodist.

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sonorous

adjective
a sonorous voice
resonant, rich, full, round, booming, deep, clear, mellow, orotund, fruity, strong, resounding, reverberant.
sonorous words of condemnation
impressive, imposing, grandiloquent, magniloquent, high-flown, lofty, orotund, bombastic, grandiose, pompous, pretentious, overblown, turgid; oratorical, rhetorical; informal highfalutin.
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soon

adverb
we'll be there soon
shortly, presently, in the near future, before long, in a little while, in a minute, in a moment, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, in no time, before you know it, any minute (now), any day (now), by and by; informal pronto, in a jiffy, before you can say Jack Robinson, anon; Brit. informal sharpish, in a tick, in two ticks; dated directly.
how soon can you get here?
early, quickly, promptly, speedily, punctually.
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sooner

adverb
he should have done it sooner
earlier, before, beforehand, in advance, ahead of time; already.
I would sooner stay
rather, preferably, by preference, by choice, more willingly, more readily.
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soothe

verb
Rachel tried to soothe him
calm (down), pacify, comfort, hush, quiet, subdue, settle (down), lull, tranquillize; appease, conciliate, mollify; Brit. quieten (down).
an anaesthetic to soothe the pain
alleviate, ease, relieve, take the edge off, assuage, allay, lessen, palliate, diminish, decrease, dull, blunt, deaden.
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ANTONYMS :agitate, aggravate.

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soothing

adjective
soothing music
relaxing, restful, calm, calming, tranquil, peaceful, reposeful, tranquillizing, soporific.
soothing ointment
palliative, mild, calmative.
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soothsayer

noun
seer, oracle, augur, prophet(ess), sage, prognosticator, diviner, fortune teller, crystal-gazer, clairvoyant, psychic; Scottish spaewife; poetic/literary sibyl.

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sophisticated

adjective
sophisticated techniques
advanced, modern, state of the art, the latest, new, up to the minute; innovatory, trailblazing, revolutionary, futuristic, avant-garde; complex, complicated, intricate.
a sophisticated woman
worldly, worldly-wise, experienced, enlightened, cosmopolitan, knowledgeable; urbane, cultured, cultivated, civilized, polished, refined; elegant, stylish; informal cool.
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ANTONYMS :crude, naive.

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sophistication

noun
worldliness, experience; urbanity, culture, civilization, polish, refinement; elegance, style, poise, finesse, savoir faire; informal cool.

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sophistry

noun
to claim this is pure sophistry
specious reasoning, fallacy, sophism, casuistry.
he went along with her sophistry
fallacious argument, sophism, fallacy; Logic paralogism.
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soporific

adjective
soporific drugs
sleep-inducing, sedative, somnolent, calmative, tranquillizing, narcotic, opiate; drowsy, sleepy, somniferous; Medicine hypnotic. ANTONYMS :invigorating.

noun
she was given a soporific
sleeping pill, sedative, calmative, tranquillizer, narcotic, opiate; Medicine hypnotic. ANTONYMS :stimulant.

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soppy

adjective
(Brit. informal) the songs are really soppy.
See sentimental sense 2.
they were too soppy for our games.
See feeble sense 3.
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sorcerer sorceress

noun
wizard, witch, magician, warlock, enchanter, enchantress, magus; shaman, witch doctor; archaic mage.

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sorcery

noun
(black) magic, the black arts, witchcraft, wizardry, enchantment, spells, incantation, witching, witchery, thaumaturgy; shamanism; Irish pishogue.

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sordid

adjective
a sordid love affair
sleazy, seedy, seamy, unsavoury, tawdry, cheap, debased, degenerate, dishonourable, disreputable, discreditable, contemptible, ignominious, shameful, wretched, abhorrent.
a sordid little street
squalid, slummy, dirty, filthy, mucky, grimy, shabby, messy, soiled, scummy, unclean; informal cruddy, grungy, crummy, scuzzy; Brit. informal grotty.
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ANTONYMS :respectable, immaculate.

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sore

adjective
a sore leg
painful, hurting, hurt, aching, throbbing, smarting, stinging, agonizing, excruciating; inflamed, sensitive, tender, raw, bruised, wounded, injured.
we are in sore need of you
dire, urgent, pressing, desperate, parlous, critical, crucial, acute, grave, serious, drastic, extreme, life-and-death, great, terrible; formal exigent.
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(N. Amer. informal) they were sore at us
upset, angry, annoyed, cross, furious, vexed, displeased, disgruntled, dissatisfied, exasperated, irritated, galled, irked, put out, aggrieved, offended, affronted, piqued, nettled; informal aggravated, miffed, peeved, hacked off, riled; Brit. informal narked, cheesed off, brassed off; N. Amer. informal teed off, ticked off.
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noun
a sore on his leg
inflammation, swelling, lesion; wound, scrape, abrasion, cut, laceration, graze, contusion, bruise; ulcer, boil, abscess, carbuncle.

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sorrow

noun
he felt sorrow at her death
sadness, unhappiness, misery, despondency, regret, depression, despair, desolation, dejection, wretchedness, gloom, dolefulness, melancholy, woe, heartache, grief; poetic/literary dolour.
the sorrows of life
trouble, difficulty, problem, adversity, misery, woe, affliction, trial, tribulation, misfortune, setback, reverse, blow, failure, tragedy.
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ANTONYMS :joy.

verb
they sorrowed over her grave
mourn, lament, grieve, be sad, be miserable, be despondent, despair, suffer, ache, agonize, anguish, pine, weep, wail. ANTONYMS :rejoice.

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sorrowful

adjective
sorrowful eyes
sad, unhappy, dejected, regretful, downcast, miserable, downhearted, despondent, despairing, disconsolate, desolate, glum, gloomy, doleful, dismal, melancholy, mournful, woeful, woebegone, forlorn, crestfallen, heartbroken; informal blue, down in the mouth, down in the dumps.
sorrowful news
tragic, sad, unhappy, awful, miserable, sorry, pitiful; traumatic, upsetting, depressing, distressing, dispiriting, heartbreaking, harrowing; formal grievous.
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sorry

adjective
I was sorry to hear about his accident
sad, unhappy, sorrowful, distressed, upset, downcast, downhearted, disheartened, despondent; heartbroken, inconsolable, grief-stricken.
he felt sorry for her
full of pity, sympathetic, compassionate, moved, consoling, empathetic, concerned.
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I'm sorry if I was brusque
regretful, remorseful, contrite, repentant, rueful, penitent, apologetic, abject, guilty, self-reproachful, ashamed, sheepish, shamefaced.
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he looks a sorry sight
pitiful, pitiable, heart-rending, distressing; unfortunate, unhappy, wretched, unlucky, shameful, regrettable, awful.
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ANTONYMS :glad, unsympathetic, unrepentant.

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sort

noun
what sort of book is it?
type, kind, nature, manner, variety, class, category, style; calibre, quality, form, group, set, bracket, genre, species, family, order, generation, vintage, make, model, brand, stamp, ilk, kidney, cast, grain, mould; N. Amer. stripe.
(informal) he's a good sort
person, individual, soul, creature, human being; character, customer; informal fellow, type, beggar, cookie; Brit. informal bod; informal, dated body, dog, cove.
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verb
they sorted things of similar size
classify, class, categorize, catalogue, grade, group; organize, arrange, order, marshal, assemble, systematize, systemize, pigeonhole.
the problem was soon sorted
resolve, settle, solve, fix, work out, straighten out, deal with, put right, set right, rectify, iron out; answer, explain, fathom, unravel, clear up; informal sew up, hammer out, thrash out, patch up, figure out.
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out of sorts
I'm feeling out of sorts
unwell, ill, poorly, sick, queasy, nauseous, peaky, run down, below par; Brit. off colour; informal under the weather, funny, rough, lousy, rotten, awful; Brit. informal off, ropy; Scottish informal wabbit, peely-wally; Austral./NZ informal crook; dated seedy.

I've been out of sorts and I'd like a chat
unhappy, sad, miserable, down, depressed, melancholy, gloomy, glum, dispirited, despondent, forlorn, woebegone, fed up, low, in the doldrums; informal blue, down in the dumps, down in the mouth.
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sort of (informal)
you look sort of familiar
slightly, faintly, remotely, vaguely; somewhat, moderately, quite, rather, fairly, reasonably, relatively; informal pretty, kind of.

he sort of pirouetted
as it were, kind of, somehow.
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sort something out
she sorted out the clothes.
See sort verb sense 1.

they must sort out their problems.
See sort verb sense 2.
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sortie

noun
a sortie against their besiegers
foray, sally, charge, offensive, attack, assault, onset, onslaught, thrust, drive.
a bomber sortie
raid, flight, mission, operation.
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so-so

adjective
(informal) mediocre, indifferent, average, middle-of-the-road, middling, moderate, ordinary, adequate, fair; uninspired, undistinguished, unexceptional, unremarkable, run-of-the-mill, lacklustre; informal bog-standard, no great shakes, not up to much; NZ informal half-pie.

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soul

noun
seeing the soul through the eyes
spirit, psyche, (inner) self, inner being, life force, vital force; individuality, make-up, subconscious, anima; Philosophy pneuma; Hinduism atman.
he is the soul of discretion
embodiment, personification, incarnation, epitome, quintessence, essence; model, exemplification, exemplar, image, manifestation.
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not a soul in sight
person, human being, individual, man, woman, mortal, creature.
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their music lacked soul
inspiration, feeling, emotion, passion, animation, intensity, fervour, ardour, enthusiasm, warmth, energy, vitality, spirit.
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soulful

adjective
emotional, deep, profound, fervent, heartfelt, sincere, passionate; meaningful, significant, eloquent, expressive; moving, stirring; sad, mournful, doleful.

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soulless

adjective
a soulless room
characterless, featureless, bland, dull, colourless, lacklustre, dreary, drab, uninspiring, undistinguished, anaemic, insipid.
it was soulless work
boring, dull, tedious, dreary, humdrum, tiresome, wearisome, uninteresting, uninspiring, unexciting, soul-destroying, mind-numbing, dry; monotonous, repetitive.
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ANTONYMS :exciting.

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sound 1

noun
the sound of the car
noise, note; din, racket, row, hubbub; resonance, reverberation.
she did not make a sound
utterance, cry, word, noise, peep; informal cheep.
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the sound of the flute
music, tone, notes.
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I don't like the sound of that
idea, thought, concept, prospect, description.
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we're within sound of the sea
earshot, hearing (distance), range.
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acoustic, sonic, aural, audio-, sono-. ANTONYMS :silence.

verb
the buzzer sounded
make a noise, resonate, resound, reverberate, go off, blare; ring, chime, peal.
drivers must sound their horns
blow, blast, toot, blare; operate, set off; ring.
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do you sound the "h"?
pronounce, verbalize, voice, enunciate, articulate, vocalize, say.
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she sounded a warning
utter, voice, deliver, express, speak, announce, pronounce.
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it sounds a crazy idea
appear, look (like), seem, strike someone as being, give every indication of bein g.
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sound 2

adjective
your heart is sound
healthy, in good condition, in good shape, fit, hale and hearty, in fine fettle; undamaged, unimpaired.
a sound building
well built, solid, substantial, strong, sturdy, durable, stable, intact, unimpaired.
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sound advice
well founded, valid, reasonable, logical, weighty, authoritative, reliable.
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a sound judge of character
reliable, dependable, trustworthy, fair; good, sensible, wise, judicious, sagacious, shrewd, perceptive.
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financially sound
solvent, debt-free, in the black, in credit, creditworthy, secure.
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a sound sleep
deep, undisturbed, uninterrupted, untroubled, peaceful.
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a sound thrashing
thorough, proper, real, complete, unqualified, out-and-out, thoroughgoing, severe; informal right (royal).
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ANTONYMS :unhealthy, unsafe, unreliable, insolvent, light.

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sound 3

verb
sound the depth of the river
measure, gauge, determine, test, investigate, survey, plumb, fathom, probe.
sound someone/something out
investigate, test, check, examine, probe, research, look into; canvass, survey, poll, question, interview, sample; informal pump.

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sound 4

noun
an oil spill in Prince William Sound
channel, (sea) passage, strait(s), narrows, waterway; inlet, arm (of the sea), fjord, creek, bay; estuary, firth.

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soup

noun
broth, potage, consommé, bouillon, chowder, bisque.

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sour

adjective
sour wine
acid, acidic, acidy, acidulated, tart, bitter, sharp, vinegary, pungent; N. Amer. acerb; technical acerbic.
sour milk
bad, off, turned, curdled, rancid, high, rank, foul, fetid.
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a sour old man
embittered, resentful, rancorous, jaundiced, bitter; nasty, spiteful, irritable, peevish, fractious, cross, crabby, crotchety, cantankerous, disagreeable, petulant, querulous, grumpy, bad-tempered, ill-humoured, sullen, surly, sulky, churlish; informal snappy, grouchy; Brit. informal ratty, stroppy, shirty; N. Amer. informal cranky, soreheaded.
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ANTONYMS :sweet, fresh, amiable.

verb
the war had soured him
embitter, disillusion, disenchant, poison, alienate; dissatisfy, frustrate.
the dispute soured relations
spoil, mar, damage, harm, impair, wreck, upset, poison, blight, tarnish.
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ANTONYMS :improve.

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source

noun
the source of the river
spring, origin, (well) head, headspring, headwater(s); poetic/literary wellspring.
the source of the rumour
origin, birthplace, spring, fountainhead, fount, starting point; history, provenance, derivation, root, beginning, genesis, start, rise; author, originator, initiator, inventor; N. Amer. provenience.
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a historian uses primary and secondary sources
reference, authority, informant; document.
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souse

verb
drench, douse, soak, steep, saturate, plunge, immerse, submerge, dip, sink, dunk.

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soused

adjective
a soused herring
pickled, marinated, soaked, steeped.
(informal) he was well and truly soused.
See drunk adjective.
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south

adjective
southern, southerly, meridional, austral.

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souvenir

noun
memento, keepsake, reminder, remembrance, token, memorial; trophy, relic.

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sovereign

noun
ruler, monarch, crowned head, head of state, potentate, suzerain, overlord, dynast, leader; king, queen, emperor, empress, prince, princess, tsar, royal duke, regent, mogul, emir, sheikh, sultan, maharaja, raja. regal.
adjective
sovereign control
supreme, absolute, unlimited, unrestricted, boundless, ultimate, total, unconditional, full; principal, chief, dominant, predominant, ruling; royal, regal, monarchical.
a sovereign state
independent, autonomous, self-governing, self-determining; non-aligned, free.
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(dated) a sovereign remedy for all ills
effective, effectual, efficient, powerful, potent; useful, helpful, valuable, worthwhile; excellent, reliable, unfailing; informal sure-fire; formal efficacious.
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sovereignty

noun
their sovereignty over the islands
jurisdiction, rule, supremacy, dominion, power, ascendancy, suzerainty, hegemony, domination, authority, control, influence.
full sovereignty was achieved in 1955
autonomy, independence, self-government, self-rule, home rule, self-determination, freedom.
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sow

verb
sow the seeds in rows
plant, scatter, spread, broadcast, disperse, strew, disseminate, distribute; drill, dibble, seed.
the new policy has sown confusion
cause, bring about, occasion, create, lead to, produce, engender, generate, prompt, initiate, precipitate, trigger, provoke; culminate in, entail, necessitate; foster, foment; poetic/literary beget.
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space

noun
there was not enough space
room, capacity, area, volume, expanse, extent, scope, latitude, margin, leeway, play, clearance.
green spaces in London
area, expanse, stretch, sweep, tract.
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the space between the timbers
gap, interval, opening, aperture, cavity, cranny, fissure, crack, interstice, lacuna.
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write your name in the appropriate space
blank, gap, box.
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a space of seven years
period, span, time, duration, stretch, course, interval.
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the first woman in space
outer space, deep space; the universe, the galaxy, the solar system; infinity.
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verb
the chairs were spaced widely
position, arrange, range, array, dispose, lay out, locate, situate, set, stand.

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spaceman spacewoman

noun
astronaut, cosmonaut, space traveller, space cadet; N. Amer. informal jock.

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spacious

adjective
roomy, capacious, palatial, airy, sizable, generous, large, big, vast, immense; extensive, expansive, sweeping, rolling, rambling, open; formal commodious. ANTONYMS :cramped.

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spadework

noun
groundwork, preliminary work, preliminaries, preparatory measures, preparations, planning, foundations; hard work, donkey work, labour, drudgery, toil; informal grind; Brit. informal graft.

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span

noun
a six-foot wing span
extent, length, width, reach, stretch, spread, distance, range.
the span of one working day
period, space, time, duration, course, interval.
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verb
an arch spanned the stream
bridge, cross, traverse, pass over.
his career spanned twenty years
last, cover, extend, spread over, comprise.
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spank

verb
smack, slap, hit, cuff; informal wallop, belt, whack, give someone a hiding; Scottish & N. English skelp.

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spar

verb
quarrel, argue, fight, disagree, differ, be at odds, be at variance, fall out, dispute, squabble, wrangle, bandy words, cross swords, lock horns, be at loggerheads; informal scrap, argufy, spat; Brit. informal row.

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spare

adjective
a spare set of keys
extra, supplementary, additional, second, other, alternative; emergency, reserve, back-up, relief, fallback, substitute; fresh; N. Amer. alternate.
they sold off the spare land
surplus, superfluous, excessive; redundant, unnecessary, inessential, unessential, unneeded, uncalled for, dispensable, disposable, expendable, unwanted; informal going begging.
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your spare time
free, leisure, own.
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a spare woman
slender, lean, willowy, svelte, lissom, rangy, clean-limbed, trim, slight; thin, skinny, gaunt, lanky, spindly; informal skin and bone.
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verb
he could not spare any money
afford, do without, manage without, dispense with, part with, give, provide.
they were spared by their captors
pardon, let off, forgive, reprieve, release, free; leave uninjured, leave unhurt; be merciful to, show mercy to, have mercy on, be lenient to, have pity on.
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go spare (Brit. informal). See get an gry at angry. to spare
left (over), remaining, unused, unneeded, not required, still available, surplus (to requirements), superfluous, extra; informal going begging.

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sparing

adjective
thrifty, economical, frugal, canny, careful, prudent, cautious; mean, miserly, niggardly, parsimonious, close-fisted, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, ungenerous, close, grasping; informal stingy, tight-fisted, tight, mingy, money-grubbing; N. Amer. informal cheap. ANTONYMS :lavish.

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spark

noun
a spark of light
flash, glint, twinkle, flicker, flare, pinprick.
not a spark of truth in the story
particle, iota, jot, whit, glimmer, atom, bit, trace, vestige, ounce, shred, crumb, grain, mite, hint, touch, suggestion, whisper, scintilla; informal smidgen, tad.
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verb
the trial sparked a furious row
cause, give rise to, lead to, occasion, bring about, start, initiate, precipitate, prompt, trigger (off), provoke, stimulate, stir up.

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sparkle

verb
her earrings sparkled
glitter, glint, glisten, twinkle, flash, blink, wink, shimmer, shine, gleam; poetic/literary coruscate, glister.
she sparkled as the hostess
be lively, be vivacious, be animated, be ebullient, be exuberant, be bubbly, be effervescent, be witty, be full of life.
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noun
the sparkle of the pool
glitter, glint, twinkle, flicker, shimmer, flash, shine, gleam; poetic/literary coruscation.

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sparkling

adjective
sparkling wine
effervescent, fizzy, carbonated, aerated, gassy, bubbly, frothy; mousseux, spumante.
a sparkling performance
brilliant, dazzling, scintillating, exciting, exhilarating, stimulating, invigorating; vivacious, lively, vibrant, animated.
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ANTONYMS :still, dull.

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sparse

adjective
scant, scanty, scattered, scarce, infrequent, few and far between; meagre, paltry, skimpy, limited, in short supply. ANTONYMS :abundant.

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spartan

adjective
austere, harsh, hard, frugal, stringent, rigorous, strict, stern, severe; ascetic, abstemious; bleak, joyless, grim, bare, stark, plain. ANTONYMS :luxurious.

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spasm

noun
a muscle spasm
contraction, convulsion, cramp; twitch, jerk, tic, shudder, shiver, tremor.
a spasm of coughing
fit, paroxysm, attack, burst, bout, seizure, outburst, outbreak, access; informal splurt; formal boutade.
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spasmodic

adjective
intermittent, fitful, irregular, sporadic, erratic, occasional, infrequent, scattered, patchy, isolated, periodic, periodical, on and off.

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spate

noun
series, succession, run, cluster, string, rash, epidemic, outbreak, wave, flurry, rush, flood, deluge, torrent.

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spatter

verb
splash, bespatter, splatter, spray, sprinkle, shower, speck, speckle, fleck, mottle, blotch, mark, cover; informal splotch; Brit. informal splodge.

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spawn

verb
give rise to, bring about, occasion, generate, engender, originate; lead to, result in, effect, induce, initiate, start, set off, precipitate, trigger; breed, bear; poetic/literary beget.

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speak

verb
she refused to speak about it
talk, say anything/something; utter, state, declare, tell, voice, express, pronounce, articulate, enunciate, vocalize, verbalize.
we spoke the other day
converse, have a conversation, talk, communicate, chat, pass the time of day, have a word, gossip; informal have a confab, chew the fat; Brit. informal natter; N. Amer. informal shoot the breeze; formal confabulate.
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the Minister spoke for two hours
give a speech, talk, lecture, hold forth, discourse, expound, expatiate, orate, sermonize, pontificate; informal spout, spiel, speechify, jaw, sound off.
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he was spoken of as a promising student
mention, talk about, discuss, refer to, remark on, allude to.
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his expression spoke disbelief
indicate, show, display, register, reveal, betray, exhibit, manifest, express, convey, impart, bespeak, communicate, evidence; suggest, denote, reflect; formal evince.
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you must speak to him about his rudeness
reprimand, rebuke , admonish, chastise, chide, upbraid, reprove, reproach, scold, remonstrate with, take to task, pull up; informal tell off, dress down, rap over the knuckles, come down on; Brit. informal tick off, have a go at, tear someone off a strip, give someone what for; formal castigate.
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speak for
she speaks for the Liberal Democrats
represent, act for, appear for, express the views of, be spokesperson for.

I spoke for the motion
advocate, champion, uphold, defend, support, promote, recommend, back, endorse, sponsor, espouse.
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speak out
speak publicly, speak openly, speak frankly, speak one's mind, sound off, stand up and be counted. speak up
speak loudly, speak clearly, raise one's voice; shout, yell, bellow; informal holler.

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speaker

noun
speech-maker, lecturer, talker, speechifier, orator, declaimer, rhetorician; spokesperson, spokesman/woman, mouthpiece; reader, lector, commentator, broadcaster, narrator; informal tub-thumper, spieler; historical demagogue, rhetor.

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spear

noun
javelin, lance, assegai, harpoon, bayonet; gaff, leister; historical pike.

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spearhead

noun
a Bronze Age spearhead
spear tip, spear point.
the spearhead of the struggle against Fascism
leader(s), driving force; forefront, front runner(s), front line, vanguard, van, cutting edge.
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verb
she spearheaded the campaign
lead, head, front; lead the way, be in the van, be in the vanguard.

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special

adjective
a very special person
exceptional, unusual, singular, uncommon, notable, noteworthy, remarkable, outstanding, unique.
our town's special character
distinctive, distinct, individual, particular, specific, peculiar.
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a special occasion
momentous, significant, memorable, signal, important, historic, festive, gala, red-letter.
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a special tool for cutting tiles
specific, particular, purpose-built, tailor-made, custom-built.
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ANTONYMS :ordinary, general.

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specialist

noun
expert, authority, pundit, professional; connoisseur; master, maestro, adept, virtuoso; informal pro, buff, ace, whizz, hotshot; Brit. informal dab hand; N. Amer. informal maven. ANTONYMS :amateur.

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speciality

noun
his speciality was watercolours
forte, strong point, strength, métier, strong suit, talent, skill, bent, gift; informal bag, thing, cup of tea.
a speciality of the region
delicacy, specialty, fine food/product, traditional food/product.
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species

noun
type, kind, sort; genus, family, order, breed, strain, variety, class, classification, category, set, bracket; style, manner, form, genre; generation, vintage.

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specific

adjective
a specific purpose
particular, specified, fixed, set, determined, distinct, definite; single, individual, peculiar, discrete, express, precise.
I gave specific instructions
detailed, explicit, express, clear-cut, unequivocal, precise, exact, meticulous, strict, definite.
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ANTONYMS :general, vague.

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specification

noun
clear specification of objectives
statement, identification, definition, description, setting out, framing, designation, detailing, enumeration; stipulation, prescription.
a shelter built to their specifications
instructions, guidelines, parameters, stipulations, requirements, conditions, provisions, restrictions, order; description, details.
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specify

verb
state, name, identify, define, describe, set out, frame, itemize, detail, list, spell out, enumerate, particularize, cite, instance; stipulate, prescribe.

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specimen

noun
sample, example, instance, illustration, demonstration, exemplification; bit, snippet; model, prototype, pattern, dummy, pilot, trial, taster, tester.

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specious

adjective
misleading, deceptive, false, fallacious, unsound, casuistic, sophistic; plausible.

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speck

noun
a mere speck in the distance
dot, pinprick, spot, fleck, speckle.
a speck of dust
particle, grain, atom, molecule; bit, trace.
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speckled

adjective
flecked, speckly, specked, freckled, freckly, spotted, spotty, dotted, mottled, dappled.

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spectacle

noun
a spectacle fit for a monarch
display, show, pageant, parade, performance, exhibition, extravaganza, spectacular.
they were rather an odd spectacle
sight, vision, scene, prospect, vista, picture.
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don't make a spectacle of yourself
exhibition, laughing stock, fool, curiosity.
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spectacles

plural noun
glasses, eyewear; N. Amer. eyeglasses; informal specs.

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spectacular

adjective
a spectacular victory
impressive, magnificent, splendid, dazzling, sensational, dramatic, remarkable, outstanding, memorable, unforgettable.
a spectacular view
striking, picturesque, eye-catching, breathtaking, arresting, glorious; informal out of this world.
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ANTONYMS :unimpressive, dull.

noun
a spectacular put on for the tourists.
See spectacle sense 1.

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spectator

noun
watcher, viewer, observer, onlooker, bystander, witness; commentator, reporter, monitor; poetic/literary beholder. ANTONYMS :participant.

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spectral

adjective
ghostly, phantom, wraithlike, shadowy, incorporeal, insubstantial, disembodied, unearthly, other-worldly; informal spooky.

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spectre

noun
the spectres in the crypt
ghost, phantom, apparition, spirit, wraith, shadow, presence; informal spook; poetic/literary phantasm, shade.
the looming spectre of war
threat, menace, shadow, cloud; prospect; danger, peril, fear, dread.
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spectrum

noun
range, gamut, sweep, scope, span; compass, orbit, ambit.

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speculate

verb
they speculated about my private life
conjecture, theorize, hypothesize, guess, surmise; think, wonder, muse.
investors speculate on the stock market
gamble, take a risk, venture, wager; invest, play the market; Brit. informal have a flutter, punt.
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speculative

adjective
any discussion is largely speculative
conjectural, suppositional, theoretical, hypothetical, putative, academic, notional, abstract; tentative, unproven, unfounded, groundless, unsubstantiated.
a speculative investment
risky, hazardous, unsafe, uncertain, unpredictable; informal chancy, dicey, iffy; Brit. informal dodgy.
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speech

noun
he doesn't have the power of speech
speaking, talking, verbal expression, verbal communication.
her speech was slurred
diction, elocution, articulation, enunciation, pronunciation; utterance, words.
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an after-dinner speech
talk, address, lecture, discourse, oration, disquisition, peroration, deliverance, presentation; sermon, homily; monologue, soliloquy; informal spiel.
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Spanish popular speech
language, tongue, parlance, idiom, dialect, vernacular, patois; informal lingo, patter, -speak, -ese.
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lingual, oral, phono-, -phone, -phasia.

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speechless

adjective
lost for words, dumbstruck, bereft of speech, tongue-tied, inarticulate, mute, dumb, voiceless, silent; informal mum; archaic mumchance. ANTONYMS :verbose.

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speed

noun
the speed of their progress
rate, pace, tempo, momentum.
the speed with which they responded
rapidity, swiftness, speediness, quickness, dispatch, promptness, immediacy, briskness, sharpness; haste, hurry, precipitateness; acceleration, velocity; informal lick, clip; poetic/literary celerity.
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tacho-, tachy-.
verb
I sped home
hurry, rush, dash, run, race, sprint, bolt, dart, gallop, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, fly, zoom, scurry, scuttle, scamper, hasten; informal tear, belt, pelt, scoot, zip, whip, hotfoot it, leg it; Brit. informal bomb; N. Amer. informal hightail it.
he was caught speeding
drive too fast, exceed the speed limit.
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a holiday will speed his recovery
hasten, expedite, speed up, accelerate, advance, further, promote, boost, stimulate, aid, assist, facilitate.
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ANTONYMS :slow, hinder.

speed up
hurry up, accelerate, go faster , get a move on, put a spurt on, pick up speed, gather speed; informal get cracking, get moving, step on it, shake a leg; Brit. informal get one's skates on; N. Amer. informal get a wiggle on.

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speedily

adverb
rapidly, swiftly, quickly, fast, post-haste, at the speed of light, at full tilt; promptly, immediately, briskly; hastily, hurriedly, precipitately; informal p.d.q. (pretty damn quick), double quick, hell for leather, at the double, like the wind, like (greased) lightning; Brit. informal like the clappers, like billy-o; N. Amer. informal lickety-split; poetic/literary apace.

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speedy

adjective
a speedy reply
rapid, swift, quick, fast; prompt, immediate, expeditious, express, brisk, sharp; whirlwind, lightning, meteoric; hasty, hurried, precipitate, breakneck, rushed; informal p.d.q. (pretty damn quick), snappy, quickie.
a speedy hatchback
fast, high-speed; informal nippy, zippy; poetic/literary fleet.
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ANTONYMS :slow.

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spell 1

verb
the drought spelled disaster for them
signal, signify, mean, amount to, add up to, constitute; portend, augur, herald, bode, promise; involve; poetic/literary betoken, foretoken, forebode.
spell something out
explain, make clear, make plain, elucidate, clarify; specify, itemize, detail, enumerate, list, expound, particularize, catalogue.

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spell 2

noun
the witch recited a spell
incantation, charm, conjuration, formula; (spells) magic, sorcery, witchcraft; N. Amer. hex.
she surrendered to his spell
influence, (animal) magnetism, charisma, allure, lure, charm, attraction, enticement; magic, romance, mystique.
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cast a spell on
bewitch, enchant, entrance; curse, jinx, witch; N. Amer. hex.

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spell 3

noun
a spell of dry weather
period, time, interval, season, stretch, run, course, streak; Brit. informal patch.
a spell of dizziness
bout, fit, attack.
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spellbinding

adjective
fascinating, enthralling, entrancing, bewitching, captivating, riveting, engrossing, gripping, absorbing, compelling, compulsive, mesmerizing, hypnotic; informal unputdownable. ANTONYMS :boring.

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spellbound

adjective
enthralled, fascinated, rapt, riveted, transfixed, gripped, captivated, bewitched, enchanted, mesmerized, hypnotized; informal hooked.

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spend

verb
she spent £185 on shoes
pay out, dish out, expend, disburse; squander, waste, fritter away; lavish; informal fork out, lay out, shell out, cough up, blow, splash out, splurge; Brit. informal stump up, blue; N. Amer. informal pony up.
the morning was spent gardening
pass, occupy, fill, take up, while away.
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I've spent hours on this essay
put in, devote; waste.
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the storm had spent its force
use up, consume, exhaust, deplete, drain.
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spendthrift

noun
he is such spendthrift
profligate, prodigal, squanderer, waster; informal big spender. ANTONYMS :miser.

adjective
his spendthrift father
profligate, improvident, thriftless, wasteful, extravagant, prodigal. ANTONYMS :frugal.

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spent

adjective
a spent force
used up, consumed, exhausted, finished, depleted, drained; informal burnt out.
that's enough I'm spent
exhausted, tired (out), weary, worn out, dog-tired, on one's last legs, drained, fatigued, ready to drop; informal done in, all in, dead on one's feet, dead beat, bushed, wiped out, frazzled; Brit. informal knackered, whacked; N. Amer. informal pooped, tuckered out.
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spew

verb
factories spewed out yellow smoke
emit, discharge, eject, expel, belch out, pour out, spout, gush, spurt, disgorge.
(informal) he wanted to spew.
See vomit verb sense 1.
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sphere

noun
a glass sphere
globe, ball, orb, spheroid, globule, round; bubble.
our sphere of influence
area, field, compass, orbit; range, scope, extent.
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the sphere of foreign affairs
domain, realm, province, field, area, territory, arena, department.
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spherical

adjective
round, globular, globose, globoid, globe-shaped, spheroidal, spheric; poetic/literary orbicular.

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spice

noun
the spices in curry powder
seasoning, flavouring, condiment.
the risk added spice to their affair
excitement, interest, colour, piquancy, zest; an edge; informal a kick; poetic/literary salt.
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spice something up
enliven, make more exciting, vitalize, perk up, put some life into, ginger up, galvanize, electrify, boost; informal pep up, jazz up, buck up.

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spick and span

adjective
neat, tidy, orderly, well kept, shipshape (and Bristol fashion), in apple-pie order; immaculate, uncluttered, trim, spruce; spotless. ANTONYMS :untidy.

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spicy

adjective
a spicy casserole
piquant, tangy, peppery, hot, picante; spiced, seasoned; tasty, flavoursome, zesty, strong, pungent.
spicy stories
entertaining, colourful, lively, spirited, exciting, piquant, zesty; risqué, racy, scandalous, ribald, titillating, bawdy, naughty, salacious, dirty, smutty; informal raunchy, juicy; Brit. informal saucy, fruity; N. Amer. informal gamy.
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ANTONYMS :bland, boring.

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spiel

noun
(informal) speech, patter, (sales) pitch, talk; monologue; rigmarole, story, saga.

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spike

noun
a metal spike
prong, barb, point; skewer, stake, spit; tine, pin; spur; Mountaineering piton.
the spikes of a cactus
thorn, spine, prickle, bristle; Zoology spicule.
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verb
she spiked an oyster
impale, spear, skewer; pierce, penetrate, perforate, stab, stick, transfix; poetic/literary transpierce.
(informal) his drink was spiked with drugs
adulterate, contaminate, drug, lace; informal dope, doctor, cut.
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spill

verb
Kevin spilled his drink
knock over, tip over, upset, overturn.
the bath water spilled on to the floor
overflow, flow, pour, run, slop, slosh, splash; leak, escape; archaic overbrim.
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students spilled out of the building
stream, pour, surge, swarm, flood, throng, crowd.
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the horse spilled his rider
unseat, throw, dislodge, unhorse.
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(informal) he's spilling out his troubles to her
reveal, disclose, divulge, blurt out, babble, betray, tell; informal blab.
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noun
an oil spill
spillage, leak, leakage, overflow, flood.
he took a spill in the opening race
fall, tumble; informal header, cropper, nosedive.
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spill the beans (informal)
reveal all, tell all, give the game away, talk; informal let the cat out of the bag, blab, come clean.

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spin

verb
the bike wheels are spinning
revolve, rotate, turn, go round, whirl, gyrate, circle.
she spun round to face him
whirl, wheel, twirl, turn, swing, twist, swivel, pirouette, pivot.
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her head was spinning
reel, whirl, go round, swim.
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she spun me a yarn
tell, recount, relate, narrate; weave, concoct, invent, fabricate, make up.
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rotary.
noun
a spin of the wheel
rotation, revolution, turn, whirl, twirl, gyration.
a positive spin on the campaign
slant, angle, twist, bias.
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a spin in the car
trip, jaunt, outing, excursion, journey; drive, ride, run, turn, airing; informal tootle; Scottish informal hurl.
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in a flat spin (Brit. informal). See agitated. spin something out
prolong, protract, draw out, drag out, string out, extend, carry on, continue; fill out, pad out; archaic wire-draw.

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spindle

noun
pivot, pin, rod, axle, capstan; axis.

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spindly

adjective
he was pale and spindly
lanky, thin, skinny, lean, spare, gangling, gangly, scrawny, bony, rangy, angular; dated spindle-shanked.
spindly chairs
rickety, flimsy, wobbly, shaky.
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ANTONYMS :stocky.

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spine

noun
he injured his spine
backbone, spinal column, vertebral column; back; technical rachis.
the spine of his philosophy
core, centre, cornerstone, foundation, basis.
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the spines of a hedgehog
needle, quill, bristle, barb, spike, prickle; thorn; technical spicule.
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vertebral.

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spine-chilling

adjective
terrifying, blood-curdling, petrifying, hair-raising, frightening, scaring, chilling, horrifying, fearsome; eerie, sinister, ghostly; Scottish eldritch; informal scary, creepy, spooky. ANTONYMS :comforting, reassuring.

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spineless

adjective
weak, weak-willed, weak-kneed, feeble, soft, ineffectual, irresolute, indecisive; cowardly, timid, timorous, fearful, faint-hearted, pusillanimous, craven, unmanly, namby-pamby, lily-livered, chicken-hearted; informal wimpish, wimpy, sissy, chicken, yellow, yellow-bellied, gutless; Brit. informal wet. ANTONYMS :bold, brave, strong-willed.

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spiny

adjective
prickly, spiky, thorny, bristly, bristled, spiked, barbed, scratchy, sharp; technical spinose, spinous.

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spiral

adjective
a spiral column of smoke
coiled, helical, corkscrew, curling, winding, twisting, whorled; technical voluted, helicoid, helicoidal.
noun
a spiral of smoke
coil, helix, corkscrew, curl, twist, gyre, whorl, scroll; technical volute, volution.
verb
smoke spiralled up
coil, wind, swirl, twist, wreathe, snake, gyrate; poetic/literary gyre.
prices spiralled
soar, shoot up, rocket, increase rapidly, rise rapidly, escalate, climb; informal skyrocket, go through the roof.
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the economy is spiralling downward
deteriorate, decline, degenerate, worsen, get worse; informal go downhill, take a nosedive, go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, go down the tubes.
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ANTONYMS :fall, improve.

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spire

noun
steeple, flèche.

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spirit

noun
harmony between body and spirit
soul, psyche, (inner) self, inner being, inner man/woman, mind, ego, id; Philosophy pneuma.
a spirit haunts the island
ghost, phantom, spectre, apparition, wraith, presence; informal spook; poetic/literary shade.
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that's the spirit
attitude, frame of mind, way of thinking, point of view, outlook, thoughts, ideas.
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she was in good spirits when I left
mood, frame of mind, state of mind, emotional state, humour, temper.
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team spirit
morale, esprit de corps.
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the spirit of the age
ethos, prevailing tendency, motivating force, essence, quintessence; atmosphere, mood, feeling, climate; attitudes, beliefs, principles, standards, ethics.
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his spirit never failed him
courage, bravery, pluck, valour, strength of character, fortitude, backbone, mettle, stout-heartedness, determination, resolution, resolve, fight, grit; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal sand, moxie.
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they played with great spirit
enthusiasm, eagerness, keenness, liveliness, vivacity, vivaciousness, animation, energy, verve, vigour, dynamism, zest, dash, elan, panache, sparkle, exuberance, gusto, brio, pep, fervour, zeal, fire, passion; informal get-up-and-go.
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the spirit of the law
real/true meaning, true intention, essence, substance.
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he drinks spirits
strong liquor/drink; informal hard stuff, firewater, hooch; Brit. informal short.
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ANTONYMS :body, flesh.

spirit someone/something away
whisk away/off, vanish with, make off with, make someone/something disappear, run away with, abscond with, carry off, steal someone/something away, abduct, kidnap, snatch, seize.

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spirited

adjective
lively, vivacious, vibrant, full of life, vital, animated, high-spirited, sparkling, sprightly, energetic, active, vigorous, dynamic, dashing, enthusiastic, passionate; determined, resolute, purposeful; informal feisty, spunky, have-a-go, gutsy; N. Amer. informal peppy. ANTONYMS :timid, apathetic, lifeless.

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spiritless

adjective
apathetic, passive, unenthusiastic, lifeless, listless, weak, feeble, spineless, languid, bloodless, insipid, characterless, submissive, meek, irresolute, indecisive; lacklustre, flat, colourless, passionless, uninspired, wooden, dry, anaemic, vapid, dull, boring, wishy-washy. ANTONYMS :spirited, lively.

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spiritual

adjective
your spiritual self
non-material, incorporeal, intangible; inner, mental, psychological; transcendent, ethereal, other-worldly, mystic, mystical, metaphysical; rare extramundane.
spiritual writings
religious, sacred, divine, holy, non-secular, church, ecclesiastical, devotional.
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ANTONYMS :physical, secular.

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spit 1

verb
Cranston coughed and spat
expectorate, hawk; Brit. informal gob.
"Go to hell," she spat
snap, say angrily, hiss.
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the fat began to spit
sizzle, hiss; crackle, sputter.
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(Brit.) it began to spit
rain lightly, drizzle, spot; N. English mizzle; N. Amer. sprinkle.
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noun
spit dribbled from his mouth
spittle, saliva, sputum, slobber, dribble; Brit. informal gob.
(informal) he is the spit of his father
exact likeness, image, very/living image, double, twin, lookalike, duplicate, copy, Doppelgänger; informal spitting image, ringer, dead ringer.
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spit 2

noun
chicken cooked on a spit
skewer, brochette, rotisserie.

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spite

noun
he said it out of spite
malice, malevolence, ill will, vindictiveness, vengefulness, revenge, malignity, evil intentions, animus, enmity; informal bitchiness, cattiness; poetic/literary maleficence. ANTONYMS :benevolence.

verb
he did it to spite me
upset, hurt, make miserable, grieve, distress, wound, pain, torment, injure. ANTONYMS :please.

in spite of
despite, notwithstanding, regardless of, for all; undeterred by, in defiance of, in the face of; even though, although.

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spiteful

adjective
malicious, malevolent, evil-intentioned, vindictive, vengeful, malign, mean, nasty, hurtful, mischievous, wounding, cruel, unkind; informal bitchy, catty; poetic/literary malefic, maleficent. ANTONYMS :benevolent.

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splash

verb
splash your face with cool water
sprinkle, spray, shower, splatter, slosh, slop, squirt; daub; wet.
his boots were splashed with mud
spatter, bespatter, splatter, speck, speckle, blotch, smear, stain, mark; Scottish & Irish slabber; informal splotch, splodge; poetic/literary bedabble.
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waves splashed on the beach
swash, wash, break, lap; dash, beat, lash, batter, crash, buffet; poetic/literary plash.
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children splashed in the water
paddle, wade, slosh; wallow; informal splosh.
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the story was splashed across the front pages
blazon, display, spread, plaster, trumpet, publicize; informal splatter.
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noun
a splash of fat on his shirt
spot, blob, dab, daub, smudge, smear, speck, fleck; mark, stain; informal splotch, splodge.
a splash of lemonade
drop, dash, bit, spot, soupçon, dribble, driblet; Scottish informal scoosh.
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a splash of colour
patch, burst, streak.
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make a splash (informal)
cause a sensation, cause a stir, attract attention, draw attention to oneself/itself, get noticed, make an impression, make an impact. splash out (Brit. informal)
be extravagant, go on a spending spree, spare no expense, spend lavishly; informal lash out, splurge; Brit. informal push the boat out.

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spleen

noun
bad temper, bad mood, ill temper, ill humour, anger, wrath, vexation, annoyance, irritation, displeasure, dissatisfaction, resentment, rancour; spite, ill feeling, malice, maliciousness, bitterness, animosity, antipathy, hostility, malevolence, venom, gall, malignance, malignity, acrimony, bile, hatred, hate; poetic/literary ire, choler. ANTONYMS :good humour.

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splendid

adjective
splendid costumes
magnificent, sumptuous, grand, impressive, imposing, superb, spectacular, resplendent, opulent, luxurious, de luxe, rich, fine, costly, expensive, lavish, ornate, gorgeous, glorious, dazzling, elegant, handsome, beautiful; stately, majestic, princely, noble, proud, palatial; informal plush, posh, swanky, ritzy, splendiferous; Brit. informal swish; N. Amer. informal swank; poetic/literary brave.
(informal) we had a splendid holiday
excellent, wonderful, marvellous, superb, glorious, sublime, lovely, delightful, first-class, first-rate; informal super, great, amazing, fantastic, terrific, tremendous, phenomenal, sensational, heavenly, gorgeous, dreamy, grand, fabulous, fab, awesome, magic, ace, cool, mean, bad, wicked, mega, crucial, far out, A1, sound, out of this world; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill; N. Amer. informal dandy, neat; Austral./NZ info rmal beaut, bonzer; black English def; informal, dated divine, capital; Brit. informal, dated champion, wizard, ripping, cracking, spiffing, top-hole; N. Amer. informal, dated swell; archaic goodly.
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ANTONYMS :modest, awful.

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splendour

noun
magnificence, sumptuousness, grandeur, impressiveness, resplendence, opulence, luxury, richness, fineness, lavishness, ornateness, glory, beauty, elegance; majesty, stateliness; informal ritziness, splendiferousness. ANTONYMS :ordinariness, simplicity, modesty.

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splenetic

adjective
bad-tempered, ill-tempered, angry, cross, peevish, petulant, pettish, irritable, irascible, choleric, dyspeptic, testy, tetchy, snappish, waspish, crotchety, crabby, querulous, resentful, rancorous, bilious; spiteful, malicious, ill-natured, hostile, acrimonious, sour, bitter, malevolent, malignant, malign; informal bitchy. ANTONYMS :good-humoured.

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splice

verb
the ropes are spliced together
interweave, braid, plait, entwine, intertwine, interlace, knit, mesh; Nautical marry.
get spliced (informal). See marry sense 1.

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splinter

noun
a splinter of wood
sliver, shiver, chip, shard; fragment, piece, bit, shred; Scottish skelf; (splinters) matchwood, flinders.
verb
the windscreen splintered
shatter, break into tiny pieces, smash, smash into smithereens, fracture, split, crack, disintegrate, crumble.

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split

verb
the axe split the wood
break, chop, cut, hew, lop, cleave; snap, crack.
the ice cracked and split
break apart, fracture, rupture, fissure, snap, come apart, splinter.
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her dress was split
tear, rip, slash, slit; poetic/literary rend.
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the issue could split the Party
divide, disunite, separate, sever; bisect, partition; poetic/literary tear asunder.
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they split the money between them
share (out), divide (up), apportion, allocate, allot, distribute, dole out, parcel out, measure out; carve up, slice up; informal divvy up.
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the path split
fork, divide, bifurcate, diverge, branch.
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they split up last year
break up, separate, part, part company, become estranged; divorce, get divorced; Brit. informal bust up.
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(informal) let's split.
See leave1 sense 1.
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fissile, schizo-. ANTONYMS :mend, join, unite, pool, converge, get together, marry.

noun
a split in the roc k face
crack, fissure, cleft, crevice, break, fracture, breach.
a split in the curtain
rip, tear, cut, rent, slash, slit.
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a split in the Party
division, rift, breach, schism, rupture, partition, separation, severance, scission, break-up.
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the acrimonious split with his wife
break-up, split-up, separation, parting, estrangement, rift; divorce; Brit. informal bust-up.
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ANTONYMS :marriage.

split hairs
quibble, cavil, carp, niggle, chop logic; informal nit-pick; archaic pettifog. split on someone (Brit. informal). See betray sense 1.

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split-up

noun
break-up, separation, split, parting, estrangement, rift; divorce; Brit. informal bust-up.

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spoil

verb
too much sun spoils the complexion
mar, damage, impair, blemish, disfigure, blight, flaw, deface, scar, injure, harm; ruin, destroy, wreck; be a blot on the landscape; rare disfeature.
rain spoiled my plans
ruin, wreck, destroy, upset, undo, mess up, make a mess of, dash, sabotage, scotch, torpedo; informal foul up, louse up, muck up, screw up, put the kibosh on, banjax, do for; Brit. informal cock up, scupper, throw a spanner in the works of; archaic bring to naught.
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his sisters spoil him
overindulge, pamper, indulge, mollycoddle, cosset, coddle, baby, wait on hand and foot, kill with kindness; nanny; archaic cocker.
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stockpiled food may spoil
go bad, go off, go rancid, turn, go sour, go mouldy, go rotten, rot, perish.
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ANTONYMS :improve, enhance, further, help, neglect, be strict with, keep.

spoiling for
eager for, itching for, looking for, keen to have, after, bent on, longing for.

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spoils

plural noun
the spoils of war
booty, loot, stolen goods, plunder, ill-gotten gains, haul, pickings; informal swag, boodle.
the spoils of office
benefits, advantages, perks, prize; formal perquisites.
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spoilsport

noun
killjoy, dog in the manger, misery, damper; informal wet blanket, party-pooper.

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spoken

adjective
spoken communication
verbal, oral, vocal, viva voce, uttered, said, stated; unwritten; by word of mouth. ANTONYMS :non-verbal, written.

spoken for
the money is spoken for
reserved, set aside, claimed, owned, booked.

Claudine is spoken for
attached, going out with someone, in a relationship; informal going steady; dated courting.
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spokesman spokeswoman

noun
spokesperson, representative, agent, mouthpiece, voice, official; informal spin doctor.

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sponge

verb
I'll sponge your face
wash, clean, wipe, swab; mop, rinse, sluice, swill.
(informal) he lived by sponging off others
scrounge, be a parasite, beg; live off; informal freeload, cadge, bum; N. Amer. informal mooch; Austral./NZ bludge.
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sponger

noun
(informal) parasite, hanger-on, leech, scrounger, beggar; informal freeloader, cadger, bum, bloodsucker; N. Amer. informal mooch, moocher, schnorrer; Austral./NZ informal bludger.

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spongy

adjective
soft, squashy, cushioned, cushiony, compressible, yielding; springy, resilient, elastic; porous, absorbent, permeable; technical spongiform; Brit. informal squidgy. ANTONYMS :hard, solid.

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sponsor

noun
the money came from sponsors
backer, patron, promoter, benefactor, benefactress, supporter, contributor, subscriber, friend, guarantor, underwriter; informal angel.
verb
a bank sponsored the event
finance, put up the money for, fund, subsidize, back, promote, support, contribute to, be a patron of, guarantee, underwrite; informal foot the bill for, pick up the tab for; N. Amer. informal bankroll.

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sponsorship

noun
backing, support, promotion, patronage, subsidy, funding, financing, aid, financial assistance.

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spontaneous

adjective
a spontaneous display of affection
unplanned, unpremeditated, unrehearsed, impulsive, impetuous, unstudied, impromptu, spur-of-the-moment, extempore, extemporaneous; unforced, voluntary, unconstrained, unprompted, unbidden, unsolicited; informal off-the-cuff.
a spontaneous reaction to danger
reflex, automatic, mechanical, natural, knee-jerk, involuntary, unthinking, unconscious, instinctive, instinctual; informal gut.
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a spontaneous kind of person
natural, uninhibited, relaxed, unselfconscious, unaffected, open, genuine, easy, free and easy; impulsive, impetuous.
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ANTONYMS :planned, calculated, conscious, voluntary, inhibited.

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spontaneously

adverb
they applauded spontaneously
without being asked, of one's own accord, voluntarily, on impulse, impulsively, on the spur of the moment, extempore, extemporaneously; informal off the cuff.
he reacted spontaneously
without thinking, automatically, mechanically, unthinkingly, involuntarily, instinctively, naturally, by oneself/itself.
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spooky

adjective
(informal) eerie, sinister, ghostly, uncanny, weird, unearthly, mysterious; frightening, spine-chilling, hair-raising; informal creepy, scary, spine-tingling.

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sporadic

adjective
occasional, infrequent, irregular, periodic, scattered, patchy, isolated, odd; intermittent, spasmodic, fitful, desultory, erratic, unpredictable. ANTONYMS :frequent, steady, continuous.

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sport

noun
we did a lot of sport
(competitive) game(s), physical recreation, physical activity, physical exercise; pastime.
(dated) they were rogues out for a bit of sport
fun, pleasure, enjoyment, entertainment, amusement, diversion.
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verb
he sported a beard
wear, have on, dress in; display, exhibit, show off, flourish, parade, flaunt.

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sporting

adjective
sportsmanlike, generous, gentlemanly, considerate; fair, just, honourable; Brit. informal decent. ANTONYMS :dirty, unfair.

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sporty

adjective
(informal) he's quite a sporty type
athletic, fit, active, energetic.
a sporty outfit
stylish, smart, jaunty; casual, informal; informal trendy, cool, snazzy; N. Amer. informal sassy.
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a sporty car
fast, speedy; informal nippy, zippy.
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ANTONYMS :unfit, lazy, formal, sloppy, slow.

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spot

noun
a grease spot on the wall
mark, patch, dot, fleck, smudge, smear, stain, blotch, blot, splash; informal splotch, splodge.
a spot on his nose
pimple, pustule, blackhead, boil, swelling, eruption, wen, sty; (spots) acne; technical comedo, papule; informal zit, whitehead; Scottish informal plook.
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a secluded spot
place, location, site, position, point, situation, scene, setting, locale, locality, area, neighbourhood, region; venue; technical locus.
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social policy has a regular spot on the agenda
position, place, slot, space.
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a spot to eat or drink
bit, little, some, small amount, morsel, bite, mouthful; drop, splash; informal smidgen, tad.
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(informal) in a tight spot
predicament, mess, difficulty, trouble, plight, corner, quandary, dilemma; informal fix, jam, hole, sticky situation, pickle, scrape, hot water.
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verb
she spo tted him in his car
notice, see, observe, note, discern, detect, perceive, make out, recognize, identify, locate; catch sight of, glimpse; Brit. informal clock; poetic/literary behold, espy.
her clothes were spotted with grease
stain, mark, fleck, speckle, smudge, streak, splash, spatter; informal splotch, splodge.
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it was spotting with rain
rain lightly, drizzle; Brit. spit; N. English mizzle; N. Amer. sprinkle.
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on the spot
immediately, at once, straight away, right away, without delay, without hesitation, that instant, directly, there and then, then and there, forthwith, instantly, summarily; N. Amer. in short order; archaic straightway, instanter. spot on (Brit. informal)
accurate, correct, right, perfect, exact, unerring; Brit. informal bang on; N. Amer. informal on the money, on the nose.

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spotless

adjective
the kitchen was spotless
perfectly clean, ultra-clean, pristine, immaculate, shining, shiny, gleaming, spick and span.
a spotless reputation
unblemished, unsullied, untarnished, untainted, unstained, pure, whiter than white, innocent, impeccable, blameless, irreproachable, above reproach; informal squeaky clean.
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ANTONYMS :dirty, tarnished, impure.

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spotlight

noun
she was constantly in the spotlight
public eye, glare of publicity, limelight; focus of public/media attention.
verb
this article spotlights the problem
focus attention on, highlight, point up, draw/call attention to, give prominence to, throw into relief, turn the spotlight on, bring to the fore.

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spotted

adjective
the spotted leaves
mottled, dappled, speckled, flecked, freckled, freckly, dotted, stippled, brindle(d); informal splotchy.
a black-and-white spotted dress
polka-dot, spotty, dotted.
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ANTONYMS :plain.

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spotty

adjective
a spotty dog
spotted, mottled, speckled, speckly, flecked, specked, stippled; informal splodgy, splotchy.
a spotty dress
polka-dot, spotted, dotted.
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(Brit.) his spotty face
pimply, pimpled, acned; Scottish informal plooky.
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spouse

noun
partner, mate, consort; informal better half; Brit. informal other half. See also husband noun, wife.

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spout

verb
lava was spouting from the crater
spurt, gush, spew, erupt, shoot, squirt, spray; disgorge, discharge, emit, belch forth.
he spouts on foreign affairs
hold forth, sound off, go on, talk at length, expatiate; informal mouth off, speechify, spiel.
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noun
a can with a spout
nozzle, lip, rose.
up the spout (Brit. informal)
my computer's up the spout.
See broken sense 3.

his daughter's up the spout.
See pregnant sense 1.
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sprawl

verb
he sprawled on a sofa
stretch out, lounge, loll, lie, recline, drape oneself, slump, flop, slouch.
the town sprawled ahead of them
spread, stretch, extend, be strung out, be scattered, straggle, spill.
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spray 1

noun
a spray of water
shower, sprinkling, sprinkle, jet, mist, drizzle; spume, spindrift; foam, froth.
a perfume spray
atomizer, vaporizer, aerosol, sprinkler; nebulizer.
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verb
water was sprayed around
sprinkle, shower, spatter; scatter, disperse, diffuse; mist; douche; poetic/literary besprinkle.
water sprayed into the air
spout, jet, gush, spurt, shoot, squirt.
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spray 2

noun
a spray of holly
sprig, twig.
a spray of flowers
bouquet, bunch, posy, nosegay; corsage, buttonhole, boutonnière.
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spread

verb
he spread the map out
lay out, open out, unfurl, unroll, roll out; straighten out, fan out; stretch out, extend; poetic/literary outspread.
the landscape spread out below
extend, stretch, open out, be displayed, be exhibited, be on show; sprawl.
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papers were spread all over his desk
scatter, strew, disperse, distribute.
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he's been spreading rumours
disseminate, circulate, pass on, put about, communicate, diffuse, make public, make known, purvey, broadcast, publicize, propagate, promulgate; repeat; poetic/literary bruit about/abroad.
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she spread cold cream on her face
smear, daub, plaster, slather, lather, apply, put; smooth, rub.
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he spread the toast with butter
cover, coat, layer, daub, smother; butter.
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ANTONYMS :fold up, suppress.

noun
the spread of learning
expansion, proliferation, extension, growth; dissemination, diffusion, transmission, propagation.
a spread of six feet
span, width, extent, stretch, reac h.
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the immense spread of the heavens
expanse, area, sweep, stretch.
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a wide spread of subjects
range, span, spectrum, sweep; variety.
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(informal) his mother laid on a huge spread
large/elaborate meal, feast, banquet; informal blowout, nosh; Brit. informal nosh-up, slap-up meal.
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spree

noun
a shopping spree
unrestrained bout, orgy; informal binge, splurge; humorous retail therapy.
a drinking spree
drinking bout, debauch; informal binge, bender, session, booze-up, blind; Scottish informal skite; N. Amer. informal jag, toot; poetic/literary bacchanal, bacchanalia; archaic wassail.
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sprig

noun
small stem, spray, twig.

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sprightly

adjective
spry, lively, agile, nimble, energetic, active, full of energy, vigorous, spirited, animated, vivacious, frisky; informal full of vim and vigour; N. English informal wick. ANTONYMS :doddery, lethargic.

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spring

verb
the cat sprang off her lap
leap, jump, bound, vault, hop.
the branch sprang back
fly, whip, flick, whisk, kick, bounce.
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all art springs from feelings
originate, derive, arise, stem, emanate, proceed, issue, evolve, come.
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fifty men sprang from nowhere
appear suddenly, appear unexpectedly, materialize, pop up, shoot up, sprout, develop quickly; proliferate, mushroom.
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he sprang the truth on me
announce suddenly/unexpectedly, reveal suddenly/unexpectedly, surprise someone with.
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noun
with a sudden spring he leapt on to the table
leap, jump, bound, vault, hop; pounce.
the mattress has lost its spring
springiness, bounciness, bounce, resilience, elasticity, flexibility, stretch, stretchiness, give.
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there was a spring in his step
buoyancy, bounce, energy, liveliness, jauntiness, sprightliness, confidence.
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a mineral spring
well head, source; spa, geyser; poetic/literary wellspring, fount.
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the springs of his own emotions
origin, source, fountainhead, root, roots, basis.
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vernal.

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springy

adjective
elastic, stretchy, stretchable, tensile; flexible, pliant, pliable, whippy; bouncy, resilient, spongy. ANTONYMS :rigid, squashy.

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sprinkle

verb
he sprinkled water over the towel
splash, trickle, spray, shower; spatter.
sprinkle sesame seeds over the top
scatter, strew; drizzle.
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sprinkle the cake with icing sugar
dredge, dust.
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the sky was sprinkled with stars
dot, stipple, stud, fleck, speckle, spot, pepper; scatter, cover; poetic/literary besprinkle.
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sprinkling

noun
a sprinkling of nutmeg
scattering, sprinkle, scatter, dusting; pinch, dash.
mainly women, but a sprinkling of men
few, one or two, couple, handful, small number, trickle, scattering.
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sprint

verb
run, race, dart, rush, dash, hasten, hurry, scurry, scamper, hare, bolt, fly, gallop, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, speed, zoom, go like lightning, go hell for leather, go like the wind; jog, trot; informal tear, pelt, scoot, hotfoot it, leg it, belt, zip, whip; Brit. informal bomb; N. Amer. informal hightail it, barrel. ANTONYMS :walk.

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sprite

noun
fairy, elf, pixie, imp, brownie, puck, peri, kelpie, leprechaun; nymph, nixie, sylph, naiad.

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sprout

verb
the weeds begin to sprout
germinate, put/send out shoots, bud, burgeon.
he had sprouted a beard
grow, develop, put/send out.
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parsley sprouted from the pot
spring up, shoot up, come up, grow, burgeon, develop, appear.
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spruce

adjective
the Captain looked very spruce
neat, well groomed, well turned out, well dressed, smart, trim, dapper, elegant, chic; informal natty, snazzy; N. Amer. informal spiffy, trig. ANTONYMS :untidy.

verb
the cottage had been spruced up
smarten, tidy, neaten, put in order, clean; informal do up; Brit. informal tart up, posh up; N. Amer. informal gussy up.
Sarah had spruced herself up
groom, tidy, smarten, preen, primp, prink; N. Amer. trig; informal titivate, doll up; Brit. informal tart up.
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spry

adjective
sprightly, lively, agile, nimble, energetic, active, full of energy, vigorous, spirited, animated, vivacious, frisky; informal full of vim and vigour; N. English informal wick. ANTONYMS :doddery, lethargic.

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spume

noun
foam, froth, surf, spindrift, bubbles.

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spunk

noun
(informal) courage, bravery, valour, nerve, confidence, daring, audacity, pluck, spirit, grit, mettle, spine, backbone; informal guts, gumption; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie.

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spur

noun
competition can be a spur
stimulus, incentive, encouragement, inducement, fillip, impetus, prod, motivation, inspiration; informal kick up the backside, shot in the arm.
a spur of bone
projection, spike, point; technical process.
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ANTONYMS :disincentive, discouragement.

verb
the thought spurred him into action
stimulate, encourage, prompt, propel, prod, induce, impel, motivate, move, galvanize, inspire, incentivize, urge, drive, egg on, stir; incite, goad, provoke, prick, sting; N. Amer. light a fire under. ANTONYMS :discourage.

on the spur of the moment
impulsively, on impulse, impetuously, without thinking, without premeditation, unpremeditatedly, impromptu, extempore, spontaneously; informal off the cuff.

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spurious

adjective
bogus, fake, false, counterfeit, forged, fraudulent, sham, artificial, imitation, simulated, feigned, deceptive, misleading; informal phoney, pretend; Brit. informal cod. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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spurn

verb
reject, rebuff, scorn, turn down, treat with contempt, disdain, look down one's nose at, despise; snub, slight, jilt, dismiss, brush off, turn one's back on; give someone the cold shoulder, cold-shoulder; informal turn one's nose up at, give someone the brush-off, kick in the teeth; Brit. informal knock back; N. Amer. informal give someone the bum's rush. ANTONYMS :welcome, accept.

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spurt

verb
water spurted from the tap
squirt, shoot, jet, erupt, gush, pour, stream, pump, surge, spew, course, well, spring, burst; disgorge, discharge, emit, belch forth, expel, eject; Brit. informal sloosh.
noun
a spurt of water
squirt, jet, spout, gush, stream, rush, surge, flood, cascade, torrent.
a spurt of courage
burst, fit, bout, rush, spate, surge, attack, outburst, blaze.
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Daisy put on a spurt
burst of speed, turn of speed, sprint, rush, burst of energy.
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spy

noun
a foreign spy
secret agent, intelligence agent, double agent, counterspy, mole, plant, scout; informal snooper; N. Amer. informal spook; archaic intelligencer.
verb
he spied for the West
be a spy, gather intelligence, work for the secret service; informal snoop.
investigators spied on them
observe furtively, keep under surveillance/observation, watch, keep a watch on, keep an eye on.
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she spied a coffee shop
notice, observe, see, spot, sight, catch sight of, glimpse, make out, discern, detect; informal clap/lay/set eyes on; poetic/literary espy, behold, descry.
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spying

noun
espionage, intelligence gathering, surveillance, infiltration, undercover work, cloak-and-dagger activities.

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squabble

noun
there was a squabble over which way they should go
quarrel, disagreement, row, argument, contretemps, falling-out, dispute, clash, altercation, shouting match, exchange, war of words; informal tiff, set-to, run-in, slanging match, shindig, shindy, stand-up, spat, scrap, dust-up; Brit. informal barney, ding-dong; N. Amer. informal rhubarb.
verb
the boys were squabbling over a ball
quarrel, row, argue, bicker, fall out, disagree, have words, dispute, spar, cross swords, lock horns, be at loggerheads; informal scrap, argufy.

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squad

noun
an assassination squad
team, crew, gang, band, cell, body, mob, outfit, force.
a firing squad
detachment, detail, unit, platoon, battery, troop, patrol, squadron, cadre, commando.
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squalid

adjective
a squalid prison
dirty, filthy, grubby, grimy, mucky, slummy, foul, vile, poor, sorry, wretched, miserable, mean, seedy, shabby, sordid, insalubrious; neglected, uncared-for, broken-down, run down, down at heel, depressed, dilapidated, ramshackle, tumbledown, gone to rack and ruin, crumbling, decaying; informal scruffy, crummy, shambly, ratty; Brit. informal grotty; N. Amer. informal shacky.
a squalid deal with the opposition
improper, sordid, unseemly, unsavoury, sleazy, seedy, seamy, shoddy, cheap, base, low, corrupt, dishonest, dishonourable, disreputable, despicable, discreditable, disgraceful, contemptible, shameful; informal sleazoid.
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ANTONYMS :clean, pleasant, smart, upmarket, proper, decent.

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squall

noun
gust, storm, blast, flurry, shower, gale, blow, rush.

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squally

adjective
stormy, gusty, gusting, blustery, blustering, windy, blowy; wild, tempestuous, rough.

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squalor

noun
dirt, filth, grubbiness, grime, muck, foulness, vileness, poverty, wretchedness, meanness, seediness, shabbiness, sordidness, sleaziness, insalubrity; neglect, decay, dilapidation; informal scruffiness, crumminess, grunge, rattiness; Brit. informal grottiness. ANTONYMS :cleanliness, pleasantness, smartness.

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squander

verb
waste, misspend, misuse, throw away, fritter away, spend recklessly, spend unwisely, spend like water; informal blow, go through, splurge, pour down the drain; Brit. informal blue. ANTONYMS :manage, make good use of, save.

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square

noun
a shop in the square
market square, marketplace, plaza, piazza.
(informal) you're such a square!
(old) fogey, conservative, traditionalist, conventionalist, conformist, bourgeois, fossil; Brit. museum piece; informal stick-in-the-mud, fuddy-duddy, back number, stuffed shirt.
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ANTONYMS :trendy.

adjective
a square table
quadrilateral, rectangular, oblong, right-angled, at right angles, perpendicular; straight, level, parallel, horizontal, upright, vertical, true, plane.
the sides were square at half-time
level, even, drawn, equal, tied; neck and neck, level pegging, nip and tuck, side by side, evenly matched; informal even-steven(s).
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I'm going to be square with you
fair, honest, just, equitable, straight, true, upright, above board, ethical, decent, proper; informal on the level.
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(informal) don't be square!
old-fashioned, behind the times, out of date, conservative, traditionalist, conventional, conformist, bourgeois, strait-laced, fogeyish, stuffy; informal stick-in-the-mud, fuddy-duddy.
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ANTONYMS :crooked, uneven, underhand, trendy.

verb
the theory does not square with the data
agree, tally, be in agreement, be consistent, match up, correspond, fit, coincide, accord, conform, be compatible.
his goal squared the match 1 1
level, even, make equal.
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would you square up the bill?
pay, settle, discharge, clear, meet.
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(informal) they tried to square the press
bribe, buy off, buy, corrupt, suborn; informal grease someone's palm, give a backhander to.
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Tom squared things with his boss
resolve, sort out, settle, clear up, work out, iron out, smooth over, straighten out, deal with, put right, set right, put to rights, rectify, remedy; informal patch up.
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squash

verb
the fruit got squashed
crush, squeeze, flatten, compress, press, smash, distort, pound, trample, stamp on; pulp, mash, cream, liquidize, beat, pulverize.
she squashed her clothes inside the bag
force, ram, thrust, push, cram, jam, stuff, pack, compress, squeeze, wedge, press.
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the proposal was immediately squashed
reject, block, cancel, scotch, frustrate, thwart, suppress, put a stop to, nip in the bud, put the lid on; informal put paid to, put the kibosh on, stymie; Brit. informal dish, scupper.
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squashy

adjective
a squashy pillow
springy, resilient, spongy, soft, pliant, pliable, yielding, elastic, cushiony, compressible.
squashy pears
mushy, pulpy, pappy, slushy, squelchy, squishy, oozy, doughy, soft; Brit. informal squidgy.
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ANTONYMS :firm, hard.

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squat

verb
I was squatting on the floor
crouch (down), hunker (down), sit on one's haunches, sit on one's heels.
adjective
he was muscular and squat
stocky, thickset, dumpy, stubby, stumpy, short, small; Brit. informal fubsy.

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squawk

verb & noun
a pheasant squawked | the gull gave a squawk
screech, squeal, shriek, scream, croak, crow, caw, cluck, cackle, hoot, cry, call.

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squeak

noun & verb
the vole's dying squeak | the rat squeaked
peep, cheep, pipe, piping, squeal, tweet, yelp, whimper.
the squeak of the hinge | the hinges of the gate squeaked
screech, creak, scrape, grate, rasp, jar, groan.
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squeal

noun
the harsh squeal of a fox
screech, scream, shriek, squawk.
verb
a dog squealed
screech, scream, shriek, squawk.
the bookies only squealed because we beat them
complain, protest, object, grouse, grumble, whine, wail, carp, squawk; informal kick up a fuss, kick up a stink, gripe, grouch, bellyache, moan, bitch, beef, whinge; N. English informal mither.
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(informal) he squealed on the rest of the gang to the police
inform, tell tales, sneak; report, give away, be disloyal, sell out, stab in the back; informal rat, peach, snitch, put the finger on, sell down the river, stitch up; Brit. informal grass, split, shop; N. Amer. informal rat out, finger, drop a/the dime on; Austral. informal dob, pimp on, pool.
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squeamish

adjective
I'm too squeamish to gut fish
easily nauseated, nervous; (be squeamish about) be put off by, cannot stand the sight of, makes one feel sick.
less squeamish nations will sell them arms
scrupulous, principled, fastidious, particular, punctilious, honourable, upright, upstanding, high-minded, righteous, right-minded, moral, ethical.
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squeeze

verb
I squeezed the bottle
compress, press, crush, squash, pinch, nip, grasp, grip, clutch, flatten.
squeeze the juice from both oranges
extract, press, force, express.
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Sally squeezed her feet into the sandals
force, thrust, cram, ram, jam, stuff, pack, wedge, press, squash.
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we all squeezed into Steve's van
crowd, crush, cram, pack, jam, squash, wedge oneself, shove, push, force one's way.
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he would squeeze more money out of Bill
extort, force, extract, wrest, wring, milk; informal bleed someone of something.
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noun
he gave her hand a squeeze
press, pinch, nip; grasp, grip, clutch, hug, clasp; compression.
it was a tight squeeze in the tiny hall
crush, jam, squash, press, huddle; congestion.
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a squeeze of lemon juice
few drops, dash, splash, dribble, trickle, spot, hint, touch.
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squint

verb
the sun made them squint
screw up one's eyes, narrow one's eyes, peer, blink.
he has squinted from birth
be cross-eyed, have a squint, suffer from strabismus; Scottish be skelly; Brit. informal be boss-eyed.
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noun
(informal) we must have another squint at his record card
look, glance, peep, peek, glimpse; view, examination, study, inspection, scan, sight; informal eyeful, dekko, butcher's, gander, look-see, once-over, shufti.
does he have a squint?
cross-eyes, strabismus; Brit. informal boss-eye.
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squire

noun
the squire of the village
landowner, landholder, landlord, lord of the manor, country gentleman.
(historical) his squire carried a banner
attendant, courtier, equerry, aide, steward, page boy.
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squirm

verb
I tried to squirm away
wriggle, wiggle, writhe, twist, slide, slither, turn, shift, fidget, jiggle, twitch, thresh, flounder, flail, toss and turn.
he squirmed as everyone laughed
wince, shudder, feel embarrassed, feel ashamed.
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squirrel

sciurine.
squirrel something away
save, put aside, put by, lay by, set aside, lay aside, keep in reserve, stockpile, accumulate, stock up with/on, hoard; informal salt away, stash away.

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squirt

verb
a jet of ink squirted out of the tube
spurt, shoot, spray, fountain, jet, erupt; gush, rush, pump, surge, stream, spew, well, spring, burst, issue, emanate; emit, belch forth, expel, eject; Brit. informal sloosh.
she squirted me with scent
splash, wet, spray, shower, spatter, splatter, sprinkle; Scottish & Irish slabber; poetic/literary besprinkle.
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noun
a squirt of water
spurt, jet, spray, fountain, gush, stream, surge.
(informal) he was just a little squirt
impudent person, insignificant person, gnat, insect; informal pipsqueak, whippersnapper; Brit. informal squit; Scottish informal nyaff; N. Amer. informal bozo, picayune, pisher.
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stab

verb
he stabbed him in the stomach
knife, run through, skewer, spear, bayonet, gore, spike, stick, impale, transfix, pierce, prick, puncture; poetic/literary transpierce.
she stabbed at the earth with a fork
lunge, thrust, jab, poke, prod, dig.
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noun
a stab in the leg
knife wound, puncture, incision, prick, cut, perforation.
they made stabs into the air
lunge, thrust, jab, poke, prod, dig, punch.
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a stab of pain
twinge, pang, throb, spasm, cramp, dart, blaze, prick, flash, thrill.
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(informal) he had a stab at writing
attempt, try, effort, endeavour; guess; informal go, shot, crack, bash, whack; formal essay.
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stab someone in the back
betray, be disloyal to, be unfaithful to, desert, break one's promise to, double-cross, break faith with, sell out, play false, inform on/against; informal tell on, sell down the river, squeal on, stitch up, peach on, do the dirty on; Brit. informal grass on, shop; N. Amer. informal rat out, finger, drop a/the dime on; Austral. informal pimp on, pool, put someone's pot on.

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stability

noun
the stability of play equipment
firmness, solidity, steadiness, strength, security, safety.
his mental stability
balance of mind, mental health, sanity, normality, soundness, rationality, reason, sense.
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the stability of their relationship
steadiness, firmness, solidity, strength, durability, lasting nature, enduring nature, permanence, changelessness, invariability, immutability, indestructibility, reliability, dependability.
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stable

adjective
a stable tent
firm, solid, steady, secure, fixed, fast, safe, moored, anchored, stuck down, immovable.
a stable person
well balanced, of sound mind, compos mentis, sane, normal, right in the head, rational, steady, reasonable, sensible, sober, down-to-earth, matter-of-fact, having both one's feet on the ground; informal all there.
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a stable relationship
secure, solid, strong, steady, firm, sure, steadfast, unwavering, unvarying, unfaltering, unfluctuating; established, abiding, durable, enduring, lasting, permanent, reliable, dependable.
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ANTONYMS :loose, wobbly, unbalanced, rocky, lasting, changeable.

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stack

noun
a stack of boxes
heap, pile, mound, mountain, pyramid, tower.
a stack of hay
haystack, rick, hayrick, stook, mow, shock; dated cock.
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(informal) a stack of money.
See lot pronoun.
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chimney, smokestack, funnel, exhaust pipe.
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ANTONYMS :few, little.

verb
Leo was stacking plates
heap (up), pile (up), make a heap/pile/stack of; assemble, put together, collect, hoard, store, stockpile.
they stacked the shelves
load, fill (up), lade, pack, charge, stuff, cram; stock.
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ANTONYMS :empty.

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stadium

noun
arena, field, ground, pitch; bowl, amphitheatre, coliseum, ring, dome, manège; track, course, racetrack, racecourse, speedway, velodrome; (in ancient Rome) circus.

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staff

noun
there is a reluctance to take on new staff
employees, workers, workforce, personnel, human resources, manpower, labour; informal liveware.
he carried a wooden staff
stick, stave, pole, crook.
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a staff of office
rod, tipstaff, cane, mace, wand, sceptre, crozier, verge; Greek Mythology caduceus.
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verb
the centre is staffed by teachers
man, people, crew, work, operate, occupy.

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stage

noun
this stage of the development
phase, period, juncture, step, point, time, moment, instant, level.
the last stage of the race
part, section, portion, stretch, leg, lap, circuit.
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a theatre stage
platform, dais, stand, grandstand, staging, apron, rostrum, podium.
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she has written for the stage
theatre, drama, dramatics, dramatic art, thespianism; informal the boards.
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the political stage
scene, setting; context, frame, sphere, field, realm, arena, backdrop; affairs.
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verb
they staged two plays
put on, put before the public, present, produce, mount, direct; perform, act, give.
workers staged a protest
organize, arrange, coordinate, lay on, put together, get together, set up; orchestrate, choreograph, mastermind, engineer; take part in, participate in, join in.
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stagger

verb
he staggered to the door
lurch, walk unsteadily, reel, sway, teeter, totter, stumble, wobble.
I was absolutely staggered
amaze, astound, astonish, surprise, startle, stun, confound, dumbfound, stupefy, daze, nonplus, take aback, leave open-mouthed, leave aghast; informal flabbergast, bowl over; Brit. informal knock for six.
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meetings are staggered throughout the day
spread (out), space (out), time at intervals, overlap.
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stagger the screws at each joint
alternate, step, arrange in a zigzag.
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stagnant

adjective
stagnant water
still, motionless, static, stationary, standing, dead, slack; foul, stale, putrid, smelly.
a stagnant economy
inactive, sluggish, slow-moving, lethargic, static, flat, depressed, declining, moribund, dying, dead, dormant.
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ANTONYMS :flowing, fresh, active, vibrant.

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stagnate

verb
obstructions allow water to stagnate
stop flowing, become stagnant, become trapped; stand; become foul, become stale; fester, putrefy.
exports stagnated
languish, decline, deteriorate, fall, become stagnant, do nothing, stand still, be sluggish.
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ANTONYMS :flow, rise, boom.

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staid

adjective
sedate, respectable, quiet, serious, serious-minded, steady, conventional, traditional, unadventurous, unenterprising, set in one's ways, sober, proper, decorous, formal, stuffy, stiff; informal starchy, stick-in-the-mud. ANTONYMS :frivolous, daring, informal.

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stain

verb
her clothing was stained with blood
discolour, blemish, soil, mark, muddy, spot, spatter, splatter, smear, splash, smudge, blotch, blacken.
the report stained his reputation
damage, injure, harm, sully, blacken, tarnish, taint, smear, bring discredit to, dishonour, drag through the mud; poetic/literary besmirch.
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the wood was stained
colour, tint, dye, tinge, pigment, colour-wash.
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noun
a mud stain
mark, spot, spatter, splatter, blotch, smudge, smear.
a stain on his character
blemish, injury, taint, blot, smear, discredit, dishonour; damage.
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dark wood stain
tint, colour, dye, tinge, pigment, colourant, colour wash.
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stake 1

noun
a stake in the ground
post, pole, stick, spike, upright, support, prop, strut, pale, paling, picket, pile, piling, cane.
verb
the plants have to be staked
prop up, tie up, tether, support, hold up, brace, truss.
he staked his claim
assert, declare, proclaim, state, make, lay, put in.
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stake something out
builders staked out the plot
mark off/out, demarcate, measure out, delimit, fence off, section off, close off, shut off, cordon off.

(informal) the police staked out his flat
observe, watch, keep an eye on, keep under observation, keep watch on, monitor, keep under surveillance, surveil; informal keep tabs on, keep a tab on, case.
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stake 2

noun
playing dice for high stakes
bet, wager, ante.
they are racing for record stakes
prize money, purse, pot, winnings.
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low down in the popularity stakes
competition, contest, battle, challenge, rivalry, race, running, struggle, scramble.
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a 40% stake in the business
share, interest, ownership, involvement.
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verb
he staked all his week's pay
bet, wager, lay, put on, gamble, chance, venture, risk, hazard.

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stale

adjective
stale food
old, past its best, past its sell-by date; off, dry, hard, musty, rancid.
stale air
stuffy, close, musty, fusty, stagnant, frowzy; Brit. frowsty, fuggy.
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stale beer
flat, turned, spoiled, off, insipid, tasteless.
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stale jokes
hackneyed, tired, worn out, overworked, threadbare, warmed-up, banal, trite, clichéd, platitudinous, unoriginal, unimaginative, uninspired, flat; out of date, outdated, outmoded, passé, archaic, obsolete; N. Amer. warmed-over; informal old hat, corny, out of the ark, played out.
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ANTONYMS :fresh, original.

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stalemate

noun
deadlock, impasse, stand-off; draw, tie, dead heat.

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stalk 1

noun
the stalk of a plant
stem, shoot, trunk, stock, cane, bine, bent, haulm, straw, reed. cauline.

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stalk 2

verb
a stoat was stalking a rabbit
creep up on, trail, follow, shadow, track down, go after, be after, course, hunt; informal tail.
she stalked out
strut, stride, march, flounce, storm, stomp, sweep.
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stall

noun
a market stall
stand, table, counter, booth, kiosk.
stalls for larger animals
pen, coop, sty, corral, enclosure, compartment.
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(Brit.) theatre stalls
N. Amer. orchestra, parterre.
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verb
the Government has stalled the project
obstruct, impede, interfere with, hinder, hamper, block, interrupt, hold up, hold back, thwart, baulk, sabotage, delay, stonewall, check, stop, halt, derail, put a brake on; informal stymie; N. Amer. informal bork.
quit stalling
use delaying tactics, play for time, temporize, gain time, procrastinate, hedge, beat about the bush, drag one's feet, delay, filibuster, stonewall.
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stall him for a bit
delay, divert, distract; hold off, stave off, fend off, keep off, ward off, keep at bay.
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stalwart

adjective
staunch, loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable, reliable, steady, constant, trusty, hard-working, steadfast, redoubtable, unwavering. ANTONYMS :disloyal, unfaithful, unreliable.

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stamina

noun
endurance, staying power, tirelessness, fortitude, strength, energy, toughness, determination, tenacity, perseverance, grit.

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stammer

verb
he began to stammer
stutter, stumble over one's words, hesitate, falter, pause, halt, splutter.
noun
he had a stammer
stutter, speech impediment, speech defect.

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stamp

verb
he stamped on my toe
trample, step, tread, tramp; crush, squash, flatten.
John stamped off, muttering
stomp, stump, clomp, clump.
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the name is stamped on the cover
imprint, print, impress, punch, inscribe, emboss, brand, frank.
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his face was stamped on Martha's memory
fix, inscribe, etch, carve, imprint, impress.
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his style stamps him as a player to watch
identify, characterize, brand, distinguish, classify, mark out, set apart, single out.
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noun
the stamp of authority
mark, hallmark, indication, sign, seal, sure sign, telltale sign, quality, smack, smell, savour, air.
he was of a very different stamp
type, kind, sort, variety, class, category, classification, style, description, condition, calibre, status, quality, nature, ilk, kidney, cast, grain, mould; N. Amer. stripe.
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stamp something out
put an end/stop to, end, stop, crush, put down, crack dow n on, curb, nip in the bud, scotch, squash, quash, quell, subdue, suppress, extinguish, stifle, abolish, get rid of, eliminate, eradicate, beat, overcome, defeat, destroy, wipe out; informal put the kibosh on.

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stamp collecting

noun
philately.

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stampede

noun
the noise caused a stampede
charge, panic, rush, flight, rout.
verb
the sheep stampeded
bolt, charge, flee, take flight; race, rush, career, sweep, run.

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stance

noun
a natural golfer's stance
posture, body position, pose, attitude.
a liberal stance
attitude, stand, point of view, viewpoint, opinion, way of thinking, outlook, standpoint, position, angle, perspective, approach, line, policy.
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stand

verb
Lionel stood in the doorway
be on one's feet, be upright, be erect, be vertical.
the men stood up
rise, get/rise to one's feet, get up, straighten up, pick oneself up, find one's feet, be upstanding; formal arise.
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today a house stands on the site
be, be situated, be located, be positioned, be sited, have been built.
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he stood the book on the shelf
put, set, set up, erect, up-end, place, position, locate, prop, lean, stick, install, arrange; informal park.
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my decision stands
remain in force, remain valid/effective/operative, remain in operation, hold, hold good, apply, be the case, exist; formal obtain.
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his heart could not stand the strain
withstand, endure, bear, put up with, take, cope with, handle, sustain, resist, stand up to.
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(informal) I won't stand cheek
endure, tolerate, bear, put up with, take, abide, support, countenance; Scottish thole; informal swallow, stomach; Brit. informal stick, wear; formal b rook.
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ANTONYMS :sit, lie, sit down, lie down.

noun
the party's stand on immigration
attitude, stance, point of view, viewpoint, opinion, way of thinking, outlook, standpoint, position, approach, thinking, policy, line.
a stand against tyranny
opposition, resistance, objection, hostility, animosity.
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a large mirror on a stand
base, support, mounting, platform, rest, plinth, bottom; tripod, rack, trivet.
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a beer stand
stall, counter, booth, kiosk, tent.
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a taxi stand
rank, station, park, bay.
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the train drew to a stand
stop, halt, standstill, dead stop.
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a stand of trees
copse, spinney, thicket, grove.
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stand by
wait, be prepared, be in (a state of) readiness, be ready for action, be on full alert, wait in the wings. stand by someone/something
she stood by her husband
remain/be loyal to, stick with/by, remain/be true to, stand up for, support, back up, defend, stick up for.

the government must stand by its pledges
abide by, keep (to), adhere to, hold to, stick to, observe, comply with.
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stand down
relax, stand easy, come off full alert. stand for
V stands for volts
mean, be an abbreviation of, represent, signify, denote, indicate, symbolize.

(informal) I won't stand for any nonsense
put up with, endure, tolerate, accept, take, abide, stand, support, countenance; informal swallow, stomach; Brit. informal stick, wear; formal brook.
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we stand for animal welfare
advocate, champion, uphold, defend, stand up for, support, back, endorse, be in favour of, promote, recommend, urge.
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stand in
deputize, act, act as deputy, substitute, fill in, sit in, do duty, take over, act as locum, be a proxy, cover, hold the fort, step into the breach; replace, relieve, take over from; informal sub, fill someone's shoes, step into someone's shoes; N. Amer. pinch-hit. stand out
his veins stood out
project, stick out, bulge (out), be proud, jut (out).

she stood out in the crowd
be noticeable, be visible, be obvious, be conspicuous, stick out, be striking, be distinctive, be prominent, attract attention, catch the eye, leap out, show up; informal stick/stand out a mile, stick/stand out like a sore thumb.
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stand up
remain/be valid, be sound, be plausible, hold water, hold up, stand questioning, survive investigation, bear examination, be verifiable. stand someone up
fail to keep a date with, fail to meet, fail to keep an appointment with, jilt. stand up for someone/something
support, defend, back, back up, stick up for, champion, promote, uphold, take someone's part, take the side of, side with. stand up to someone/something
she stood up to her parents
defy, confront, challenge, resist, take on, put up a fight against, argue with, take a stand against.

the old house has stood up to the war
withstand, survive, come through (unscathed), outlast, outlive, weather, ride out, ward off.
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standard

noun
the standard of her work
quality, level, grade, calibre, merit, excellence.
a safety standard
guideline, norm, yardstick, benchmark, measure, criterion, guide, touchstone, model, pattern, example, exemplar.
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a standard to live by
principle, ideal; (standards) code of behaviour, code of honour, morals, scruples, ethics.
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the regiment's standard
flag, banner, pennant, ensign, colour(s), banderole, guidon; Brit. pendant; Nautical burgee.
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adjective
the standard way of doing it
normal, usual, typical, stock, common, ordinary, customary, conventional, wonted, established, settled, set, fixed, traditional, prevailing.
the standard work on the subject
definitive, established, classic, recognized, accepted, authoritative, most reliable, exhaustive.
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ANTONYMS :unusual, special.

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standardize

verb
systematize, make consistent, make uniform, make comparable, regulate, normalize, bring into line, equalize, homogenize, regiment.

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stand-in

noun
a stand-in for the minister
substitute, replacement, deputy, surrogate, proxy, understudy, locum, supply, fill-in, cover, relief, stopgap; informal temp; N. Amer. informal pinch-hitter.
adjective
a stand-in goalkeeper
substitute, replacement, deputy, fill-in, stopgap, supply, surrogate, relief, acting, temporary, provisional, caretaker; N. Amer. informal pinch-hitting.

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standing

noun
his standing in the community
status, rank, ranking, position; reputation, estimation, stature; dated station.
a person of some standing
seniority, rank, eminence, prominence, prestige, repute, stature, esteem, importance, account, consequence, influence, distinction; informal clout; dated mark.
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a squabble of long standing
duration, existence, continuance, endurance, life.
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adjective
standing stones
upright, erect, vertical, plumb, upended, on end, perpendicular; on one's feet; not yet reaped; Heraldry rampant.
standing water
stagnant, still, motionless, static, stationary, dead, slack.
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a standing invitation
permanent, perpetual, everlasting, continuing, abiding, indefinite, open-ended; regular, repeated.
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ANTONYMS :flat, lying down, seated, flowing, temporary, occasional.

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stand-off

noun
deadlock, stalemate, impasse; draw, tie, dead heat; suspension of hostilities, lull.

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stand-offish

adjective
(informal) aloof, distant, remote, detached, withdrawn, reserved, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, unapproachable, unresponsive, unfriendly, unsociable, introspective, introverted. ANTONYMS :friendly, approachable, sociable.

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standpoint

noun
point of view, viewpoint, vantage point, attitude, stance, view, opinion, position, way of thinking, outlook, perspective.

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standstill

noun
halt, stop, dead stop, stand.

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staple

adjective
main, principal, chief, major, primary, leading, foremost, first, most important, predominant, dominant, (most) prominent, basic, standard, prime, premier; informal number-one.

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star

noun
the sky was full of stars
celestial body, heavenly body, sun; asteroid, planet.
the stars of the film
principal, leading lady/man, lead, female/male lead, hero, heroine.
Top
a star of the world of chess
celebrity, superstar, big name, famous name, household name, someone, somebody, lion, leading light, VIP, personality, personage, luminary; informal celeb, big shot, big noise, megastar.
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astral, astro-, sidereal, sidero-, stellar. ANTONYMS :nobody.

adjective
a star pupil
brilliant, talented, gifted, able, exceptional, outstanding, bright, clever, masterly, consummate, precocious, prodigious.
the star attraction
top, leading, best, greatest, foremost, major, pre-eminent, champion.
Top
ANTONYMS :poor, minor.

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starchy

adjective
(informal). See staid.

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stare

verb
gaze, gape, goggle, glare, ogle, peer; informal gawk, rubberneck; Brit. informal gawp.

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stark

adjective
a stark silhouette
sharp, sharply defined, well focused, crisp, distinct, obvious, evident, clear, clear-cut, graphic, striking.
a stark landscape
desolate, bare, barren, arid, vacant, empty, forsaken, godforsaken, bleak, sombre, depressing, cheerless, joyless; poetic/literary drear.
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a stark room
austere, severe, bleak, plain, simple, bare, unadorned, unembellished, undecorated.
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stark terror
sheer, utter, complete, absolute, total, pure, downright, out-and-out, outright; rank, thorough, consummate, unqualified, unmitigated, unalloyed.
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the stark facts
blunt, bald, bare, simple, basic, plain, unvarnished, harsh, grim.
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ANTONYMS :fuzzy, indistinct, pleasant, ornate, disguised.

adverb
stark naked
completely, totally, utterly, absolutely, downright, dead, entirely, wholly, fully, quite, altogether, thoroughly, truly.

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start

verb
the meeting starts at 7.45
begin, commence, get under way, go ahead, get going; informal kick off.
this was how her illness had started
come into being, begin, commence, be born, come into existence, appear, arrive, come forth, emerge, erupt, burst out, arise, originate, develop.
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she started her own charity
establish, set up, found, create, bring into being, institute, initiate, inaugurate, introduce, open, launch, float, kick-start, get something off the ground, pioneer, organize, mastermind; informal kick something off.
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we had better start on the work
make a start, begin, commence, take the first step, make the first move, get going, go ahead, set things moving, start/get/set the ball rolling, buckle to/down, turn to; informal get moving, get cracking, get stuck in, get down to it, get to it, get down to business, get one's finger out, get the show on the road, take the plunge, kick off, get off one's backside, fire away; Brit. informal get weaving.
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he started across the field
set off, set out, start out, set f orth, begin one's journey, get on the road, depart, leave, get under way, make a start, sally forth, embark, sail; informal hit the road.
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you can start the machine
activate, set in motion, switch on, start up, turn on, fire up; energize, actuate, set off, start off, set something going/moving.
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the machine started
begin working, start up, get going, spring into life.
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"Oh my!" she said, starting
flinch, jerk, jump, twitch, recoil, shy, shrink, blench, wince.
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ANTONYMS :finish, stop, clear up, wind up, hang about, give up, arrive, stay, close down.

noun
the start of the event
beginning, commencement, inception.
the start of her illness
onset, commencement, emergence, (first) appearance, arrival, eruption, dawn, birth.
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a quarter of an hour's start
lead, head start, advantage.
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a start in life
advantageous beginning, flying start, helping hand, lift, assistance, support, encouragement, boost, kick-start; informal break, leg up.
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she awoke with a start
jerk, twitch, flinch, wince, spasm, convulsion, jump.
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ANTONYMS :end, finish, handicap.

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startle

verb
surprise, frighten, scare, alarm, give someone a shock/fright/jolt, make someone jump; perturb, unsettle, agitate, disturb, disconcert, disquiet; informal give someone a turn, make someone jump out of their skin. ANTONYMS :put at ease.

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startling

adjective
surprising, astonishing, amazing, unexpected, unforeseen, staggering, shocking, stunning; extraordinary, remarkable, dramatic; disturbing, unsettling, perturbing, disconcerting, disquieting; frightening, alarming, scary. ANTONYMS :predictable, ordinary.

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starvation

noun
extreme hunger, lack of food, famine, undernourishment, malnourishment, fasting; deprivation of food; death from lack of food.

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starving

adjective
dying of hunger, deprived of food, undernourished, malnourished, starved, half-starved; very hungry, ravenous, famished, empty, hollow; fasting. ANTONYMS :full.

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stash (informal)

verb
he stashed his things away
store, stow, pack, load, cache, hide, conceal, secrete; hoard, save, stockpile; informal salt away, squirrel away.
noun
a stash of money
cache, hoard, stock, stockpile, store, supply, accumulation, collection, reserve.

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state 1

noun
the state of the economy
condition, shape, situation, circumstances, position; predicament, plight.
(informal) don't get into a state
fluster, frenzy, fever, fret, panic, state of agitation/anxiety; informal flap, tizzy, tiz-woz, dither, stew, sweat; N. Amer. informal twit.
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(informal) your room is in a state
mess, chaos, disorder, disarray, confusion, muddle, heap, shambles; clutter, untidiness, disorganization.
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an autonomous state
country, nation, land, sovereign state, nation state, kingdom, realm, power, republic, confederation, federation.
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the country is divided into thirty-two states
province, federal state, region, territory, canton, department, county, district; Brit. shire.
Top
the power of the state
government, parliament, administration, regime, authorities.
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adjective
a state visit to China
ceremonial, official, formal, governmental, national, public. ANTONYMS :unofficial, private, informal.

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state 2

verb
I stated my views
express, voice, utter, put into words, declare, affirm, assert, announce, make known, put across/over, communicate, air, reveal, disclose, divulge, proclaim, present, expound; set out, set down; informal come out with.

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stated

adjective
specified, fixed, settled, set, agreed, declared, designated, laid down. ANTONYMS :undefined, irregular, tacit.

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stately

adjective
dignified, majestic, ceremonious, courtly, imposing, impressive, solemn, awe-inspiring, regal, elegant, grand, glorious, splendid, magnificent, resplendent; slow-moving, measured, deliberate.

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statement

noun
declaration, expression of views/facts, affirmation, assertion, announcement, utterance, communication, proclamation, presentation, expounding; account, testimony, evidence, report, bulletin, communiqué.

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state-of-the-art

adjective
modern, ultra-modern, the latest, new, the newest, up to the minute; advanced, highly developed, innovatory, trailblazing, revolutionary; sophisticated.

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statesman stateswoman

noun
senior politician, respected political figure, elder statesman, political leader, national leader.

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static

adjective
static prices
unchanged, fixed, stable, steady, unchanging, changeless, unvarying, invariable, constant, consistent.
a static display
stationary, motionless, immobile, unmoving, still, stock-still, at a standstill, at rest, not moving a muscle, like a statue, rooted to the spot, frozen, inactive, inert, lifeless, inanimate.
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ANTONYMS :variable, mobile, active, dynamic.

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station

noun
a railway station
stopping place, stop, halt, stage; terminus, terminal, depot.
a research station
establishment, base, camp; post, depot; mission; site, facility, installation, yard.
Top
a police station
office, depot, base, headquarters; N. Amer. precinct, station house; informal cop shop; Brit. informal nick.
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a radio station
channel, broadcasting organization; wavelength.
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(Austral./NZ) a sheep station
ranch, range; farm.
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the lookout resumed his station
post, position, place.
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(dated) Karen was getting ideas above her station
rank, place, status, position in society, social class, stratum, level, grade; caste; archaic condition, degree.
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verb
the regiment was stationed at Woolwich
put on duty, post, position, place; establish, install; deploy, base, garrison.

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stationary

adjective
a stationary car
static, parked, stopped, motionless, immobile, unmoving, still, stock-still, at a standstill, at rest; not moving a muscle, like a statue, rooted to the spot, frozen, inactive, inert, lifeless, inanimate.
a stationary population
unchanging, unvarying, invariable, constant, consistent, unchanged, changeless, fixed, stable, steady.
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ANTONYMS :moving, shifting.

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statue

noun
sculpture, figure, effigy, statuette, figurine, idol; carving, bronze, graven image, model; bust, head.

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statuesque

adjective
tall and dignified, imposing, striking, stately, majestic, noble, magnificent, splendid, impressive, regal.

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stature

noun
she was small in stature
height, tallness; size, build.
an architect of international stature
reputation, repute, standing, status, position, prestige, distinction, eminence, pre-eminence, prominence, importance, influence, note, fame, celebrity, renown, acclaim.
Top

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status

noun
the status of women
standing, rank, ranking, position, social position, level, place, estimation; dated station.
wealth and status
prestige, kudos, cachet, standing, stature, regard, fame, note, renown, honour, esteem, image, importance, prominence, consequence, distinction, influence, authority, eminence.
Top

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statute

noun
law, regulation, enactment, act, bill, decree, edict, rule, ruling, resolution, dictum, command, order, directive, pronouncement, proclamation, dictate, diktat, fiat, by-law; N. Amer. formal ordinance.

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staunch 1

adjective
a staunch supporter
stalwart, loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable, reliable, steady, constant, trusty, hard-working, steadfast, redoubtable, unwavering. ANTONYMS :disloyal, unfaithful, unreliable.

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staunch 2

verb
she tried to staunch the flow of blood
stem, stop, halt, check, hold back, restrain, restrict, control, contain, curb; block, dam; slow, lessen, reduce, diminish, retard; N. Amer. stanch; archaic stay.

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stave

stave something in
break in, smash in, put a hole in, push in, kick in, cave in. stave something off
avert, prevent, avoid, counter, preclude, forestall, nip in the bud; ward off, fend off, head off, keep off, keep at bay.

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stay 1

verb
he stayed where he was
remain (behind), stay behind, stay put; wait, linger, stick, be left, hold on, hang on, lodge; informal hang around/round; Brit. informal hang about; archaic bide, tarry.
they won't stay hidden
continue (to be), remain, keep, persist in being, carry on being, go on being.
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our aunt is staying with us
visit, spend time, put up, stop (off/over); holiday; lodge, room, board, have rooms, be housed, be accommodated, be quartered, be billeted; N. Amer. vacation; formal sojourn; archaic bide.
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legal proceedings were stayed
postpone, put off, delay, defer, put back, hold over/off; adjourn, suspend, prorogue; N. Amer. put over, table, lay on the table, take a rain check on; US Law continue; informal put on ice, put on the back burner.
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(poetic/literary) we must stay the enemy's advance
delay, slow down/up, hold back/up, set back, keep back, put back, put a brake on, retard; hinder, hamper, obstruct, inhibit, impede, curb , check, restrain, restrict, arrest; Brit. informal throw a spanner in the works of; N. Amer. informal throw a monkey wrench in the works of.
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ANTONYMS :leave, advance, promote.

noun
a stay at a hotel
visit, stop, stop-off, stopover, break, holiday; N. Amer. vacation; formal sojourn.
a stay of judgement
postponement, putting off, delay, deferment, deferral, putting back; adjournment, suspension, prorogation; N. Amer. tabling; US Law continuance.
Top

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stay 2

noun
the stays holding up the mast
strut, wire, brace, tether, guy, prop, rod, support, truss; Nautical shroud.
verb
her masts were well stayed
brace, tether, strut, wire, guy, prop, support, truss.

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steadfast

adjective
a steadfast friend
loyal, faithful, committed, devoted, dedicated, dependable, reliable, steady, true, constant, staunch, trusty.
a steadfast policy
firm, determined, resolute, relentless, implacable, single-minded; unchanging, unwavering, unhesitating, unfaltering, unswerving, unyielding, unflinching, uncompromising.
Top
ANTONYMS :disloyal, irresolute.

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steady

adjective
the ladder must be steady
stable, firm, fixed, secure, fast, safe, immovable, unshakeable, dependable; anchored, moored, jammed, rooted, braced.
keep the camera steady
motionless, still, unshaking, static, stationary, unmoving.
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a steady gaze
fixed, intent, unwavering, unfaltering.
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a steady young man
sensible, level-headed, rational, settled, mature, down-to-earth, full of common sense, reliable, dependable, sound, sober, serious-minded, responsible, serious.
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a steady income
constant, unchanging, regular, consistent, invariable; continuous, continual, unceasing, ceaseless, perpetual, unremitting, unwavering, unfaltering, unending, endless, round-the-clock, all-year-round.
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a steady boyfriend
regular, usual, established, settled, firm, devoted, faithful.
Top
ANTONYMS :unstable, loose, shaky, darting, flighty, immature, fluctuating, sporadic, occasional.

verb
he steadied the rifle
stabilize, hold steady; brace, support; balance, poise; secure, fix, make fast.
she needed to steady her nerves
calm, soothe, quieten, compose, settle; subdue, quell, control, get a grip on.
Top

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steal

verb
the raiders stole a fax machine
purloin, thieve, take, take for oneself, help oneself to, loot, pilfer, run off with, carry off, shoplift; embezzle, misappropriate; have one's fingers/hand in the till; informal walk off with, rob, swipe, nab, rip off, lift, "liberate", "borrow", filch, snaffle, snitch; Brit. informal nick, pinch, half-inch, whip, knock off, nobble; N. Amer. informal heist; formal peculate.
his work was stolen by his tutor
plagiarize, copy, pass off as one's own, pirate, poach, borrow; informal rip off, lift, pinch, nick, crib.
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he stole a kiss
snatch, sneak, get stealthily/surreptitiously.
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he stole out of the room
creep, sneak, slink, slip, slide, glide, tiptoe, sidle, slope, edge.
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noun
(informal) at £30 it's a steal.
See bargain noun sense 2.

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stealing

noun
theft, thieving, thievery, robbery, larceny, burglary, shoplifting, pilfering, pilferage, looting, misappropriation; embezzlement; formal peculation.

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stealth

noun
furtiveness, secretiveness, secrecy, surreptitiousness, sneakiness, slyness. ANTONYMS :openness.

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stealthy

adjective
furtive, secretive, secret, surreptitious, sneaking, sly, clandestine, covert, conspiratorial. ANTONYMS :open.

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steam

noun
steam from the kettle
water vapour, condensation, mist, haze, fog, moisture.
he ran out of steam
energy, vigour, vitality, stamina, enthusiasm; momentum, impetus, force, strength, thrust, impulse, push, drive; speed, pace.
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verb
(informal) he steamed into the shop.
See run verb sense 1.
steamed up (informal)
he got steamed up about forgetting his papers.
See agitated.

they get steamed up about the media.
See angry sense 1.
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let off steam (informal)
give vent to one's feelings, speak one's mind, speak out, sound off, lose one's inhibitions, let oneself go; use up surplus energy. steam up
mist (up/over), fog (up), become misty/misted.

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steamy

adjective
the steamy jungle
humid, muggy, sticky, dripping, moist, damp, clammy, sultry, sweaty, steaming.
(informal) a steamy love scene.
See erotic.
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(informal) they had a steamy affair
passionate, torrid, amorous, ardent, lustful; informal sizzling, hot, red-hot.
Top

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steel

steel oneself
brace oneself, nerve oneself, summon (up) one's courage, screw up one's courage, gear oneself up, prepare oneself, get in the right frame of mind; fortify oneself, harden oneself; informal psych oneself up; poetic/literary gird (up) one's loins.

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steely

adjective
steely light
blue-grey, grey, steel-coloured, steel-grey, iron-grey.
steely muscles
hard, firm, toned, rigid, stiff, tense, tensed, taut.
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steely eyes
cruel, unfeeling, merciless, ruthless, pitiless, heartless, hard-hearted, hard, stony, cold-blooded, cold-hearted, harsh, callous, severe, unrelenting, unpitying, unforgiving, uncaring, unsympathetic; poetic/literary adamantine.
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steely determination
resolute, firm, steadfast, dogged, single-minded; bitter, burning, ferocious, fanatical; ruthless, iron, grim, gritty; unquenchable, unflinching, unswerving, unfaltering, untiring, unwavering.
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ANTONYMS :flabby, kind, half-hearted.

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steep 1

adjective
steep cliffs
precipitous, sheer, abrupt, sharp, perpendicular, vertical, bluff, vertiginous.
a steep increase
sharp, sudden, precipitate, precipitous, rapid.
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(informal) steep prices
expensive, dear, costly, high, stiff; unreasonable, excessive, exorbitant, extortionate, outrageous, prohibitive; Brit. over the odds.
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ANTONYMS :gentle, gradual, reasonable.

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steep 2

verb
the ham is then steeped in brine
marinade, marinate, soak, souse, macerate; pickle.
winding sheets were steeped in mercury sulphate
soak, saturate, immerse, wet through, drench; technical ret.
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a city steeped in history
imbue with, fill with, permeate with, pervade with, suffuse with, infuse with, soak in.
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steeple

noun
spire, tower; bell tower, belfry, campanile; minaret.

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steer

verb
he steered the boat
guide, direct, manoeuvre, drive, pilot, navigate; Nautical con, helm.
Luke steered her down the path
guide, conduct, direct, lead, take, usher, shepherd, marshal, herd.
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steer clear of
keep away from, keep one's distance from, keep at arm's length, give a wide berth to, avoid, avoid dealing with, have nothing to do with, shun, eschew.

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stem 1

noun
a plant stem
stalk, shoot, trunk, stock, cane, bine. cauline.
stem from
have its origins in, arise from, originate from, spring from, derive from, come from, emanate from, flow from, proceed from; be caused by, be brought on/about by, be produced by.

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stem 2

verb
he stemmed the flow of blood
staunch, stop, halt, check, hold back, restrict, control, contain, curb; block, dam; slow, lessen, reduce, diminish; N. Amer. stanch; archaic stay.

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stench

noun
stink, reek; Brit. informal niff, pong, whiff, hum; Scottish informal guff; N. Amer. informal funk; poetic/literary miasma.

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stentorian

adjective
loud, thundering, thunderous, ear-splitting, deafening; powerful, strong, carrying; booming, resonant; strident. ANTONYMS :quiet, soft.

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step

noun
Frank took a step forward
pace, stride.
she heard a step on the stairs
footstep, footfall, tread.
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she left the room with a springy step
gait, walk, tread.
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it is only a step to the river
short distance, stone's throw, spitting distance; informal (a hop, skip, and jump).
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the top step
stair, tread; (steps) stairs, staircase, stairway.
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each step of the ladder
rung, tread.
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resigning is a very serious step
course of action, measure, move, act, action, initiative, manoeuvre, operation.
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a significant step towards a ceasefire
advance, development, move, movement; breakthrough.
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the first step on the managerial ladder
stage, level, grade, rank, degree; notch.
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verb
she stepped forward
walk, move, tread, pace, stride.
the bull had stepped on his hat
tread, stamp, trample; squash, crush, flatten.
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in step he is in step with mainstream thinking

in accord, in harmony, in agreement, in tune , in line, in keeping, in conformity. mind/watch one's step
be careful, take care, step/tread carefully, exercise care/caution, mind how one goes, look out, watch out, be wary, be on one's guard, be on the qui vive. out of step the paper was often out of step with public opinion

at odds, at variance, in disagreement, out of tune, out of line, not in keeping, out of harmony. step by step
one step at a time, bit by bit, gradually, in stages, by degrees, slowly, steadily. step down
resign, stand down, give up one's post/job, bow out, abdicate; informal quit. step in
nobody stepped in to save the bank
intervene, intercede, involve oneself, become/get involved, take a hand.

I stepped in for a sick colleague
stand in, sit in, fill in, cover, substitute, take over; replace, take someone's place; informal sub.
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step on it (informal)
hurry up, get a move on, speed up, go faster, be quick; informal get cracking, get moving, step on the gas; Brit. informal get one's skates on; N. Amer. informal get a wiggle on; dated make haste. step something up
the army stepped up its offensive
increase, intensify, strengthen, augment, escalate; informal up, crank up.

I stepped up my pace
speed up, increase, accelerate, quicken, hasten.
Top

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stereotype

noun
the stereotype of the rancher
standard/conventional image, received idea, cliché, hackneyed idea, formula.
verb
women are often stereotyped as scheming
typecast, pigeonhole, conventionalize, categorize, label, tag.

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stereotyped

adjective
stock, conventional, stereotypical, standard, formulaic, predictable; hackneyed, clichéd, cliché-ridden, banal, trite, unoriginal; typecast; informal corny, old hat. ANTONYMS :unconventional, original.

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sterile

adjective
mules are sterile
infertile, unable to reproduce/conceive, unable to have children/young; technical infecund; archaic barren.
sterile desert
unproductive, infertile, unfruitful, uncultivatable, barren.
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a sterile debate
pointless, unproductive, unfruitful, unrewarding, useless, unprofitable, profitless, futile, vain, idle; archaic bootless.
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sterile academicism
unimaginative, uninspired, uninspiring, unoriginal, stale, lifeless, musty.
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sterile conditions
aseptic, sterilized, germ-free, antiseptic, disinfected; uncontaminated, unpolluted, pure, clean; sanitary, hygienic.
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ANTONYMS :fertile, productive, creative, original, septic.

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sterilize

verb
the scalpel was first sterilized
disinfect, fumigate, decontaminate, sanitize; pasteurize; clean, cleanse, purify; technical autoclave.
over 6.5 million people were sterilized
make unable to have children, make infertile, hysterectomize, vasectomize.
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stray pets are usually sterilized
neuter, castrate, spay, geld, cut, fix, desex; N. Amer. & Austral. alter; Brit. informal doctor.
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ANTONYMS :contaminate.

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sterling

adjective
(Brit.) excellent, first-rate, first-class, exceptional, outstanding, splendid, superlative, praiseworthy, laudable, commendable, admirable, valuable, worthy, deserving. ANTONYMS :poor, unexceptional.

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stern 1

adjective
a stern expression
serious, unsmiling, frowning, severe, forbidding, grim, unfriendly, austere, dour, stony, flinty, steely, unrelenting, unforgiving, unbending, unsympathetic, disapproving.
stern measures
strict, severe, stringent, harsh, drastic, hard, tough, extreme, rigid, ruthless, rigorous, exacting, demanding, uncompromising, unsparing, inflexible, authoritarian, draconian.
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ANTONYMS :genial, friendly, lenient, lax.

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stern 2

noun
the stern of the ship
rear (end), back, after end, poop, transom, tail. ANTONYMS :bow.

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stew

noun
a beef stew
casserole, hotpot, ragout, goulash, carbonnade, daube, grillade; N. Amer. burgoo.
(informal) she's in a right old stew
panic, fluster, fret, fuss, fever; informal flap, sweat, lather, tizzy, dither, twitter, state; N. Amer. informal twit; poetic/literary pother.
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verb
stew the meat for an hour
braise, casserole, simmer, boil; jug; archaic seethe.
(informal) there's no point stewing over it.
See worry verb sense 1.
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(informal) the girls sat stewing in the heat
swelter, be very hot, perspire, sweat; informal roast, bake, be boiling.
Top

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steward

noun
an air steward
flight attendant, cabin attendant; stewardess, air hostess; N. Amer. informal stew.
the race stewards
official, marshal, organizer.
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the steward of the estate
(estate) manager, agent, overseer, custodian, caretaker; Brit. land agent, bailiff; Scottish factor; historical reeve.
Top

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stick 1

noun
a fire made of sticks
piece of wood, twig, small branch.
he walks with a stick
walking stick, cane, staff, alpenstock, crook, crutch; trademark Zimmer frame.
Top
the plants need supporting on sticks
cane, pole, post, stake, upright.
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he beat me with a stick
club, cudgel, bludgeon, shillelagh; truncheon, baton; cane, birch, switch, rod; Brit. informal cosh.
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(Brit. informal) he'll get stick for this.
See criticism sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :praise, commendation.

the sticks (informal)
the country, the countryside, rural areas, the provinces; the backwoods, the back of beyond, the wilds, the hinterland, a backwater; N. Amer. the backcountry, the backland; Austral./NZ the backblocks, the booay; S. African the backveld, the platteland; informal the middle of nowhere; N. Amer. informal the boondocks, the boonies; Austral./NZ informal Woop Woop, beyond the black stump.

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stick 2

verb
he stuck his fork into the sausage
thrust, push, insert, jab, poke, dig, plunge.
the bristles stuck into his skin
pierce, penetrate, puncture, prick, stab.
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the cup stuck to its saucer
adhere, cling, be fixed, be glued.
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stick the stamp there
affix, attach, fasten, fix; paste, glue, gum, tape, sellotape, pin, tack.
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the wheels stuck fast
become trapped, become jammed, jam, catch, become wedged, become lodged, become fixed, become embedded.
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that sticks in his mind
remain, stay, linger, dwell, persist, continue, last, endure.
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the charges won't stick
be upheld, hold, be believed; informal hold water.
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(informal) just stick that sandwich on my desk
put (down), place, set (down), lay (down), deposit, position; leave, stow; informal dump, bung, park, plonk, pop; N. Amer. informal plunk.
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(Brit. informal) I can't stick it any longer
tolerate, put up with, take, stand, stomach, endure, bear; Scottish thole; informal abide.
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stick at
persevere with, persist with, keep at, work at, continue with, carry on with, not give up with, hammer away at, stay with; go the distance, stay the course; informal soldier on with, hang in there. stick by
be loyal to, be faithful to, be true to, stand by, keep faith with, keep one's promise to. stick it out
put up with it, grin and bear it, keep at it, keep going, stay with it, see it through; persevere, persist, carry on, struggle on; informal hang in there, soldier on, tough it out. stick out
his front teeth stuck out
protrude, jut (out), project, stand out, extend, poke out; bulge, overhang.

they stuck out in their strange clothes
be noticeable, be visible, be obvious, be conspicuous, stand out, be obtrusive, be prominent, attract attention, catch the eye, leap out, show up; informal stick/stand out a mile, stick/stand out like a sore thumb.
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stick to he stuck to his promise

abide by, keep, adhere to, hold to, comply with, fulfil, make good, stand by. stick up for
support, take someone's side, side with, be on the side of, stand by, stand up for, take someone's part, defend, come to the defence of, champion, speak up for, fight for.

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stick-in-the-mud

noun
(informal) (old) fogey, conservative, fossil, troglodyte; Brit. museum piece; informal fuddy-duddy, square, stuffed shirt.

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sticky

adjective
sticky tape
(self-)adhesive, gummed; technical adherent.
sticky clay
glutinous, viscous, viscid, ropy; gluey, tacky, gummy, treacly, syrupy; mucilaginous; Brit. claggy; informal gooey, gloopy, icky; Brit. informal gungy; N. Amer. informal gloppy.
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sticky weather
humid, muggy, close, sultry, steamy, sweaty.
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a sticky situation
awkward, difficult, tricky, ticklish, problematic, delicate, touch-and-go, embarrassing, sensitive, uncomfortable; informal hairy.
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ANTONYMS :dry, fresh, cool, easy.

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stiff

adjective
stiff cardboard
rigid, hard, firm, inelastic, inflexible.
a stiff paste
semi-solid, viscous, viscid, thick, stiffened, firm.
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I'm stiff all over
aching, achy, painful; arthritic, rheumatic; informal creaky, rheumaticky, rusty.
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a rather stiff manner
formal, reserved, unfriendly, chilly, cold, frigid, icy, austere, wooden, forced, strained, stilted; informal starchy, uptight, stand-offish.
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a stiff fine
harsh, severe, heavy, crippling, punishing, stringent, drastic, draconian; Brit. swingeing.
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stiff resistance
vigorous, determined, full of determination, strong, spirited, resolute, tenacious, steely, four-square, unflagging, unyielding, dogged, stubborn, obdurate; N. Amer. rock-ribbed.
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a stiff climb
difficult, hard, arduous, tough, strenuous, laborious, uphill, exacting, tiring, demanding, formidable, challenging, punishing, gruelling; informal killing, hellish; Brit. informal knackering.
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a stiff breeze
strong, fresh, brisk.
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a stiff drink
strong, potent, alcoholic.
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ANTONYMS :flexible, plastic, limp, runny, supple, limber, relaxed, informal, lenient, mild, half-hearted, easy, gentle, weak.

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stiffen

verb
stir until the mixture stiffens
become stiff, thicken; set, become solid, solidify, harden, gel, congeal, coagulate, clot.
she stiffened her muscles | without exercise, joints will stiffen
make/become stiff, tense (up), tighten, tauten.
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intimidation stiffened their resolve
strengthen, harden, toughen, fortify, reinforce, give a boost to.
Top
ANTONYMS :soften, liquefy, relax, weaken.

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stifle

verb
she stifled him with a bolster
suffocate, choke, asphyxiate, smother.
Eleanor stifled a giggle
suppress, smother, restrain, fight back, choke back, gulp back, check, swallow, curb, silence.
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cartels stifle competition
constrain, hinder, hamper, impede, hold back, curb, check, restrain, prevent, inhibit, suppress.
Top
ANTONYMS :let out, encourage.

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stifling

adjective
airless, suffocating, oppressive; very hot, sweltering; humid, close, muggy; informal boiling. ANTONYMS :fresh, airy, cold.

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stigma

noun
shame, disgrace, dishonour, ignominy, opprobrium, humiliation. ANTONYMS :honour, credit.

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stigmatize

verb
condemn, denounce; brand, label, mark out; disparage, vilify, pillory, pour scorn on, defame.

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still

adjective
Polly lay still
motionless, unmoving, not moving a muscle, stock-still, immobile, like a statue, as if turned to stone, rooted to the spot, transfixed, static, stationary.
a still night
quiet, silent, hushed, soundless, noiseless, undisturbed; calm, peaceful, serene, windless; poetic/literary stilly.
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the lake was still
calm, flat, even, smooth, placid, tranquil, pacific, waveless, glassy, like a millpond, unruffled.
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ANTONYMS :moving, active, noisy, rough.

noun
the still of the night
quietness, quiet, quietude, silence, stillness, hush, soundlessness; calm, tranquillity, peace, serenity. ANTONYMS :noise, disturbance, hubbub.

adverb
he's still here
up to this time, up to the present time, until now, even now, yet.
He's crazy. Still, he's harmless
nevertheless, nonetheless, all the same, just the same, anyway, anyhow, even so, yet, but, however, notwithstanding, despite that, in spite of that, for all that, be that as it may, in any event, at any rate; informal still and all.
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verb
he stilled the crowd
quieten, quiet, silence, hush; calm, settle, pacify, soothe, lull, allay, subdue.
the wind stilled
abate, die down, lessen, subside, ease up/off, let up, moderate, slacken, weaken.
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ANTONYMS :stir up, get stronger, get up.

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stilted

adjective
strained, forced, contrived, constrained, laboured, stiff, self-conscious, awkward, unnatural, wooden. ANTONYMS :natural, effortless, spontaneous.

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stimulant

noun
caffeine is a stimulant
tonic, restorative; antidepressant; informal pep pill, upper, pick-me-up, bracer; Medicine analeptic.
a stimulant to discussion
stimulus, incentive, encouragement, impetus, inducement, fillip, boost, spur, prompt; informal shot in the arm.
Top
ANTONYMS :sedative, downer, deterrent.

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stimulate

verb
encourage, act as a stimulus/incentive/impetus/fillip/spur to, prompt, prod, move, motivate, trigger, spark, spur on, galvanize, activate, kindle, fire, fire with enthusiasm, fuel, whet, nourish; inspire, incentivize, inspirit, rouse, excite, animate, electrify; N. Amer. light a fire under, spirit someone up. ANTONYMS :discourage.

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stimulating

adjective
a stimulating effect on the circulation
restorative, tonic, invigorating, bracing, energizing, reviving, refreshing, revitalizing, revivifying; Medicine analeptic.
a stimulating lecture
thought-provoking, interesting, fascinating, inspiring, inspirational, lively, sparkling, exciting, stirring, rousing, intriguing, giving one food for thought, refreshing; provocative, challenging.
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ANTONYMS :sedative, uninspiring, uninteresting, boring.

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stimulus

noun
spur, stimulant, encouragement, impetus, boost, prompt, prod, incentive, inducement, inspiration, fillip; motivation, impulse; informal shot in the arm. ANTONYMS :deterrent, discouragement.

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sting

noun
a bee sting
prick, wound, injury, puncture.
this cream will take the sting away
smart, pricking; pain, soreness, hurt, irritation.
Top
the sting of his betrayal
heartache, heartbreak, agony, torture, torment, hurt, pain, anguish.
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there was a sting in her words
sharpness, severity, bite, edge, pointedness, asperity; sarcasm, acrimony, malice, spite, venom.
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(informal) the victim of a sting
swindle, fraud, deception; trickery, sharp practice; informal rip-off, con, con trick, fiddle; N. Amer. informal bunco.
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verb
she was stung by a scorpion
prick, wound; poison.
the smoke made her eyes sting
smart, burn, hurt, be irritated, be sore.
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the criticism stung her
upset, wound, cut to the quick, sear, grieve, hurt, pain, torment, mortify.
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he was stung into action
provoke, goad, incite, spur, prick, prod, rouse, drive, galvanize.
Top
(informal) they stung a bank for thousands
swindle, defraud, cheat, fleece, gull; informal rip off, screw, shaft, bilk, do, rook, diddle, take for a ride, skin; N. Amer. informal chisel, gouge; Brit. informal, dated rush.
Top
ANTONYMS :deter.

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stingy

adjective
(informal) mean, miserly, niggardly, close-fisted, parsimonious, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, Scrooge-like; informal tight-fisted, tight, mingy, money-grubbing; N. Amer. informal cheap; formal penurious; archaic near, niggard. ANTONYMS :generous, liberal.

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stink

verb
his clothes stank of sweat
reek, smell (foul/bad/disgusting), stink/smell to high heaven.
(informal) the whole idea stinks
be very unpleasant, be abhorrent, be despicable, be contemptible, be disgusting, be vile, be foul; N. Amer. informal suck.
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(informal) the whole affair stinks of a set-up
smack, reek, give the impression, have all the hallmarks; strongly suggest.
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noun
the stink of sweat
stench, reek, foul/bad smell, malodour; Brit. informal pong, niff, hum; Scottish informal guff; N. Amer. informal funk; poetic/literary miasma.
(informal) she kicked up a stink
fuss, commotion, rumpus, ruckus, trouble, outcry, uproar, brouhaha, furore; informal song and dance, to-do, kerfuffle, hoo-ha; Brit. informal row, carry-on.
Top

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stinking

adjective
stinking rubbish
foul-smelling, smelly, reeking, fetid, malodorous, rank, putrid, noxious; informal stinky, reeky; Brit. informal niffing, niffy, pongy, whiffy, humming; N. Amer. informal funky; poetic/literary miasmic, noisome.
(informal) a stinking cold
dreadful, awful, terrible, frightful, ghastly, nasty, foul, vile; Brit. informal rotten, shocking.
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ANTONYMS :sweet-smelling, aromatic, mild, slight.

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stint

verb
we saved by stinting on food
skimp, scrimp, be economical, economize, be sparing, hold back, be frugal; be mean, be parsimonious; limit, restrict; informal be stingy, be mingy, be tight.
noun
a two-week stint in the office
spell, stretch, turn, session, term, shift, tour of duty.

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stipulate

verb
specify, set down, set out, lay down; demand, require, insist on, make a condition of, prescribe, impose; Law provide.

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stipulation

noun
condition, precondition, proviso, provision, prerequisite, specification; demand, requirement; rider, caveat, qualification.

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stir

verb
stir the mixture well
mix, blend, agitate; beat, whip, whisk, fold in; N. Amer. muddle.
Travis stirred in his sleep
move slightly, change one's position, shift.
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a breeze stirred the leaves
disturb, rustle, shake, move, flutter, agitate.
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he finally stirred at ten o'clock
get up, get out of bed, rouse oneself, rise; wake (up), awaken; informal rise and shine, surface, show signs of life; formal arise; poetic/literary waken.
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I never stirred from here
move, budge, make a move, shift, go away; leave.
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symbolism can stir the imagination
arouse, rouse, fire, kindle, inspire, stimulate, excite, awaken, quicken; poetic/literary waken.
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the war stirred him to action
spur, drive, rouse, prompt, propel, prod, motivate, encourage; urge, impel; provoke, goad, prick, sting, incite; N. Amer. light a fire under.
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ANTONYMS :go to bed, retire, go to sleep, stultify, stay, stay put.

noun
the news caused a stir
commotion, disturbance, fuss, excitement, turmoil, sensation; informal to-do, hoo-ha, hullabaloo, flap, splash.
stir something up
whip up, work up, foment, fan the flames of, trigger, spark off, precipitate, excite, provoke, incite.

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stirring

adjective
exciting, thrilling, rousing, stimulating, moving, inspiring, inspirational, passionate, impassioned, emotional, heady. ANTONYMS :boring, pedestrian.

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stitch

noun
he was panting and had a stitch
sharp pain, stabbing pain, shooting pain, stab of pain, pang, twinge, spasm.
verb
the seams are stitched by hand
sew, baste, tack; seam, hem; darn.
stitch someone up (Brit. informal)
falsely incriminate, get someone into trouble; informal frame, set up; Brit. informal fit someone up, drop someone in it.

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stock

noun
the shop carries little stock
merchandise, goods, wares, items/articles for sale, inventory.
a stock of fuel
store, supply, stockpile, reserve, hoard, cache, bank, accumulation, quantity, collection.
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farm stock
animals, livestock, beasts; flocks, herds.
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blue-chip stocks
shares, securities, equities, bonds.
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his stock is low with most voters
popularity, favour, regard, estimation, standing, status, reputation, name, prestige.
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his mother was of French stock
descent, ancestry, origin(s), parentage, pedigree, lineage, line (of descent), heritage, birth, extraction, family, blood, bloodline.
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chicken stock
bouillon, broth.
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the stock of a weapon
handle, butt, haft, grip, shaft, shank.
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adjective
a stock size
standard, regular, normal, established, set; common, readily/widely available; staple.
the stock response
usual, routine, predictable, set, standard, staple, customary, familiar, conventional, traditional, stereotyped, clichéd, hackneyed, unoriginal, formulaic.
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ANTONYMS :non-standard, original, unusual.

verb
we do not stock GM food
sell, carry, keep (in stock), offer, have (for sale), retail, supply.
the fridge was well stocked with milk
supply, provide, furnish, provision, equip, fill, load.
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in stock
for/on sale, (immediately) available, on the shelf. stock up on/with
amass supplies of, stockpile, hoard, cache, lay in, buy up/in, put away/by, put/set aside, collect, accumulate, save; informal squirrel away, salt away, stash away. take stock of
review, assess, weigh up, appraise, evaluate; informal size up.

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stockings

plural noun
nylons, stay-ups; tights; hosiery, hose; N. Amer. pantyhose.

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stockpile

noun
a stockpile of weapons
stock, store, supply, accumulation, collection, reserve, hoard, cache; informal stash.
verb
food had been stockpiled
store up, amass, accumulate, store (up), stock up on, hoard, cache, collect, lay in, put away, put/set aside, put by, put away for a rainy day, stow away, save; informal salt away, stash away.

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stock-still

adjective
motionless, completely still, unmoving, not moving a muscle, immobile, like a statue, as if turned to stone, rooted to the spot, transfixed, static, stationary. ANTONYMS :moving, active.

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stocky

adjective
thickset, sturdy, heavily built, chunky, burly, strapping, brawny, solid, heavy, hefty, beefy. ANTONYMS :slender, skinny.

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stodgy

adjective
a stodgy pudding
solid, substantial, filling, hearty, heavy, starchy, indigestible.
stodgy writing
boring, dull, uninteresting, dreary, turgid, tedious, dry, heavy going, unimaginative, uninspired, unexciting, unoriginal, monotonous, humdrum, prosaic, staid; informal deadly, square.
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ANTONYMS :light, interesting, lively.

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stoical

adjective
long-suffering, uncomplaining, patient, forbearing, accepting, tolerant, resigned, phlegmatic, philosophical.ANTONYMS :complaining, intolerant.

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stoicism

noun
patience, forbearance, resignation, fortitude, endurance, acceptance, tolerance, philosophicalness, phlegm. ANTONYMS :intolerance.

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stoke

verb
add fuel to, mend, keep burning, tend.

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stolid

adjective
impassive, phlegmatic, unemotional, cool, calm, placid, unexcitable; dependable; unimaginative, dull. ANTONYMS :emotional, lively, imaginative.

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stomach

noun
a stomach pain
abdomen, belly, gut, middle; informal tummy, tum, breadbasket, insides.
his fat stomach
paunch, pot belly, beer belly, girth; informal beer gut, pot, tummy, spare tyre, middle-aged spread; N. Amer. informal bay window; dated, humorous corporation.
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he had no stomach for it
appetite, taste, hunger, thirst; inclination, desire, relish, fancy.
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gastric.
verb
I can't stomach butter
digest, keep down, manage to eat/consume, tolerate, take.
they couldn't stomach the sight
tolerate, put up with, take, stand, endure, bear; Scottish thole; informal hack, abide; Brit. informal stick.
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stomach ache

noun
indigestion, dyspepsia; colic, gripe; informal bellyache, tummy ache, gut ache, collywobbles.

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stone

noun
someone threw a stone at me
rock, pebble, boulder.
a commemorative stone
tablet, monument, monolith, obelisk; gravestone, headstone, tombstone.
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paving stones
slab, flagstone, flag, sett.
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a precious stone
gem, gemstone, jewel, semi-precious stone, brilliant; informal rock, sparkler.
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a peach stone
kernel, seed, pip, pit.
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lithic, lapidary.

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stony

adjective
a stony path
rocky, pebbly, gravelly, shingly; rough, hard.
a stony stare
unfriendly, hostile, cold, chilly, frosty, icy; hard, flinty, steely, stern, severe; fixed, expressionless, blank, poker-faced, deadpan; unfeeling, uncaring, unsympathetic, indifferent, cold-hearted, callous, heartless, hard-hearted, stony-hearted, merciless, pitiless.
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ANTONYMS :smooth, friendly, sympathetic.

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stooge

noun
a government stooge
underling, minion, lackey, subordinate; henchman; puppet, pawn, cat's paw; informal sidekick; Brit. informal dogsbody, poodle.
a comedian's stooge
butt, foil, straight man.
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stoop

verb
she stooped to pick up the pen
bend (over/down), lean over/down, crouch (down).
he stooped his head
lower, bend, incline, bow, duck.
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he stoops when he walks
hunch one's shoulders, walk with a stoop, be round-shouldered.
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Davis would stoop to crime
lower oneself, sink, descend, resort; go as far as, sink as low as.
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noun
a man with a stoop
hunch, round shoulders; curvature of the spine; Medicine kyphosis.

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stop

verb
we can't stop the decline
put an end/stop/halt to, bring to an end/stop/halt/close/standstill, end, halt; finish, terminate, wind up, discontinue, cut short, interrupt, nip in the bud; deactivate, shut down.
he stopped running
cease, discontinue, desist from, break off; give up, abandon, abstain from, cut out; informal quit, leave off, knock off, pack in, lay off, give over; Brit. informal jack in.
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the car stopped
pull up, draw up, come to a stop/halt, come to rest, pull in, pull over; park.
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the music stopped
come to an end/stop/standstill, cease, end, finish, draw to a close, be over, conclude, terminate; pause, break off; peter out, fade away.
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divers stopped the flow of oil
stem, staunch, hold back, check, curb, block, dam; N. Amer. stanch; archaic stay.
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the police stopped her leaving
prevent, hinder, obstruct, impede, block, bar, preclude; dissuade from.
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the council stopped the Kilmarnock scheme
thwart, baulk, foil, frustrate, stand in the way of; scotch, derail; informal put paid to, put the kibosh on, do for, stymie; Brit. informal scupper.
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the firm stops your tax
withhold, keep back, hold back, deduct, take away, refuse to pay.
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just stop the bottle with your thumb
block (up), plug, close (up), fill (up); seal, caulk, bung up; technical occlude.
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ANTONYMS :start, begin, continue, allow, encourage, expedite, pay, open.

noun
all business came to a stop
halt, end, finish, close, standstill; cessation, conclusion, stoppage, discontinuation.
a brief stop in the town
break, stopover, stop-off, stay, visit; formal sojourn.
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the next stop is Oxford Street
stopping place, halt, station, stage.
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a full stop
(full) point; N. Amer. period.
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ANTONYMS :start, beginning, continuation.

put a stop to. See stop verb senses 1, 7. stop off/over
break one's journey, take a break, pause; stay, remain, put up, lodge, rest; formal sojourn.

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stopgap

noun
that old plane was merely a stopgap
temporary solution, expedient, makeshift; substitute, stand-in.
adjective
a stopgap measure
temporary, provisional, interim, pro tem, short-term, working, makeshift, emergency; caretaker, acting, stand-in, fill-in. ANTONYMS :permanent.

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stopover

noun
break, stop, stop-off, visit, stay; formal sojourn.

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stoppage

noun
the stoppage of production
discontinuation, stopping, halting, cessation, termination, end, finish; interruption, suspension, breaking off.
a stoppage of the blood supply
obstruction, blocking, blockage, block; Medicine occlusion, stasis.
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a stoppage over pay
strike, walkout; industrial action.
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(Brit.) she was paid £3.40 an hour before stoppages
deduction, subtraction.
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ANTONYMS :start, continuation.

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stopper

noun
bung, plug, cork, spigot, spile, seal; N. Amer. stopple.

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store

noun
a store of food
stock, supply, stockpile, hoard, cache, reserve, bank, pool.
a grain store
storeroom, storehouse, repository, depository, stockroom, depot, warehouse, magazine; informal lock-up.
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ship's stores
supplies, provisions, stocks, necessities; food, rations, provender; materials, equipment, hardware; Military materiel, accoutrements; Nautical chandlery.
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a DIY store
shop, (retail) outlet, boutique, department store, chain store, emporium; supermarket, hypermarket, superstore, megastore.
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verb
rabbits don't store food
keep, keep in reserve, stockpile, lay in, put/set aside, put away/by, put away for a rainy day, save, collect, accumulate, hoard, cache; informal squirrel away, salt away, stash away. ANTONYMS :use, discard.

set (great) store by
value, attach great importance to, put a high value on, put a premium on; think highly of, hold in (high) regard, have a high opinion of; informal rate.

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storehouse

noun
warehouse, depository, repository, store, storeroom, depot.

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storey

noun
floor, level, deck.

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storm

noun
battered by a storm
tempest, squall; gale, hurricane, tornado, cyclone, typhoon; thunderstorm, rainstorm, monsoon, hailstorm, snowstorm, blizzard; N. Amer. williwaw, windstorm.
a storm of bullets
volley, salvo, fusillade, barrage, cannonade; shower, spray, hail, rain.
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there was a storm over his remarks
uproar, outcry, fuss, furore, brouhaha, rumpus, trouble, hue and cry, controversy; informal to-do, hoo-ha, hullabaloo, ballyhoo, ructions, stink; Brit. informal row.
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a storm of protest
outburst, outbreak, explosion, eruption, outpouring, surge, blaze, flare-up, wave.
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verb
she stormed out
stride angrily, stomp, march, stalk, flounce, stamp, fling.
his mother stormed at him
rant, rave, shout, bellow, roar, thunder, rage.
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police stormed the building
attack, charge, rush, assail, descend on, swoop on.
Top

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stormy

adjective
stormy weather
blustery, squally, windy, gusty, blowy; rainy, thundery; wild, tempestuous, turbulent, violent, rough, foul.
a stormy debate
angry, heated, fiery, fierce, furious, passionate, "lively".
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ANTONYMS :calm, fine, peaceful.

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story

noun
an adventure story
tale, narrative, account, anecdote; informal yarn, spiel.
the novel has a good story
plot, storyline, scenario; formal diegesis.
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the story appeared in the papers
news item, news report, article, feature, piece.
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there have been a lot of stories going round
rumour, piece of gossip, whisper; speculation; Austral./NZ informal furphy.
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Harper changed his story
testimony, statement, report, account, version.
Top
Ellie never told stories.
See falsehood sense 1.
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storyteller

noun
narrator, teller of tales, raconteur, raconteuse, fabulist, anecdotalist; Austral. informal magsman.

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stout

adjective
a short stout man
fat, plump, portly, rotund, dumpy, chunky, corpulent; stocky, burly, bulky, hefty, solidly built, thickset; informal tubby, pudgy; Brit. informal podgy, fubsy; N. Amer. informal zaftig, corn-fed; archaic pursy.
stout leather shoes
strong, sturdy, solid, substantial, robust, tough, durable, hard-wearing.
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stout resistance
determined, vigorous, forceful, spirited; staunch, steadfast, stalwart, firm, resolute, unyielding, dogged; brave, bold, courageous, valiant, valorous, gallant, fearless, doughty, intrepid; informal gutsy, spunky.
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ANTONYMS :thin, flimsy, feeble.

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stout-hearted

adjective
brave, determined, courageous, bold, plucky, spirited, valiant, valorous, gallant, fearless, doughty, intrepid, stalwart; informal gutsy, spunky.

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stove

noun
oven, range, cooker.

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stow

verb
Barney stowed her luggage in the boot
pack, load, store, place, put (away), deposit, stash. ANTONYMS :unload.

stow away
hide, conceal oneself, travel secretly.

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straddle

verb
she straddled the motorbike
sit/stand astride, bestride, mount, get on.
a mountain range straddling the border
lie on both sides of, extend across, span.
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(N. Amer.) he straddled the issue of taxes
be equivocal about, be undecided about, equivocate about, vacillate about, waver about; informal sit on the fence.
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strafe

verb
bomb, shell, bombard, fire on, machine-gun, rake with gunfire, enfilade; archaic fusillade.

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straggle

verb
trail, lag, dawdle, walk slowly; fall behind, bring up the rear.

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straggly

adjective
untidy, messy, unkempt, straggling, dishevelled.

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straight

adjective
a long, straight road
unswerving, undeviating, linear, as straight as an arrow, uncurving, unbending.
that picture isn't straight
level, even, in line, aligned, square; vertical, upright, perpendicular; horizontal.
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we must get the place straight
in order, (neat and) tidy, neat, shipshape (and Bristol fashion), orderly, spick and span, organized, arranged, sorted out, straightened out.
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a straight answer
honest, direct, frank, candid, truthful, sincere, forthright, straightforward, plain-spoken, blunt, straight from the shoulder, unequivocal, unambiguous; informal upfront.
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straight thinking
logical, rational, clear, lucid, sound, coherent.
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three straight wins
successive, in succession, consecutive, in a row, running; informal on the trot.
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straight brandy
undiluted, neat, pure; N. Amer. informal straight up.
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(informal) she's very straight
respectable, conventional, conservative, traditional, old-fashioned, strait-laced; informal st uffy, square, fuddy-duddy.
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ANTONYMS :winding, crooked, untidy, evasive.

adverb
he looked me straight in the eyes
right, directly, squarely, full; informal smack, (slap) bang; N. Amer. informal spang, smack dab.
she drove straight home
directly, right, by a direct route.
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I'll call you straight back
right away, straight away, immediately, directly, at once; archaic straightway.
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I told her straight
frankly, directly, candidly, honestly, forthrightly, plainly, point-blank, bluntly, flatly, straight from the shoulder, without beating about the bush, without mincing words, unequivocally, unambiguously, in plain English, to someone's face; Brit. informal straight up.
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he can't think straight
logically, rationally, clearly, lucidly, coherently, cogently.
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go straight
reform, mend one's ways, turn over a new leaf, get back on the straight and narrow. straight away
at once, right away, (right) now, this/that (very) minute, this/that instant, immediately, instantly, directly, forthwith, without further/more ado, promptly, quickly, without delay, then and there, here and now, a.s.a.p., as soon as possible, as quickly as possible; N. Amer. in short order; informal straight off, in double quick time, p.d.q., pretty damn quick, pronto, before you can say Jack Robinson; N. Amer. informal lickety-split; archaic straight, straightway. straight from the shoulder. See straight adverb sense 4.

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straighten

verb
Rory straightened his tie
make straight, adjust, arrange, rearrange, (make) tidy, spruce up.
we must straighten things out with Viola
put/set right, sort out, clear up, settle, resolve, put in order, regularize, rectify, remedy; informal patch up.
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he straightened up
stand up (straight), stand upright.
Top

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straightforward

adjective
the process was remarkably straightforward
uncomplicated, simple, easy, effortless, painless, undemanding, plain sailing, child's play; informal as easy as falling off a log, as easy as pie, a piece of cake, a cinch, a snip, a doddle, a breeze, a cakewalk; Brit. informal easy-peasy, a doss; N. Amer. informal duck soup, a snap; Austral./NZ informal a bludge, a snack.
a straightforward man
honest, frank, candid, open, truthful, sincere, on the level; forthright, plain-speaking, direct, unambiguous; informal upfront; N. Amer. informal on the up and up.
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ANTONYMS :complicated.

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strain 1

verb
take care that you don't strain yourself
overtax, overwork, overextend, overreach, drive too far, overdo it; exhaust, wear out; informal knacker, knock oneself out.
you have strained a muscle
injure, damage, pull, wrench, twist, sprain.
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we strained to haul the guns up the slope
struggle, labour, toil, make every effort, try very hard, break one's back, push/drive oneself to the limit; informal pull out all the stops, go all out, bust a gut; Austral. informal go for the doctor.
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the flood of refugees is straining the relief services
make excessive demands on, overtax, be too much for, test, tax, put a strain on.
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the bear strained at the chain
pull, tug, heave, haul, jerk; informal yank.
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(archaic) she strained the infant to her bosom
clasp, press, clutch, hold tight; embrace, hug, enfold, envelop.
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strain the mixture
sieve, sift, filter, screen, riddle; rare filtrate.
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noun
the rope snapped under the strain
tension, tightness, tautness.
muscle strain
injury, sprain, wrench, twist.
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the strain of her job
pressure, demands, burdens; stress; informal hassle.
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Melissa was showing signs of strain
stress, (nervous) tension; exhaustion, fatigue, pressure of work, overwork.
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the strains of Brahms's lullaby
sound, music; melody, tune.
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strain 2

noun
a different strain of flu
variety, kind, type, sort; breed, genus.
Hawthorne was of Puritan strain
descent, ancestry, origin(s), parentage, lineage, extraction, family, roots.
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there was a strain of insanity in the family
tendency, susceptibility, propensity, proneness; trait, disposition.
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a strain of solemnity
element, strand, vein, note, trace, touch, suggestion, hint.
Top

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strained

adjective
relations between them were strained
awkward, tense, uneasy, uncomfortable, edgy, difficult, troubled.
Jean's strained face
drawn, careworn, worn, pinched, tired, exhausted, drained, haggard.
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a strained smile
forced, constrained, unnatural; artificial, insincere, false, affected, put-on.
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ANTONYMS :friendly.

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strainer

noun
sieve, colander, filter, sifter, riddle, screen; archaic griddle.

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strait

noun
a strait about six miles wide
channel, sound, inlet, stretch of water.
the company is in desperate straits
a bad/difficult situation, difficulty, trouble, crisis, a mess, a predicament, a plight; informal hot/deep water, a jam, a hole, a bind, a fix, a scrape.
Top

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straitened

adjective
impoverished, poverty-stricken, poor, destitute, penniless, on one's beam-ends, as poor as a church mouse, in penury, impecunious, unable to make ends meet, in reduced circumstances; Brit. on the breadline; informal (flat) broke, strapped for cash, on one's uppers; Brit. informal stony broke, skint, in Queer Street; N. Amer. informal stone broke; formal penurious.

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strait-laced

adjective
prim (and proper), prudish, puritanical, prissy, mimsy, niminy-piminy; conservative, old-fashioned, stuffy, staid, narrow-minded; informal starchy, square, fuddy-duddy. ANTONYMS :broad-minded.

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strand 1

noun
strands of wool
thread, filament, fibre; length, ply.
the various strands of the ecological movement
element, component, factor, ingredient, aspect, feature, strain.
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strand 2

noun
(poetic/literary) a walk along the strand
seashore, shore, beach, sands, foreshore, shoreline, seaside, waterfront, front, waterside.

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stranded

adjective
a stranded ship
beached, grounded, run aground, high and dry; shipwrecked, wrecked, marooned.
she was stranded in a strange city
helpless, without resources, in difficulties; in the lurch, abandoned, deserted.
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strange

adjective
strange things have been happening
unusual, odd, curious, peculiar, funny, bizarre, weird, uncanny, queer, unexpected, unfamiliar, atypical, anomalous, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, puzzling, mystifying, mysterious, perplexing, baffling, unaccountable, inexplicable, singular, freakish; suspicious, questionable; eerie, unnatural; informal fishy, creepy, spooky.
strange clothes
weird, eccentric, odd, peculiar, funny, bizarre, unusual; unconventional, outlandish, freakish, quirky, zany; informal wacky, way out, freaky, kooky, offbeat, off the wall; N. Amer. informal screwy, wacko.
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visiting a strange house
unfamiliar, unknown, new.
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Jean was feeling strange
ill, unwell, poorly, peaky; Brit. off colour; informal under the weather, funny, peculiar, lousy; Brit. informal off, ropy, grotty; Austral./NZ informal crook; dated queer.
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she felt strange with him
ill at ease, uneasy, uncomfortable , awkward, self-conscious.
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(archaic) I am strange to the work.
See a stranger to at stranger.
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ANTONYMS :ordinary, familiar.

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strangeness

noun
oddity, eccentricity, peculiarity, curiousness, bizarreness, weirdness, queerness, unusualness, abnormality, unaccountability, inexplicability, incongruousness, outlandishness, singularity.

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stranger

noun
newcomer, new arrival, visitor, outsider; Austral. informal blow-in.
a stranger to
unaccustomed to, unfamiliar with, unused to, new to, fresh to, inexperienced in; archaic strange to.

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strangle

verb
the victim was strangled with a scarf
throttle, choke, garrotte; informal strangulate.
she strangled a sob
suppress, smother, stifle, repress, restrain, fight back, choke back.
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bureaucracy is strangling commercial activity
hamper, hinder, impede, restrict, inhibit, curb, check, constrain, squash, crush, suppress, repress.
Top

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strap

noun
thick leather straps
thong, tie, band, belt.
verb
a bag was strapped to the bicycle
fasten, secure, tie, bind, make fast, lash, truss.
his knee was strapped up
bandage, bind.
Top
his father strapped him.
See lash verb sense 1.
Top

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strapping

adjective
big, strong, well built, brawny, burly, broad-shouldered, muscular, rugged; informal hunky, beefy; dated stalwart. ANTONYMS :weedy.

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stratagem

noun
plan, scheme, tactic, manoeuvre, ploy, device, trick, ruse, plot, machination, dodge; subterfuge, artifice; Brit. informal wheeze; Austral. informal lurk; archaic shift.

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strategic

adjective
planned, calculated, tactical, politic, judicious, prudent, shrewd.

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strategy

noun
the government's economic strategy
master plan, grand design, game plan, plan (of action), policy, programme; tactics.
military strategy
the art of war, (military) tactics.
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stratum

noun
a stratum of flint
layer, vein, seam, lode, bed.
this stratum of society
level, class, echelon, rank, grade, group, set; caste; dated station, estate.
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stray

verb
the gazelle had strayed from the herd
wander off, go astray, get separated, get lost.
we strayed from our original topic
digress, deviate, wander, get sidetracked, go off at a tangent; get off the subject.
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the young men were likely to stray
be unfaithful, have affairs, philander; informal play around, play the field.
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he strayed from the path of righteousness
sin, transgress, err, go astray; archaic trespass.
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(poetic/literary) straying about in a strange place
roam, rove, wander, drift.
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adjective
a stray dog
homeless, lost, strayed, gone astray, abandoned.
a stray bullet
random, chance, freak, unexpected, isolated, lone, single.
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noun
wardens who deal with strays
homeless animal, stray dog/cat, waif.

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streak

noun
a streak of orange light
band, line, strip, stripe, vein, slash, ray.
green streaks on her legs
mark, smear, smudge, stain, blotch; informal splotch.
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a streak of self-destructiveness
element, vein, touch, strain; trait, characteristic.
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a winning streak
period, spell, stretch, run; Brit. informal patch.
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verb
the sky was streaked with red
stripe, band, fleck; archaic freak.
overalls streaked with paint
mark, daub, smear; informal splotch.
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Miranda streaked across the road.
See run verb sense 1.
Top

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streaky

adjective
striped, stripy, streaked, banded, veined, brindled.

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stream

noun
a mountain stream
brook, rivulet, rill, runnel, streamlet, freshet; tributary; Scottish & N. English burn; N. English beck; S. English bourn; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ creek; Austral. billabong.
a stream of boiling water
jet, flow, rush, gush, surge, torrent, flood, cascade, outpouring, outflow; technical efflux.
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a steady stream of visitors
succession, series, string.
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verb
tears were streaming down her face
flow, pour, course, run, gush, surge, flood, cascade, spill.
children streamed out of the classrooms
pour, surge, flood, swarm, pile, crowd.
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a flag streamed from the mast
flutter, float, flap, fly, blow, waft, wave.
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streamer

noun
pennant, pennon, flag, banderole, banner.

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streamlined

adjective
streamlined cars
aerodynamic, smooth, sleek, elegant.
a streamlined organization
efficient, smooth-running, well run, slick; time-saving, labour-saving.
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street

noun
Amsterdam's narrow cobbled streets
road, thoroughfare, avenue, drive, boulevard, parade; side street/road, lane; N. Amer. highway.
the man/woman in the street
an ordinary person, Mr/ Mrs Average; Brit. informal Joe Bloggs, Joe Public, the man on the Clapham omnibus; N. Amer. informal John Doe, Joe Sixpack. on the streets
homeless, sleeping rough, down and out.

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strength

noun
enormous physical strength
power, brawn, muscle, muscularity, burliness, sturdiness, robustness, toughness, hardiness; vigour, force, might; informal beef; poetic/literary thew.
Oliver began to regain his strength
health, fitness, vigour, stamina.
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her great inner strength
fortitude, resilience, spirit, backbone, strength of character; courage, bravery, pluck, pluckiness, courageousness, grit; informal guts, spunk.
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the strength of the retaining wall
robustness, sturdiness, firmness, toughness, soundness, solidity, durability.
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Europe's military strength
power, influence, dominance, ascendancy, supremacy; informal clout; poetic/literary puissance.
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the strength of feeling against the president
intensity, vehemence, force, forcefulness, depth, ardour, fervour.
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the strength of their argument
cogency, forcefulness, force, weight, power, potency, persuasiveness, soundness, validity.
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what are your strengths?
strong point, advantage, asset, forte, aptitude, talent, skill; speciality.
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(poetic/literary) my strength and shield
support, mainstay, anchor.
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the strength of the army
size, extent, magnitude.
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ANTONYMS :weakness.

on the strength of
because of, by virtue of, on the basis of.

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strengthen

verb
calcium strengthens growing bones
make strong/stronger, build up, give strength to.
engineers strengthened the walls
reinforce, make stronger, buttress, shore up, underpin.
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strengthened glass
toughen, temper, anneal.
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the wind had strengthened
become strong/stronger, gain strength, intensify, pick up.
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his insistence strengthened her determination
fortify, bolster, make stronger, boost, reinforce, harden, stiffen, toughen, fuel.
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they strengthened their efforts
step up, increase, escalate; informal up, crank up, beef up.
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the argument is strengthened by this evidence
reinforce, lend more weight to; support, back up, confirm, bear out, corroborate.
Top
ANTONYMS :weaken.

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strenuous

adjective
a strenuous climb
arduous, difficult, hard, tough, taxing, demanding, exacting, exhausting, tiring, gruelling, back-breaking; informal killing; Brit. informal knackering; archaic toilsome.
strenuous efforts
vigorous, energetic, zealous, forceful, strong, spirited, intense, determined, resolute, tenacious, tireless, indefatigable, dogged; formal pertinacious.
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ANTONYMS :easy, half-hearted.

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stress

noun
he's under a lot of stress
strain, pressure, (nervous) tension, worry, anxiety, trouble, difficulty; informal hassle.
laying greater stress on education
emphasis, importance, weight.
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the stress falls on the first syllable
emphasis, accent, accentuation; beat; Prosody ictus.
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the stress is uniform across the bar
pressure, tension, strain.
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verb
they stressed the need for reform
emphasize, draw attention to, underline, underscore, point up, place emphasis on, lay stress on, highlight, accentuate, press home.
the last syllable is stressed
place the emphasis on, emphasize, place the accent on.
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all the staff were stressed
overstretch, overtax, push to the limit, pressurize, pressure, make tense, worry, harass; informal hassle.
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ANTONYMS :play down.

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stressful

adjective
demanding, trying, taxing, difficult, hard, tough; fraught, traumatic, pressured, tense, frustrating. ANTONYMS :relaxing.

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stretch

verb
this material stretches
be elastic, be stretchy, be tensile.
he stretched the elastic
pull (out), draw out, extend, lengthen, elongate, expand.
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stretch your weekend into a vacation
prolong, lengthen, make longer, extend, spin out.
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my budget won't stretch to a new car
be sufficient for, be enough for, cover; afford, have the money for.
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the court case stretched their finances
put a strain on, overtax, overextend, drain, sap.
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stretching the truth
bend, strain, distort, exaggerate, embellish.
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she stretched out her hand to him
reach out, hold out, extend, outstretch, proffer; poetic/literary outreach.
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he stretched his arms
extend, straighten (out).
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she stretched out on the sofa
lie down, recline, lean back, be recumbent, sprawl, lounge, loll.
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the desert stretches for miles
extend, spread, continue.
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ANTONYMS :shorten.

noun
magnificent stretches of forest
expanse, area, tract, belt, sweep, extent.
a four-hour stret ch
period, time, spell, run, stint, session, shift.
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(informal) a ten-year stretch
(prison) sentence; N. Amer. informal rap.
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adjective
stretch fabrics
stretchy, stretchable, elastic.

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strew

verb
scatter, spread, disperse, litter, toss; poetic/literary bestrew.

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stricken

adjective
troubled, (deeply) affected, afflicted, struck, hit.

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strict

adjective
a strict interpretation of the law
precise, exact, literal, faithful, accurate, careful, meticulous, rigorous.
strict controls on spending
stringent, rigorous, severe, harsh, hard, rigid, tough.
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strict parents
stern, severe, harsh, uncompromising, authoritarian, firm, austere.
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this will be treated in strict confidence
absolute, utter, complete, total.
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a strict Roman Catholic
orthodox, devout, conscientious.
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ANTONYMS :loose, liberal.

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strictness

noun
the strictness of the laws
severity, harshness, rigidity, rigidness, stringency, rigorousness, sternness.
the provision has been interpreted with strictness
precision, preciseness, accuracy, exactness, faithfulness; meticulousness, scrupulousness.
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ANTONYMS :imprecision.

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stricture

noun
the constant strictures of the nuns
criticism, censure, condemnation, reproof, reproach, admonishment.
the strictures on Victorian women
constraint, restriction, limitation, restraint, curb, impediment, barrier, obstacle.
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an intestinal stricture
narrowing, constriction.
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ANTONYMS :praise, freedom.

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stride

verb
she came striding down the path
march, pace, step.
noun
long swinging strides
(long/large) step, pace.
take something in one's stride
deal with easily, cope with easily, not bat an eyelid.

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strident

adjective
harsh, raucous, rough, grating, rasping, jarring, loud, shrill, screeching, piercing, ear-piercing. ANTONYMS :soft.

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strife

noun
conflict, friction, discord, disagreement, dissension, dispute, argument, quarrelling, wrangling, bickering, controversy; ill/bad feeling, falling-out, bad blood, hostility, animosity. ANTONYMS :peace.

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strike

verb
the teacher struck Mary
hit, slap, smack, beat, thrash, spank, thump, punch, cuff; cane, lash, whip, club; Austral./NZ informal quilt; informal clout, wallop, belt, whack, thwack, bash, clobber, bop, biff; poetic/literary smite.
he struck the gong
bang, beat, hit; informal bash, wallop.
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the car struck a tree
crash into, collide with, hit, run into, bump into, smash into; N. Amer. impact.
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Jennifer struck the ball
hit, drive, propel; informal clout, wallop, swipe.
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he struck a match
ignite, light.
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she was asleep when the killer struck
attack, set upon someone, fall on someone, assault someone.
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the disease is striking 3,000 people a year
affect, afflict, attack, hit.
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striking a balance
achieve, reach, arrive at, find, attain, establish.
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we have struck a bargain
agree (on), come to an agreement on, settle on; informal clinch.
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he struck a heroic pose
assume, adopt, take on/up, affect; N. Amer. informal cop.
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they have struck oil
discover, find, come upon.
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a thought struck her
occur to, come to (mind), dawn on one, hit, spring to mind, enter one's head.
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you strike me as intelligent
seem to, appear to, give the impression to.
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train drivers are striking
take industrial action, go on strike, down tools, walk out.
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they struck the big tent
take down, pull down.
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Lord Bridport struck his flag
lower, take down, bring down.
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we should strike south
go, make one's way, head.
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noun
a 48-hour strike
industrial action, walkout.
a military strike
(air) attack, assault, bombing.
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a gold strike
find, discovery.
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strike something out
delete, cross out, erase, rub out. strike something up
the band struck up another tune
begin to play, start playing.

we struck up a friendship
begin, start, commence, embark on, establish.
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striking

adjective
Lizzie bears a striking resemblance to her sister
noticeable, obvious, conspicuous, evident, marked, notable, unmistakable, strong; remarkable, extraordinary, incredible, amazing, astounding, astonishing, staggering.
Kenya's striking landscape
impressive, imposing, grand, splendid, magnificent, spectacular, breathtaking, superb, marvellous, wonderful, stunning, staggering, sensational, dramatic.
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striking good looks
stunning, attractive, good-looking, beautiful, glamorous, gorgeous, prepossessing, ravishing, handsome, pretty; informal knockout; archaic fair, comely.
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ANTONYMS :unremarkable.

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string

noun
a ball of string
twine, cord, yarn, thread, strand.
a string of brewers
chain, group, firm, company.
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a string of convictions
series, succession, chain, sequence, run, streak.
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a string of wagons
queue, procession, line, file, column, convoy, train, cavalcade.
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a string of pearls
strand, rope, necklace.
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a guaranteed loan with no strings
conditions, qualifications, provisions, provisos, caveats, stipulations, riders, prerequisites, limitations, limits, constraints, restrictions; informal catches.
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verb
lights were strung across the promenade
hang, suspend, sling, stretch, run; thread, loop, festoon.
beads strung on a silver chain
thread, loop, link.
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string along
go along, come too, accompany, join (up with). string someone along (informal)
mislead, deceive, take advantage of, dupe, hoax, fool, make a fool of, play with, toy with, dally wit h, trifle with; informal lead up the garden path, take for a ride. string something out
stringing out a story
spin out, drag out, lengthen.

airfields strung out along the Gulf
spread out, space out, distribute, scatter.
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string someone up (informal)
hang, lynch, gibbet.

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stringent

adjective
strict, firm, rigid, rigorous, severe, harsh, tough, tight, exacting, demanding, inflexible, hard and fast.

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stringy

adjective
stringy hair
straggly, lank, thin.
a stringy brunette
lanky, gangling, gangly, rangy, wiry, bony, skinny, scrawny, thin, spare, gaunt.
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stringy meat
fibrous, gristly, sinewy, chewy, tough, leathery.
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strip 1

verb
he stripped and got into bed
undress, strip off, take one's clothes off, unclothe, disrobe, strip naked.
stripping off paint
peel, remove, take off, scrape, rub, clean.
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they stripped him of his doctorate
take away from, dispossess, deprive, confiscate, divest, relieve.
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they stripped down my engine
dismantle, disassemble, take to bits/pieces, take apart.
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the house had been stripped
empty, clear, clean out, plunder, rob, burgle, loot, pillage, ransack, despoil, sack; archaic spoil.
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ANTONYMS :dress.

noun
the team's new strip
outfit, clothes, clothing, garments, dress, garb; Brit. kit; informal gear, get-up; Brit. informal rig-out.

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strip 2

noun
a strip of paper
(narrow) piece, bit, band, belt, ribbon, slip, shred.

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stripe

noun
line, band, strip, belt, bar, streak, vein, flash, blaze; technical stria, striation.

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striped

adjective
. See stripy.

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stripling

noun
youth, adolescent, youngster, boy, schoolboy, lad, teenager, juvenile, minor, young man; Scottish laddie; informal kid, young 'un, nipper, whippersnapper, shaver.

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stripy

adjective
striped, barred, lined, banded; streaky, variegated; technical striated.

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strive

verb
I shall strive to be virtuous
try (hard), attempt, endeavour, aim, venture, make an effort, exert oneself, do one's best, do all one can, do one's utmost, labour, work; informal go all out, give it one's best shot, pull out all the stops; formal essay.
scholars must strive against bias
struggle, fight, battle, combat; campaign, crusade.
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stroke

noun
five strokes of the axe
blow, hit, thump, punch, slap, smack, cuff, knock; informal wallop, clout, whack, thwack, bash, biff, swipe; archaic smite.
cricket strokes
shot, hit, strike.
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light upward strokes
movement, action, motion.
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a stroke of genius
feat, accomplishment, achievement, master stroke.
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broad brush strokes
mark, line.
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the budget was full of bold strokes
detail, touch, point.
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he suffered a stroke
thrombosis, seizure; Medicine ictus.
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verb
she stroked the cat
caress, fondle, pat, pet, touch, rub, massage, soothe.

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stroll

verb
they strolled along the river
saunter, amble, wander, meander, ramble, promenade, walk, go for a walk, stretch one's legs, get some air; informal mosey; formal perambulate.
noun
a stroll in the park
saunter, amble, wander, walk, turn, promenade; informal mosey; dated constitutional; formal perambulation.

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strong

adjective
a strong lad
powerful, muscular, brawny, powerfully built, strapping, sturdy, burly, meaty, robust, athletic, tough, rugged, lusty, strong as an ox/horse; informal beefy, hunky, husky; dated stalwart.
she isn't very strong
well, healthy, in good health, (fighting) fit, robust, vigorous, blooming, thriving, hale and hearty, in fine fettle; informal in the pink.
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a strong character
forceful, determined, spirited, self-assertive, tough, tenacious, formidable, redoubtable, strong-minded; informal gutsy, feisty.
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a strong fortress
secure, well built, indestructible, well fortified, well protected, impregnable, solid.
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strong cotton bags
durable, hard-wearing, heavy-duty, tough, sturdy, well made, long-lasting.
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the current is very strong
forceful, powerful, vigorous, fierce, intense.
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a strong interest in literature
keen, eager, passionate, fervent.
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strong feelings
intense, forceful, passionate, ardent , fervent, fervid, deep-seated; poetic/literary perfervid.
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a strong supporter
keen, eager, enthusiastic, dedicated, staunch, loyal, steadfast.
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strong arguments
compelling, cogent, forceful, powerful, potent, weighty, convincing, sound, valid, well founded, persuasive, influential.
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a need for strong action
firm, forceful, drastic, extreme.
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she bore a very strong resemblance to Vera
marked, noticeable, pronounced, distinct, definite, unmistakable, notable.
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a strong voice
loud, powerful, forceful, resonant, sonorous, rich, deep, booming.
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strong language
bad, foul, obscene, profane.
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a strong blue colour
intense, deep, rich, bright, brilliant, vivid.
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strong lights
bright, brilliant, dazzling, glaring.
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strong black coffee
concentrated, undiluted.
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strong cheese
highly flavoured, flavourful, flavoursome; piquant, tangy, spicy.
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strong drink
alcoholic, intoxicating, hard, sti ff; formal spirituous.
Top
ANTONYMS :weak, gentle, mild.

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strong-arm

adjective
aggressive, forceful, bullying, coercive, threatening, intimidatory; informal bully-boy.

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strongbox

noun
safe, safe-deposit box, cash/money box.

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stronghold

noun
the enemy stronghold
fortress, fort, castle, citadel, garrison.
a Tory stronghold
bastion, centre, hotbed.
Top

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strong-minded

adjective
determined, firm, resolute, purposeful, strong-willed, uncompromising, unbending, forceful, persistent, tenacious, dogged; informal gutsy, spunky.

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strong point

noun
strength, strong suit, forte, speciality. ANTONYMS :weakness.

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strong-willed

adjective
determined, resolute, stubborn, obstinate, wilful, headstrong, strong-minded, self-willed, unbending, unyielding, intransigent, intractable, obdurate, recalcitrant; formal refractory.

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stroppy

adjective
(Brit. informal). See bad-tempered.

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structure

noun
a vast Gothic structure
building, edifice, construction, erection, pile.
the structure of local government
construction, form, formation, shape, composition, anatomy, make-up, constitution; organization, system, arrangement, design, framework, configuration, pattern.
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verb
the programme is structured around periods of residential study
arrange, organize, design, shape, construct, build, put together.

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struggle

verb
they struggled to do better
strive, try hard, endeavour, make every effort, do one's best/utmost, bend over backwards, put oneself out; informal go all out, give it one's best shot; formal essay.
James struggled with the raiders
fight, grapple, wrestle, scuffle, brawl, spar; informal scrap.
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the teams struggled to be first
compete, contend, vie, fight, battle, jockey.
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she struggled over the dunes
scramble, flounder, stumble, fight/battle one's way, labour.
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noun
the struggle for justice
endeavour, striving, effort, exertion, labour; campaign, battle, crusade, drive, push.
they were arrested without a struggle
fight, scuffle, brawl, tussle, wrestling bout, skirmish, fracas, melee; breach of the peace; informal scrap, dust-up, punch-up; Brit. informal bust-up, ding-dong; Law, dated affray.
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many perished in the struggle
conflict, fight, battle, confrontation, clash, skirmish; hostilities, fighting, war, warfare , campaign.
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a struggle within the leadership
contest, competition, fight, clash; rivalry, friction, feuding, conflict.
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life has been a struggle for me
effort, trial, trouble, stress, strain, battle; informal grind, hassle.
Top

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strumpet

noun
(archaic). See prostitute noun.

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strut

verb
swagger, swank, parade, stride, sweep; N. Amer. informal sashay.

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stub

noun
a cigarette stub
butt, (tail) end; informal dog-end.
a ticket stub
counterfoil, ticket slip, tab.
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a stub of pencil
stump, remnant, (tail) end.
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stubble

noun
a field of stubble
stalks, straw.
grey stubble
bristles, whiskers, facial hair; informal five o'clock shadow.
Top

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stubbly

adjective
bristly, unshaven, whiskered; prickly, rough, coarse, scratchy.

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stubborn

adjective
you're too stubborn to admit it
obstinate, stubborn as a mule, headstrong, wilful, strong-willed, pig-headed, obdurate, difficult, contrary, perverse, recalcitrant, inflexible, iron-willed, uncompromising, unbending; informal stiff-necked; Brit. informal bolshie, bloody-minded; N. Amer. informal balky; formal pertinacious, refractory; archaic contumacious, froward.
stubborn stains
indelible, permanent, persistent, tenacious, resistant.
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ANTONYMS :compliant.

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stubby

adjective
dumpy, stocky, chunky, chubby, squat; short, stumpy, dwarfish. ANTONYMS :slender, tall.

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stuck

adjective
a message was stuck to his screen
fixed, fastened, attached, glued, pinned.
the gate was stuck
immovable, stuck fast, jammed.
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if you get stuck, leave a blank
baffled, beaten, at a loss, at one's wits' end; informal stumped, bogged down, flummoxed, fazed, bamboozled.
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get stuck into (informal)
get down to, make a start on, commence, embark on, get to work at, tackle, throw oneself into. stuck on (informal)
infatuated with, besotted with, smitten with, (head over heels) in love with, obsessed with; informal struck on, crazy about, mad about, wild about, carrying a torch for. stuck with
lumbered with, left with, made responsible for.

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stuck-up

adjective
(informal). See conceited.

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studded

adjective
dotted, scattered, sprinkled, covered, spangled; poetic/literary bespangled, bejewelled.

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student

noun
a university student
undergraduate, postgraduate, scholar; freshman, freshwoman, finalist; N. Amer. sophomore; Brit. informal fresher.
a former student
pupil, schoolchild, schoolboy, schoolgirl, scholar.
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a nursing student
trainee, apprentice, probationer, recruit, novice; informal rookie.
Top

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studied

adjective
deliberate, careful, considered, conscious, calculated, intentional; affected, forced, strained, artificial.

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studio

noun
workshop, workroom, atelier.

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studious

adjective
a studious nature
scholarly, academic, bookish, intellectual, erudite, learned, donnish.
studious attention
diligent, careful, attentive, assiduous, painstaking, thorough, meticulous.
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his studious absence from public view
deliberate, wilful, conscious, intentional.
Top

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study

noun
two years of study
learning, education, schooling, academic work, scholarship, tuition, research; informal swotting, cramming.
a study of global warming
investigation, enquiry, research, examination, analysis, review, survey.
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Father was in his study
office, workroom, studio.
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a critical study
essay, article, work, review, paper, dissertation, disquisition.
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verb
Anne studied hard
work, revise; informal swot, cram, mug up; archaic con.
he studied electronics
learn, read, be taught.
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Thomas was studying child development
investigate, inquire into, research, look into, examine, analyse, explore, review, appraise, conduct a survey of.
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she studied her friend thoughtfully
scrutinize, examine, inspect, consider, regard, look at, eye, observe, watch, survey; informal check out; N. Amer. informal eyeball.
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in a brown study
lost in thought, in a reverie, musing, ruminating, cogitating, dreaming, daydreaming; informal miles away.

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stuff

noun
suede is tough stuff
material, fabric, cloth, textile; matter, substance.
first-aid stuff
items, articles, objects, goods; informal things, bits and pieces, odds and ends.
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all my stuff is in the suitcase
belongings, (personal) possessions, effects, goods (and chattels), paraphernalia; informal gear, things, kit; Brit. informal clobber, gubbins.
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he knows his stuff
facts, information, data, subject; informal onions.
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verb
stuffing pillows
fill, pack, pad, upholster.
Robyn stuffed her clothes into a bag
shove, thrust, push, ram, cram, squeeze, force, jam, pack, pile, stick.
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(informal) they stuffed themselves with chocolate
fill, gorge, overindulge; gobble, devour, wolf; informal pig (out), make a pig of oneself.
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my nose was stuffed up
block, bung, congest, obstruct.
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(Brit. informal) Scotland stuffed Chile.
See trounce.
Top

stuff and nonsense (Brit. informal). See nonsense sense 1.

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stuffing

noun
the stuffing is coming out of the armchair
padding, wadding, filling, upholstery, packing, filler.
sage and onion stuffing
filling, forcemeat, salpicon; N. Amer. dressing.
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knock the stuffing out of (informal)
devastate, shatter, crush, shock; informal knock sideways; Brit. informal knock for six.

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stuffy

adjective
a stuffy atmosphere
airless, close, musty, stale; Brit. frowsty; Brit. informal fuggy.
a stuffy young man
staid, sedate, sober, prim, priggish, strait-laced, conformist, conservative, old-fashioned; informal square, straight, starchy, fuddy-duddy.
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a stuffy nose
blocked, stuffed up, bunged up.
Top
ANTONYMS :airy, clear.

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stultify

verb
the free market was stultified by the welfare state
hamper, impede, thwart, frustrate, foil, suppress, smother.
he stultifies her with too much gentleness
bore, make bored, dull, numb, benumb, stupefy.
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stumble

verb
he stumbled and fell heavily
trip (over/up), lose one's balance, lose/miss one's footing, slip.
he stumbled back home
stagger, totter, teeter, dodder, blunder, hobble, move clumsily.
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he stumbled through his speech
stammer, stutter, hesitate, falter, speak haltingly; informal fluff one's lines.
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stumble across/on
come across/upon, chance on, happen on, light on; discover, find, unearth, uncover; informal dig up.

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stumbling block

noun
obstacle, hurdle, barrier, bar, hindrance, impediment, handicap, disadvantage; snag, hitch, catch, drawback, difficulty, problem, weakness, defect, pitfall; informal fly in the ointment, hiccup.

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stump

verb
(informal) they were stumped by the question
baffle, perplex, puzzle, confuse, confound, nonplus, defeat, put at a loss; informal flummox, fox, throw, floor; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.
she stumped along the landing
stomp, stamp, clomp, clump, lumber, thump, thud.
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stump something up (Brit. informal)
pay (up), dish out, contribute; informal fork out, shell out, lay out, cough up, chip in; N. Amer. informal ante up, pony up.

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stumpy

adjective
short, stubby, squat, stocky, chunky. ANTONYMS :long, thin.

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stun

verb
a glancing blow stunned Gary
daze, stupefy, knock unconscious, knock out, lay out.
she was stunned by the news
astound, amaze, astonish, dumbfound, stupefy, stagger, shock, take aback; informal flabbergast, knock sideways, bowl over; Brit. informal knock for six.
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stunner

noun
(informal). See beauty sense 2.

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stunning

adjective
a stunning win
remarkable, extraordinary, staggering, incredible, outstanding, amazing, astonishing, marvellous, phenomenal, splendid; informal fabulous, fantastic, tremendous.
she was looking stunning.
See beautiful.
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ANTONYMS :ordinary.

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stunt 1

verb
a disease that stunts growth
inhibit, impede, hamper, hinder, restrict, retard, slow, curb, check. ANTONYMS :encourage.

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stunt 2

noun
acrobatic stunts
feat, exploit, trick.

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stunted

adjective
small, undersize(d), diminutive.

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stupefaction

noun
alcoholic stupefaction
oblivion, obliviousness, unconsciousness, insensibility, stupor, daze.
Don shook his head in stupefaction
bewilderment, confusion, perplexity, wonder, amazement, astonishment.
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stupefy

verb
the blow had stupefied her
stun, daze, knock unconscious, knock out, lay out.
they were stupefied
drug, sedate, tranquillize, intoxicate, inebriate; informal dope.
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the amount stupefied us
shock, stun, astound, dumbfound, overwhelm, stagger, amaze, astonish, take aback, take someone's breath away; informal flabbergast, knock sideways, bowl over, floor; Brit. informal knock for six.
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stupendous

adjective
stupendous achievements
amazing, astounding, astonishing, extraordinary, remarkable, phenomenal, staggering, breathtaking; informal fantastic, mind-boggling, awesome; poetic/literary wondrous.
a building of stupendous size
colossal, immense, vast, gigantic, massive, mammoth, huge, enormous.
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ANTONYMS :ordinary.

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stupid

adjective
they're rather stupid
unintelligent, ignorant, dense, foolish, dull-witted, slow, simple-minded, vacuous, vapid, idiotic, imbecilic, imbecile, obtuse, doltish; informal thick (as two short planks), dim, dumb, dopey, dozy, moronic, cretinous, pea-brained, half-witted, soft in the head, boneheaded, thickheaded, wooden-headed, muttonheaded; Brit. informal barmy, daft, not the full shilling.
a stupid mistake
foolish, silly, unintelligent, idiotic, scatterbrained, nonsensical, senseless, unthinking, ill-advised, ill-considered, unwise, injudicious; inane, absurd, ludicrous, ridiculous, laughable, risible, fatuous, asinine, mad, insane, lunatic; informal crazy, dopey, cracked, half-baked, cock-eyed, hare-brained, nutty, dotty, batty, gormless, cuckoo, loony, loopy, off one's head, off one's trolley; Brit. informal potty.
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he drank himself stupid
into a stupor, into a daze, into oblivion; stupefied, dazed, unconscious.
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ANTONYMS :intelligent, sen sible.

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stupidity

noun
he cursed their stupidity
lack of intelligence, foolishness, denseness, brainlessness, ignorance, dull-wittedness, slow-wittedness, doltishness, slowness; informal thickness, dimness, dopiness, doziness.
she blushed at her stupidity
foolishness, folly, silliness, idiocy, brainlessness, senselessness, injudiciousness, ineptitude, inaneness, inanity, absurdity, ludicrousness, ridiculousness, fatuousness, madness, insanity, lunacy; informal craziness; Brit. informal daftness.
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stupor

noun
daze, state of unconsciousness, torpor, insensibility, oblivion.

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sturdy

adjective
a sturdy lad
strapping, well built, muscular, athletic, strong, hefty, brawny, powerful, solid, burly, rugged, robust, tough, hardy, lusty; informal husky, beefy, meaty; dated stalwart; poetic/literary thewy, stark.
sturdy boots
robust, strong, strongly made, well built, solid, stout, tough, resilient, durable, long-lasting, hard-wearing.
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sturdy resistance
vigorous, strong, stalwart, firm, determined, resolute, staunch, steadfast.
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ANTONYMS :weak.

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stutter

verb
he stuttered over a word
stammer, stumble, falter.
noun
a bad stutter
stammer, speech impediment, speech defect.

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Stygian

adjective
(poetic/literary). See dark adjective sense 1.

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style

noun
differing styles of management
manner, way, technique, method, methodology, approach, system, mode, form, modus operandi; informal MO.
a non-directive style of counselling
type, kind, variety, sort, genre, school, brand, pattern, model.
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wearing clothes with style
flair, stylishness, elegance, grace, gracefulness, poise, polish, suaveness, sophistication, urbanity, chic, dash, panache, elan; informal class, pizzazz.
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Laura travelled in style
comfort, luxury, elegance, opulence, lavishness.
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modern styles
fashion, trend, vogue, mode.
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verb
sportswear styled by Karl
design, fashion, tailor.
men who were styled "knight"
call, name, title, entitle, dub, designate, term, label, tag, nickname; formal denominate.
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stylish

adjective
fashionable, modish, voguish, modern, up to date; smart, sophisticated, elegant, chic, dapper, dashing; informal trendy, natty, classy, nifty, ritzy, snazzy; N. Amer. informal fly, kicky, tony, spiffy. ANTONYMS :unfashionable.

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stymie

verb
(informal). See hamper2.

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suave

adjective
charming, sophisticated, debonair, urbane, polished, refined, poised, self-possessed, dignified, civilized, gentlemanly, gallant; smooth, polite, well mannered, civil, courteous, affable, tactful, diplomatic. ANTONYMS :unsophisticated.

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suavity

noun
charm, sophistication, polish, urbanity, suaveness, refinement, poise; politeness, courtesy, courteousness, civility, tact.

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subconscious

adjective
subconscious desires
unconscious, latent, suppressed, repressed, subliminal, dormant, underlying, innermost; informal bottled up.
noun
the creative powers of the subconscious
(unconscious) mind, imagination, inner(most) self, psyche.

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subdue

verb
he subdued all his enemies
conquer, defeat, vanquish, overcome, overwhelm, crush, quash, beat, trounce, subjugate, suppress, bring someone to their knees; informal lick, thrash, hammer.
she could not subdue her longing
curb, restrain, hold back, constrain, contain, repress, suppress, stifle, smother, keep in check, rein in, control, master, quell; informal keep a/the lid on.
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subdued

adjective
Lewis's subdued air
sombre, low-spirited, downcast, sad, dejected, depressed, gloomy, despondent, dispirited, disheartened, forlorn, woebegone; withdrawn, preoccupied; informal down in the mouth, down in the dumps, in the doldrums.
subdued voices
hushed, muted, quiet, low, soft, faint, muffled, indistinct.
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subdued light
dim, muted, softened, soft, lowered, subtle.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful, bright.

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subject

noun
the subject of this chapter
theme, subject matter, topic, issue, question, concern, point; substance, essence, gist.
popular university subjects
branch of study, discipline, field.
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six subjects did the trials
participant, volunteer; informal guinea pig.
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British subjects
citizen, national; taxpayer, voter.
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a loyal subject
liege, liegeman, vassal, henchman, follower.
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verb
they were subjected to violence
put through, treat with, expose to.
subject to
it is subject to budgetary approval
conditional on, contingent on, dependent on.

horses are subject to coughs
susceptible to, liable to, prone to, vulnerable to, predisposed to, at risk of; archaic susceptive of.
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we are all subject to the law
bound by, constrained by, accountable to.
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subjection

noun
subjugation, domination, oppression, mastery, repression, suppression.

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subjective

adjective
personal, individual, emotional, instinctive, intuitive. ANTONYMS :objective.

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subjugate

verb
conquer, vanquish, defeat, crush, quash, bring someone to their knees, enslave, subdue, suppress. ANTONYMS :liberate.

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sublimate

verb
channel, control, divert, transfer, redirect, convert.

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sublime

adjective
sublime music
exalted, elevated, noble, lofty, awe-inspiring, majestic, magnificent, glorious, superb, wonderful, marvellous, splendid; informal fantastic, fabulous, terrific, heavenly, divine, out of this world.
the sublime confidence of youth
supreme, total, complete, utter, consummate.
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subliminal

adjective
subconscious; hidden, concealed. ANTONYMS :explicit.

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submerge

verb
the U-boat submerged
go under water, dive, sink.
submerge the bowl in water
immerse, plunge, sink.
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the farmland was submerged
flood, inundate, deluge, swamp.
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she was submerged in work
overwhelm, inundate, deluge, swamp, bury, engulf, snow under.
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ANTONYMS :surface.

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submission

noun
submission to authority
yielding, capitulation, acceptance, consent, compliance.
Tim raised his hands in submission
surrender, capitulation, resignation, defeat.
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he wanted her total submission
compliance, submissiveness, acquiescence, passivity, obedience, docility, deference, subservience, servility, subjection.
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a report for submission to the Board
presentation, presenting, proffering, tendering, proposal, proposing.
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his original submission
proposal, suggestion, proposition, recommendation.
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the judge rejected his submission
argument, assertion, contention, statement, claim, allegation.
Top
ANTONYMS :defiance, resistance.

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submissive

adjective
compliant, yielding, acquiescent, unassertive, passive, obedient, biddable, dutiful, docile, pliant; informal under someone's thumb.

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submit

verb
she submitted under duress
give in/way, yield, back down, cave in, capitulate; surrender, knuckle under.
he refused to submit to their authority
be governed by, abide by, be regulated by, comply with, accept, adhere to, be subject to, agree to, consent to, conform to.
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we submitted an unopposed bid
put forward, present, offer, proffer, tender, propose, suggest; put in, send in, register.
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they submitted that the judgement was inappropriate
contend, assert, argue, state, claim, posit, postulate.
Top
ANTONYMS :resist, withdraw.

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subnormal

adjective
subnormal trade activity
below average, below normal, low, poor.
(dated) subnormal children
having learning difficulties, having special (educational) needs, of low intelligence, backward; dated ESN.
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subordinate

adjective
subordinate staff
lower-ranking, junior, lower, supporting.
a subordinate rule
secondary, lesser, minor, subsidiary, subservient, ancillary, auxiliary, peripheral, marginal; supplementary, accessory.
Top
ANTONYMS :senior.

noun
the manager and his subordinates
junior, assistant, second (in command), number two, right-hand man/woman, deputy, aide, underling, minion; informal sidekick. ANTONYMS :superior.

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subordination

noun
inferiority, subjection, subservience, submission, servitude.

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sub rosa

adverb
(formal) in secret, secretly, in private, privately, behind closed doors, in camera. ANTONYMS :openly.

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subscribe

verb
we subscribe to "Punch"
pay a subscription, take, buy regularly.
millions subscribe to the NSPCC
donate, make a donation, make a subscription, give (money), contribute towards.
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I can't subscribe to that theory
agree with, accept, believe in, endorse, back, support, champion; formal accede to.
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(formal) he subscribed the document
sign, countersign, initial, autograph, witness.
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subscriber

noun
(regular) reader, member, patron, supporter, backer, contributor.

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subscription

noun
the club's subscription
membership fee, dues, annual payment, charge.
we put your subscription to good use
donation, contribution, gift, grant; formal benefaction.
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their subscription to capitalism
agreement, belief, endorsement, backing, support.
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(formal) the subscription was witnessed
signature, initials; addition, appendage.
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subsequent

adjective
the subsequent months
following, ensuing, succeeding, later, future, coming, to come, next. ANTONYMS :previous.

subsequent to
following, after, at the close/end of.

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subsequently

adverb
later (on), at a later date, afterwards, in due course, following this/that, eventually; informal after a bit; formal thereafter.

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subservient

adjective
subservient women
submissive, deferential, compliant, obedient, dutiful, biddable, docile, passive, unassertive, subdued, downtrodden; informal under someone's thumb.
individual rights are subservient to the interests of the state
subordinate, secondary, subsidiary, peripheral, ancillary, auxiliary, less important.
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ANTONYMS :independent.

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subside

verb
wait until the storm subsides
abate, let up, quieten down, calm, slacken (off), ease (up), relent, die down, recede, lessen, soften, diminish, decline, dwindle, weaken, fade, wane, ebb; archaic remit.
the flood has subsided
recede, ebb, fall, go down, get lower, abate.
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the volcano is gradually subsiding
sink, settle, cave in, collapse, crumple, give way.
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Sarah subsided into a chair
slump, flop, sink, collapse; informal flump, plonk oneself.
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ANTONYMS :intensify, rise.

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subsidiary

adjective
a subsidiary company
subordinate, secondary, ancillary, auxiliary, subservient, supplementary, peripheral. ANTONYMS :principal.

noun
two major subsidiaries
subordinate company, branch, division, subdivision, derivative, offshoot.

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subsidize

verb
give money to, pay a subsidy to, contribute to, invest in, sponsor, support, fund, finance, underwrite; informal shell out for, fork out for, cough up for; N. Amer. informal bankroll.

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subsidy

noun
grant, allowance, endowment, contribution, donation, bursary, handout; backing, support, sponsorship, finance, funding; formal benefaction.

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subsist

verb
he subsists on his pension
survive, live, stay alive, exist, eke out an existence; support oneself, manage, get along/by, make (both) ends meet.
the tenant's rights of occupation subsist
continue, last, persist, endure, prevail, carry on, remain.
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subsistence

noun
they depend on fish for subsistence
survival, existence, living, life, sustenance, nourishment.
the money needed for his subsistence
maintenance, keep, upkeep, livelihood, board (and lodging), nourishment, food.
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substance

noun
an organic substance
material, matter, stuff.
ghostly figures with no substance
solidity, body, corporeality; density, mass, weight, shape, structure.
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none of the objections has any substance
meaningfulness, significance, importance, import, validity, foundation; formal moment.
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the substance of the tale is very thin
content, subject matter, theme, message, essence.
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Rangers are a team of substance
character, backbone, mettle.
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independent men of substance
wealth, fortune, riches, affluence, prosperity, money, means.
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substandard

adjective
inferior, second-rate, low-quality, poor, below par, imperfect, faulty, defective, shoddy, shabby, unsound, unsatisfactory; informal tenth-rate, crummy, lousy; Brit. informal duff, ropy, rubbish, chronic.

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substantial

adjective
substantial beings
real, true, actual; physical, solid, material, concrete, corporeal.
substantial progress had been made
considerable, real, significant, important, notable, major, valuable, useful.
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substantial damages
sizeable, considerable, significant, large, ample, appreciable, goodly.
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substantial Victorian villas
sturdy, solid, stout, strong, well built, durable, long-lasting, hard-wearing.
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substantial country gentlemen
hefty, stout, sturdy, large, solid, bulky, burly, well built, portly.
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substantial City companies
successful, profitable, prosperous, wealthy, affluent, moneyed, well-to-do, rich; informal loaded, stinking rich.
Top
substantial agreement
fundamental, essential, basic.
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substantially

adverb
the cost has fallen substantially
considerably, significantly, to a great/large extent, greatly, markedly, appreciably.
the draft was substantially accepted
largely, for the most part, by and large, on the whole, in the main, mainly, in essence, basically, fundamentally, to all intents and purposes.
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ANTONYMS :slightly.

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substantiate

verb
prove, show to be true, give substance to, support, uphold, bear out, justify, vindicate, validate, corroborate, verify, authenticate, confirm, endorse, give credence to. ANTONYMS :disprove.

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substitute

noun
substitutes for permanent employees
replacement, deputy, relief, proxy, reserve, surrogate, cover, stand-in, locum (tenens), understudy; informal sub.
adjective
a substitute teacher
acting, replacement, deputy, relief, reserve, surrogate, stand-in, temporary, caretaker, interim, provisional. ANTONYMS :permanent.

verb
curd cheese can be substituted for yogurt
exchange, replace with, use instead of, use as an alternative to, use in place of, swap.
the Senate was empowered to substitute for the President
deputize, act as deputy, act as a substitute, stand in, cover; replace, relieve, take over from; informal sub, fill someone's boots/shoes.
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substitution

noun
exchange, change; replacement, replacing, swapping, switching.

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subterfuge

noun
the use of subterfuge by journalists
trickery, intrigue, deviousness, deceit, deception, dishonesty, cheating, duplicity, guile, cunning, craftiness, chicanery, pretence, fraud, fraudulence.
a disreputable subterfuge
trick, hoax, ruse, wile, ploy, stratagem, artifice, dodge, bluff, pretence, deception, fraud, blind, smokescreen; informal con, scam.
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subtle

adjective
subtle colours
understated, muted, subdued; delicate, faint, pale, soft, indistinct.
subtle distinctions
fine, fine-drawn, nice, overnice, hair-splitting.
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a subtle mind
astute, keen, quick, fine, acute, sharp, shrewd, perceptive, discerning, discriminating, penetrating, sagacious, wise, clever, intelligent.
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a subtle plan
ingenious, clever, cunning, crafty, wily, artful, devious.
Top

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subtlety

noun
the subtlety of the flavour
delicacy, delicateness, subtleness; understatedness, mutedness, softness.
classification is fraught with subtlety
fineness, subtleness, niceness, nicety, nuance.
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the subtlety of the human mind
astuteness, keenness, acuteness, sharpness, canniness, shrewdness, perceptiveness, discernment, discrimination, percipience, perspicacity, wisdom, cleverness, intelligence.
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the subtlety of their tactics
ingenuity, cleverness, skilfulness, adroitness, cunning, guile, craftiness, wiliness, artfulness, deviousness.
Top

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subtract

verb
take away/off, deduct, debit, dock; informal knock off, minus. ANTONYMS :add.

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suburb

noun
residential area, dormitory area, commuter belt; suburbia.

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suburban

adjective
a suburban area
residential, commuter, dormitory.
her drab suburban existence
dull, boring, uninteresting, conventional, ordinary, commonplace, unremarkable, unexceptional; provincial, unsophisticated, parochial, bourgeois, middle-class.
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subversive

adjective
subversive activities
disruptive, troublemaking, inflammatory, insurrectionary; seditious, revolutionary, rebellious, rebel, renegade, dissident.
noun
a dangerous subversive
troublemaker, dissident, agitator, revolutionary, renegade, rebel.

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subvert

verb
a plot to subvert the state
destabilize, unsettle, overthrow, overturn; bring down, topple, depose, oust; disrupt, wreak havoc on, sabotage, ruin, undermine, weaken, damage.
attempts to subvert Soviet youth
corrupt, pervert, deprave, contaminate, poison, embitter.
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subway

noun
he walked through the subway
underpass, (pedestrian) tunnel.
Tokyo's subway
underground (railway), metro; Brit. informal tube.
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succeed

verb
Darwin succeeded where others had failed
triumph, achieve success, be successful, do well, flourish, thrive; informal make it, make the grade, make a name for oneself.
the plan succeeded
be successful, turn out well, work (out), be effective; informal come off, pay off.
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Rosebery succeeded Gladstone as Prime Minister
replace, take the place of, take over from, follow, supersede; informal step into someone's shoes.
Top
he succeeded to the throne
inherit, assume, acquire, attain; formal accede to.
Top
embarrassment was succeeded by fear
follow, come after, follow after.
Top
ANTONYMS :fail, precede.

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succeeding

adjective
subsequent, successive, following, ensuing, later, future, coming.

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success

noun
the success of the scheme
favourable outcome, successfulness, successful result, triumph.
the trappings of success
prosperity, prosperousness, affluence, wealth, riches, opulence.
Top
a West End success
triumph, best-seller, box-office success, sell-out; informal (smash) hit, winner.
Top
an overnight success
star, superstar, celebrity, big name, household name; informal celeb, megastar.
Top
ANTONYMS :failure.

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successful

adjective
a successful campaign
victorious, triumphant; fortunate, lucky.
a successful designer
prosperous, affluent, wealthy, rich; doing well, famous, eminent, top; informal on the up and up.
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successful companies
flourishing, thriving, booming, buoyant, doing well, profitable, moneymaking, lucrative; informal on the up and up.
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succession

noun
a succession of exciting events
sequence, series, progression, chain, cycle, round, string, train, line, run, flow, stream.
his succession to the throne
accession, elevation, assumption.
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in succession
one after the other, in a row, consecutively, successively, in sequence; running; informal on the trot.

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successive

adjective
consecutive, in a row, straight, sequential, in succession, running; informal on the trot.

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successor

noun
heir (apparent), inheritor, next-in-line. ANTONYMS :predecessor.

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succinct

adjective
concise, short (and sweet), brief, compact, condensed, crisp, laconic, terse, to the point, pithy, epigrammatic, synoptic, gnomic; formal compendious. ANTONYMS :verbose.

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succour

noun
providing succour in times of need
aid, help, a helping hand, assistance; comfort, ease, relief, support.
verb
the prisoners were succoured
help, aid, bring aid to, give/render assistance to, assist, lend a (helping) hand to; minister to, care for, comfort, bring relief to, support, take care of, look after, attend to.

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succulent

adjective
juicy, moist, luscious, soft, tender; choice, mouth-watering, appetizing, flavoursome, tasty, delicious; informal scrumptious, scrummy. ANTONYMS :dry.

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succumb

verb
she succumbed to temptation
yield, give in/way, submit, surrender, capitulate, cave in.
he succumbed to the disease
die from/of; catch, develop, contract, fall ill with; informal come/go down with.
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ANTONYMS :resist.

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suck

verb
they sucked orange juice through straws
sip, sup, siphon, slurp, draw, drink.
Fran sucked in a deep breath
draw, pull, breathe, gasp; inhale, inspire.
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they got sucked into petty crime
implicate in, involve in, draw into; informal mix up in.
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(N. Amer. informal) the weather sucks
be very bad, be awful, be terrible, be dreadful, be horrible; informal stink.
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suck up (informal) they suck up to him, hanging on to his every word

grovel, creep, toady, be obsequious, be sycophantic, kowtow, bow and scrape, truckle; fawn on; informal lick someone's boots, be all over.

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suckle

verb
breastfeed, feed, nurse.

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sudden

adjective
unexpected, unforeseen, unanticipated, unlooked-for; immediate, instantaneous, instant, precipitous, precipitate, abrupt, rapid, swift, quick.

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suddenly

adverb
immediately, instantaneously, instantly, straight away, all of a sudden, all at once, promptly, abruptly, swiftly; unexpectedly, without warning, without notice, out of the blue; informal straight off, in a flash, like a shot. ANTONYMS :gradually.

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suds

plural noun
lather, foam, froth, bubbles, soap.

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sue

verb
he sued for negligence
take legal action, take to court, bring an action/suit, proceed against; informal have the law on.
suing for peace
appeal, petition, ask, solicit, request, seek.
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suffer

verb
I hate to see him suffer
hurt, ache, be in pain, feel pain; be in distress, be upset, be miserable.
he suffers from asthma
be afflicted by, be affected by, be troubled with, have.
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England suffered a humiliating defeat
undergo, experience, be subjected to, receive, endure, face.
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the school's reputation has suffered
be impaired, be damaged, deteriorate, decline.
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(archaic) he was obliged to suffer her intimate proximity
tolerate, put up with, bear, stand, abide, endure; formal brook.
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(archaic) my conscience would not suffer me to accept
allow, permit, let, give leave to, sanction.
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suffering

noun
hardship, distress, misery, wretchedness, adversity, tribulation; pain, agony, anguish, trauma, torment, torture, hurt, affliction, sadness, unhappiness, sorrow, grief, woe, angst, heartache, heartbreak, stress; poetic/literary dolour.

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suffice

verb
be enough, be sufficient, be adequate, do, serve, meet requirements, satisfy demands, answer/meet one's needs, answer/serve the purpose; informal fit/fill the bill, hit the spot.

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sufficient

adjective & determiner
enough, adequate, plenty of, ample. ANTONYMS :inadequate.

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suffocate

verb
she suffocated her victim
smother, asphyxiate, stifle; choke, strangle.
she was suffocating in the heat
be breathless, be short of air, struggle for air; be too hot, swelter; informal roast, bake, boil.
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suffrage

noun
franchise, right to vote, the vote, enfranchisement, ballot.

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suffuse

verb
permeate, spread over, spread throughout, cover, bathe, pervade, wash, saturate, imbue.

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sugar

saccharine, glyco-.

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sugary

adjective
sugary snacks
sweet, sugared, sickly.
sugary romance
sentimental, mawkish, cloying, sickly (sweet), saccharine, syrupy; informal soppy, schmaltzy, slushy, mushy, sloppy, cutesy, corny.
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ANTONYMS :sour.

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suggest

verb
Ruth suggested a holiday
propose, put forward, recommend, advocate; advise, urge, encourage, counsel.
evidence suggests that teenagers are responsive to price increases
indicate, lead to the belief, argue, demonstrate, show; formal evince.
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sources suggest that the Prime Minister will change his cabinet
hint, insinuate, imply, intimate, indicate.
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the seduction scenes suggest his guilt and her loneliness
convey, express, impart, imply, intimate, smack of, evoke, conjure up; formal evince.
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suggestion

noun
some suggestions for tackling this problem
proposal, proposition, motion, submission, recommendation; advice, counsel, hint, tip, clue, idea.
the suggestion of a smirk
hint, trace, touch, suspicion, dash, soupçon; ghost, semblance, shadow, glimmer, impression, whisper.
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there is no suggestion that he was party to a conspiracy
insinuation, hint, implication, intimation, innuendo, imputation.
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suggestive

adjective
suggestive remarks
indecent, indelicate, improper, unseemly, sexual, sexy, smutty, dirty, ribald, bawdy, racy, risqué, lewd, vulgar, coarse, salacious.
an odour suggestive of a brewery
redolent, evocative, reminiscent; characteristic, indicative, typical.
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suicide

noun
self-destruction, taking one's own life, self-murder; informal topping oneself.

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suit

noun
a pinstriped suit
outfit, set of clothes, ensemble.
(informal) suits in faraway boardrooms
businessman, businesswoman, executive, bureaucrat, administrator, manager.
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a medical malpractice suit
legal action, lawsuit, (court) case, action, (legal/judicial) proceedings, litigation.
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they spurned his suit
entreaty, request, plea, appeal, petition, supplication, application.
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his suit came to nothing
courtship, wooing, attentions.
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verb
blue really suits you
look attractive on, enhance the appearance of, look good on, become, flatter.
savings schemes to suit all pockets
be convenient for, be acceptable to, be suitable for, meet the requirements of; informal fit the bill.
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recipes ideally suited to students
make appropriate to/for, tailor, fashion, adjust, adapt, modify, fit, gear, design.
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suitable

adjective
suitable employment opportunities
acceptable, satisfactory, fitting; informal right up someone's street.
a drama suitable for all ages
appropriate, fitting, fit, acceptable, right.
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music suitable for a lively dinner party
appropriate, suited, befitting, in keeping with; informal cut out for.
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they treated him with suitable respect
proper, seemly, decent, appropriate, fitting, befitting, correct, due.
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suitable candidates
well qualified, well suited, appropriate, fitting.
Top
ANTONYMS :inappropriate.

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suitcase

noun
travelling bag, travel bag, case, valise, overnight case, portmanteau, vanity case; (suitcases) luggage, baggage.

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suite

noun
a penthouse suite
apartment, flat, (set of) rooms.
the Queen and her suite
retinue, entourage, train, escort, royal household, court; attendants, retainers, servants.
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suitor

noun
admirer, wooer, boyfriend, sweetheart, lover; poetic/literary swain; dated beau.

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sulk

verb
Dad was sulking
mope, brood, be sullen, have a long face, be in a bad mood, be in a huff, be grumpy, be moody; informal be down in the dumps.
noun
he sank into a deep sulk
(bad) mood, fit of ill humour, fit of pique, pet, huff, (bad) temper, the sulks, the blues; informal grump.

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sulky

adjective
sulky faces
sullen, surly, moping, pouting, moody, sour, piqued, petulant, disgruntled, ill-humoured, in a bad mood, having a fit of the sulks, out of humour, fed up, put out; bad-tempered, grumpy, huffy, glum, gloomy, morose; informal grouchy. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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sullen

adjective
surly, sulky, pouting, sour, morose, resentful, glum, moody, gloomy, grumpy, bad-tempered, ill-tempered; unresponsive, uncommunicative, uncivil, unfriendly. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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sully

verb
taint, defile, soil, tarnish, stain, blemish, pollute, spoil, mar; poetic/literary besmirch, befoul.

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sultry

adjective
a sultry day
humid, close, airless, stifling, oppressive, muggy, sticky, sweltering, tropical, heavy; hot; informal boiling, roasting.
a sultry film star
passionate, attractive, sensual, sexy, voluptuous, erotic, seductive.
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ANTONYMS :refreshing.

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sum

noun
a large sum of money
amount, quantity, volume.
just a small sum
amount of money, price, charge, fee, cost.
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the sum of two numbers
(sum) total, grand total, tally, aggregate, summation.
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the sum of his wisdom
entirety, totality, total, whole, aggregate, summation, beginning and end.
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we did sums at school
(arithmetical) problem, calculation; (sums) arithmetic, mathematics, computation; Brit. informal maths; N. Amer. informal math.
Top
ANTONYMS :difference.

sum up
summarize the evidence, review the evidence, give a summing-up. sum someone/something up
one reviewer summed it up as "compelling"
evaluate, assess, appraise, rate, weigh up, gauge, judge, deem, adjudge, estimate, form an opinion of.

he summed up his reasons
summarize, make/give a summary of, precis, outline, give an outline of, recapitulate, review; informal recap.
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summarily

adverb
immediately, instantly, right away, straight away, at once, on the spot, promptly; speedily, swiftly, rapidly, without delay; arbitrarily, without formality, peremptorily, without due process.

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summarize

verb
sum up, abridge, condense, encapsulate, outline, give an outline of, put in a nutshell, recapitulate, give/make a summary of, give a synopsis of, precis, give a résumé of, give the gist of; informal recap; archaic epitomize.

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summary

noun
a summary of the findings
synopsis, precis, résumé, abstract, digest, encapsulation, abbreviated version; outline, sketch, rundown, review, summing-up, overview, recapitulation, epitome, conspectus; informal recap.
adjective
a summary financial statement
abridged, abbreviated, shortened, condensed, concise, succinct, short, brief, pithy; formal compendious.
summary execution
immediate, instant, instantaneous, on-the-spot; speedy, swift, rapid, without delay, sudden; arbitrary, without formality, peremptory.
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summer

aestival.

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summer house

noun
gazebo, pavilion, belvedere; poetic/literary bower.

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summit

noun
the summit of Mont Blanc
(mountain) top, peak, crest, crown, apex, tip, cap, hilltop.
the summits of world literature
acme, peak, height, pinnacle, zenith, climax, high point/spot, highlight, crowning glory, best, finest, nonpareil.
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the next superpower summit
meeting, negotiation, conference, talk(s), discussion.
Top
ANTONYMS :base, nadir.

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summon

verb
he was summoned to the Embassy
send for, call for, request the presence of; ask, invite.
they were summoned as witnesses
serve with a summons, summons, subpoena, cite, serve with a citation.
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the chair summoned a meeting
convene, assemble, order, call, announce; formal convoke.
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he summoned the courage to move closer
muster, gather, collect, rally, screw up.
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summoning up their memories of home
call to mind, call up/forth, conjure up, evoke, recall, revive, arouse, kindle, awaken, spark (off).
Top
they summoned spirits of the dead
conjure up, call up, invoke.
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summons

noun
the court issued a summons
writ, subpoena, warrant, court order; Law citation.
a summons to go to the boss's office
order, directive, command, instruction, demand, decree, injunction, edict, call, request.
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verb
he was summonsed to appear in court
serve with a summons, summon, subpoena, cite, serve with a citation.

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sumptuous

adjective
lavish, luxurious, opulent, magnificent, resplendent, gorgeous, splendid, grand, lavishly appointed, palatial, rich; informal plush, ritzy; Brit. informal swish. ANTONYMS :plain.

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sun

noun
sunshine, sunlight, daylight, light, warmth; beams, rays. solar, helio-.
sun oneself. See sunbathe.

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sunbathe

verb
sun oneself, bask, get a tan, tan oneself; informal catch some rays.

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sunburnt

adjective
his sunburnt shoulders
burnt, sunburned, red, scarlet.
a handsome sunburnt face
tanned, suntanned, brown, bronzed, bronze.
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ANTONYMS :pale.

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Sunday

noun
the Sabbath. dominical.

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sunder

verb
(poetic/literary) divide, split, cleave, separate, rend, sever, rive.

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sundry

adjective
various, varied, miscellaneous, assorted, mixed, diverse, diversified; several, numerous, many, manifold, multifarious, multitudinous; poetic/literary divers.

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sunken

adjective
sunken eyes
hollowed, hollow, depressed, deep-set, concave, indented.
a sunken garden
below ground level, at a lower level, lowered.
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sunless

adjective
a cold sunless day
dark, overcast, cloudy, grey, gloomy, dismal, murky, dull.
the sunless side of the house
shady, shadowy, dark, gloomy.
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sunlight

noun
daylight, sun, sunshine, sun's rays, (natural) light.

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sunny

adjective
a sunny day
bright, sunshiny, sunlit, clear, fine, cloudless, without a cloud in the sky.
a sunny disposition
cheerful, cheery, happy, light-hearted, bright, merry, joyful, bubbly, blithe, jolly, jovial, animated, buoyant, ebullient, upbeat, vivacious.
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look on the sunny side
optimistic, rosy, bright, hopeful, auspicious, favourable.
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ANTONYMS :dull, miserable.

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sunrise

noun
(crack of) dawn, daybreak, break of day, first light, (early) morning, cockcrow; N. Amer. sunup; poetic/literary aurora, dayspring.

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sunset

noun
nightfall, close of day, twilight, dusk, evening; N. Amer. sundown; poetic/literary eventide, gloaming.

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sunshine

noun
relaxing in the sunshine
sunlight, sun, sun's rays, daylight, (natural) light.
his smile was all sunshine
happiness, cheerfulness, cheer, gladness, laughter, gaiety, merriment, joy, joyfulness, blitheness, joviality, jollity.
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(Brit. informal) hello, sunshine
my friend; informal pal, chum; Brit. informal mate, matey, squire, mush; N. Amer. informal bud, buddy, buster.
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super

adjective
(informal) excellent, superb, superlative, first-class, outstanding, marvellous, magnificent, wonderful, splendid, glorious; informal great, fantastic, fabulous, terrific, ace, divine, A1, wicked, cool; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill. ANTONYMS :rotten.

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superannuated

adjective
a superannuated civil servant
pensioned (off), retired; elderly, old.
superannuated computing equipment
old, old-fashioned, antiquated, out of date, outmoded, broken-down, obsolete, disused, defunct; informal clapped out.
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superb

adjective
he scored a superb goal
excellent, superlative, first-rate, first-class, outstanding, remarkable, marvellous, magnificent, wonderful, splendid, admirable, noteworthy, impressive, fine, exquisite, exceptional, glorious; informal great, fantastic, fabulous, terrific, super, awesome, ace, cool, A1; Brit. informal brilliant, brill, smashing.
a superb diamond necklace
magnificent, majestic, splendid, grand, impressive, imposing, awe-inspiring, breathtaking; gorgeous.
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ANTONYMS :poor, inferior.

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supercilious

adjective
arrogant, haughty, conceited, disdainful, overbearing, pompous, condescending, superior, patronizing, imperious, proud, snobbish, snobby, smug, scornful, sneering; informal hoity-toity, high and mighty, uppity, snooty, stuck-up, snotty, jumped up, too big for one's boots.

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superficial

adjective
superficial burns
surface, exterior, external, outer, outside, slight.
a superficial friendship
shallow, surface, skin-deep, artificial; empty, hollow, meaningless.
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a superficial investigation
cursory, perfunctory, casual, sketchy, desultory, token, slapdash, offhand, rushed, hasty, hurried.
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a superficial resemblance
apparent, seeming, outward, ostensible, cosmetic, slight.
Top
a superficial biography
trivial, lightweight.
Top
a superficial person
facile, shallow, flippant, empty-headed, trivial, frivolous, silly, inane.
Top
ANTONYMS :deep, thorough.

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superficially

adverb
apparently, seemingly, ostensibly, outwardly, on the surface, on the face of it, to all intents and purposes, at first glance, to the casual eye.

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superfluity

noun
surplus, excess, overabundance, glut, surfeit, profusion, plethora. ANTONYMS :shortage.

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superfluous

adjective
superfluous material
surplus (to requirements), redundant, unneeded, excess, extra, (to) spare, remaining, unused, left over, in excess, waste.
words seemed superfluous
unnecessary, unneeded, redundant, uncalled for, unwarranted.
Top
ANTONYMS :necessary.

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superhuman

adjective
a superhuman effort
extraordinary, phenomenal, prodigious, stupendous, exceptional, immense, heroic.
superhuman power
divine, holy, heavenly.
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superhuman beings
supernatural, preternatural, paranormal, other-worldly, unearthly; rare extramundane.
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ANTONYMS :mundane.

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superintend

verb
supervise, oversee, be in charge of, be in control of, preside over, direct, administer, manage, run, be responsible for.

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superintendent

noun
the superintendent of the museum
manager, director, administrator, supervisor, overseer, controller, chief, head, governor; informal boss.
(N. Amer.) the building's superintendent
caretaker, janitor, warden, porter.
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superior

adjective
a superior officer
higher-ranking, higher-level, senior, higher, higher-up.
the superior candidate
better, more expert, more skilful; worthier, fitter, preferred.
Top
superior workmanship
finer, better, higher-grade, of higher quality, greater; accomplished, expert.
Top
superior chocolate
good-quality, high-quality, first-class, first-rate, top-quality; choice, select, exclusive, prime, prize, fine, excellent, best, choicest, finest.
Top
a superior hotel
high-class, upper-class, select, exclusive; Brit. upmarket; informal classy, posh.
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Jake regarded her with superior amusement
condescending, supercilious, patronizing, haughty, disdainful, pompous, snobbish; informal high and mighty, hoity-toity, snooty, stuck-up.
Top
ANTONYMS :junior, inferior.

noun
my immediate superior
manager, chief, supervisor, senior, controller, foreman; informal boss. ANTONYMS :subordinate.

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superiority

noun
supremacy, advantage, lead, dominance, primacy, ascendancy, eminence.

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superlative

adjective
excellent, magnificent, wonderful, marvellous, supreme, consummate, outstanding, remarkable, fine, choice, first-rate, first-class, premier, prime, unsurpassed, unequalled, unparalleled, unrivalled, pre-eminent; informal crack, ace, wicked; Brit. informal brilliant. ANTONYMS :mediocre.

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supernatural

adjective
supernatural powers
paranormal, psychic, magic, magical, occult, mystic, mystical, superhuman, supernormal; rare extramundane.
a supernatural being
ghostly, phantom, spectral, other-worldly, unearthly, unnatural.
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supersede

verb
replace, take the place of, take over from, succeed; supplant, displace, oust, overthrow, remove, unseat; informal fill someone's shoes/boots.

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superstition

noun
the old superstitions held by sailors
myth, belief, old wives' tale; legend, story.
medicine was riddled with superstition
unfounded belief, credulity, fallacy, delusion, illusion; magic, sorcery.
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superstitious

adjective
superstitious beliefs
mythical, irrational, illusory, groundless, unfounded; traditional.
he's incredibly superstitious
credulous, naive, gullible.
Top
ANTONYMS :factual, sceptical.

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supervise

verb
he had to supervise the loading
superintend, oversee, be in charge of, preside over, direct, manage, run, look after, be responsible for, govern, organize, handle.
you may need to supervise the patient
watch, oversee, keep an eye on, observe, monitor, mind.
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supervision

noun
the supervision of the banking system
administration, management, control, charge; superintendence, regulation, government, governance.
keep your children under supervision
observation, guidance, custody, charge, safe keeping, care, guardianship; control.
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supervisor

noun
manager, director, overseer, controller, superintendent, governor, chief, head; steward, foreman; Brit. ganger; informal boss; Brit. informal gaffer.

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supine

adjective
she lay supine on the sand
flat on one's back, face upwards, flat, horizontal, recumbent, stretched out.
a supine media
weak, spineless, yielding, effete; docile, acquiescent, pliant, submissive, passive, inert, spiritless.
Top
ANTONYMS :prostrate, strong.

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supper

noun
dinner, evening meal, main meal; snack, bite to eat; Brit. tea; formal repast; poetic/literary refection.

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supplant

verb
motorways supplanted the network of A-roads
replace, supersede, displace, take over from, substitute for, override.
the man he supplanted as Prime Minister
oust, usurp, overthrow, remove, topple, unseat, depose, dethrone; succeed, come after; informal fill someone's shoes/boots.
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supple

adjective
her supple body
lithe, limber, lissom(e), willowy, flexible, loose-limbed, agile, acrobatic, nimble, double-jointed.
supple leather
pliant, pliable, flexible, soft, bendable, workable, malleable, stretchy, elastic, springy, yielding, rubbery.
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ANTONYMS :stiff, rigid.

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supplement

noun
a mouse is a keyboard supplement
addition, supplementation, supplementary, extra, add-on, accessory, adjunct, appendage; Computing peripheral.
a single room supplement
surcharge, addition, increase.
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a supplement to the essay
appendix, addendum, end matter, tailpiece, codicil, postscript, addition, coda.
Top
a special supplement with today's paper
pull-out, insert, extra section.
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verb
they supplemented their incomes by spinning
augment, increase, add to, boost, swell, amplify, enlarge, top up.

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supplementary

adjective
supplementary income
additional, supplemental, extra, more, further; add-on, subsidiary, auxiliary, ancillary.
a supplementary index
appended, attached, added, extra, accompanying.
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suppliant

noun
they were not mere suppliants
petitioner, supplicant, pleader, beggar, applicant.
adjective
those around her were suppliant
pleading, begging, imploring, entreating, supplicating; on bended knee.

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supplicate

verb
entreat, beg, plead with, implore, petition, appeal to, call on, urge, enjoin, importune, sue, ask, request; poetic/literary beseech.

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supply

verb
they supplied money to rebels
give, contribute, provide, furnish, donate, bestow, grant, endow, impart; dispense, disburse, allocate, assign; informal fork out, shell out.
the lake supplies the city with water
provide, furnish, endow, serve, confer; equip, arm.
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windmills supply their power needs
satisfy, meet, fulfil, cater for.
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noun
a limited supply of food
stock, store, reserve, reservoir, stockpile, hoard, cache; storehouse, repository; fund, mine, bank.
the supply of alcoholic liquor
provision, dissemination, distribution, serving.
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go to a supermarket for supplies
provisions, stores, stocks, rations, food, foodstuffs, eatables, produce, necessities; informal eats; formal comestibles.
Top

adjective
a supply teacher
substitute, stand-in, fill-in, locum, temporary, stopgap.

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support

verb
a roof supported by pillars
hold up, bear, carry, prop up, keep up, brace, shore up, underpin, buttress, reinforce.
he struggled to support his family
provide for, maintain, sustain, keep, take care of, look after.
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she supported him to the end
comfort, encourage, sustain, buoy up, hearten, fortify, console, solace, reassure; informal buck up.
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evidence to support the argument
substantiate, back up, bear out, corroborate, confirm, attest to, verify, prove, validate, authenticate, endorse, ratify.
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the money supports charitable projects
help, aid, assist; contribute to, back, subsidize, fund, finance; N. Amer. informal bankroll.
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an independent candidate supported by locals
back, champion, help, assist, aid, abet, favour, encourage; vote for, stand behind, defend; sponsor, second, promote, endorse, sanction; informal throw one's weight behind.
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they support human rights
advocate, promote, champion, back, espouse, be in favour of, recommend, defend, subscribe to.
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I could not support the grief
endure, bear, tolerate, stand, put up with, abide, stomach, sustain; formal brook; archaic suffer.
Top
ANTONYMS :neglect, contradict, oppose.

noun
bridge supports
pillar, post, prop, upright, crutch, plinth, brace, buttress; base, substructure, foundation, underpinning.
he pays support for his wife
maintenance, keep, sustenance, subsistence.
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I was lucky to have their support
encouragement, friendship, strength, consolation, solace, succour, relief.
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he was a great support
comfort, help, assistance, tower of strength, prop, mainstay.
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support for community services
contributions, backing, donations, money, subsidy, funding, funds, finance, capital.
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they voiced their support for him
backing, help, assistance, aid, endorsement, approval; votes, patronage.
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a surge in support for decentralization
advocacy, backing, promotion, championship, espousal, defence, recommendation.
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supporter

noun
supporters of gun control
advocate, backer, adherent, promoter, champion, defender, upholder, crusader, proponent, campaigner, apologist.
Labour supporters
backer, helper, adherent, follower, ally, voter, disciple; member.
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the charity relies on its supporters
contributor, donor, benefactor, sponsor, backer, patron, subscriber, well-wisher.
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the team's supporters
fan, follower, enthusiast, devotee, admirer; informal buff, addict.
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supportive

adjective
a supportive teacher
encouraging, caring, sympathetic, reassuring, understanding, concerned, helpful, kind, kindly.
we are supportive of the proposal
in favour of, favourable to, pro, on the side of, sympathetic to, well disposed to, receptive to.
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suppose

verb
I suppose he's used to this
assume, presume, expect, dare say, take it (as read); believe, think, fancy, suspect, sense, trust; guess, surmise, reckon, conjecture, deduce, infer, gather; formal opine.
suppose you had a spacecraft
assume, imagine, (let's) say; hypothesize, theorize, speculate.
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the theory supposes rational players
require, presuppose, imply, assume; call for, need.
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supposed

adjective
the supposed phenomena
apparent, ostensible, seeming, alleged, putative, reputed, rumoured, claimed, purported; professed, declared, assumed, presumed.
I'm supposed to meet him at 8.30
meant, intended, expected; required, obliged.
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supposition

noun
belief, surmise, idea, notion, suspicion, conjecture, speculation, inference, theory, hypothesis, postulation, guess, feeling, hunch, assumption, presumption.

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suppress

verb
they could suppress the rebellion
subdue, repress, crush, quell, quash, squash, stamp out; defeat, conquer, overpower, put down, crack down on; end, stop, terminate, halt.
she suppressed her irritation
conceal, restrain, stifle, smother, bottle up, hold back, control, check, curb, contain, bridle, inhibit, keep a rein on, put a lid on.
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the report was suppressed
censor, keep secret, conceal, hide, hush up, gag, withhold, cover up, stifle; ban, proscribe, outlaw; sweep under the carpet.
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ANTONYMS :incite, reveal.

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suppurate

verb
fester, form pus, discharge, run, weep, become septic; Medicine maturate.

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supremacy

noun
ascendancy, predominance, primacy, dominion, hegemony, authority, mastery, control, power, rule, sovereignty, influence; dominance, superiority, advantage, the upper hand, the whip hand, the edge; distinction, greatness.

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supreme

adjective
the supreme commander
highest ranking, chief, head, top, foremost, principal, superior, premier, first, prime; greatest, dominant, predominant, pre-eminent.
a supreme achievement
extraordinary, remarkable, incredible, phenomenal, rare, exceptional, outstanding, great, incomparable, unparalleled, peerless.
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the supreme sacrifice
ultimate, final, last; utmost, extreme, greatest, highest.
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ANTONYMS :subordinate, insignificant.

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sure

adjective
I am sure that they didn't
certain, positive, convinced, confident, definite, assured, satisfied, persuaded; unhesitating, unwavering, unshakeable.
someone was sure to be blamed
bound, likely, destined, fated.
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a sure winner with the children
guaranteed, unfailing, infallible, unerring, assured, certain, inevitable, as sure as eggs is eggs; informal sure-fire.
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he entered in the sure knowledge that he would win
unquestionable, indisputable, irrefutable, incontrovertible, undeniable, indubitable, undoubted, absolute, categorical, true, certain; obvious, evident, plain, clear, conclusive, definite.
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a sure sign that he's worried
reliable, dependable, trustworthy, unfailing, infallible, certain, unambiguous, true, foolproof, established, effective; informal sure-fire; formal efficacious.
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the sure hand of the soloist
firm, steady, stable, secure, confident, steadfast, unfaltering, unwavering.
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ANTONYMS :uncertain, unlikely.

exclamation
"Can I come too?" "Sure."
yes, all right, of course, indeed, certainly, absolutely, agreed; informal OK, yeah, yep, uh-huh, you bet, I'll say, sure thing.
be sure to
remember to, don't forget to, see that you, mind that you, take care to, be certain to. for sure (informal)
definitely, surely, certainly, without doubt, without question, undoubtedly, indubitably, absolutely, undeniably, unmistakably. make sure
check, confirm, make certain, ensure, assure; verify, corroborate, substantiate.

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surely

adverb
surely you remembered?
it must be the case that, assuredly, without question.
I will surely die
certainly, for sure, definitely, undoubtedly, without doubt, doubtless, indubitably, unquestionably, without fail, inevitably.
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slowly but surely manipulating the public
firmly, steadily, confidently, assuredly, unhesitatingly, unfalteringly, unswervingly, determinedly, doggedly.
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surety

noun
she's a surety for her his obligations
guarantor, sponsor.
bail of £10,000 with a further £10,000 surety
pledge, collateral, guaranty, guarantee, bond, assurance, insurance, deposit; security, indemnity, indemnification; earnest.
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surface

noun
the surface of the door
outside, exterior; top, side; finish, veneer.
the surface of police culture
outward appearance, facade.
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a floured surface
worktop, top, work surface, counter, table.
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ANTONYMS :inside, interior.

adjective
surface appearances
superficial, external, exterior, outward, ostensible, apparent, cosmetic, skin deep. ANTONYMS :underlying.

verb
a submarine surfaced
come to the surface, come up, rise.
the idea first surfaced in the sixties
emerge, arise, appear, come to light, crop up, materialize, spring up.
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(informal) she eventually surfaces for breakfast
get up, get out of bed, rise, wake, awaken, appear.
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ANTONYMS :dive.

on the surface
at first glance, to the casual eye, outwardly, to all appearances, apparently, ostensibly, superficially, externally.

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surfeit

noun
a surfeit of apples
excess, surplus, abundance, oversupply, superabundance, superfluity, glut, avalanche, deluge; overdose; too much; informal bellyful. ANTONYMS :lack.

verb
we'll all be surfeited with food
satiate, gorge, overfeed, overfill, glut, cram, stuff, overindulge, fill.

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surge

noun
a surge of water
gush, rush, outpouring, stream, flow.
a surge in oil production
increase, rise, growth, upswing, upsurge, escalation, leap.
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a sudden surge of anger
rush, storm, torrent, blaze, outburst, eruption.
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the surge of sea
swell, heaving, rolling, roll, swirling; tide.
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verb
the water surged into people's homes
gush, rush, stream, flow, burst, pour, cascade, spill, overflow, sweep, roll.
the Dow Jones index surged 47.63 points
increase, rise, grow, escalate, leap.
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the sea surged
swell, heave, rise, roll.
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surly

adjective
sullen, sulky, moody, sour, unfriendly, unpleasant, scowling, unsmiling; bad-tempered, grumpy, crotchety, prickly, cantankerous, irascible, testy, short-tempered; abrupt, brusque, curt, gruff, churlish, ill-humoured, crabby, uncivil; informal grouchy. ANTONYMS :pleasant.

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surmise

verb
guess, conjecture, suspect, deduce, infer, conclude, theorize, speculate, divine; assume, presume, suppose, understand, gather, feel, sense, think, believe, imagine, fancy, reckon; formal opine.

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surmount

verb
his reputation surmounts language barriers
overcome, conquer, prevail over, triumph over, beat, vanquish; clear, cross, pass over; resist, endure.
they surmounted the ridge
climb over, top, ascend, scale, mount.
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the dome is surmounted by a statue
cap, top, crown, finish.
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ANTONYMS :descend.

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surname

noun
family name, last name; patronymic.

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surpass

verb
excel, exceed, transcend; outdo, outshine, outstrip, outclass, overshadow, eclipse; improve on, top, trump, cap, beat, better, outperform.

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surplus

noun
a surplus of grain
excess, surfeit, superabundance, superfluity, oversupply, glut, profusion, plethora; remainder, residue, remains, leftovers. ANTONYMS :dearth.

adjective
surplus adhesive
excess, leftover, unused, remaining, extra, additional, spare; superfluous, redundant, unwanted, unneeded, dispensable, expendable. ANTONYMS :insufficient.

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surprise

noun
Kate looked at me in surprise
astonishment, amazement, wonder, incredulity, bewilderment, stupefaction, disbelief.
the test came as a big surprise
shock, bolt from the blue, bombshell, revelation, rude awakening, eye-opener; informal turn up for the books, shocker.
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verb
I was so surprised that I dropped it
astonish, amaze, startle, astound, stun, stagger, shock; leave open-mouthed, take someone's breath away, dumbfound, daze, take aback, shake up; informal bowl over, floor, flabbergast; Brit. informal knock for six.
she surprised a burglar
take by surprise, catch unawares, catch off guard, catch red-handed, catch in the act, catch out; Brit. informal catch on the hop.
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surprised

adjective
astonished, amazed, astounded, startled, stunned, staggered, nonplussed, shocked, taken aback, stupefied, dumbfounded, dumbstruck, speechless, thunderstruck, confounded, shaken up; informal bowled over, flabbergasted, floored, flummoxed.

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surprising

adjective
unexpected, unforeseen, unpredictable; astonishing, amazing, startling, astounding, staggering, incredible, extraordinary, breathtaking, remarkable; informal mind-blowing.

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surrender

verb
the army surrendered
capitulate, give in, give (oneself) up, give way, yield, concede (defeat), submit, climb down, back down, cave in, relent, crumble; lay down one's arms, raise the white flag, throw in the towel/sponge.
they surrendered power to the government
give up, relinquish, renounce, forgo, forswear; cede, abdicate, waive, forfeit, sacrifice; hand over, turn over, yield, resign, transfer, grant.
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surrender all hope of changing things
abandon, give up, cast aside.
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ANTONYMS :resist, seize.

noun
the surrender of the hijackers
capitulation, submission, yielding, succumbing, acquiescence; fall, defeat.
a surrender of power to the shop floor
relinquishment, renunciation, cession, abdication, resignation, transfer.
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surreptitious

adjective
secret, secretive, stealthy, clandestine, sneaky, sly, furtive; concealed, hidden, undercover, covert, veiled, cloak-and-dagger. ANTONYMS :blatant.

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surrogate

noun
substitute, proxy, replacement; deputy, representative, stand-in, standby, stopgap, relief, understudy.

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surround

verb
we were surrounded by cops
encircle, enclose, encompass, ring; fence in, hem in, confine, bound, circumscribe, cut off; besiege, trap.
noun
a fireplace with a wood surround
border, edging, edge, perimeter, boundary, margin, skirting, fringe.

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surrounding

adjective
neighbouring, nearby, near, neighbourhood, local; adjoining, adjacent, bordering, abutting; encircling, encompassing.

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surroundings

plural noun
environment, setting, milieu, background, backdrop; conditions, circumstances, situation, context; vicinity, locality, habitat.

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surveillance

noun
observation, scrutiny, watch, view, inspection, supervision; spying, espionage, infiltration, reconnaissance; informal bugging, wiretapping, recon.

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survey

verb
he surveyed his work
look at, look over, observe, view, contemplate, regard, gaze at, stare at, eye; scrutinize, examine, inspect, scan, study, consider, review, take stock of; informal size up; poetic/literary behold.
they surveyed 4000 drug users
interview, question, canvass, poll, cross-examine, investigate, research, study, probe, sample.
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he was asked to survey the house
appraise, assess, prospect; make a survey of, value.
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noun
a survey of the current literature
study, review, consideration, overview; scrutiny, examination, inspection, appraisal.
a survey of sexual behaviour
poll, review, investigation, inquiry, study, probe, questionnaire, census, research.
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a thorough survey of the property
appraisal, assessment, valuation, estimate, estimation.
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survive

verb
he survived by escaping through a hole
remain alive, live, sustain oneself, pull through, get through, hold on/out, make it, keep body and soul together.
the theatre must survive
continue, remain, persist, endure, live on, persevere, abide, go on, carry on, be extant, exist.
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he was survived by his sons
outlive, outlast; live longer than.
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susceptible

adjective
susceptible children
impressionable, credulous, gullible, innocent, ingenuous, naive, easily led; defenceless, vulnerable; persuadable, tractable; sensitive, responsive, thin-skinned.
people susceptible to blackmail
open to, receptive to, vulnerable to; an easy target for.
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he is susceptible to ulcers
liable to, prone to, subject to, inclined to, predisposed to, disposed to, given to, at risk of; archaic susceptive of.
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the database will be susceptible of exploitation
open to, capable of, admitting of, receptive of, responsive to.
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ANTONYMS :sceptical, immune, resistant.

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suspect

verb
I suspected she'd made a mistake
have a suspicion, have a feeling, feel, (be inclined to) think, fancy, reckon, guess, surmise, conjecture, conclude, have a hunch; suppose, presume, deduce, infer, sense, imagine; fear.
he had no reason to suspect my honesty
doubt, distrust, mistrust, have misgivings about, be sceptical about, have qualms about, be suspicious of, be wary of, harbour reservations about; informal smell a rat.
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noun
a murder suspect
suspected person, accused, defendant.
adjective
a suspect package
suspicious, dubious, doubtful, untrustworthy; odd, queer; informal fishy, funny, shady; Brit. informal dodgy.

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suspend

verb
the court case was suspended
adjourn, interrupt, break off, postpone, delay, defer, shelve, put off, intermit, prorogue, hold over, hold in abeyance; cut short, discontinue, dissolve, disband, terminate; N. Amer. table; informal put on ice, put on the back burner, mothball; N. Amer. informal take a rain check on.
he was suspended from his duties
exclude, debar, remove, eliminate, expel, eject.
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lights were suspended from the ceiling
hang, sling, string; swing, dangle.
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suspense

noun
I can't bear the suspense
tension, uncertainty, doubt, anticipation, expectation, expectancy, excitement, anxiety, apprehension, strain.
in suspense
eagerly, agog, with bated breath, on tenterhooks; on edge, anxious, edgy, jumpy, keyed up, uneasy; informal uptight, jittery.

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suspension

noun
the suspension of army operations
adjournment, interruption, postponement, delay, deferral, deferment, stay, prorogation; armistice; cessation, end, halt, stoppage, dissolution, disbandment, termination.
his suspension from school
exclusion, debarment, removal, elimination, expulsion, ejection; Brit. rustication.
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suspicion

noun
she had a suspicion that he didn't like her
intuition, feeling, impression, inkling, hunch, fancy, notion, supposition, belief, idea, theory; presentiment, premonition; informal gut feeling, sixth sense.
I confronted him with my suspicions
misgiving, doubt, qualm, reservation, hesitation, question; scepticism, uncertainty, distrust, mistrust.
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wine with a suspicion of soda
trace, touch, suggestion, hint, soupçon, tinge, shade, whiff, bit, drop, dash, taste, jot, mite.
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suspicious

adjective
she gave him a suspicious look
doubtful, unsure, dubious, wary, chary, sceptical, distrustful, mistrustful, disbelieving, cynical.
a highly suspicious character
disreputable, unsavoury, dubious, suspect, dishonest-looking, funny-looking, slippery; informal shifty, shady; Brit. informal dodgy.
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she disappeared in suspicious circumstances
questionable, odd, strange, dubious, irregular, queer, funny, doubtful, mysterious, murky; informal fishy; Brit. informal dodgy.
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ANTONYMS :trusting, honest, innocent.

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sustain

verb
the balcony might not sustain the weight
bear, support, carry, stand, keep up, prop up, shore up, underpin.
her memories sustained her
comfort, help, assist, encourage, succour, support, give strength to, buoy up, carry, cheer up, hearten; informal buck up.
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they were unable to sustain a coalition
continue, carry on, keep up, keep alive, maintain, preserve, conserve, perpetuate, retain.
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she had bread and cheese to sustain her
nourish, feed, nurture; maintain, preserve, keep alive, keep going, provide for.
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she sustained slight injuries
undergo, experience, suffer, endure.
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the allegation was not sustained
uphold, validate, ratify, vindicate, confirm, endorse; verify, corroborate, substantiate, bear out, prove, authenticate, back up, evidence, justify.
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sustained

adjective
continuous, ongoing, steady, continual, constant, prolonged, persistent, non-stop, perpetual, unabating, relentless, unrelieved, unbroken, never-ending, incessant, unceasing, ceaseless, round the clock. ANTONYMS :sporadic.

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sustenance

noun
the creature needs sustenance
nourishment, food, nutriment, nutrition, provisions, provender, rations; informal grub, chow; Brit. informal scoff; formal comestibles; poetic/literary viands; dated victuals.
the sustenance of his family
support, maintenance, keep, living, livelihood, subsistence, income.
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swagger

verb
we swaggered into the arena
strut, parade, stride; walk confidently; informal sashay.
he likes to swagger about his kindness
boast, brag, bluster, crow, gloat; strut, posture, blow one's own trumpet, lord it; informal show off, swank.
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noun
a slight swagger in his stride
strut; confidence, arrogance, ostentation.
he was full of swagger
bluster, braggadocio, bumptiousness, vainglory; informal swank.
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swallow

verb
she couldn't swallow anything
eat, gulp down, consume, devour, put away; ingest, assimilate; drink, guzzle, quaff, imbibe, sup, slug; informal polish off, swig, swill, down; Brit. informal scoff.
I can't swallow any more of your insults
tolerate, endure, stand, put up with, bear, abide, countenance, stomach, take, accept; informal hack; Brit. informal stick; formal brook.
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he swallowed my story
believe, credit, accept, trust; informal fall for, buy, go for, (swallow hook, line, and sinker).
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she swallowed her pride
restrain, repress, suppress, hold back, fight back; overcome, check, control, curb, rein in; silence, muffle, stifle, smother, hide, bottle up; informal keep a/the lid on.
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swallow someone/something up
the darkness swallowed them up
engulf, swamp, devour, overwhelm, overcome.

the colleges were swallowed up by universities
take over, engulf, absorb, assimilate, incorporate.
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swamp

noun
his horse got stuck in a swamp
marsh, bog, quagmire, mire, morass, fen; quicksand; N. Amer. bayou; archaic quag.
verb
the rain was swamping the dry roads
flood, inundate, deluge, immerse; soak, drench, saturate.
he was swamped by media attention
overwhelm, inundate, flood, deluge, engulf, snow under, overload, overpower, weigh down, besiege, beset.
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swampy

adjective
marshy, boggy, fenny, miry; soft, soggy, muddy, spongy, heavy, squelchy, waterlogged, sodden, wet; archaic quaggy.

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swap

verb
I swapped some toys for a set of dice
exchange, trade, barter, interchange, bargain; switch, change, replace.
we swapped jokes
bandy, exchange, trade, reciprocate.
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noun
a job swap
exchange, interchange, trade, switch, trade-off, substitution.

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swarm

noun
a swarm of bees
hive, flock, collection.
a swarm of gendarmes
crowd, multitude, horde, host, mob, gang, throng, mass, army, troop, herd, pack; poetic/literary myriad.
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verb
reporters were swarming all over the place
flock, crowd, throng, surge, stream.
be swarming with
be crowded with, be thronged with, be overrun with, be full of, abound in, be teeming with, bristle with, be alive with, be crawling with, be infested with, overflow with, be prolific in, be abundant in; informal be thick with.

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swarthy

adjective
dark-skinned, olive-skinned, dusky, tanned, saturnine, black; archaic swart. ANTONYMS :pale.

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swashbuckling

adjective
daring, heroic, daredevil, dashing, adventurous, bold, valiant, valorous, fearless, lionhearted, dauntless, devil-may-care; gallant, chivalrous, romantic. ANTONYMS :timid.

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swathe

verb
wrap, envelop, bind, swaddle, bandage, cover, shroud, drape, wind, enfold, sheathe.

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sway

verb
the curtains swayed in the breeze
swing, shake, oscillate, undulate, move to and fro, move back and forth.
she swayed on her feet
stagger, wobble, rock, lurch, reel, roll, list, stumble, pitch.
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we are swayed by the media
influence, affect, bias, persuade, talk round, win over; manipulate, bend, mould.
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you must not be swayed by emotion
rule, govern, dominate, control, guide.
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noun
the sway of her hips
swing, roll, shake, oscillation, undulation.
a province under the sway of the Franks
jurisdiction, rule, government, sovereignty, dominion, control, command, power, authority, ascendancy, domination, mastery.
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hold sway
hold power, wield power, exercise power, rule, be in control, predominate; have the upper hand, have the edge, have the whip hand; informal run the show, be in the driving seat, be in the saddle.

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swear

verb
they swore to marry each other
promise, vow, pledge, give one's word, take an oath, undertake, guarantee; Law depose; formal aver.
she swore she would never go back
insist, avow, pronounce, declare, proclaim, assert, profess, maintain, contend, emphasize, stress; formal aver.
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Kate spilled wine and swore
curse, blaspheme, utter profanities, utter oaths, use bad language, take the Lord's name in vain; informal cuss, eff and blind; archaic execrate.
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swear by (informal)
express confidence in, have faith in, trust, believe in; set store by, value; informal rate. swear off (informal)
renounce, forswear, forgo, abstain from, go without, shun, avoid, eschew, steer clear of; give up, dispense with, stop, discontinue, drop; informal kick, quit; Brit. informal jack in.

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swearing

noun
bad language, strong language, cursing, blaspheming, blasphemy; profanities, obscenities, curses, oaths, expletives, swear words; informal cussing, effing and blinding, four-letter words; formal imprecation.

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sweat

noun
he was drenched with sweat
perspiration, moisture, dampness, wetness; Medicine diaphoresis, hidrosis.
(informal) he got into such a sweat about that girl
fluster, panic, frenzy, fever, pother; informal state, flap, tizzy, dither, stew, lather; N. Amer. informal twit.
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(informal) the sweat of the working classes
labour, hard work, toil(s), effort(s), exertion(s), industry, drudgery, slog; informal graft, grind, elbow grease.
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sudatory.
verb
she was sweating heavily
perspire, swelter, glow; be damp, be wet; secrete.
I've sweated over this for six months
work (hard), work like a Trojan, labour, toil, slog, slave, work one's fingers to the bone; informal graft, plug away; archaic drudge.
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(N. Amer. informal) I sweated over my mistakes
worry, agonize, fuss, panic, fret, dither, lose sleep; informal be on pins and needles, be in a state, be in a flap, be in a stew, torture oneself, torment oneself.
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sweaty

adjective
perspiring, sweating, clammy, sticky, glowing; moist, damp.

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sweep

verb
she swept the floor
brush, clean, scrub, wipe, mop, dust, scour; informal do.
I swept the crumbs off
remove, brush, clean, clear, whisk.
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he was swept out to sea
carry, pull, drag, tow.
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riots swept the country
engulf, overwhelm, flood.
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he swept down the stairs
glide, sail, breeze, drift, flit, flounce; stride, stroll, swagger.
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a limousine swept past
glide, sail, rush, race, streak, speed, fly, zoom, whizz, hurtle; informal tear, whip.
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police swept the conference room
search, probe, check, explore, go through, scour, comb.
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noun
a great sweep of his hand
gesture, stroke, wave, movement.
a security sweep
search, hunt, exploration, probe.
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a long sweep of golden sand
expanse, tract, stretch, extent, plain.
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the broad sweep of our interests
range, span, scope, compass, reach, spread, ambi t, remit, gamut, spectrum, extent.
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sweep something aside
disregard, ignore, take no notice of, dismiss, shrug off, forget about, brush aside. sweep something under the carpet
hide, conceal, suppress, hush up, keep quiet about, censor, gag, withhold, cover up, stifle.

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sweeping

adjective
sweeping changes
extensive, wide-ranging, global, broad, comprehensive, all-inclusive, all-embracing, far-reaching, across the board; thorough, radical; informal wall-to-wall.
a sweeping victory
overwhelming, decisive, thorough, complete, total, absolute, out-and-out, unqualified.
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sweeping statements
wholesale, blanket, generalized, all-inclusive, unqualified, indiscriminate, universal, oversimplified, imprecise.
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sweeping banks of heather
broad, extensive, expansive, vast, spacious, boundless, panoramic.
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ANTONYMS :limited, narrow, focused, small.

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sweet

adjective
sweet biscuits
sugary, sweetened, saccharine; sugared, honeyed, candied, glacé; sickly, cloying.
the sweet scent of roses
fragrant, aromatic, perfumed; poetic/literary ambrosial.
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her sweet voice
dulcet, melodious, lyrical, mellifluous, musical, tuneful, soft, harmonious, silvery, honeyed, mellow, rich, golden.
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life was still sweet
pleasant, pleasing, agreeable, delightful, nice, satisfying, gratifying, good, acceptable, fine; informal lovely, great.
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the sweet March air
pure, wholesome, fresh, clean, clear.
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she has a sweet nature
likeable, appealing, engaging, amiable, pleasant, agreeable, genial, friendly, nice, kind, thoughtful, considerate; charming, enchanting, captivating, delightful, lovely.
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she looks quite sweet
cute, lovable, adorable, endearing, charming, attractive, dear.
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my sweet Lydia
dear, dearest, darling, beloved, loved, zsyn>cherished>, precious, treasured.
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ANTONYMS :sour, savoury, harsh, disagreeable.

noun
sweets for the children
confectionery, chocolate, bonbon, fondant, toffee; N. Amer. candy; informal sweetie; archaic sweetmeat.
a delicious sweet for the guests
dessert, pudding, second course, last course; Brit. informal afters, pud.
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happy birthday my sweet!
dear, darling, dearest, love, sweetheart, beloved, honey, pet, treasure, angel.
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sweet on (informal)
fond of, taken with, attracted to, in love with, enamoured of, captivated by, infatuated with, keen on, devoted to, smitten with; informal gone on, mad about, bowled over by; Brit. informal daft about.

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sweeten

verb
sweeten the milk with honey
make sweet, add sugar to, sugar, sugar-coat.
he chewed gum to sweeten his breath
freshen, refresh, purify, deodorize, perfume.
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try to sweeten the bad news
soften, ease, alleviate, mitigate, temper, cushion; embellish, embroider.
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(informal) a bigger dividend to sweeten shareholders
mollify, placate, soothe, soften up, pacify, appease, win over.
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sweetheart

noun
you look lovely, sweetheart
darling, dear, dearest, love, beloved, sweet; informal honey, sweetie, sugar, baby, babe, poppet.
my high-school sweetheart
lover, love, girlfriend, boyfriend, beloved, significant other, lady love, loved one, suitor, admirer; informal steady, flame; poetic/literary swain; dated beau; archaic paramour.
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swell

verb
her lip swelled up
expand, bulge, distend, inflate, dilate, bloat, puff up, balloon, fatten, fill out, tumefy; rare intumesce.
the population swelled
grow, enlarge, increase, expand, rise, escalate, multiply, proliferate, snowball, mushroom.
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she swelled with pride
be filled, be bursting, brim, overflow.
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the graduate scheme swelled entry numbers
increase, enlarge, augment, boost, top up, step up, multiply.
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the music swelled to fill the house
grow loud, grow louder, amplify, intensify, heighten.
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ANTONYMS :shrink, decrease, quieten.

noun
a brief swell in the volume
increase, rise, escalation, surge, boost.
a heavy swell on the sea
surge, wave, undulation, roll.
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(informal, dated) he was an elegant swell
dandy, fop, beau, poseur; informal trendsetter; Brit. informal toff; dated popinjay; archaic coxcomb.
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ANTONYMS :decrease, dip.

adjective
(N. Amer. informal , dated) a swell idea
excellent, marvellous, wonderful, splendid, magnificent, superb; informal super, great, fantastic. ANTONYMS :bad.

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swelling

noun
bump, lump, bulge, protuberance, enlargement, distension, prominence, protrusion, node, nodule, tumescence; boil, blister, bunion, carbuncle.

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sweltering

adjective
hot, stifling, humid, sultry, sticky, muggy, close, stuffy; tropical, torrid, searing, blistering; informal boiling (hot), baking, roasting, sizzling. ANTONYMS :freezing.

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swerve

verb
a car swerved into her path
veer, deviate, skew, diverge, sheer, weave, zigzag, change direction; Sailing tack.
noun
the bowler regulated his swerve
curve, curl, deviation, twist; N. Amer. English.

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swift

adjective
a swift decision
prompt, rapid, sudden, immediate, instant, instantaneous; abrupt, hasty, hurried, precipitate, headlong.
swift runners
fast, rapid, quick, speedy, high-speed, brisk, lively; express, breakneck; fleet-footed; informal nippy, supersonic.
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ANTONYMS :slow, leisurely.

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swill

verb
(informal) she was swilling pints
drink, quaff, swallow, down, gulp, drain, imbibe, sup, slurp, consume, slug; informal swig, knock back, toss off, put away; Brit. informal bevvy; N. Amer. informal chug.
he swilled out a glass
wash, rinse, sluice, clean, flush.
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noun
(informal) he took a swill of coffee
gulp, swallow, drink, draught, mouthful, slug; informal swig.
swill for the pigs
pigswill, mash, slops, scraps, refuse, scourings, leftovers; archaic hogwash.
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swim

verb
they swam in the pool
bathe, take a dip, splash around; float, tread water.
his food was swimming in gravy
be saturated in, be drenched in, be soaked in, be steeped in, be immersed in, be covered in, be full of.
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swimmingly

adverb
well, smoothly, easily, effortlessly, like clockwork, without a hitch, as planned, to plan; informal like a dream, like magic.

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swimming pool

noun
pool, baths, lido, piscina; Brit. swimming bath(s); N. Amer. natatorium.

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swimsuit

noun
bathing suit, bathing dress, (swimming) trunks, bikini; swimwear; Brit. bathing costume, swimming costume; informal cossie; Austral./NZ informal bathers.

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swindle

verb
I was swindled out of money
defraud, cheat, trick, dupe, deceive, fool, hoax, hoodwink, bamboozle; informal fleece, do, con, sting, diddle, swizzle, rip off, take for a ride, pull a fast one on, put one over on, take to the cleaners, gull; N. Amer. informal stiff, euchre; poetic/literary cozen; archaic sharp.
noun
an insurance swindle
fraud, trick, deception, deceit, cheat, sham, artifice, ruse, dodge, racket, wile; sharp practice; informal con, fiddle, diddle, rip-off, flimflam, swizzle, swizz; N. Amer. informal bunco.

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swindler

noun
fraudster, fraud, (confidence) trickster, cheat, rogue, mountebank, charlatan, impostor, hoaxer; informal con man, con artist, shark, sharp, hustler, phoney, crook.

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swing

verb
the sign swung in the wind
sway, oscillate, move back and forth, move to and fro, wave, wag, rock, flutter, flap.
Helen swung the bottle
brandish, wave, flourish, wield, shake, wag, twirl.
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this road swings off to the north
curve, bend, veer, turn, bear, wind, twist, deviate, slew, skew, drift, head.
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the balance swung from one party to the other
change, fluctuate, shift, alter, oscillate, waver, alternate, see-saw, yo-yo, vary.
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(informal) their persistence finally swung it for him
accomplish, achieve, obtain, acquire, get, secure, net, win, attain, bag, hook; informal wangle, land, fix (up).
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noun
a swing of the pendulum
oscillation, sway, wave.
the swing to the Conservatives
change, move; turnaround, turnabout, reversal, about turn, about face, volte face, change of heart, U-turn, sea change.
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a swing towards plain food
trend, tendency, drift, movement.
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a mood swing
fluctuation, change, shift, variation, oscillation.
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swingeing

adjective
(Brit.) severe, extreme, serious, substantial, drastic, harsh, punishing, excessive, heavy. ANTONYMS :minor.

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swipe (informal)

verb
he swiped at her head
swing, lash out; strike, hit, slap, cuff; informal belt, wallop, sock, biff, clout.
they're always swiping sweets
steal, thieve, take, pilfer, purloin, snatch, shoplift; informal filch, lift, snaffle, rob, nab; Brit. informal nick, pinch, whip; N. Amer. informal glom.
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noun
she took a swipe at his face
swing, stroke, strike, hit, slap, cuff, clip; informal belt, wallop.

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swirl

verb
whirl, eddy, billow, spiral, circulate, revolve, spin, twist; flow, stream, surge, seethe.

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switch

noun
the switch on top of the telephone
button, lever, control, dial.
a switch from direct to indirect taxation
change, move, shift, transition, transformation; reversal, turnaround, U-turn, changeover, transfer, conversion; substitution, exchange.
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a switch of willow
branch, twig, stick, rod.
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verb
he switched sides
change, shift; reverse; informal chop and change.
he managed to switch envelopes
exchange, swap, interchange, trade, substitute, replace, rotate.
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switch something on
turn on, put on, activate, start, set going, set in motion, operate, initiate, actuate, initialize, energize. switch something off
turn off, shut off, stop, cut, halt, deactivate.

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swivel

verb
turn, rotate, revolve, pivot, swing; spin, twirl, whirl, wheel, gyrate, pirouette.

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swollen

adjective
distended, expanded, enlarged, bulging, inflated, dilated, bloated, puffed up, puffy, tumescent; inflamed.

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swoop

verb
pigeons swooped down after the grain
dive, descend, sweep, pounce, plunge, pitch, nosedive; rush, dart, speed, zoom.
police swooped on the flat
raid, search; pounce on, attack, assault, assail, charge; N. Amer. informal bust.
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noun
an early morning swoop by police
raid; attack, assault; N. Amer. informal bust, takedown.

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sword

noun
a ceremonial sword
blade, foil, épée, cutlass, rapier, sabre, scimitar; poetic/literary brand.
cross swords
quarrel, disagree, dispute, wrangle, bicker, be at odds, be at loggerheads, lock horns; fight, contend; informal scrap. put to the sword
kill, execute, put to death, murder, butcher, slaughter, massacre, cut down; poetic/literary slay.

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sybarite

noun
hedonist, sensualist, voluptuary, libertine, pleasure-seeker, epicure, bon vivant, bon viveur. ANTONYMS :puritan.

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sybaritic

adjective
luxurious, extravagant, lavish, self-indulgent, pleasure-seeking, sensual, voluptuous, hedonistic, epicurean, lotus-eating, libertine, debauched, decadent. ANTONYMS :ascetic.

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sycophant

noun
toady, creep, crawler, fawner, flatterer, truckler, groveller, doormat, lickspittle, kowtower, Uriah Heep; informal bootlicker, yes-man.

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sycophantic

adjective
obsequious, servile, subservient, deferential, grovelling, toadying, fawning, flattering, ingratiating, cringing, unctuous, slavish; informal smarmy, bootlicking.

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syllabus

noun
curriculum, course (of study), programme of study, course outline; timetable, schedule.

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symbol

noun
the lotus is the symbol of purity
emblem, token, sign, representation, figure, image; metaphor, allegory.
the chemical symbol for helium
sign, character, mark, letter, ideogram.
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the Red Cross symbol
logo, emblem, badge, stamp, trademark, crest, insignia, coat of arms, seal, device, monogram, hallmark, flag, motif.
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symbolic

adjective
the Colosseum is symbolic of the Roman Empire
emblematic, representative, typical, characteristic, symptomatic.
symbolic language
figurative, representative, illustrative, emblematic, metaphorical, allegorical, parabolic, allusive, suggestive; meaningful, significant.
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ANTONYMS :literal.

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symbolize

verb
represent, stand for, be a sign of, exemplify; denote, signify, mean, indicate, convey, express, imply, suggest, allude to; embody, epitomize, encapsulate, personify, typify; poetic/literary betoken.

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symmetrical

adjective
regular, uniform, consistent; evenly shaped, aligned, equal; mirror-image; balanced, proportional, regular, even.

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symmetry

noun
regularity, evenness, uniformity, consistency, conformity, correspondence, equality; balance, proportions; formal concord.

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sympathetic

adjective
a sympathetic listener
compassionate, caring, concerned, solicitous, empathetic, understanding, sensitive; commiserative, pitying, consoling, comforting, supportive, encouraging; considerate, kind, tender-hearted.
the most sympathetic character in the book
likeable, pleasant, agreeable, congenial, friendly, genial.
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I was sympathetic to his cause
in favour of, in sympathy with, pro, on the side of, supportive of, encouraging of; well disposed to, favourably disposed to, receptive to.
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ANTONYMS :unfeeling, opposed.

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sympathize

verb
he sympathized with his wife
pity, feel sorry for, show compassion for, commiserate, offer condolences to, feel for, show concern, show interest; console, comfort, solace, soothe, support, encourage; empathize with, identify with, understand, relate to.
they sympathize with the critique
agree with, support, be in favour of, go along with, favour, approve of, back, side with.
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sympathizer

noun
supporter, backer, well-wisher, advocate, ally, partisan; collaborator, fraternizer, conspirator, quisling.

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sympathy

noun
he shows sympathy for the poor
compassion, caring, concern, solicitude, empathy; commiseration, pity, condolence, comfort, solace, support, encouragement; consideration, kindness.
sympathy with a fellow journalist
rapport, fellow feeling, affinity, empathy, harmony, accord, compatibility; fellowship, camaraderie.
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their sympathy with the Republicans
agreement, favour, approval, approbation, support, encouragement, partiality; association, alignment, affiliation.
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ANTONYMS :indifference, hostility.

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symptom

noun
the symptoms of the disease
manifestation, indication, indicator, sign, mark, feature, trait; Medicine prodrome.
a symptom of the country's present turmoil
expression, sign, indication, mark, token, manifestation; portent, warning, clue, hint; testimony, evidence, proof.
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symptomatic

adjective
indicative, characteristic, suggestive, typical, representative, symbolic.

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synopsis

noun
summary, summarization, precis, abstract, outline, digest, rundown, round-up, abridgement.

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synthesis

noun
combination, union, amalgam, blend, mixture, compound, fusion, composite, alloy; unification, amalgamation, marrying.

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synthetic

adjective
artificial, fake, imitation, mock, simulated, ersatz, substitute; pseudo, so-called; man-made, manufactured, fabricated; informal phoney, pretend. ANTONYMS :natural.

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syrupy

adjective
syrupy medicine
oversweet, sweet, sugary, treacly, honeyed, saccharine; thick, sticky, gluey, viscid, glutinous; informal gooey.
syrupy romantic drivel
sentimental, mawkish, cloying, sickly, saccharine, trite; informal soppy, schmaltzy, mushy, slushy, sloppy, lovey-dovey, cheesy, corny.
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system

noun
a system of canals
structure, organization, arrangement, complex, network; informal set-up.
a system for regulating sales
method, methodology, technique, process, procedure, approach, practice; means, way, mode, framework, modus operandi; scheme, plan, policy, programme, regimen, formula, routine.
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there was no system in his work
order, method, orderliness, systematization, planning, logic, routine.
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youngsters have no faith in the system
the establishment, the administration, the authorities, the powers that be; bureaucracy, officialdom; the status quo.
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systematic

adjective
structured, methodical, organized, orderly, planned, systematized, regular, routine, standardized, standard; logical, coherent, consistent; efficient, businesslike, practical. ANTONYMS :disorganized.

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T

tab

noun
his name is on the tab of his jacket
tag, label, flap.
(informal) the company will pick up the tab
bill, invoice, account, charge, expense, cost; N. Amer. check.
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table

noun
put the plates on the table
bench, buffet, stand, counter, work surface, worktop; desk, bar.
he provides an excellent table
meal, food, fare, menu, nourishment; eatables, provisions; informal spread, grub, chow, eats, nosh; poetic/literary viands; dated victuals.
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the report has numerous tables
chart, diagram, figure, graph, plan; list, tabulation, index.
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verb
she tabled a question in parliament
submit, put forward, propose, suggest, move, lodge, file, introduce, air, moot.

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tableau

noun
mythic tableaux
picture, painting, representation, illustration, image.
the first act consists of a series of tableaux
pageant, tableau vivant, parade, diorama, scene.
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a domestic tableau around the fireplace
scene, arrangement, grouping, group; picture, spectacle, image, vignette.
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tablet

noun
a carved tablet
slab, stone, panel, plaque, plate, sign.
a headache tablet
pill, capsule, lozenge, caplet, pastille, drop, pilule; informal tab.
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a tablet of soap
bar, cake, slab, brick, block, chunk, piece.
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taboo

noun
the taboo against healing on the sabbath
prohibition, proscription, veto, interdiction, interdict, ban, restriction.
adjective
taboo language
forbidden, prohibited, banned, proscribed, interdicted, non licet, outlawed, illegal, illicit, unlawful, restricted, off limits; unmentionable, unspeakable, unutterable, ineffable; rude, impolite; Islam haram; NZ tapu; informal no go. ANTONYMS :acceptable.

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tabulate

verb
chart, arrange, order, organize, systematize, systemize, catalogue, list, index, classify, class, codify; compile, group, log, grade, rate.

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tacit

adjective
implicit, understood, implied, inferred, hinted, suggested; unspoken, unstated, unsaid, unexpressed, unvoiced; taken for granted, taken as read. ANTONYMS :explicit.

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taciturn

adjective
untalkative, uncommunicative, reticent, unforthcoming, quiet, secretive, tight-lipped, close-mouthed; silent, mute, dumb, inarticulate; reserved, withdrawn. ANTONYMS :talkative.

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tack

noun
tacks held the carpet down
pin, drawing pin, nail, staple, rivet, stud.
the brig bowled past on the opposite tack
heading, bearing, course, track, path, line.
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the defender changed his tack
approach, way, method; policy, procedure, technique, tactic, plan, strategy, stratagem; path, line, angle, direction, course.
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verb
a photo tacked to the wall
pin, nail, staple, fix, fasten, attach, secure, affix.
the dress was roughly tacked together
stitch, baste, sew, bind.
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the yachts tacked back and forth
change course, change direction, swerve, zigzag, veer; Nautical go/come about, beat.
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poems tacked on at the end of the book
add, append, join, tag.
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tackle

noun
fishing tackle
gear, equipment, apparatus, kit, hardware; implements, instruments, accoutrements, paraphernalia, trappings, appurtenances; informal things, stuff, clobber, bits and pieces; archaic equipage.
lifting tackle
pulleys, gear, hoist, crane, winch, davit, windlass, sheave.
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a tackle by the scrum half
interception, challenge, block, attack.
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verb
we must tackle environmental problems
get to grips with, address, get to work on, set one's hand to, approach, take on, attend to, see to, try to sort out; deal with, take care of, handle, manage; informal get stuck into, have a crack at, have a go at.
I tackled Nina about it
confront, speak to, interview, question, cross-examine; accost, waylay; remonstrate with.
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he tackled a masked intruder
confront, face up to, take on, contend with, challenge; seize, grab, grapple with, intercept, block, stop; bring down, floor, fell; informal have a go at.
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the winger got tackled
intercept, challenge, block, stop, attack.
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tacky 1

adjective
the paint was still tacky
sticky, wet, gluey, gummy, adhesive, viscous, viscid, treacly; informal gooey.

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tacky 2

adjective
a tacky game show
tawdry, tasteless, kitsch, vulgar, crude, garish, gaudy, showy, trashy, cheap, common, second-rate; Brit. informal naff. ANTONYMS :tasteful.

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tact

noun
diplomacy, tactfulness, sensitivity, understanding, thoughtfulness, consideration, delicacy, discretion, prudence, judiciousness, subtlety, savoir faire; informal savvy.

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tactful

adjective
diplomatic, discreet, considerate, sensitive, understanding, thoughtful, delicate, judicious, politic, perceptive, subtle; courteous, polite, decorous, respectful; informal savvy.

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tactic

noun
a tax-saving tactic
strategy, scheme, stratagem, plan, manoeuvre; method, expedient, gambit, move, approach, tack; device, trick, ploy, dodge, ruse, machination, contrivance; informal wangle; archaic shift.
our fleet's superior tactics
strategy, policy, campaign, battle plans, game plans, manoeuvres, logistics; generalship, organization, planning, direction, orchestration.
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tactical

adjective
calculated, planned, strategic; prudent, politic, diplomatic, judicious, shrewd, cunning, artful.

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tactless

adjective
insensitive, inconsiderate, thoughtless, indelicate, undiplomatic, impolitic, indiscreet, unsubtle, clumsy, heavy-handed, graceless, awkward, inept, gauche; blunt, frank, outspoken, abrupt, gruff, rough, crude, coarse; imprudent, injudicious, unwise; rude, impolite, uncouth, discourteous, crass, tasteless, disrespectful, boorish.

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tag

noun
a price tag
label, ticket, badge, mark, marker, tab, sticker, docket, stub, counterfoil, flag.
his jacket was hung up by its tag
tab, loop, label.
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he gained a "bad boy" tag
designation, label, description, characterization, identity; nickname, name, epithet, title, sobriquet; informal handle, moniker; formal denomination, appellation.
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tags from Shakespeare
quotation, quote, phrase, platitude, cliché, excerpt; saying, proverb, maxim, adage, aphorism, motto, epigram; slogan, catchphrase.
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verb
bottles tagged with coloured stickers
label, mark, ticket, identify, flag, indicate.
he is tagged as a "thinking" actor
label, class, categorize, characterize, designate, describe, identify, classify; mark, stamp, brand, pigeonhole, stereotype, typecast, compartmentalize, typify; name, call, title, entitle, dub, term, style.
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a poem tagged on as an afterthought
add , tack, join; attach, append.
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he was tagging along behind her
follow, trail; come after, go after, shadow, dog; accompany, attend, escort; informal tail.
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tail

noun
the dog's tail
brush, scut, dock; tailpiece, tail feathers; hindquarters.
the tail of the queue
rear, end, back, extremity; bottom; Brit. informal fag end.
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the tail of the hunting season
close, end, conclusion, tail end.
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(informal) put a tail on that man
detective, investigator, shadow; informal sleuth, private eye, tec; N. Amer. informal gumshoe.
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caudal, cercal. ANTONYMS :head, front, start.

verb
(informal) the paparazzi tailed them
follow, shadow, stalk, trail, track, hunt, hound, dog, pursue, chase.
on someone's tail
close behind, following closely, (hard) on someone's heels. tail off/away
fade, wane, ebb, dwindle, decrease, lessen, diminish, decline, subside, abate, drop off, peter out, taper off; let up, ease off, die away, die down, come to an end. turn tail
run away, flee, bolt, make off, take to one's heels, cut and run, beat a (hasty) retreat; informal scram, scarper, skedaddle, vamoose.

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tailback

noun
traffic jam, queue, line; congestion.

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tailor

noun
outfitter, dressmaker, couturier, (fashion) designer; clothier, costumier, seamstress; dated modiste. sartorial.
verb
services can be tailored to customer requirements
customize, adapt, adjust, modify, change, convert, alter, attune, mould, gear, fit, cut, shape, tune.

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taint

noun
the taint of corruption
trace, touch, suggestion, hint, tinge; stain, blot, blemish, stigma, black mark, blot on one's escutcheon; discredit, dishonour, disgrace, shame.
verb
the wilderness is tainted by pollution
contaminate, pollute, adulterate, infect, blight, spoil, soil, ruin, destroy; poetic/literary befoul.
fraudulent firms taint our firm's reputation
tarnish, sully, blacken, stain, blot, blemish, stigmatize, mar, corrupt, defile, soil, muddy, damage, harm, hurt; drag through the mud; poetic/literary besmirch.
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ANTONYMS :clean, improve.

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take

verb
she took his hand
lay hold of, get hold of; grasp, grip, clasp, clutch, grab.
he took an envelope from his pocket
remove, pull, draw, withdraw, extract, fish.
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a passage taken from my book
extract, quote, cite, excerpt, derive, abstract, copy, cull.
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she took a little wine
drink, imbibe; consume, swallow, eat, ingest.
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many prisoners were taken
capture, seize, catch, arrest, apprehend, take into custody; carry off, abduct.
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someone's taken my car
steal, remove, appropriate, make off with, pilfer, purloin; informal filch, swipe, snaffle; Brit. informal pinch, nick.
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take four from the total
subtract, deduct, remove; discount; informal knock off, minus.
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all the seats had been taken
occupy, use, utilize, fill, hold; reserve, engage; informal bag.
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I have taken a room nearby
rent, lease, hire, charter; reserve, book, engage.
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I took the job
accept, undertake.
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I'd take this over the other option
pick, choose, select; prefer, favour, opt for, plump for, vote for.
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take, for instance, the English
consider, contemplate, ponder, think about, weigh up, mull over, examine, study, meditate over, ruminate about.
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he takes "The Observer"
subscribe to, buy, read.
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she took his temperature
ascertain, determine, establish, measure, find out, discover; calculate, compute, evaluate, rate, assess, appraise, gauge.
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he took notes
write, note (down), jot (down), scribble, scrawl, record, register, document, minute.
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I took it back to London
bring, carry, bear, transport, convey, move, transfer, shift, ferry; informal cart, tote.
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the priest took her home
escort, accompany, help, assist, show, lead, guide, see, usher, convey.
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he took the train
travel on/by, journey on, go via; use.
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the town takes its name from the lake
derive, get, obtain, come by, acquire, pick up.
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she took the prize for best speaker
receive, obtain, gain, get, acquire, collect, accept, be awarded; secure, come by, win, earn, pick up, carry off; informal land, bag, net, scoop.
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I took the chance to postpone it
act on, take advantage of, capitalize on, use, exploit, make the most of, leap at, jump at, pounce on, seize, grasp, grab, accept.
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he took great pleasure in painting
derive, draw, acquire, obtain, get, gain, extract, procure; experience, undergo, feel.
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Liz took the news badly
receive, respond to, react to, meet, greet; deal with, cope with.
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do you take me for a fool?
regard as, consider to be, view as, see as, believe to be, reckon to be, imagine to be, deem to be.
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I take it that you are hungry
assume, presume, suppose, imagine, expect, reckon, gather, dare say, trust, surmise, deduce, guess, conjecture, fancy, suspect.
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I take your point
understand, grasp, get, comprehend, apprehend, see, follow; accept, appreciate, acknowledge, sympathize with, agree with.
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Shirley was rather taken with him
captivate, enchant, charm, delight, attract, beguile, enthral, entrance, infatuate, dazzle; amuse, divert, entertain; informal tickle someone's fancy.
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I can't take much more
endure, bear, tolerate, stand, put up with, abide, stomach, accept, allow, countenance, support, shoulder; formal brook; archaic suffer.
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applicants must take a test
carry out, do, complete, conduct, perform, execute, discharge, accomplish, fulfil.
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I took English and French
study, learn, have lessons in; take up, pursue; Brit. read; informal do.
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the journey took six hours
last, continue for, go on for, carry on for; require, call for, need, necessitate, entail, involve.
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it would take an expert to know that
require, need, necessitate, demand, call for, entail, involve.
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I take size three shoes
wear, use; require, need.
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the dye did not take
be effective, take effect, hold, root, be productive, be effectual, be useful; work, operate, succeed, function; formal be efficacious.
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ANTONYMS :give, free, add, refuse, miss.

noun
the whalers' commercial take
catch, haul, bag, yield, net.
the state's tax take
revenue, income, gain, profit; takings, proceeds, returns, receipts, winnings, pickings, earnings, spoils; purse.
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a clapperboard for the start of each take
scene, sequence, (film) clip.
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a wry take on gender issues
view of, reading of, version of, interpretation of, understanding of, account of, analysis of, approach to.
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take after
resemble, look like; remind one of, make one think of, recall, conjure up, suggest, evoke; informal favour, be a chip off the old block, be the spitting image of. take against
take a dislike to, feel hostile towards, view with disfavour, look askance at. take something apart
we took the machine apart
dismantle, pull to pieces, pull apart, disassemble, break up; tear down, demolish, destroy, wreck.

(informal) the scene was taken apart by the director.
See criticize.
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take someone back
the dream took me back to Vienna
evoke, remind one of, conjure up, summon up; echo, suggest.

I will never take that girl back
be reconciled to, forgive, pardon, excuse, exonerate, absolve; let bygones be bygones, bury the hatchet.
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take something back
I take back every word
retract, withdraw, renounce, disclaim, unsay, disavow, recant, repudiate; formal abjure.

I must take the keys back
return, bring back, give back, restore.
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take something down
write down, note down, jot down, set down, record, commit to paper, register, draft, document, minute, pen. take someone in
she took in paying guests
accommodate, board, house, feed, put up, admit, receive; harbour.

you were taken in by a hoax
deceive, delude, hoodwink, mislead, trick, dupe, fool, cheat, defraud, swindle, outwit, gull, hoax, bamboozle; informal con, put one over on.
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take something in
she could hardly take in the news
comprehend, understand, grasp, follow, absorb; informal get.

this route takes in some great scenery
include, encompass, embrace, contain, comprise, cover, incorporate, comprehend, hold.
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take someone in hand
control, be in charge of, dominate, master; reform, improve, correct, change, rehabilitate. take something in hand
deal with, apply oneself to, get to grips with, set one's hand to, grapple with, take on, attend to, see to, sort out, take care of, handle, manage; informal get stuck into. take it out of someone
exhaust, drain, enervate, tire, fatigue, wear out, weary, debilitate; informal knacker, poop. take off
the horse took off at great speed
run away/off, flee, abscond, take flight, decamp, leave, go, depart, make off, bolt, take to one's heels, escape; informal split, clear off, skedaddle, vamoose.

the plane took off
become airborne, take to the air, take wing; lift off, blast off.
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the idea really took off
succeed, do well, become popular, catch on, prosper, flourish, thrive, boom.
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take someone off
mimic, impersonate, imitate, ape, parody, mock, caricature, satirize, burlesque, lampoon, ridicule; informal spoof, send up. take oneself off
withdraw, retire, leave, exit, depart, go away, quit; informal clear off. take on (Brit. informal) don't take on so!

get upset, make a fuss, get excited, overreact; informal lose one's cool. take someone on
there was no challenger to take him on
compete against, oppose, challenge, confront, face, fight, vie with, contend with, stand up to.

we took on extra staff
engage, hire, employ, enrol, enlist, sign up; informal take on board.
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take something on
he took on more responsibility
undertake, accept, assume, shoulder, acquire, carry, bear.

the study took on political meaning
acquire, assume, come to have.
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take one's time
go slowly, dally, dawdle, delay, linger, drag one's feet, waste time, kill time; informal dilly-dally; archaic tarry. take someone out
he asked if he could take her out
go out with, escort, partner, accompany, go with; romance, woo; informal date, see, go steady with; dated court.

(informal) the sniper took them all out
kill, murder, assassinate, dispatch, execute, finish off, eliminate, exterminate, terminate; informal do in, do away with, bump off, rub out, mow down, top; poetic/literary slay.
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take something over
assume control of, take charge of, take command of. take to
he took to carrying his money in his sock
make a habit of, resort to, turn to, have recourse to; start, commence.

Ruth took to him instantly
like, get on with, be friendly towards; informal take a shine to.
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the dog has really taken to racing
become good at, develop an ability for; like, enjoy.
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take something up
he took up abstract painting
engage in, practise; begin, start, commence.

the meetings took up all her time
consume, fill, absorb, use, occupy; waste, squander.
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her cousin took up the story
resume, recommence, restart, carry on, continue, pick up, return to.
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he took up their offer of a job
accept, say yes to, agree to, adopt; formal accede to.
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take the skirt up an inch
shorten, turn up; raise, lift.
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take up with
become friends with, go around with, fall in with, string along with, get involved with, start seeing; informal knock around with, hang out with.

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take-off

noun
the plane crashed on take-off
departure, lift-off, launch, blast-off; ascent, flight.
(informal) a take-off of a talent show
parody, pastiche, mockery, caricature, travesty, satire, lampoon, mimicry, imitation, impersonation, impression; informal send-up, spoof.
Top
ANTONYMS :touchdown.

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takeover

noun
buyout, merger, amalgamation; purchase, acquisition.

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taking

adjective
(dated). See winning sense 2.

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takings

plural noun
proceeds, returns, receipts, earnings, winnings, pickings, spoils; profit, gain, income, revenue; gate, purse.

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tale

noun
a tale of witches
story, narrative, anecdote, report, account, history; legend, fable, myth, parable, allegory, saga; informal yarn.
she told tales to her mother
lie, fib, falsehood, story, untruth, fabrication, fiction; informal tall story, fairy story/tale, cock-and-bull story.
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talent

noun
flair, aptitude, facility, gift, knack, technique, touch, bent, ability, expertise, capacity, faculty; strength, forte, genius, brilliance; dexterity, skill, artistry.

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talented

adjective
gifted, skilful, skilled, accomplished, brilliant, expert, consummate, masterly, adroit, dexterous, able, competent, capable, apt, deft, adept, proficient; informal crack, ace. ANTONYMS :inept.

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talisman

noun
(lucky) charm, fetish, amulet, mascot, totem, juju.

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talk

verb
I was talking to a friend
speak, chat, chatter, gossip, prattle, babble, rattle on, blather; informal yak, gab, jaw, chew the fat; Brit. informal natter, rabbit, witter, chunter; N. Amer. informal rap; Austral./NZ informal mag.
you're talking rubbish
utter, speak, say, voice, express, articulate, pronounce, verbalize, vocalize.
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they were able to talk in peace
converse, communicate, speak, confer, consult; negotiate, parley; informal have a confab, chew the fat/rag, rap; formal confabulate.
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he talked of suicide
mention, refer to, speak about, discuss.
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I was able to talk English
speak (in), talk in, communicate in, converse in, express oneself in; use.
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nothing would make her talk
confess, speak out/up, reveal all, tell tales, give the game away, open one's mouth; informal come clean, blab, squeal, let the cat out of the bag, spill the beans, grass, sing, rat.
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the others will talk
gossip, pass comment, make remarks; criticize.
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noun
he was bored with all this talk
chatter, gossip, prattle, jabbering, babbling, gabbling; informal yakking, gabbing; Brit. informal nattering, rabbit.
she needed a talk with Vi
conversation, chat, discussion, tête-à-tête, heart-to-heart, dialogue, parley, powwow, consultation, conference, meeting; informal confab, jaw, chit-chat, gossip; formal colloquy, confabulation.
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peace talks
negotiations, discussions; conference, summit, meeting, consultation, dialogue, symposium, seminar, conclave, parley; mediation, arbitration; informal powwow.
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she gave a talk on her travels
lecture, speech, address, discourse, oration, presentation, report, sermon; informal spiel.
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there was talk of a takeover
gossip, rumour, hearsay, tittle-tattle; news, report.
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baby talk
speech, language, slang, idiom, idiolect; words; informal lingo.
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talk back
answer back, be impertinent, be cheeky, be rude; contradict, argue with, disagree with. talk big (informal). See boast verb sense 1. talk something down
denigrate, deprecate, disparage, belittle, diminish, criticize; informal knock, put down. talk down to
condescend to, patronize, look down one's nose at, put down. talk someone into something
persuade into, argue into, cajole into, coax into, bring round to, inveigle into, wheedle into, sweet-talk into, prevail on someone to; informal hustle, fast-talk.

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talkative

adjective
chatty, loquacious, garrulous, voluble, conversational, communicative; gossipy, babbling, blathering; long-winded, wordy, verbose; informal gabby, mouthy. ANTONYMS :taciturn.

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talker

noun
conversationalist, speaker, communicator; chatterbox, gossip.

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talking-to

noun
(informal). See reprimand noun.

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tall

adjective
a tall man
big, large, huge, towering, colossal, gigantic, giant, monstrous; leggy; informal long.
tall buildings
high, big, lofty, towering, elevated, sky-high; multi-storey.
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she's five feet tall
in height, high, from head to toe; from top to bottom.
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a tall tale
unlikely, improbable, exaggerated, far-fetched, implausible, dubious, unbelievable, incredible, absurd, untrue; informal cock-and-bull.
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a tall order
demanding, exacting, difficult; unreasonable, impossible.
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ANTONYMS :short, low, wide, credible, easy.

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tally

noun
he keeps a tally of the score
running total, count, record, reckoning, register, account, roll; census, poll.
his tally of 1,816 wickets
total, score, count, sum.
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verb
these statistics tally with government figures
correspond, agree, accord, concur, coincide, match, fit, be consistent, conform, equate, harmonize, be in tune, dovetail, correlate, parallel; informal square; N. Amer. informal jibe.
votes were tallied with abacuses
count, calculate, add up, total, compute; figure out, work out, reckon, measure, quantify; Brit. tot up; formal enumerate.
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ANTONYMS :disagree.

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tame

adjective
a tame elephant
domesticated, domestic, docile, tamed, broken, trained; gentle, mild; pet; Brit. house-trained; N. Amer. housebroken.
(informal) he has a tame lawyer
amenable, biddable, cooperative, willing, obedient, tractable, acquiescent, docile, submissive, compliant, meek.
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it was a pretty tame affair
unexciting, uninteresting, uninspiring, dull, bland, flat, insipid, spiritless, pedestrian, colourless, run-of-the-mill, mediocre, ordinary, humdrum, boring; harmless, safe, inoffensive.
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ANTONYMS :wild, uncooperative, exciting.

verb
wild rabbits can be tamed
domesticate, break, train, master, subdue.
she learned to tame her emotions
subdue, curb, control, calm, master, moderate, overcome, discipline, suppress, repress, mellow, temper, soften, bridle, get a grip on; informal lick.
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tamper

verb
she saw them tampering with her car
interfere, monkey around, meddle, tinker, fiddle, fool around, play around; doctor, alter, change, adjust, damage, deface, vandalize; informal mess about/around; Brit. informal muck about/around.
the defendant tampered with the jury
influence, get at, rig, manipulate, bribe, corrupt, bias; informal fix; Brit. informal nobble.
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tan

adjective
a tan waistcoat
yellowish-brown, light brown, pale brown, tawny.
verb
use a sunscreen to help you tan
become suntanned, get a suntan, (go) brown, bronze.
(informal) I'll tan his hide.
See thrash sense 1.
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tang

noun
flavour, taste, savour; sharpness, zest, bite, edge, smack, piquancy, spice; smell, odour, aroma, fragrance, perfume, redolence; informal kick, pep.

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tangible

adjective
touchable, palpable, material, physical, real, substantial, corporeal, solid, concrete; visible, noticeable; actual, definite, clear, clear-cut, distinct, manifest, evident, unmistakable, perceptible, discernible. ANTONYMS :abstract.

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tangle

verb
the wool got tangled up
entangle, snarl, catch, entwine, twist, ravel, knot, enmesh, coil, mat, jumble, muddle.
he tangled with his old rival
come into conflict, dispute, argue, quarrel, fight, wrangle, squabble, contend, cross swords, lock horns.
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noun
a tangle of branches
snarl, mass, knot, mesh, mishmash.
the defence got into an awful tangle
muddle, jumble, mix-up, confusion, shambles.
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tangled

adjective
tangled hair
knotted, knotty, ravelled, entangled, snarled (up), twisted, matted, tangly, messy; tousled, unkempt, ratty; informal mussed up.
a tangled bureaucratic mess
confused, jumbled, mixed up, messy, chaotic, complicated, involved, complex, intricate, knotty, tortuous.
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ANTONYMS :simple.

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tangy

adjective
zesty, sharp, acid, acidic, tart, sour, bitter, piquant, spicy, tasty, flavoursome, pungent. ANTONYMS :bland.

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tank

noun
a hot water tank
container, receptacle, vat, cistern, repository, reservoir, basin.
a tank full of fish
aquarium, bowl.
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the army's use of tanks
armoured vehicle, armoured car, combat vehicle; Panzer.
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tantalize

verb
tease, torment, torture, bait; tempt, entice, lure, allure, beguile; excite, fascinate, titillate, intrigue.

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tantamount

adjective
this is tantamount to mutiny
equivalent to, equal to, as good as, more or less, much the same as, comparable to, on a par with, commensurate with.

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tantrum

noun
fit of temper, fit of rage, fit, outburst, pet, paroxysm, frenzy, (bad) mood, huff, scene; informal paddy, wax, wobbly; Brit. informal, dated bate; N. Amer. informal hissy fit.

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tap 1

noun
she turned the tap on
valve, stopcock, cock, spout; N. Amer. faucet, spigot, spile.
a phone tap in the embassy
listening device, wiretap, wire, bug, bugging device, microphone, receiver.
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verb
several barrels were tapped
drain, bleed, milk; broach, open.
butlers were tapping ale
pour (out), draw off, siphon off, pump out, decant.
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their telephones were tapped
bug, wiretap, monitor, overhear, eavesdrop on, spy on.
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the resources were to be tapped for our benefit
draw on, exploit, milk, mine, use, utilize, turn to account.
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on tap
beers on tap
on draught, cask-conditioned, real-ale, from barrels.

(informal) trained staff are on tap
on hand, at hand, available, ready, handy, accessible, standing by.
Top

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tap 2

verb
she tapped on the door
knock, rap, strike, beat, drum.
Dad tapped me on the knee
pat, hit, strike, slap, jab, poke, dig.
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noun
a sharp tap at the door
knock, rap, drumming.
a tap on the shoulder
pat, blow, slap, jab, poke, dig.
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tape

noun
a package tied with tape
binding, ribbon, string, braid.
secure the bandage with tape
adhesive tape, sticky tape, masking tape; trademark Sellotape.
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they listened to tapes
(audio) cassette, (tape) recording, audio tape, reel, spool; video.
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verb
a card was taped to the box
bind, stick, fix, fasten, secure, attach; tie, strap.
they taped off the area
cordon, seal, close, shut, mark, fence; isolate, segregate.
Top
police taped his confession
record, tape-record; video.
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taper

verb
the leaves taper at the tip
narrow, thin (out), come to a point, attenuate.
the meetings soon tapered off
decrease, lessen, dwindle, diminish, reduce, decline, die down, peter out, wane, ebb, slacken (off), fall off, let up, thin out.
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ANTONYMS :thicken, increase.

noun
a lighted taper
candle, spill, sconce; historical rushlight.

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tardy

adjective
late, unpunctual, behind schedule, running late; behind, overdue, belated, delayed; slow, dilatory. ANTONYMS :punctual.

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target

noun
targets at a range of 200 yards
mark, bullseye, goal.
eagles can spot their targets from half a mile
prey, quarry, game, kill.
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their profit target
objective, goal, aim, end; plan, intention, intent, design, aspiration, ambition, ideal, desire, wish.
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she was the target for a wave of abuse
victim, butt, recipient, focus, object, subject.
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verb
he was targeted by a gunman
pick out, single out, earmark, fix on; attack, aim at, fire at.
the product is targeted at a specific market
aim, direct, level, intend, focus.
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on target
the striker was bang on target
accurate, precise, unerring, sure, on the mark; Brit. informal spot on.

the project was on target
on schedule, on track, on course, on time.
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tariff

noun
tax, duty, toll, excise, levy, charge, rate, fee; price list.

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tarnish

verb
gold does not tarnish easily
discolour, rust, oxidize, corrode, stain, dull, blacken.
it tarnished his reputation
sully, blacken, stain, blemish, blot, taint, soil, ruin, disgrace, mar, damage, harm, hurt, undermine, dishonour, stigmatize; poetic/literary besmirch.
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ANTONYMS :polish, enhance.

noun
the tarnish on the candlesticks
discoloration, oxidation, rust; film.
the tarnish on his reputation
smear, stain, blemish, blot, taint, stigma.
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tarry

verb
(archaic) linger, loiter, procrastinate, delay, wait, dawdle; informal hang around/round. ANTONYMS :hurry.

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tart 1

noun
a jam tart
pastry, flan, tartlet, quiche, pie.

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tart 2 (informal)

noun
a tart on a street corner.
See prostitute noun.
verb
she tarted herself up
dress up, make up, smarten up, preen oneself, beautify oneself, groom oneself; informal doll oneself up, titivate oneself.
we must tart this place up a bit
decorate, renovate, refurbish, redecorate; smarten up; informal do up, fix up.
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tart 3

adjective
a tart apple
sour, sharp, acid, acidic, zesty, tangy, piquant; lemony, acetic.
a tart reply
acerbic, sharp, biting, cutting, astringent, caustic, trenchant, incisive, barbed, scathing, sarcastic, acrimonious, nasty, rude, vicious, spiteful, venomous.
Top
ANTONYMS :sweet, kind.

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task

noun
a daunting task
job, duty, chore, charge, assignment, detail, mission, engagement, occupation, undertaking, exercise, business, responsibility, burden, endeavour, enterprise, venture.
take someone to task
rebuke, reprimand, reprove, reproach, remonstrate with, upbraid, scold, berate, lecture, censure, criticize, admonish, chide, chasten, arraign; informal tell off, bawl out, give someone a dressing-down; Brit. informal tick off, carpet; formal castigate.

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taste

noun
a distinctive sharp taste
flavour, savour, relish, tang, smack.
a taste of brandy
mouthful, drop, bit, sip, nip, swallow, touch, soupçon, dash, modicum.
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it's too sweet for my taste
palate, taste buds, appetite, stomach.
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a taste for adventure
liking, love, fondness, fancy, desire, preference, penchant, predilection, inclination, partiality; hankering, appetite, hunger, thirst, relish.
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my first taste of prison
experience, impression; exposure to, contact with, involvement with.
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the house was furnished with taste
judgement, discrimination, discernment, tastefulness, refinement, finesse, elegance, grace, style.
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the photo was rejected on grounds of taste
decorum, propriety, etiquette, politeness, delicacy, nicety, sensitivity, discretion, tastefulness.
Top
gustative, gustatory. ANTONYMS :dislike.

verb
Adam tasted the wine
sample, test, try, savour; sip, sup.
he could taste blood
perceive , discern, make out, distinguish.
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a beer that tasted of cashews
have a flavour, savour, smack, be reminiscent; suggest.
Top
it'll be good to taste real coffee again
consume, drink, partake of; eat, devour.
Top
he tasted defeat
experience, encounter, come face to face with, come up against, undergo; know.
Top

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tasteful

adjective
the decor is simple and tasteful
aesthetically pleasing, in good taste, refined, cultured, elegant, stylish, smart, chic, attractive, exquisite.
this video is erotic but tasteful
decorous, proper, seemly, respectable, appropriate, modest.
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ANTONYMS :tasteless, improper.

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tasteless

adjective
the vegetables are tasteless
flavourless, bland, insipid, unappetizing, savourless, watery, weak.
tasteless leather panelling
vulgar, crude, tawdry, garish, gaudy, loud, trashy, showy, ostentatious, cheap, inelegant; informal flash, flashy, tacky, kitsch; Brit. informal naff.
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a tasteless remark
crude, vulgar, indelicate, uncouth, crass, tactless, undiplomatic, indiscreet, inappropriate, offensive.
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ANTONYMS :tasty, tasteful, seemly.

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tasty

adjective
delicious, palatable, luscious, mouth-watering, delectable, ambrosial, toothsome, dainty, flavoursome, flavourful; appetizing, tempting; informal yummy, scrummy, scrumptious, finger-licking, moreish; dated flavorous. ANTONYMS :bland.

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tatters

plural noun
the satin had frayed to tatters
rags, scraps, shreds, bits, pieces, ribbons.
in tatters
his clothes were in tatters
ragged, tattered, torn, ripped, frayed, in pieces, worn out, moth-eaten, falling to pieces, threadbare.

her marriage is in tatters
in ruins, on the rocks, destroyed, finished, devastated.
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tattle

verb
we were tattling about him
gossip, tittle-tattle, chatter, chat, prattle, babble, jabber, gabble, rattle on; informal chinwag, jaw, yak, gab; Brit. informal natter, chit-chat.
I would tattle on her if I had evidence
inform; report, talk, tell all, spill the beans; informal squeal, sing, let the cat out of the bag.
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noun
tabloid tattle
gossip, rumour, tittle-tattle, hearsay, scandal.

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taunt

noun
the taunts of his classmates
jeer, gibe, sneer, insult, barb, catcall; (taunts) teasing, provocation, goading, derision, mockery; informal dig, put-down.
verb
she taunted him about his job
jeer at, sneer at, scoff at, poke fun at, make fun of, get at, insult, tease, chaff, torment, goad, ridicule, deride, mock, heckle; N. Amer. ride; informal rib, needle, rag, guy.

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taut

adjective
the rope was pulled taut
tight, stretched, rigid.
his muscles remained taut
flexed, tense, hard, solid, firm, rigid, stiff.
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a taut expression
fraught, strained, stressed, tense; informal uptight.
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a taut tale of gang life
concise, controlled, crisp, pithy, sharp, succinct, compact, terse.
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he ran a taut ship
orderly, tight, trim, neat, disciplined, tidy, spruce, smart, shipshape (and Bristol fashion).
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ANTONYMS :slack, relaxed.

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tavern

noun
bar, inn, hostelry, taphouse; Brit. pub, public house; informal watering hole; Brit. informal local, boozer; dated alehouse; N. Amer. historical saloon.

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tawdry

adjective
gaudy, flashy, showy, garish, loud; tasteless, vulgar, trashy, junky, cheap (and nasty), cheapjack, shoddy, shabby, gimcrack; informal rubbishy, tacky, kitsch. ANTONYMS :tasteful.

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tax

noun
they have to pay tax on the interest
duty, excise, customs, dues; levy, tariff, toll, impost, tithe, charge, fee.
a heavy tax on one's attention
burden, load, weight, demand, strain, pressure, stress, drain, imposition.
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fiscal. ANTONYMS :rebate.

verb
they tax foreign companies more harshly
charge (duty on), tithe; formal mulct.
his whining taxed her patience
strain, stretch, overburden, overload, encumber, push too far; overwhelm, try, wear out, exhaust, sap, drain, weary, weaken.
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taxing

adjective
demanding, exacting, challenging, burdensome, arduous, onerous, difficult, hard, tough, laborious, back-breaking, strenuous, rigorous, punishing; tiring, exhausting, enervating, wearing, stressful; informal murderous. ANTONYMS :easy.

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teach

verb
she teaches small children
educate, instruct, school, tutor, coach, train; enlighten, illuminate, verse, edify, indoctrinate; drill, discipline.
I taught English
give lessons in, lecture in, be a teacher of.
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teach your teenager how to negotiate
train, show, guide, instruct, demonstrate; instil, inculcate.
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didactic, pedagogic.

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teacher

noun
educator, tutor, instructor, master, mistress, schoolmarm, governess, educationist, preceptor; coach, trainer; lecturer, professor, don; guide, mentor, guru, counsellor; informal teach; Brit. informal beak; Austral./NZ informal chalkie, schoolie; formal pedagogue; historical schoolman.

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team

noun
the sales team
group, squad, company, party, crew, troupe, band, side, line-up; informal bunch, gang, posse.
a team of horses
pair, span, yoke, duo, set, tandem.
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verb
the horses are teamed in pairs
harness, yoke, hitch, couple.
team a T-shirt with matching shorts
match, coordinate, complement, pair up.
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team up with another artist for an exhibition
join (forces), collaborate, get together, work together; unite, combine, cooperate, link, ally, associate, club together.
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tear 1

verb
I tore up the letter
rip up, rip in two, pull to pieces, shred.
his flesh was torn
lacerate, cut (open), gash, slash, scratch, hack, pierce, stab; injure, wound.
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the traumas tore her family apart
divide, split, sever, break up, disunite, rupture; poetic/literary rend, sunder, cleave.
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Gina tore the book from his hands
snatch, grab, seize, rip, wrench, wrest, pull, pluck; informal yank.
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(informal) Jack tore down the street
sprint, race, run, dart, rush, dash, hasten, hurry, hare, bolt, fly, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, speed, whizz, zoom, go like lightning, go like the wind; informal pelt, scoot, hotfoot it, leg it, belt, zip, whip; Brit. informal go like the clappers, bomb, bucket; N. Amer. informal hightail it.
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ANTONYMS :unite.

noun
a tear in her dress
rip, hole, split, slash, slit; ladder, snag.
tear something down
demolish, knock down, raze (to the ground), flatten, level, bulldoze; dismantle, disassemble.

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tear 2

noun
tears in her eyes
teardrop. lachrymal, lachrymose.
in tears
crying, weeping, sobbing, wailing, howling, bawling, whimpering; tearful, upset; informal weepy, teary, blubbing, blubbering.

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tearaway

noun
hooligan, hoodlum, ruffian, lout, rowdy, roughneck; Austral. larrikin; informal yahoo; Brit. informal yob, yobbo; Scottish informal ned; Austral./NZ informal roughie.

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tearful

adjective
Georgina was tearful
close to tears, emotional, upset, distressed, sad, unhappy; in tears, crying, weeping, sobbing, snivelling; informal weepy, teary; formal lachrymose.
a tearful farewell
emotional, upsetting, distressing, sad, heartbreaking, sorrowful; poignant, moving, touching, tear-jerking; poetic/literary dolorous.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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tease

verb
make fun of, poke fun at, chaff, laugh at, guy, make a monkey (out) of; taunt, bait, goad, pick on; deride, mock, ridicule; informal take the mickey out of, rag, send up, rib, josh, have on, pull someone's leg; Brit. informal wind up; N. Amer. informal pull someone's chain, razz; Austral./NZ informal poke mullock at; dated twit.

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technical

adjective
an important technical achievement
practical, scientific, technological, high-tech.
this might seem very technical
specialist, specialized, scientific; complex, complicated, esoteric.
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a technical fault
mechanical.
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technique

noun
different techniques for solving the problem
method, approach, procedure, system, modus operandi, MO, way; means, strategy, tack, tactic, line; routine, practice.
I was impressed with his technique
skill, ability, proficiency, expertise, mastery, talent, genius, artistry, craftsmanship; aptitude, adroitness, deftness, dexterity, facility, competence; performance, delivery; informal know-how.
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tedious

adjective
boring, dull, monotonous, repetitive, unrelieved, unvaried, uneventful; characterless, colourless, lifeless, insipid, uninteresting, unexciting, uninspiring, flat, bland, dry, stale, tired, lacklustre, stodgy, dreary, humdrum, mundane; mind-numbing, soul-destroying, wearisome, tiring, tiresome, irksome, trying, frustrating; informal deadly, not up to much; Brit. informal samey; N. Amer. informal dullsville. ANTONYMS :exciting.

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tedium

noun
monotony, boredom, ennui, uniformity, routine, dreariness, dryness, banality, vapidity, insipidity. ANTONYMS :variety.

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teem 1

verb
the pond was teeming with fish
be full of, be filled with, be alive with, be brimming with, abound in, be swarming with; be packed with, be crawling with, be overrun by, bristle with, seethe with, be thick with; informal be jam-packed with, be chock-a-block with, be chock-full with.

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teem 2

verb
the rain was teeming down
pour, pelt, tip, beat, lash, sheet; come down in torrents, rain cats and dogs; informal be chucking it down; Brit. informal bucket down.

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teenage

adjective
adolescent, teenaged, youthful, young, juvenile; informal teen.

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teenager

noun
adolescent, youth, young person, minor, juvenile; informal teen, teeny-bopper.

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teeny

adjective
(informal). See tiny.

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teeter

verb
Daisy teetered towards them
totter, wobble, toddle, sway, stagger, stumble, reel, lurch, pitch.
the situation teetered between tragedy and farce
see-saw, veer, fluctuate, oscillate, swing, alternate, waver.
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teetotal

adjective
abstinent, abstemious; sober, dry; informal on the wagon. ANTONYMS :alcoholic.

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telegram

noun
telemessage, telex; informal wire; dated radiogram; historical cable, cablegram.

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telepathic

adjective
psychic, clairvoyant.

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telepathy

noun
mind-reading, thought transference; extrasensory perception, ESP; clairvoyance, sixth sense; psychometry.

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telephone

noun
Sophie picked up the telephone
phone, handset, receiver; informal blower; N. Amer. informal horn.
verb
he telephoned me last night
phone, call, dial; get, reach; Brit. ring (up); informal call up, give someone a buzz, get on the blower to; Brit. informal give someone a bell, give someone a tinkle; N. Amer. informal get someone on the horn.

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telescope

noun
spyglass; informal scope.
verb
the front of the car was telescoped
concertina, compact, compress, crush, squash.
his experience can be telescoped into a paragraph
condense, shorten, reduce, abbreviate, abridge, summarize, precis, abstract, shrink, consolidate; truncate, curtail.
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televise

verb
broadcast, screen, air, telecast; transmit, relay.

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television

noun
TV; informal the small screen; Brit. informal telly, the box; N. Amer. informal the tube.

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tell

verb
why didn't you tell me before?
inform, notify, apprise, let know, make aware, acquaint with, advise, put in the picture, brief, fill in; alert, warn; informal clue in/up.
she told the story slowly
relate, recount, narrate, unfold, report, recite, describe, sketch, weave, spin; utter, voice, state, declare, communicate, impart, divulge.
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she told him to leave
instruct, order, command, direct, charge, enjoin, call on, require; poetic/literary bid.
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I tell you, I did nothing wrong
assure, promise, give one's word, swear, guarantee.
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the figures tell a different story
reveal, show, indicate, be evidence of, disclose, convey, signify.
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promise you won't tell?
give the game away, talk, tell tales, tattle; informal spill the beans, let the cat out of the bag, blab; Brit. informal blow the gaff.
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she was bound to tell on him
inform on, tell tales on, give away, denounce, sell out; informal split on, blow the whistle on, rat on , peach on, squeal on; Brit. informal grass on, sneak on, shop; N. Amer. informal finger; Austral./NZ informal dob on.
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it was hard to tell what he said
ascertain, determine, work out, make out, deduce, discern, perceive, see, identify, recognize, understand, comprehend; informal figure out; Brit. informal suss out.
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he couldn't tell one from the other
distinguish, differentiate, discriminate.
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the strain began to tell on him
take its toll, leave its mark; affect.
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tell someone off (informal). See reprimand verb.

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teller

noun
a bank teller
cashier, clerk.
a teller of tales
narrator, raconteur; storyteller, anecdotalist.
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telling

adjective
revealing, significant, weighty, important, meaningful, influential, striking, potent, powerful, compelling. ANTONYMS :insignificant.

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telling-off

noun
(informal). See reprimand noun.

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telltale

adjective
the telltale blush on her face
revealing, revelatory, suggestive, meaningful, significant, meaning; informal giveaway.
noun
"Sue did it," said a telltale
informer, whistle-blower, N. Amer. tattletale; informal snitch, squealer; Brit. informal sneak; Scottish informal clype; dated talebearer.

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temerity

noun
audacity, nerve, effrontery, impudence, impertinence, cheek, gall, presumption; daring; informal face, front, (brass) neck, chutzpah.

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temper

noun
he walked out in a temper
(fit of) rage, fury, fit of pique, tantrum, (bad) mood, pet, sulk, huff; informal grump, snit; Brit. informal strop, paddy; Brit. informal, dated bate, wax; N. Amer. informal hissy fit.
a display of temper
anger, fury, rage, annoyance, vexation, irritation, irritability, ill humour, spleen, pique, petulance, testiness, tetchiness, crabbiness; Brit. informal stroppiness; poetic/literary ire, choler.
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she struggled to keep her temper
composure, equanimity, self-control, self-possession, sangfroid, calm, good humour; informal cool.
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verb
the steel is tempered by heat
harden, strengthen, toughen, fortify, anneal.
their idealism is tempered with realism
moderate, modify, modulate, mitigate, alleviate, reduce, weaken, lighten, soften.
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lose one's temper
get angry, fly into a rage, erupt, lose control, go berserk, breathe fire, flare up, boil over; informal go mad , go crazy, go bananas, have a fit, see red, fly off the handle, blow one's top, do one's nut, hit the roof, go off the deep end, go ape, flip, lose one's rag, freak out; Brit. informal go spare, go crackers, throw a wobbly.

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temperament

noun
disposition, nature, character, personality, make-up, constitution, mind, spirit; stamp, mettle, mould; mood, frame of mind, attitude, outlook, humour.

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temperamental

adjective
a temperamental chef
volatile, excitable, emotional, mercurial, capricious, erratic, unpredictable, changeable, inconsistent; hot-headed, fiery, quick-tempered, irritable, irascible, impatient; touchy, moody, sensitive, oversensitive, highly strung, neurotic, melodramatic.
a temperamental dislike of conflict
inherent, innate, natural, inborn, constitutional, deep-rooted, ingrained, congenital.
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ANTONYMS :placid.

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temperance

noun
teetotalism, abstinence, abstention, sobriety, self-restraint; prohibition. ANTONYMS :alcoholism.

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temperate

adjective
temperate climates
mild, clement, benign, gentle, balmy.
he was temperate in his consumption
self-restrained, restrained, moderate, self-controlled, disciplined; abstemious, self-denying, austere, ascetic; teetotal, abstinent.
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ANTONYMS :extreme.

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tempest

noun
storm, gale, hurricane; tornado, whirlwind, cyclone, typhoon.

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tempestuous

adjective
the day was tempestuous
stormy, blustery, squally, wild, turbulent, windy, gusty, blowy, rainy; foul, nasty, inclement.
the tempestuous political environment
turbulent, stormy, tumultuous, wild, lively, heated, explosive, feverish, frenetic, frenzied.
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a tempestuous woman
emotional, passionate, impassioned, fiery, intense; temperamental. volatile, excitable, mercurial, capricious, unpredictable, quick-tempered.
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ANTONYMS :calm, peaceful, placid.

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temple

noun
house of God, shrine, sanctuary; church, cathedral, mosque, synagogue, shul; archaic fane.

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tempo

noun
the tempo of the music
cadence, speed, rhythm, beat, time, pulse; measure, metre.
the tempo of life in Western society
pace, rate, speed, velocity.
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temporal

adjective
secular, non-spiritual, worldly, profane, material, mundane, earthly, terrestrial; non-religious, lay. ANTONYMS :spiritual.

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temporarily

adverb
the girl was temporarily placed with a foster-family
for the time being, for the moment, for now, for the present, in the interim, for the nonce, in/for the meantime, in the meanwhile; provisionally, pro tem; informal for the minute.
he was temporarily blinded by the light
briefly, for a short time, momentarily, fleetingly.
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ANTONYMS :permanently.

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temporary

adjective
temporary accommodation | the temporary captain
non-permanent, short-term, interim; provisional, pro tem, makeshift, stopgap; acting, fill-in, stand-in, caretaker.
a temporary loss of self-control
brief, short-lived, momentary, fleeting, passing.
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ANTONYMS :permanent, lasting.

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temporize

verb
equivocate, procrastinate, play for time, play a waiting game, stall, use delaying tactics, delay, hang back, prevaricate; Brit. hum and haw; rare tergiversate.

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tempt

verb
the manager tried to tempt him to stay
entice, persuade, convince, inveigle, induce, cajole, coax, woo; informal sweet-talk.
more customers are being tempted by credit
allure, attract, appeal to, whet the appetite of; lure, seduce, beguile, tantalize, draw.
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ANTONYMS :discourage, deter.

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temptation

noun
Mary resisted the temptation to answer back
desire, urge, itch, impulse, inclination.
the temptations of London
lure, allurement, enticement, seduction, attraction, draw, pull; siren song.
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the temptation of travel to exotic locations
allure, appeal, attraction, fascination.
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tempting

adjective
the tempting shops of the Via Nazionale
enticing, alluring, attractive, appealing, inviting, captivating, seductive, beguiling, fascinating, tantalizing; irresistible.
a plate of tempting cakes
appetizing, mouth-watering, delicious, toothsome; informal scrummy, scrumptious, yummy.
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ANTONYMS :off-putting, uninviting.

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temptress

noun
seductress, siren, femme fatale, Mata Hari; informal vamp.

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ten

cardinal number
decade. decimal, deca-, deci-.

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tenable

adjective
defensible, justifiable, supportable, sustainable, arguable, able to hold water, reasonable, rational, sound, viable, plausible, credible, believable, conceivable. ANTONYMS :indefensible.

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tenacious

adjective
his tenacious grip
firm, tight, fast, clinging; strong, forceful, powerful, unshakeable, immovable, iron.
a tenacious man
persevering, persistent, determined, dogged, strong-willed, tireless, indefatigable, resolute, patient, purposeful, unflagging, staunch, steadfast, untiring, unwavering, unswerving, unshakeable, unyielding, insistent; stubborn, intransigent, obstinate, obdurate, stiff-necked; N. Amer. rock-ribbed; formal pertinacious.
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ANTONYMS :weak, irresolute.

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tenacity

noun
persistence, determination, perseverance, doggedness, strength of purpose, bulldog spirit, tirelessness, indefatigability, resolution, resoluteness, resolve, firmness, patience, purposefulness, staunchness, steadfastness, staying power, application; stubbornness, intransigence, obstinacy, obduracy; formal pertinacity.

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tenancy

noun
occupancy, occupation, period of occupancy/occupation, residence, habitation, holding, possession; tenure, lease, rental, leasehold.

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tenant

noun
occupant, resident, inhabitant; leaseholder, lessee, renter; Brit. occupier, sitting tenant. ANTONYMS :owner, freeholder.

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tend 1

verb
I tend to get very involved in my work
be inclined, be apt, be disposed, be prone, be liable, have a tendency, have a propensity.
younger voters tended towards the tabloid press
incline, lean, gravitate, move; prefer, favour; N. Amer. trend.
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tend 2

verb
she tended her cattle
look after, take care of, care for, minister to, attend to, see to, wait on; watch over, keep an eye on, mind, protect, watch, guard; nurse, nurture, cherish. ANTONYMS :neglect.

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tendency

noun
his tendency to take the law into his own hands
propensity, proclivity, proneness, aptness, likelihood, inclination, disposition, predisposition, bent, leaning, penchant, predilection, susceptibility, liability; readiness; habit.
this tendency towards cohabitation
trend, movement, drift, swing, gravitation, direction, course; orientation, bias.
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tender 1

adjective
a gentle, tender man
caring, kind, kindly, kind-hearted, soft-hearted, tender-hearted, compassionate, sympathetic, warm, warm-hearted, fatherly, motherly, maternal, gentle, mild, benevolent, generous, giving, humane.
a tender kiss
affectionate, fond, loving, emotional, warm, gentle, soft; amorous, adoring; informal lovey-dovey.
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tender love songs
romantic, sentimental, emotional, emotive, touching, moving, poignant; Brit. informal soppy.
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simmer until the meat is tender
easily chewed, chewable, soft; succulent, juicy; tenderized.
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tender plants
delicate, easily damaged, fragile.
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her ankle was swollen and tender
sore, painful, sensitive, inflamed, raw, red, chafed, bruised; hurting, aching, throbbing, smarting.
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the tender age of fifteen
young, youthful; impressionable, inexperienced, immature, unsophisticated, unseasoned, juvenile, callow, green, raw; informal wet behind the ears.
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the issue of conscription was a particularly tender one
difficult, delicate, tricky, awkward, problematic, troublesome, ticklish; controversial, emotive; informal sticky.
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ANTONYMS :hard-hearted, callous, tough.

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tender 2

verb
she tendered her resignation
offer, proffer, present, put forward, propose, suggest, advance, submit, extend, give, render; hand in.
firms of interior decorators tendered for the work
put in a bid, bid, quote, give an estimate.
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noun
six contractors were invited to submit tenders
bid, offer, quotation, quote, estimate, price; proposal, submission.

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tender-hearted

adjective
. See tender1 sense 1.

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tenderness

noun
I felt an enormous tenderness for her
affection, fondness, love, devotion, loving kindness, emotion, sentiment.
with unexpected tenderness, he told her what had happened
kindness, kindliness, kind-heartedness, tender-heartedness, compassion, care, concern, sympathy, warmth, fatherliness, motherliness, gentleness, benevolence, generosity.
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abdominal tenderness
soreness, pain, inflammation, bruising; ache, aching, smarting, throbbing.
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tenet

noun
principle, belief, doctrine, precept, creed, credo, article of faith, dogma, canon; theory, thesis, conviction, idea, view, opinion, position, hypothesis, postulation; (tenets) ideology, code of belief, teaching(s).

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tenor

noun
the general tenor of his speech
sense, meaning, theme, drift, thread, import, purport, intent, intention, burden, thrust, significance, message; gist, essence, substance, spirit.
the even tenor of life in the village
course, direction, movement, drift, current, trend.
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tense

adjective
the tense muscles of his neck
taut, tight, rigid, stretched, strained, stiff.
Loretta was feeling tense and irritable
anxious, nervous, on edge, edgy, strained, stressed, under pressure, agitated, ill at ease, uneasy, restless, worked up, keyed up, overwrought, jumpy, on tenterhooks, with one's stomach in knots, worried, apprehensive, panicky; Brit. nervy; informal a bundle of nerves, jittery, twitchy, uptight, stressed out; N. Amer. informal spooky, squirrelly.
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a tense moment
nerve-racking, stressful, anxious, worrying, fraught, charged, strained, nail-biting, difficult, uneasy, uncomfortable; exciting, cliffhanging, knife-edge.
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ANTONYMS :slack, calm.

verb
Hebden tensed his muscles
tighten, tauten, tense up, flex, contract, brace, stiffen; screw up, knot, strain, stretch; N. Amer. squinch up. ANTONYMS :relax.

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tension

noun
the tension of the rope
tightness, tautness, rigidity; pull, traction.
the tension was unbearable
strain, stress, anxiety, pressure; worry, apprehensiveness, apprehension, agitation, nerves, nervousness, jumpiness, edginess, restlessness; suspense, uncertainty, anticipation, excitement; informal butterflies (in one's stomach), collywobbles.
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months of tension between the military and the government
strained relations, strain; ill feeling, friction, antagonism, antipathy, hostility, enmity.
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tentative

adjective
tentative arrangements | a tentative conclusion
provisional, unconfirmed, pencilled in, preliminary, to be confirmed, TBC, subject to confirmation; speculative, conjectural, untried, unproven, exploratory, experimental, trial, test, pilot.
he took a few tentative steps
hesitant, uncertain, cautious, timid, hesitating, faltering, shaky, unsteady, halting; wavering, unsure.
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ANTONYMS :definite, confident.

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tenterhooks

on tenterhooks
in suspense, waiting with bated breath; anxious, nervous, nervy, apprehensive, worried, worried sick, on edge, edgy, tense, strained, stressed, agitated, restless, worked up, keyed up, jumpy, with one's stomach in knots, with one's heart in one's mouth, like a cat on a hot tin roof; informal with butterflies in one's stomach, jittery, twitchy, in a state, uptight; N. Amer. informal spooky, squirrelly.

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tenuous

adjective
a tenuous connection
slight, insubstantial, flimsy, weak, doubtful, dubious, questionable, suspect; vague, nebulous, hazy.
a tenuous thread
fine, thin, slender, delicate, gossamer, fragile.
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ANTONYMS :convincing, strong.

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tenure

noun
residents should have security of tenure
tenancy, occupancy, holding, occupation, residence; possession, title, ownership.
his tenure as Secretary of State for Industry
incumbency, term (of office), period (of/in office), time (in office).
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tepid

adjective
tepid water
lukewarm, warmish, slightly warm; at room temperature.
a tepid response
unenthusiastic, apathetic, half-hearted, indifferent, cool, lukewarm, uninterested; informal unenthused.
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ANTONYMS :hot, cold, enthusiastic.

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term

noun
scientific and technical terms
word, expression, phrase, turn of phrase, idiom, locution; name, title, designation, label; formal appellation, denomination.
a protest in the strongest terms
language, mode of expression, manner of speaking, phraseology, terminology; words, phrases, expressions.
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the terms of the contract
conditions, stipulations, specifications, provisions, provisos; restrictions, qualifications; particulars, details, points.
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a policy offering more favourable terms
rates, prices, charges, costs, fees; tariff.
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the President is elected for a four-year term
period, period of time, time, length of time, spell, stint, duration; stretch, run; period of office, incumbency.
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(archaic) the whole term of your natural life
duration, length, span.
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the summer term
session; N. Amer. semester, trimester, quarter.
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verb
he has been termed the father of modern theology
call, name, entitle, title, style, designate, describe as, dub, label, tag; nickname; formal denominate.
come to terms
the two sides came to terms
reach an agreement/understanding, make a deal, reach a compromise, meet each other halfway.

she eventually came to terms with her situation
accept, come to accept, reconcile oneself to, learn to live with, become resigned to, make the best of; face up to.
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terminal

adjective
a terminal illness
incurable, untreatable, inoperable; fatal, mortal, deadly.
terminal patients
dying, near death; incurable.
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a terminal bonus may be payable when a policy matures
final, last, concluding, closing, end.
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(informal) you're making a terminal ass of yourself
complete, utter, absolute, total, real, thorough, out-and-out, downright, perfect; Brit. informal right, proper; Austral./NZ informal fair.
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noun
a railway terminal
station, last stop, end of the line; depot; Brit. terminus.
a computer terminal
workstation, VDU, visual display unit.
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terminate

verb
treatment was terminated
bring to an end, end, bring to a close/conclusion, close, conclude, finish, stop, put an end to, wind up, discontinue, cease, cut short, abort, axe; informal pull the plug on.
the train will terminate in Stratford
end its journey, finish up, stop.
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the pregnancy was terminated
abort, end.
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ANTONYMS :begin, start, continue.

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termination

noun
the termination of a contract
ending, end, closing, close, conclusion, finish, stopping, winding up, discontinuance, discontinuation; cancellation, dissolution; informal wind-up.
she had a termination
abortion; rare feticide.
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ANTONYMS :start, beginning.

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terminology

noun
phraseology, terms, expressions, words, language, parlance, vocabulary, nomenclature; usage, idiom; jargon, cant, argot; informal lingo, -speak, -ese.

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terminus

noun
(Brit.) the bus terminus
station, last stop, end of the line, terminal; depot, garage.

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terrain

noun
land, ground, territory; topography, landscape, countryside, country.

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terrestrial

adjective
earthly, worldly, mundane, earthbound; poetic/literary sublunary.

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terrible

adjective
a terrible crime | terrible injuries
dreadful, awful, appalling, horrific, horrifying, horrible, horrendous, atrocious, abominable, abhorrent, frightful, shocking, hideous, ghastly, grim, dire, unspeakable, gruesome, monstrous, sickening, heinous, vile; serious, grave, acute; formal grievous.
a terrible smell
nasty, disgusting, awful, dreadful, ghastly, horrid, horrible, vile, foul, abominable, frightful, loathsome, revolting, repulsive, odious, nauseating, repellent, horrendous, hideous, appalling, offensive, objectionable, obnoxious; informal gruesome, putrid, diabolical, yucky, sick-making, God-awful, gross; Brit. informal beastly; archaic disgustful.
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he was in terrible pain
severe, extreme, intense, excruciating, agonizing, unbearable, intolerable, unendurable.
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that's a terrible thing to say
unkind, nasty, unpleasant, foul, obnoxious, vile, contemptible, despicable, wretched, shabby; spiteful, mean, malicious, poisonous, mean-spirited, cruel, hateful, hurtful; unfair, uncharitable, uncalled for, below the belt, unwarranted; Brit. informal beastly.
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the film was terrible
very bad, dreadful, awful, frightful, atrocious, hopeless, poor; informal pathetic, pitiful, useless, lousy, appalling, abysmal, dire; Brit. informal duff, chronic, poxy, rubbish, a load of pants.
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(informal) you're a terrible flirt
incorrigible, outrageous; real, awful, dreadful, frightful, shocking; informal impossible, fearful; Brit. informal right, proper.
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I feel terrible I've been in bed all day
ill, poorly, sick, queasy, nauseous, nauseated, green about the gills; faint, dizzy; informal rough, lousy, awful, dreadful; Brit. informal grotty, ropy.
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he still feels terrible about what he did to John
guilty, conscience-stricken, remorseful, guilt-ridden, ashamed, chastened, contrite, sorry.
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ANTONYMS :minor, slight, pleasant, wonderful.

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terribly

adverb
(informal) she's terribly upset
very, extremely, really, terrifically, tremendously, immensely, thoroughly, dreadfully, exceptionally, remarkably, extraordinarily, exceedingly; N. English right; informal awfully, devilishly, seriously, majorly; Brit. informal jolly, ever so, dead, well; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful; informal, dated frightfully; archaic exceeding.
he played terribly
very badly, atrociously, awfully, dreadfully, appallingly, execrably; informal abysmally, pitifully, diabolically.
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(informal) I shall miss you terribly
very much, greatly, a great deal, a lot; informal loads.
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terrific

adjective
a terrific bang
tremendous, huge, massive, gigantic, colossal, mighty, great, prodigious, formidable, sizeable, considerable; intense, extreme, extraordinary; informal mega, whopping great, humongous; Brit. informal whacking great, ginormous.
(informal) a terrific game of top-quality football
marvellous, wonderful, sensational, outstanding, superb, excellent, first-rate, first-class, dazzling, out of this world, breathtaking; informal great, fantastic, fabulous, fab, mega, super, ace, magic, cracking, cool, wicked, awesome; Brit. informal brilliant, brill, smashing; Austral./NZ informal bonzer; Brit. informal, dated spiffing.
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(archaic) terrific scenes of slaughter and destruction
dreadful, terrible, appalling, awful, horrific, horrible, horrendous, horrifying, hideous, grim, ghastly, gruesome, frightful, fearful.
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terrified

adjective
petrified, frightened, scared, scared/frightened to death, scared stiff, scared/frightened out of one's wits, scared witless, horrified, with one's heart in one's mouth, shaking in one's shoes.

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terrify

verb
petrify, horrify, frighten, scare, scare/frighten to death, scare/frighten the living daylights out of, scare/frighten the life out of, scare/frighten someone out of their wits, scare witless, strike terror into, put the fear of God into; paralyse, transfix; informal scare the pants off; Irish informal scare the bejesus out of.

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territory

noun
British overseas territories
area of land, area, region, enclave; country, state, land, dependency, colony, dominion, protectorate, fief, possession, holding.
mountainous territory
terrain, land, ground, countryside.
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the territory of biblical scholarship
domain, area of concern/interest/knowledge, province, department, field, preserve, sphere, arena, realm, world.
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Sheffield was his territory
sphere of operations, area, section; informal turf; Brit. informal patch, manor.
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terror

noun
she screamed in terror
extreme fear, dread, horror, fear and trembling, fright, alarm, panic, shock.
the terrors of her own mind
demon, fiend, devil, monster; horror, nightmare.
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(informal) he turned out to be a right little terror
rascal, devil, imp, monkey, scallywag, mischief-maker; informal scamp, horror; Brit. informal perisher; N. English informal scally; N. Amer. informal varmint.
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terrorist

noun
bomber, arsonist, incendiary; gunman, assassin; hijacker; revolutionary, radical, guerrilla, urban guerrilla, anarchist, freedom fighter.

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terrorize

verb
persecute, victimize, torment, tyrannize, intimidate, menace, threaten, bully, browbeat; scare, frighten, terrify, petrify; Brit. informal put the frighteners on.

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terse

adjective
brief, short, to the point, concise, succinct, crisp, pithy, incisive, short and sweet, laconic, elliptical; brusque, abrupt, curt, clipped, blunt, ungracious. ANTONYMS :long-winded, polite.

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test

noun
a series of scientific tests
trial, experiment, pilot study, try-out; check, examination, assessment, evaluation, appraisal, investigation, inspection, analysis, scrutiny, study, probe, exploration; screening; technical assay.
candidates may be required to take a test
exam, examination; N. Amer. quiz.
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the test of a good sparkling wine
criterion, proof, indication, yardstick, touchstone, standard, measure, litmus test, acid test.
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verb
a small-scale prototype was tested
try out, trial, put to the test, put through its paces, experiment with, pilot; check, examine, assess, evaluate, appraise, investigate, analyse, scrutinize, study, probe, explore; sample; screen; technical assay.
such behaviour would test any marriage
put a strain on, strain, tax, try; make demands on, stretch, challenge.
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testament

noun
an achievement which is a testament to his professionalism and dedication
testimony, witness, evidence, proof, attestation; demonstration, indication, exemplification; monument, tribute.

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testify

verb
you may be required to testify in court
give evidence, bear witness, be a witness, give one's testimony, attest; Law make a deposition.
he testified that he had been threatened by a fellow officer
attest, swear, state on oath, state, declare, assert, affirm; allege, submit, claim; Law depose.
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the exhibits testify to the talents of the local sculptors
be evidence/proof of, attest to, confirm, prove, corroborate, substantiate, bear out; show, demonstrate, bear witness to, indicate, reveal, bespeak.
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testimonial

noun
reference, character reference, letter of recommendation, commendation.

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testimony

noun
Smith was in court to hear her testimony
evidence, sworn statement, attestation, affidavit; statement, declaration, assertion, affirmation; allegation, submission, claim; Law deposition.
the work is a testimony to his professional commitment
testament, proof, evidence, attestation, witness; confirmation, corroboration; demonstration, indication.
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testing

adjective
difficult, challenging, tough, hard, demanding, taxing, stressful. ANTONYMS :easy.

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testy

adjective
. See tetchy.

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tetchy

adjective
irritable, cantankerous, irascible, bad-tempered, grumpy, grouchy, crotchety, crabby, testy, crusty, curmudgeonly, ill-tempered, ill-humoured, peevish, cross, fractious, pettish, crabbed, prickly, waspish; informal snappish, snappy, chippy; Brit. informal shirty, stroppy, narky, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky, ornery. ANTONYMS :good-humoured.

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tête-à-tête

noun
conversation, chat, talk, heart-to-heart, one-on-one, one-to-one; informal confab, chinwag; Brit. informal natter; formal confabulation.

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tether

verb
the horse had been tethered to a post
tie (up), hitch, rope, chain; fasten, secure. ANTONYMS :unleash.

noun
a dog on a tether
rope, chain, cord, lead, leash; restraint; halter.
at the end of one's tether
at one's wits' end, desperate, not knowing which way to turn, unable to cope; N. Amer. at the end of one's rope.

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text

noun
a text which explores pain and grief
book, work, written/printed work.
the pictures are clear and relate well to the text
words, wording; content, body, main body.
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academic texts
textbook, book; set book.
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a text from the First Book of Samuel
passage, extract, quotation, verse, line; reading.
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he took as his text the fact that Australia is a paradise
theme, subject, topic, motif; thesis, argument.
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textiles

plural noun
fabrics, cloths, materials.

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texture

noun
feel, touch; appearance, finish, surface, grain; quality, consistency; weave, nap.

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thank

verb
express (one's) gratitude to, express one's thanks to, offer/extend thanks to, say thank you to, show one's appreciation to.

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thankful

adjective
grateful, filled with gratitude, relieved, pleased, glad.

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thankless

adjective
a thankless task
unenviable, difficult, unpleasant, unrewarding; unappreciated, unrecognized, unacknowledged.
her thankless children
ungrateful, unappreciative, unthankful.
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ANTONYMS :rewarding, grateful.

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thanks

plural noun
they expressed their thanks and wished her well
gratitude, appreciation; acknowledgement, recognition, credit.
exclamation
thanks for being so helpful
thank you, many thanks, thanks very much, thanks a lot, thank you kindly, much obliged, much appreciated, bless you; informal cheers, thanks a million; Brit. informal ta.
thanks to
as a result of, owing to, due to, because of, through, as a consequence of, on account of, by virtue of, by dint of; formal by reason of.

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thaw

verb
melt, unfreeze, soften, liquefy, dissolve; defrost; N. Amer. unthaw. ANTONYMS :freeze.

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theatre

noun
the local theatre
playhouse, auditorium, amphitheatre.
what made you want to go into the theatre?
acting, performing, the stage; drama, the dramatic arts, dramaturgy, the thespian art; show business; informal the boards, show biz.
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the lecture theatre
hall, room, auditorium.
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the theatre of war
scene, arena, field/sphere/place of action.
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theatrical

adjective
a theatrical career
stage, dramatic, thespian, dramaturgical; show-business; informal showbiz; formal histrionic.
Henry looked over his shoulder with theatrical caution
exaggerated, ostentatious, actressy, stagy, showy, melodramatic, overacted, overdone, histrionic, affected, mannered; informal hammy, ham, camp.
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theft

noun
robbery, stealing, thieving, larceny, thievery, shoplifting, burglary, misappropriation, embezzlement; raid, hold-up; informal smash and grab; N. Amer. informal heist, stick-up; formal peculation. kleptomania.

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theme

noun
the theme of her speech
subject, topic, subject matter, matter, thesis, argument, text, burden, thrust; thread, motif, keynote.
the first violin takes up the theme
melody, tune, air; motif, leitmotif.
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then

adverb
I was living in Cairo then
at that time, in those days; at that point (in time), at that moment, on that occasion.
she won the first and then the second game
next, after that, afterwards, subsequently.
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and then there's another problem
in addition, also, besides, as well, additionally, on top of that, over and above that, moreover, furthermore, what's more, to boot; too.
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well, if that's what he wants, then he should leave
in that case, that being so, it follows that.
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theological

adjective
religious, scriptural, ecclesiastical, doctrinal; divine, holy.

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theoretical

adjective
hypothetical, conjectural, academic, suppositional, speculative, notional, postulatory, assumed, presumed, untested, unproven, unsubstantiated. ANTONYMS :actual, real.

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theorize

verb
speculate, conjecture, hypothesize, postulate, propose, posit, suppose.

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theory

noun
I reckon that confirms my theory
hypothesis, thesis, conjecture, supposition, speculation, postulation, postulate, proposition, premise, surmise, assumption, presupposition; opinion, view, belief, contention.
modern economic theory
principles, ideas, concepts; philosophy, ideology, system of ideas, science.
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in theory
in principle, on paper, in the abstract, all things being equal, in an ideal world; hypothetically.

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therapeutic

adjective
healing, curative, remedial, medicinal, restorative, health-giving, tonic, reparative, corrective, beneficial, good, salutary; archaic sanative. ANTONYMS :harmful.

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therapist

noun
psychologist, psychotherapist, analyst, psychoanalyst, psychiatrist; informal shrink; Brit. humorous trick cyclist.

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therapy

noun
a wide range of complementary therapies
treatment, remedy, cure.
he's currently in therapy
psychotherapy, psychoanalysis, analysis.
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thereabouts

adverb
the land thereabouts
near there, around there.
they sold it for five million or thereabouts
approximately, or so, give or take a bit, plus or minus a bit, in round numbers, not far off; Brit. getting on for; N. Amer. informal in the ballpark of.
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thereafter

adverb
after that, following that, afterwards, subsequently, then, next.

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therefore

adverb
consequently, so, as a result, hence, thus, accordingly, for that reason, ergo, that being the case, on that account; formal whence; archaic wherefore.

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thesis

noun
the central thesis of his lecture
theory, contention, argument, line of argument, proposal, proposition, premise, assumption, hypothesis, postulation, surmise, supposition.
a doctoral thesis
dissertation, essay, paper, treatise, disquisition, composition, monograph, study; N. Amer. theme.
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thick

adjective
the walls are five feet thick
in extent/diameter, across, wide, broad, deep.
his short, thick legs
stocky, sturdy, chunky, hefty, thickset, beefy, meaty, big, solid; fat, stout, plump.
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a thick Aran sweater
chunky, bulky, heavy, cable-knit; woollen, woolly.
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the station was thick with people
crowded, full, filled, packed, teeming, seething, swarming, crawling, crammed, thronged, bursting at the seams, solid, overflowing, choked, jammed, congested; informal jam-packed, chock-a-block, stuffed; Austral./NZ informal chocker.
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the thick summer vegetation
plentiful, abundant, profuse, luxuriant, bushy, rich, riotous, exuberant; rank, rampant; dense, close-packed, impenetrable, impassable; serried; informal jungly.
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a thick paste
semi-solid, firm, stiff, stiffened, heavy; clotted, coagulated, viscid, viscous, gelatinous; concentrated.
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thick fog
dense, heavy, opaque, impe netrable, soupy, murky.
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(informal) he's a bit thick.
See stupid sense 1.
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Guy's voice was thick with desire
husky, hoarse, throaty, guttural, gravelly, rough.
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a thick Scottish accent
obvious, pronounced, marked, broad, strong, rich, decided, distinct.
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she's very thick with him
friendly, intimate, familiar, on the best of terms, hand in glove; close to, devoted to, inseparable from; informal pally, chummy, matey, buddy-buddy, as thick as thieves, well in.
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ANTONYMS :thin, slender, sparse.

noun
in the thick of the crisis
midst, centre, hub, middle, core, heart.
a bit thick (Brit. informal)
unreasonable, unfair, unjust, unjustified, uncalled for, unwarranted, unnecessary, excessive; informal below the belt, a bit much; Brit. informal out of order.

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thicken

verb
become thick/thicker, stiffen, condense; solidify, set, gel, congeal, clot, coagulate, cake, inspissate.

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thicket

noun
copse, coppice, grove, brake, covert, clump; wood; Brit. spinney; archaic hurst.

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thickhead

noun
(informal). See fool noun sense 1.

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thickness

noun
the gateway is several feet in thickness
width, breadth, depth, diameter.
several thicknesses of limestone
layer, stratum, stratification, seam, vein; sheet, lamina.
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thickset

adjective
stocky, sturdy, heavily built, well built, chunky, burly, strapping, brawny, solid, heavy, hefty, beefy, meaty; Physiology pyknic. ANTONYMS :slight.

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thick-skinned

adjective
insensitive, unfeeling, tough, impervious, hardened, case-hardened; informal hard-boiled. ANTONYMS :sensitive.

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thief

noun
robber, burglar, housebreaker, cat burglar, shoplifter, pickpocket, sneak thief, mugger; embezzler, swindler; criminal, villain; kleptomaniac; bandit, pirate, highwayman; informal crook, cracksman; Brit. rhyming slang tea leaf; poetic/literary brigand.

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thieve

verb
steal, take, purloin, help oneself to, snatch, pilfer; embezzle, misappropriate; have one's fingers/hand in the till; informal rob, swipe, nab, rip off, lift, "liberate", "borrow", filch, snaffle; Brit. informal nick, pinch, half-inch, whip, knock off, nobble; N. Amer. informal heist; formal peculate.

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thievery

noun
. See thieving.

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thieving

noun
theft, stealing, thievery, robbery, larceny, pilfering; burglary, shoplifting, embezzlement; formal peculation.

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thin

adjective
a thin white line
narrow, fine, attenuated.
a thin cotton nightdress
lightweight, light, fine, delicate, floaty, flimsy, diaphanous, gossamer, insubstantial; sheer, gauzy, filmy, chiffony, transparent, see-through.
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a tall, thin woman
slim, lean, slender, rangy, willowy, svelte, sylphlike, spare, slight; skinny, underweight, scrawny, scraggy, bony, angular, raw-boned, hollow-cheeked, gaunt, as thin as a rake/reed, stick-like, skin-and-bones, emaciated, skeletal, wasted, pinched, undernourished, underfed; lanky, spindly, gangly, gangling, weedy; informal anorexic, like a bag of bones; dated spindle-shanked; archaic starveling.
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his thin grey hair
sparse, scanty, wispy, thinning.
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a bowl of thin soup
watery, weak, dilute, diluted; runny, sloppy.
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her thin voice
weak, faint, feeble, small, soft; reedy, high-pitched.
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the plot is very thin
insubstantial, flimsy, slight , feeble, lame, poor, weak, tenuous, inadequate, insufficient, unconvincing, unbelievable, implausible.
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ANTONYMS :thick, broad, fat, abundant.

verb
some paint must be thinned down before use
dilute, water down, weaken.
the crowds were beginning to thin out
disperse, dissipate, scatter; become less dense/numerous, decrease, diminish, dwindle.
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thing

noun
the room was full of strange things
object, article, item, artefact, commodity; device, gadget, instrument, utensil, tool, implement; entity, body; informal doodah, whatsit, whatchamacallit, thingummy, thingy, thingamabob, thingamajig; Brit. informal gubbins; N. Amer. informal doodad, dingus.
I'll come back tomorrow to collect my things
belongings, possessions, stuff, property, worldly goods, (personal) effects, paraphernalia, bits and pieces, bits and bobs; luggage, baggage, bags; Law goods and chattels; informal gear, junk; Brit. informal clobber.
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his gardening things
equipment, apparatus, gear, kit, tackle, stuff; implements, tools, utensils; accoutrements.
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I've got several things to do today
activity, act, action, deed, undertaking, exploit, feat; task, job, chore.
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I've got other things on my mind just now
thought, notion, idea; concern, matter, worry, preoccupation.
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I keep remembering things he said
remark, statement, comment, utterance, observation, declaration, pronouncement.
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quite a few odd things happened
incident, episode, event, happening, occurrence, phenomenon.
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how are things with you?
matters, affairs, circumstances, conditions, relations; state of affairs, situation, life.
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one of the things I like about you is your optimism
characteristic, quality, attribute, property, trait, feature, point, aspect, facet.
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there's another thing you should know
fact, piece of information, point, detail, particular, factor.
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the thing is, I'm not sure if it's what I want
fact of the matter, fact, point, issue, problem.
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you lucky thing!
person, soul, creature, wretch; informal devil, beggar, bastard.
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Dora developed a thing about noise
phobia, fear, dislike, aversion; obsession, fixation; complex, neurosis; informal hang-up, bee in one's bonnet.
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she had a thing about men who wore glasses
penchant, preference, taste, inclination, partiality, predilection, soft spot, weakness, fancy, fondness, liking, love; fetish, obsession, fixation.
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books aren't really my thing
what one likes, what interests one; informal one's cup of tea, one's bag, what turns one on.
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it's the latest thing
fashionable, in fashion, popular, all the rage; informal trendy, cool, big, hip, happening.
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think

verb
I think he's gone home
believe, be of the opinion, be of the view, be under the impression; expect, imagine, anticipate; surmise, suppose, conjecture, guess, fancy; conclude, determine, reason; informal reckon, figure; formal opine; archaic ween.
his family was thought to be enormously rich
deem, judge, hold, reckon, consider, presume, estimate; regard as, view as.
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Jack thought for a moment
ponder, reflect, deliberate, consider, meditate, contemplate, muse, ruminate, be lost in thought, be in a brown study, brood; concentrate, rack one's brains; informal put on one's thinking cap, sleep on it; formal cogitate.
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she thought of all the visits she had made to her father
recall, remember, recollect, call to mind, think back to.
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she forced herself to think of how he must be feeling
imagine, picture, visualize, envisage; dream about, fantasize about.
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think better of
have second thoughts about, think twice about, think again about, change one's mind about; reconsider, decide against; informal get cold feet about. think something over
consider, contemplate, deliberate about, weigh up, consider the pros and cons of, mull over, ponder, reflect on, muse on, ruminate on. think something up
devise, dream up, come up with, invent, create, concoct, make up; hit on.

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thinker

noun
theorist, ideologist, philosopher, scholar, savant, sage, intellectual, intellect, mind; informal brain.

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thinking

adjective
he seemed a thinking man
intelligent, sensible, reasonable, rational; logical, analytical; thoughtful, reflective, meditative, contemplative, pensive, philosophical. ANTONYMS :stupid, irrational.

noun
the thinking behind the campaign
reasoning, idea(s), theory, thoughts, line of thought, philosophy, beliefs; opinion(s), view(s), position, judgement, assessment, evaluation.

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thin-skinned

adjective
sensitive, oversensitive, hypersensitive, easily offended/hurt, touchy, defensive. ANTONYMS :insensitive.

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third-rate

adjective
substandard, bad, inferior, poor, poor-quality, low-grade, inadequate, unsatisfactory, unacceptable; appalling, abysmal, atrocious, awful, terrible, dreadful, execrable, frightful, miserable, wretched, pitiful; jerry-built, shoddy, tinny, trashy; N. Amer. cheapjack; informal lousy, diabolical, rotten, dire, bum, crummy, rubbishy; Brit. informal ropy, duff. ANTONYMS :excellent.

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thirst

noun
I need a drink I'm dying of thirst
thirstiness, dryness; dehydration; Medicine polydipsia; archaic drought.
his thirst for knowledge
craving, desire, longing, yearning, hunger, hankering, keenness, eagerness, lust, appetite; informal yen, itch; archaic appetency.
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verb
she thirsted for power
crave, want, covet, desire, hunger for, lust after, hanker after, have one's heart set on; wish, long.

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thirsty

adjective
the boys were hot and thirsty
longing for a drink, dry, dehydrated; informal parched, gasping; Brit. informal spitting feathers; Austral./NZ informal spitting chips.
the thirsty soil
dry, arid, dried up/out, as dry as a bone, parched, baked, desiccated.
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she was thirsty for power
eager, hungry, greedy, thirsting, craving, longing, yearning, lusting, burning, desirous, hankering; informal itching, dying.
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thorn

noun
prickle, spike, barb, spine.

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thorny

adjective
dense thorny undergrowth
prickly, spiky, barbed, spiny, sharp; technical spinose, spinous.
the thorny subject of confidentiality
problematic, tricky, ticklish, delicate, controversial, awkward, difficult, knotty, tough, taxing, trying, troublesome; complicated, complex, involved, intricate; vexed; informal sticky.
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thorough

adjective
a thorough investigation
rigorous, in-depth, exhaustive, thoroughgoing, minute, detailed, close, meticulous, methodical, careful, complete, comprehensive, full, extensive, widespread, sweeping, all-embracing, all-inclusive.
he is slow but thorough
meticulous, scrupulous, assiduous, conscientious, painstaking, punctilious, methodical, careful, diligent, industrious, hard-working.
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the child is being a thorough nuisance
utter, downright, thoroughgoing, absolute, complete, total, out-and-out, arrant, real, perfect, proper, sheer, unqualified, unmitigated; Brit. informal right; Austral./NZ informal fair.
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ANTONYMS :superficial, cursory, careless.

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thoroughbred

adjective
pure-bred, pedigree, pure, pure-blooded.

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thoroughfare

noun
the park is being used as a thoroughfare
through route, access route; Brit. informal rat run.
the teeming thoroughfares of central London
street, road, roadway, avenue, boulevard, main road, high road, A road, B road; N. Amer. highway, freeway, throughway.
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thoroughly

adverb
we will investigate all complaints thoroughly
rigorously, in depth, exhaustively, from top to bottom, minutely, closely, in detail, meticulously, scrupulously, assiduously, conscientiously, painstakingly, methodically, carefully, comprehensively, fully.
she is thoroughly spoilt
utterly, downright, absolutely, completely, totally, entirely, really, perfectly, positively, in every respect, through and through; informal plain, clean.
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though

conjunction
though she smiled bravely, she looked pale and tired
although, even though/if, in spite of the fact that, despite the fact that, notwithstanding (the fact) that, for all that.
adverb
You can't always do that. You can try, though
nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, however, be that as it may, for all that, despite that, having said that; informal still and all.

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thought

noun
what are your thoughts on the matter?
idea, notion, opinion, view, impression, feeling, theory; judgement, assessment, conclusion.
he gave up any thought of taking a degree
hope, aspiration, ambition, dream; intention, idea, plan, design, aim.
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it only took a moment's thought
thinking, contemplation, musing, pondering, consideration, reflection, introspection, deliberation, rumination, meditation, brooding, reverie, brown study, concentration; formal cogitation.
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have you no thought for others?
compassion, sympathy, care, concern, regard, solicitude, empathy; consideration, understanding, sensitivity, thoughtfulness, charity.
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thoughtful

adjective
a thoughtful expression
pensive, reflective, contemplative, musing, meditative, introspective, philosophical, ruminative, absorbed, engrossed, rapt, preoccupied, deep/lost in thought, in a brown study, brooding; formal cogitative.
how very thoughtful of you!
considerate, caring, attentive, understanding, sympathetic, solicitous, concerned, helpful, friendly, obliging, accommodating, neighbourly, unselfish, kind, compassionate, charitable.
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ANTONYMS :vacant, inconsiderate.

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thoughtless

adjective
I'm so sorry how thoughtless of me
inconsiderate, uncaring, insensitive, uncharitable, unkind, tactless, undiplomatic, indiscreet, careless.
a few minutes of thoughtless pleasure
unthinking, heedless, careless, unmindful, absent-minded, injudicious, ill-advised, ill-considered, imprudent, unwise, foolish, silly, stupid, reckless, rash, precipitate, negligent, neglectful, remiss.
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ANTONYMS :considerate, careful.

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thousand

cardinal number
informal K, thou. millenary, kilo-, milli-.

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thrall

noun
power, clutches, hands, control, grip, yoke, enslavement, subjection, subjugation, tyranny.

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thrash

verb
she thrashed him across the head and shoulders
hit, beat, strike, batter, thump, hammer, pound, rain blows on; assault, attack; cudgel, club, birch; informal wallop, belt, bash, whack, thwack, clout, clobber, slug, tan, biff, bop, sock, beat the living daylights out of, give someone a good hiding.
(informal) Newcastle were thrashed 8 1.
See trounce.
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he was thrashing around in pain
flail, writhe, thresh, jerk, toss, twist, twitch.
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thrash something out
it's better if we can thrash out our difficulties first
resolve, settle, sort out, straighten out, iron out, clear up; talk through, discuss, debate, air, ventilate.

they tried to thrash out an agreement
work out, negotiate, agree on, bring about, hammer out, produce, effect.
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thread

noun
a needle and thread
cotton, yarn, filament, fibre.
(poetic/literary) the Thames was a thread of silver below them
streak, strand, stripe, line, strip, seam, vein.
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she lost the thread of the conversation
train of thought, drift, direction, theme, motif, tenor; storyline, plot.
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verb
he threaded the rope through a pulley
pass, string, work, ease, push, poke.
she threaded her way through the tables
weave one's way, inch one's way, wind one's way, squeeze one's way, make one's way.
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threadbare

adjective
worn, well worn, old, thin, worn out, holey, moth-eaten, mangy, ragged, frayed, tattered, battered; decrepit, shabby, scruffy, unkempt; having seen better days, falling apart at the seams, falling to pieces; informal tatty, ratty, the worse for wear; N. Amer. informal raggedy.

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threat

noun
Maggie ignored his threats
threatening remark, warning, ultimatum.
a possible threat to aircraft
danger, peril, hazard, menace, risk.
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the company faces the threat of liquidation proceedings
possibility, chance, probability, likelihood, risk.
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threaten

verb
how dare you threaten me?
menace, intimidate, browbeat, bully, terrorize; make/issue threats to.
these events could threaten the stability of Europe
endanger, be a danger/threat to, jeopardize, imperil, put at risk, put in jeopardy.
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the grey skies threatened snow
herald, bode, warn of, presage, augur, portend, foreshadow, be a harbinger of, indicate, point to, be a sign of, signal, spell; poetic/literary foretoken.
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as rain threatened, the party moved indoors
seem likely, seem imminent, be on the horizon, be brewing, be gathering, be looming, be on the way, be impending; hang over someone.
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threatening

adjective
a threatening letter
menacing, intimidating, bullying, frightening, hostile; formal minatory.
banks of threatening clouds
ominous, sinister, menacing, dark, black, thunderous.
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three

cardinal number
trio, threesome, triple, triad, trinity, troika, triumvirate, trilogy, triptych, trefoil, three-piece, triplets. triple, treble, ter-, tri-.

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threesome

noun
trio, triumvirate, triad, trinity, troika; triplets.

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threnody

noun
lament, dirge, requiem, elegy, monody; Irish keen; Irish & Scottish coronach.

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threshold

noun
the threshold of the church
doorstep, doorway, entrance, entry, door, gate, gateway, portal.
the threshold of a new era
start, beginning, commencement, brink, verge, dawn, inception, day one, opening, debut; informal kick-off.
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the human threshold of pain
lower limit, minimum; Psychology limen.
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liminal.

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thrift

noun
frugality, economy, economizing, thriftiness, providence, prudence, good management/husbandry, saving, scrimping and saving, abstemiousness, parsimony, penny-pinching. ANTONYMS :extravagance.

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thriftless

adjective
extravagant, profligate, spendthrift, wasteful, improvident, imprudent, free-spending, prodigal, lavish; immoderate, excessive, reckless, irresponsible.

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thrifty

adjective
frugal, economical, sparing, careful with money, provident, prudent, abstemious, parsimonious, penny-pinching; N. Amer. forehanded. ANTONYMS :extravagant.

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thrill

noun
the thrill of jumping out of an aeroplane
(feeling of) excitement, stimulation, pleasure, tingle; fun, enjoyment, amusement, delight, joy; informal buzz, kick; N. Amer. informal charge.
a thrill of excitement ran through her
wave, rush, surge, flash, blaze, stab, dart, throb, tremor, quiver, flutter, shudder.
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verb
his words thrilled her
excite, stimulate, arouse, rouse, inspire, delight, exhilarate, intoxicate, stir, electrify, galvanize, move, fire (with enthusiasm), fire someone's imagination; informal give someone a buzz, give someone a kick; N. Amer. informal give someone a charge.
he thrilled at the sound of her voice
be/feel excited, tingle; informal get a buzz out of, get a kick out of; N. Amer. informal get a charge out of.
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shivers of anticipation thrilled through her
rush, race, surge, course, flood, flow, wash, sweep, flash, blaze.
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ANTONYMS :bore.

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thrilling

adjective
exciting, stirring, action-packed, rip-roaring, gripping, riveting, fascinating, dramatic, hair-raising; rousing, stimulating, moving, inspiring, inspirational, electrifying, heady, soul-stirring. ANTONYMS :boring.

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thrive

verb
flourish, prosper, burgeon, bloom, blossom, do well, advance, make strides, succeed, boom. ANTONYMS :decline, wither.

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thriving

adjective
flourishing, prosperous, prospering, growing, developing, burgeoning, blooming, healthy, successful, booming, profitable, expanding; informal going strong. ANTONYMS :moribund.

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throat

noun
gullet, oesophagus; windpipe, trachea; maw; informal, dated the red lane; archaic throttle, gorge. guttural, jugular.

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throaty

adjective
gravelly, husky, rough, guttural, deep, thick, gruff, growly, growling, hoarse, croaky, croaking; rasping, raspy. ANTONYMS :high-pitched.

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throb

verb
her arms and legs throbbed with tiredness
pulsate, beat, pulse, palpitate, pound, thud, thump, drum, thrum, vibrate, pitter-patter, go pit-a-pat, quiver.
noun
the throb of the ship's engines
pulsation, beat, beating, pulse, palpitation, pounding, thudding, thumping, drumming, thrumming, pit-a-pat, pitter-patter.

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throes

plural noun
the throes of childbirth
agony, pain, pangs, suffering, torture; poetic/literary travail.
in the throes of
in the middle of, in the process of, in the midst of, busy with, occupied with, taken up with/by, involved in; struggling with, wrestling with, grappling with.

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thrombosis

noun
blood clot, embolism, embolus, thrombus, infarction.

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throne

noun
a golden throne
seat of state, royal seat.
the tsar risked losing his throne
sovereign power, sovereignty, rule, dominion.
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throng

noun
throngs of people blocked her way
crowd, horde, mass, multitude, host, army, herd, flock, drove, swarm, sea, troupe, pack, press, crush; collection, company, gathering, assembly, assemblage, congregation; informal gaggle, bunch, gang; archaic rout.
verb
the pavements were thronged with tourists
fill, crowd. pack, cram, jam.
people thronged to see the play
flock, stream, swarm, troop.
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visitors thronged round him
crowd, cluster, mill, swarm, congregate, gather.
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throttle

verb
he tried to throttle her
choke, strangle, strangulate, garrotte.
attempts to throttle the criminal supply of drugs
suppress, inhibit, stifle, control, restrain, check, contain, put a/the lid on; stop, put an end to, end, stamp out.
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through

preposition
we drove through the tunnel
into and out of, to the other/far side of, from one side to the other of.
he got the job through an advertisement
by means of, by way of, by dint of, via, using, thanks to, by virtue of, as a result of, as a consequence of, on account of, owing to, because of.
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he worked through the night
throughout, all through, for the duration of, until/to the end of.
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adverb
as soon as we opened the gate they came streaming through
from one side to the other, from one end to another, in and out the other side.
I woke up, but Anthony slept through
the whole time, all the time, from start to finish, without a break, without an interruption, non-stop, continuously, throughout.
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adjective
a through train
direct, non-stop.
through and through
in every respect, to the core; thoroughly, utterly, absolutely, completely, totally, wholly, fully, entirely, unconditionally, unreservedly, altogether, out-and-out.

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throughout

preposition
it had repercussions throughout Europe
all over, in every part of, everywhere in, all through, right through, all round.
Rose had generally been very fit throughout her life
all through, all, for the duration of, for the whole of, until the end of.
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throw

verb
she threw the ball back
hurl, toss, fling, pitch, cast, lob, launch, catapult, project, propel; bowl; informal chuck, heave, sling, bung; N. Amer. informal peg; Austral. informal hoy; NZ informal bish; dated shy.
he threw the door open
push, thrust, fling, bang, force.
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a chandelier threw its light over the walls
cast, send, give off, emit, radiate, project.
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he threw another punch
deliver, give, land.
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she threw a withering glance at him
direct, cast, send, dart, shoot.
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the horse threw his rider
unseat, dislodge.
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his question threw me
disconcert, unnerve, fluster, ruffle, agitate, discomfit, put off, throw off balance, discountenance, unsettle, confuse; informal rattle, faze; N. Amer. informal discombobulate.
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the pots were thrown on a wheel
shape, form, mould, fashion.
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he threw a farewell party for them
give, host, hold, have, provide, put on, lay on, arrange, organize.
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noun
we were allowed two throws each
lob, pitch; go; bowl, ball.
(informal) drinks are only £1 a throw
each, apiece, per item.
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throw something away
she hated throwing old clothes away
discard, throw out, dispose of, get rid of, do away with, toss out, scrap, throw on the scrap heap, clear out, dump, jettison; informal chuck (away/out), ditch, bin, junk, get shut of; Brit. informal get shot of.

Cambridge threw away a 15 0 lead
squander, waste, fritter away, fail to exploit, lose, let slip; informal blow, throw something down the drain.
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throw someone off
shake off, get away from, escape, elude, give someone the slip, throw off the scent, dodge, lose. throw someone out
expel, eject, evict, drive out, force out, oust, remove; get rid of, depose, topple, unseat, overthrow, bring down, overturn, dislodge, displace, supplant, show someone the door; banish, deport, exile; informal boot out, kick out, give someone the boot; Brit. informal turf out. throw something out
throw out food that's past its sell-by date.
See throw something away sense 1.

his case was thrown out by the magistrate
reject, dismiss, turn down, refuse, disallow, veto; informal give the thumbs down to.
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a thermal light bulb throws out a lot of heat
radiate, emit, give off, send out, diffuse.
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throw someone over
abandon, leave, desert, discard, turn one's back on, cast aside/off; jilt, break up with, finish with, leave in the lurch, leave high and dry; informal dump, ditch, chuck, drop, walk out on, run out on, leave flat, give someone the push/elbow, give someone the big E; poetic/literary forsake. throw up (informal). See vomit verb sense 1. throw something up
give up, abandon, relinquish, resign (from), leave; informal quit, chuck, pack in; Brit. informal jack in.

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throwaway

adjective
throwaway packaging
disposable, non-returnable; biodegradable, photodegradable.
throwaway remarks
casual, passing, careless, unthinking, unstudied, unconsidered, offhand.
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thrust

verb
she thrust her hands into her pockets
shove, push, force, plunge, stick, drive, propel, ram, poke.
fame had been thrust on him
force, foist, impose, inflict.
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he thrust his way past her
push, shove, force, elbow, shoulder, barge.
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noun
a hard thrust
shove, push, lunge, poke.
a thrust by the Third Army
advance, push, drive, attack, assault, onslaught, offensive, charge, sortie, foray, raid, sally, invasion, incursion.
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only one engine is producing thrust
force, propulsive force, propulsion, power, impetus, momentum.
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the thrust of the speech
gist, substance, drift, burden, meaning, significance, signification, sense, theme, message, import, tenor.
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thrusting

adjective
ambitious, pushy, forceful, aggressive, assertive, self-assertive, full of oneself, determined, power-hungry. ANTONYMS :meek.

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thud

noun & verb
thump, clunk, clonk, crash, smack, bang; stomp, stamp, clump, clomp; informal wham.

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thug

noun
ruffian, lout, hooligan, bully boy, vandal, hoodlum, gangster, villain, criminal; informal tough, bruiser, heavy, hired gun; Brit. informal rough, bovver boy; N. Amer. informal hood, goon.

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thumb

noun
technical pollex, opposable digit.
verb
he thumbed through his notebook
leaf, flick, flip, riffle, skim, browse, look.
his dictionaries were thumbed and ink-stained
soil, mark, make dog-eared.
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he was thumbing his way across France
hitch-hike; informal hitch, hitch/thumb a lift.
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all thumbs (Brit. informal)
clumsy, awkward, maladroit, inept, unskilful, heavy-handed, inexpert; informal butterfingered, cack-handed, ham-fisted, having two left feet; Brit. informal all fingers and thumbs; N. Amer. informal klutzy. thumbs down (informal)
rejection, refusal, veto, no, negation, rebuff; informal red light, knock-back. thumbs up (informal)
approval, seal of approval, endorsement; permission, authorization, consent, yes, leave, authority, sanction, ratification, licence, dispensation, nod, assent, blessing, rubber stamp, clearance; informal go-ahead, OK, green light, say-so.

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thumbnail

adjective
concise, short, brief, succinct, to the point, compact, crisp, short and sweet, quick, rapid; potted.

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thump

verb
the two men kicked and thumped him
hit, strike, smack, cuff, punch; beat, thrash, batter, belabour, pound, pummel, box someone's ears; informal whack, wallop, bash, biff, bop, lam, clout, clobber, sock, swipe, crown, beat the living daylights out of, give someone a (good) hiding, belt, tan, lay into, let someone have it; Brit. informal stick one on, slosh; N. Amer. informal slug, boff; poetic/literary smite.
her heart thumped with fright
throb, pound, thud, hammer, pulsate, pulse, pump, palpitate, race, beat heavily.
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noun
a well-aimed thump on the jaw
blow, punch, box, cuff, smack; thrashing, hiding; informal whack, thwack, wallop, bash, belt, biff, clout, swipe; Brit. informal slosh; N. Amer. informal boff, slug.
she put the box down with a thump
thud, clunk, clonk, crash, smack, bang.
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thumping

adjective
the thumping beat of her heart
thudding, pounding, throbbing, pulsating, banging, hammering, drumming.
(informal) a thumping 64 per cent majority | a thumping victory
enormous, huge, massive, vast, tremendous, substantial, prodigious, gigantic, giant, terrific, fantastic, colossal, immense, mammoth, monumental, stupendous; emphatic, decisive, conclusive, striking, impressive, outstanding, notable, memorable, remarkable, extraordinary, resounding, phenomenal; informal whopping, thundering; Brit. informal whacking.
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adverb
(informal) a thumping good read.
See very adverb.

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thunder

noun
thunder and lightning
thunderclap, roll/rumble of thunder, crack/crash of thunder; poetic/literary thunderbolt.
the ceaseless thunder of the traffic
rumble, rumbling, boom, booming, roar, roaring, pounding, thud, thudding, crash, crashing, reverberation.
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verb
below me the surf thrashed and thundered
rumble, boom, roar, pound, thud, thump, bang; resound, reverberate, beat.
he thundered against the evils of the age
rail, fulminate, inveigh, rage; condemn, denounce.
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"Answer me!" he thundered
roar, bellow, bark, yell, shout, bawl; informal holler.
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thundering

adjective
a thundering noise.
See thunderous.
adverb
a thundering good read.
See very adverb.

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thunderous

adjective
very loud, tumultuous, booming, roaring, resounding, reverberating, reverberant, ringing, deafening, ear-splitting, noisy.

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thunderstruck

adjective
astonished, amazed, astounded, staggered, surprised, startled, stunned, shocked, aghast, taken aback, dumbfounded, dumbstruck, stupefied, dazed, speechless; informal flabbergasted; Brit. informal gobsmacked, knocked for six.

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thus

adverb
the studio handled production, thus cutting its costs
consequently, as a consequence, in consequence, so, that being so, therefore, ergo, accordingly, hence, as a result, for that reason, because of that, on that account.
legislation forbids such data being held thus
like that, in that way, so, like so.
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thus far
so far, (up) until now, up to now, up to this point, hitherto.

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thwack

verb
(informal) hit, strike, slap, smack, cuff, punch, thump; beat, thrash, batter, belabour, pound, pummel, box someone's ears; whip, flog, cane; informal whack, wallop, bash, biff, bop, lam, clout, clobber, sock, swipe, crown, beat the living daylights out of, give someone a (good) hiding, belt, tan, lay into, let someone have it, deck, floor; Brit. informal stick one on, slosh; N. Amer. informal slug, boff; poetic/literary smite.

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thwart

verb
foil, frustrate, baulk, stand in the way of, forestall, derail, dash; stop, check, block, prevent, defeat, impede, obstruct, snooker, hinder, hamper; spike someone's guns; informal put paid to, put the kibosh on, do for, stymie; Brit. informal scupper, queer someone's pitch. ANTONYMS :facilitate.

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tic

noun
twitch, spasm, jerk, tremor.

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tick

noun
put a tick against the item of your choice
mark, stroke; N. Amer. check, check mark.
the tick of his watch
ticking, tick-tock, click, clicking, tap, tapping.
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(Brit. informal) I won't be a tick
moment, second, minute, bit, little while, instant; informal sec, jiffy; Brit. informal mo, two ticks.
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verb
tick the appropriate box
put a tick in/against, mark, check off, indicate; N. Amer. check.
I could hear the clock ticking
tick-tock, click; tap.
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in a tick (Brit. informal)
(very) soon, in a second, in a minute, in a moment, in a trice, in a flash, shortly, any second, any minute, in no time (at all); N. Amer. momentarily; informal in a sec, in a jiffy, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), before you can say Jack Robinson; Brit. informal in two ticks, in a mo; N. Amer. informal in a snap; dated directly. tick someone off (Brit. informal). See reprimand verb.

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ticket

noun
can I see your ticket?
pass, authorization, permit; token, coupon, voucher.
a price ticket
label, tag, sticker, tab, marker, docket.
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tickle

verb
he tried to tickle her under the chin
stroke, pet, chuck.
he found something that tickled his imagination
stimulate, interest, appeal to, arouse, excite.
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the idea tickled Lewis
amuse, entertain, divert, please, delight; informal tickle someone pink.
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ticklish

adjective
difficult, problematic, tricky, delicate, sensitive, awkward, prickly, thorny, tough; vexed; informal sticky.

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tide

noun
ships come up the river with the tide
tidal flow, ebb and flow, tidewater, ebb, current.
the tide of history
course, movement, direction, trend, current, drift, run, turn, tendency, tenor.
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tide someone over
sustain, keep someone going, keep someone's head above water, see someone through; keep the wolf from the door; help out, assist, aid.

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tidings

plural noun
(poetic/literary) news, information, intelligence, word, reports, notification, communication, the latest; informal info, the low down.

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tidy

adjective
a tidy room
neat, neat and tidy, as neat as a new pin, orderly, well ordered, in (good) order, well kept, shipshape (and Bristol fashion), in apple-pie order, immaculate, spick and span, uncluttered, straight, trim, spruce.
he's a very tidy person
neat, trim, spruce, dapper, well groomed, well turned out; organized, well organized, methodical, meticulous; fastidious; informal natty.
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(informal) a tidy sum
large, sizeable, considerable, substantial, generous, significant, appreciable, handsome, respectable, decent, goodly; informal not to be sneezed at.
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ANTONYMS :messy.

verb
I'd better tidy up the living room
put in order, clear up, sort out, straighten (up), clean up, spruce up.
she tidied herself up in the bathroom
groom oneself, spruce oneself up, freshen oneself up, smarten oneself up; informal titivate oneself.
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tie

verb
they tied Max to a chair
bind, tie up, tether, hitch, strap, truss, fetter, rope, chain, make fast, moor, lash, attach, fasten, fix, secure, join, connect, link, couple.
he bent to tie his shoelaces
do up, lace, knot.
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women can feel tied by childcare responsibilities
restrict, restrain, limit, tie down, constrain, trammel, confine, cramp, hamper, handicap, hamstring, encumber, shackle, inhibit; cramp someone's style.
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a pay deal tied to a productivity agreement
link, connect, couple, relate, join, marry; make conditional on, bind up with.
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they tied for second place
draw, be equal, be even, be neck and neck.
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noun
he tightened the ties of his robe
lace, string, cord, fastening, fastener.
a collar and tie
necktie, bow tie, string tie; Brit. bootlace tie.
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family ties
bond, connection, link, relationship, attachment, affiliation, allegiance, friendship; kinship, interdependence.
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pets can be a tremendous tie
restriction, constraint, curb, limitation, restraint, hindrance, encumbrance, handicap; obligation, commitment.
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there was a tie for first place
draw, dead heat, deadlock.
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(Brit.) Turkey's World Cup tie against Holland
match, game, contest, fixture, event.
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tie someone down she was afraid of being tied down.
See tie verb sense 3. tie in
be consistent, tally, agree, be in agreement, accord, concur, fit in, harmonize, be in tune, dovetail, correspond, match; informal square; N. Amer. informal jibe. tie someone/something up
robbers tied her up and ransacked her home
bind, bind hand and foot, fasten together, truss (up), fetter, chain up.

he is tied up in meetings all morning
occupy, engage, keep busy.
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they were anxious to tie up the contract
finalize, conclude, complete, finish off, seal, set the seal on, settle, secure, clinch; informal wrap up.
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tie-in

noun
connection, link, association, correlation, tie-up, interrelation, relationship, relation, interconnection; parallel, similarity.

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tier

noun
tiers of empty seats
row, rank, bank, line; layer, level.
the most senior tier of management
grade, gradation, echelon, rung on the ladder.
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tiff

noun
(informal) quarrel, squabble, argument, disagreement, fight, falling-out, difference of opinion, dispute, wrangle, altercation, contretemps, disputation, shouting match; informal slanging match, run-in, spat, set-to; Brit. informal barney, row, bust-up.

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tight

adjective
a tight grip
firm, fast, secure, fixed, clenched.
the rope was pulled tight
taut, rigid, stiff, tense, stretched, strained.
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tight jeans
tight-fitting, close-fitting, narrow, figure-hugging, skintight; informal sprayed on.
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a tight mass of fibres
compact, compacted, compressed, dense, solid.
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a tight space
small, tiny, narrow, limited, restricted, confined, cramped, constricted, uncomfortable.
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the joint will be perfectly tight against petrol leaks
impervious, impenetrable, sealed, sound, hermetic; watertight, airtight.
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tight limits on the use of pesticides
strict, rigorous, stringent, tough, rigid, firm, uncompromising.
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he's in a tight spot
difficult, tricky, delicate, awkward, problematic, worrying, precarious; informal sticky; Brit. informal dodgy.
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a tight piece of writing
succinct, concise, pithy, incisive, crisp, condensed, well structured, to the point.
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a tight race
close , even, evenly matched, well matched; hard-fought, neck and neck.
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money is a bit tight just now
limited, restricted, in short supply, scarce, depleted, diminished, low, inadequate, insufficient.
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(informal) he's tight with his money
mean, miserly, parsimonious, niggardly, close-fisted, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, Scrooge-like, close; informal stingy, tight-fisted; N. Amer. informal cheap; formal penurious; archaic near.
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(informal) he came home tight from the pub.
See drunk adjective.
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ANTONYMS :slack, loose, generous.

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tighten

verb
I tightened up the screws
make tighter, make fast, screw up.
he tightened his grip
strengthen, make stronger, harden.
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she tightened the rope
tauten, make/draw taut, make/draw tight, stretch, strain, stiffen, tense.
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he tightened his lips
narrow, constrict, contract, compress, screw up, pucker, purse; N. Amer. squinch.
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security in the area has been tightened up
increase, make stricter, toughen up, heighten, scale up.
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ANTONYMS :loosen, slacken, relax.

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tight-fisted

adjective
mean, miserly, parsimonious, niggardly, close-fisted, penny-pinching, cheese-paring, Scrooge-like, close; informal stingy, tight; N. Amer. informal cheap; formal penurious; archaic near. ANTONYMS :generous.

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tight-lipped

adjective
reticent, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, playing one's cards close to one's chest, close-mouthed, silent, taciturn; informal mum. ANTONYMS :forthcoming.

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till 1

preposition & conjunction
he stayed till 7 | I'll stay here till you get back.
See until senses 1, 2.

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till 2

noun
she counted the money in the till
cash register, cash box, cash drawer, strongbox; checkout, cash desk.

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till 3

verb
he went back to tilling the land
cultivate, work, farm, plough, dig, turn over, prepare.

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tilt

verb
the ground seemed to tilt
slope, tip, lean, list, bank, slant, incline, pitch, cant, careen, angle.
(historical) he tilts at his prey
charge, rush, run; lunge, thrust, jab.
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(historical) knights tilting at a tournament
joust, tourney, enter the lists; contend, spar, fight.
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noun
a tilt of some 45°
slope, list, camber, gradient, bank, slant, incline, pitch, cant, bevel, angle.
(historical) knights would take part in a tilt
joust, tournament, tourney, lists, combat, contest, fight, duel.
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another tilt at the European Cup
attempt, bid; informal go, crack, shot.
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(at) full tilt
they charged full tilt down the side of the hill
(at) full speed, (at) full pelt, as fast as one's legs can carry one, at a gallop, helter-skelter, headlong, pell-mell, at breakneck speed; informal hell for leather, at the double, a mile a minute, like the wind, like a bat out of hell, like a scalded cat, like (greased) lightning; Brit. informal like the clappers, at a rate of knots, like billy-o; N. Amer. informal lickety-split; poetic/literary apace.

the marketing blitz has raged at full tilt for some time now
with great force, with full force, full blast, with all the stops out, all out, with a vengeance; informal like crazy, like mad.
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timber

noun
houses built of timber
wood; N. Amer. lumber.
the timbers of wrecked ships
beam, spar, plank, batten, lath, board, joist, rafter.
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timbre

noun
tone, sound, sound quality, voice, voice quality, colour, tone colour, tonality, resonance.

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time

noun
what time is it?
hour; dated o'clock.
late at night was the best time to leave
moment, point (in time), occasion, hour, minute, second, instant, juncture, stage.
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he worked there for a time
while, spell, stretch, stint, span, season, interval, period (of time), length of time, duration, run, space, phase, stage, term; Brit. informal patch.
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the time of the dinosaurs
era, age, epoch, period, years, days; generation, date.
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I've known a lot of women in my time
lifetime, life, life span, days, time on earth, existence, threescore years and ten.
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he had been a professional actor in his time
heyday, day, best days/years, prime.
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times are hard at the moment
conditions, circumstances, life, state of affairs, experiences.
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tunes in waltz time
rhythm, tempo, beat; metre, measure, cadence, pattern.
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chronological, temporal.
verb
the meeting was timed for three o'clock
schedule, set, set up, arrange, organize, fix, fix up, book, line up, slot in, pre-arrange, timetable, plan; N. Amer. slate.
ahead of time
early, in good time, with time to spare, in advance. ahead of one's/its time
revolutionary, avant-garde, futuristic, innovatory, innovative, trailblazing, pioneering, ground-breaking, advanced. all the time
constantly, the entire time, around the clock, day and night, night and day, (morning, noon, and night), (day in, day out), at all times, always, without a break, ceaselessly, endlessly, incessantly, perpetually, permanently, interminably, continuously, continually, eternally, unremittingly, remorselessly, relentlessly; N. Amer. without surcease; informal 24-7. at one time
formerly, previously, once, in the past, at one point, once upon a time, time was when, in days/times gone by, in times past, in the (good) old days, long ago; poetic/literary in days/times of yore; archaic erstwhile, whilom. at the same time
they arrived at the same time
simultaneously, at the same instant/moment, together, all together, as a group, at once, at one and the same time; in unison, in concert, in chorus, as one.

I can't really explain it, but at the same time I'm not convinced
nonetheless, even so, however, but, still, yet, though; in spite of that, despite that, be that as it may, for all that, that said; notwithstanding, regardless, anyway, anyhow; informal still and all.
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at times
occasionally, sometimes, from time to time, now and then, every so often, once in a while, on occasion, off and on, at intervals, periodically, sporadically. behind time
late, behind, behind schedule, behindhand, running late, overdue. behind the times
old-fashioned, out of date, outmoded, outdated, dated, old, passé; informal square, not with it, out of the ark; N. Amer. informal horse-and-buggy, clunky. for the time being
for now, for the moment, for the present, in the interim, for the nonce, in/for the meantime, in the meanwhile, for a short time, briefly; temporarily, provisionally, pro tem; informal for the minute. from time to time
occasionally, sometimes, now and then, every so often, once in a while, on occasion, off and on, at intervals, periodically, sporadically. in no time
(very) soon, in a second, in a minute, in a moment, in a trice, in a flash, shortly, any second, any minute (now); N. Amer. momentarily; informal in a sec, in a jiffy, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), before you can say Jack Robinson; Brit. informal in a tick, in two ticks, in a mo; N. Amer. informal in a snap; dated directly. in good time
punctually, on time, early, with time to spare, ahead of time/schedule. in time
I came back in time for the party
early enough, in good time, punctually, on time, not too late, with time to spare, on schedule.

in time, she forgot about it
eventually, in the end, in due course, by and by, finally; one day, some day, sometime, sooner or later.
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many a time
frequently, regularly, often, very often, all the time, habitually, customarily, routinely; again and again, time and again, over and over again, repeatedly, recurrently, continually; N. Amer. oftentimes; poetic/literary oft, oft-times. on time
punctually, in good time, to/on schedule, when expected; informal on the dot, bang on time. time after time
repeatedly, frequently, often, again and again, over and over (again), time and (time) again, many times, many a time; persistently, recurrently, constantly, continually; N. Amer. oftentimes; poetic/literary oft, oft-times.

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time-honoured

adjective
traditional, established, long-established, long-standing, long-lived, age-old, enduring, lasting, tried and tested.

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timeless

adjective
lasting, enduring, classic, ageless, permanent, perennial, abiding, unfailing, unchanging, unvarying, never-changing, changeless, unfading, unending, undying, deathless, immortal, eternal, everlasting, immutable. ANTONYMS :ephemeral.

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timely

adjective
opportune, well timed, at the right time, convenient, appropriate, expedient, seasonable, felicitous. ANTONYMS :ill-timed.

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timetable

noun
a bus timetable | I have a very full timetable
schedule, programme, agenda, calendar; list, itinerary.
verb
German lessons were timetabled on Wednesday
schedule, set, arrange, organize, fix, time, line up; N. Amer. slate.

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time-worn

adjective
the carpet was old and time-worn
worn out, worn, well worn, old, tattered, battered, dog-eared, shabby, having seen better days; informal tatty.
time-worn faces
old, aged, weathered, lined, wrinkled, hoary.
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a time-worn aphorism
hackneyed, trite, banal, platitudinous, clichéd, stock, conventional, unoriginal, overused, overworked, tired, stale; informal old hat.
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ANTONYMS :new, fresh.

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timid

adjective
easily frightened, fearful, afraid, faint-hearted, timorous, nervous, scared, frightened, cowardly, pusillanimous, lily-livered, spineless; shy, diffident, self-effacing; informal wimpish, wimpy, chicken, gutless. ANTONYMS :bold.

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timorous

adjective
. See timid.

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tincture

noun
tincture of iodine
solution, suspension, infusion, elixir.
a tincture of bitterness
trace, note, tinge, touch, suggestion, hint, bit, element, suspicion, soupçon.
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tinge

verb
a mass of white blossom tinged with pink
tint, colour, stain, shade, wash.
his optimism is tinged with realism
influence, affect, touch, flavour, colour, modify.
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noun
the light had a blue tinge to it
tint, colour, shade, tone, hue.
a tinge of cynicism
trace, note, touch, suggestion, hint, bit, scintilla, savour, flavour, element, streak, vein, suspicion, soupçon, tincture.
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tingle

verb
her flesh still tingled from the shock
prickle, sting; tremble, quiver, shiver.
noun
she felt a tingle of anticipation
prickling, tingling, pricking, sting, stinging; tremor, thrill, quiver, shiver; goose pimples; N. Amer. goosebumps.

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tinker

verb
a workman was tinkering with the engine
fiddle with, adjust, try to mend, play about with; tamper with, interfere with, mess about with, meddle with; informal rearrange the deckchairs on the Titanic; Brit. informal muck about with.

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tinkle

verb
the bell tinkled
ring, jingle, jangle, chime, peal, ding, ping.
cool water tinkled in the stone fountain
splash, purl, babble, burble; poetic/literary plash.
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noun
the tinkle of the doorbell
ring, chime, peal, ding, ping, jingle, jangle, tintinnabulation.
the faint tinkle of water
splash, purl, babble, burble; poetic/literary plash.
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(Brit. informal) I'll give them a tinkle
telephone call, phone call, call; informal buzz; Brit. informal ring, bell.
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tinny

adjective
tinny music
jangly, jangling, jingling, jingly.
a tinny little car
cheap, cheapjack, poor-quality, inferior, low-grade, gimcrack, shoddy, jerry-built; informal tacky, tatty, rubbishy.
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tinsel

noun
the tinsel of Hollywood
ostentation, showiness, show, glitter, flamboyance, gaudiness; attractiveness, glamour; informal flashiness, glitz, glitziness, razzle-dazzle, razzmatazz.
adjective
tinsel stardom
ostentatious, showy, glittering, flamboyant, gaudy; informal flash, flashy, over the top, OTT, glitzy, ritzy; N. Amer. informal superfly.

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tint

noun
the sky was taking on an apricot tint
shade, colour, tone, hue, tinge, cast, tincture, flush, blush.
a hair tint
dye, colourant, colouring, wash; highlights, lowlights.
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tiny

adjective
minute, minuscule, microscopic, very small, little, mini, diminutive, miniature, scaled down, baby, toy, dwarf, pygmy, Lilliputian; Scottish wee; informal teeny, teeny-weeny, teensy, teensy-weensy, itsy-bitsy, eensy, eensy-weensy, tiddly, pint-sized; Brit. informal titchy; N. Amer. informal little-bitty. ANTONYMS :huge.

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tip 1

noun
the tip of the spear
point, end, extremity, head, sharp end, spike, prong, tine, nib.
the tips of the mountains
peak, point, top, summit, apex, crown, crest, pinnacle.
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the sticks have tips fitted to protect them
cap, cover, ferrule.
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verb
mountains tipped with snow
cap, top, crown.

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tip 2

verb
the boat tipped over
overturn, turn over, topple (over), fall (over); keel over, capsize, turn turtle; Nautical pitchpole.
a whale could tip over a small boat
upset, overturn, topple over, turn over, knock over, push over, upend, capsize; informal roll; archaic overset.
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the car tipped to one side
lean, tilt, list, slope, bank, slant, incline, pitch, cant, heel, careen.
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she tipped the water into the trough
pour, empty, drain, unload, dump, discharge; decant.
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noun
(Brit.) rubbish must be taken to the tip
dump, rubbish dump; Canadian nuisance grounds.

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tip 3

noun
a generous tip
gratuity, baksheesh; present, gift, reward; Brit. informal dropsy.
useful tips
piece of advice, suggestion, word of advice, pointer, recommendation; clue, hint; informal wrinkle, tip-off.
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tip-off

noun
(informal) piece of information, warning, lead, forewarning; hint, clue; advice, information, notification.

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tipple

verb
boys discovered tippling were punished
drink alcohol, drink; informal booze, wet one's whistle, hit the bottle, take to the bottle; Brit. informal bevvy; N. Amer. informal bend one's elbow; archaic tope.
noun
(informal) their favourite tipple was claret
alcoholic drink, drink, liquor; informal booze, poison.

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tippler

noun
drinker, imbiber; alcoholic, drunk, drunkard, dipsomaniac, inebriate, sot; informal boozer, alky, lush, barfly, sponge, dipso, wino, soak; Austral./NZ informal hophead; archaic toper. ANTONYMS :teetotaller.

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tipsy

adjective
merry, mellow, slightly drunk; Brit. informal tiddly, squiffy. ANTONYMS :sober.

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tirade

noun
diatribe, harangue, rant, onslaught, attack, polemic, denunciation, broadside, fulmination, condemnation, censure, criticism, tongue-lashing; informal blast; poetic/literary philippic.

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tire

verb
the ascent grew steeper and he began to tire
get tired, weaken, grow weak, flag, droop.
the journey had tired him
fatigue, tire out, exhaust, wear out, drain, weary, wash out, overtire, enervate; informal knock out, take it out of, do in, fag out, wear to a frazzle; Brit. informal knacker.
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they tired of his difficult behaviour
weary, get tired, get fed up, get sick, get bored; informal have had something up to here.
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tired

adjective
you're just tired from travelling
exhausted, worn out, weary, fatigued, dog-tired, bone-tired, ready to drop, drained, enervated, jaded; informal done in, all in, dead beat, shattered, bushed, knocked out, wiped out, bushwhacked; Brit. informal knackered, whacked (out), jiggered; N. Amer. informal pooped, tuckered out; Austral./NZ informal stonkered.
are you tired of having him here?
fed up with, weary of, bored with/by, sick (and tired) of; informal up to here with.
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tired jokes
hackneyed, overused, overworked, worn out, stale, clichéd, hoary, stock, stereotyped, predictable, unimaginative, unoriginal, uninspired, dull, boring, routine; informal old hat, corny, played out.
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ANTONYMS :energetic, lively, fresh.

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tiredness

noun
fatigue, weariness, exhaustion, enervation, inertia; sleepiness, drowsiness, somnolence. ANTONYMS :energy.

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tireless

adjective
vigorous, energetic, industrious, determined, enthusiastic, keen, zealous, spirited, dynamic, dogged, tenacious, persevering, stout, untiring, unwearying, indefatigable, unflagging. ANTONYMS :lazy.

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tiresome

adjective
boring, dull, tedious, wearisome, wearing, uninteresting, uneventful, humdrum; annoying, irritating, trying, irksome, vexatious, troublesome; informal aggravating, pesky. ANTONYMS :interesting, pleasant.

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tiring

adjective
exhausting, wearying, taxing, fatiguing, wearing, enervating, draining; hard, heavy, arduous, strenuous, onerous, uphill, demanding, gruelling; informal killing, murderous; Brit. informal knackering.

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tissue

noun
living tissue
matter, material, substance; flesh.
a box of tissues
paper handkerchief, paper towel; trademark Kleenex.
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a tissue of lies
web, network, nexus, complex, mass, set, series, chain.
Top

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titanic

adjective
huge, great, enormous, gigantic, massive, colossal, monumental, mammoth, immense, tremendous, terrific, mighty, stupendous, prodigious, gargantuan, Herculean; informal humongous, whopping, thumping, mega; Brit. informal whacking, ginormous.

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titbit

noun
tasty titbits
delicacy, tasty morsel, dainty, bonne bouche, treat; snack, nibble, savoury, appetizer; informal goody; N. Amer. tidbit.
a fascinating titbit
piece of gossip, bit of scandal, piece of information.
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tit for tat

noun
retaliation, reprisal, counter-attack, counterstroke, comeback; revenge, vengeance, retribution, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, as good as one gets, payback; informal a taste of someone's own medicine.

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titillate

verb
arouse, excite, tantalize, stimulate, stir, thrill, interest, attract, fascinate; informal turn on. ANTONYMS :bore.

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titillating

adjective
arousing, exciting, stimulating, sexy, thrilling, provocative, tantalizing, interesting, fascinating; suggestive, salacious, lurid; Brit. informal saucy. ANTONYMS :boring.

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titivate

verb
(informal) she titivated herself in front of the hall mirror
groom, smarten (up), spruce up, freshen up, preen, primp, prink; tidy, arrange; informal doll up, tart up; N. Amer. informal gussy up.

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title

noun
the title of the book
name.
the cartoon title
caption, legend, inscription, label, heading, sub-heading; credit.
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the company publishes 400 titles a year
publication, work, book, newspaper, paper, magazine, periodical.
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the title of Duke of Marlborough
designation, name, form of address; epithet, style; rank, office, position; informal moniker, handle; formal appellation, denomination.
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an Olympic title
championship, crown, first place; laurels, bays, palm.
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the vendor is obliged to prove his title to the land
ownership, proprietorship, possession, holding, freehold, entitlement, right, claim.
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verb
a policy paper titled "Law and Order"
call, entitle, name, dub, designate, style, term; formal denominate.

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titter

verb & noun
giggle, snigger, snicker, tee-hee, chuckle, laugh; informal chortle.

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tittle

noun
. See iota.

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tittle-tattle

noun
she would never listen to tittle-tattle
gossip, rumour(s), idle talk, hearsay, whispers, titbits; scandal; informal dirt, buzz; Brit. informal goss; N. Amer. informal scuttlebutt.
verb
he was tittle-tattling all over the village
gossip, spread rumours, spread gossip, tattle, talk, whisper, tell tales.

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titular

adjective
the titular head of a university
nominal, in title/name only, ceremonial; token, puppet.
the work's titular song
eponymous, identifying.
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toady

noun
a conniving little toady
sycophant, fawner, flatterer, creep, crawler, lickspittle; informal bootlicker, yes-man; archaic toad-eater.
verb
she imagined him toadying to his rich clients
grovel to, ingratiate oneself with, be obsequious to, kowtow to, pander to, crawl to, truckle to, bow and scrape to, dance attendance on, curry favour with, make up to, fawn on/over; informal suck up to, lick someone's boots, butter up.

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toast

noun
he raised his glass in a toast
tribute, salute, salutation; archaic pledge.
he was the toast of the West End
darling, favourite, pet, heroine, hero; talk; Brit. informal blue-eyed boy/girl; N. Amer. informal fair-haired boy/girl.
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verb
she toasted her hands in front of the fire
warm (up), heat, heat (up).
we toasted the couple with champagne
drink (to) the health of, drink to, salute, honour, pay tribute to; archaic pledge.
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today

adverb
the work must be finished today
this (very) day, this morning, this afternoon, this evening.
the complex tasks demanded of computers today
nowadays, these days, at the present time, in these times, in this day and age, now, currently, at the moment, at present, at this moment in time; in the present climate; N. Amer. presently.
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toddle

verb
the child toddled towards him
totter, teeter, wobble, falter, waddle, stumble.
(informal) I toddled down to the quay
amble, potter, wander, meander, stroll, saunter; informal mosey, tootle; N. Amer. informal putter.
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to-do

noun
(informal) commotion, fuss, ado, excitement, agitation, bother, stir, palaver, confusion, disturbance, brouhaha, uproar, furore, storm in a teacup, much ado about nothing; informal hoo-ha, ballyhoo, kerfuffle, song and dance, performance, pantomime; Brit. informal carry-on; N. Amer. informal fuss and feathers.

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together

adverb
friends who work together
with each other, in conjunction, jointly, in cooperation, in collaboration, in partnership, in combination, in league, side by side, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, cheek by jowl; in collusion, hand in glove; informal in cahoots.
they both spoke together
simultaneously, at the same time, at one and the same time, at once, all together, as a group, in unison, in concert, in chorus, as one, with one accord.
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I was not able to get up for days together
in succession, in a row, at a time, successively, consecutively, running, straight, on end, one after the other, continuously, without a break, without interruption; informal on the trot.
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ANTONYMS :separately.

adjective
(informal) a very together young woman.
See level-headed.

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toil

verb
she toiled all night
work hard, labour, exert oneself, slave (away), grind away, strive, work one's fingers to the bone, work like a Trojan/slave, keep one's nose to the grindstone; informal slog away, plug away, peg away, beaver away, work one's guts out, work one's socks off, sweat blood; Brit. informal graft; poetic/literary travail; archaic moil.
she began to toil up the cliff path
struggle, trudge, tramp, traipse, slog, plod, trek, footslog, drag oneself; Brit. informal yomp; N. Amer. informal schlep.
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ANTONYMS :rest, relax.

noun
a life of toil
hard work, labour, exertion, slaving, drudgery, effort, industry, (blood, sweat, and tears); informal slog, elbow grease; Brit. informal graft; poetic/literary travail; archaic moil.

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toilet

noun
he had to go to the toilet
lavatory, WC, water closet, (public) convenience, cloakroom, powder room, urinal, privy, latrine, jakes; N. Amer. washroom, bathroom, rest room, men's/ladies' room, commode, comfort station; Nautical head; informal little girls'/boys' room, smallest room; Brit. informal loo, bog, the Ladies, the Gents, khazi, lav; N. Amer. informal can, john; Austral./NZ informal dunny; archaic closet, garderobe.
she had always taken a long time over her toilet
washing, bathing, showering; grooming, dressing, make-up; formal ? humorous ablutions; dated toilette.
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toils

plural noun
(poetic/literary) trap, net, snare.

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token

noun
a token of our appreciation
symbol, sign, emblem, badge, representation, indication, mark, manifestation, expression, pledge, demonstration, recognition; evidence, proof.
he kept the menu as a token of their golden wedding
memento, souvenir, keepsake, reminder, remembrance, memorial.
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a book token
voucher, coupon.
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a telephone token
counter, disc, jetton, chip, piece, man.
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adjective
a one-day token strike
symbolic, emblematic, indicative; peppercorn.
the practice now meets only token resistance
perfunctory, slight, nominal, minimal, minor, mild, superficial, inconsequential.
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tolerable

adjective
a tolerable noise level
bearable, endurable, supportable, acceptable.
he had a tolerable voice
fairly good, passable, adequate, all right, acceptable, satisfactory, not (too) bad, average, fair; mediocre, middling, ordinary, indifferent, unremarkable, unexceptional; informal OK, so-so, nothing to write home about, no great shakes.
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ANTONYMS :unacceptable.

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tolerance

noun
an attitude of tolerance towards other people
acceptance, toleration; open-mindedness, broad-mindedness, forbearance, liberality, liberalism; patience, charity, indulgence, understanding.
the plant's tolerance of pollution
endurance, resilience, resistance, immunity.
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a 1% maximum tolerance in measurement
deviation, variation, play; inaccuracy, imprecision.
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tolerant

adjective
open-minded, forbearing, broad-minded, liberal, unprejudiced, unbiased; patient, long-suffering, understanding, charitable, lenient, indulgent, permissive, free and easy, easy-going, lax. ANTONYMS :intolerant.

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tolerate

verb
a regime unwilling to tolerate serious dissent
allow, permit, condone, accept, swallow, countenance; formal brook; archaic suffer.
he couldn't tolerate her moods any longer
endure, put up with, bear, take, stand, support, stomach; informal hack, abide; Brit. informal stick, wear, be doing with.
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toleration

noun
acceptance, tolerance, endurance; forbearance, liberality, open-mindedness, broad-mindedness, liberalism; patience, charity, indulgence, understanding.

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toll 1

noun
a motorway toll
charge, fee, payment, levy, tariff, tax.
the toll of dead and injured
number, count, tally, total, sum total, grand total, sum; record, list, listing.
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the toll on the environment has been high
adverse effect(s), detriment, harm, damage, injury, hurt; cost, price, loss, disadvantage, suffering, penalty.
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toll 2

verb
I heard the bell toll
ring (out), chime, strike, peal; sound, clang, resound, reverberate; poetic/literary knell.

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tomb

noun
burial chamber, sepulchre, mausoleum, vault, crypt, undercroft, catacomb; last/final resting place, grave, barrow, burial mound; historical charnel house. sepulchral.

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tombstone

noun
gravestone, headstone, stone; memorial, monument.

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tome

noun
volume, book, work, opus, publication, title.

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tomfoolery

noun
silliness, fooling around, clowning, capers, antics, pranks, tricks, buffoonery, skylarking, nonsense, horseplay, mischief, foolishness, foolery; informal larks, shenanigans.

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tone

noun
the tone of the tuba
timbre, sound, sound quality, voice, voice quality, colour, tone colour, tonality.
his friendly tone
intonation, tone of voice, modulation, accentuation.
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the somewhat impatient tone of his letter
mood, air, feel, flavour, note, attitude, character, temper; tenor, vein, drift, gist.
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a dialling tone
note, signal, beep, bleep.
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tones of primrose, lavender, and rose
shade, colour, hue, tint, tinge.
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verb
the caramel shirt toned well with her cream skirt
harmonize, go, blend, coordinate, team; match, suit, complement.
tone something down
the colour needs to be toned down a bit
soften, lighten, mute, subdue.

the papers refused to tone down their criticism
moderate, modify, modulate, mitigate, temper, dampen, soften, subdue.
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tongue

noun
a foreign tongue
language, dialect, patois, vernacular, mother tongue, native tongue; informal lingo.
her sharp tongue
way/manner of speaking, speech, parlance.
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tongue-tied

adjective
lost for words, speechless, unable to get a word out, struck dumb, dumbstruck; mute, dumb, silent; informal mum. ANTONYMS :loquacious.

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tonic

noun
ginseng can be used as a natural tonic
stimulant, restorative, refresher; informal pick-me-up, bracer; Medicine analeptic.
we found the change of scene a tonic
stimulant, boost, fillip; informal shot in the arm, pick-me-up.
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too

adverb
invasion would be too risky
excessively, overly, over, unduly, immoderately, inordinately, unreasonably, extremely, very; informal too-too.
he was unhappy, too, you know
also, as well, in addition, additionally, into the bargain, besides, furthermore, moreover, on top of that, to boot.
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tool

noun
garden tools
implement, utensil, instrument, device, apparatus, gadget, appliance, machine, contrivance, contraption; informal gizmo.
the beautiful Estella is Miss Havisham's tool
puppet, pawn, creature, cat's paw; minion, lackey; informal stooge.
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verb
red leather, tooled in gold
ornament, embellish, decorate, work, cut, chase.

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tooth

noun
fang, tusk; Zoology denticle; informal gnasher; Brit. informal pearly white. dental.

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toothsome

adjective
tasty, delicious, luscious, mouth-watering, delectable, succulent; tempting, appetizing, inviting; informal scrumptious, yummy, scrummy, finger-licking; Brit. informal moreish.

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top

noun
the top of the cliff
summit, peak, pinnacle, crest, crown, brow, head, tip, apex, vertex.
the top of the table
upper part, upper surface, upper layer.
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the carrots' green tops
leaves, shoots, stem, stalk.
Top
the top of the coffee jar
lid, cap, cover, stopper, cork.
Top
a short-sleeved top
sweater, jumper, jersey, sweat shirt; T-shirt, shirt; blouse.
Top
by 1981 he was at the top of his profession
high point, height, peak, pinnacle, zenith, acme, culmination, climax, crowning point; prime.
Top
ANTONYMS :bottom, base.

adjective
the top floor
highest, topmost, uppermost, upmost.
the world's top scientists
foremost, leading, principal, pre-eminent, greatest, best, finest, elite; informal top-notch.
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the organization's top management
chief, principal, main, leading, highest, highest-ranking, ruling, commanding, most powerful, most important.
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a top Paris hotel
prime, exc ellent, superb, superior, choice, select, top-quality, top-grade, first-rate, first-class, grade A, best, finest, premier, superlative, second to none; informal A1, top-notch.
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they are travelling at top speed
maximum, maximal, greatest, utmost.
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ANTONYMS :bottom, lowest, minimum.

verb
sales are expected to top £1.3 billion
exceed, surpass, go beyond, better, best, beat, outstrip, outdo, outshine, eclipse, go one better than.
their debut CD is currently topping the charts
lead, head, be at the top of.
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they topped the rise of a mist-shrouded valley
reach the top of, crest, climb, scale, ascend, mount.
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chocolate mousse topped with cream
cover, cap, coat, smother; finish, garnish.
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over the top (informal)
excessive, immoderate, inordinate, extreme, exaggerated, extravagant, overblown, too much, unreasonable, disproportionate, undue, unwarranted, uncalled for, unnecessary, going too far; informal a bit much, OTT. top something up
fill, refil l, refresh, freshen, replenish, recharge, resupply; supplement, add to, augment.

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topcoat

noun
overcoat, coat, greatcoat.

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topic

noun
subject, subject matter, theme, issue, matter, point, talking point, question, concern, argument, thesis, text, keynote.

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topical

adjective
current, up to date, up to the minute, contemporary, recent, relevant; newsworthy, in the news. ANTONYMS :out of date.

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topmost

adjective
the tree's topmost branches
highest, top, uppermost, upmost.
the topmost authority on the subject
foremost, leading, principal, premier, prime, top, greatest, best, supreme, pre-eminent, outstanding, most important, main, chief; N. Amer. ranking; informal number-one.
Top

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top-notch

adjective
(informal) first-class, first-rate, top-quality, five-star; superior, prime, premier, premium, grade A, superlative, best, finest, select, exclusive, excellent, superb, outstanding, splendid; informal tip-top, A1.

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topple

verb
she toppled over
fall, tumble, overbalance, overturn, tip, keel; lose one's balance.
protesters toppled a huge statue
knock over, upset, push over, tip over, upend.
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a plot to topple the government
overthrow, oust, unseat, overturn, bring down, defeat, get rid of, dislodge, eject.
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topsy-turvy

adjective
a topsy-turvy flag
upside down, the wrong way/side up, inverted.
everything in the flat was topsy-turvy
in disarray, in a mess, in a muddle, in disorder, disordered, in chaos, chaotic, disorganized, awry, upside down, at sixes and sevens; informal every which way, higgledy-piggledy.
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ANTONYMS :neat.

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torch

noun
an electric torch
lamp, light, flashlight.
(historical) a flaming torch
firebrand, brand; historical cresset, flambeau.
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verb
(informal) one of the shops had been torched
burn, set fire to, set on fire, set light to, set alight, incinerate, put/set a match to.

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torment

noun
months of mental and emotional torment
agony, suffering, torture, pain, anguish, misery, distress, affliction, trauma, wretchedness; hell, purgatory.
it was a torment to see him like that
ordeal, affliction, scourge, curse, plague, bane, thorn in someone's side/flesh, cross to bear; sorrow, tribulation, trouble.
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verb
she was tormented by shame
torture, afflict, rack, harrow, plague, haunt, distress, agonize.
she began to torment the two younger boys
tease, taunt, bait, harass, provoke, goad, plague, bother, trouble, persecute; informal needle.
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torn

adjective
a torn shirt
ripped, rent, cut, slit; ragged, tattered, in tatters, in ribbons.
she was torn between the two options
wavering, vacillating, irresolute, dithering, uncertain, unsure, undecided, in two minds.
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tornado

noun
whirlwind, windstorm, cyclone, typhoon, storm, hurricane; N. Amer. informal twister.

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torpid

adjective
lethargic, sluggish, inert, inactive, slow, lifeless; languid, listless, lazy, idle, indolent, slothful, supine, passive, apathetic, somnolent, sleepy, weary, tired. ANTONYMS :energetic.

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torpor

noun
lethargy, sluggishness, inertia, inactivity, lifelessness, listlessness, languor, lassitude, laziness, idleness, indolence, sloth, accidie, passivity, somnolence, weariness, sleepiness.

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torrent

noun
a torrent of water
flood, deluge, inundation, spate, cascade, rush, stream, current, flow, overflow, tide.
a torrent of abuse
outburst, outpouring, stream, flood, volley, barrage, tide, spate.
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ANTONYMS :trickle.

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torrential

adjective
copious, heavy, teeming, severe, relentless, violent.

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torrid

adjective
a torrid summer
hot, dry, scorching, searing, blazing, blistering, sweltering, burning; informal boiling (hot), baking (hot), sizzling.
a torrid affair
passionate, ardent, lustful, amorous; informal steamy, sizzling, hot.
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ANTONYMS :cold.

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tortuous

adjective
a tortuous route
twisting, twisty, twisting and turning, winding, windy, zigzag, sinuous, snaky, meandering, serpentine.
a tortuous argument
convoluted, complicated, complex, labyrinthine, involved, confusing, difficult to follow, lengthy, overlong.
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ANTONYMS :straight, straightforward.

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torture

noun
the torture of political prisoners
infliction of pain, abuse; ill-treatment, maltreatment, persecution.
the torture of losing a loved one
torment, agony, suffering, pain, anguish, misery, distress, heartbreak, affliction, trauma, wretchedness; hell, purgatory.
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verb
the security forces routinely tortured suspects
inflict pain on, ill-treat, abuse, mistreat, maltreat, persecute; informal work over, give someone the works.
he was tortured by grief
torment, rack, afflict, harrow, plague, agonize, crucify.
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toss

verb
he tossed his tools into the boot
throw, hurl, fling, sling, cast, pitch, lob, propel, project, launch; informal heave, chuck, bung; dated shy.
he tossed a coin and it landed heads up
flip, flick, spin.
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the ship tossed about on the waves
pitch, lurch, rock, roll, plunge, reel, list, keel, sway, wallow, make heavy weather.
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toss the salad ingredients together
shake, stir, turn, mix, combine.
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tot 1

noun
the tot looks just like her mum
infant, baby, toddler, tiny tot, child, little one, mite; Scottish bairn, wean.
a tot of rum
dram, drink, nip, drop, slug; informal shot, finger, snifter.
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tot 2

verb
he totted up some figures
add, total, count, calculate, compute, reckon, tally.
we've totted up 89 victories
accumulate, build up, amass, accrue.
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total

adjective
the total cost
entire, complete, whole, full, comprehensive, combined, aggregate, gross, overall.
a total disaster
complete, utter, absolute, thorough, perfect, downright, out-and-out, outright, thoroughgoing, all-out, sheer, arrant, positive, prize, rank, unmitigated, unqualified; Brit. informal right, proper.
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ANTONYMS :partial.

noun
a total of £160,000
sum, sum total, grand total, aggregate; whole, entirety, totality.
verb
the prize money totalled £33,050
add up to, amount to, come to, run to, make, work out as.
he totalled up his score
add (up), count, reckon, tot up, compute, work out.
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totalitarian

adjective
autocratic, undemocratic, one-party, dictatorial, tyrannical, despotic, fascist, oppressive, repressive, illiberal; authoritarian, autarchic, absolute, absolutist; dystopian. ANTONYMS :democratic.

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totality

noun
entirety, whole, total, aggregate, sum, sum total; all, everything.

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totally

adverb
completely, entirely, wholly, thoroughly, fully, utterly, absolutely, perfectly, unreservedly, unconditionally, quite, altogether, downright; in every way, in every respect, one hundred per cent, every inch, to the hilt; informal dead, deadly. ANTONYMS :partly.

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totter

verb
he tottered off down the road
teeter, walk unsteadily, stagger, wobble, stumble, shuffle, shamble, toddle; reel, sway, roll, lurch.
the foundations began to heave and totter
shake, sway, tremble, quiver, teeter, shudder, judder, rock, quake.
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touch

verb
his shoes were touching the end of the bed
be in contact with, come into contact with, meet, join, connect with, converge with, be contiguous with, be against.
he touched her cheek
press lightly, tap, pat; feel, stroke, fondle, caress, pet; brush, graze.
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sales touched twenty grand last year
reach, attain, come to, make; rise to, soar to; sink to, plummet to; informal hit.
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nobody can touch him when he's on form
compare with, be on a par with, equal, match, be a match for, be in the same class/league as, parallel, rival, come/get close to, measure up to; better, beat; informal hold a candle to.
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you're not supposed to touch the computer
handle, hold, pick up, move; meddle with, play about with, fiddle with, interfere with, tamper with, disturb, lay a finger on; use, employ, make use of.
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state companies which have been touched by privatization
affect, have an effect/impact on, make a difference to.
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Lisa felt touched by her kindness
affect, move, tug at someone's heartstrings; leave an impression on, have an effect on .
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noun
her touch on his shoulder
tap, pat; stroke, caress; brush, graze.
his political touch
skill, skilfulness, expertise, dexterity, deftness, adroitness, adeptness, ability, talent, flair, facility, proficiency, knack, technique, approach, style.
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there was a touch of bitterness in her voice | add a touch of vinegar
trace, bit, suggestion, suspicion, hint, scintilla, tinge, overtone, undertone; dash, taste, spot, drop, dab, pinch, speck, soupçon.
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the gas lights are a nice touch
detail, feature, point; addition, accessory.
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have you been in touch with him?
contact, communication, correspondence; connection, association.
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tactile.
touch down
land, alight, come down, put down, arrive. touch something off
he touched off two of the bombs
detonate, set off, trigger, explode.

the plan touched off a major political storm
cause, spark off, trigger (off), start, set in motion, ignite, stir up, provoke, give rise to, lead to, generate.
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touch on/upon
many television programmes have touched on the subject
refer to, mention, comment on, remark on, bring up, raise, broach, allude to; cover, deal with.

a self-confident manner touching on the arrogant
come close to, verge on, border on, approach.
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touch someone up (Brit. informal)
fondle, molest, feel up; informal grope, paw, maul, goose; N. Amer. informal cop a feel. touch something up
these paints are handy for touching up small areas
repaint, retouch, patch up, fix up; renovate, refurbish, revamp; informal do up.

touch up your CV and improve your interview skills
improve, enhance, make better, refine; informal tweak.
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touch-and-go

adjective
uncertain, precarious, risky, hazardous, dangerous, critical, suspenseful, cliffhanging, hanging by a thread. ANTONYMS :certain.

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touched

adjective
he was visibly touched by their plight
affected, moved.
(informal) her mother was a bit touched.
See mad sense 1.
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touching

adjective
moving, affecting, heart-warming, emotional, emotive, tender, sentimental; poignant, sad, tear-jerking.

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touchstone

noun
criterion, standard, yardstick, benchmark, barometer, litmus test; measure, point of reference, norm, gauge, test, guide, exemplar, model, pattern.

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touchy

adjective
she can be so touchy
sensitive, oversensitive, hypersensitive, easily offended, thin-skinned, highly strung, tense; irritable, tetchy, testy, crotchety, peevish, querulous, bad-tempered, petulant, pettish; informal snappy, ratty; N. Amer. informal cranky.
a touchy subject
delicate, sensitive, tricky, ticklish, embarrassing, awkward, difficult; contentious, controversial.
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ANTONYMS :affable.

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tough

adjective
tough leather gloves
durable, strong, resilient, sturdy, rugged, solid, stout, hard-wearing, long-lasting, heavy-duty, well built, made to last.
the steak was tough
chewy, leathery, gristly, stringy, fibrous.
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he'll survive he's pretty tough
robust, resilient, strong, hardy, rugged, fit; informal hard, (as) tough as old boots; dated stalwart.
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tough sentencing for persistent offenders
strict, stern, severe, stringent, rigorous, hard, firm, hard-hitting, uncompromising; unsentimental, unsympathetic.
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the training was pretty tough
arduous, onerous, strenuous, gruelling, exacting, difficult, demanding, hard, heavy, taxing, tiring, exhausting, punishing, laborious, stressful, Herculean; archaic toilsome.
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these are tough questions for American policy-makers
difficult, hard, knotty, thorny, tricky.
Top
ANTONYMS :soft, weak, easy.

noun
a gang of toughs
ruffian, thug, hoodlum, hooligan, bully boy; Brit. rough; informal roughneck, heavy, bruiser, gorilla, yahoo; Brit. informal yob, yobbo.

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toughen

verb
the process toughens the wood fibres
strengthen, fortify, reinforce, harden, temper, anneal.
measures to toughen up prison discipline
make stricter, make more severe, stiffen, tighten up; informal beef up.
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tour

noun
a three-day walking tour
trip, excursion, journey, expedition, jaunt, outing; trek, safari; archaic peregrination.
a tour of the factory
visit, inspection, guided tour, walkabout.
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his tour of duty in Ulster
stint, stretch, spell, turn, assignment, period of service.
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verb
this hotel is well placed for touring Somerset
travel round, explore, holiday in; informal do.
the prince toured a local factory
visit, go round, walk round, inspect.
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tourist

noun
holidaymaker, traveller, sightseer, visitor, backpacker, globetrotter, day tripper, tripper; N. Amer. vacationer, vacationist, out-of-towner; Brit. informal grockle. ANTONYMS :local.

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tournament

noun
a golf tournament
competition, contest, championship, meeting, meet, event, match, fixture.
(historical) a knight preparing for a tournament
joust, tourney, tilt; the lists.
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tousled

adjective
untidy, dishevelled, wind-blown, messy, disordered, disarranged, messed up, rumpled, uncombed, ungroomed, tangled, wild, unkempt; informal mussed up. ANTONYMS :neat, tidy.

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tout

verb
street merchants were touting their wares
peddle, sell, hawk, offer for sale; informal flog.
minicab drivers were touting for business
solicit, seek, drum up; ask, petition, appeal, canvas.
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he's being touted as the next Scotland manager
recommend, speak of, talk of; predict; Brit. tip.
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tow

verb
the car was towed back to the garage
pull, haul, drag, draw, tug, lug.
in tow he arrived with his new girlfriend in tow

in attendance, by one's side, in one's charge; accompanying, following.

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towards

preposition
they were driving towards her flat
in the direction of, to; on the way to, on the road to, en route for.
towards evening dark clouds gathered
just before, shortly before, near, nearing, around, approaching, close to, coming to, getting on for.
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her attitude towards politics
with regard to, as regards, regarding, in/with regard to, respecting, in relation to, concerning, about, apropos.
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a grant towards the cost of new buses
as a contribution to, for, to help with.
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tower

noun
a church tower
steeple, spire; minaret; turret; bell tower, belfry, campanile.
verb
snow-capped peaks towered over the valley
soar, rise, rear; overshadow, overhang, hang over, dominate.
he towered over most other theologians of his generation
dominate, overshadow, outshine, outclass, eclipse, be head and shoulders above, put someone/something in the shade.
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towering

adjective
a towering skyscraper
high, tall, lofty, soaring, sky-high, sky-scraping, multi-storey; giant, gigantic, enormous, huge, massive; informal ginormous.
a towering intellect
outstanding, pre-eminent, leading, foremost, finest, top, surpassing, supreme, great, incomparable, unrivalled, unsurpassed, peerless.
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a towering rage
extreme, fierce, terrible, intense, overpowering, mighty, violent, vehement, passionate.
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town

noun
urban area, conurbation, municipality; city, metropolis, megalopolis; Brit. borough; Scottish burgh. municipal, urban. ANTONYMS :country.

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toxic

adjective
poisonous, virulent, noxious, dangerous, harmful, injurious, pernicious. ANTONYMS :harmless.

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toy

noun
a cuddly toy
plaything, game.
an executive toy
gadget, device; trinket, knick-knack; informal gizmo.
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adjective
a toy gun
model, imitation, replica; miniature.
a toy poodle
miniature, small, tiny, diminutive, dwarf, midget, pygmy.
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toy with
I was toying with the idea of writing a book
think about, consider, flirt with, entertain the possibility of; informal kick around.

Adam toyed with his glasses
fiddle with, play with, fidget with, twiddle; finger.
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she toyed with her food
nibble, pick at, peck at, eat listlessly, eat like a bird.
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trace

verb
police hope to trace the owner of the jewellery
track down, find, discover, detect, unearth, turn up, hunt down, ferret out, run to ground.
she traced a pattern in the sand with her toe
draw, outline, mark.
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the analysis traces out the consequences of such beliefs
outline, map out, sketch out, delineate, depict, show, indicate.
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noun
no trace had been found of the missing plane
vestige, sign, mark, indication, evidence, clue; remains, remnant, relic, survival.
a trace of bitterness crept into her voice
bit, touch, hint, suggestion, suspicion, shadow, whiff; drop, dash, tinge, speck, shred, jot, iota; informal smidgen, tad.
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the ground was hard and they left no traces
trail, tracks, marks, prints, footprints; spoor.
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track

noun
a gravel track
path, pathway, footpath, lane, trail, route, way, course.
the final lap of the track
course, racecourse, racetrack; velodrome; Brit. circuit.
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he found the tracks of a grey fox
traces, marks, prints, footprints, trail, spoor.
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Orkney lies on the track of the Atlantic winds
course, path, line, route, way, trajectory.
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commuters had to walk along the tracks
rail, line, railway line.
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the album's title track
song, recording, number, piece.
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verb
he tracked a bear for 40 km
follow, trail, trace, pursue, shadow, stalk, keep an eye on, keep in sight; informal tail.
keep track of
monitor, follow, keep up with, keep an eye on; keep in touch with, keep up to date with; informal keep tabs on. track someone/something down
discover, find, detect, hunt down/out, unearth, uncover, turn up, dig up, ferret out, bring to light, run to earth, run to ground.

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tract 1

noun
large tracts of land
area, region, expanse, sweep, stretch, extent, belt, swathe, zone.

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tract 2

noun
a political tract
treatise, essay, article, paper, work, monograph, disquisition, dissertation, thesis, homily; pamphlet, booklet, leaflet.

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tractable

adjective
malleable, manageable, amenable, pliable, governable, yielding, complaisant, compliant, persuadable, accommodating, docile, biddable, obedient, submissive, meek. ANTONYMS :recalcitrant.

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traction

noun
grip, purchase, friction, adhesion.

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trade

noun
the illicit trade in stolen cattle
commerce, buying and selling, dealing, traffic, trafficking, business, marketing, merchandising; dealings, transactions.
the glazier's trade
craft, occupation, job, career, profession, business, line (of work), métier, vocation, calling, walk of life, field; work, employment.
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mercantile.
verb
he made his fortune trading in beaver pelts
deal, buy and sell, traffic, market, merchandise, peddle; informal hawk, flog.
the business is trading at a loss
operate, run, do business.
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I traded the old machine for a newer model
swap, exchange, switch; barter.
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trade on
exploit, take advantage of, capitalize on, profit from, use, make use of; milk; informal cash in on.

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trademark

noun
the company's trademark
logo, emblem, sign, mark, stamp, symbol, device, badge, crest, monogram, colophon; trade name, brand name, proprietary name.
it had all the trademarks of a Mafia hit
characteristic, hallmark, telltale sign, sign, trait, quality, attribute, feature, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy.
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trader

noun
dealer, merchant, buyer, seller, buyer and seller, marketeer, merchandiser, broker, agent; distributor, vendor, purveyor, supplier, trafficker; shopkeeper, retailer, wholesaler.

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tradesman tradeswoman

noun
tradesmen standing nonchalantly outside their stores
shopkeeper, retailer, vendor, wholesaler; N. Amer. storekeeper.
a qualified tradesman
craftsman, workman, artisan.
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tradition

noun
during a maiden speech, by tradition, everyone keeps absolutely silent
historical convention, unwritten law; oral history, lore, folklore.
an age-old tradition
custom, practice, convention, ritual, observance, way, usage, habit, institution; formal praxis.
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traditional

adjective
traditional Christmas fare
long-established, customary, time-honoured, established, classic, wonted, accustomed, standard, regular, normal, conventional, usual, orthodox, habitual, set, fixed, routine, ritual; old, age-old.
traditional beliefs
handed-down, folk, unwritten, oral.
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traduce

verb
defame, slander, speak ill of, misrepresent, malign, vilify, denigrate, disparage, slur, impugn, smear, besmirch, run down, blacken the name of, cast aspersions on; informal bad-mouth; formal calumniate.

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traffic

noun
the bridge is not open to traffic
vehicles, cars, lorries, trucks.
they might be stuck in traffic
traffic jams, congestion, gridlock, tailbacks, hold-ups, queues; informal snarl-ups.
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the increased use of railways for goods traffic
transport, transportation, freight, conveyancing, shipping.
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the illegal traffic in stolen art
trade, trading, trafficking, dealing, commerce, business, buying and selling; smuggling, bootlegging, black market; dealings, transactions.
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(archaic) he has little traffic with his neighbours
contact, communication, intercourse, dealings, relations.
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verb
he confessed to trafficking in gold and ivory
trade, deal, do business, buy and sell; smuggle, bootleg; informal run.

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tragedy

noun
disaster, calamity, catastrophe, cataclysm, misfortune, reverse, vicissitude, trial, tribulation, affliction, adversity.

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tragic

adjective
a tragic accident
disastrous, calamitous, catastrophic, cataclysmic, devastating, terrible, dreadful, awful, appalling, horrendous; fatal, deadly, mortal, lethal.
a tragic tale
sad, unhappy, pathetic, moving, distressing, painful, harrowing, heart-rending, piteous, wretched, sorry; melancholy, doleful, mournful.
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a tragic waste of talent
dreadful, terrible, awful, deplorable, lamentable, regrettable; formal grievous.
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ANTONYMS :fortunate, happy.

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trail

noun
he left a trail of clues | a trail of devastation
series, string, chain, succession, sequence; aftermath.
wolves on the trail of their prey
track, spoor, path, scent; traces, marks, signs, prints, footprints.
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the plane's vapour trail
wake, tail, stream.
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a trail of ants
line, column, train, file, procession, string, chain, convoy; queue.
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country parks with nature trails
path, pathway, way, footpath, track, course, route.
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verb
her robe trailed along the ground
drag, sweep, be drawn; dangle, hang (down), droop.
the roses grew wild, their stems trailing over the banks
hang, droop, fall, spill, cascade.
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Sharpe suspected that they were trailing him
follow, pursue, track, shadow, stalk, hunt (down); run to earth, run to ground; informal tail.
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the defending champions were trailing 10 5 at half time
lose, be down, be behind, lag behind.
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I hate trailing round the shops
trudge, plod, drag oneself, traipse, trek; N. Amer. informal schlep.
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her voice trailed off
fade, tail off/away, grow faint, die away, dwindle, subside, peter out, fizzle out.
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train

verb
an engineer trained in remote-sensing techniques
instruct, teach, coach, tutor, school, educate, prime, drill, ground; inculcate, indoctrinate.
she's training to be a hairdresser
study, learn, prepare, take instruction.
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with the Olympics in mind, athletes are training hard
exercise, do exercises, work out, get into shape, practise.
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she trained the gun on his chest
aim, point, direct, level, focus; take aim, zero in on.
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noun
the train for London
locomotive, railway train; baby talk choo choo.
a minister and his train of attendants
retinue, entourage, cortège, following, staff, household, court, suite, attendants, retainers, followers, bodyguards.
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a train of elephants
procession, line, file, column, convoy, cavalcade, caravan, queue, string, succession.
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a bizarre train of events
chain, string, series, sequence, succession, set, course, cycle, concatenation.
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trainer

noun
coach, instructor, teacher, tutor; handler.

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training

noun
in-house training for staff
instruction, teaching, coaching, tuition, tutoring, schooling, education; indoctrination, inculcation.
four months' hard training before the match
exercise, exercises, working out; practice, preparation.
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traipse

verb
trudge, trek, tramp, trail, plod, drag oneself, slog; Brit. informal trog; N. Amer. informal schlep.

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trait

noun
characteristic, attribute, feature, (essential) quality, property; habit, custom, mannerism, idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, quirk, oddity, foible.

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traitor

noun
betrayer, back-stabber, double-crosser, double-dealer, renegade, Judas, quisling, fifth columnist; turncoat, defector, deserter; collaborator, informer, double agent; informal snake in the grass, two-timer.

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traitorous

adjective
treacherous, disloyal, treasonous, back-stabbing; double-crossing, double-dealing, faithless, unfaithful, two-faced, false-hearted, duplicitous, deceitful, false; informal two-timing; poetic/literary perfidious. ANTONYMS :loyal.

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trajectory

noun
course, path, route, track, line, orbit.

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trammel (poetic/literary)

noun
the trammels of tradition
restraint, constraint, curb, check, impediment, obstacle, barrier, handicap, bar, hindrance, encumbrance, disadvantage, drawback, snag, stumbling block; shackles, fetters, bonds.
verb
those less trammelled by convention than himself
restrict, restrain, constrain, hamper, confine, hinder, handicap, obstruct, impede, hold back, hamstring, shackle, fetter.

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tramp

verb
men were tramping through the shrubbery
trudge, plod, stamp, trample, lumber, clump, clomp, stump, stomp; informal traipse, galumph.
he spent ten days tramping through the jungle
trek, slog, footslog, trudge, drag oneself, walk, hike, march; informal traipse; Brit. informal yomp; N. Amer. informal schlep.
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noun
a dirty old tramp
vagrant, vagabond, homeless person, down-and-out; traveller, drifter, beachcomber; beggar, mendicant; N. Amer. hobo; Austral./NZ bagman; informal bag lady; N. Amer. informal bum.
the regular tramp of the sentry's boots
footstep, step, footfall, tread, stamp, stomp.
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a tramp round Norwich
trek, slog, trudge, hike, march, walk; Brit. informal yomp; N. Amer. informal schlep.
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trample

verb
someone had trampled on the tulips
tread, tramp, stamp, stomp, walk over; squash, crush, flatten.
we do nothing but trample over their feelings
treat with contempt, ride roughshod over, disregard, set at naught, show no consideration for, abuse; encroach on, infringe.
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trance

noun
daze, stupor, hypnotic state, half-conscious state, dream; Scottish dwam.

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tranquil

adjective
a wonderfully tranquil village
peaceful, calm, restful, quiet, still, relaxing, undisturbed.
Martha smiled, perfectly tranquil
calm, serene, relaxed, unruffled, unperturbed, unflustered, untroubled, composed, (cool, calm, and collected); equable, even-tempered, placid, phlegmatic; informal unflappable.
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ANTONYMS :busy, excitable.

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tranquillity

noun
the tranquillity of the Norfolk countryside
peace, peacefulness, restfulness, repose, calm, calmness, quiet, quietness, stillness.
the incident jolted her out of her tranquillity
composure, calmness, serenity; equanimity, equability, placidity; informal cool, unflappability.
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tranquillize

verb
sedate, put under sedation, narcotize, drug.

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tranquillizer

noun
sedative, barbiturate, calmative, sleeping pill, narcotic, opiate; informal trank, downer. ANTONYMS :stimulant.

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transact

verb
conduct, carry out, negotiate, do, perform, execute, take care of; settle, conclude, finish, clinch, accomplish.

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transaction

noun
property transactions
deal, business deal, undertaking, arrangement, bargain, negotiation, agreement, settlement; proceedings.
the transactions of the Historical Society
proceedings, report, record(s), minutes, account; archives.
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the transaction of government business
conduct, carrying out, negotiation, performance, execution.
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transcend

verb
an issue that transcended party politics
go beyond, rise above, cut across.
his military exploits far transcended those of his predecessors
surpass, exceed, beat, top, cap, outdo, outclass, outstrip, leave behind, outshine, eclipse, overshadow, throw into the shade, upstage.
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transcendence

noun
excellence, supremacy, incomparability, matchlessness, peerlessness, magnificence.

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transcendent

adjective
the search for a transcendent level of knowledge
mystical, mystic, transcendental, spiritual; metaphysical.
a transcendent genius
incomparable, matchless, peerless, unrivalled, inimitable, beyond compare/comparison, unparalleled, unequalled, without equal, second to none, unsurpassed, unsurpassable, nonpareil; exceptional, consummate, unique, perfect, rare, surpassing, magnificent; formal unexampled.
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transcendental

adjective
. See transcendent sense 1.

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transcribe

verb
each interview was taped and transcribed
write out, copy out, put in writing, put on paper.
a person who can take and transcribe shorthand
transliterate, interpret, translate.
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transcript

noun
written version, printed version, text, transliteration, record, reproduction.

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transfer

verb
the hostages were transferred to a safe house
move, convey, take, bring, shift, remove, carry, transport; transplant, relocate, resettle.
the property was transferred to his wife
hand over, pass on, make over, turn over, sign over, consign, devolve, assign, delegate.
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noun
he died shortly after his transfer to hospital
move, conveyance, transferral, transference, relocation, removal, transplantation.

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transfigure

verb
transform, transmute, change, alter, metamorphose; humorous transmogrify.

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transfix

verb
he was transfixed by the images on the screen
mesmerize, hypnotize, spellbind, bewitch, captivate, entrance, enthral, fascinate, enrapture, grip, rivet; root to the spot, paralyse.
a field mouse is transfixed by the owl's curved talons
impale, stab, spear, pierce, spike, skewer, gore, stick, run through; poetic/literary transpierce.
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transform

verb
change, alter, convert, metamorphose, transfigure, transmute; revolutionize, overhaul; remodel, reshape, remould, redo, reconstruct, rebuild, reorganize, rearrange, rework, renew, revamp, remake; humorous transmogrify.

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transformation

noun
change, alteration, conversion, metamorphosis, transfiguration, transmutation, sea change; revolution, overhaul; remodelling, reshaping, remoulding, redoing, reconstruction, rebuilding, reorganization, rearrangement, reworking, renewal, revamp, remaking; humorous transmogrification.

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transgress

verb
if they transgress the punishment is harsh
misbehave, behave badly, break the law, err, fall from grace, stray from the straight and narrow, sin, do wrong, go astray; archaic trespass.
she had transgressed an unwritten social law
infringe, breach, contravene, disobey, defy, violate, break, flout.
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transgression

noun
a punishment for past transgressions
offence, crime, sin, wrong, wrongdoing, misdemeanour, misdeed, lawbreaking; error, lapse, fault; archaic trespass.
Adam's transgression of God's law
infringement, breach, contravention, violation, defiance, disobedience, non-observance.
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transgressor

noun
wrongdoer, offender, miscreant, lawbreaker, criminal, villain, felon, malefactor, guilty party, culprit; sinner, evil-doer; archaic trespasser.

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transient

adjective
transitory, temporary, short-lived, short-term, ephemeral, impermanent, brief, short, momentary, fleeting, passing, fugitive, here today and gone tomorrow; poetic/literary evanescent. ANTONYMS :permanent.

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transit

noun
the transit of goods between states
transport, transportation, movement, conveyance, shipment, haulage, freightage, carriage, transfer.
in transit
en route, on the journey, on the way, along/on the road, during transport.

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transition

noun
change, passage, move, transformation, conversion, metamorphosis, alteration, changeover, shift, switch, jump, leap, progression, progress, development, evolution.

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transitional

adjective
a transitional period
intermediate, interim, changeover; changing, fluid, unsettled.
the transitional government
interim, temporary, provisional, pro tem, acting, caretaker.
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transitory

adjective
transient, temporary, brief, short, short-lived, short-term, impermanent, ephemeral, momentary, fleeting, passing, fugitive, here today and gone tomorrow; poetic/literary evanescent. ANTONYMS :permanent.

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translate

verb
the German original had been translated into English
render, put, express, convert, change; transcribe, transliterate.
be prepared to translate the jargon into normal English
render, paraphrase, reword, rephrase, convert, decipher, decode, gloss, explain.
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interesting ideas cannot always be translated into effective movies
change, convert, transform, alter, adapt, turn, transmute; humorous transmogrify.
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in 1228 the bishop was translated from Salisbury to Durham
relocate, transfer, move, remove, shift, transplant.
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translation

noun
the translation of the Bible into English
rendition, rendering, conversion; transcription, transliteration.
the translation of these policies into practice
conversion, change, transformation, alteration, adaptation, transmutation; humorous transmogrification.
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translucent

adjective
semi-transparent, pellucid, limpid, clear; diaphanous, gossamer, sheer. ANTONYMS :opaque.

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transmission

noun
the transmission of knowledge and culture
transference, transferral, communication, conveyance; dissemination, spreading, circulation.
the transmission of the film
broadcasting, relaying, airing, televising.
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a live transmission
broadcast, programme, show.
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transmit

verb
the use of computers to transmit information
transfer, pass on, hand on, communicate, convey, impart, channel, carry, relay, dispatch; disseminate, spread, circulate.
the programme will be transmitted on Sunday
broadcast, relay, send out, air, televise.
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transmute

verb
change, alter, adapt, transform, convert, metamorphose, translate; humorous transmogrify.

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transparency

noun
the transparency of the glass
translucency, limpidity, glassiness, clearness, clarity.
colour transparencies
slide, diapositive.
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transparent

adjective
transparent blue water
clear, crystal clear, see-through, translucent, pellucid, limpid, glassy.
fine transparent fabrics
see-through, sheer, filmy, gauzy, diaphanous.
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the symbolism of this myth is transparent
obvious, unambiguous, unequivocal, clear, crystal clear, plain, (as) plain as the nose on your face, apparent, unmistakable, manifest, conspicuous, patent, palpable, indisputable, evident, self-evident, undisguised, unconcealed.
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ANTONYMS :opaque, obscure.

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transpire

verb
it transpired that her family had moved away
become known, emerge, come to light, be revealed, turn out, come out, be discovered, prove to be the case.
I'm going to find out exactly what transpired
happen, occur, take place, arise, come about, turn up, chance, befall; poetic/literary come to pass.
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transplant

verb
it was proposed to transplant the club to the vacant site
transfer, move, remove, shift, relocate, take.
the seedlings should be transplanted in larger pots
replant, repot, relocate.
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kidneys must be transplanted within 48 hours of removal
transfer, implant.
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transport

verb
the concrete blocks were transported by lorry
convey, carry, take, transfer, move, shift, send, deliver, bear, ship, ferry; informal cart.
he was convicted of theft and transported
banish, exile, deport, expatriate, extradite.
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she was completely transported by the excitement
thrill, delight, carry away, enrapture, entrance, enchant, enthral, electrify, captivate, bewitch, fascinate, spellbind, charm; informal send; poetic/literary ravish.
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noun
alternative forms of transport
conveyance, transportation; vehicle, car, lorry, truck. train.
the transport of crude oil
transportation, conveyance, carriage, freight, freightage, shipment, shipping, haulage; transit.
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transports of delight
rapture, ecstasy, elation, exaltation, exhilaration, euphoria, bliss, seventh heaven, heaven, paradise, high; passion, strong feeling/emotion; informal cloud nine.
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transpose

verb
the blue and black plates were transposed
interchange, exchange, switch, swap (round), reverse, invert.
the themes are transposed from the sphere of love to that of work
transfer, shift, relocate, transplant, move, displace.
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transverse

adjective
crosswise, crossways, cross, horizontal, diagonal, oblique.

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trap

noun
an animal caught in a trap
snare, net, mesh, gin, springe; N. Amer. deadfall.
the question was set as a trap
trick, ploy, ruse, deception, subterfuge; booby trap; informal set-up.
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(informal) shut your trap!
See mouth noun sense 1.
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verb
police trapped the two men, who admitted blackmail
snare, entrap, ensnare, lay a trap for; capture, catch, corner, ambush; archaic ambuscade.
a rat trapped in a barn
confine, cut off, corner, shut in, pen in, hem in; imprison, hold captive.
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I hoped to trap him into an admission
trick, dupe, deceive, lure, inveigle, beguile, fool, hoodwink; catch out, trip up.
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trappings

plural noun
accessories, accoutrements, appurtenances, trimmings, frills, accompaniments, extras, ornamentation, adornment, decoration; regalia, panoply, paraphernalia, apparatus, finery, equipment, gear, effects, things.

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trash

noun
(N. Amer.) the subway entrance was blocked with trash
rubbish, refuse, waste, litter, junk, detritus; N. Amer. garbage.
(informal) if they read at all, they read trash
rubbish, nonsense, trivia, pulp (fiction), pap; N. Amer. garbage; informal drivel, dreck.
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(informal) they're just trash
scum, vermin, the dregs of society, the scum of the earth, the lowest of the low; informal dirt.
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verb
(N. Amer. informal) the apartment had been totally trashed
wreck, ruin, destroy, wreak havoc on, devastate; vandalize; informal total.
his play was trashed by the critics.
See lambaste.
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trauma

noun
the trauma of divorce
shock, upheaval, distress, stress, strain, pain, anguish, suffering, upset, agony, misery, sorrow, grief, heartache, heartbreak, torture; ordeal, trial, tribulation, trouble, worry, anxiety; nightmare.
the trauma to the liver
injury, damage, wound; cut, laceration, lesion, abrasion, contusion.
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traumatic

adjective
disturbing, shocking, distressing, upsetting, heartbreaking, painful, agonizing, hurtful, stressful, damaging, injurious, harmful, awful, terrible, devastating, harrowing.

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travail (poetic/literary)

noun
years of bitter travail
ordeals, trials, tribulations, trials and tribulations, trouble, hardship, privation, stress; drudgery, toil, slog, effort, exertion, labour, work, endeavour, sweat, struggle.
a woman in travail
labour, childbirth; contractions, labour pains; archaic childbed.
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travel

verb
he spent much of his time travelling abroad
journey, tour, take a trip, voyage, go sightseeing, globetrot, backpack; informal gallivant; archaic peregrinate.
we travelled the length and breadth of the island
journey through, cross, traverse, cover; roam, rove, range, trek.
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light travels faster than sound
move, be transmitted.
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noun
he amassed great wealth during his travels
journeys, expeditions, trips, tours, excursions, voyages, treks, safaris, explorations, wanderings, odysseys, pilgrimages, jaunts; travelling, touring, sightseeing, backpacking, globetrotting; informal gallivanting; archaic peregrinations.

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traveller

noun
thousands of travellers were left stranded
tourist, tripper, holidaymaker, sightseer, visitor, globetrotter, backpacker; pilgrim; passenger, commuter, fare; N. Amer. vacationer, vacationist.
a travellers' site
gypsy, Romany, tzigane; nomad, migrant, wanderer, itinerant, drifter; tramp, vagrant; dialect didicoi; Brit. derogatory tinker.
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travelling

adjective
the travelling population
nomadic, itinerant, peripatetic, wandering, roaming, roving, wayfaring, migrant, vagrant, of no fixed address/abode; gypsy, Romany.
a little travelling clock
portable, easily carried, easy to carry, lightweight, compact.
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traverse

verb
he traversed the deserts of Persia
travel over/across, cross, journey over/across, pass over; cover; ply; wander, roam, range.
a ditch traversed by a wooden bridge
cross, bridge, span; extend across, lie across, stretch across.
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travesty

noun
a travesty of justice
misrepresentation, distortion, perversion, corruption, poor imitation, poor substitute, mockery, parody, caricature; farce, charade, pantomime, sham; informal apology for, excuse for.

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treacherous

adjective
her treacherous brother betrayed her
traitorous, disloyal, faithless, unfaithful, duplicitous, false-hearted, deceitful, false, back-stabbing, double-crossing, double-dealing, two-faced, untrustworthy, unreliable; apostate, renegade; informal two-timing; poetic/literary perfidious.
treacherous driving conditions
dangerous, hazardous, perilous, unsafe, precarious, risky, deceptive, unreliable; informal dicey, hairy.
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ANTONYMS :loyal, faithful, reliable.

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treachery

noun
betrayal, disloyalty, faithlessness, unfaithfulness, infidelity, breach of trust, duplicity, deceit, deception, stab in the back, back-stabbing, double-dealing, untrustworthiness; treason; informal two-timing; poetic/literary perfidy.

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tread

verb
he trod purposefully down the hall
walk, step, stride, pace, go; march, tramp, plod, stomp, trudge.
the snow had been trodden down by the horses
crush, flatten, press down, squash; trample on, tramp on, stamp on, stomp on.
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noun
we heard his heavy tread on the stairs
step, footstep, footfall, tramp.

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treason

noun
treachery, lese-majesty; disloyalty, betrayal, faithlessness; sedition, subversion, mutiny, rebellion; high treason; poetic/literary perfidy. ANTONYMS :allegiance, loyalty.

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treasonable

adjective
traitorous, treacherous, disloyal; seditious, subversive, mutinous, rebellious; poetic/literary perfidious. ANTONYMS :loyal.

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treasure

noun
a casket of treasure
riches, valuables, jewels, gems, gold, silver, precious metals, money, cash; wealth, fortune; Brit. treasure trove.
art treasures
valuable object, valuable, work of art, objet of virtu, masterpiece.
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(informal) she's a real treasure
paragon, gem, angel, nonpareil; find, prize; informal star, one of a kind, one in a million, the tops.
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verb
I treasure the photographs I took of Jack
cherish, hold dear, prize, set great store by, value greatly; adore, dote on, love dearly, be devoted to, worship.

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treasury

noun
the national treasury
exchequer, purse; bank, coffers; revenues, finances, funds, moneys.
the area is a treasury of early fossils
rich source, repository, storehouse, treasure house; fund, mine, bank.
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a treasury of stories
anthology, collection, miscellany, compilation, compendium.
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treat

verb
Charlotte treated him very badly
behave towards, act towards, use; deal with, handle.
police are treating the fires as arson
regard, consider, view, look on; put down as.
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the book treats its subject with insight and responsibility
deal with, tackle, handle, discuss, explore, investigate; consider, study, analyse.
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she was treated at Addenbrooke's Hospital
give medical care to, nurse, tend, attend to; medicate.
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the plants may prove useful in treating cancer
cure, heal, remedy.
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he treated her to a slap-up lunch
buy, take out for, stand, give; pay for; entertain, wine and dine; informal foot the bill for.
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delegates were treated to authentic Indonesian dance performances
regale with, entertain with/by, fête with, amuse with, divert with.
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(formal) propagandists claimed that he was treating with the enemy
negotiate, discuss terms, have talks, consult, parley, talk, confer.
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noun
a birthday treat
celebration, entertainment, amusement; surprise; party, excursion, outing.
I bought you some chocolate as a treat
present, gift; titbit, delicacy, luxury, indulgence, extravagance; informal goodie.
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it was a real treat to see them
pleasure, delight, thrill, joy.
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treatise

noun
disquisition, essay, paper, work, exposition, discourse, dissertation, thesis, monograph, study, critique; tract, pamphlet.

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treatment

noun
the company's treatment of its workers
behaviour towards, conduct towards; handling of, dealings with.
she's responding well to treatment
medical care, therapy, nursing; medication, drugs, medicaments; cure, remedy.
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her treatment of the topic
discussion, handling, investigation, exploration, consideration, study, analysis, critique.
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treaty

noun
agreement, settlement, pact, deal, entente, concordat, accord, protocol, compact, convention, contract, covenant, bargain, pledge; formal concord.

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tree

noun
sapling, conifer, evergreen. arboreal.

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trek

noun
a three-day trek across the desert
journey, trip, expedition, safari, odyssey; hike, march, slog, footslog, tramp, walk; long haul; Brit. informal yomp, trog.
verb
we trekked through the jungle
hike, tramp, march, slog, footslog, trudge, traipse, walk; travel, journey; Brit. informal yomp, trog.

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trellis

noun
lattice, framework, espalier; network, mesh, tracery; grille, grid, grating; latticework, trelliswork; technical reticulation.

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tremble

verb
Joe's hands were trembling
shake, shake like a leaf, quiver, twitch; quaver, waver.
the entire building trembled
shake, shudder, judder, wobble, rock, vibrate, move, sway, totter, teeter.
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she trembled at the thought of what he had in store for her
be afraid, be frightened, be apprehensive, worry, shake in one's shoes; quail, shrink, blench; informal be in a blue funk, be all of a tremble.
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noun
the slight tremble in her hands
tremor, shake, shakiness, trembling, quiver, twitch. ANTONYMS :steadiness.

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tremendous

adjective
tremendous sums of money
huge, enormous, immense, colossal, massive, prodigious, stupendous, monumental, mammoth, vast, gigantic, giant, mighty, epic, titanic, towering, king-size(d), gargantuan, Herculean; substantial, considerable; informal whopping, thumping, astronomical, humongous; Brit. informal whacking, ginormous.
a tremendous explosion
very loud, deafening, ear-splitting, booming, thundering, thunderous, resounding.
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(informal) I've seen him play and he's tremendous
excellent, splendid, wonderful, marvellous, magnificent, superb, glorious, sublime, lovely, delightful, too good to be true; informal super, great, amazing, fantastic, terrific, sensational, heavenly, divine, gorgeous, grand, fabulous, fab, awesome, to die for, magic, ace, wicked, mind-blowing, far out, out of this world; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill; N. Amer. informal boss; Austral./NZ informal beaut, bonzer; Brit. informal, dated champion, wizard, corking, ripping, spiffing, top-hole; N. Amer. informal, dated swell.
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ANTONYMS :tiny, small, poor.

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tremor

noun
the sudden tremor of her hands
trembling, shaking, shakiness, tremble, shake, quivering, quiver, twitching, twitch, tic; quavering, quaver.
a tremor of fear ran through her
frisson, shiver, spasm, thrill, tingle, stab, dart, shaft; wave, surge, rush, ripple.
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the epicentre of the tremor
earthquake, earth tremor, shock; informal quake; N. Amer. informal tremblor.
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tremulous

adjective
a tremulous voice
shaky, trembling, shaking, unsteady, quavering, wavering, quivering, quivery, quaking, weak; informal trembly, all of a tremble.
a tremulous smile
timid, diffident, shy, hesitant, uncertain, nervous, timorous, fearful, frightened, scared, anxious, apprehensive.
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ANTONYMS :steady, confident.

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trench

noun
ditch, channel, trough, excavation, furrow, rut, conduit, cut, drain, waterway, watercourse; earthwork, entrenchment, moat; Archaeology fosse.

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trenchant

adjective
incisive, penetrating, sharp, keen, acute, shrewd, razor-sharp, rapier-like, piercing; vigorous, forceful, strong, telling, emphatic, forthright; mordant, cutting, biting, pungent. ANTONYMS :vague.

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trend

noun
an upward trend in unemployment
tendency, movement, drift, swing, shift, course, current, direction, inclination, leaning; bias, bent.
the latest trend in dance music
fashion, vogue, style, mode, craze, mania, rage; informal fad, thing.
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verb
interest rates are trending up
move, go, head, drift, gravitate, swing, shift, turn, incline, tend, lean, veer.

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trendy

adjective
(informal) fashionable, in fashion, in vogue, popular, (bang) up to date, up to the minute, modern, all the rage, modish, à la mode, trendsetting; stylish, chic, designer; informal cool, funky, in, the in thing, hot, big, hip, happening, sharp, groovy, snazzy, with it; N. Amer. informal tony, kicky. ANTONYMS :unfashionable.

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trepidation

noun
fear, apprehension, dread, fearfulness, agitation, anxiety, worry, nervousness, tension, misgivings, unease, uneasiness, foreboding, disquiet, dismay, consternation, alarm, panic; informal butterflies, jitteriness, the jitters, a cold sweat, a blue funk, the heebie-jeebies, the willies, the shakes, the jim-jams, collywobbles, cold feet; Brit. informal the (screaming) abdabs/habdabs. ANTONYMS :equanimity, composure.

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trespass

verb
there is no excuse for trespassing on railway property
intrude on, encroach on, enter without permission, invade.
I must not trespass on your good nature
take advantage of, impose on, play on, exploit, abuse; encroach on, infringe.
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(archaic) he would be the last among us to trespass
sin, transgress, offend, do wrong, err, go astray, fall from grace, stray from the straight and narrow.
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noun
his alleged trespass on council land
unlawful entry, intrusion, encroachment, invasion.
(archaic) he asked forgiveness for his trespasses
sin, wrong, wrongdoing, transgression, crime, offence, misdeed, misdemeanour, error, lapse, fall from grace.
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trespasser

noun
a high stone wall discouraged would-be trespassers
intruder, interloper, unwelcome visitor, encroacher.
(archaic) trespassers asking for forgiveness
sinner, transgressor, wrongdoer, evil-doer, malefactor, offender, criminal.
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tresses

plural noun
hair, head of hair, mane, mop of hair, shock of hair; locks, curls, ringlets.

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trial

noun
the trial is expected to last several weeks
court case, case, lawsuit, suit, hearing, inquiry, tribunal, litigation, (legal/judicial) proceedings, legal action; court martial; appeal, retrial.
the drug is undergoing clinical trials
test, try-out, experiment, pilot study; examination, check, assessment, evaluation, appraisal; trial/test period, trial/test run, dummy run; informal dry run.
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she could be a bit of a trial at times
nuisance, pest, bother, irritant, problem, inconvenience, plague, thorn in one's flesh, the bane of one's life, one's cross to bear; bore; informal pain, pain in the neck/backside, headache, drag, nightmare; Scottish informal skelf; N. Amer. informal pain in the butt, nudnik, burr under/in someone's saddle.
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a long account of her trials and tribulations
trouble, anxiety, worry, burden, affliction, ordeal, tribulation, adversity, hardship, tragedy, trauma, reverse, setback, difficulty, problem, misfortune, bad luck, mishap, misadventure; informal hassle; poetic/literary travails.
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adjective
a three-month trial period
test, experimental, pilot, exploratory, probationary, provisional.
verb
the electronic cash card has been trialled by several banks
test, try out, put to the test, put through its paces; pilot.

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tribe

noun
the nomadic tribes of the Sahara
ethnic group, people; family, dynasty, house; clan, sept.
a tribe of children trailed after her
group, crowd, gang, company, body, band, host, bevy, party, pack, army, herd, flock, drove, horde; informal bunch, crew, gaggle, posse.
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tribulation

noun
the tribulations of her personal life
trouble, difficulty, problem, worry, anxiety, burden, cross to bear, ordeal, trial, adversity, hardship, tragedy, trauma, affliction; reverse, setback, blow; informal hassle.
his time of tribulation was just beginning
suffering, distress, trouble, misery, wretchedness, unhappiness, sadness, heartache, woe, grief, pain, anguish, agony; poetic/literary travail.
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tribunal

noun
a rent tribunal
arbitration board/panel, board, panel, committee.
an international war-crimes tribunal
court, court of justice, court of law, law court; court of inquiry; N. Amer. forum.
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tributary

noun
headwater, branch, feeder, side stream, influent; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ creek.

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tribute

noun
tributes flooded in from friends and colleagues
accolade, praise, commendation, salute, testimonial, homage, eulogy, paean, panegyric; congratulations, compliments, plaudits; gift, present, offering; informal bouquet; formal laudation, encomium.
it is a tribute to his determination that he ever played again
testimony, indication, manifestation, evidence, proof, attestation.
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the Vikings demanded tributes in silver
payment, contribution, dues, levy, tax, duty, impost.
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ANTONYMS :criticism, condemnation.

pay tribute to
praise, sing the praises of, speak highly of, commend, acclaim, take one's hat off to, applaud, salute, honour, show appreciation of, recognize, acknowledge, pay homage to, extol; formal laud.

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trice

in a trice
very soon, in a moment/second/instant, shortly, any minute (now), in a short time, in (less than) no time, in the twinkling of an eye, in a flash, before you know it, before long; N. Amer. momentarily; informal anon, in a jiffy, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), before you can say Jack Robinson; Brit. informal in a tick, in a mo, in two ticks; N. Amer. informal in a snap; dated directly.

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trick

noun
he's capable of any mean trick
stratagem, ploy, ruse, scheme, device, manoeuvre, contrivance, machination, artifice, wile, dodge; deceit, deception, trickery, subterfuge, chicanery, sharp practice; swindle, hoax, fraud, confidence trick; informal con (trick), set-up, game, scam, sting, flimflam; Brit. informal wheeze; N. Amer. informal bunco; archaic shift.
I think he's playing a trick on us
practical joke, joke, prank, jape; informal leg-pull, spoof, put-on; Brit. informal cod.
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conjuring tricks
feat, stunt; (tricks) sleight of hand, legerdemain, prestidigitation; magic.
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it was probably a trick of the light
illusion, optical illusion, figment of the imagination; mirage.
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the tricks of the trade
knack, art, skill, technique; secret.
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he sat biting his fingernails, a trick of his when he was excited
mannerism, habit, quirk, idiosyncrasy, peculiarity, foible, way; characteristic, trait.
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verb
many people have been tricked by villains with false identity cards
deceive, delude, hoodwink, mislead, take in, dupe, fool, double-cross, cheat, defraud, swindle, catch out, gull, hoax, bamboozle; informal con, diddle, rook, put one over on, pull a fast one on, pull the wool over someone's eyes, take for a ride, lead up the garden path, shaft, do, flimflam; N. Amer. informal sucker, snooker, gold-brick; Austral. informal pull a swifty on; poetic/literary cozen.
do the trick (informal)
be effective, work, solve the problem, fill/fit the bill; N. Amer. turn the trick; informal do the necessary. trick someone/something out
dress (up), attire, array, rig out, garb, get up; adorn, decorate, deck (out), bedeck, embellish, ornament, festoon; poetic/literary bedizen, caparison; archaic apparel.

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trickery

noun
deception, deceit, dishonesty, cheating, duplicity, double-dealing, legerdemain, sleight of hand, guile, craftiness, deviousness, subterfuge, skulduggery, chicanery, fraud, fraudulence, swindling, sharp practice; informal monkey business, funny business, jiggery-pokery. ANTONYMS :honesty.

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trickle

verb
blood was trickling from two cuts in his lip
drip, dribble, ooze, leak, seep, spill. ANTONYMS :pour, gush.

noun
trickles of water
dribble, drip, thin stream, rivulet.

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trickster

noun
swindler, cheat, fraud, fraudster; charlatan, mountebank, quack, impostor, sham, hoaxer; rogue, villain, scoundrel; informal con man, sharp, flimflammer; Brit. informal twister; N. Amer. informal grifter, bunco artist; Austral. informal illywhacker, magsman; dated confidence man.

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tricky

adjective
a tricky situation
difficult, awkward, problematic, delicate, ticklish, sensitive, embarrassing, touchy; risky, uncertain, precarious, touch-and-go; thorny, knotty; informal sticky, dicey; N. Amer. informal gnarly.
a tricky and unscrupulous politician
cunning, crafty, wily, guileful, artful, devious, sly, scheming, calculating, designing, sharp, shrewd, astute, canny; duplicitous, dishonest, deceitful; informal foxy.
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ANTONYMS :straightforward, honest.

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tried and trusted

adjective
reliable, dependable, trustworthy, trusted, certain, sure; proven, proved, tested, tried and tested, put to the test, established, fail-safe; reputable.

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trifle

noun
we needn't bother the headmaster over such trifles
unimportant thing, trivial thing, triviality, thing of no importance/consequence, bagatelle, inessential, nothing; technicality; (trifles) trivia, minutiae.
he bought it for a trifle
next to nothing, very small amount; pittance; informal peanuts; N. Amer. informal chump change.
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he went to buy a few trifles for Christmas
bauble, trinket, knick-knack, gimcrack, gewgaw, toy.
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a trifle
a little, a bit, somewhat, a touch, a spot, a mite, a whit; informal a tad. trifle with
play with, amuse oneself with, toy with, dally with, flirt with, play fast and loose with; informal mess about with; dated sport with.

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trifling

adjective
trivial, unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, petty, minor, of little/no account, of little/no consequence, footling, pettifogging, incidental; silly, idle, superficial, small, tiny, inconsiderable, nominal, negligible, nugatory; informal piffling, piddling, fiddling; formal exiguous. ANTONYMS :important.

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trigger

verb
the incident triggered an acrimonious debate
precipitate, prompt, trigger off, set off, spark (off), touch off, provoke, stir up; cause, give rise to, lead to, set in motion, occasion, bring about, generate, engender, begin, start, initiate; poetic/literary enkindle.
burglars triggered the alarm
activate, set off, set going, trip.
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trill

verb
warble, sing, chirp, chirrup, tweet, twitter, cheep, peep.

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trim

verb
his hair had been washed and trimmed
cut, barber, crop, bob, shorten, clip, snip, shear; neaten, shape, tidy up.
trim off the lower leaves using a sharp knife
cut off, remove, take off, chop off, lop off; prune, pollard.
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production costs need to be trimmed
reduce, decrease, cut down, cut back on, scale down, prune, slim down, pare down, dock.
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the story was severely trimmed for the film version
shorten, abridge, condense, abbreviate, telescope, truncate.
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a pair of black leather gloves trimmed with fake fur
decorate, adorn, ornament, embellish; edge, pipe, border, hem, fringe.
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noun
white curtains with a blue trim
decoration, trimming, ornamentation, adornment, embellishment; border, edging, piping, rickrack, hem, fringe, frill; archaic purfle.
an unruly mop in desperate need of a trim
haircut, cut, barbering, clip, snip; pruning; tidy-up.
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adjective
a cropped, fitted jacket looks trim with a long-line skirt
smart, stylish , chic, spruce, dapper, elegant, crisp; N. Amer. trig; informal natty, sharp; N. Amer. informal spiffy.
a trim little villa
neat, tidy, neat and tidy, as neat as a new pin, orderly, in (good) order, uncluttered, well kept, well maintained, shipshape (and Bristol fashion), in apple-pie order, immaculate, spick and span.
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her trim figure
slim, slender, lean, clean-limbed, sleek, willowy, lissom, sylphlike, svelte; streamlined.
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ANTONYMS :untidy, messy.

in trim
fit, fighting fit, as fit as a fiddle, in good health, in fine fettle; slim, in shape.

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trimming

noun
a black party dress with lace trimming
decoration, trim, ornamentation, adornment, passementerie, embroidery; border, edging, piping, rickrack, fringes, fringing, frills; archaic purfles.
roast turkey with all the trimmings
accompaniments, extras, frills, accessories, accoutrements, trappings, paraphernalia; garnishing, garnish.
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hedge trimmings
cuttings, clippings, parings, shavings.
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trinket

noun
knick-knack, bauble, ornament, bibelot, curio, trifle, toy, novelty, gimcrack, gewgaw; N. Amer. kickshaw; N. Amer. informal tchotchke; archaic whim-wham, bijou, gaud.

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trio

noun
threesome, three, triumvirate, triad, troika, trinity; trilogy, triptych; triplets.

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trip

verb
he tripped on the loose stones
stumble, lose one's footing, catch one's foot, slip, lose one's balance, fall (down), tumble, topple, take a spill.
taxpayers often trip up by not declaring taxable income
make a mistake, miscalculate, make a blunder, blunder, go wrong, make an error, err; informal slip up, screw up, make a boo-boo; Brit. informal boob; N. Amer. informal goof up.
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the question was intended to trip him up
catch out, trick, outwit, outsmart; throw off balance, disconcert, unsettle, discountenance, discomfit; informal throw, wrong-foot; Brit. informal catch on the hop.
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they tripped up the terrace steps
skip, run, dance, prance, bound, spring, scamper.
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Hoffman tripped the alarm
set off, activate, trigger; turn on, switch on, throw.
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noun
a trip to Paris
excursion, outing, jaunt; holiday, visit, tour, journey, expedition, voyage; drive, run, day out, day trip; informal junket, spin.
trips and falls cause nearly half su ch accidents
stumble, slip, misstep, false step; fall, tumble, spill.
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tripe

noun
(informal). See nonsense sense 1.

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triple

adjective
a triple alliance
three-way, tripartite; threefold.
they paid him triple the going rate
three times, treble.
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tripper

noun
(Brit. informal) tourist, holidaymaker, sightseer, day tripper, visitor, traveller; N. Amer. vacationer, vacationist, out-of-towner; Brit. informal grockle.

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trite

adjective
banal, hackneyed, clichéd, platitudinous, vapid, commonplace, stock, conventional, stereotyped, overused, overdone, overworked, stale, worn out, time-worn, tired, hoary, hack, unimaginative, unoriginal, uninteresting, dull; informal old hat, corny, played out; N. Amer. informal cornball. ANTONYMS :original, imaginative.

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triumph

noun
Napoleon's many triumphs
victory, win, conquest, success; achievement.
his eyes shone with triumph
jubilation, exultation, elation, delight, joy, happiness, glee, pride, satisfaction.
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a triumph of Victorian engineering
tour de force, masterpiece, crowning example, coup, wonder, sensation, master stroke.
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ANTONYMS :defeat, disappointment.

verb
he triumphed in the British Grand Prix
win, succeed, come first, be victorious, carry the day, carry all before one, prevail, take the honours, come out on top.
they had no chance of triumphing over the Nationalists
defeat, beat, conquer, trounce, vanquish, worst, overcome, overpower, overwhelm, get the better of; bring someone to their knees, prevail against, subdue, subjugate; informal lick, best.
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"you can't touch me," she triumphed
crow, gloat; rejoice, exult.
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ANTONYMS :lose.

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triumphant

adjective
the triumphant British team
victorious, successful, winning, conquering; undefeated, unbeaten.
a triumphant expression
jubilant, exultant, elated, rejoicing, joyful, joyous, delighted, gleeful, proud, cock-a-hoop; gloating.
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ANTONYMS :unsuccessful, despondent.

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trivia

plural noun
(petty) details, minutiae, niceties, technicalities, trivialities, trifles, non-essentials.

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trivial

adjective
trivial problems
unimportant, insignificant, inconsequential, minor, of no account, of no consequence, of no importance; incidental, inessential, non-essential, petty, trifling, pettifogging, footling, small, slight, little, inconsiderable, negligible, paltry, nugatory; informal piddling, piffling, fiddling, penny-ante.
I used to be quite a trivial person
frivolous, superficial, shallow, unthinking, empty-headed, feather-brained, lightweight, foolish, silly.
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ANTONYMS :important, significant, serious.

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triviality

noun
the triviality of the subject matter
unimportance, insignificance, inconsequence, inconsequentiality, pettiness.
he need not concern himself with such trivialities
minor detail, petty detail, thing of no importance/consequence, trifle, non-essential, nothing; technicality; (trivialities) trivia, minutiae.
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trivialize

verb
treat as unimportant, minimize, play down, underestimate, underplay, make light of, treat lightly, dismiss; informal pooh-pooh.

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troop

noun
a troop of tourists
group, party, band, gang, bevy, body, company, troupe, crowd, throng, horde, pack, drove, flock, swarm, multitude, host, army; informal bunch, gaggle, crew, posse.
British troops were stationed here
soldiers, armed forces, service men/women; the services, the army, the military, soldiery.
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verb
we trooped out of the hall
walk, march, file; flock, crowd, throng, stream, swarm, surge, spill.
Caroline trooped wearily home
trudge, plod, traipse, trail, drag oneself, tramp; N. Amer. informal schlep.
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trophy

noun
a swimming trophy
cup, medal; prize, award.
a cabinet full of trophies from his travels
souvenir, memento, keepsake; spoils, booty.
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tropical

adjective
tropical weather
very hot, sweltering, humid, sultry, steamy, sticky, oppressive, stifling, suffocating, heavy; informal boiling. ANTONYMS :cold, arctic.

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trot

verb
Doyle trotted across the patio
run, jog, jogtrot, dogtrot; scuttle, scurry, bustle, scamper.
on the trot (Brit. informal)
in succession, one after the other, in a row, consecutively, successively; running, straight. trot something out (informal)
recite, repeat, regurgitate, churn out; come out with, produce.

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troubadour

noun
(historical) minstrel, singer, balladeer, poet; historical jongleur, trouvère.

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trouble

noun
you've caused enough trouble already
problems, difficulty, bother, inconvenience, worry, anxiety, distress, stress, agitation, harassment, unpleasantness; informal hassle.
she poured out all her troubles
problem, misfortune, difficulty, trial, tribulation, trauma, burden, pain, woe, grief, heartache, misery, affliction, suffering.
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he's gone to a lot of trouble to help you
bother, inconvenience, fuss, effort, exertion, work, labour; pains, care, attention, thought.
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I wouldn't want to be a trouble to her
nuisance, bother, inconvenience, irritation, irritant, problem, trial, pest, thorn in someone's flesh/side; informal headache, pain, pain in the neck/backside, drag; N. Amer. informal pain in the butt, burr in/under someone's saddle, nudnik.
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you're too gullible, that's your trouble
shortcoming, weakness, weak point, failing, fault, imperfection, defect, blemish; problem, difficulty.
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he had a history of heart trouble
disease, illness, sickness, ailments, complaints , problems; disorder, disability.
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the crash was due to engine trouble
malfunction, dysfunction, failure, breakdown.
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a match marred by serious crowd trouble
disturbance, disorder, unrest, fighting, ructions, fracas, breach of the peace; Law, dated affray.
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verb
this matter had been troubling her for some time
worry, bother, concern, disturb, upset, agitate, distress, perturb, annoy, irritate, vex, irk, nag, niggle, prey on someone's mind, weigh down, burden; informal bug.
he was troubled by bouts of ill health
afflict, burden; suffer from, be cursed with; informal be a martyr to.
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there is nothing you need trouble about
worry, upset oneself, fret, be anxious, be concerned, concern oneself.
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don't trouble to see me out
bother, take the trouble, go to the trouble, exert oneself, go out of one's way.
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I'm sorry to trouble you
inconvenience, bother, impose on, disturb, put out, disoblige; informal hassle; formal discommode.
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in trouble
in difficulty, in difficulties, in a mess, in a bad way, in a predicament; informal in a tight corner/spot, in a fix, in a hole, in hot water, in a pickle, in the soup, up against it; Brit. informal up a gum tree.

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troubled

adjective
Joanna looked troubled
anxious, worried, concerned, perturbed, disturbed, bothered, ill at ease, uneasy, unsettled, agitated; distressed, upset, dismayed.
we live in troubled times
difficult, problematic, full of problems, unsettled, hard, tough, stressful, dark.
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troublemaker

noun
mischief-maker, rabble-rouser, firebrand, agitator, agent provocateur, ringleader, incendiary; demagogue; scandalmonger, gossipmonger, meddler; informal stirrer.

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troublesome

adjective
a troublesome problem
annoying, irritating, exasperating, maddening, infuriating, irksome, vexatious, vexing, bothersome, tiresome, worrying, worrisome, disturbing, upsetting, niggling, nagging; difficult, awkward, problematic, taxing; informal aggravating; N. Amer. informal pesky.
a troublesome child
difficult, awkward, trying, demanding, uncooperative, rebellious, unmanageable, unruly, obstreperous, disruptive, badly behaved, disobedient, naughty, recalcitrant; formal refractory.
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ANTONYMS :simple, cooperative.

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trough

noun
a large feeding trough
manger, feedbox, feeder, fodder rack, crib.
a thirty-yard trough
channel, conduit, trench, ditch, gully, drain, culvert, cut, flume, gutter.
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trounce

verb
defeat utterly, beat hollow, rout, crush, overwhelm; informal hammer, clobber, thrash, drub, pulverize, massacre, crucify, demolish, destroy, annihilate, wipe the floor with, make mincemeat of, murder; Brit. informal stuff; N. Amer. informal shellac, cream, skunk.

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troupe

noun
group, company, band, ensemble, set; cast.

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trousers

plural noun
slacks, chinos, jeans; N. Amer. pants; Brit. informal trews, strides, kecks, breeches; Austral. informal daks.

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truant

noun
absentee; Brit. informal skiver; Austral./NZ informal wag.
verb
pupils who truant.
See play truant.
play truant
stay away from school, truant; Brit. informal skive (off), bunk off; Irish informal mitch (off); N. Amer. informal play hookey, goof off; Austral./NZ informal play the wag.

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truce

noun
ceasefire, armistice, suspension of hostilities, peace; respite, lull; informal let-up.

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truck 1

noun
a heavily laden truck
lorry, heavy goods vehicle, juggernaut; van, pickup (truck); Brit. HGV; dated pantechnicon.

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truck 2

noun
we are to have no truck with him
dealings, association, contact, communication, connection, relations; business, trade.

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truckle

verb
an ambitious woman who truckled to no man
kowtow, submit, defer, yield, bow and scrape, be obsequious, pander, toady, prostrate oneself, grovel; fawn on, dance attendance on, curry favour with, ingratiate oneself with; informal suck up, crawl, lick someone's boots; Austral./NZ informal smoodge.

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truculent

adjective
defiant, aggressive, antagonistic, belligerent, pugnacious, confrontational, ready for a fight, obstreperous, argumentative, quarrelsome, uncooperative; bad-tempered, short-tempered, cross, snappish; informal feisty, spoiling for a fight; Brit. informal stroppy, bolshie. ANTONYMS :cooperative, amiable.

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trudge

verb
plod, tramp, drag oneself, walk heavily/slowly, plough, slog, footslog, toil, trek; informal traipse, galumph; Brit. informal trog.

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true

adjective
you'll see that what I say is true
correct, accurate, right, verifiable, in accordance with the facts, what actually/really happened, the case, so; faithful, literal, factual, unelaborated, unvarnished.
people are still willing to pay for true craftsmanship
genuine, authentic, real, actual, bona fide, proper; informal honest-to-goodness, kosher, pukka, legit, the real McCoy; Austral./NZ informal dinkum.
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the true owner of the goods
rightful, legitimate, legal, lawful, authorized, bona fide, de jure.
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the necessity for true repentance
sincere, genuine, real, unfeigned, heartfelt, from the heart.
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a true friend
loyal, faithful, constant, devoted, staunch, steadfast, unswerving, unwavering; trustworthy, trusty, reliable, dependable.
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a true reflection of life in the 50s
accurate, true to life, faithful, telling it like it is, fact-based, realistic, close, lifelike.
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ANTONYMS :untrue, false, disloyal, inaccurate.

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true-blue

adjective
staunch, loyal, faithful, stalwart, committed, card-carrying, confirmed, dyed-in-the-wool, devoted, dedicated, firm, steadfast, unswerving, unwavering, unfaltering; informal deep-dyed.

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truism

noun
platitude, commonplace, cliché, stock phrase, banality, old chestnut, old saw, bromide.

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truly

adverb
tell me truly what you want
truthfully, honestly, frankly, candidly, openly, to someone's face, laying one's cards on the table; informal pulling no punches.
I'm truly grateful to them
sincerely, genuinely, really, indeed, from the bottom of one's heart, heartily, profoundly; very, extremely, dreadfully, immensely, tremendously, incredibly, most; informal awfully, terribly, terrifically, fearfully; Brit. informal jolly, ever so; informal, dated frightfully.
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a truly dreadful song
really, absolutely, simply, utterly, totally, perfectly, thoroughly, positively, completely.
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this is truly a miracle
without (a) doubt, unquestionably, undoubtedly, certainly, surely, definitely, beyond doubt/question, indubitably, undeniably, beyond the shadow of a doubt; in truth, really, in reality, actually, in fact; archaic forsooth, in sooth, verily.
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the streaming system does not truly reflect children's ability
accurately, correctly, exactly, precisely, faithfully.
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trump

verb
by wearing the simplest of dresses, she had trumped them all
outshine, outclass, upstage, put in the shade, eclipse, surpass, outdo, outperform; beat, better, top, cap; informal be a cut above, be head and shoulders above, leave standing; Brit. informal knock spots off; archaic outrival.
trump something up
invent, make up, fabricate, concoct, contrive, manufacture, devise, hatch; fake, falsify; informal cook up.

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trumped-up

adjective
bogus, spurious, specious, false, fabricated, invented, manufactured, contrived, made-up, fake, factitious; informal phoney. ANTONYMS :genuine.

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trumpery

noun
(archaic) trinkets, baubles, knick-knacks, ornaments, bibelots, gewgaws, gimcracks.

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trumpet

verb
"come on!" he trumpeted
shout, bellow, roar, yell, cry out, call out; informal holler.
companies trumpeted their enthusiasm for the multimedia revolution
proclaim, announce, declare, noise abroad, shout from the rooftops.
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blow one's own trumpet
boast, brag, sing one's own praises, show off, swank, congratulate oneself; N. Amer. informal blow/toot one's own horn; Austral./NZ informal skite.

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truncate

verb
shorten, cut, cut short, curtail, bring to an untimely end; abbreviate, condense, reduce. ANTONYMS :lengthen, extend.

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truncheon

noun
(Brit.) club, baton, cudgel, bludgeon; stick, staff; Brit. life preserver; N. Amer. billy, blackjack, nightstick; Brit. informal cosh.

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trunk

noun
the trunk of a tree
main stem, bole, stock.
his powerful trunk
torso, body.
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an elephant's trunk
proboscis, nose, snout.
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an enormous tin trunk
chest, box, crate, coffer; case, portmanteau.
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(N. Amer.) the trunk of his car
luggage compartment; Brit. boot.
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truss

noun
the bridge is supported by three steel trusses
support, buttress, joist, brace, prop, strut, stay, stanchion, pier.
a hernia truss
surgical appliance, support, pad.
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verb
they trussed us up with ropes and chains
tie up, bind, chain up; pinion, fetter, tether, secure.

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trust

noun
good relationships are built on trust
confidence, belief, faith, certainty, assurance, conviction, credence; reliance.
a position of trust
responsibility, duty, obligation.
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the money is to be held in trust for his son
safe keeping, keeping, protection, charge, care, custody; trusteeship, guardianship.
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ANTONYMS :distrust, mistrust, doubt.

verb
I should never have trusted her
put one's trust in, have faith in, have (every) confidence in, believe in, pin one's hopes/faith on.
he can be trusted to carry out an impartial investigation
rely on, depend on, bank on, count on, be sure of.
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I trust we shall meet again
hope, expect, take it, assume, presume.
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they don't like to trust their money to anyone outside the family
entrust, consign, commit, give, hand over, turn over, assign; formal commend.
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ANTONYMS :distrust, mistrust, doubt.

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trustee

noun
administrator, agent; custodian, keeper, steward, depositary; executor, executrix; Law fiduciary, feoffee.

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trustful

adjective
. See trusting.

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trusting

adjective
trustful, unsuspecting, unquestioning, unguarded, unwary; naive, innocent, childlike, ingenuous, wide-eyed, credulous, gullible, easily taken in. ANTONYMS :distrustful, suspicious.

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trustworthy

adjective
reliable, dependable, honest, honourable, upright, principled, true, truthful, as good as one's word, ethical, virtuous, incorruptible, unimpeachable, above suspicion; responsible, sensible, level-headed; loyal, faithful, staunch, steadfast, trusty; safe, sound, reputable; informal on the level; N. Amer. informal straight-up. ANTONYMS :unreliable.

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trusty

adjective
reliable, dependable, trustworthy, never-failing, unfailing, trusted; loyal, faithful, true, staunch, steadfast, constant, unswerving, unwavering. ANTONYMS :unreliable.

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truth

noun
he doubted the truth of her statement
veracity, truthfulness, verity, sincerity, candour, honesty; accuracy, correctness, validity, factuality, authenticity.
it's the truth, I swear it
what actually happened, the case, so; gospel (truth), the honest truth.
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truth is stranger than fiction
fact(s), reality, real life, actuality.
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scientific truths
fact, verity, certainty, certitude; law, principle.
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ANTONYMS :lies, fiction, falsehood.

in truth
in (actual) fact, in point of fact, in reality, really, actually, to tell the truth, if truth be told.

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truthful

adjective
a truthful answer
honest, sincere, trustworthy, genuine; candid, frank, open, forthright, straight; informal upfront, on the level; N. Amer. informal on the up and up.
a truthful account
true, accurate, correct, factual, faithful, reliable; unvarnished, unembellished; formal veracious, veridical.
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ANTONYMS :deceitful, untrue.

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try

verb
try to help him
attempt, endeavour, make an effort, exert oneself, strive, do one's best, do one's utmost, move heaven and earth; undertake, aim, take it on oneself; informal have a go, give it one's best shot, bend over backwards, bust a gut, do one's damnedest, pull out all the stops, go all out, knock oneself out; formal essay; archaic assay.
try it and see what you think
test, put to the test, sample, taste, inspect, investigate, examine, appraise, evaluate, assess; informal check out, give something a whirl.
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Mary tried everyone's patience
tax, strain, test, stretch, sap, drain, exhaust, wear out.
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the case is to be tried by a jury
adjudicate, consider, hear, adjudge, examine.
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noun
I'll have one last try
attempt, effort, endeavour; informal go, shot, crack, stab, bash, whack; formal essay.
try something out
test, trial, experiment with, pilot; put through its paces; assess, evaluate.

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trying

adjective
a trying day
stressful, taxing, demanding, difficult, tough, hard, pressured, frustrating, fraught; arduous, gruelling, tiring, exhausting; informal hellish.
Steve was very trying
annoying, irritating, exasperating, maddening, infuriating; tiresome, irksome, troublesome, bothersome; informal aggravating.
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ANTONYMS :easy, accommodating.

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tub

noun
a wooden tub
container, butt, barrel, cask, drum, keg.
a tub of yogurt
pot, carton.
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a soak in the tub
bath, bathtub; hot tub.
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tubby

adjective
(informal) chubby, plump, stout, dumpy, chunky, portly, rotund, round, fat, overweight, fleshy, paunchy, pot-bellied, corpulent; informal pudgy, beefy, porky, roly-poly, blubbery; Brit. informal podgy; N. Amer. informal corn-fed. ANTONYMS :skinny.

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tuck

verb
he tucked his shirt into his trousers
push, insert, slip; thrust, stuff, stick, cram; informal pop.
the dress was tucked all over
pleat, gather, fold, ruffle.
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he tucked the knife behind his seat
hide, conceal, secrete; store, stow; informal stash.
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noun
a dress with tucks
pleat, gather, fold, ruffle.
(Brit. informal) they pinched his tuck
food; informal eats, grub, nosh, chow; Brit. informal scoff; N. Amer. informal chuck; poetic/literary viands; dated victuals.
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tuck someone in/up
make comfortable, settle down, cover up; put to bed. tuck in/into (informal)
eat heartily, devour, consume, gobble up, wolf down; informal get stuck into, dispose of, polish off, get outside of, put away, scoff (down); Brit. informal shift; N. Amer. informal scarf (down/up), snarf (down/up).

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tuft

noun
clump, bunch, knot, cluster, tussock, tuffet; lock, wisp; crest, topknot; tassel.

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tug

verb
Ben tugged at her sleeve
pull, pluck, tweak, twitch, jerk, wrench; catch hold of; informal yank.
she tugged him towards the door
drag, pull, lug, draw, haul, heave, tow, trail.
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noun
one good tug would loosen it
pull, jerk, wrench, heave; informal yank.

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tuition

noun
instruction, teaching, coaching, tutoring, tutelage, lessons, education, schooling; training, drill, preparation, guidance.

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tumble

verb
he tumbled over
fall (over/down), topple over, lose one's balance, keel over, take a spill, go headlong, go head over heels, trip (up), stumble; informal come a cropper.
they all tumbled from the room
hurry, rush, scramble, scurry, bound, pile, bundle.
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a brook tumbled over the rocks
cascade, fall, flow, pour, spill, stream.
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oil prices tumbled
plummet, plunge, fall, dive, nosedive, drop, slump, slide, decrease, decline; informal crash.
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(informal) I tumbled to what was happening.
See realize sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :rise.

noun
I took a tumble in the nettles
fall, trip, spill; informal nosedive, header, cropper.
a tumble in share prices
drop, fall, plunge, dive, nosedive, slump, decline, collapse; informal crash.
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ANTONYMS :rise.

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tumbledown

adjective
dilapidated, ramshackle, decrepit, neglected, run down, gone to rack and ruin, falling to pieces, decaying, derelict, crumbling; rickety, shaky; N. Amer. informal shacky.

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tumbler

noun
(drinking) glass, beaker, highball glass.

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tumid

adjective
her tumid belly
swollen, distended, tumescent, engorged, enlarged, bloated, bulging, protuberant, bulbous.
tumid oratory
bombastic, pompous, turgid, overblown, inflated, high-flown, pretentious, grandiose, florid, flowery, magniloquent, grandiloquent, orotund; informal highfalutin, purple, windy.
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ANTONYMS :shrunken, simple.

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tummy

noun
(informal) stomach, abdomen, belly, gut, middle; informal tum, insides; Austral. informal bingy.

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tumour

noun
cancerous growth, malignant growth, cancer, malignancy; lump, growth, swelling; Medicine carcinoma, sarcoma. onco-, -oma.

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tumult

noun
she added her voice to the tumult
clamour, din, noise, racket, uproar, commotion, ruckus, rumpus, hubbub, pandemonium, babel, bedlam, brouhaha, furore, fracas, melee, frenzy; Scottish & N. English stramash; informal hullabaloo; Brit. informal row.
years of political tumult
turmoil, confusion, disorder, disarray, unrest, chaos, turbulence, mayhem, havoc, upheaval, ferment, agitation, trouble.
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ANTONYMS :tranquillity.

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tumultuous

adjective
tumultuous applause
loud, deafening, thunderous, uproarious, noisy, clamorous, vociferous.
a tumultuous crowd
disorderly, unruly, rowdy, turbulent, boisterous, excited, agitated, restless, wild, riotous, frenzied; Brit. informal rumbustious.
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ANTONYMS :soft, orderly.

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tune

noun
she hummed a cheerful tune
melody, air, strain, theme; song, jingle, ditty.
verb
they tuned their guitars
adjust, fine-tune.
a body clock tuned to the tides
attune, adapt, adjust, fine-tune; regulate, modulate.
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change one's tune
change one's mind, do a U-turn, have a change of heart; Brit. do an about-turn. in tune
in accord, in keeping, in accordance, in agreement, in harmony, in step, in line, in sympathy.

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tuneful

adjective
melodious, melodic, musical, mellifluous, dulcet, euphonious, harmonious, lyrical, lilting, sweet. ANTONYMS :discordant.

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tuneless

adjective
discordant, unmelodious, dissonant, harsh, cacophonous. ANTONYMS :melodious.

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tunnel

noun
a tunnel under the hills
underground passage, underpass, subway; shaft; burrow, hole; historical mine, sap.
verb
he tunnelled under the fence
dig, burrow, mine, bore, drill.

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turbid

adjective
murky, opaque, cloudy, muddy, thick; N. Amer. roily. ANTONYMS :clear.

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turbulent

adjective
the country's turbulent past
tempestuous, stormy, unstable, unsettled, tumultuous, chaotic; violent, anarchic, lawless.
turbulent seas
rough, stormy, tempestuous, storm-tossed, heavy, violent, wild, seething, choppy, agitated, boisterous.
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ANTONYMS :peaceful, calm.

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turf

noun
they walked across the turf
grass, lawn, sod; poetic/literary sward, greensward.
devotees of the turf
horse racing; racecourses, racetracks.
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(informal) he was keen to protect his turf
territory, domain, province, preserve, sphere of influence; stamping ground; informal bailiwick; Brit. informal patch, manor.
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verb
the lawns have been turfed
grass (over).
turf someone/something out (informal). See eject sense 3.

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turgid

adjective
his turgid prose
bombastic, pompous, overblown, inflated, tumid, high-flown, affected, pretentious, grandiose, florid, ornate, magniloquent, grandiloquent, orotund; informal highfalutin, purple, windy.
the tissues become turgid
swollen, distended, tumescent, engorged, bloated.
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ANTONYMS :simple.

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turmoil

noun
political turmoil
confusion, upheaval, turbulence, tumult, disorder, disturbance, agitation, ferment, unrest, trouble, disruption, chaos, mayhem; uncertainty; N. Amer. informal tohubohu. ANTONYMS :peace.

in turmoil
confused, in a whirl, at sixes and sevens; reeling, disorientated; informal all over the place.

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turn

verb
the wheels were still turning
go round, revolve, rotate, spin, roll, circle, wheel, whirl, gyrate, swivel, pivot.
I turned and headed back
change direction, change course, make a U-turn, turn about/round, wheel round.
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the car turned the corner
go round, round, negotiate, take.
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the path turned to right and left
bend, curve, wind, twist, meander, snake, zigzag.
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he turned his pistol on Liam
aim at, point at, level at, direct at, train on.
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he turned his ankle
sprain, twist, wrench; hurt.
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their honeymoon turned into a nightmare
become, develop into, turn out to be; be transformed into, metamorphose into.
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Emma turned red
become, go, grow, get.
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he turned the house into flats
convert, change, transform, make; adapt, modify, rebuild, reconstruct.
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I've just turned forty
reach, get to, become; informal hit.
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the milk had turned
(go) sour, go off, curdle, become rancid, go bad, spoi l.
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he turned to politics
take up, become involved in, go in for, enter, undertake.
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we can now turn to another topic
move on to, go on to, consider, attend to, address; take up.
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she turned a somersault
perform, execute, do, carry out.
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an object turned on a lathe
fashion, make, shape, form.
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noun
a turn of the wheel
rotation, revolution, spin, whirl, gyration, swivel.
a turn to the left
change of direction, veer, divergence.
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we're approaching the turn
bend, corner, dog-leg; turning, junction, crossroads; N. Amer. turnout; Brit. hairpin bend.
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you'll get your turn in a minute
opportunity, chance, say; stint, time; try; informal go, shot, stab, crack.
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a comic turn
act, routine, performance, number, piece.
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a turn around the garden
stroll, walk, saunter, amble, wander, airing, promenade; outing, excursion, jaunt; informal mosey, tootle, spin; Brit. informal pootl e.
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you gave me quite a turn!
shock, start, surprise, jolt; fright, scare.
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she did me some good turns
service, deed, act; favour, kindness; disservice, wrong.
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at every turn
repeatedly, recurrently, all the time, always, constantly, again and again. in turn
one after the other, one by one, one at a time, in succession, successively, sequentially. take a turn for the better
improve, pick up, look up, perk up, rally, turn the corner; recover, revive. take a turn for the worse
deteriorate, worsen, decline; informal go downhill. to a turn
perfectly, just right, to perfection; informal to a T. turn of events
development, incident, occurrence, happening, circumstance. turn against someone
become hostile to, take a dislike to. turn someone away
send away, reject, rebuff, repel, cold-shoulder; informal send packing. turn back
retrace one's steps, go back, return; re treat. turn someone/something down
his novel was turned down
reject, spurn, rebuff, refuse, decline; Brit. informal knock back.

Pete turned the sound down
reduce, lower, decrease, lessen; muffle, mute.
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turn in (informal)
go to bed, retire, call it a day; informal hit the hay, hit the sack. turn someone in
betray, inform on, denounce, sell out, stab someone in the back; informal split on, blow the whistle on, rat on, peach on, squeal on; Brit. informal grass on, shop; N. Amer. informal finger; Austral./NZ informal dob on. turn something in
your documents must be turned in
hand in/over, give in, submit, surrender, give up; deliver, return.

he turned in a score of 199
achieve, attain, reach, make; notch up, chalk up, rack up, record.
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turn of mind
disposition, inclination, tendency, propensity, bias, bent. turn off they turned off the road

leave, branch off; informal take a left/right; N. Amer. informal hang a left/right. turn someone off (informal)
put off, leave cold, repel, disgust, revolt, offend; disenchant, alienate; bore; N. Amer. informal gross out. turn something off
switch off, shut off, put off, extinguish, deactivate; informal kill, cut. turn on the decision turned on the law

depend on, rest on, hinge on, be contingent on, be decided by. turn someone on (informal). See arouse sense 3. turn something on
switch on, put on, start up, activate, trip. turn on someone
attack, set on, fall on, let fly at, lash out at, hit out at, round on; informal lay into, tear into, let someone have it, bite someone's head off, jump down someone's throat; Brit. informal have a go at; N. Amer. informal light into. turn out
a huge crowd turned out
come, be present, attend, appear, turn up, arrive; assemble, gather; informal show up.

it turned out that she had been abroad
transpire, emerge, come to light, become apparent.
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things didn't turn out as I'd intended
happen, occur, come about; develop, work out, come out, end up; informal pan out; formal eventuate.
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turn someone out
throw out, eject, evict, expel, oust, drum out, banish; informal kick out, send packing, boot out, show someone the door, turf out. turn something out
turn out the light.
See turn something off.

they turn out a million engines a year
produce, make, manufacture, fabricate, put out, churn out.
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she turned out the cupboards
clear out, clean out, empty (out).
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turn over
overturn, upturn, capsize, keel over, turn turtle, be upended. turn something over
I turned over a few pages
flip over, flick through, leaf through.

she turned the proposal over in her mind
think about/over, consider, weigh up, ponder, contemplate, reflect on, chew over, mull over, muse on, ruminate on.
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he turned over the business to his brother
transfer, hand over, pass on, consign, commit.
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turn of phrase
expression, idiom, phrase, term, word. turn someone's stomach
nauseate, sicken, make someone's gorge rise. turn to someone/something
seek help from, have recourse to, approach, apply to, appeal to; take to, resort to. turn up
the missing documents turned up
be found, be discovered, be located, reappear.

the police turned up
arrive, appear, present oneself; informal show (up), show one's face.
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something better will turn up
present itself, occur, happen, crop up.
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turn something up
she turned up the volume
increase, raise, amplify, intensify.

they turned up lots of information
discover, uncover, unearth, find, dig up, ferret out, root out, expose.
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I turned up the hem
take up, raise; shorten.
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turncoat

noun
traitor, renegade, defector, deserter, betrayer, Judas; fifth columnist, quisling; informal rat.

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turning

noun
turn-off, turn, side road, exit; N. Amer. turnout.

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turning point

noun
watershed, critical moment, decisive moment, moment of truth, crossroads, crisis.

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turnout

noun
the lecture attracted a good turnout
attendance, audience, house; crowd, gathering, throng, assembly, assemblage, congregation.
his turnout was very elegant
outfit, clothes, clothing, dress, garb, attire, ensemble; informal get-up, gear, togs; Brit. informal clobber, kit; formal apparel.
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turnover

noun
an annual turnover of £2.25 million
(gross) revenue, income, yield; sales.
a high turnover of staff
rate of replacement, change, movement.
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turpitude

noun
(formal). See depravity.

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tussle

noun
his glasses were smashed in the tussle
scuffle, fight, struggle, skirmish, brawl, scrum, rough and tumble, free-for-all, fracas, fray, rumpus, melee; Irish, N. Amer., & Austral. donnybrook; informal scrap, dust-up, punch-up, spat, ruck; Brit. informal ding-dong, bust-up; Scottish informal rammy; Law, dated affray.
verb
demonstrators tussled with police
scuffle, fight, struggle, brawl, grapple, wrestle, clash; informal scrap; N. Amer. informal rough-house.

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tutor

noun
a history tutor
teacher, instructor, educator, educationalist, lecturer, trainer, mentor; informal teach; formal pedagogue.
verb
he was tutored at home
teach, instruct, educate, school, coach, train, drill.

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tutorial

noun
lesson, class, seminar.

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twaddle

noun
(informal). See nonsense sense 1.

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tweak

verb
he tweaked the boy's ear
pull, jerk, tug, twist, twitch, pinch, squeeze.
(informal) the programme can be tweaked to suit your needs
adjust, modify, alter, change, adapt; refine.
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noun
he gave her hair a tweak
pull, jerk, tug, twist, pinch, twitch, squeeze.
(informal) a few minor tweaks were required
adjustment, modification, alteration, change; refinement.
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twee

adjective
(Brit.) twee little shops
quaint, sweet, dainty, pretty; informal cute, cutesy.
the lyrics are too twee in places
sentimental, over-sentimental, mawkish, sickly; Brit. informal soppy.
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twelve

cardinal number
dozen, zodiac. duodecimal, dodeca-.

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twenty

cardinal number
score. icos-.

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twiddle

verb
she twiddled the dials
turn, twist, swivel, twirl; adjust, move, jiggle; fiddle with, play with.
twiddle one's thumbs
be idle, kick one's heels, kill time, waste time; informal hang around/round; Brit. informal hang about.

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twig 1

noun
leafy twigs
stick, sprig, withy, shoot, stem, branchlet.

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twig 2

verb
(Brit. informal) she finally twigged what I was on about
realize, understand, grasp, comprehend, take in, fathom, see, recognize; informal latch on to, cotton on to, tumble to, get, get wise to, figure out; Brit. informal suss.

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twilight

noun
we arrived at twilight
dusk, sunset, sundown, nightfall, evening, close of day; poetic/literary eventide.
it was scarcely visible in the twilight
half-light, semi-darkness, gloom.
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the twilight of his career
decline, waning, ebb; autumn, final years.
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crepuscular. ANTONYMS :dawn.

adjective
a twilight world
shadowy, dark, shady, dim, gloomy, obscure.

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twin

noun
a sitting room that was the twin of her own
duplicate, double, carbon-copy, exact likeness, mirror image, replica, lookalike, clone; counterpart, match, pair; informal spitting image, dead ringer.
adjective
the twin towers of the stadium
matching, identical, matched, paired.
the twin aims of conservation and recreation
twofold, double, dual; related, linked, connected; corresponding, parallel, complementary, equivalent.
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verb
the company twinned its brewing with distilling
combine, join, link, couple, pair.

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twine

noun
a ball of twine
string, cord, thread, yarn.
verb
she twined her arms around him
wind, entwine, wrap, wreathe.
convolvulus twined around the tree
entwine itself, coil, loop, twist, spiral, curl.
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a bloom was twined in her hair
weave, interlace, intertwine, braid, twist.
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twinge

noun
twinges in her stomach
pain, spasm, ache, throb; cramp, stitch.
a twinge of guilt
pang, prick, dart; qualm, scruple, misgiving.
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twinkle

verb
the lights of the city twinkled
glitter, sparkle, shine, glimmer, shimmer, glint, gleam, glisten, flicker, flash, wink; poetic/literary coruscate, glister.
his feet twinkled over the ground
dart, dance, skip, flit, glide.
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noun
the twinkle of the lights
glitter, sparkle, glimmer, shimmer, glint, gleam, flicker, flash, wink; poetic/literary coruscation.

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twinkling

adjective
sparkling, glistening, glittering, glimmering, glinting, gleaming, flickering, winking, shining, scintillating; poetic/literary coruscating.

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twirl

verb
she twirled her parasol
spin, whirl, turn, gyrate, pivot, swivel, twist, revolve, rotate.
she twirled her hair round her fingers
wind, twist, coil, curl, wrap.
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noun
she did a quick twirl
pirouette, spin, whirl, turn, twist, rotation, revolution, gyration.

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twist

verb
the impact twisted the chassis
crumple, crush, buckle, mangle, warp, deform, distort.
her face twisted with rage
contort, screw up.
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Ma anxiously twisted a handkerchief
wring, squeeze.
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he twisted round in his seat
turn (round), swivel (round), spin (round), pivot, rotate, revolve.
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she twisted out of his grasp
wriggle, squirm, worm, wiggle.
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I twisted my ankle
sprain, wrench, turn, rick, crick.
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you are twisting my words
distort, misrepresent, change, alter, pervert, falsify, warp, skew, misinterpret, misconstrue, misstate, misquote; garble.
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he twisted the radio knob
twiddle, adjust, turn, rotate, swivel.
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she twisted her hair round her finger
wind, twirl, coil, curl, wrap.
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the wires were twisted together
intertwine, twine, interlace, weave, plait, braid, coil, wind.
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the road twisted and turned
wind, bend, curve, turn, meander, weave, zigzag, swerve, s nake.
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noun
the twist of a dial
turn, twirl, spin.
a personality twist
quirk, idiosyncrasy, foible, eccentricity, peculiarity, oddity, kink; aberration, fault, flaw, imperfection, defect, failing, weakness.
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(Brit.) a twist of tobacco
wad, quid, plug, chew; Brit. screw.
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long twists of black hair
ringlet, curl, corkscrew, coil; lock, hank.
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the twists of the road
bend, curve, turn, zigzag, kink, dog-leg; Brit. hairpin bend.
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the twists of the plot
convolution, complication, complexity, intricacy; surprise, revelation.
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a new twist on an old theme
interpretation, slant, outlook, angle, approach, treatment; variation.
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twist someone's arm (informal)
pressurize, coerce, force; persuade; informal lean on, bulldoze, railroad, put the screws on.

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twisted

adjective
twisted metal
crumpled, bent, crushed, buckled, warped, misshapen, distorted, deformed.
a twisted smile
crooked, lopsided; contorted, wry.
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his twisted mind
perverted, warped, deviant, depraved, corrupt, abnormal, unhealthy, aberrant, distorted, corrupted, debauched, debased; informal sick, kinky, pervy.
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twisty

adjective
winding, windy, twisting, bendy, zigzag, meandering, curving, sinuous, snaky. ANTONYMS :straight.

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twit

noun
(Brit. informal). See fool noun sense 1.

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twitch

verb
he twitched and then lay still
jerk, convulse, have a spasm, quiver, tremble, shiver, shudder.
he twitched the note out of my hand
snatch, tweak, pluck, pull, tug; informal yank.
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noun
a twitch of her lips
spasm, convulsion, quiver, tremor, shiver, shudder; tic.
he gave a twitch at his moustache
pull, tug, tweak; informal yank.
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he felt a twitch of annoyance
pang, twinge, dart, stab, prick.
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twitter

verb
sparrows twittered under the eaves
chirp, chirrup, cheep, tweet, peep, chatter, trill, warble, sing.
stop twittering about Francis
prattle, babble, chatter, gabble, jabber, go on, yap, blether, blither, ramble; informal yak, yabber; Brit. informal witter, rabbit, chunter, waffle.
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noun
a bird's twitter
chirp, chirrup, cheep, tweet, peep, trill, warble, song.
her non-stop twitter
prattle, chatter, babble, talk, gabble, blether; informal yackety-yak; Brit. informal wittering, nattering, chuntering.
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she got into a real twitter
(informal). See stew noun sense 2.
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two

cardinal number
pair, duo, duet, double, dyad, duplet, tandem; archaic twain. binary, dual, bi-, di-, duo-.

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two-faced

adjective
deceitful, insincere, double-dealing, hypocritical, back-stabbing, false, untrustworthy, duplicitous, deceiving, dissembling, dishonest; disloyal, treacherous, faithless; poetic/literary perfidious. ANTONYMS :sincere.

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twosome

noun
couple, pair, duo.

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tycoon

noun
magnate, mogul, businessman, captain of industry, industrialist, financier, entrepreneur; millionaire, multimillionaire; informal big shot, bigwig, honcho; Brit. informal supremo; N. Amer. informal big wheel, kahuna; derogatory fat cat.

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type

noun
a curate of the old-fashioned type
kind, sort, variety, class, category, set, genre, species, order, breed, race; style, nature, manner, rank; generation, vintage; stamp, ilk, kidney, cast, grain, mould; N. Amer. stripe.
(informal) sporty types
person, individual, character, sort; Brit. informal bod.
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his sayings are the type of modern wisdom
epitome, quintessence, essence, archetype, paradigm, model, embodiment.
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italic type
print, typeface, face, characters, lettering, letters; font; Brit. fount.
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typhoon

noun
cyclone, tropical storm, storm, tornado, hurricane, whirlwind; N. Amer. informal twister.

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typical

adjective
a typical example of art deco
representative, classic, quintessential, archetypal, model, prototypical, stereotypical.
a fairly typical day
normal, average, ordinary, standard, regular, routine, run-of-the-mill, conventional, unremarkable, unexceptional; informal bog-standard.
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it's typical of him to forget
characteristic, in keeping, usual, normal, par for the course, predictable, true to form; customary, habitual.
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ANTONYMS :unusual, exceptional, uncharacteristic.

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typify

verb
he typified the civil servant
epitomize, exemplify, characterize, be representative of; personify, embody.
the sun typified the Greeks
symbolize, represent, stand for, be emblematic of.
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tyrannical

adjective
dictatorial, despotic, autocratic, oppressive, repressive, totalitarian, undemocratic, illiberal; authoritarian, high-handed, imperious, harsh, strict, iron-handed, severe, cruel, brutal, ruthless. ANTONYMS :liberal.

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tyrannize

verb
dominate, dictate to, browbeat, intimidate, bully, lord it over; persecute, victimize, torment; oppress, rule with a rod of iron, repress, crush, subjugate; informal push around.

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tyranny

noun
despotism, absolute power, autocracy, dictatorship, totalitarianism, Fascism; oppression, repression, subjugation, enslavement; authoritarianism, bullying, severity, cruelty, brutality, ruthlessness.

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tyrant

noun
dictator, despot, autocrat, authoritarian, oppressor; slave-driver, martinet, bully.

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tyro

noun
novice, beginner, learner, neophyte, newcomer, initiate, fledgling; apprentice, trainee, probationer; N. Amer. tenderfoot; informal rookie, newie, newbie; N. Amer. informal greenhorn. ANTONYMS :veteran.

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U

ubiquitous

adjective
omnipresent, ever-present, everywhere, all over the place, all-pervasive; universal, worldwide, global; rife, prevalent, far-reaching, inescapable. ANTONYMS :rare.

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ugly

adjective
an ugly face
unattractive, ill-favoured, hideous, plain, unlovely, unprepossessing, unsightly, horrible, frightful, awful, ghastly, unpleasant, vile, revolting, repellent, repugnant; grotesque, monstrous, reptilian, misshapen, deformed, disfigured; N. Amer. homely; informal not much to look at; Brit. informal no oil painting.
things got pretty ugly
unpleasant, nasty, disagreeable, alarming, tense, charged, serious, grave; dangerous, perilous, threatening, menacing, hostile, ominous, sinister.
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an ugly rumour
horrible, despicable, reprehensible, nasty, appalling, objectionable, offensive, obnoxious, vile, dishonourable, rotten, vicious, spiteful.
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ANTONYMS :beautiful, pleasant.

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ulcer

noun
sore, ulceration, abscess, boil, carbuncle, blister, gumboil, wen; Medicine aphtha, chancre, furuncle.

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ulterior

adjective
underlying, undisclosed, undivulged, concealed, hidden, covert, secret, personal, private, selfish. ANTONYMS :overt.

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ultimate

adjective
the ultimate collapse of the Empire
eventual, final, concluding, terminal, end; resulting, ensuing, consequent, subsequent.
ultimate truths about civilization
fundamental, basic, primary, elementary, elemental, absolute, central, key, crucial, essential, pivotal.
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the ultimate gift for cat lovers
best, ideal, greatest, supreme, paramount, superlative, highest, utmost, optimum, quintessential.
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noun
the ultimate in luxury living
utmost, optimum, last word, height, epitome, peak, pinnacle, acme, zenith, nonpareil, dernier cri, ne plus ultra; informal the bee's knees, the cat's pyjamas/whiskers.

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ultimately

adverb
the cost will ultimately fall on us
eventually, in the end, in the long run, at length, finally, sooner or later, in time, in the fullness of time, when all is said and done, one day, some day, sometime; informal when push comes to shove; Brit. informal at the end of the day.
two ultimately contradictory reasons
fundamentally, basically, primarily, essentially, at heart, deep down.
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ultra-

combining form
an ultra-conservative view
extremely, exceedingly, excessively, immensely, especially, exceptionally; N. English right; informal mega, mucho, majorly, oh-so; Brit. informal dead, ever so, well; N. Amer. informal real; informal, dated devilish; archaic exceeding.
noun
ultras in the animal rights movement
extremist, radical, fanatic, zealot, diehard, militant.

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umbrage

take umbrage
take offence, take exception, be aggrieved, be affronted, be annoyed, be angry, be indignant, be put out, be insulted, be hurt, be piqued, be resentful, be disgruntled, go into a huff; informal be miffed, have one's nose put out of joint; Brit. informal get the hump.

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umbrella

noun
they huddled under the umbrella
parasol, sunshade; Brit. informal brolly; Brit. informal, dated gamp.
the groups worked under the umbrella of the Liberal Party
aegis, auspices, patronage, protection, guardianship, support, backing, agency, guidance, care, charge, responsibility, cover.
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umpire

noun
the umpire reversed his decision
referee, linesman, adjudicator, arbitrator, judge, moderator; informal ref; N. Amer. informal ump.
verb
he umpired a boat race
referee, adjudicate, arbitrate, judge, moderate, oversee; Cricket stand; informal ref.

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umpteen

adjective
(informal). See countless.

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unabashed

adjective
unashamed, shameless, unembarrassed, brazen, audacious, barefaced, blatant, flagrant, bold, cocky, unrepentant, undaunted, unconcerned, fearless. ANTONYMS :sheepish.

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unable

adjective
powerless, impotent, at a loss, inadequate, incompetent, unfit, unqualified, incapable.

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unabridged

adjective
complete, entire, whole, intact, uncut, unshortened, unexpurgated.

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unacceptable

adjective
intolerable, insufferable, unsatisfactory, inadmissible, inappropriate, unsuitable, undesirable, unreasonable, insupportable; offensive, obnoxious, disagreeable, disgraceful, deplorable, beyond the pale, bad; informal not on, a bit much, too much, out of order; Brit. informal a bit thick, a bit off, not cricket; formal exceptionable. ANTONYMS :satisfactory.

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unaccompanied

adjective
alone, on one's own, by oneself, solo, lone, solitary, single-handed; unescorted, unattended, unchaperoned; informal by one's lonesome; Brit. informal on one's tod, on one's Jack Jones; Austral./NZ informal on one's Pat Malone.

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unaccomplished

adjective
unaccomplished works
uncompleted, incomplete, unfinished, undone, half-done, unfulfilled, neglected.
an unaccomplished poet
inexpert, unskilful, unskilled, amateur, amateurish, unqualified, untrained; incompetent, maladroit.
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ANTONYMS :complete, skilful.

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unaccountable

adjective
for some unaccountable reason
inexplicable, insoluble, incomprehensible, unfathomable, impenetrable, puzzling, perplexing, baffling, bewildering, mystifying, mysterious, inscrutable, peculiar, strange, queer, odd, obscure; informal weird, freaky; Brit. informal rum.
the Council is unaccountable to anyone
unanswerable, not liable; free, exempt, immune; unsupervised.
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unaccustomed

adjective
she was unaccustomed to being bossed about
unused, new, fresh; unfamiliar with, inexperienced in, unconversant with, unacquainted with.
he showed unaccustomed emotion
unusual, unfamiliar, uncommon, unwonted, exceptional, extraordinary, rare, surprising, abnormal, atypical.
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ANTONYMS :habitual.

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unacquainted

adjective
unfamiliar, unaccustomed, unused; inexperienced, ignorant, uninformed, unenlightened, unconversant; informal in the dark; poetic/literary nescient. ANTONYMS :familiar.

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unadorned

adjective
unembellished, unornamented, undecorated, unfussy, no-nonsense, no-frills; plain, basic, restrained; bare, bald, austere, stark, spartan, clinical. ANTONYMS :ornate.

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unadventurous

adjective
cautious, careful, circumspect, wary, hesitant, timid; conservative, conventional, unenterprising, unexciting, unimaginative; boring, strait-laced, stuffy, narrow-minded; informal square, straight, stick-in-the-mud. ANTONYMS :enterprising.

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unaffected

adjective
they are unaffected by the cabinet reshuffle
unchanged, unaltered, uninfluenced; untouched, unmoved, unresponsive to; proof against, impervious to, immune to.
his manner was unaffected
unassuming, unpretentious, down-to-earth, natural, easy, uninhibited, open, artless, guileless, ingenuous, unsophisticated.
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she was welcomed with unaffected warmth
genuine, real, sincere, honest, earnest, wholehearted, heartfelt, true, bona fide, frank, open; informal upfront.
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ANTONYMS :influenced, pretentious, false, feigned.

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unafraid

adjective
undaunted, unabashed, fearless, brave, courageous, plucky, intrepid, stout-hearted, bold, daring, confident, audacious, mettlesome, unshrinking; informal gutsy, spunky. ANTONYMS :timid.

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unanimous

adjective
doctors were unanimous about the effects
united, in agreement, in accord, of one mind, in harmony, concordant, undivided.
a unanimous vote
uniform, consistent, united, concerted, congruent.
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ANTONYMS :divided.

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unanswerable

adjective
an unanswerable case
irrefutable, indisputable, undeniable, incontestable, incontrovertible; conclusive, absolute, positive.
unanswerable questions
insoluble, unsolvable, insolvable, inexplicable, unexplainable.
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ANTONYMS :weak, obvious.

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unanswered

adjective
unresolved, undecided, unsettled, undetermined; pending, open to question, up in the air, doubtful, disputed.

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unappetizing

adjective
unpalatable, uninviting, unappealing, unpleasant, off-putting, disagreeable, distasteful, unsavoury, insipid, tasteless, flavourless, dull; inedible, uneatable, revolting; informal yucky, gross. ANTONYMS :tempting.

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unapproachable

adjective
unapproachable islands
inaccessible, unreachable, remote, out of the way, isolated, far-flung; informal off the beaten track, in the middle of nowhere, in the sticks, unget-at-able.
her boss appeared unapproachable
aloof, distant, remote, detached, reserved, withdrawn, uncommunicative, guarded, undemonstrative, unresponsive, unforthcoming, unfriendly, unsympathetic, unsociable; cool, cold, frosty, stiff, formal; informal stand-offish.
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ANTONYMS :accessible, friendly.

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unarmed

adjective
defenceless, weaponless; unprotected, undefended, unguarded, unshielded, vulnerable, exposed, assailable, pregnable.

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unassailable

adjective
an unassailable fortress
impregnable, invulnerable, impenetrable, inviolable, invincible, unconquerable; secure, safe, strong, indestructible.
his logic was unassailable
indisputable, undeniable, unquestionable, incontestable, incontrovertible, irrefutable, indubitable, watertight, sound, good, sure, manifest, patent, obvious.
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ANTONYMS :defenceless.

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unassertive

adjective
passive, retiring, unforthcoming, submissive, unassuming, self-effacing, modest, humble, meek, unconfident, diffident, shy, timid, insecure; informal mousy. ANTONYMS :bold.

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unassuming

adjective
modest, self-effacing, humble, meek, reserved, diffident; unobtrusive, unostentatious, unpretentious, unaffected, natural, artless, ingenuous.

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unattached

adjective
they were both unattached
single, unmarried, unwed, partnerless, uncommitted, available, footloose and fancy free, on one's own; on the shelf, unloved.
we are unattached to any organization
unaffiliated, unallied; autonomous, independent, non-aligned, self-governing, neutral, separate, unconnected, detached.
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ANTONYMS :married.

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unattended

adjective
his cries went unattended
ignored, disregarded, neglected, passed over.
an unattended vehicle
unguarded, unwatched, alone, solitary; abandoned.
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she had to walk there unattended
unaccompanied, unescorted, partnerless, unchaperoned, alone, on one's own, by oneself, solo; informal by one's lonesome; Brit. informal on one's tod, on one's Jack Jones; Austral./NZ informal on one's Pat Malone.
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unattractive

adjective
plain, ugly, ill-favoured, unappealing, unsightly, unlovely, unprepossessing, displeasing; hideous, monstrous, grotesque; N. Amer. homely; informal not much to look at, as ugly as sin; Brit. informal no oil painting. ANTONYMS :beautiful.

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unauthorized

adjective
unofficial, unsanctioned, unaccredited, unlicensed, unwarranted, unapproved; disallowed, prohibited, banned, barred, forbidden, outlawed, illegal, illegitimate, illicit, proscribed. ANTONYMS :official.

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unavailing

adjective
ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, vain, futile, useless, unsuccessful, fruitless, profitless, unprofitable, to no avail, abortive; archaic bootless. ANTONYMS :effective.

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unavoidable

adjective
inescapable, inevitable, inexorable, assured, certain, predestined, predetermined, ineluctable; necessary, compulsory, required, obligatory, mandatory.

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unaware

adjective
ignorant, unknowing, unconscious, heedless, unmindful, oblivious, unsuspecting, uninformed, unenlightened, unwitting, innocent; inattentive, unobservant, unperceptive, blind, deaf; informal in the dark; poetic/literary nescient. ANTONYMS :conscious.

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unawares

adverb
brigands caught them unawares
by surprise, unexpectedly, without warning, suddenly, abruptly, unprepared, off-guard; informal with one's trousers down, napping; Brit. informal on the hop.
the roach approached the pike unawares
unknowingly, unwittingly, unconsciously; unintentionally, inadvertently, accidentally, by mistake.
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ANTONYMS :prepared, knowingly.

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unbalanced

adjective
he is unbalanced and dangerous
unstable, mentally ill, deranged, demented, disturbed, unhinged, insane, mad, out of one's mind, non compos mentis; informal crazy, loopy, loony, nuts, nutty, cracked, screwy, batty, dotty, cuckoo, bonkers, mental, off one's head, round the bend/twist; Brit. informal barmy, potty, crackers, barking, off one's rocker; N. Amer. informal nutso, squirrelly; dated touched.
a most unbalanced article
biased, prejudiced, one-sided, partisan, inequitable, unjust, unfair, parti pris.
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ANTONYMS :sane, unbiased.

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unbearable

adjective
intolerable, insufferable, insupportable, unendurable, unacceptable, unmanageable, more than flesh and blood can stand, overpowering; informal too much. ANTONYMS :tolerable.

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unbeatable

adjective
invincible, unstoppable, unassailable, indomitable, unconquerable, unsurpassable, matchless, peerless; supreme.

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unbeaten

adjective
undefeated, unconquered, unsurpassed, unequalled, unrivalled; triumphant, victorious, supreme, matchless, second to none.

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unbecoming

adjective
an unbecoming sundress
unflattering, unattractive, unsightly, plain, ugly, hideous; unsuitable.
conduct unbecoming to the Senate
inappropriate, unfitting, unbefitting, unsuitable, unsuited, inapt, out of keeping, untoward, incorrect, unacceptable; unworthy, improper, unseemly, undignified.
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ANTONYMS :flattering, appropriate.

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unbelief

noun
atheism, non-belief, agnosticism, apostasy, irreligion, godlessness, nihilism; scepticism, cynicism, disbelief, doubt. ANTONYMS :faith.

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unbelievable

adjective
incredible, beyond belief, inconceivable, unthinkable, unimaginable; unconvincing, far-fetched, implausible, improbable; informal hard to swallow. ANTONYMS :credible.

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unbend

verb
I couldn't unbend my knees
straighten (out), extend, flex, uncurl.
if you'd only unbend a little
relax, unwind, de-stress, loosen up, let oneself go; informal let one's hair down, let it all hang out, hang loose.
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unbending

adjective
an unbending man
aloof, formal, stiff, reserved, remote, forbidding, cool, unfeeling, unemotional, unfriendly, austere; informal uptight, stand-offish.
unbending attitudes
uncompromising, inflexible, unyielding, hard-line, tough, strict, firm, resolute, determined, unrelenting, relentless, inexorable, intransigent, immovable.
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unbiased

adjective
impartial, unprejudiced, neutral, non-partisan, disinterested, detached, dispassionate, objective, open-minded, equitable, even-handed, fair. ANTONYMS :prejudiced.

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unbidden

adjective
an unbidden guest
uninvited, unasked, unsolicited; unwanted, unwelcome.
unbidden excitement
spontaneous, unprompted, voluntary, unforced, unplanned, unpremeditated; informal off-the-cuff.
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unbind

verb
untie, unchain, unfetter, unshackle, unfasten, untether, undo, loosen; release, free, liberate.

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unblemished

adjective
impeccable, flawless, faultless, perfect, pure, whiter than white, clean, spotless, unsullied, unspoilt, undefiled, untouched, untarnished, unpolluted; incorrupt, guiltless, sinless, innocent, blameless; informal squeaky clean. ANTONYMS :flawed.

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unborn

adjective
your unborn child
embryonic, fetal, in utero; expected.
the unborn generations
future, coming, forthcoming, subsequent.
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unbounded

adjective
unlimited, boundless, limitless, illimitable; unrestrained, unrestricted, unconstrained, uncontrolled, unchecked, unbridled; untold, immeasurable, endless, unending, interminable, everlasting, infinite, inexhaustible. ANTONYMS :limited.

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unbreakable

adjective
shatterproof, indestructible, imperishable, durable, long-lasting; toughened, sturdy, stout, resistant, hard-wearing, heavy-duty. ANTONYMS :fragile.

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unbridled

adjective
unrestrained, unconstrained, uncontrolled, uninhibited, unrestricted, unchecked, uncurbed, rampant, runaway, irrepressible, unstoppable, intemperate, immoderate. ANTONYMS :restrained.

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unbroken

adjective
the last unbroken window
undamaged, unimpaired, unharmed, unscathed, untouched, sound, intact, whole, perfect.
an unbroken horse
untamed, undomesticated, wild, feral.
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an unbroken chain of victories
uninterrupted, continuous, endless, constant, unremitting, ongoing.
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his record is still unbroken
unbeaten, undefeated, unsurpassed, unrivalled, unmatched, supreme.
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unburden

verb
she had a sudden wish to unburden herself
open one's heart, confess, tell all; informal come clean; archaic unbosom oneself.

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uncalled

uncalled for
gratuitous, unnecessary, needless, inessential; undeserved, unmerited, unwarranted, unjustified, unreasonable, unfair, inappropriate, pointless; unasked, unsolicited, unrequested, unprompted, unprovoked, unwelcome.

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uncanny

adjective
the silence was uncanny
eerie, unnatural, unearthly, other-worldly, ghostly, strange, abnormal, weird, bizarre, freakish; Scottish eldritch; informal creepy, spooky, freaky.
an uncanny resemblance
striking, remarkable, extraordinary, exceptional, incredible, noteworthy, notable, arresting.
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unceasing

adjective
incessant, ceaseless, constant, continual, unabating, interminable, endless, unending, never-ending, everlasting, eternal, perpetual, continuous, non-stop, uninterrupted, unbroken, unremitting, persistent, relentless, unrelenting, unrelieved, sustained.

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unceremonious

adjective
an unceremonious dismissal
abrupt, sudden, hasty, hurried, summary, perfunctory, undignified; rude, impolite, discourteous, offhand.
an unceremonious man
informal, casual, relaxed, easy-going, familiar, natural, open; informal laid-back.
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ANTONYMS :formal.

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uncertain

adjective
the effects are uncertain
unknown, debatable, open to question, in doubt, undetermined, unsure, in the balance, up in the air; unpredictable, unforeseeable, incalculable; risky, chancy; informal iffy.
uncertain weather
changeable, variable, changeful, irregular, unpredictable, unreliable, unsettled, erratic, fluctuating.
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Ed was uncertain about the decision
unsure, doubtful, dubious, undecided, irresolute, hesitant, blowing hot and cold, vacillating, vague, unclear, ambivalent, in two minds.
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an uncertain smile
hesitant, tentative, faltering, unsure, unconfident.
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ANTONYMS :predictable, sure, confident.

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unchangeable

adjective
unalterable, immutable, invariable, changeless, fixed, hard and fast, cast-iron, set in stone, established, permanent, enduring, abiding, lasting, indestructible, ineradicable, irreversible. ANTONYMS :variable.

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unchanging

adjective
consistent, constant, regular, unvarying, predictable, stable, steady, fixed, permanent, perpetual, eternal; sustained, lasting, persistent.

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uncharitable

adjective
mean, mean-spirited, unkind, selfish, self-centred, inconsiderate, thoughtless, insensitive, unfriendly, unsympathetic, uncaring, ungenerous, ungracious, unfair.

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uncharted

adjective
unexplored, undiscovered, unmapped, untravelled, unfamiliar, unplumbed, unknown.

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uncivil

adjective
impolite, rude, discourteous, disrespectful, unmannerly, bad-mannered, impertinent, impudent, ungracious; brusque, sharp, curt, offhand, gruff, churlish; informal off, fresh. ANTONYMS :polite.

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uncivilized

adjective
uncouth, coarse, rough, boorish, vulgar, philistine, uneducated, uncultured, uncultivated, benighted, unsophisticated, unpolished; ill-bred, ill-mannered, thuggish, loutish; barbarian, primitive, savage, brutish; archaic rude.

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unclean

adjective
unclean premises
dirty, filthy, grubby, grimy, mucky, foul, impure, tainted, soiled, unwashed; polluted, contaminated, infected, insanitary, unhygienic, unhealthy, germy, disease-ridden; informal yucky, cruddy; Brit. informal grotty, gungy.
sex was considered unclean
sinful, immoral, bad, wicked, evil, corrupt, impure, unwholesome, sordid, disgusting, debased, degenerate, depraved.
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an unclean meat
impure; forbidden, taboo.
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ANTONYMS :pure, halal, kosher.

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unclear

adjective
uncertain, unsure, unsettled, up in the air, debatable, open to question, in doubt, doubtful; ambiguous, equivocal, indefinite, vague, mysterious, obscure, hazy, foggy, nebulous; informal iffy. ANTONYMS :evident.

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unclothed

adjective
naked, bare, nude, stripped, undressed, in a state of nature; informal in one's birthday suit, in the buff, in the raw, in the altogether, in the nuddy; Brit. informal starkers; Scottish informal in the scud; N. Amer. informal buck naked. ANTONYMS :dressed.

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uncomfortable

adjective
an uncomfortable chair
painful, disagreeable, intolerable, unbearable, confining, cramped.
I felt uncomfortable in her presence
uneasy, awkward, nervous, tense, strained, edgy, restless, embarrassed, troubled, worried, anxious, unquiet, fraught; informal rattled, twitchy; N. Amer. informal discombobulated, antsy.
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ANTONYMS :relaxed.

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uncommitted

adjective
uncommitted voters
floating, undecided, non-partisan, unaffiliated, neutral, impartial, independent, undeclared, uncertain; informal sitting on the fence.
the uncommitted male
unmarried, unattached, unwed, partnerless; footloose and fancy free, available, single, lone.
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ANTONYMS :aligned, attached.

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uncommon

adjective
an uncommon plant
unusual, abnormal, rare, atypical, unconventional, unfamiliar, strange, odd, curious, extraordinary, outlandish, novel, singular, peculiar, queer, bizarre; alien; informal weird, oddball, offbeat.
abductions are uncommon
rare, scarce, few and far between, exceptional, abnormal, isolated, infrequent, irregular; Brit. out of the common.
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an uncommon capacity for hard work
remarkable, extraordinary, exceptional, singular, particular, marked, outstanding, noteworthy, significant, especial, special, signal, superior, unique, unparalleled, prodigious; informal mind-boggling.
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uncommonly

adverb
unusually, remarkably, extraordinarily, exceptionally, singularly, particularly, especially, decidedly, notably, eminently, extremely, very; N. English right; informal awfully, terribly, seriously; Brit. informal jolly, dead.

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uncommunicative

adjective
taciturn, quiet, unforthcoming, reserved, reticent, laconic, tongue-tied, mute, silent, tight-lipped; guarded, secretive, close, private; distant, remote, aloof, withdrawn, unsociable; informal mum, stand-offish. ANTONYMS :talkative.

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uncomplicated

adjective
simple, straightforward, clear, accessible, undemanding, unchallenging, unsophisticated, trouble-free, painless, effortless, easy, elementary, idiot-proof, plain sailing; informal a piece of cake, child's play, a cinch, a doddle, a breeze; Brit. informal easy-peasy. ANTONYMS :complex.

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uncompromising

adjective
inflexible, unbending, unyielding, unshakeable, resolute, rigid, hard-line, immovable, intractable, firm, determined, iron-willed, obstinate, stubborn, adamant, obdurate, intransigent, headstrong, pig-headed; Brit. informal bloody-minded. ANTONYMS :flexible.

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unconcerned

adjective
he is unconcerned about their responses
indifferent, unmoved, apathetic, uninterested, incurious, dispassionate, heedless, unmindful; cool, lukewarm, unenthusiastic.
she tried to look unconcerned
untroubled, unworried, unruffled, insouciant, nonchalant, blasé, carefree, casual, relaxed, at ease, (cool, calm, and collected); informal laid-back.
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ANTONYMS :interested, anxious.

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unconditional

adjective
unquestioning, unqualified, unreserved, unlimited, unrestricted, wholehearted; complete, total, entire, full, absolute, out-and-out, unequivocal.

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unconnected

adjective
the earth wire was unconnected
detached, disconnected, loose.
unconnected tasks
unrelated, dissociated, separate, independent, distinct, different, disparate, discrete.
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unconnected chains of thought
disjointed, incoherent, disconnected, rambling, wandering, diffuse, disorderly, haphazard, disorganized, garbled, mixed, muddled, aimless.
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ANTONYMS :attached, related, coherent.

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unconscionable

adjective
the unconscionable use of test animals
unethical, amoral, immoral, unprincipled, indefensible, wrong; unscrupulous, unfair, underhand, dishonourable.
we had to wait an unconscionable time
excessive, unreasonable, unwarranted, uncalled for, unfair, inordinate, immoderate, undue, inexcusable, unnecessary, needless; informal over the top, OTT.
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ANTONYMS :ethical, acceptable.

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unconscious

adjective
she made sure he was unconscious
insensible, senseless, insentient, insensate, comatose, inert, knocked out, stunned; motionless, immobile, prostrate; informal out cold, out for the count, dead to the world; Brit. informal spark out.
she was unconscious of the pain
heedless, unmindful, disregarding, oblivious to, insensible to, impervious to, unaffected by, unconcerned by, indifferent to; unaware, unknowing.
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an unconscious desire
subconscious, latent, suppressed, subliminal, sleeping, inherent, instinctive, involuntary, uncontrolled, spontaneous; unintentional, unthinking, unwitting, inadvertent; informal gut.
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ANTONYMS :aware, voluntary.

noun
fantasies raging in the unconscious
subconscious, psyche, ego, id, inner self.

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uncontrollable

adjective
the crowds were uncontrollable
unmanageable, out of control, ungovernable, wild, unruly, disorderly, recalcitrant, turbulent, disobedient, delinquent, defiant, undisciplined; formal refractory.
an uncontrollable rage
ungovernable, irrepressible, unstoppable, unquenchable; wild, violent, frenzied, furious, mad, hysterical, passionate.
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ANTONYMS :compliant.

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unconventional

adjective
unusual, irregular, unorthodox, unfamiliar, uncommon, unwonted, out of the ordinary, atypical, singular, alternative, different; new, novel, innovative, ground-breaking, pioneering, original, unprecedented; eccentric, idiosyncratic, quirky, odd, strange, bizarre, weird, outlandish, curious; abnormal, anomalous, aberrant, extraordinary; nonconformist, bohemian, avant-garde; informal way out, far out, offbeat, wacky, madcap, zany, hippy; Brit. informal rum; N. Amer. informal kooky, wacko. ANTONYMS :orthodox.

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unconvincing

adjective
improbable, unlikely, implausible, incredible, unbelievable, questionable, dubious, doubtful; strained, laboured, far-fetched, unrealistic, fanciful, fantastic; feeble, weak, transparent, poor, lame, ineffectual, half-baked; informal hard to swallow. ANTONYMS :persuasive.

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uncooperative

adjective
unhelpful, awkward, disobliging, recalcitrant, perverse, contrary, stubborn, wilful, stiff-necked, unyielding, unbending, inflexible, immovable, obstructive, difficult, obstreperous, disobedient; Brit. informal bloody-minded. ANTONYMS :obliging.

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uncoordinated

adjective
clumsy, awkward, blundering, bumbling, lumbering, flat-footed, heavy-handed, graceless, gawky, ungainly, ungraceful; inept, unhandy, unskilful, inexpert, maladroit, bungling; informal butterfingered, cack-handed, ham-fisted; Brit. informal all (fingers and) thumbs; N. Amer. informal klutzy. ANTONYMS :dexterous.

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uncouth

adjective
uncivilized, uncultured, uncultivated, unrefined, unpolished, unsophisticated, common, low, rough, coarse, crude, loutish, boorish, oafish; churlish, uncivil, rude, impolite, discourteous, disrespectful, unmannerly, bad-mannered, ill-bred, indecorous, vulgar, crass, indelicate; Brit. informal yobbish. ANTONYMS :refined.

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uncover

verb
she uncovered the sandwiches
expose, reveal, lay bare; unwrap, unveil; strip, denude.
they uncovered a money-laundering plot
detect, discover, come across, stumble on, chance on, find, turn up, unearth, dig up; expose, bring to light, unmask, unveil, reveal, lay bare, make known, make public, betray, give away; informal blow the whistle on, pull the plug on.
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unctuous

adjective
sycophantic, ingratiating, obsequious, fawning, servile, grovelling, subservient, cringing, humble, hypocritical, insincere, gushing, effusive; glib, smooth, slick, slippery, oily, greasy; informal smarmy, slimy, sucky, soapy.

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undaunted

adjective
unafraid, undismayed, unflinching, unshrinking, unabashed, fearless, dauntless, intrepid, bold, valiant, brave, courageous, plucky, mettlesome, gritty, indomitable, confident, audacious, daring; informal gutsy, spunky. ANTONYMS :fearful.

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undecided

adjective
unresolved, uncertain, unsure, unclear, unsettled, indefinite, undetermined, unknown, in the balance, up in the air, debatable, arguable, moot, open to question, doubtful, dubious, borderline, ambiguous, vague; indecisive, irresolute, hesitant, tentative, wavering, vacillating, uncommitted, ambivalent, in two minds; informal iffy. ANTONYMS :certain.

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undefined

adjective
some matters are still undefined
unspecified, unexplained, unspecific, indeterminate, unsettled; unclear, woolly, imprecise, inexact, indefinite, vague.
undefined shapes
indistinct, indefinite, formless, indistinguishable, vague, hazy, misty, shadowy, nebulous, blurred, blurry.
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ANTONYMS :definite, distinct.

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undemonstrative

adjective
unemotional, unaffectionate, impassive, dispassionate, restrained, reserved, unresponsive, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, stiff, guarded, aloof, distant, detached, remote, withdrawn; cool, cold, frosty, frigid; informal stand-offish.

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undeniable

adjective
indisputable, indubitable, unquestionable, beyond doubt, beyond question, undebatable, incontrovertible, incontestable, irrefutable, unassailable; certain, sure, definite, positive, conclusive, plain, obvious, unmistakable, self-evident, patent, emphatic, categorical, unequivocal. ANTONYMS :questionable.

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under

preposition
they hid under a bush
beneath, below, underneath.
the rent is under £250
less than, lower than, below.
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branch managers are under the retail director
subordinate to, junior to, inferior to, subservient to, answerable to, responsible to, subject to, controlled by.
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forty homes are under construction
undergoing, in the process of.
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the town was under water
flooded by, immersed in, submerged by, sunk in, engulfed by, inundated by.
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our finances are under pressure
subject to, liable to, at the mercy of.
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ANTONYMS :above, over.

adverb
coughing and spluttering she went under
down, lower, below, underneath, beneath; underwater.

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underclothes

plural noun
underwear, undergarments, underclothing, underthings, lingerie; informal undies, frillies; Brit. informal smalls; archaic underlinen.

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undercover

adjective
covert, secret, clandestine, underground, surreptitious, furtive, cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger, stealthy, hidden, concealed; informal hush-hush, sneaky. ANTONYMS :overt.

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undercurrent

noun
dangerous undercurrents in the cove
undertow, underflow, underswell, underset.
the undercurrent of despair in his words
undertone, overtone, suggestion, connotation, intimation, hint, nuance, trace, suspicion, whisper, tinge; feeling, atmosphere, aura, echo; informal vibes.
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undercut

verb
the firm undercut their rivals
charge less than, undersell, underbid.
his authority was being undercut
undermine, weaken, impair, sap, threaten, subvert, sabotage, ruin, destabilize, wreck.
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underdog

noun
weaker party, victim, loser, scapegoat; informal little guy, fall guy, stooge.

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underestimate

verb
underrate, undervalue, do an injustice to, be wrong about, sell short, play down, understate; minimize, de-emphasize, underemphasize, diminish, downgrade, gloss over, trivialize; miscalculate, misjudge, misconstrue, misread. ANTONYMS :exaggerate.

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undergo

verb
go through, experience, undertake, face, submit to, be subjected to, come in for, receive, sustain, endure, brave, bear, tolerate, stand, withstand, weather; Brit. informal wear.

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underground

adjective
an underground car park
subterranean, buried, sunken, basement.
underground organizations
clandestine, secret, surreptitious, covert, undercover, closet, hole-and-corner, cloak-and-dagger, hugger-mugger, back-alley, hidden, sneaky, furtive; resistance, subversive; informal hush-hush.
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the underground art scene
alternative, radical, revolutionary, unconventional, unorthodox, avant-garde, experimental, innovative.
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adverb
the insects live underground
below ground, in the earth.
the rebels went underground
into hiding, into seclusion, undercover.
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noun
he took the underground
underground railway, metro; N. Amer. subway; Brit. informal tube.
information from the French underground
resistance (movement); partisans, guerrillas, freedom fighters; historical) Maquis.
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undergrowth

noun
shrubbery, vegetation, greenery, ground cover, underwood, brushwood, brush, scrub, covert, thicket, copse; bushes, plants, brambles, herbage; N. Amer. underbrush.

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underhand

adjective
deceitful, dishonest, dishonourable, disreputable, unethical, unprincipled, immoral, unscrupulous, fraudulent, dubious, unfair; treacherous, duplicitous, double-dealing; devious, artful, crafty, conniving, scheming, sly, wily; clandestine, sneaky, furtive, covert, cloak-and-dagger; N. Amer. snide; informal crooked, shady, bent, low-down; Brit. informal dodgy; Austral./NZ informal shonky. ANTONYMS :honest.

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underline

verb
she underlined a phrase
underscore, mark, pick out, emphasize, highlight.
the programme underlines the benefits of exercise
emphasize, stress, highlight, accentuate, accent, focus on, spotlight, point up, play up; informal rub in.
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underling

noun
subordinate, inferior, junior, minion, lackey, flunkey, menial, retainer, vassal, subject, hireling, servant, henchman, factotum; informal dogsbody, gofer; Brit. informal skivvy. ANTONYMS :boss.

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underlying

adjective
the underlying aims of the research
fundamental, basic, primary, prime, central, principal, chief, key, elementary, intrinsic, essential.
an underlying feeling of irritation
latent, repressed, suppressed, unrevealed, undisclosed, unexpressed, concealed, hidden, masked.
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undermine

verb
their integrity is being undermined
subvert, sabotage, threaten, weaken, compromise, diminish, reduce, impair, mar, spoil, ruin, damage, hurt, injure, cripple, sap, shake; informal drag through the mud.
we undermined the building
tunnel under, dig under, burrow under, sap.
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the damp had so undermined the wall that it collapsed
erode, wear away, eat away at.
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ANTONYMS :strengthen, support.

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underprivileged

adjective
needy, deprived, disadvantaged, poor, destitute, in straitened circumstances, impoverished, poverty-stricken, indigent; Brit. on the breadline; informal on one's uppers, on one's beam-ends; formal penurious. ANTONYMS :wealthy.

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underrate

verb
undervalue, underestimate, do an injustice to, sell short, play down, understate, minimize, diminish, downgrade, trivialize. ANTONYMS :exaggerate.

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undersized

adjective
underdeveloped, stunted, small, short, little, tiny, petite, slight, compact, miniature, mini, diminutive, dwarfish, pygmy; Scottish wee; informal pint-sized, pocket-sized, knee-high to a grasshopper, baby, teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy. ANTONYMS :overgrown.

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understand

verb
he couldn't understand anything we said
comprehend, grasp, take in, see, apprehend, follow, make sense of, fathom; unravel, decipher, interpret; informal work out, figure out, make head or tail of, get one's head around, take on board, get the drift of, catch on to, get; Brit. informal twig, suss (out).
she understood how hard he'd worked
appreciate, recognize, realize, acknowledge, know, be aware of, be conscious of; informal be wise to; formal be cognizant of.
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I understand that you wish to go
believe, gather, take it, hear (tell), notice, see, learn; conclude, infer, assume, surmise, fancy.
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understandable

adjective
make it understandable to the layman
comprehensible, intelligible, coherent, clear, explicit, unambiguous, transparent, plain, straightforward, digestible, user-friendly.
an understandable desire to be happy
unsurprising, expected, predictable, inevitable; reasonable, acceptable, logical, rational, normal, natural; justifiable, justified, defensible, excusable, pardonable, forgivable.
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understanding

noun
test your understanding of the language
comprehension, apprehension, grasp, mastery, appreciation, assimilation, absorption; knowledge, awareness, insight, skill, expertise, proficiency; informal know-how; formal cognizance.
a young man of brilliant understanding
intellect, intelligence, brainpower, brains, judgement, reasoning, mentality; insight, intuition, shrewdness, acumen, sagacity, wisdom, wit; informal nous, savvy, know-how.
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it was my understanding that this was free
belief, perception, view, conviction, feeling, opinion, intuition, impression, assumption, supposition.
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he treated me with understanding
compassion, sympathy, pity, feeling, concern, consideration, kindness, sensitivity, decency, humanity, charity, goodwill, mercy, tolerance.
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we had a tacit understanding
agreement, arrangement, deal, bargain, settlement, pledge, pact, compact, contract, covenant, bond.
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ANTONYMS :ignorance, indifference.

adjective
an understanding friend
compassionate, sympathetic, sensitive, considerate, tender, kind, thoughtful, tolerant, patient, forbearing, lenient, merciful, forgiving, humane; approachable, supportive, perceptive.

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understate

verb
play down, downplay, underrate, underplay, de-emphasize, trivialize, minimize, diminish, downgrade, brush aside, gloss over; informal soft-pedal, sell short. ANTONYMS :exaggerate.

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understudy

noun
stand-in, substitute, replacement, reserve, fill-in, locum, proxy, back-up, relief, standby, stopgap, second, ancillary; informal sub; N. Amer. informal pinch-hitter.

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undertake

verb
tackle, take on, assume, shoulder, handle, manage, deal with, be responsible for; engage in, take part in, go about, set about, get down to, get to grips with, embark on; attempt, try, endeavour; informal have a go at; formal essay.

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undertaker

noun
funeral director; N. Amer. mortician.

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undertaking

noun
a risky undertaking
enterprise, venture, project, campaign, scheme, plan, operation, endeavour, effort, task, activity, pursuit, exploit, business, affair, procedure; mission, quest.
sign this undertaking to comply with the rules
pledge, agreement, promise, oath, covenant, vow, commitment, guarantee, assurance, contract.
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undertone

noun
he said something in an undertone
low voice, murmur, whisper, mutter.
the story's dark undertones
undercurrent, overtone, suggestion, nuance, vein, atmosphere, aura, tenor, flavour; vibrations.
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undervalue

verb
underrate, underestimate, play down, understate, underemphasize, diminish, minimize, downgrade, reduce, brush aside, gloss over, trivialize, hold cheap; informal sell short.

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underwater

adjective
submerged, immersed, sunken, subaqueous; undersea, submarine.

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underwear

noun
underclothes, underclothing, undergarments, underthings, lingerie; informal undies, frillies; Brit. informal smalls; archaic underlinen.

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underworld

noun
Osiris, god of the underworld
the netherworld, the nether regions, hell, the abyss; eternal damnation; Gehenna, Tophet, Sheol, Hades; Brit. the other place; poetic/literary the pit.
the violent underworld of Southwark
criminal world, gangland; criminals, gangsters; informal mobsters.
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ANTONYMS :heaven.

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underwrite

verb
sponsor, support, back, insure, indemnify, subsidize, pay for, finance, fund; informal foot the bill for; N. Amer. informal bankroll.

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undesirable

adjective
undesirable side effects
unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty, unwelcome, unwanted, unfortunate, infelicitous.
some very undesirable people
unpleasant, disagreeable, obnoxious, nasty, awful, terrible, dreadful, frightful, repulsive, repellent, abhorrent, loathsome, hateful, detestable, deplorable, appalling, insufferable, intolerable, despicable, contemptible, odious, vile, unsavoury; informal ghastly, horrible, horrid; Brit. informal beastly.
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ANTONYMS :pleasant, agreeable.

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undignified

adjective
unseemly, demeaning, unbecoming, unworthy, unbefitting, degrading, shameful, dishonourable, ignominious, discreditable, ignoble, untoward, unsuitable; scandalous, disgraceful, indecent, low, base; informal infra dig.

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undisciplined

adjective
unruly, disorderly, disobedient, badly behaved, recalcitrant, wilful, wayward, delinquent, naughty, rebellious, insubordinate, disruptive, errant, out of control, uncontrollable, wild; disorganized, unsystematic, unmethodical, lax, slapdash, slipshod, sloppy; Brit. informal stroppy, bolshie; formal refractory.

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undisguised

adjective
obvious, evident, patent, manifest, transparent, overt, unconcealed, unhidden, unmistakable, undeniable, plain, clear, clear-cut, explicit, naked, visible; blatant, flagrant, glaring, bold; informal standing/sticking out a mile.

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undisputed

adjective
undoubted, indubitable, uncontested, incontestable, unchallenged, incontrovertible, unequivocal, undeniable, irrefutable, unmistakable, sure, certain, definite, accepted, acknowledged, recognized. ANTONYMS :doubtful.

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undistinguished

adjective
unexceptional, indifferent, run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-road, ordinary, average, commonplace, mediocre, humdrum, lacklustre, forgettable, uninspired, uneventful, unremarkable, inconsequential, featureless, nondescript, middling, moderate; N. Amer. garden-variety; informal nothing special, no great shakes, nothing to write home about, OK, so-so, bog standard; Brit. informal common or garden; N. Amer. informal bush-league. ANTONYMS :extraordinary.

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undivided

adjective
complete, full, total, whole, entire, absolute, unqualified, unreserved, unmitigated, unbroken, consistent, thorough, exclusive, dedicated; focused, engrossed, absorbed, attentive, committed.

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undo

verb
he undid another button
unfasten, unbutton, unhook, untie, unlace; unlock, unbolt; loosen, disentangle, extricate, release, detach, free, open; disconnect, disengage, separate.
they will undo a decision by the law lords
revoke, overrule, overturn, repeal, rescind, reverse, countermand, cancel, annul, nullify, invalidate, void, negate; Law vacate; formal abrogate.
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she undid much of the good work done
ruin, undermine, subvert, overturn, scotch, sabotage, spoil, impair, mar, destroy, wreck, eradicate, obliterate; cancel out, neutralize, thwart, foil, frustrate, hamper, hinder, obstruct; informal blow, put the kibosh on, foul up, muck up; Brit. informal scupper, throw a spanner in the works of; N. Amer. informal rain on someone's parade.
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ANTONYMS :fasten, ratify, enhance.

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undoing

noun
she plotted the king's undoing
downfall, defeat, conquest, deposition, overthrow, ruin, ruination, elimination, end, collapse, failure, debasement; Waterloo.
their complacency was their undoing
fatal flaw, Achilles' heel, weakness, weak point, failing, misfortune, affliction, curse.
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undone

adjective
some work was left undone
unfinished, incomplete, half-done, unaccomplished, unfulfilled, unconcluded; omitted, neglected, disregarded, ignored; remaining, outstanding, deferred, pending, on ice; informal on the back burner.
(formal) she had lost and was utterly undone
done for, finished, ruined, destroyed, doomed, lost, defeated, beaten; informal washed up.
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ANTONYMS :finished, successful.

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undoubted

adjective
undisputed, unchallenged, unquestioned, indubitable, incontrovertible, irrefutable, incontestable, sure, certain, unmistakable; definite, accepted, acknowledged, recognized.

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undoubtedly

adverb
doubtless, indubitably, doubtlessly, no doubt, without (a) doubt; unquestionably, indisputably, undeniably, incontrovertibly, clearly, obviously, patently, certainly, definitely, surely, of course, indeed.

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undress

verb
he undressed and got into bed
strip (off), disrobe, take off one's clothes; Brit. informal peel off.
in a state of undress
naked, (in the) nude, bare, stripped, unclothed, undressed, in a state of nature; informal in one's birthday suit, in the raw, in the buff, in the nuddy; Brit. informal starkers.

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undue

adjective
excessive, immoderate, intemperate, inordinate, disproportionate; uncalled for, unneeded, unnecessary, non-essential, needless, unwarranted, unjustified, unreasonable; inappropriate, unmerited, unsuitable, improper. ANTONYMS :appropriate.

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undulate

verb
rise and fall, surge, swell, heave, ripple, flow; wind, wobble, oscillate.

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undying

adjective
abiding, lasting, enduring, permanent, constant, infinite; unceasing, perpetual, ceaseless, incessant, unending, never-ending; immortal, eternal, deathless.

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unearth

verb
workmen unearthed an artillery shell
dig up, excavate, exhume, disinter, root out, unbury.
I unearthed an interesting fact
discover, uncover, find, come across, hit on, bring to light, expose, turn up, hunt out, nose out.
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unearthly

adjective
an unearthly chill in the air
other-worldly, supernatural, preternatural, alien; ghostly, spectral, phantom, mysterious, spine-chilling, hair-raising; uncanny, eerie, strange, weird, unnatural, bizarre; Scottish eldritch; informal spooky, creepy, scary.
(informal) they rose at some unearthly hour
unreasonable, preposterous, abnormal, extraordinary, absurd, ridiculous, unheard of; informal ungodly, unholy.
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ANTONYMS :normal, reasonable.

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uneasy

adjective
the doctor made him feel uneasy
worried, anxious, troubled, disturbed, agitated, nervous, tense, overwrought, edgy, apprehensive, restless, discomfited, perturbed, fearful, uncomfortable, unsettled; informal jittery, nervy.
he had an uneasy feeling
worrying, disturbing, troubling, alarming, dismaying, disquieting, unsettling, disconcerting, upsetting.
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the victory ensured an uneasy peace
tense, awkward, strained, fraught; precarious, unstable, insecure.
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ANTONYMS :calm, stable.

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uneconomic uneconomical

adjective
unprofitable, uncommercial, non-viable, loss-making, worthless; wasteful, inefficient, improvident.

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uneducated

adjective
untaught, unschooled, untutored, untrained, unread, unscholarly, illiterate, unlettered, ignorant, ill-informed, uninformed; uncouth, unsophisticated, uncultured, unaccomplished, unenlightened, philistine, benighted, backward. ANTONYMS :learned.

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unemotional

adjective
reserved, undemonstrative, sober, restrained, passionless, emotionless, unsentimental, unexcitable, impassive, phlegmatic, stoical, equable; cold, cool, unfeeling.

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unemployed

adjective
jobless, out of work, between jobs, unwaged, unoccupied, redundant, laid off; on benefit; Brit. signing on; N. Amer. on welfare; Brit. informal on the dole, "resting".

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unending

adjective
endless, never-ending, interminable, perpetual, eternal, ceaseless, incessant, unceasing, non-stop, uninterrupted, continuous, continual, constant, persistent, unbroken, unabating, unremitting, relentless.

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unendurable

adjective
intolerable, unbearable, insufferable, insupportable, more than flesh and blood can stand.

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unenthusiastic

adjective
indifferent, apathetic, half-hearted, lukewarm, casual, cool, lacklustre, offhand, unmoved; cursory, perfunctory. ANTONYMS :keen.

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unenviable

adjective
disagreeable, nasty, unpleasant, undesirable, horrible, thankless; unwanted, unwished-for.

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unequal

adjective
they are unequal in length
different, dissimilar, unlike, unalike, disparate, unmatched, uneven, irregular, varying, variable.
the unequal distribution of wealth
unfair, unjust, disproportionate, inequitable, biased.
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an unequal contest
one-sided, uneven, unfair, ill-matched, unbalanced, lopsided.
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she felt unequal to the task
inadequate for, incapable of, unqualified for, unsuited to, incompetent at, not up to; informal not cut out for.
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ANTONYMS :identical, fair.

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unequalled

adjective
unbeaten, matchless, unmatched, unrivalled, unsurpassed, unparalleled, peerless, incomparable, inimitable, second to none, unique.

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unequivocal

adjective
unambiguous, unmistakable, indisputable, incontrovertible, indubitable, undeniable; clear, clear-cut, plain, explicit, specific, categorical, straightforward, blunt, candid, emphatic, manifest. ANTONYMS :ambiguous.

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unerring

adjective
unfailing, infallible, perfect, flawless, faultless, impeccable, unimpeachable; sure, true, assured, deadly; informal sure-fire.

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unethical

adjective
immoral, amoral, unprincipled, unscrupulous, dishonourable, dishonest, wrong, deceitful, unconscionable, fraudulent, underhand, wicked, evil, corrupt; unprofessional, improper.

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uneven

adjective
uneven ground
bumpy, rough, lumpy, stony, rocky, potholed, rutted, pitted, jagged.
uneven teeth
irregular, unequal, unbalanced, lopsided, askew, crooked, asymmetrical, unsymmetrical.
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uneven quality
inconsistent, variable, varying, fluctuating, irregular, erratic, patchy.
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an uneven contest
one-sided, unequal, unfair, unjust, inequitable, ill-matched, unbalanced.
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ANTONYMS :flat, regular, equal.

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uneventful

adjective
unexciting, uninteresting, monotonous, boring, dull, tedious, humdrum, routine, unvaried, ordinary, run-of-the-mill, pedestrian, mundane, predictable. ANTONYMS :exciting.

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unexceptional

adjective
ordinary, average, typical, everyday, mediocre, run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-road, indifferent; informal OK, so-so, nothing special, no great shakes, fair-to-middling.

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unexpected

adjective
unforeseen, unanticipated, unpredicted, unlooked for, without warning; sudden, abrupt, surprising, out of the blue.

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unfailing

adjective
his unfailing good humour
constant, reliable, dependable, steadfast, steady; endless, undying, unfading, inexhaustible, boundless, ceaseless.

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unfair

adjective
the trial was unfair
unjust, inequitable, prejudiced, biased, discriminatory; one-sided, unequal, uneven, unbalanced, partisan.
his comments were unfair
undeserved, unmerited, uncalled for, unreasonable, unjustified; Brit. informal out of order.
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unfair play
unsporting, unsportsmanlike, dirty, below the belt, underhand, dishonourable.
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you're being very unfair
inconsiderate, thoughtless, insensitive, selfish, mean, unkind, unreasonable.
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ANTONYMS :just, justified.

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unfaithful

adjective
her husband had been unfaithful
adulterous, faithless, fickle, untrue, inconstant; informal cheating, two-timing.
an unfaithful friend
disloyal, treacherous, traitorous, untrustworthy, unreliable, undependable, false, two-faced, double-crossing, deceitful; poetic/literary perfidious.
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ANTONYMS :loyal.

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unfaltering

adjective
steady, resolute, resolved, firm, steadfast, fixed, decided, unswerving, unwavering, tireless, indefatigable, persistent, unyielding, relentless, unremitting, unrelenting. ANTONYMS :unsteady.

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unfamiliar

adjective
an unfamiliar part of the city
unknown, new, strange, foreign, alien.
the unfamiliar sounds
unusual, uncommon, unconventional, novel, different, exotic, unorthodox, odd, peculiar, curious, uncharacteristic, anomalous, out of the ordinary.
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investors unfamiliar with the stock market
unacquainted, unused, unaccustomed, unconversant, inexperienced, uninformed, unenlightened, ignorant, new to, a stranger to.
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unfashionable

adjective
out of fashion, outdated, old-fashioned, outmoded, out of style, dated, unstylish, passé, démodé; informal out, square, out of the ark.

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unfasten

verb
undo, open, disconnect, remove, untie, unbutton, unzip, loose, loosen, free, unlock, unbolt.

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unfathomable

adjective
dark unfathomable eyes
inscrutable, incomprehensible, enigmatic, indecipherable, obscure, esoteric, mysterious, mystifying, deep, profound.
unfathomable water
deep, immeasurable, unfathomed, unplumbed, bottomless.
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ANTONYMS :penetrable.

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unfavourable

adjective
unfavourable comment
adverse, critical, hostile, inimical, unfriendly, unsympathetic, negative; discouraging, disapproving, uncomplimentary, unflattering.
the unfavourable economic climate
disadvantageous, adverse, inauspicious, unpropitious, gloomy; unsuitable, inappropriate, inopportune.
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ANTONYMS :positive.

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unfeeling

adjective
uncaring, unsympathetic, unemotional, uncharitable; heartless, hard-hearted, hard, harsh, austere, cold, cold-hearted. ANTONYMS :compassionate.

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unfeigned

adjective
sincere, genuine, real, true, honest, unaffected, unforced, heartfelt, wholehearted. ANTONYMS :insincere.

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unfettered

adjective
unrestrained, unrestricted, unconstrained, free, unbridled, unchecked, uncontrolled. ANTONYMS :restricted.

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unfinished

adjective
an unfinished essay
incomplete, uncompleted; partial, undone, half-done; imperfect, unpolished, unrefined, sketchy, fragmentary, rough.
the door can be supplied unfinished
unpainted, unvarnished, untreated.
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ANTONYMS :complete.

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unfit

adjective
the film is unfit for children | unfit for duty
unsuitable, unsuited, inappropriate, unequipped, inadequate, not designed; incapable of, unable to do something, not up to, not equal to; informal not cut out for, not up to scratch.
I am unfit
unhealthy, out of condition/shape, in poor condition/shape.
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ANTONYMS :suitable.

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unflagging

adjective
tireless, persistent, dogged, tenacious, determined, resolute, staunch, single-minded, unrelenting, unfaltering, unfailing. ANTONYMS :inconstant.

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unflappable

adjective
(informal) imperturbable, unexcitable, cool, calm, (cool, calm, and collected), self-controlled, cool-headed, level-headed; informal laid-back. ANTONYMS :excitable.

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unflattering

adjective
an unflattering review
unfavourable, uncomplimentary, harsh, unsympathetic, critical, hostile, scathing.
an unflattering dress
unattractive, unbecoming, unsightly, ugly, plain, ill-fitting.
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ANTONYMS :complimentary, becoming.

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unflinching

adjective
resolute, determined, single-minded, dogged, resolved, firm, committed, steady, unwavering, unflagging, unswerving, unfaltering, untiring, undaunted, fearless.

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unfold

verb
May unfolded the map
open out, spread out, flatten, straighten out, unroll.
she unfolded her tale to Joanna
narrate, relate, recount, tell, reveal, disclose, divulge, communicate, report, recite, give an account of.
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I watched the events unfold
develop, evolve, happen, take place, occur, transpire, progress.
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unforeseen

adjective
unpredicted, unexpected, unanticipated, unplanned, unlooked for, not bargained for. ANTONYMS :expected.

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unforgettable

adjective
memorable, not/never to be forgotten, haunting, catchy; striking, impressive, outstanding, extraordinary, exceptional. ANTONYMS :unexceptional.

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unforgivable

adjective
inexcusable, unpardonable, unjustifiable, indefensible, inexpiable, irremissible. ANTONYMS :venial.

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unfortunate

adjective
unfortunate people
unlucky, hapless, out of luck, luckless, wretched, miserable, forlorn, poor, pitiful; informal down on one's luck.
an unfortunate start to our holiday
adverse, disadvantageous, unfavourable, unlucky, unwelcome, unpromising, inauspicious, unpropitious; formal grievous.
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an unfortunate remark
regrettable, inappropriate, unsuitable, infelicitous, tactless, injudicious.
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ANTONYMS :lucky, auspicious.

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unfortunately

adverb
unluckily, sadly, regrettably, unhappily, alas, sad to say; informal worse luck.

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unfounded

adjective
groundless, baseless, unsubstantiated, unproven, unsupported, uncorroborated, unconfirmed, unverified, unattested, without basis, without foundation, speculative, conjectural. ANTONYMS :proven.

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unfriendly

adjective
an unfriendly look
hostile, disagreeable, antagonistic, aggressive; ill-natured, unpleasant, surly, sour, unamicable, uncongenial; inhospitable, unneighbourly, unwelcoming, unkind, unsympathetic; unsociable, antisocial; aloof, cold, cool, frosty, distant, unapproachable; informal stand-offish, starchy.
unfriendly terrain
unfavourable, disadvantageous, unpropitious, inauspicious, hostile.
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ANTONYMS :amiable, favourable.

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ungainly

adjective
awkward, clumsy, ungraceful, graceless, inelegant, gawky, maladroit, gauche, uncoordinated; archaic lubberly. ANTONYMS :graceful.

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ungodly

adjective
ungodly behaviour
unholy, godless, irreligious, impious, blasphemous, sacrilegious; immoral, corrupt, depraved, sinful, wicked, evil, iniquitous.
(informal) he called at an ungodly hour
unreasonable, unsocial, antisocial; informal unearthly.
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ungovernable

adjective
uncontrollable, unmanageable, anarchic, intractable; unruly, disorderly, rebellious, riotous, wild, mutinous, undisciplined.

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ungracious

adjective
rude, impolite, uncivil, discourteous, ill-mannered, bad-mannered, uncouth, disrespectful, insolent, impertinent, offhand. ANTONYMS :polite.

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ungrateful

adjective
unappreciative, unthankful, ungracious. ANTONYMS :thankful.

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unguarded

adjective
an unguarded frontier
undefended, unprotected, unfortified; vulnerable, insecure, open to attack.
an unguarded remark
careless, ill-considered, incautious, thoughtless, rash, foolhardy, foolish, indiscreet, imprudent, injudicious, ill-judged, insensitive; poetic/literary temerarious.
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an unguarded moment
unwary, inattentive, off guard, distracted, absent-minded.
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unhappiness

noun
sadness, sorrow, dejection, depression, misery, cheerlessness, downheartedness, despondency, despair, desolation, wretchedness, glumness, gloom, gloominess, dolefulness; melancholy, low spirits, mournfulness, woe, heartache, distress, chagrin, grief, pain; informal the blues.

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unhappy

adjective
an unhappy childhood
sad, miserable, sorrowful, dejected, despondent, disconsolate, morose, broken-hearted, heartbroken, down, downcast, dispirited, downhearted, depressed, melancholy, mournful, gloomy, glum, despairing, doleful, forlorn, woebegone, woeful, long-faced, joyless, cheerless; informal down in the mouth/dumps, fed up, blue.
in the unhappy event of litigation
unfortunate, unlucky, luckless; ill-starred, ill-fated, doomed; informal jinxed; poetic/literary star-crossed.
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I was unhappy with the service I received
dissatisfied, displeased, discontented, disappointed, disgruntled.
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"disorganized capitalism" seems an unhappy term
inappropriate, unsuitable, inapt, unfortunate; regrettable, ill-chosen.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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unharmed

adjective
they released the hostage unharmed
uninjured, unhurt, unscathed, safe (and sound), alive and well, in one piece, without a scratch.
the tomb was unharmed
undamaged, unbroken, unmarred, unspoiled, unsullied, unmarked; sound, intact, perfect, unblemished, pristine.
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ANTONYMS :injured, damaged.

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unhealthy

adjective
an unhealthy lifestyle
harmful, detrimental, destructive, injurious, damaging, deleterious; malign, noxious, poisonous, insalubrious, baleful.
an unhealthy pallor
ill-looking, ill, unwell, in poor health, ailing, sick, sickly, poorly, indisposed, weak, frail, delicate, infirm, washed out, run down, peaky.
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an unhealthy obsession with drugs
unwholesome, morbid, macabre, twisted, abnormal, warped, depraved, unnatural; informal sick.
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unheard of

adjective
such behaviour was unheard of
unprecedented, exceptional, extraordinary, out of the ordinary, unthought of, undreamed of, unbelievable, inconceivable, unimaginable, unthinkable; formal unexampled.
a game unheard of in the UK
unknown, unfamiliar, new.
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ANTONYMS :common, well known.

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unheeded

adjective
disregarded, ignored, neglected, overlooked, unnoted, unrecognized.

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unhinged

adjective
deranged, demented, unbalanced, out of one's mind, crazed, mad, insane, disturbed; informal crazy, mental, bonkers, batty, loopy, bananas, touched. ANTONYMS :sane.

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unholy

adjective
a grin of unholy amusement
ungodly, godless, irreligious, impious, blasphemous, sacrilegious, profane, irreverent; wicked, evil, immoral, corrupt, depraved, sinful.
(informal) an unholy row
shocking, dreadful, outrageous, appalling, terrible, horrendous, frightful.
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an unholy alliance
unnatural, unusual, improbable, made in Hell.
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unhoped for

adjective
unexpected, unanticipated, unforeseen, unlooked-for, undreamed of, out of the blue. ANTONYMS :expected.

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unhurried

adjective
leisurely, easy, easy-going, relaxed, slow, deliberate, measured, calm. ANTONYMS :hasty.

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unhygienic

adjective
insanitary, unsanitary, dirty, filthy, contaminated, unhealthy, unwholesome, insalubrious, polluted, foul. ANTONYMS :sanitary.

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unidentified

adjective
unknown, unnamed, anonymous, incognito, nameless, unfamiliar, strange. ANTONYMS :known.

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unification

noun
union, merger, fusion, fusing, amalgamation, coalition, combination, confederation, federation, synthesis, joining.

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uniform

adjective
a uniform temperature
constant, consistent, steady, invariable, unvarying, unfluctuating, unchanging, stable, static, regular, fixed, even, equal.
pieces of uniform size
identical, matching, similar, equal; same, like, homogeneous, consistent.
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ANTONYMS :variable.

noun
a soldier in uniform
costume, livery, regalia, suit, ensemble, outfit; regimentals, colours; informal get-up, rig, gear; archaic habit.

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uniformity

noun
uniformity in tax law
constancy, consistency, conformity, invariability, stability, regularity, evenness, homogeneity, homogeneousness, equality.
a dull uniformity
monotony, tedium, tediousness, dullness, dreariness, flatness, sameness.
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ANTONYMS :variation, variety.

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unify

verb
unite, bring together, join (together), merge, fuse, amalgamate, coalesce, combine, blend, mix, bind, consolidate. ANTONYMS :separate.

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unimaginable

adjective
unthinkable, inconceivable, incredible, unbelievable, unheard of, unthought of, untold, undreamed of, beyond one's wildest dreams.

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unimaginative

adjective
uninspired, uninventive, unoriginal, uncreative, commonplace, pedestrian, mundane, ordinary, routine, humdrum, workaday, run-of-the-mill, hackneyed, trite.

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unimpeachable

adjective
trustworthy, reliable, dependable, above suspicion, irreproachable. ANTONYMS :unreliable.

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unimpeded

adjective
unrestricted, unhindered, unblocked, unhampered, free, clear.

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unimportant

adjective
insignificant, inconsequential, trivial, minor, trifling, of little/no importance, of little/no consequence, of no account, irrelevant, peripheral, extraneous, petty, paltry; informal piddling; formal of no moment.

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uninhabited

adjective
much of this land was uninhabited
unpopulated, unpeopled, unsettled.
an uninhabited hut
vacant, empty, unoccupied, untenanted, to let.
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uninhibited

adjective
uninhibited dancing
unrestrained, unrepressed, abandoned, wild, reckless; unrestricted, uncontrolled, unchecked, intemperate, wanton.
I'm pretty uninhibited
unreserved, unrepressed, liberated, unselfconscious, free and easy, relaxed, informal, open, outgoing, extrovert, outspoken, frank, forthright; informal upfront.
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ANTONYMS :repressed.

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uninspired

adjective
unimaginative, uninventive, pedestrian, mundane, unoriginal, commonplace, ordinary, routine, humdrum, run-of-the-mill, hackneyed, trite; spiritless, passionless.

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uninspiring

adjective
boring, dull, dreary, unexciting, unstimulating; dry, colourless, bland, lacklustre, tedious, humdrum, run-of-the-mill.

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unintelligent

adjective
stupid, ignorant, dense, brainless, mindless, foolish, dull-witted, slow, simple-minded, vacuous, vapid, idiotic, obtuse; informal thick, dim, dumb, dopey, half-witted, dozy.

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unintelligible

adjective
unintelligible sounds
incomprehensible, indiscernible, mumbled, indistinct, unclear, slurred, inarticulate, incoherent, garbled.
unintelligible graffiti
illegible, indecipherable, unreadable.
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unintentional

adjective
unintended, accidental, inadvertent, involuntary, unwitting, unthinking, unpremeditated, unconscious. ANTONYMS :deliberate.

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uninterested

adjective
indifferent, unconcerned, uninvolved, apathetic, lukewarm, unenthusiastic.

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uninteresting

adjective
unexciting, boring, dull, tiresome, wearisome, tedious, dreary, lifeless, humdrum, colourless, bland, insipid, banal, dry, pedestrian; informal samey. ANTONYMS :exciting.

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uninterrupted

adjective
unbroken, continuous, continual, undisturbed, untroubled. ANTONYMS :intermittent.

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uninvited

adjective
an uninvited guest
unasked, unexpected; unwelcome, unwanted.
uninvited suggestions
unsolicited, unrequested, unsought.
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uninviting

adjective
unappealing, unattractive, unappetizing, off-putting; bleak, cheerless, dreary, dismal, depressing, grim, inhospitable. ANTONYMS :tempting.

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union

noun
the union of art and nature
unification, uniting, joining, merging, merger, fusion, fusing, amalgamating, amalgamation, coalition, combination, synthesis, blend, blending, mingling.
the crowd moved in union
unity, accord, unison, harmony, agreement, concurrence; formal concord.
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his daughter's union
marriage, wedding, alliance; coupling, intercourse, copulation.
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representation by a union
association, trade union, league, guild, confederation, federation.
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ANTONYMS :separation, parting.

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unique

adjective
each site is unique
distinctive, individual, special, idiosyncratic; single, sole, lone, unrepeated, unrepeatable, solitary, exclusive, rare, uncommon, unusual; informal one-off.
a unique insight into history
remarkable, special, singular, noteworthy, notable, extraordinary; unequalled, unparalleled, unmatched, unsurpassed, incomparable; formal unexampled.
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species unique to the island
peculiar, specific.
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unison

in unison
they lifted their arms in unison
simultaneously, at (one and) the same time, (all) at once, (all) together.

we are in complete unison
in agreement, in accord, in harmony, as one; formal in concord.
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unit

noun
the family is the fundamental unit of society
component, element, constituent, subdivision.
a unit of currency
quantity, measure, denomination.
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a guerrilla unit
detachment, contingent, division, company, squadron, corps, regiment, brigade, platoon, battalion; cell, faction.
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unite

verb
uniting the nation
unify, join, link, connect, combine, amalgamate, fuse, weld, bond, bring together, knit together.
environmentalists and activists united
join together, join forces, combine, band together, ally, cooperate, collaborate, work together, pull together, team up.
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he sought to unite comfort with elegance
merge, mix, blend, mingle, combine; poetic/literary commingle.
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ANTONYMS :divide.

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united

adjective
a united Germany
unified, integrated, amalgamated, joined, merged; federal, confederate.
a united response
common, shared, joint, combined, communal, cooperative, collective, collaborative, concerted.
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they were united in their views
in agreement, agreed, in unison, of the same opinion, like-minded, as one, in accord, in harmony, in unity.
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United States of America

noun
America; informal the States, the US of A, Uncle Sam; poetic/literary Columbia.

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unity

noun
European unity
union, unification, integration, amalgamation; coalition, federation, confederation.
unity between opposing factions
harmony, accord, cooperation, collaboration, agreement, consensus, solidarity; formal concord.
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the organic unity of the universe
oneness, singleness, wholeness, uniformity, homogeneity.
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ANTONYMS :division, discord.

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universal

adjective
general, ubiquitous, comprehensive, common, omnipresent, all-inclusive; global, worldwide, international, widespread.

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universally

adverb
invariably, always, without exception, in all cases; everywhere, worldwide, globally, internationally; widely, commonly, generally.

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universe

noun
the physical universe
cosmos, macrocosm, totality; infinity, all existence.
the universe of computer hardware
province, world, sphere, preserve, domain.
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cosmic.

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university

noun
college, academy, institute; N. Amer. school; historical polytechnic.

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unjust

adjective
the attack was unjust
biased, prejudiced, unfair, inequitable, discriminatory, partisan, partial, one-sided.
an unjust law
wrongful, unfair, undeserved, unmerited, unwarranted, uncalled for, unreasonable, unjustifiable, indefensible.
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ANTONYMS :fair.

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unjustifiable

adjective
an unjustifiable extravagance
indefensible, inexcusable, unforgivable, unpardonable, uncalled for, without justification, unwarrantable; excessive, immoderate.
an unjustifiable slur on his character
groundless, unfounded, baseless, unsubstantiated, unconfirmed, uncorroborated.
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ANTONYMS :reasonable.

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unkempt

adjective
untidy, messy, scruffy, disordered, dishevelled, disarranged, rumpled, wind-blown, ungroomed, bedraggled, in a mess, messed up; tousled, uncombed; N. Amer. informal mussed up. ANTONYMS :tidy.

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unkind

adjective
everyone was being unkind to him
uncharitable, unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty, mean, mean-spirited, cruel, vicious, spiteful, malicious, callous, unsympathetic, unfeeling, uncaring, hurtful, ill-natured, hard-hearted, cold-hearted; unfriendly, uncivil, inconsiderate, insensitive, hostile; informal bitchy, catty; Brit. informal beastly.
unkind weather
inclement, intemperate, rough, severe, filthy.
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unkindness

noun
nastiness, unpleasantness, disagreeableness, cruelty, malice, meanness, mean-spiritedness, viciousness, callousness, hard-heartedness, cold-heartedness; unfriendliness, inconsiderateness, hostility; informal bitchiness, cattiness.

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unknown

adjective
the outcome was unknown
undisclosed, unrevealed, secret; undetermined, undecided, unresolved, unsettled, unsure, unascertained.
unknown country
unexplored, uncharted, unmapped, untravelled, undiscovered.
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persons unknown
unidentified, unnamed, nameless, anonymous.
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firearms were unknown to the Indians
unfamiliar, unheard of, new, novel, strange.
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unknown artists
obscure, unheard of, unsung, minor, insignificant, unimportant, undistinguished.
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ANTONYMS :familiar.

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unlawful

adjective
illegal, illicit, illegitimate, against the law; criminal, felonious; prohibited, banned, outlawed, proscribed, forbidden. ANTONYMS :legal.

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unleash

verb
let loose, release, (set) free, unloose, untie, untether, unchain.

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unlettered

adjective
illiterate, uneducated, poorly educated, unschooled, unlearned, ignorant. ANTONYMS :educated.

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unlike

preposition
England is totally unlike Jamaica
different from, unalike, dissimilar to.
unlike Linda, Chrissy was a bit of a radical
in contrast to, as opposed to.
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ANTONYMS :similar too.

adjective
a meeting of unlike minds
dissimilar, unalike, disparate, contrasting, antithetical, different, diverse, heterogeneous, divergent, at variance, varying, at odds; informal like chalk and cheese.

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unlikely

adjective
it is unlikely they will ever recover
improbable, doubtful, dubious.
an unlikely story
implausible, improbable, questionable, unconvincing, far-fetched, unrealistic, incredible, unbelievable, inconceivable, unimaginable; informal tall, cock and bull.
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ANTONYMS :probable, believable.

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unlimited

adjective
unlimited supplies of water
inexhaustible, limitless, illimitable, boundless, immeasurable, incalculable, untold, infinite, endless, never-ending.
unlimited travel
unrestricted, unconstrained, unrestrained, unchecked, unbridled, uncurbed.
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unlimited power
total, unqualified, unconditional, unrestricted, absolute, supreme.
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ANTONYMS :finite, restricted.

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unload

verb
we unloaded the van
unpack, empty; archaic unlade.
they unloaded the cases from the lorry
remove, offload, discharge.
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the state unloaded its 25 per cent stake
sell, discard, jettison, offload, get rid of, dispose of; palm something off on someone, foist something on someone, fob something off on someone; informal dump, junk, get shot/shut of.
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unlock

verb
unbolt, unlatch, unbar, unfasten, open.

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unlooked-for

adjective
unexpected, unforeseen, unanticipated, unsought, unpredicted, undreamed of, fortuitous, chance, serendipitous.

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unloved

adjective
uncared-for, unwanted, friendless, unvalued; rejected, unwelcome, shunned, spurned, neglected, abandoned.

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unlucky

adjective
he was unlucky not to score
unfortunate, luckless, out of luck, hapless, ill-fated, ill-starred, unhappy; informal down on one's luck; poetic/literary star-crossed.
an unlucky number
unfavourable, inauspicious, unpropitious, ominous, cursed, ill-fated, ill-omened, disadvantageous, unfortunate.
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ANTONYMS :fortunate, favourable.

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unmanageable

adjective
the huge house was unmanageable
troublesome, awkward, inconvenient; cumbersome, bulky, unwieldy.
his behaviour was becoming unmanageable
uncontrollable, ungovernable, unruly, disorderly, out of hand, difficult, disruptive, undisciplined, wayward; informal stroppy; archaic contumacious.
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unmanly

adjective
effeminate, effete, unmasculine; weak, soft, timid, timorous, limp-wristed; informal sissy, wimpish, wimpy. ANTONYMS :virile.

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unmannerly

adjective
rude, impolite, uncivil, discourteous, bad-mannered, ill-mannered, disrespectful, impertinent, impudent, insolent; uncouth, boorish, oafish, loutish, ill-bred, coarse. ANTONYMS :polite.

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unmarried

adjective
unwed(ded), single; spinster, bachelor; unattached, available, eligible, free.

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unmatched

adjective
a talent for publicity unmatched by any other politician
unequalled, unrivalled, unparalleled, unsurpassed.
unmatched clarity and balance
peerless, matchless, without equal, without parallel, incomparable, inimitable, superlative, second to none, in a class of its own.
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unmentionable

adjective
taboo, censored, forbidden, banned, proscribed, prohibited, not to be spoken of, ineffable, unspeakable, unutterable, unprintable, off limits; informal no go.

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unmerciful

adjective
ruthless, cruel, harsh, merciless, pitiless, cold-blooded, hard-hearted, callous, brutal, severe, unforgiving, inhumane, inhuman, heartless, unsympathetic, unfeeling.

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unmistakable

adjective
distinctive, distinct, telltale, indisputable, indubitable, undoubted; plain, clear, definite, obvious, evident, self-evident, manifest, patent, unambiguous, unequivocal, pronounced, as plain as the nose on your face.

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unmitigated

adjective
absolute, unqualified, categorical, complete, total, downright, outright, utter, out-and-out, undiluted, unequivocal, veritable, perfect, consummate, pure, sheer.

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unmoved

adjective
he was totally unmoved by her outburst
unaffected, untouched, unimpressed, undismayed, unworried; aloof, cool, cold, dry-eyed; unconcerned, uncaring, indifferent, impassive, unemotional, stoical, phlegmatic, equable; impervious (to), oblivious (to), heedless (of), deaf to.
he remained unmoved on the crucial issues
steadfast, firm, unwavering, unswerving, resolute, decided, resolved, inflexible, unbending, implacable, adamant.
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unnatural

adjective
the life of a battery hen is completely unnatural
abnormal, unusual, uncommon, extraordinary, strange, freak, odd, peculiar, unorthodox, exceptional, irregular, untypical.
a flash of unnatural colour
artificial, man-made, synthetic, manufactured.
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unnatural vice
perverted, warped, twisted, deviant, depraved, degenerate; informal kinky, pervy, sick.
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her voice sounded unnatural
affected, artificial, stilted, forced, laboured, strained, false, fake, insincere; informal put on, phoney.
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they condemned her as an unnatural woman
uncaring, unfeeling, heartless, cold-blooded, hard-hearted, callous, cruel, inhumane.
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ANTONYMS :normal, genuine.

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unnecessary

adjective
unneeded, inessential, not required, uncalled for, useless, unwarranted, unwanted, undesired, dispensable, unimportant, optional, extraneous, expendable, disposable, redundant, pointless, purposeless. ANTONYMS :essential.

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unnerve

verb
demoralize, discourage, dishearten, dispirit, daunt, alarm, frighten, dismay, disconcert, discompose, perturb, upset, discomfit, take aback, unsettle, disquiet, fluster, agitate, shake, ruffle, throw off balance; informal rattle, faze, shake up; Brit. informal put the wind up; N. Amer. informal discombobulate. ANTONYMS :hearten.

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unobtrusive

adjective
she was unobtrusive and shy
self-effacing, retiring, unassuming, quiet; shy, bashful, timid, timorous, reserved, withdrawn, introvert(ed), unforthcoming, unassertive.
unobtrusive service
inconspicuous, unnoticeable, low-key, discreet, circumspect, understated, unostentatious.
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ANTONYMS :extrovert, conspicuous.

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unoccupied

adjective
an unoccupied house
vacant, empty, uninhabited; free, available, to let.
an unoccupied territory
uninhabited, unpopulated, unpeopled, unsettled.
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many young people were unoccupied
at leisure, idle, free, with time on one's hands, at a loose end.
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ANTONYMS :inhabited, populated, busy.

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unofficial

adjective
unofficial figures
unauthenticated, unconfirmed, uncorroborated, unsubstantiated, off the record.
an unofficial committee
informal, casual; unauthorized, unsanctioned, unaccredited.
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ANTONYMS :confirmed, formal.

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unorthodox

adjective
unorthodox views on management
unconventional, unusual, radical, nonconformist, avant-garde, eccentric; informal off the wall, way out, offbeat.
unorthodox religious views
heterodox, heretical, nonconformist, dissenting.
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ANTONYMS :conventional.

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unpaid

adjective
unpaid bills
unsettled, outstanding, due, overdue, owing, owed, payable, undischarged; N. Amer. delinquent, past due.
unpaid charity work
voluntary, volunteer, honorary, unremunerative, unsalaried, pro bono (publico).
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unpalatable

adjective
unpalatable food
unappetizing, unappealing, unsavoury, inedible, uneatable; disgusting, revolting, nauseating, tasteless, flavourless.
the unpalatable truth
disagreeable, unpleasant, regrettable, unwelcome, lamentable, dreadful, hateful.
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ANTONYMS :tasty.

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unparalleled

adjective
exceptional, unique, singular, rare, unequalled, unprecedented, without parallel, without equal; matchless, peerless, unrivalled, unsurpassed, unexcelled, incomparable, second to none; formal unexampled.

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unperturbed

adjective
untroubled, undisturbed, unworried, unconcerned, unmoved, unflustered, unruffled, undismayed; calm, composed, cool, collected, unemotional, self-possessed, self-assured, level-headed, unfazed, laid-back.

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unpleasant

adjective
a very unpleasant situation
disagreeable, irksome, troublesome, annoying, irritating, vexatious, displeasing, distressing, nasty, horrible, terrible, awful, dreadful, hateful, miserable, invidious, objectionable, offensive, obnoxious, repugnant, repulsive, repellent, revolting, disgusting, distasteful, nauseating, unsavoury.
an unpleasant man
unlikable, unlovable, disagreeable; unfriendly, rude, impolite, obnoxious, nasty, spiteful, mean, mean-spirited; insufferable, unbearable, annoying, irritating.
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an unpleasant taste
unappetizing, unpalatable, unsavoury, unappealing, bitter, sour, rancid; disgusting, revolting, nauseating, sickening.
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ANTONYMS :agreeable, likable.

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unpolished

adjective
unpolished wood
unvarnished, unfinished, untreated, natural.
his unpolished ways
unsophisticated, unrefined, uncultured, uncultivated, coarse, vulgar, crude, rough (and ready), awkward, clumsy, gauche.
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an unpolished performance
slipshod, rough, crude, uneven.
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ANTONYMS :varnished, sophisticated.

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unpopular

adjective
disliked, friendless, unliked, unloved; unwelcome, avoided, ignored, rejected, shunned, spurned, cold-shouldered.

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unprecedented

adjective
unparalleled, unequalled, unmatched, unrivalled, without parallel, without equal, out of the ordinary, unusual, exceptional, singular, remarkable, unique; unheard of, unknown, new, ground-breaking, revolutionary, pioneering; formal unexampled.

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unpredictable

adjective
unpredictable results
unforeseeable, uncertain, unsure, doubtful, dubious, in the balance, up in the air, arbitrary.
unpredictable behaviour
erratic, moody, volatile, unstable, capricious, temperamental, mercurial, changeable, variable.
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unprejudiced

adjective
unprejudiced observation
objective, impartial, unbiased, neutral, non-partisan, detached, disinterested.
unprejudiced attitudes
unbiased, tolerant, non-discriminatory, liberal, broad-minded, unbigoted.
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ANTONYMS :partisan, intolerant.

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unpremeditated

adjective
unplanned, spontaneous, unprepared, impromptu, spur-of-the-moment, unrehearsed; informal off-the-cuff. ANTONYMS :planned.

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unprepared

adjective
we were unprepared for the new VAT regime
unready, off (one's) guard, surprised, taken aback; informal caught napping, caught on the hop.
they are unprepared to support the reforms
unwilling, disinclined, loath, reluctant, resistant, opposed.
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ANTONYMS :ready, willing.

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unpretentious

adjective
he was thoroughly unpretentious
unaffected, modest, unassuming, without airs, natural, straightforward, open, honest, sincere, frank.
an unpretentious hotel
simple, plain, modest, humble, unostentatious, homely, unsophisticated.
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unprincipled

adjective
immoral, unethical, unscrupulous, dishonourable, dishonest, deceitful, devious, corrupt, crooked, wicked, evil, villainous, shameless, base, low. ANTONYMS :ethical.

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unproductive

adjective
unproductive soil
sterile, barren, infertile, unfruitful, poor.
unproductive meetings
fruitless, futile, vain, idle, useless, worthless, valueless, pointless, ineffective, ineffectual, unprofitable, unrewarding.
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ANTONYMS :fruitful.

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unprofessional

adjective
unprofessional conduct
improper, unethical, unprincipled, unscrupulous, dishonourable, disreputable, unseemly, unbecoming, indecorous; informal shady, crooked.
he accused the detectives of being unprofessional
amateurish, amateur, unskilled, unskilful, inexpert, unqualified, inexperienced, incompetent, second-rate, inefficient.
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unpromising

adjective
inauspicious, unfavourable, unpropitious, discouraging, disheartening, gloomy, bleak, black, portentous, ominous, ill-omened. ANTONYMS :auspicious.

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unqualified

adjective
an unqualified accountant
uncertificated, unlicensed, untrained, inexperienced.
those unqualified to look after children
unsuitable, unfit, ineligible, incompetent, unable, incapable.
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unqualified support
unconditional, unreserved, unlimited, without reservations, categorical, unequivocal, unambiguous, wholehearted; complete, absolute, downright, undivided, total, utter.
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unquestionable

adjective
indubitable, undoubted, beyond question, beyond doubt, indisputable, undeniable, irrefutable, incontestable, incontrovertible, unequivocal; certain, sure, definite, self-evident, evident, manifest, obvious, apparent, patent.

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unravel

verb
he unravelled the strands
untangle, disentangle, separate out, unwind, untwist.
detectives are trying to unravel the mystery
solve, resolve, clear up, puzzle out, get to the bottom of, explain, clarify, make head or tail of; informal figure out, suss (out).
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society is starting to unravel
fall apart, fail, collapse, go wrong.
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ANTONYMS :entangle.

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unreadable

adjective
unreadable writing
illegible, hard to read, indecipherable, unintelligible, scrawled, crabbed.
heavy, unreadable novels
dull, tedious, boring, uninteresting, dry, wearisome, difficult, heavy.
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Nathan's expression was unreadable
inscrutable, enigmatic, impenetrable, cryptic, mysterious, deadpan; informal poker-faced.
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ANTONYMS :legible, accessible.

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unreal

adjective
imaginary, fictitious, pretend, make-believe, made-up, dreamed-up, mock, false, illusory, mythical, fanciful; hypothetical, theoretical; informal phoney.

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unrealistic

adjective
it is unrealistic to expect changes overnight
impractical, impracticable, unfeasible, non-viable; unreasonable, irrational, illogical, senseless, silly, foolish, fanciful, idealistic, romantic, starry-eyed.
unrealistic images
unlifelike, non-realistic, unnatural, non-representational, abstract.
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ANTONYMS :pragmatic, lifelike.

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unreasonable

adjective
an unreasonable woman
uncooperative, unhelpful, disobliging, unaccommodating, awkward, contrary, difficult; obstinate, obdurate, wilful, headstrong, pig-headed, intractable, intransigent, inflexible; irrational, illogical, prejudiced, intolerant.
unreasonable demands
unacceptable, preposterous, outrageous; excessive, immoderate, disproportionate, undue, inordinate, intolerable, unjustified, unwarranted, uncalled for.
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unrecognizable

adjective
unidentifiable, unknowable; disguised.

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unrefined

adjective
unrefined clay
unprocessed, untreated, crude, raw, natural, unprepared, unfinished.
unrefined men
uncultured, uncultivated, uncivilized, uneducated, unsophisticated; boorish, oafish, loutish, coarse, vulgar, rude, uncouth.
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ANTONYMS :processed.

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unrelated

adjective
unrelated incidents
separate, unconnected, independent, unassociated, distinct, discrete, disparate.
a reason unrelated to my work
irrelevant, immaterial, inapplicable, unconcerned, off the subject, beside the point, not pertinent, not germane.
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unrelenting

adjective
the unrelenting heat
continual, constant, continuous, relentless, unremitting, unabating, unrelieved, incessant, unceasing, endless, unending, persistent.
an unrelenting opponent
implacable, inflexible, uncompromising, unyielding, unbending, relentless, determined, dogged, tireless, unflagging, unshakeable, unswerving, unwavering.
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ANTONYMS :intermittent.

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unreliable

adjective
unreliable volunteers
undependable, untrustworthy, irresponsible, fickle, capricious, erratic, unpredictable, inconstant, faithless.
an unreliable indicator
questionable, open to doubt, doubtful, dubious, suspect, unsound, tenuous, fallible; risky, chancy, inaccurate; informal iffy, dicey.
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unremitting

adjective
relentless, unrelenting, continual, constant, continuous, unabating, unrelieved, sustained, unceasing, ceaseless, endless, unending, persistent, perpetual, interminable.

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unrepentant

adjective
impenitent, unrepenting, remorseless, unashamed, unapologetic, unabashed.

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unreserved

adjective
unreserved support
unconditional, unqualified, without reservations, unlimited, categorical, unequivocal, unambiguous; absolute, complete, thorough, wholehearted, total, utter, undivided.
an unreserved young man
uninhibited, extrovert, outgoing, unrestrained, open, unconstrained, unselfconscious, outspoken, frank, candid.
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unreserved seats
unbooked, unallocated, unoccupied, free, empty, vacant.
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ANTONYMS :qualified, reticent, booked.

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unresolved

adjective
undecided, unsettled, undetermined, uncertain, open, pending, open to debate/question, doubtful, in doubt, up in the air. ANTONYMS :decided.

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unrest

noun
disruption, disturbance, trouble, turmoil, disorder, chaos, anarchy; discord, dissension, dissent, strife, protest, rebellion, uprising, rioting. ANTONYMS :peace.

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unrestrained

adjective
uncontrolled, unconstrained, unrestricted, unchecked, unbridled, unlimited, unfettered, uninhibited, unbounded, undisciplined.

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unrestricted

adjective
unlimited, open, free, clear, unhindered, unimpeded, unhampered, unchecked, unrestrained, unconstrained, unblocked, unbounded, unconfined, unqualified. ANTONYMS :limited.

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unripe

adjective
immature, unready, green, sour.

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unrivalled

adjective
unequalled, without equal, unparalleled, without parallel, unmatched, unsurpassed, unexcelled, incomparable, beyond compare, inimitable, second to none.

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unruffled

adjective
an unruffled voice
calm, composed, self-controlled, self-possessed, untroubled, unperturbed, at ease, relaxed, serene, cool, (cool, calm, and collected), cool-headed, unemotional, equanimous, equable, stoical; informal unfazed.
an unruffled sea
tranquil, calm, smooth, still, flat, motionless, placid, waveless, pacific, like a millpond.
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unruly

adjective
disorderly, rowdy, wild, unmanageable, uncontrollable, disobedient, disruptive, undisciplined, wayward, wilful, headstrong, irrepressible, obstreperous, difficult, intractable, out of hand, recalcitrant; boisterous, lively; formal refractory; archaic contumacious. ANTONYMS :disciplined.

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unsafe

adjective
the building was unsafe
dangerous, risky, perilous, hazardous, life-threatening, high-risk, treacherous, insecure, unsound; harmful, injurious, toxic.
the verdict was unsafe
unreliable, insecure, unsound, questionable, open to question/doubt, doubtful, dubious, suspect, fallible; informal iffy.
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ANTONYMS :harmless, secure.

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unsaid

adjective
unspoken, unuttered, unstated, unexpressed, unvoiced, untalked-of, suppressed; tacit, implicit, understood, not spelt out, taken as read, inferred, implied.

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unsanitary

adjective
unhygienic, insanitary, dirty, filthy, unclean, contaminated, unhealthy, germ-ridden, disease-ridden, infested, insalubrious, polluted. ANTONYMS :hygienic.

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unsatisfactory

adjective
disappointing, dissatisfying, undesirable, disagreeable, displeasing; inadequate, unacceptable, poor, bad, substandard, weak, mediocre, not good enough, not up to par, defective, deficient, imperfect, inferior; informal leaving a lot to be desired, no great shakes, not much cop.

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unsavoury

adjective
unsavoury portions of food
unpalatable, unappetizing, distasteful, disagreeable, unappealing, unattractive; inedible, uneatable, disgusting, revolting, nauseating, sickening, foul, nasty, vile; tasteless, bland, flavourless; informal yucky.
an unsavoury character
disreputable, unpleasant, disagreeable, nasty, mean, rough; immoral, degenerate, dishonourable, dishonest, unprincipled, unscrupulous, low, villainous; informal shady, crooked.
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ANTONYMS :tasty, appetizing.

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unscathed

adjective
unharmed, unhurt, uninjured, undamaged, in one piece, intact, safe (and sound), unmarked, untouched, unscratched. ANTONYMS :harmed, injured.

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unscrupulous

adjective
unprincipled, unethical, immoral, conscienceless, shameless, reprobate, exploitative, corrupt, dishonest, dishonourable, deceitful, devious, underhand, unsavoury, disreputable, evil, wicked, villainous; informal crooked, shady; dated dastardly.

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unseat

verb
the horse unseated his rider
dislodge, throw, dismount, upset, unhorse.
an attempt to unseat the party leader
depose, oust, remove from office, topple, overthrow, bring down, dislodge, supplant, usurp, overturn, eject.
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unseemly

adjective
indecorous, improper, unbecoming, unfitting, unbefitting, unworthy, undignified, indiscreet, indelicate, ungentlemanly, unladylike. ANTONYMS :decorous.

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unseen

adjective
hidden, concealed, obscured, camouflaged, out of sight, imperceptible, undetectable, unnoticeable, unnoticed, unobserved.

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unselfish

adjective
altruistic, disinterested, selfless, self-denying, self-sacrificing; generous, philanthropic, public-spirited, charitable, benevolent, caring, kind, considerate, noble.

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unsettle

verb
discompose, unnerve, upset, disturb, disquiet, perturb, discomfit, disconcert, alarm, dismay, trouble, bother, agitate, fluster, ruffle, shake (up), throw, unbalance, destabilize; informal rattle, faze.

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unsettled

adjective
an unsettled life
aimless, directionless, purposeless, without purpose; rootless, nomadic.
an unsettled child
restless, restive, fidgety, anxious, worried, troubled, fretful; agitated, ruffled, uneasy, disconcerted, discomposed, unnerved, ill at ease, edgy, on edge, tense, nervous, apprehensive, disturbed, perturbed; informal rattled, fazed.
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unsettled weather
changeable, changing, variable, varying, inconstant, inconsistent, ever-changing, erratic, unstable, undependable, unreliable, uncertain, unpredictable, protean.
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the question remains unsettled
undecided, to be decided, unresolved, undetermined, uncertain, open to debate, doubtful, in doubt, up in the air, in a state of uncertainty.
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the debt remains unsettled
unpaid, payable, outstanding, owing, owed, to be paid, due, undischarged; N. Amer. delinquent, past due.
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unsettled areas
uninhabited, unpopulated, unpeopled, desolate, lonely.
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unshakeable

adjective
steadfast, resolute, staunch, firm, decided, determined, unswerving, unwavering; unyielding, inflexible, dogged, obstinate, persistent, indefatigable, tireless, unflagging, unremitting, unrelenting, relentless.

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unsightly

adjective
ugly, unattractive, unprepossessing, unlovely, disagreeable, displeasing, hideous, horrible, repulsive, revolting, offensive, grotesque, monstrous, ghastly. ANTONYMS :attractive.

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unskilful

adjective
inexpert, incompetent, inept, unskilled, amateurish, unprofessional, inexperienced, untrained, unpractised; informal ham-fisted, ham-handed, cack-handed.

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unskilled

adjective
untrained, unqualified; manual, blue-collar, labouring, menial; inexpert, inexperienced, unpractised, amateurish, unprofessional.

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unsociable

adjective
unfriendly, uncongenial, unneighbourly, unapproachable, introverted, reticent, reserved, withdrawn, aloof, distant, remote, detached, unsocial, antisocial, taciturn, silent, quiet; informal stand-offish. ANTONYMS :friendly.

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unsolicited

adjective
uninvited, unsought, unasked for, unrequested.

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unsophisticated

adjective
she seemed terribly unsophisticated
unworldly, naive, simple, innocent, ignorant, green, immature, callow, inexperienced, childlike, artless, guileless, ingenuous, natural, unaffected, unassuming, unpretentious.
unsophisticated software
simple, crude, basic, rudimentary, primitive, rough and ready; straightforward, uncomplicated, uninvolved.
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unsound

adjective
structurally unsound
rickety, flimsy, wobbly, unstable, crumbling, damaged, rotten, ramshackle, insubstantial, unsafe, dangerous.
this submission appears unsound
untenable, flawed, defective, faulty, ill-founded, flimsy, unreliable, questionable, dubious, tenuous, suspect, fallacious, fallible; informal iffy.
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of unsound mind
disordered, deranged, disturbed, demented, unstable, unbalanced, unhinged, insane; informal touched.
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ANTONYMS :strong.

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unsparing

adjective
he is unsparing in his criticism
merciless, pitiless, ruthless, relentless, remorseless, unmerciful, unforgiving, implacable, uncompromising; stern, strict, severe, harsh, tough, rigorous.
unsparing approval
ungrudging, unstinting, willingly given, free, free-handed, ready; lavish, liberal, generous, magnanimous, open-handed.
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unspeakable

adjective
unspeakable delights
indescribable, beyond description, inexpressible, unutterable, indefinable, unimaginable, inconceivable, marvellous, wonderful.
an unspeakable crime
dreadful, awful, appalling, horrific, horrifying, horrendous, abominable, frightful, fearful, shocking, ghastly, gruesome, monstrous, heinous, egregious, deplorable, despicable, execrable, vile.
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unspecified

adjective
unnamed, unstated, unidentified, undesignated, undefined, unfixed, undecided, undetermined, uncertain; nameless, unknown, indefinite, indeterminate, vague.

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unspectacular

adjective
unremarkable, unexceptional, undistinguished, unmemorable; ordinary, average, commonplace, mediocre, run-of-the-mill, indifferent. ANTONYMS :remarkable.

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unspoilt

adjective
unimpaired, as good as new/before, perfect, pristine, immaculate, unblemished, unharmed, unflawed, undamaged, untouched, unmarked, untainted.

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unspoken

adjective
unstated, unexpressed, unuttered, unsaid, unvoiced, unarticulated, undeclared, not spelt out; tacit, implicit, implied, understood, taken as read. ANTONYMS :explicit.

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unstable

adjective
icebergs are notoriously unstable
unsteady, rocky, wobbly, rickety, shaky, unsafe, insecure, precarious.
unstable coffee prices
changeable, volatile, variable, fluctuating, irregular, unpredictable, erratic.
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he was mentally unstable
unbalanced, of unsound mind, mentally ill, deranged, demented, disturbed, unhinged.
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ANTONYMS :steady, firm.

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unsteady

adjective
she was unsteady on her feet
unstable, rocky, wobbly, rickety, shaky, tottery, doddery, insecure.
an unsteady flow
irregular, uneven, varying, variable, erratic, spasmodic, changeable, changing, fluctuating, inconstant, intermittent, fitful.
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ANTONYMS :stable, regular.

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unstinted unstinting

adjective
unstinted praise
lavish, liberal, generous, open-handed, ungrudging, unsparing, willingly given, ready, profuse, abundant, ample.

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unstudied

adjective
natural, easy, unaffected, unforced, uncontrived, unstilted, unpretentious, without airs, artless.

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unsubstantiated

adjective
unconfirmed, unsupported, uncorroborated, unverified, unattested, unproven; unfounded, groundless, baseless, without foundation.

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unsuccessful

adjective
an unsuccessful attempt
failed, without success, abortive, ineffective, fruitless, profitless, unproductive; vain, futile, useless, pointless, worthless.
an unsuccessful business
unprofitable, loss-making.
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an unsuccessful candidate
failed, losing, beaten; unlucky, out of luck.
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unsuitable

adjective
an unsuitable product
inappropriate, unsuited, ill-suited, inapt, inapposite, unacceptable, unfitting, unbefitting, incompatible, out of place/keeping.
an unsuitable moment
inopportune, infelicitous; formal malapropos.
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ANTONYMS :appropriate, opportune.

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unsullied

adjective
spotless, untarnished, unblemished, unspoilt, untainted, impeccable, undamaged, unimpaired, stainless, immaculate, unflawed. ANTONYMS :tarnished.

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unsung

adjective
unacknowledged, uncelebrated, unacclaimed, unapplauded, unhailed; neglected, unrecognized, overlooked, forgotten. ANTONYMS :celebrated.

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unsure

adjective
she felt very unsure
unconfident, unassertive, insecure, hesitant, diffident, anxious, apprehensive.
Sally was unsure what to do
undecided, irresolute, dithering, equivocating, in two minds, in a quandary.
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some teachers are unsure about the proposed strike
dubious, doubtful, sceptical, uncertain, unconvinced.
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the date is unsure
not fixed, undecided, uncertain.
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ANTONYMS :confident.

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unsurpassed

adjective
unmatched, unrivalled, unparalleled, unequalled, matchless, peerless, without equal, inimitable, incomparable, unsurpassable; formal unexampled.

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unsurprising

adjective
predictable, foreseeable, (only) to be expected, foreseen, anticipated, par for the course; informal inevitable, on the cards.

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unsuspecting

adjective
unsuspicious, unwary, unaware, unconscious, ignorant, unwitting; trusting, gullible, credulous, ingenuous, naive. ANTONYMS :wary.

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unswerving

adjective
unwavering, unfaltering, steadfast, unshakeable, staunch, firm, resolute, stalwart, dedicated, committed, constant, single-minded, dogged, indefatigable, unyielding, unbending, indomitable.

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unsympathetic

adjective
unsympathetic staff
uncaring, unconcerned, unfeeling, insensitive, unkind, pitiless, heartless, hard-hearted.
the government was unsympathetic to these views
opposed, against, (dead) set against, antagonistic, ill-disposed; informal anti.
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an unsympathetic character
unlikeable, disagreeable, unpleasant, objectionable, unsavoury; uncongenial, unfriendly, unneighbourly, unapproachable.
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ANTONYMS :caring.

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unsystematic

adjective
unmethodical, uncoordinated, disorganized, unplanned, indiscriminate; random, inconsistent, irregular, erratic, casual, haphazard, chaotic.

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untamed

adjective
wild, feral, undomesticated, unbroken.

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untangle

verb
I untangled the fishing tackle
disentangle, unravel, unsnarl, straighten out, untwist, untwine, unknot.
untangling a mystery
solve, find the/an answer to, resolve, puzzle out, fathom, clear up, clarify, get to the bottom of; informal figure out; Brit. informal suss out.
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untarnished

adjective
unsullied, unblemished, untainted, impeccable, undamaged, unspoilt, unimpaired, spotless, stainless.

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untenable

adjective
indefensible, undefendable, insupportable, unsustainable, unjustified, unjustifiable, flimsy, weak, shaky.

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unthinkable

adjective
unimaginable, inconceivable, unbelievable, incredible, beyond belief, implausible.

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unthinking

adjective
an unthinking woman
thoughtless, inconsiderate, insensitive; tactless, undiplomatic, indiscreet.
an unthinking remark
absent-minded, heedless, thoughtless, careless, injudicious, imprudent, unwise, foolish, reckless, rash, precipitate; involuntary, inadvertent, unintentional, spontaneous, impulsive, unpremeditated.
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ANTONYMS :thoughtful, intentional.

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untidy

adjective
untidy hair
scruffy, tousled, dishevelled, unkempt, messy, disordered, disarranged, messed up, rumpled, bedraggled, uncombed, ungroomed, straggly, ruffled, tangled, matted, wind-blown; informal mussed up; N. Amer. informal raggedy.
the room was untidy
disordered, messy, in a mess, disorderly, disorganized, in disorder, cluttered, in a muddle, muddled, in chaos, chaotic, haywire, topsy-turvy, in disarray, at sixes and sevens; informal higgledy-piggledy.
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ANTONYMS :neat, orderly.

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untie

verb
undo, unknot, unbind, unfasten, unlace, untether, unhitch, unmoor; loose, (set) free, release, let go.

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until

preposition & conjunction
I was working until midnight
(up) till, up to, up until, as late as; N. Amer. through.
this did not happen until 1998
before, prior to, previous to, up to, up until, (up) till, earlier than.
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untimely

adjective
an untimely interruption
ill-timed, badly timed, mistimed; inopportune, inappropriate; inconvenient, unwelcome, infelicitous; formal malapropos.
his untimely death
premature, (too) early, too soon, before time.
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ANTONYMS :opportune.

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untiring

adjective
vigorous, energetic, determined, resolute, enthusiastic, keen, zealous, spirited, dogged, tenacious, persistent, persevering, staunch; tireless, unflagging, unfailing, unfaltering, unwavering, indefatigable, unrelenting, unswerving; formal pertinacious.

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untold

adjective
untold damage
boundless, measureless, limitless, unlimited, infinite, immeasurable, incalculable.
untold billions
countless, innumerable, endless, limitless, numberless, an infinite number of, without number, uncountable; numerous, many, multiple; poetic/literary multitudinous, myriad.
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the untold story
unreported, unrecounted, unrevealed, undisclosed, undivulged, unpublished.
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ANTONYMS :limited.

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untouched

adjective
the food was untouched
uneaten, unconsumed, undrunk.
one of the few untouched areas
unspoilt, unmarked, unblemished, unsullied, undefiled, undamaged, unharmed; pristine, natural, immaculate, in perfect condition, unaffected, unchanged, unaltered.
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untoward

adjective
unexpected, unanticipated, unforeseen, unpredictable, unpredicted, surprising, unusual; unwelcome, unfavourable, adverse, unfortunate, infelicitous; formal malapropos.

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untrained

adjective
unskilled, untaught, unschooled, untutored, unpractised, inexperienced; unqualified, unlicensed, amateur, non-professional.

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untried

adjective
untested, unestablished, new, experimental, unattempted, trial, test, pilot, unproven. ANTONYMS :established.

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untroubled

adjective
unworried, unperturbed, unconcerned, unruffled, undismayed, unbothered, unagitated, unflustered; insouciant, nonchalant, blasé, carefree, serene, relaxed, at ease, happy-go-lucky; informal laid-back.

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untrue

adjective
these suggestions are totally untrue
false, untruthful, fabricated, made up, invented, concocted, trumped up; erroneous, wrong, incorrect, inaccurate; fallacious, unsound, unfounded, misguided.
he was untrue to his friends
unfaithful, disloyal, faithless, false, treacherous, traitorous, deceitful, deceiving, duplicitous, double-dealing, insincere, unreliable, undependable, inconstant; informal two-timing; poetic/literary perfidious.
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ANTONYMS :correct, faithful.

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untrustworthy

adjective
dishonest, deceitful, double-dealing, treacherous, traitorous, two-faced, duplicitous, dishonourable, unprincipled, unscrupulous, corrupt; unreliable, undependable. ANTONYMS :reliable.

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untruth

noun
a patent untruth
lie, falsehood, fib, fabrication, invention, falsification, cock-and-bull story, half-truth, exaggeration; story, myth, piece of fiction; informal tall story, fairy tale, whopper; Brit. informal porky (pie).
the total untruth of the story
falsity, falsehood, falseness, untruthfulness, fallaciousness, fictitiousness; fabrication, dishonesty, deceit, deceitfulness.
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untruthful

adjective
the answers may be untruthful
false, untrue, fabricated, made up, invented, trumped up; erroneous, wrong, incorrect, inaccurate, fallacious, fictitious.
an untruthful person
lying, mendacious, dishonest, deceitful, duplicitous, false, double-dealing, two-faced; informal crooked, bent; poetic/literary perfidious.
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ANTONYMS :honest.

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untutored

adjective
uneducated, untaught, unschooled, ignorant, unsophisticated, uncultured, unenlightened. ANTONYMS :educated.

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untwine

verb
. See untwist.

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untwist

verb
untwine, disentangle, unravel, unsnarl, unwind, unroll, uncoil, unfurl, open (out), straighten (out).

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unused

adjective
the notebook is unused | unused food
unutilized, unemployed, unexploited, not in service; left over, remaining, uneaten, unconsumed, unneeded, not required, to spare, surplus.
he was unused to such directness
unaccustomed, new, a stranger, unfamiliar, unconversant, unacquainted; archaic strange.
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ANTONYMS :accustomed.

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unusual

adjective
an unusual sight
uncommon, abnormal, atypical, unexpected, surprising, unfamiliar, different; strange, odd, curious, out of the ordinary, extraordinary, unorthodox, unconventional, outlandish, singular, peculiar, bizarre; rare, scarce, few and far between, thin on the ground, exceptional, isolated, occasional, infrequent; informal weird, offbeat, way out, freaky.
a man of unusual talent
remarkable, extraordinary, exceptional, singular, particular, outstanding, notable, noteworthy, distinctive, striking, significant, special, unique, unparalleled, prodigious.
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ANTONYMS :common.

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unutterable

adjective
an existence of unutterable boredom
indescribable, beyond description, inexpressible, unspeakable, undefinable, inconceivable; extreme, great, overwhelming; dreadful, awful, appalling, terrible.
unutterable joy
marvellous, wonderful, superb, splendid, unimaginable, profound, deep.
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unvarnished

adjective
unvarnished wood
bare, unpainted, unpolished, unfinished, untreated.
the unvarnished truth
straightforward, plain, simple, stark; truthful, realistic, candid, honest, frank, forthright, direct, blunt, straight from the shoulder.
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unveil

verb
reveal, present, disclose, divulge, make known, make public, communicate, publish, broadcast; display, show, exhibit, put on display; release, bring out.

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unwanted

adjective
an unwanted development
unwelcome, undesirable, undesired, unpopular, unfortunate, unlucky, unfavourable, untoward; unpleasant, disagreeable, displeasing, distasteful, objectionable; regrettable, deplorable, lamentable; unacceptable, intolerable, awful, terrible, wretched, appalling.
tins of unwanted pet food
unused, left over, surplus, superfluous; uneaten, unconsumed, untouched.
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an unwanted guest
uninvited, unbidden, unasked, unrequested, unsolicited.
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many ageing people feel unwanted
friendless, unloved, uncared-for, forsaken, rejected, shunned; superfluous, useless, unnecessary.
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ANTONYMS :welcome.

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unwarranted

adjective
the criticism is unwarranted
unjustified, unjustifiable, indefensible, inexcusable, unforgivable, unpardonable, uncalled for, unnecessary, unreasonable, unjust, groundless, excessive, immoderate, disproportionate.
an unwarranted invasion of privacy
unauthorized, unsanctioned, unapproved, uncertified, unlicensed; illegal, unlawful, illicit, illegitimate, criminal, actionable.
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ANTONYMS :justified.

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unwary

adjective
incautious, careless, thoughtless, heedless, inattentive, unwatchful, off one's guard.

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unwavering

adjective
steady, fixed, resolute, resolved, firm, steadfast, unswerving, unfaltering, untiring, tireless, indefatigable, unyielding, relentless, unremitting, unrelenting, sustained. ANTONYMS :unsteady.

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unwelcome

adjective
I was made to feel unwelcome
unwanted, uninvited.
even a small increase is unwelcome
undesirable, undesired, unpopular, unfortunate, unlucky; disappointing, upsetting, distressing, disagreeable, displeasing; regrettable, deplorable, lamentable.
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unwell

adjective
ill, sick, poorly, indisposed, ailing, not (very) well, not oneself, under/below par, peaky, queasy, nauseous; Brit. off colour; informal under the weather, not up to snuff, funny, peculiar, lousy, rough; Brit. informal grotty; Austral./NZ informal crook; dated queer.

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unwholesome

adjective
unwholesome air
unhealthy, noxious, poisonous; insalubrious, unhygienic, insanitary; harmful, injurious, detrimental, destructive, damaging, deleterious, baleful.
unwholesome Web pages
improper, immoral, indecent, corrupting, depraving, salacious.
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ANTONYMS :healthy, seemly.

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unwieldy

adjective
cumbersome, unmanageable, unmanoeuvrable; awkward, clumsy, massive, heavy, hefty, bulky, weighty. ANTONYMS :manageable.

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unwilling

adjective
unwilling conscripts
reluctant, unenthusiastic, hesitant, resistant, grudging, involuntary, forced.
he was unwilling to take on that responsibility
disinclined, reluctant, averse, loath; (be unwilling to do something) not have the heart to, baulk at, demur at, shy away from, flinch from, shrink from, have qualms about, have misgivings about, have reservations about.
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ANTONYMS :keen.

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unwillingness

adjective
disinclination, reluctance, hesitation, diffidence, wavering, vacillation, resistance, objection, opposition, doubts, second thoughts, scruples, qualms, misgivings; archaic disrelish.

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unwind

verb
Ella unwound the scarf from her neck
unroll, uncoil, unravel, untwine, untwist, disentangle, open (out), straighten (out).
unwinding after work
relax, loosen up, ease up/off, slow down, de-stress, unbend, rest, put one's feet up, take it easy; informal wind down, let it all hang out, unbutton; N. Amer. informal hang loose, chill out.
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unwise

adjective
injudicious, ill-advised, imprudent, foolish, silly, inadvisable, impolitic, misguided, foolhardy, irresponsible, rash, hasty, overhasty, reckless. ANTONYMS :sensible.

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unwitting

adjective
an unwitting accomplice
unknowing, unconscious, unsuspecting, oblivious, unaware, innocent.
an unwitting mistake
unintentional, unintended, inadvertent, involuntary, unconscious, accidental.
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ANTONYMS :conscious.

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unwonted

adjective
unusual, uncommon, unaccustomed, unfamiliar, unprecedented, exceptional, extraordinary, remarkable, singular, surprising. ANTONYMS :usual.

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unworldly

adjective
a gauche, unworldly girl
naive, simple, inexperienced, innocent, green, raw, callow, immature, unsophisticated, gullible, ingenuous, artless, guileless, childlike, trusting, credulous.
unworldly beauty
unearthly, other-worldly, ethereal, ghostly, preternatural, supernatural, paranormal, mystical; rare extramundane.
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an unworldly religious order
non-materialistic, spiritualistic, religious.
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unworthy

adjective
he was unworthy of trust
undeserving, ineligible, unqualified, unfit.
unworthy behaviour
unbecoming, unsuitable, inappropriate, unbefitting, unfitting, unseemly, improper; discreditable, shameful, dishonourable, despicable, ignoble, contemptible, reprehensible.
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ANTONYMS :deserving, becoming.

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unwritten

adjective
tacit, implicit, unvoiced, taken for granted, accepted, recognized, understood; traditional, customary, conventional; oral, verbal, spoken, vocal, word-of-mouth.

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unyielding

adjective
unyielding spikes of cane
stiff, inflexible, unbending, inelastic, firm, hard, solid, tough, tight, compact, compressed, dense.
an unyielding policy
resolute, inflexible, uncompromising, unbending, unshakeable, unwavering, immovable, intractable, intransigent, rigid, stiff, firm, determined, dogged, obstinate, stubborn, adamant, obdurate, tenacious, relentless, implacable, single-minded; formal pertinacious.
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up-and-coming

adjective
promising, budding, rising, on the up and up, with potential; talented, gifted, able.

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upbeat

adjective
(informal) optimistic, cheerful, cheery, positive, confident, hopeful, sanguine, bullish, buoyant. ANTONYMS :pessimistic, negative.

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upbraid

verb
reprimand, rebuke, admonish, chastise, chide, reprove, reproach, scold, berate, take to task, lambaste, give someone a piece of one's mind, haul over the coals, lecture; informal tell off, give someone a talking-to, dress down, give someone an earful, rap over the knuckles, bawl out, lay into; Brit. informal tick off, carpet, tear off a strip, give someone what for, give someone a rocket/rollicking; N. Amer. informal chew out, ream out; Austral. informal monster; formal castigate; rare reprehend.

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upbringing

noun
childhood, early life, formative years, teaching, instruction, care, bringing-up, rearing.

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update

verb
security measures are continually updated
modernize, upgrade, bring up to date, improve, overhaul; N. Amer. bring up to code.
I'll update him on today's developments
brief, bring up to date, inform, fill in, tell, notify, apprise, keep posted; informal clue in, put in the picture, bring/keep up to speed.
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upgrade

verb
there are plans to upgrade the rail system
improve, modernize, update, bring up to date, make better, ameliorate, reform; rehabilitate, recondition, refurbish, renovate; N. Amer. bring up to code.
he was upgraded to a seat in the cabinet
promote, give promotion to, elevate, move up, raise; archaic prefer.
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ANTONYMS :downgrade, demote.

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upheaval

noun
disruption, disturbance, trouble, turbulence, disorder, confusion, turmoil, pandemonium, chaos, mayhem, cataclysm; revolution, change.

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uphill

adjective
an uphill path
upward, rising, ascending, climbing.
an uphill job
arduous, difficult, hard, tough, taxing, demanding, exacting, stiff, formidable, exhausting, tiring, wearisome, laborious, gruelling, back-breaking, punishing, burdensome, onerous, Herculean; informal no picnic, killing; archaic toilsome.
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ANTONYMS :downhill.

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uphold

verb
the court upheld his claim for damages
confirm, endorse, sustain, approve, support, back (up), stand by, champion, defend.
they've a tradition to uphold
maintain, sustain, continue, preserve, protect, keep, hold to, keep alive, keep going.
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ANTONYMS :overturn, oppose.

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upkeep

noun
the upkeep of the road
maintenance, repair(s), service, servicing, care, preservation, conservation; running.
the child's upkeep
(financial) support, maintenance, keep, subsistence, care.
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uplift

verb
she needs something to uplift her spirits
boost, raise, buoy up, lift, cheer up, perk up, enliven, brighten up, lighten, stimulate, inspire, ginger up, revive, restore; informal buck up.

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uplifted

adjective
raised, upraised, elevated, upthrust; held high, erect, proud.

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uplifting

adjective
inspiring, stirring, inspirational, rousing, moving, touching, affecting, cheering, heartening, encouraging.

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upper

adjective
the upper floor
higher, superior; top.
the upper echelons of the party
senior, superior, higher-level, higher-ranking, top.
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ANTONYMS :lower.

the upper hand
an advantage, the edge, the whip hand, a lead, a head start, ascendancy, superiority, supremacy, sway, control, power, mastery, dominance, command.

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upper-class

adjective
aristocratic, noble, of noble birth, patrician, titled, blue-blooded, high-born, well born, elite, landowning, landed, born with a silver spoon in one's mouth; Brit. county, upmarket; informal upper-crust, top-drawer, (huntin', shootin', and fishin'), classy; Brit. informal posh; archaic gentle, of gentle birth.

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uppermost

adjective
the uppermost branches
highest, top, topmost.
their own problems remained uppermost in their minds
predominant, of greatest importance, to the fore, foremost, dominant, principal, chief, main, paramount, major.
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uppish

adjective
(informal) arrogant, bumptious, full of oneself, puffed up, conceited, swollen-headed, pompous, self-assertive, overbearing, throwing one's weight about, cocky, cocksure, haughty, self-important, superior, presumptuous, overweening; informal snooty, uppity, high and mighty, too big for one's boots.

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upright

adjective
an upright position
vertical, perpendicular, plumb, straight (up), straight up and down, bolt upright, erect, on end; on one's feet; Heraldry rampant.
an upright member of the community
honest, honourable, upstanding, respectable, high-minded, law-abiding, right-minded, worthy, moral, ethical, righteous, decent, good, virtuous, principled, high-principled, of principle, noble, incorruptible.
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ANTONYMS :horizontal, dishonourable.

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uprising

noun
rebellion, revolt, insurrection, mutiny, revolution, insurgence, rioting, riot; civil disobedience, unrest, anarchy, fighting in the streets; coup, coup d'état, putsch.

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uproar

noun
the uproar in the kitchen continued for some time
turmoil, disorder, confusion, chaos, commotion, disturbance, rumpus, tumult, turbulence, mayhem, pandemonium, bedlam, noise, din, clamour, hubbub, racket; shouting, yelling, babel; informal hullabaloo; Brit. informal row.
there was an uproar when he was dismissed
outcry, furore, howl of protest; fuss, commotion, hue and cry, rumpus, ruckus, brouhaha; informal hullabaloo, stink, ructions; Brit. informal row.
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ANTONYMS :calm.

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uproarious

adjective
an uproarious party
riotous, rowdy, noisy, loud, wild, unrestrained, unruly, rip-roaring, rollicking, boisterous; Brit. informal rumbustious; N. Amer. informal rambunctious.
an uproarious joke
hilarious, hysterically funny, too funny for words, rib-tickling; informal priceless, side-splitting, a scream, a hoot; informal, dated killing.
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ANTONYMS :quiet.

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uproot

verb
don't pick or uproot wild flowers
pull up, root out, deracinate, grub out/up.
a revolution is necessary to uproot the social order
eradicate, get rid of, eliminate, root out, destroy, put an end to, do away with, wipe out, stamp out.
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ANTONYMS :plant.

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upset

verb
the accusation upset her
distress, trouble, perturb, dismay, disturb, discompose, unsettle, disconcert, disquiet, worry, bother, agitate, fluster, throw, ruffle, unnerve, shake; hurt, sadden, grieve.
he upset a tureen of soup
knock over, overturn, upend, tip over, topple (over); spill; archaic overset.
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the dam will upset the ecological balance
disrupt, interfere with, disturb, throw out, turn topsy-turvy, throw into confusion, mess up.
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noun
a legal dispute will cause worry and upset
distress, trouble, perturbation, dismay, disquiet, worry, bother, agitation; hurt, grief.
a stomach upset
disorder, complaint, ailment, illness, sickness, malady; informal bug; Brit. informal lurgy.
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adjective
I was upset by the news
distressed, troubled, perturbed, dismayed, disturbed, unsettled, disconcerted, worried, bothered, anxious, agitated, flustered, ruffled, unnerved, shaken; hurt, saddened, grieved; informal cut up, choked; Brit. informal gutted.
an upset stomach
disturbed, unsettled, queasy, bad, poorly; informal gippy.
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ANTONYMS :unperturbed, calm.

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upshot

noun
result, end result, consequence, outcome, conclusion; effect, repercussion, reverberations, ramification; dated issue. ANTONYMS :cause.

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upside down

adjective
an upside-down canoe
upturned, upended, wrong side up, overturned, inverted; capsized.
they left the flat upside down
in disarray, in disorder, jumbled up, in a muddle, untidy, disorganized, chaotic, all over the place, in chaos, in confusion, topsy-turvy, at sixes and sevens; informal higgledy-piggledy.
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upstanding

adjective
an upstanding member of the community
honest, honourable, upright, respectable, high-minded, law-abiding, right-minded, worthy, moral, ethical, righteous, decent, good, virtuous, principled, high-principled, of principle, noble, incorruptible.
the upstanding feathered plumes
upright, erect, vertical; standing, in a standing position, on one's feet; Heraldry rampant.
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ANTONYMS :dishonourable.

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upstart

noun
parvenu(e), arriviste, nouveau riche, vulgarian; status seeker, social climber.

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up to date

adjective
up-to-date equipment
modern, contemporary, the latest, state-of-the-art, new, present-day, up to the minute; advanced; informal bang up to date, mod.
the newsletter will keep you up to date
informed, up to speed, in the picture, in touch, au fait, au courant, conversant, familiar, knowledgeable, acquainted, aware.
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ANTONYMS :out of date, old-fashioned.

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upturn

noun
improvement, upswing, turn for the better; recovery, revival, rally, resurgence, increase, rise, jump, leap, upsurge, boost, escalation. ANTONYMS :fall, slump.

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upward

adjective
an upward trend
rising, on the rise, ascending, climbing, mounting; uphill. ANTONYMS :downward.

adverb
the smoke drifts upward.
See upwards.

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upwards

adverb
he inched his way upwards
up, upward, uphill; to the top. ANTONYMS :downward.

upward(s) of
more than, above, over, in excess of, exceeding, beyond.

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urban

adjective
town, city, municipal, metropolitan, built-up, inner-city, suburban. ANTONYMS :rural.

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urbane

adjective
suave, sophisticated, debonair, worldly, cultivated, cultured, civilized; smooth, polished, refined, self-possessed; courteous, polite, civil, well mannered, mannerly, charming, gentlemanly, gallant. ANTONYMS :uncouth, unsophisticated.

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urchin

noun
ragamuffin, waif, stray; imp, rascal; derogatory guttersnipe; dated gamin; archaic mudlark, scapegrace, street Arab.

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urge

verb
she urged him to try again
encourage, exhort, enjoin, press, entreat, implore, call on, appeal to, beg, plead with; egg on, spur, push, pressure, pressurize; formal adjure; poetic/literary beseech.
she urged her horse down the lane
spur (on), force, drive, impel.
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I urge caution in interpreting these results
advise, counsel, advocate, recommend.
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noun
his urge to travel
desire, wish, need, compulsion, longing, yearning, hankering, craving, appetite, hunger, thirst; fancy, impulse; informal yen, itch.

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urgent

adjective
the urgent need for more funding
acute, pressing, dire, desperate, critical, serious, grave, intense, crying, burning, compelling, extreme, high-priority, top-priority; life-and-death.
an urgent whisper
insistent, persistent, importunate, earnest, pleading, begging.
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urinate

verb
pass water, relieve oneself; informal spend a penny, have/take a leak, pee, piddle, widdle, have a tinkle; Brit. informal wee, have a Jimmy (Riddle), have a slash; N. Amer. informal take a whizz; formal micturate.

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usable

adjective
ready/fit for use, able to be used, at someone's disposal, disposable; working, in working order, functioning, functional, serviceable, operational, up and running.

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usage

noun
energy usage
use, consumption, utilization.
the usage of equipment
use, utilization, operation, manipulation, running, handling.
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the intricacies of English usage
phraseology, parlance, idiom, way of speaking/writing, mode of expression; idiolect.
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the usages of polite society
custom, practice, habit, tradition, convention, rule, observance; way, procedure, form, wont; formal praxis; (usages) mores.
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use

verb
she used her key to open the front door
utilize, make use of, avail oneself of, employ, work, operate, wield, ply, apply, manoeuvre, manipulate, put to use, put into service.
the court will use its discretion in making an order
exercise, employ, bring into play, practise, apply.
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use your troops well and they will not let you down
manage, handle, treat, deal with, behave/act towards, conduct oneself towards.
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I couldn't help feeling that she was using me
take advantage of, exploit, manipulate, take liberties with, impose on, abuse; capitalize on, profit from, trade on, milk; informal cash in on, walk all over.
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we have used all the available funds
consume, get/go through, exhaust, deplete, expend, spend; waste, fritter away, squander, dissipate.
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noun
the use of such weapons
utilization, usage, application, employment, operation, manipulation.
his use of other people for his own ends
exploitation, manipulation; abuse.
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what is the use of that?
advantage, benefit, service, utility, usefulness , help, good, gain, avail, profit, value, worth, point, object, purpose, sense, reason.
Top
composers have not found much use for the device
need, necessity, call, demand, requirement.
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used

adjective
a used car
second-hand, pre-owned, nearly new, old; worn, hand-me-down, handed-down, cast-off; Brit. informal reach-me-down. ANTONYMS :new.

used to
accustomed to, no stranger to, familiar with, at home with, in the habit of, experienced in, versed in, conversant with, acquainted with.

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useful

adjective
a useful multi-purpose tool
functional, practical, handy, convenient, utilitarian, serviceable, of use, of service; informal nifty.
a useful experience
beneficial, advantageous, helpful, worthwhile, profitable, rewarding, productive, constructive, valuable, fruitful.
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(informal) they had some very useful players
competent, capable, able, skilful, skilled, talented, proficient, accomplished, good, handy.
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ANTONYMS :useless, disadvantageous, incompetent.

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useless

adjective
it was useless to try | a piece of useless knowledge
futile, to no avail, in vain, vain, pointless, to no purpose, unavailing, hopeless, ineffectual, ineffective, to no effect, fruitless, unprofitable, profitless, unproductive; broken, kaput; archaic bootless.
(informal) he was useless at his job
incompetent, inept, ineffective, incapable, inadequate, hopeless, bad; informal pathetic, a dead loss.
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ANTONYMS :useful, beneficial, competent.

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usher

verb
she ushered him to a window seat
escort, accompany, take, show, see, lead, conduct, guide, steer, shepherd.
noun
ushers showed them to their seats
guide, attendant, escort.
usher something in
herald, mark the start of, signal, ring in, show in, set the scene for, pave the way for; start, begin, introduce, open the door to, get going, set in motion, get under way, kick off, launch.

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usual

adjective
habitual, customary, accustomed, wonted, normal, routine, regular, standard, typical, established, set, settled, stock, conventional, traditional, expected, predictable, familiar; average, general, ordinary, everyday. ANTONYMS :exceptional.

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usually

adverb
normally, generally, habitually, customarily, routinely, typically, ordinarily, commonly, conventionally, traditionally; as a rule, in general, more often than not, in the main, mainly, mostly, for the most part.

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usurp

verb
Richard usurped the throne
seize, take over, take possession of, take, commandeer, assume.
the Hanoverian dynasty had usurped the Stuarts
oust, overthrow, remove, topple, unseat, depose, dethrone; supplant, replace.
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utensil

noun
implement, tool, instrument, device, apparatus, gadget, appliance, contrivance, contraption, aid; informal gizmo.

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utilitarian

adjective
practical, functional, serviceable, useful, sensible, efficient, utility, workaday; plain, unadorned, undecorative. ANTONYMS :decorative.

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utility

noun
usefulness, use, benefit, value, advantage, advantageousness, help, helpfulness, profitability, practicality, effectiveness, avail, service; formal efficacy.

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utilize

verb
use, make use of, put to use, employ, avail oneself of, bring/press into service, bring into play, deploy, draw on, exploit.

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utmost

adjective
a matter of the utmost importance
greatest, highest, maximum, most, uttermost; extreme, supreme, paramount.
the utmost tip of Shetland
furthest, farthest, furthermost, farthermost, extreme, very, uttermost, outermost, endmost.
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noun
a plot that stretches credulity to the utmost
uttermost, maximum, limit.

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Utopia

noun
paradise, heaven, heaven on earth, Eden, Garden of Eden, Shangri-La, Elysium; idyll, nirvana, ideal place; poetic/literary Arcadia.

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Utopian

adjective
idealistic, visionary, romantic, starry-eyed, fanciful, unrealistic; ideal, perfect, paradisal, heavenly, idyllic, blissful, Elysian; poetic/literary Arcadian.

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utter 1

adjective
that's utter nonsense
complete, total, absolute, thorough, perfect, downright, out-and-out, outright, thoroughgoing, all-out, sheer, arrant, positive, prize, rank, pure, real, veritable, consummate, categorical, unmitigated, unqualified, unadulterated, unalloyed.

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utter 2

verb
he uttered an exasperated snort
emit, let out, give, produce.
he hardly uttered a word
say, speak, voice, express, articulate, pronounce, enunciate, verbalize, vocalize.
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utterance

noun
remark, comment, word, statement, observation, declaration, pronouncement.

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utterly

adverb
completely, totally, absolutely, entirely, wholly, fully, thoroughly, quite, altogether, one hundred per cent, downright, outright, in all respects, unconditionally, perfectly, really, to the hilt, to the core; informal dead.

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uttermost

adjective & noun
. See utmost.

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U-turn

noun
a complete U-turn in economic policy
volte-face, turnaround, about-face, reversal, shift, change of heart, change of mind, backtracking, change of plan; Brit. about-turn.

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V

vacancy

noun
there are vacancies for computer technicians
opening, position, situation vacant, post, job, opportunity, place.
Cathy stared into vacancy, seeing nothing
empty space, emptiness, nothingness, void.
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a vacancy of mind
empty-headedness, lack of intelligence, brainlessness, vacuousness, vacuity, stupidity.
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vacant

adjective
a vacant house
empty, unoccupied, available, not in use, free, unfilled; uninhabited, untenanted.
a vacant look
blank, expressionless, unresponsive, emotionless, impassive, uninterested, vacuous, empty, glazed, glassy; unintelligent, dull-witted, dense, brainless, empty-headed.
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ANTONYMS :full, occupied, expressive.

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vacate

verb
he was forced to vacate the premises
leave, move out of, evacuate, quit, depart from; abandon, desert.
he will be vacating his post next year
resign from, leave, stand down from, give up, bow out of, relinquish, retire from; informal quit.
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ANTONYMS :occupy, take up.

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vacation

noun
his summer vacations in France
holiday, trip, tour, break, mini-break; leave, time off, recess, furlough; informal hol, vac; formal sojourn.
the squatters' vacation of the occupied land
departure, evacuation, abandonment, desertion.
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vacillate

verb
dither, be indecisive, be undecided, waver, hesitate, be in two minds, blow hot and cold, keep changing one's mind; Brit. haver, hum and haw; informal dilly-dally, shilly-shally.

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vacillating

adjective
irresolute, indecisive, dithering, undecided, hesitant, wavering, ambivalent, divided, uncertain, in two minds, blowing hot and cold; informal dilly-dallying, shilly-shallying. ANTONYMS :resolute.

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vacuous

adjective
silly, inane, unintelligent, foolish, stupid, fatuous, idiotic, brainless, witless, vapid, vacant, empty-headed; informal dumb, gormless, moronic, brain-dead. ANTONYMS :intelligent.

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vacuum

noun
people longing to fill the spiritual vacuum in their lives
emptiness, void, nothingness, vacancy.
the political vacuum left by the Emperor's death
gap, space, lacuna, void.
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(informal) I use the vacuum for cleaning the rug
vacuum cleaner; Brit. informal vac; trademark Hoover.
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vagabond

noun
. See vagrant noun.

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vagary

noun
change, fluctuation, variation, quirk, peculiarity, oddity, eccentricity, unpredictability, caprice, foible, whim, whimsy, fancy.

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vagrant

noun
a temporary home for vagrants
tramp, drifter, down-and-out, derelict, beggar, itinerant, wanderer, nomad, traveller, vagabond, transient, homeless person, beachcomber; informal knight of the road; N. Amer. hobo; Austral. bagman; informal bag lady; N. Amer. informal bum; poetic/literary wayfarer.
adjective
vagrant beggars
homeless, drifting, transient, roving, roaming, itinerant, wandering, nomadic, travelling, vagabond, rootless, of no fixed address/abode.

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vague

adjective
a vague shape
indistinct, indefinite, indeterminate, unclear, ill-defined; hazy, fuzzy, misty, blurred, blurry, out of focus, faint, shadowy, dim, obscure, nebulous, amorphous.
a vague description
imprecise, rough, approximate, inexact, non-specific, generalized, ambiguous, equivocal, hazy, woolly.
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they had only vague plans
hazy, uncertain, undecided, unsure, unclear, unsettled, indefinite, indeterminate, unconfirmed, up in the air, speculative.
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she was so vague in everyday life
absent-minded, forgetful, dreamy, abstracted, with one's head in the clouds; informal scatty, not with it.
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ANTONYMS :clear, precise, certain.

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vaguely

adverb
she looks vaguely familiar
slightly, a little, a bit, somewhat, rather, in a way; faintly, obscurely; informal sort of, kind of.
he fired his rifle vaguely in our direction
roughly, more or less, approximately.
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he smiled vaguely
absent-mindedly, abstractedly, vacantly.
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ANTONYMS :very, exactly.

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vain

adjective
he was vain about his looks
conceited, narcissistic, self-loving, in love with oneself, self-admiring, self-regarding, egotistic, egotistical; proud, arrogant, boastful, cocky, immodest, swaggering; informal big-headed; poetic/literary vainglorious.
a vain attempt
futile, useless, pointless, to no purpose, in vain; ineffective, ineffectual, inefficacious, impotent, unavailing, to no avail, fruitless, profitless, unproductive, unsuccessful, failed, abortive, for nothing; thwarted, frustrated, foiled; archaic bootless.
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ANTONYMS :modest, successful.

in vain
they tried in vain to save him
unsuccessfully, without success, to no avail, to no purpose, fruitlessly.

his efforts were in vain.
See vain sense 2.
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valediction

noun
farewell, goodbye, adieu, leave-taking.

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valedictory

adjective
farewell, goodbye, leaving, parting; last, final.

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valet

noun
manservant, man, personal attendant, gentleman's gentleman, Jeeves; Military, dated batman.

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valetudinarian

noun
an elderly valetudinarian
hypochondriac; invalid.
adjective
he was earnest, fussy, and valetudinarian
hypochondriac, obsessed with one's health, neurotic; sickly, ailing, poorly, in poor health, weak, infirm, valetudinary.

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valiant

adjective
brave, courageous, plucky, valorous, intrepid, heroic, gallant, lionhearted, bold, fearless, daring, audacious; unflinching, unshrinking, unafraid, dauntless, undaunted, doughty, indomitable, mettlesome, stout-hearted, spirited; informal game, gutsy, spunky. ANTONYMS :cowardly.

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valid

adjective
a valid criticism
well founded, sound, reasonable, rational, logical, justifiable, defensible, viable, bona fide; cogent, effective, powerful, convincing, credible, forceful, strong, weighty.
a valid contract
legally binding, lawful, legal, official, signed and sealed, contractual; in force, in effect, effective.
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validate

verb
clinical trials now exist to validate this claim
prove, substantiate, corroborate, verify, support, back up, bear out, confirm, justify, vindicate, authenticate.
250 course proposals were validated
ratify, endorse, approve, agree to, accept, authorize, legalize, legitimize, warrant, license, certify, recognize.
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ANTONYMS :disprove.

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valley

noun
dale, vale; hollow, gully, gorge, ravine, canyon, rift; Brit. combe, dene; N. English clough; Scottish glen, strath; poetic/literary dell, dingle.

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valour

noun
bravery, courage, pluck, intrepidity, nerve, daring, fearlessness, audacity, boldness, dauntlessness, stout-heartedness, heroism, backbone, spirit; informal guts, spunk; Brit. informal bottle; N. Amer. informal moxie. ANTONYMS :cowardice.

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valuable

adjective
a valuable watch
precious, costly, high-priced, high-cost, expensive, dear; worth its weight in gold, worth a king's ransom, priceless.
a valuable contribution
useful, helpful, beneficial, invaluable, productive, constructive, effective, advantageous, worthwhile, worthy, important.
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ANTONYMS :cheap, worthless, useless.

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valuables

plural noun
precious items, costly items, prized possessions, personal effects, treasures.

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value

noun
houses exceeding £250,000 in value
price, cost, worth; market price, monetary value, face value.
the value of adequate preparation cannot be understated
worth, usefulness, advantage, benefit, gain, profit, good, help, helpfulness, avail; importance, significance.
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society's values are passed on to us as children
principles, ethics, moral code, morals, standards, code of behaviour.
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verb
his estate was valued at £45,000
evaluate, assess, estimate, appraise, price, put/set a price on.
she valued his opinion
think highly of, have a high opinion of, hold in high regard, rate highly, esteem, set (great) store by, appreciate, respect; prize, cherish, treasure.
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valued

adjective
cherished, treasured, dear, prized; esteemed, respected, highly regarded.

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valueless

adjective
worthless, of no value, useless, to no purpose, (of) no use, profitless, futile, pointless, vain, in vain, to no avail, to no effect, fruitless, unproductive, idle, ineffective, unavailing; archaic bootless.

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vamp 1

verb
(informal) the design had been vamped up
improve, revamp, redesign, remodel, restyle, rework, make over; renovate, refurbish, redecorate, recondition, rehabilitate, overhaul, repair; informal do up, give something a facelift; N. Amer. informal rehab.

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vamp 2

noun
(informal) a raven-haired vamp
seductress, temptress, siren, femme fatale, Mata Hari; flirt, coquette, tease.

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van

noun
he was in the van of the movement.
See vanguard.

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vanguard

noun
forefront, van, advance guard, spearhead, front, front line, fore, lead, cutting edge; leaders, founders, founding fathers, pioneers, trailblazers, trendsetters, innovators, ground-breakers. ANTONYMS :rear.

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vanish

verb
he vanished into the darkness
disappear, be lost to sight/view, become invisible, vanish into thin air, recede from view.
all hope of freedom vanished
fade (away), evaporate, melt away, come to an end, end, cease to exist, pass away, die out, be no more.
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ANTONYMS :appear, materialize.

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vanity

noun
she had none of the vanity often associated with beautiful women
conceit, narcissism, self-love, self-admiration, self-regard, egotism; pride, arrogance, boastfulness, cockiness, swagger; informal big-headedness; poetic/literary vainglory.
the vanity of all desires of the will
futility, uselessness, pointlessness, worthlessness, fruitlessness.
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ANTONYMS :modesty.

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vanquish

verb
conquer, defeat, beat, trounce, rout, triumph over, be victorious over, get the better of, worst; overcome, overwhelm, overpower, overthrow, subdue, subjugate, quell, quash, crush, bring someone to their knees; informal lick, hammer, clobber, thrash, demolish, wipe the floor with, make mincemeat of, massacre, slaughter, annihilate; Brit. informal stuff; N. Amer. informal cream, shellac.

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vapid

adjective
insipid, uninspired, colourless, uninteresting, feeble, flat, dull, boring, tedious, tired, unexciting, uninspiring, unimaginative, lifeless, tame, vacuous, bland, trite. ANTONYMS :lively, colourful.

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vapour

noun
haze, mist, steam, condensation; fumes, exhalation, fog, smog, smoke.

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variable

adjective
changeable, changing, varying, shifting, fluctuating, changeful, irregular, inconstant, inconsistent, fluid, unsteady, unstable, unsettled, fitful, mutable, protean, wavering, vacillating, capricious, fickle, volatile, unpredictable, unreliable; informal up and down. ANTONYMS :constant.

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variance

noun
difference, variation, discrepancy, dissimilarity, disagreement, conflict, divergence, deviation, contrast, contradiction, imbalance, incongruity.
at variance
his recollections were at variance with documentary evidence
inconsistent, at odds, not in keeping, out of keeping, out of line, out of step, in conflict, in disagreement, different, differing, divergent, discrepant, dissimilar, contrary, incompatible, contradictory, irreconcilable, incongruous.

they were at variance with their previous allies
in disagreement, at odds, at cross purposes, at loggerheads, in conflict, in dispute, at outs, quarrelling.
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variant

noun
there are a number of variants of the same idea
variation, form, alternative, adaptation, alteration, modification, permutation.
adjective
a variant spelling
alternative, other, different, divergent, derived, modified.

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variation

noun
regional variations in farming practice
difference, dissimilarity; disparity, contrast, discrepancy, imbalance; technical differential; formal dissimilitude.
opening times are subject to variation
change, alteration, modification; diversification.
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there was very little variation from an understood pattern
deviation, variance, divergence, departure, fluctuation.
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hurling is an Irish variation of hockey
variant, form, alternative form; development, adaptation, alteration, diversification, modification.
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varied

adjective
diverse, assorted, miscellaneous, mixed, sundry, heterogeneous, wide-ranging, multifarious; disparate, motley.

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variegated

adjective
multicoloured, particoloured, multicolour, many-coloured, many-hued, polychromatic, colourful, prismatic, rainbow-like, kaleidoscopic; mottled, striated, marbled, streaked, speckled, flecked, dappled; informal splotchy, splodgy. ANTONYMS :plain, monochrome.

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variety

noun
the lack of variety in the curriculum
diversity, variation, diversification, multifariousness, heterogeneity, many-sidedness; change, difference.
a wide variety of flowers and shrubs
assortment, miscellany, range, array, collection, selection, mixture, medley, multiplicity; mixed bag, motley collection, pot-pourri.
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fifty varieties of pasta
sort, kind, type, class, category, style, form; make, model, brand; strain, breed, genus.
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ANTONYMS :uniformity.

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various

adjective
diverse, different, differing, varied, varying, a variety of, assorted, mixed, sundry, miscellaneous, heterogeneous, disparate, motley; poetic/literary divers.

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varnish

noun & verb
lacquer, shellac, japan, enamel, glaze; polish.

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vary

verb
estimates of the development cost vary
differ, be different, be dissimilar.
rates of interest vary over time
fluctuate, rise and fall, go up and down, change, alter, shift, swing.
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the diaphragm is used for varying the aperture of the lens
modify, change, alter, adjust, regulate, control, set; diversify.
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the routine never varied
change, alter, deviate, differ, fluctuate.
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vassal

noun
(historical) villein, liegeman, man, vavasour, serf, helot.

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vast

adjective
huge, extensive, expansive, broad, wide, boundless, immeasurable, limitless, infinite; enormous, immense, great, massive, colossal, tremendous, mighty, prodigious, gigantic, gargantuan, mammoth, monumental; giant, towering, mountainous, titanic, Brobdingnagian; informal jumbo, mega, monster, whopping, humongous, astronomical; Brit. informal ginormous. ANTONYMS :tiny.

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vat

noun
tub, tank, cistern, barrel, butt, cask, tun, drum, basin; vessel, receptacle, container, holder, reservoir.

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vault 1

noun
the highest Gothic vault in Europe
arched roof, dome, arch.
the vault under the church
cellar, basement, underground chamber; crypt, undercroft, catacomb, burial chamber.
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valuables stored in the vault
strongroom, safe deposit, safety deposit.
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vault 2

verb
he vaulted over the gate
jump over, leap over, spring over, bound over; hurdle, clear.

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vaunt

verb
boast about, brag about, make much of, crow about, parade, flaunt; acclaim, praise, extol, celebrate; informal show off about; formal laud.

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veer

verb
turn, swerve, swing, sheer, career, weave, wheel; change direction/course, go off course, deviate.

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vegetate

verb
do nothing, idle, languish, laze, lounge, loll; moulder, stagnate; informal veg out, slob out; Brit. informal slummock; N. Amer. informal bum around, lollygag.

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vegetation

noun
plants, flora; greenery, foliage, herbage, verdure.

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vehemence

noun
passion, force, forcefulness, ardour, fervour, violence, urgency, strength, vigour, intensity, keenness, enthusiasm, zeal.

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vehement

adjective
passionate, forceful, ardent, impassioned, heated, spirited, urgent, fervent, violent, fierce, strong, forcible, powerful, emphatic, vigorous, intense, earnest, keen, enthusiastic, zealous. ANTONYMS :mild, apathetic.

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vehicle

noun
a stolen vehicle
means of transport, conveyance; car, automobile, motorcycle, motorbike, van, bus, coach, lorry, truck; N. Amer. informal auto.
a vehicle for the communication of original ideas
channel, medium, means (of expression), agency, agent, instrument, mechanism, organ, apparatus.
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veil

noun
a thin veil of high cloud made the sun hazy
covering, cover, screen, curtain, mantle, cloak, mask, blanket, shroud, canopy, cloud, pall.
verb
the peak was veiled in mist
envelop, surround, swathe, enfold, cover, conceal, hide, screen, shield, cloak, blanket, shroud; obscure; poetic/literary enshroud, mantle.

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veiled

adjective
veiled threats
disguised, camouflaged, masked, covert, hidden, concealed, suppressed, underlying, implicit, implied, indirect. ANTONYMS :overt.

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vein

noun
a vein in his neck pulsed
blood vessel.
the mineral veins in the rock
layer, lode, seam, stratum, stratification, deposit.
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white marble with grey veins
streak, marking, mark, line, stripe, strip, band, thread, strand; technical stria, striation.
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he closes the article in a humorous vein
mood, humour, frame of mind, temper, disposition, attitude, tenor, tone, key, spirit, character, feel, flavour, quality, atmosphere; manner, way, style.
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vascular.

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velocity

noun
speed, pace, rate, tempo, momentum, impetus; swiftness, rapidity; poetic/literary fleetness, celerity.

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venal

adjective
corrupt, corruptible, bribable, open to bribery; dishonest, dishonourable, untrustworthy, unscrupulous, unprincipled; mercenary, greedy; informal bent. ANTONYMS :honourable, honest.

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vendetta

noun
feud, blood feud, quarrel, argument, falling-out, dispute, fight, war; bad blood, enmity, rivalry, conflict, strife.

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vendor

noun
seller, retailer, purveyor, dealer, trader, tradesman, shopkeeper, merchant, supplier, stockist; huckster, pedlar, hawker; N. Amer. storekeeper.

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veneer

noun
American cherry wood with a maple veneer
surface, lamination, layer, overlay, facing, covering, finish, exterior.
a veneer of sophistication
facade, front, false front, show, outward display, appearance, impression, semblance, guise, disguise, mask, masquerade, pretence, camouflage, cover.
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venerable

adjective
respected, venerated, revered, reverenced, honoured, esteemed, hallowed, august, distinguished, eminent, great.

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venerate

verb
revere, reverence, worship, hallow, hold sacred, exalt, adore, honour, respect, esteem; archaic magnify.

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veneration

noun
reverence, worship, adoration, exaltation, devotion, honour, respect, esteem, high regard.

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vengeance

noun
revenge, retribution, retaliation, requital, reprisal, satisfaction, an eye for an eye (and a tooth for a tooth).
with a vengeance
vigorously, strenuously, energetically, with a will, with might and main, with all the stops out, for all one is worth, all out, flat out, at full tilt; informal hammer and tongs, like crazy, like mad; Brit. informal like billy-o.

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vengeful

adjective
vindictive, revengeful, out for revenge, unforgiving, grudge-bearing. ANTONYMS :forgiving.

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venial

adjective
forgivable, pardonable, excusable, allowable, permissible; slight, minor, unimportant, insignificant, trivial, trifling. ANTONYMS :unforgivable, mortal.

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venom

noun
snake venom
poison, toxin; archaic bane.
his voice was full of venom
rancour, malevolence, vitriol, spite, vindictiveness, malice, maliciousness, ill will, animosity, animus, bitterness, antagonism, hostility, bile, hate, hatred; informal bitchiness, cattiness.
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venomous

adjective
a venomous snake | the spider's venomous bite
poisonous, toxic; dangerous, deadly, lethal, fatal, mortal.
venomous remarks
vicious, spiteful, rancorous, malevolent, vitriolic, vindictive, malicious, poisonous, virulent, bitter, acrimonious, antagonistic, hostile, cruel; informal bitchy, catty; poetic/literary malefic, maleficent.
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ANTONYMS :harmless, benevolent.

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vent

noun
an air vent
outlet, inlet, opening, aperture, hole, gap, orifice, space; duct, flue, shaft, well, passage, airway.
verb
the crowd vented their fury on the pitch
let out, give vent to, give free rein to, release, pour out, express, give expression to, air, voice, give voice to, ventilate.

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ventilate

verb
the greenhouse must be properly ventilated
air, aerate, oxygenate, air-condition; freshen, cool.
the workers ventilated their discontent
express, give expression to, air, bring into the open, communicate, voice, give voice to, verbalize, discuss, debate, talk over.
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venture

noun
a business venture
enterprise, undertaking, project, scheme, operation, endeavour, speculation, plunge, gamble, experiment.
verb
we ventured across the moor
set out, go, travel, journey.
may I venture an opinion?
put forward, advance, proffer, offer, air, suggest, submit, propose, moot, ventilate.
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I ventured to ask her to come and dine with me
dare, make so bold as, presume; take the liberty of; informal stick one's neck out, go out on a limb.
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veracious

adjective
(formal). See truthful senses 1, 2.

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verbal

adjective
oral, spoken, stated, said, verbalized; unwritten.

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verbatim

adverb
word for word, letter for letter, line for line, to the letter, literally, exactly, precisely, closely, faithfully; formal literatim.

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verbiage

noun
verbosity, padding, wordiness, prolixity, long-windedness; Brit. informal waffle.

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verbose

adjective
wordy, loquacious, garrulous, talkative, voluble; long-winded, lengthy, prolix, tautological, pleonastic, periphrastic, circumlocutory, circuitous, discursive, digressive, rambling; informal mouthy, gabby; Brit. informal waffly. ANTONYMS :succinct, laconic.

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verbosity

noun
wordiness, loquacity, garrulity, talkativeness, volubility; long-windedness, lengthiness, verbiage, prolixity, tautology, circumlocution, discursiveness; Brit. informal waffle.

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verdant

adjective
green, leafy, grassy; lush, rich; poetic/literary verdured, verdurous.

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verdict

noun
judgement, adjudication, decision, finding, ruling, resolution, pronouncement, conclusion, opinion; Law determination.

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verge

noun
the verge of the lake
edge, border, margin, side, brink, rim, lip; fringe, boundary, perimeter; poetic/literary bourn, marge, skirt.
Spain was on the verge of an economic crisis
brink, threshold, edge, point.
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verb
a degree of caution that verged on the obsessive
approach, border on, be close/near to, be tantamount to; tend towards, approximate to, resemble.

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verification

noun
confirmation, substantiation, proof, corroboration, support, attestation, validation, authentication, endorsement.

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verify

verb
substantiate, confirm, prove, corroborate, back up, bear out, justify, support, uphold, attest to, testify to, validate, authenticate, endorse, certify. ANTONYMS :refute.

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vernacular

noun
he wrote in the vernacular to reach a wider audience
everyday language, colloquial language, conversational language, common parlance; dialect, regional language, regionalisms, patois; informal lingo, local lingo.
(informal) the vernacular of today's youth
language, parlance; idiom, slang, jargon; informal lingo, -speak, -ese.
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versatile

adjective
adaptable, flexible, all-round, multifaceted, multitalented, resourceful; adjustable, multi-purpose, all-purpose, handy.

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verse

noun
Elizabethan verse
poetry, versification; poems, balladry, lyrics; blank verse, heroic verse, free verse; poetic/literary poesy.
a verse he'd composed to mark my anniversary
poem, lyric, ballad, sonnet, ode, limerick, rhyme, ditty, lay.
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a poem with sixty verses
stanza, canto, couplet; strophe.
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ANTONYMS :prose.

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version

noun
his version of events
account, report, statement, description, record, story, rendering, interpretation, explanation, understanding, reading, impression, side.
the English version will be published next year
edition, translation, impression.
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they have replaced coal-burning fires with gas versions
form, sort, kind, type, variety, variant.
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vertex

noun
apex, peak, tip, top.

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vertical

adjective
upright, erect, perpendicular, plumb, straight up and down, on end, standing, upstanding, bolt upright, upended. ANTONYMS :horizontal.

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vertigo

noun
dizziness, giddiness, light-headedness, loss of balance; Veterinary Medicine sturdy.

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verve

noun
enthusiasm, vigour, energy, pep, dynamism, go, elan, vitality, vivacity, buoyancy, liveliness, animation, zest, sparkle, spirit, ebullience, life, brio, gusto, eagerness, keenness, passion, zeal, relish, feeling, ardour, fire; informal zing, zip, vim, pizzazz, oomph.

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very

adverb
that's very kind of you
extremely, exceedingly, exceptionally, extraordinarily, tremendously, immensely, hugely, intensely, acutely, abundantly, singularly, uncommonly, unusually, decidedly, particularly, supremely, highly, remarkably, really, truly, mightily; informal terrifically, awfully, fearfully, terribly, devilishly, majorly, seriously, mega, ultra, damn, damned; Brit. informal ever so, well, hellish, dead, jolly; N. Amer. informal real, mighty, awful, darned; informal, dated devilish, frightfully; archaic exceeding. ANTONYMS :slightly.

adjective
those were his very words
exact, actual, precise.
the very thought of food made her feel ill
mere, simple, pure; sheer.
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vessel

noun
a fishing vessel
boat, ship, craft, watercraft; poetic/literary barque.
pour the mixture into a heatproof vessel
container, receptacle; basin, bowl, pan, pot; urn, cask, barrel, drum, butt, vat.
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vest

verb
executive power is vested in the President
confer on, entrust to, invest in, bestow on, grant to, give to; endow, lodge, lay, place.

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vestibule

noun
entrance hall, hall, hallway, entrance, porch, portico, foyer, lobby, ante-room, antechamber, waiting room.

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vestige

noun
the last vestiges of colonialism
remnant, fragment, relic, echo, indication, sign, trace, mark, legacy, reminder; remains.
she showed no vestige of emotion
bit, touch, hint, suggestion, suspicion, shadow, scrap, tinge, speck, shred, jot, iota, whit, scintilla, glimmer; informal smidgen, tad.
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vestigial

adjective
vestigial limbs
rudimentary, undeveloped; non-functional; Biology primitive.
he felt a vestigial flicker of anger from last night
remaining, surviving, residual, leftover, lingering.
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vet

verb
press releases are vetted by an executive council
check, examine, scrutinize, investigate, inspect, look over, screen, assess, evaluate, appraise; informal check out.
noun
I took the cat to the vet
veterinary surgeon, animal doctor, horse doctor; N. Amer. veterinarian; dated veterinary.

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veteran

noun
a veteran of 16 political campaigns
old hand, past master, doyen; informal old-timer, old stager, old warhorse. ANTONYMS :novice.

adjective
a veteran diplomat
long-serving, seasoned, old, hardened; adept, expert, well trained, practised, experienced; informal battle-scarred.

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veto

noun
parliament's right of veto
rejection, dismissal; prohibition, proscription, embargo, ban, interdict; informal thumbs down, red light. ANTONYMS :approval.

verb
the president vetoed the bill
reject, turn down, throw out, dismiss; prohibit, forbid, interdict, proscribe, disallow, embargo, ban; informal kill, put the kibosh on, give the thumbs down to, give the red light to. ANTONYMS :approve.

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vex

verb
annoy, irritate, anger, infuriate, exasperate, irk, gall, pique, put out, antagonize, get on someone's nerves, ruffle someone's feathers, make someone's hackles rise; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal aggravate, peeve, miff, rile, nettle, needle, get (to), bug, hack off, get up someone's nose, get someone's goat, get someone's back up, give someone the hump, get someone's dander up; Brit. informal wind up, nark, get on someone's wick; N. Amer. informal tee off, tick off, burn up, rankle; informal, dated give someone the pip.

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vexation

noun
annoyance, irritation, exasperation, indignation, anger, crossness, displeasure, pique, disgruntlement; informal aggravation.

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vexatious

adjective
annoying, irritating, infuriating, exasperating, maddening, trying, tiresome, troublesome, bothersome, irksome, vexing, galling; informal aggravating, pesky.

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vexed

adjective
a vexed expression
annoyed, irritated, cross, angry, infuriated, exasperated, irked, piqued, displeased, put out, disgruntled; informal aggravated, peeved, nettled, miffed, miffy, riled, hacked off, hot under the collar; Brit. informal narked, shirty; N. Amer. informal teed off, ticked off, sore, bent out of shape; archaic wroth.
the vexed issue of immigration
disputed, in dispute, contested, in contention, contentious, debated, at issue, controversial, moot; problematic, difficult, knotty, thorny.
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viable

adjective
feasible, workable, practicable, practical, usable, possible, realistic, achievable, attainable, realizable; informal doable. ANTONYMS :impracticable.

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vibrant

adjective
a vibrant and passionate woman
spirited, lively, full of life, energetic, vigorous, vital, full of vim and vigour, animated, sparkling, effervescent, vivacious, dynamic, stimulating, exciting, passionate, fiery; informal peppy, feisty.
she was vibrant with excitement
quivering, trembling, shaking, shivering, shuddering, quavering, quaking.
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vibrant colours
vivid, bright, striking, brilliant, strong, rich.
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his vibrant voice
resonant, sonorous, reverberant, resounding, ringing, echoing; strong, rich, full.
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ANTONYMS :lifeless, pale.

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vibrate

verb
the floor beneath them vibrated
quiver, shake, tremble, shiver, shudder, judder, throb, pulsate; rock, oscillate, swing, sway, move to and fro.
a low rumbling sound began to vibrate through the car
reverberate, resonate, resound, ring, echo.
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vibration

noun
tremor, shaking, quivering, quaking, judder, juddering, shuddering, throb, throbbing, pulsation.

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vicar

noun
minister, rector, priest, parson, clergyman, clergywoman, cleric, churchman, churchwoman, ecclesiastic, pastor, father, man/woman of the cloth, man/woman of god, curate, chaplain, preacher; Scottish kirkman; N. Amer. dominie; informal reverend, padre, Holy Joe, sky pilot; Austral. informal josser; dated divine.

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vicarious

adjective
indirect, second-hand, secondary, derivative, derived, surrogate, substitute; empathetic, empathic.

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vice

noun
youngsters may be driven to vice
immorality, wrongdoing, wickedness, badness, evil, iniquity, villainy, corruption, misconduct; sin, sinfulness, ungodliness; depravity, degeneracy, dissolution, dissipation, debauchery, decadence, lechery; crime, transgression; formal turpitude; archaic trespass.
smoking is my only vice
shortcoming, failing, flaw, fault, defect, weakness, deficiency, limitation, imperfection, blemish, foible, frailty.
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ANTONYMS :virtue.

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vice versa

adverb
conversely, inversely, contrariwise; reciprocally.

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vicinity

noun
she lives in the vicinity
neighbourhood, surrounding area, locality, locale, (local) area, district, region, quarter, zone; environs, surroundings, precincts; N. Amer. vicinage; informal neck of the woods.
(archaic) the forest's vicinity to the dockyards.
See proximity.
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in the vicinity of
around, about, nearly, circa, approaching, roughly, something like, more or less; in the region of, in the neighbourhood of, near to, close to; Brit. getting on for.

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vicious

adjective
a vicious killer
brutal, ferocious, savage, violent, dangerous, ruthless, remorseless, merciless, heartless, callous, cruel, harsh, cold-blooded, inhuman, fierce, barbarous, barbaric, brutish, bloodthirsty, fiendish, sadistic, monstrous, murderous, homicidal.
a vicious hate campaign
malicious, malevolent, malignant, malign, spiteful, vindictive, venomous, poisonous, rancorous, mean, cruel, bitter, acrimonious, hostile, nasty; defamatory, slanderous; informal catty.
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ANTONYMS :gentle, kindly.

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vicissitude

noun
change, alteration, transition, shift, reversal, downturn; inconstancy, instability, uncertainty, unpredictability, chanciness, fickleness, variability, changeability, fluctuation, vacillation; ups and downs.

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victim

noun
a victim of crime
sufferer, injured party, casualty; fatality, loss; loser.
the victim of a confidence trick
dupe, stooge, gull, fool; target, prey, quarry, object, subject, focus, recipient; informal sucker, fall guy, chump, muggins, charlie; N. Amer. informal patsy, pigeon, sap.
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a sacrificial victim
sacrifice, (burnt) offering, scapegoat.
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fall victim to
fall ill with, be stricken with, catch, develop, contract, pick up; succumb to; informal go down with.

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victimize

verb
persecute, pick on, push around, bully, abuse, discriminate against, ill-treat, mistreat, maltreat, terrorize; exploit, prey on, take advantage of, dupe, cheat, double-cross; informal get at, have it in for, give someone a hard time, hassle, lean on.

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victor

verb
winner, champion, conqueror, vanquisher, hero; prizewinner, medallist; informal champ, top dog. ANTONYMS :loser.

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victorious

adjective
triumphant, conquering, vanquishing, winning, champion, successful, top, first.

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victory

noun
success, triumph, conquest, win, favourable result, landslide, coup, vanquishment; mastery, superiority, supremacy; informal walkover, thrashing, trouncing. ANTONYMS :defeat.

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victuals

plural noun
(dated). See food sense 1.

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vie

verb
compete, contend, contest, struggle, fight, battle, cross swords, lock horns, jockey; war, feud.

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view

noun
the view from her flat
outlook, prospect, panorama, vista, scene, aspect, perspective, spectacle, sight; scenery, landscape.
we agree with this view
opinion, point of view, viewpoint, belief, judgement, thinking, notion, idea, conviction, persuasion, attitude, feeling, sentiment, concept, hypothesis, theory; stance, standpoint, approach.
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the church came into view
sight, perspective, vision, visibility.
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verb
they viewed the landscape
look at, eye, observe, gaze at, stare at, ogle, contemplate, regard, scan, survey, inspect, scrutinize; informal check out, get a load of, gawp at; Brit. informal clock; N. Amer. informal eyeball; poetic/literary espy, behold.
the law was viewed as a last resort
consider, regard, look on, see, perceive, judge, deem, reckon.
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in view of
considering, bearing in mind, taking into account, on account of, in the light of, owing to, because of, as a result of. on view
on display, on exhibition, on show.

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viewer

noun
watcher, spectator, onlooker, observer; (viewers) audience, crowd; poetic/literary beholder.

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viewpoint

noun
. See view noun sense 2.

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vigilant

adjective
watchful, observant, attentive, alert, eagle-eyed, hawk-eyed, on the lookout, on one's toes, on the qui vive; wide awake, on one's guard, cautious, wary, circumspect, heedful, mindful; informal beady-eyed. ANTONYMS :inattentive.

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vigorous

adjective
the child was vigorous
robust, healthy, hale and hearty, strong, sturdy, fit; hardy, tough, athletic; bouncing, thriving, flourishing, blooming; energetic, lively, active, perky, spirited, vibrant, vital, zestful; informal peppy, bouncy, in the pink.
a vigorous defence of policy
strenuous, powerful, forceful, spirited, mettlesome, determined, aggressive, eager, zealous, ardent, fervent, vehement, passionate; tough, blunt, hard-hitting; informal punchy.
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ANTONYMS :weak, feeble.

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vigorously

adverb
strenuously, strongly, powerfully, forcefully, energetically, heartily, with might and main, for dear life, for all one is worth, all out, fiercely, hard; informal like mad, like crazy; Brit. informal like billy-o.

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vigour

noun
robustness, health, hardiness, strength, sturdiness, toughness; bloom, radiance, energy, life, vitality, verve, spirit; zeal, passion, determination, dynamism, zest, pep, drive; informal oomph, get-up-and-go; Brit. informal welly. ANTONYMS :lethargy.

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vile

adjective
foul, nasty, unpleasant, bad, disagreeable, horrid, horrible, dreadful, abominable, atrocious, offensive, obnoxious, odious, unsavoury, repulsive, disgusting, distasteful, loathsome, hateful, nauseating, sickening; disgraceful, appalling, shocking, sorry, shabby, shameful, dishonourable, execrable, heinous, abhorrent, deplorable, monstrous, wicked, evil, iniquitous, depraved, debased; contemptible, despicable, reprehensible; informal gross, God-awful, low-down, lousy; Brit. informal beastly; archaic scurvy. ANTONYMS :pleasant.

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vilify

verb
disparage, denigrate, defame, run down, revile, abuse, speak ill of, criticize, condemn; malign, slander, libel; N. Amer. slur; informal pull apart, lay into, slam, bad-mouth; Brit. informal rubbish, slate; Austral./NZ informal bag, monster; formal derogate, calumniate. ANTONYMS :commend.

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villain

noun
criminal, lawbreaker, offender, felon, convict, malefactor, miscreant, wrongdoer; gangster, gunman, thief, robber; rogue, scoundrel, reprobate, ruffian, hoodlum; Law malfeasant; informal crook, con, crim, baddy; dated cad, knave; archaic blackguard.

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villainous

adjective
wicked, evil, iniquitous, sinful, nefarious, vile, foul, monstrous, outrageous, atrocious, abominable, reprehensible, hateful, odious, contemptible, horrible, heinous, egregious, diabolical, fiendish, vicious, murderous; criminal, illicit, unlawful, illegal, lawless; immoral, corrupt, degenerate, sordid, depraved, dishonourable, dishonest, unscrupulous, unprincipled; informal crooked, bent, low-down, dirty, shady; dated dastardly. ANTONYMS :virtuous.

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villainy

noun
wickedness, badness, evil, iniquity, wrongdoing, dishonesty, unscrupulousness, roguery, delinquency; crime, vice, criminality, lawlessness, lawbreaking, corruption; Law malfeasance; informal crookedness; formal turpitude; archaic knavery.

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vindicate

verb
he was vindicated by the jury
acquit, clear, absolve, exonerate; discharge, liberate, free, redeem; informal let off (the hook); formal exculpate.
I had fully vindicated my request
justify, warrant, substantiate, ratify, authenticate, verify, confirm, corroborate, prove, defend, support, back, evidence, endorse.
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vindictive

adjective
vengeful, revengeful, unforgiving, resentful, acrimonious, bitter; spiteful, mean, rancorous, venomous, malicious, malevolent, nasty, cruel, unkind; informal catty. ANTONYMS :forgiving.

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vintage

noun
1986 was a classic vintage
year.
he lost a vintage through frost
(grape) harvest, crop, yield.
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furniture of Louis XV vintage
period, era, epoch, time, origin; genre, style, kind, sort, type.
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adjective
vintage French wine
high-quality, quality, choice, select, superior, best.
vintage motor vehicles
classic, ageless, timeless; old, antique, heritage, historic.
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his reaction was vintage Francis
characteristic, typical, pure.
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violate

verb
this violates fundamental human rights
contravene, breach, infringe, break, transgress, overstep, disobey, defy, flout; disregard, ignore.
the tomb was violated
desecrate, profane, defile, degrade, debase; damage, vandalize, deface, destroy.
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he drugged and then violated her
rape, assault, force oneself on, abuse, molest, interfere with; dated deflower, defile, dishonour, ruin; poetic/literary ravish.
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ANTONYMS :respect.

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violation

noun
a violation of human rights
contravention, breach, infringement, infraction, transgression, defiance; neglect.
a violation of their private lives
invasion, breach, infraction; trespass, intrusion, encroachment.
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she was threatened with violation
rape, (sexual) assault, (sexual) abuse, molestation, interference; dated defloration, defilement, dishonour; archaic ravishment.
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violence

noun
police violence
brutality, brute force, ferocity, savagery, cruelty, sadism, barbarity, brutishness.
the violence of the blow
forcefulness, force, power, strength, might, savagery, ferocity, brutality.
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the violence of his passion
intensity, severity, strength, force, vehemence, power, potency, fervency, ardency, ferocity, fury.
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violent

adjective
a violent alcoholic
brutal, vicious, savage, rough, aggressive, threatening, fierce, wild, ferocious; barbarous, barbaric, thuggish, cut-throat, homicidal, murderous, cruel.
a violent blow
powerful, forceful, hard, sharp, smart, strong, vigorous, mighty, hefty; savage, ferocious, brutal, vicious.
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violent jealousy
intense, extreme, strong, powerful, vehement, intemperate, unbridled, uncontrollable, ungovernable, inordinate, consuming, passionate.
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ANTONYMS :gentle, weak, mild.

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VIP

noun
celebrity, famous person, very important person, personality, big name, star, superstar; dignitary, luminary, worthy, grandee, lion, notable, notability, personage; informal heavyweight, celeb, bigwig, big shot, big cheese, nob, honcho, top dog, megastar; N. Amer. informal big wheel, (big) kahuna, high muckamuck.

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virago

noun
harridan, shrew, dragon, termagant, vixen; fishwife, witch, hellcat, she-devil, tartar, martinet, spitfire, ogress; informal battleaxe; archaic scold.

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virgin

noun
she remained a virgin
chaste woman, celibate; formal virgo intacta; poetic/literary maiden, maid, vestal.
adjective
virgin forest
untouched, unspoilt, untainted, immaculate, pristine, flawless; spotless, unsullied, unpolluted, undefiled, perfect; unchanged, intact; unexplored, uncharted, unmapped.
virgin girls
chaste, virginal, celibate, abstinent; unmarried, unwed, maiden, maidenly; pure, uncorrupted, incorrupt, undefiled, unsullied, innocent; poetic/literary vestal.
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virginal

adjective
. See virgin adjective sense 2.

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virginity

noun
chastity, maidenhood, honour, purity, innocence; celibacy, abstinence; informal cherry; archaic virtue.

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virile

adjective
manly, masculine, male; strong, tough, vigorous, robust, muscular, muscly, brawny, rugged, sturdy, husky; red-blooded, fertile; informal macho, laddish, butch, beefy, hunky. ANTONYMS :effeminate.

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virtual

adjective
effective, in effect, near (enough), essential, practical, to all intents and purposes; indirect, implied, implicit, unacknowledged, tacit.

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virtually

adverb
effectively, in effect, all but, more or less, practically, almost, nearly, close to, verging on, just about, as good as, essentially, to all intents and purposes, as near as dammit; roughly, approximately; informal pretty much, pretty well; poetic/literary well nigh, nigh on.

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virtue

noun
the simple virtue of peasant life
goodness, virtuousness, righteousness, morality, integrity, dignity, rectitude, honour, decency, respectability, nobility, worthiness, purity; principles, ethics.
promptness was not one of his virtues
good point, good quality, strong point, asset, forte, attribute, strength, talent.
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(archaic) she lost her virtue in the city.
See virginity.
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I can see no virtue in this
merit, advantage, benefit, usefulness, strength, efficacy.
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ANTONYMS :vice, failing, disadvantage.

by virtue of
because of, on account of, by dint of, by means of, by way of, via, through, as a result of, as a consequence of, on the strength of, owing to, thanks to, due to, by reason of.

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virtuosity

noun
skill, skilfulness, mastery, expertise, prowess, proficiency, ability, aptitude; excellence, brilliance, talent, genius, artistry, flair, panache, finesse, wizardry; informal know-how.

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virtuoso

noun
the pianist is clearly a virtuoso
genius, expert, (past) master, maestro, artist, prodigy, marvel, adept, professional, doyen, veteran; star, champion; informal hotshot, wizard, pro, ace; Brit. informal dab hand. ANTONYMS :duffer.

adjective
a virtuoso violinist
skilful, expert, accomplished, masterly, master, consummate, proficient, talented, gifted, adept, able, good, competent, capable; impressive, outstanding, exceptional, magnificent, supreme, first-rate, brilliant, excellent; informal superb, mean, ace. ANTONYMS :incompetent.

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virtuous

adjective
righteous, good, moral, ethical, upright, upstanding, high-minded, principled, exemplary; law-abiding, irreproachable, blameless, guiltless, unimpeachable, honest, honourable, reputable, decent, respectable, noble, worthy, meritorious; pure, whiter than white, saintly, angelic; informal squeaky clean.

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virulent

adjective
virulent herbicides
poisonous, toxic, venomous, noxious, deadly, lethal, fatal, mortal, dangerous, harmful, injurious, pernicious, damaging, destructive; poetic/literary deathly, nocuous.
a virulent epidemic
infectious, infective, contagious, communicable, transmittable, transmissible, spreading, pestilential; informal catching.
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a virulent attack on morals
vitriolic, malicious, malevolent, hostile, spiteful, venomous, vicious, vindictive, bitter, rancorous, acrimonious, scathing, caustic, withering, nasty, savage, harsh.
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ANTONYMS :harmless, amicable.

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viscous

adjective
sticky, gummy, gluey, adhesive, tacky, adherent, treacly, syrupy; glutinous, gelatinous, thick, viscid, mucous, mucoid, mucilaginous; informal gooey, gloopy; N. Amer. informal gloppy.

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visible

adjective
perceptible, perceivable, seeable, observable, noticeable, detectable, discernible; in sight, in/on view, on display; evident, apparent, manifest, transparent, plain, clear, conspicuous, obvious, patent, unmistakable, unconcealed, undisguised, prominent, salient, striking, glaring.

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vision

noun
her vision was blurred by tears
eyesight, sight, observation, (visual) perception; eyes; view, perspective.
visions of the ancestral pilgrims
apparition, spectre, phantom, ghost, wraith, manifestation; hallucination, illusion, mirage; informal spook; poetic/literary phantasm, shade.
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visions of a better future
dream, daydream, reverie; plan, hope; fantasy, pipe dream, delusion.
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his speech lacked vision
imagination, creativity, inventiveness, innovation, inspiration, intuition, perception, insight, foresight, prescience.
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Melissa was a vision in lilac
beautiful sight, feast for the eyes, pleasure to behold, delight, dream, beauty, picture, joy, marvel, sensation; informal sight for sore eyes, stunner, knockout, looker, peach; Brit. informal smasher.
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visionary

adjective
a visionary leader
inspired, imaginative, creative, inventive, ingenious, enterprising, innovative; insightful, perceptive, intuitive, prescient, discerning, shrewd, wise, clever, resourceful; idealistic, romantic, quixotic, dreamy; informal starry-eyed.
(archaic) a visionary image.
See imaginary.
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noun
a visionary pictured him in hell
seer, mystic, oracle, prophet(ess), soothsayer, augur, diviner, clairvoyant, crystal-gazer; Scottish spaewife; poetic/literary sibyl.
a visionary can't run a business effectively
dreamer, daydreamer, idealist, romantic, fantasist, utopian.
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visit

verb
I visited my dear uncle
call on, pay a visit to, go to see, look in on; stay with, holiday with; stop by, drop by; N. Amer. visit with, go see; informal pop in on, drop in on, look up.
Alex was visiting America
stay in, stop over in, spend time in, holiday in, vacation in; tour, explore, see; informal do.
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they were visited with many epidemics
afflict, attack, trouble, torment; archaic smite.
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noun
she paid a visit to her mum
(social) call.
a visit to the museum
trip to, tour of, look round; stopover, stay; holiday, break, vacation; formal sojourn.
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visitation

noun
the bishop's pastoral visitations
(official) visit, tour of inspection, survey, examination.
a visitation from God
apparition, vision, appearance, manifestation, materialization.
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Jehovah punished them by visitations
affliction, scourge, bane, curse, plague, blight, disaster, tragedy, catastrophe; punishment, retribution, vengeance.
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visitor

noun
I am expecting a visitor
guest, caller; company; archaic visitant.
the monument attracts foreign visitors
tourist, traveller, holidaymaker, day tripper, tripper, vacationer, vacationist, sightseer; pilgrim; foreigner, outsider, stranger, alien; Brit. informal emmet, grockle.
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vista

noun
view, prospect, panorama, aspect, perspective, spectacle, sight; scenery, landscape.

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visual

adjective
visual defects
optical, optic, ocular, eye; vision, sight.
a visual indication that the alarm works
visible, perceptible, perceivable, discernible.
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visualize

verb
envisage, envision, conjure up, picture, call to mind, see, imagine, evoke, dream up, fantasize about, conceptualize, contemplate.

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vital

adjective
it is vital that action is taken
essential, of the essence, critical, crucial, indispensable, all-important, imperative, mandatory, urgent, pressing, burning, compelling, high-priority; informal earth-shattering, world-shaking.
the vital organs
major, main, chief; essential, necessary.
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he is young and vital
lively, energetic, active, sprightly, spry, spirited, vivacious, exuberant, bouncy, enthusiastic, vibrant, zestful, sparkling, dynamic, vigorous, lusty, hale and hearty; informal peppy, spunky, full of beans, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.
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ANTONYMS :unimportant, minor, listless.

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vitality

noun
liveliness, life, energy, spirit, vivacity, exuberance, buoyancy, bounce, verve, vim, pep, brio, zest, sparkle, dynamism, passion, fire, vigour, drive; informal get-up-and-go.

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vitriolic

adjective
acrimonious, rancorous, bitter, caustic, mordant, acerbic, trenchant, virulent, spiteful, savage, venomous, poisonous, malicious, splenetic; nasty, mean, cruel, unkind, harsh, vindictive, scathing, barbed, wounding, sharp, cutting, withering, sarcastic; informal bitchy, catty.

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vituperate

verb
(archaic). See revile.

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vituperation

noun
invective, revilement, condemnation, opprobrium, scolding, criticism, disapprobation, fault-finding; blame, abuse, insults, vilification, denunciation, obloquy, denigration, disparagement, slander, libel, defamation, slurs, aspersions; vitriol, venom; informal flak; Brit. informal stick; formal castigation. ANTONYMS :praise.

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vivacious

adjective
lively, spirited, bubbly, ebullient, buoyant, sparkling, light-hearted, jaunty, merry, happy, jolly, full of fun, cheery, cheerful, perky, sunny, breezy, enthusiastic, irrepressible, vibrant, vital, zestful, energetic, dynamic; informal peppy, bouncy, upbeat, chirpy; dated gay. ANTONYMS :dull.

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vivid

adjective
a vivid blue sea
bright, colourful, brilliant, radiant, vibrant, strong, bold, deep, intense, rich, warm.
a vivid account of urban poverty
graphic, evocative, realistic, lifelike, faithful, authentic, clear, detailed, lucid, striking, arresting, impressive, colourful, rich, dramatic, lively, stimulating, interesting, fascinating, scintillating; memorable, powerful, stirring, moving, haunting.
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ANTONYMS :dull, vague.

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viz.

adverb
namely, that is to say, in other words, to wit, specifically; such as, as, like, for instance, for example; formal videlicet.

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vocabulary

noun
she has an extensive vocabulary
lexicon, lexis.
we listed the terms in a vocabulary
wordbook, dictionary, wordfinder, glossary, lexicon, thesaurus.
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vocal

adjective
vocal sounds
vocalized, voiced, uttered, articulated, oral; spoken, said.
a vocal critic of the government
vociferous, outspoken, forthright, plain-spoken, blunt, frank, candid, open; vehement, vigorous, emphatic, insistent, forceful, zealous, clamorous.
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vocation

noun
calling, life's work, mission, purpose, function; profession, occupation, career, job, employment, trade, craft, business, line (of work), métier.

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vociferous

adjective
. See vocal sense 2.

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vogue

noun
the skirt is enjoying a new vogue
fashion, trend, fad, fancy, craze, rage, enthusiasm, passion, obsession, mania; fashionableness, popularity, currency, favour; informal trendiness.
in vogue
fashionable, voguish, stylish, modish, up to date, up to the minute, modern, current; prevalent, popular, in favour, in demand, sought-after, all the rage; chic, smart, le dernier cri; informal trendy, hip, cool, big, happening, now, in, with it; N. Amer. informal tony, kicky.

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voice

noun
she lost her voice
power of speech.
he gave voice to his anger
expression, utterance, verbalization, vocalization.
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the voice of the people
opinion, view, feeling, wish, desire, vote, input.
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a powerful voice for conservation
mouthpiece, representative, spokesperson, intermediary; forum, vehicle, instrument, channel, organ, agent.
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verb
they voiced their opposition
express, vocalize, communicate, declare, state, assert, reveal, proclaim, announce, table, air, ventilate, vent; utter, say, speak, articulate; informal come out with.

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void

noun
the void of space
vacuum, emptiness, nothingness, blankness, vacuity; (empty) space, gap, cavity, chasm, abyss, gulf, pit.
verb
the contract was voided
invalidate, annul, nullify; negate, quash, cancel, countermand, repeal, revoke, rescind, retract, withdraw, reverse, undo, abolish; Law vacate; formal abrogate.
they voided their bladders
evacuate, empty, drain, clear, purge.
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bacteria are voided in the urine
eject, expel, emit, discharge, pass, excrete, exude, eliminate.
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ANTONYMS :validate, fill.

adjective
vast void spaces
empty, vacant, blank, bare, clear, free, unfilled, unoccupied, uninhabited.
a country void of man or beast
devoid of, empty of, vacant of, bereft of, free from; lacking, wanting, without.
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the election was void
invalid, null, ineffective, non-viable, useless, worthless, nugatory.
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ANTONYMS :full, occupied, valid.

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volatile

adjective
a volatile personality
unpredictable, changeable, variable, inconstant, inconsistent, erratic, irregular, unstable, turbulent, blowing hot and cold, varying, shifting, fluctuating, fluid, mutable; mercurial, capricious, whimsical, fickle, flighty, impulsive, temperamental, highly strung, excitable, emotional, fiery, moody, tempestuous.
the atmosphere is too volatile for an election
tense, strained, fraught, uneasy, uncomfortable, charged, explosive, inflammatory, turbulent; informal nail-biting; Brit. informal dodgy.
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a volatile organic compound
evaporative, vaporous; explosive, inflammable; unstable, labile.
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ANTONYMS :stable, calm.

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volition

of one's own volition
of one's own free will, of one's own accord, by choice, by preference; voluntarily, willingly, readily, freely, intentionally, consciously, deliberately, on purpose, purposely; gladly, with pleasure.

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volley

noun
barrage, cannonade, battery, bombardment, salvo, fusillade; storm, hail, shower, deluge, torrent; historical broadside.

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voluble

adjective
talkative, loquacious, garrulous, verbose, wordy, chatty, gossipy, effusive, gushing, forthcoming, conversational, communicative, expansive; articulate, fluent; informal mouthy, gabby, gassy, windy. ANTONYMS :taciturn.

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volume

noun
a volume from the library
book, publication, tome, hardback, paperback, title; manual, almanac, compendium.
a glass syringe of known volume
capacity, cubic measure, size, magnitude, mass, bulk, extent; dimensions, proportions, measurements.
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a huge volume of water
quantity, amount, proportion, measure, mass, bulk.
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she turned the volume down
loudness, sound, amplification.
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voluminous

adjective
capacious, roomy, spacious, ample, full, big, large, generous; billowing, baggy, loose-fitting; formal commodious.

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voluntarily

adverb
of one's own free will, of one's own accord, of one's own volition, by choice, by preference; willingly, readily, freely, intentionally, deliberately, on purpose, purposely, spontaneously; gladly, with pleasure.

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voluntary

adjective
attendance is voluntary
optional, discretionary, elective, non-compulsory, volitional; Law permissive.
voluntary work
unpaid, unsalaried, for free, without charge, for nothing; honorary, volunteer; Law pro bono (publico).
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ANTONYMS :compulsory, paid.

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volunteer

verb
I volunteered my services
offer, tender, proffer, put forward, put up, venture.
he volunteered as a driver
offer one's services, present oneself, make oneself available.
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noun
each volunteer was tested three times
subject, participant, case, client, patient; informal guinea pig.

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voluptuous

adjective
a voluptuous model
curvaceous, shapely, ample, buxom, full-figured, Junoesque, Rubenesque; seductive, alluring, sultry, sensuous, sexy; informal curvy, busty, slinky.
she was voluptuous by nature
hedonistic, sybaritic, epicurean, pleasure-loving, self-indulgent; decadent, intemperate, immoderate, dissolute, sensual, licentious.
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ANTONYMS :scrawny, ascetic.

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vomit

verb
he needed to vomit
be sick, spew, fetch up; heave, retch, reach, gag; N. Amer. get sick; informal throw up, puke, chunder, chuck up, hurl; Brit. informal honk; Scottish informal boke; N. Amer. informal barf, upchuck.
I vomited my breakfast
regurgitate, bring up, spew up, cough up; informal chuck up, throw up, puke; Brit. informal sick up; N. Amer. informal spit up.
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the printer is vomiting paper
eject, issue, emit, expel, discharge, disgorge, throw out, spew out, belch.
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noun
a coat stained with vomit
sick; informal chunder, puke, spew; N. Amer. informal barf; Medicine vomitus.

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voracious

adjective
insatiable, unquenchable, unappeasable, prodigious, uncontrollable, compulsive, gluttonous, greedy, rapacious; enthusiastic, eager, keen, avid, desirous, hungry, ravenous; informal piggish.

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vortex

noun
whirlwind, whirlpool, gyre, maelstrom, eddy, swirl.

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vote

noun
a rigged vote
ballot, poll, election, referendum, plebiscite; show of hands.
in 1918 women got the vote
suffrage, voting rights, franchise, enfranchisement; voice, say.
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verb
only half of them voted
go to the polls, cast one's vote.
I vote we have one more game
suggest, propose, recommend, advocate, move, table, submit.
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vote someone in
elect, return, select, choose, pick, adopt, appoint, designate, opt for, plump for, decide on.

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vouch

vouch for
attest to, confirm, affirm, verify, swear to, testify to, bear out, back up, support, stick up for, corroborate, substantiate, prove, uphold, give credence to, endorse, certify, warrant, validate.

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voucher

noun
coupon, token, ticket, licence, permit, carnet, pass; chit, slip, stub, docket; Brit. informal chitty; N. Amer. informal ducat, comp.

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vouchsafe

verb
the grace which God had vouchsafed him
grant, give, accord; confer on, bestow on, favour with.
you never vouchsafed that information before
disclose, reveal, divulge, impart, give away, make known, broadcast, air; informal blab, spill; Brit. informal cough.
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if he would only vouchsafe to talk with them
deign, condescend, stoop, lower oneself, humble oneself, demean oneself.
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ANTONYMS :withhold, conceal.

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vow

noun
a vow of silence
oath, pledge, promise, bond, covenant, commitment, avowal, profession, affirmation, attestation, assurance, guarantee; word (of honour); formal troth. votive.
verb
I vowed to do better
swear, pledge, promise, avow, undertake, engage, make a commitment, give one's word, guarantee; archaic plight.

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voyage

noun
the voyage lasted 120 days
journey, trip, expedition, excursion, tour; hike, trek; pilgrimage, quest, crusade, odyssey; cruise, passage, flight, drive.
verb
he voyaged through Peru
travel, journey, tour, globetrot; sail, steam, cruise, fly, drive; informal gallivant; archaic peregrinate.

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vulgar

adjective
a vulgar joke
rude, indecent, indelicate, offensive, distasteful, coarse, crude, ribald, risqué, naughty, suggestive, racy, earthy, off colour, bawdy, obscene, lewd, salacious, smutty, dirty, filthy, pornographic, X-rated; informal sleazy, raunchy, blue, locker-room; Brit. informal saucy, close to the bone; N. Amer. informal gamy; euphemistic adult.
the decor was lavish but vulgar
tasteless, crass, tawdry, ostentatious, flamboyant, overdone, showy, gaudy, garish, brassy, kitsch, tinselly, loud; informal flash, flashy, tacky, over the top.
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it was vulgar for a woman to whistle
impolite, ill-mannered, unmannerly, indecorous, unseemly, ill-bred, boorish, uncouth, crude, rough; unsophisticated, unrefined, common.
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ANTONYMS :tasteful, decorous.

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vulnerable

adjective
a vulnerable city
in danger, in peril, in jeopardy, at risk, endangered, unsafe, unprotected, unguarded; open to attack, assailable, exposed, wide open; undefended, unfortified, unarmed, defenceless, helpless, pregnable.
he is vulnerable to criticism
exposed to, open to, liable to, prone to, prey to, susceptible to, subject to, an easy target for; archaic susceptive of.
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ANTONYMS :resilient.

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W

wacky

adjective
(informal). See eccentric adjective.

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wad

noun
a wad of cotton wool
lump, clump, mass, plug, pad, hunk, wedge, ball, cake, nugget; bit, piece; Brit. informal wodge.
a wad of dollar bills
bundle, roll, pile, stack, sheaf; N. Amer. bankroll.
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a wad of tobacco
quid, twist, plug, chew.
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verb
the teddy bear was wadded with cotton
stuff, pad, fill, pack; wrap, cover, cushion.

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wadding

noun
stuffing, filling, filler, packing, padding, cushioning, quilting.

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waddle

verb
toddle, dodder, totter, wobble, shuffle; duckwalk.

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wade

verb
they waded in the icy water
paddle, wallow, dabble, squelch; informal splosh.
I had to wade through some hefty documents
plough, plod, trawl, labour, toil; study, browse; informal slog.
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wade in (informal)
set to work, buckle down, go to it, put one's shoulder to the wheel; informal plunge in, dive in, get stuck in, get cracking.

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waffle (Brit.informal)

verb
they waffled on about the baby
prattle, chatter, babble, ramble, jabber, gibber, gabble, prate, drivel; informal blather; Brit. informal rabbit, witter, natter.
noun
my panic reduced the interview to waffle
prattle, drivel, nonsense, twaddle, gibberish, mumbo-jumbo; informal hot air, poppycock, bunk, hogwash, gobbledegook.

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waft

verb
smoke wafted through the air
drift, float, glide, whirl, travel.
a breeze wafted the smell towards us
convey, carry, transport, bear; blow, puff.
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wag 1

verb
the dog's tail wagged frantically
swing, swish, switch, sway, shake, quiver, twitch, whip; informal waggle.
he wagged his stick at them
shake, wave, wiggle, flourish, brandish.
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noun
a feeble wag of her tail
swing, shake, swish, switch, quiver, twitch, whip; informal waggle.
a wag of the finger
shake, flourish, wiggle, wobble, wave; informal waggle.
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wag 2

noun
(informal) he's a bit of a wag.
See joker.

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wage

noun
the farm workers' wages
pay, payment, remuneration, salary, stipend, fee, honorarium; income, revenue; profit, gain, reward; earnings; formal emolument.
the wages of sin is death
reward, recompense, retribution; returns, deserts.
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verb
they waged war on the guerrillas
engage in, carry on, conduct, execute, pursue, prosecute, proceed with.

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wager

noun
a wager of £100
bet, gamble, speculation; stake, pledge, ante; Brit. informal flutter.
verb
I'll wager a pound on the home team
bet, gamble, lay odds, put money on; stake, pledge, risk, venture, hazard, chance; informal punt.

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waggle

verb
(informal). See wag1 verb senses 1, 2.

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waif

noun
ragamuffin, urchin; foundling, orphan, stray; derogatory guttersnipe; dated gamin.

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wail

noun
a wail of anguish
howl, bawl, yowl, cry, moan, groan; shriek, scream, yelp.
verb
the children began to wail
howl, weep, cry, sob, moan, groan, keen, lament, yowl, snivel, whimper, whine, bawl, shriek, scream, yelp, caterwaul; Scottish greet; informal blubber, blub.

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wait

verb
we'll wait in the airport
stay (put), remain, rest, stop, halt, pause; linger, loiter, dally; informal stick around; archaic tarry.
she had to wait until her bags arrived
stand by, hold back, bide one's time, hang fire, mark time, kill time, waste time, kick one's heels, twiddle one's thumbs; informal hold on, hang around, sit tight, hold one's horses.
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they were waiting for the kettle to boil
await; anticipate, expect, be ready.
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that job will have to wait
be postponed, be delayed, be put off, be deferred; informal be put on the back burner, be put on ice.
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noun
a long wait
delay, hold-up, interval, interlude, intermission, pause, break, stay, cessation, suspension, stoppage, halt, interruption, lull, respite, recess, moratorium, hiatus, gap, rest.
wait on someone
serve, attend to, tend, cater for/to; minister to, take care of, look after, see to. wait up
stay awake, stay up.

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waiter waitress

noun
server, stewardess, steward, attendant, garçon; hostess, host; butler, servant, page; N. Amer. waitperson.

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waive

verb
he waived his right to a hearing
relinquish, renounce, give up, abandon, surrender, yield, reject, dispense with, abdicate, sacrifice, refuse, turn down, spurn.
the manager waived the rules
disregard, ignore, overlook, set aside, forgo, drop.
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wake 1

verb
at 4.30 am Mark woke up
awake, waken (up), awaken, rouse oneself, stir, come to, come round, bestir oneself; get up, get out of bed; formal arise.
she woke her husband
rouse, arouse, waken; Brit. informal knock up.
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a shock woke him up a bit
activate, stimulate, galvanize, enliven, stir up, spur on, ginger up, buoy up, invigorate, revitalize; informal perk up, pep up.
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they woke up to what we were saying
realize, become aware of, become conscious of, become mindful of.
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the name woke an old memory
evoke, conjure up, rouse, stir, revive, awaken, rekindle, rejuvenate, stimulate.
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ANTONYMS :sleep.

noun
a mourner at a wake
vigil, watch; funeral.

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wake 2

noun
the cruiser's wake
backwash, wash, slipstream, turbulence; trail, path. in the wake of
in the aftermath of, after, subsequent to, following, as a result of, as a consequence of, on account of, because of, owing to.

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wakeful

adjective
he had been wakeful all night
awake, restless, restive, tossing and turning; archaic watchful.
I was suddenly wakeful
alert, watchful, vigilant, on the lookout, on one's guard, attentive, heedful, wary.
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ANTONYMS :asleep, inattentive.

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waken

verb
. See wake1 verb senses 1, 2.

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Wales

noun
Cambria; Brit. the Principality.

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walk

verb
they walked along the road
stroll, saunter, amble, trudge, plod, hike, tramp, trek, march, stride, troop, patrol, step out, wander, ramble, tread, prowl, footslog, promenade, roam, traipse; stretch one's legs; informal mosey, pootle, hoof it; Brit. informal yomp; formal perambulate.
he walked her home
accompany, escort, guide, show, see, usher, take, chaperone, steer, shepherd.
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noun
country walks
stroll, saunter, amble, promenade; ramble, hike, tramp, march; turn, airing; dated constitutional.
her elegant walk
gait, step, stride, tread.
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the riverside walk
pathway, path, footpath, track, walkway, promenade, footway, pavement, trail, towpath.
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walk all over someone (informal)
be firm or they'll walk all over you
take advantage of, impose on, exploit, use, abuse, misuse, manipulate, take liberties with; informal take for a ride, run rings around.

we walked all over the home team.
See trounce.
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walk off/away with
(informal) she walked off with my car keys.
See steal verb sense 1.

he walked off with four awards
win easily, win hands down, attain, earn, gain, receive, acquire, secure, collect, pick up, net; informal bag.
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walk of life
class, status, rank, caste, sphere, arena; profession, career, vocation, job, occupation, employment, business, trade, craft; province, field; dated station. walk out
he walked out in a temper
leave, depart, get up and go, storm off/out, flounce out, absent oneself; informal take off.

teachers walked out in protest
(go on) strike, stop work; protest, mutiny, revolt; Brit. informal down tools.
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walk out on someone
desert, abandon, leave, betray, throw over, jilt, run out on, rat on; informal chuck, dump, ditch.

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walker

noun
hiker, rambler, traveller, roamer, rover, stroller; pedestrian; poetic/literary wayfarer.

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walkout

noun
strike, stoppage, industrial action; revolt, rebellion.

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walkover

noun
easy victory, rout, landslide; informal piece of cake, doddle, pushover, cinch, breeze, picnic, whitewash; N. Amer. informal duck soup; dated snip.

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wall

noun
brick walls
barrier, partition, enclosure, screen, panel, separator.
an ancient city wall
fortification, rampart, barricade, bulwark, stockade.
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break down the walls that stop world trade
obstacle, barrier, fence; impediment, hindrance, block, check.
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mural.
verb
tenements walled in the courtyard
enclose, bound, encircle, confine, hem, close in, shut in, fence in.
the doorway had been walled up
block, seal, close, brick up.
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go to the wall (informal). See fail sense 1. off the wall (informal). See unconventional.

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wallet

noun
purse; N. Amer. billfold, pocketbook; Brit. dated notecase.

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wallop

verb
(informal). See thump verb sense 1.

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wallow

verb
buffalo wallowed in the lake
loll about/around, lie about/around, splash about/around; slosh, wade, paddle; informal splosh.
a ship wallowing in stormy seas
roll, lurch, toss, plunge, reel, rock, flounder, keel, list; labour.
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she seems to wallow in self-pity
luxuriate, bask, take pleasure, take satisfaction, indulge (oneself), delight, revel, glory; enjoy, like, love, relish, savour; informal get a kick out of, get a buzz from.
Top

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wan

adjective
she looked so wan and frail
pale, pallid, ashen, white, grey; anaemic, colourless, bloodless, waxen, chalky, pasty, peaky, sickly, washed out, drained, drawn, ghostly.
the wan light of the moon
dim, faint, weak, feeble, pale, watery.
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ANTONYMS :flushed, bright.

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wand

noun
baton, stick, staff, bar, dowel, rod; twig, cane, birch, switch; historical caduceus.

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wander

verb
I wandered around the estate
stroll, amble, saunter, walk, dawdle, potter, ramble, meander; roam, rove, range, drift, prowl; Scottish & Irish stravaig; informal traipse, mosey, tootle; Brit. informal mooch.
we are wandering from the point
stray, depart, diverge, veer, swerve, deviate, digress, drift, get sidetracked.
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the child wandered off
get lost, lose one's way, go astray.
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the road wanders along the shore
meander, wind, twist, curve, zigzag, bend, snake.
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noun
let's go for a wander
stroll, amble, saunter, walk, potter, ramble, prowl, promenade; turn, breather, airing; informal traipse, mosey, tootle; Brit. informal mooch; dated constitutional.

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wanderer

noun
traveller, rambler, hiker, migrant, globetrotter, roamer, rover; itinerant, rolling stone, bird of passage, nomad; tramp, drifter, vagabond, vagrant; Brit. informal dosser; N. Amer. informal hobo, bum; poetic/literary wayfarer.

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wane

verb
the moon is waning
decrease, diminish, dwindle.
their support was waning
decline, diminish, decrease, dwindle, shrink, tail off, ebb, fade (away), lessen, peter out, fall off, recede, slump, flag, weaken, give way, wither, evaporate, die out; poetic/literary evanesce.
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ANTONYMS :wax, grow.

on the wane
declining, decreasing, diminishing, dwindling, shrinking, contracting, tapering off, subsiding, ebbing, fading away, dissolving, petering out, winding down, falling off, on the way out, receding, flagging, melting away, crumbling, withering, disintegrating, evaporating, dying out.

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wangle

verb
(informal). See contrive.

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want

verb
do you want more coffee?
desire, wish for, hope for, fancy, care for, like; long for, yearn for, crave, hanker after, hunger for, thirst for, cry out for, covet; need; informal have a yen for, be dying for.
(informal) his toaster wants repairing
need, require, demand, cry out for.
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(informal) you want to be more careful
should, ought, need, must.
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(archaic) his poem wants a name
lack, be without, have need of, be devoid of, be bereft of.
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noun
his want of vigilance
lack, absence, non-existence, unavailability; dearth, deficiency, inadequacy, insufficiency, paucity, shortage, scarcity, deficit.
a time of want
need, neediness, austerity, privation, deprivation, poverty, impoverishment, penury, destitution; famine, drought.
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all her wants would be taken care of
wish, desire, demand, longing, yearning, fancy, craving, hankering; need, requirement; informal yen.
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wanting

adjective
the defences were found wanting
deficient, inadequate, lacking, insufficient, imperfect, unacceptable, flawed, faulty, defective, unsound, substandard, inferior, second-rate, poor, shoddy; Brit. informal not much cop.
the kneecap is wanting in amphibians
absent, missing, lacking, non-existent.
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millions were left wanting for food
without, lacking, deprived of, devoid of, bereft of, in need of; deficient in, short on; informal minus.
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ANTONYMS :sufficient, present.

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wanton

adjective
wanton destruction
deliberate, wilful, malicious, spiteful, wicked, cruel; gratuitous, unprovoked, motiveless, arbitrary, groundless, unjustifiable, needless, unnecessary, uncalled for, senseless, pointless, purposeless, meaningless, empty.
a wanton seductress
promiscuous, immoral, immodest, indecent, shameless, unchaste, fast, impure, abandoned, lustful, lecherous, lascivious, libidinous, licentious, dissolute, debauched, degenerate, corrupt, whorish, disreputable; dated loose.
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ANTONYMS :justifiable, chaste.

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war

noun
the Napoleonic wars
conflict, warfare, combat, fighting, (military) action, bloodshed, struggle; battle, skirmish, fight, clash, engagement, encounter; offensive, attack, campaign; hostilities; jihad, crusade.
the war against drugs
campaign, crusade, battle, fight, struggle, movement, drive.
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belligerent, martial. ANTONYMS :peace.

verb
rival Emperors warred against each other
fight, battle, combat, wage war, take up arms; feud, quarrel, struggle, contend, wrangle, cross swords; attack, engage, take on, skirmish with.

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warble

verb
larks warbled in the sky
trill, sing, chirp, chirrup, cheep, twitter, tweet, chatter, peep.
noun
a warble pierced the air
trill, song, chirp, chirrup, chirr, cheep, twitter, tweet, chatter, peep, call.

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ward

noun
the surgical ward
room, department, unit, area.
the most marginal ward in Westminster
district, constituency, division, quarter, zone, parish.
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the boy is my ward
dependant, charge, protégé.
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ward someone off
fend off, repel, repulse, beat back, chase away; informal send packing. ward something off
she warded off the blow
parry, avert, deflect, block; evade, avoid, dodge.

garlic is worn to ward off evil spirits
rebuff, avert, keep at bay, fend off, stave off, resist, prevent, obstruct, foil, frustrate, thwart, check, stop.
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warden

noun
the flats have a resident warden
superintendent, caretaker, janitor, porter, custodian, watchman, concierge, doorman.
a game warden
ranger, custodian, keeper, guardian, protector.
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he was handcuffed to a warden
prison officer, guard, jailer, warder, wardress, keeper, sentry; informal screw.
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(Brit.) the college warden
principal, head, governor, master, mistress, rector, provost, president, director, chancellor; N. Amer. informal prexy.
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warder wardress

noun
. See warden sense 3.

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wardrobe

noun
she opened the wardrobe
cupboard, cabinet, locker; N. Amer. closet.
her wardrobe has an outfit for every mood
collection of clothes; garments, attire, outfits; trousseau.
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warehouse

noun
storeroom, storehouse, store, depot, depository, stockroom; magazine; granary; informal lock-up.

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wares

plural noun
merchandise, goods, products, produce, stock, commodities; lines, range.

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warfare

noun
fighting, war, combat, conflict, (military) action, hostilities; bloodshed, battles, skirmishes.

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warlike

adjective
aggressive, belligerent, warring, bellicose, pugnacious, combative, bloodthirsty, jingoistic, sabre-rattling; hostile, threatening, quarrelsome; militaristic, militant; informal gung-ho.

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warlock

noun
sorcerer, wizard, magus, (black) magician, enchanter; archaic mage.

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warm

adjective
a warm kitchen
hot, cosy, snug; informal toasty.
a warm day in spring
balmy, summery, sultry, hot, mild, temperate; sunny, fine.
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warm water
heated, tepid, lukewarm.
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a warm sweater
thick, chunky, thermal, winter, woolly.
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a warm welcome
friendly, cordial, amiable, genial, kind, pleasant, fond; welcoming, hospitable, benevolent, benign, charitable; sincere, genuine, wholehearted, heartfelt, enthusiastic, eager, hearty.
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(informal) they haven't found it, but they're warm
close, near; informal hot.
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ANTONYMS :cold, chilly, light, hostile.

verb
warm the soup in that pan
heat (up), reheat, cook; thaw (out), melt; N. Amer. warm over; informal zap; Brit. informal hot up. ANTONYMS :chill.

warm to/towards
everyone warmed to him
like, take to, get on (well) with, hit it off with, be on good terms with.

he couldn't warm to the notion
be enthusiastic about , be supportive of, be excited about.
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warm up
limber up, loosen up, stretch, work out, exercise; prepare, rehearse. warm someone up the compère warmed up the crowd

enliven, liven, stimulate, animate, rouse, stir, excite; informal get going.

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warm-blooded

adjective
mammals are warm-blooded
Zoology homeothermic, homeothermal.
a warm-blooded woman
passionate, ardent, red-blooded, emotional, intense, impetuous, lively, spirited, fiery, tempestuous.
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ANTONYMS :poikilothermic, reserved.

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warmed-up

adjective
a warmed-up pasty
reheated; N. Amer. warmed-over.
warmed-up ideas
unoriginal, derivative, imitative, uninspired; copied, plagiarized, rehashed; hackneyed, stale, tired, banal; informal old hat.
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ANTONYMS :original.

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warm-hearted

adjective
kind, warm, big-hearted, tender-hearted, tender, loving, caring, feeling, unselfish, selfless, benevolent, humane, good-natured; friendly, sympathetic, understanding, compassionate, charitable, generous.

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warmonger

noun
militarist, hawk, jingoist, sabre-rattler, aggressor, belligerent.

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warmth

noun
the warmth of the fire
heat, warmness, hotness; cosiness.
the warmth of their welcome
friendliness, amiability, geniality, cordiality, kindness, tenderness, fondness; benevolence, charity; enthusiasm, eagerness, ardour, fervour, effusiveness.
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warn

verb
David warned her that it was too late
notify, alert, apprise, inform, tell, make someone aware, forewarn, remind; informal tip off, put wise.
police are warning galleries to be alert
advise, exhort, urge, counsel, caution.
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warning

noun
the earthquake came without warning
(advance) notice, forewarning, alert; hint, signal, sign, alarm bells; informal a tip-off.
a health warning
caution, notification, information; exhortation, injunction; advice.
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a warning of things to come
omen, premonition, foreboding, prophecy, prediction, forecast, token, portent, signal, sign; poetic/literary foretoken.
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his sentence is a warning to other drunk drivers
example, deterrent, lesson, caution, exemplar, message, moral.
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a written warning
admonition, caution, remonstrance, reprimand, censure; informal dressing-down, talking-to, telling-off.
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warp

verb
timber which is too dry will warp
buckle, twist, bend, distort, deform, misshape, malform, curve, bow, contort.
he warped the mind of her child
corrupt, twist, pervert, deprave.
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ANTONYMS :straighten.

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warrant

noun
a warrant for his arrest
authorization, order, licence, permit, document; writ, summons, subpoena; mandate, decree, fiat, edict.
a travel warrant
voucher, chit, slip, ticket, coupon, pass.
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there's no warrant for this assumption
justification, grounds, cause, rationale, basis, authority, licence, sanction, vindication.
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verb
the charges warranted a severe sentence
justify, vindicate, call for, sanction, validate; permit, authorize; deserve, excuse, account for, legitimize; support, license, approve of; merit, qualify for, rate, be worthy of, be deserving of.
we warrant that the texts do not infringe copyright
guarantee, affirm, swear, promise, vow, pledge, undertake, state, assert, declare, profess, attest; vouch, testify, bear witness; formal aver.
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warranty

noun
guarantee, assurance, promise, commitment, undertaking, agreement.

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warring

adjective
opposing, conflicting, at war, fighting, battling, quarrelling; competing, hostile, rival.

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warrior

noun
fighter, soldier, serviceman, combatant.

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wary

adjective
he was trained to be wary
cautious, careful, circumspect, on one's guard, chary, alert, on the lookout, on one's toes, on the qui vive; attentive, heedful, watchful, vigilant, observant; informal wide awake.
we are wary of strangers
suspicious, chary, leery, careful, distrustful, mistrustful, sceptical, doubtful, dubious.
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ANTONYMS :inattentive, trustful.

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wash

verb
he washed in the bath
clean oneself, have a wash; bathe, bath, shower, soak, freshen up; formal perform one's ablutions; dated make one's toilet.
she washed her hands
clean, cleanse, sponge, scrub, wipe, scour; shampoo, lather; sluice, swill, douse, swab, disinfect.
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she washed off the blood
remove, expunge, eradicate; sponge off, scrub off, wipe off, rinse off.
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the women were washing clothes
launder, clean, rinse; poetic/literary lave.
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waves washed against the hull
splash, lap, splosh, dash, break, beat, surge, ripple, roll.
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the wreckage was washed up downriver
sweep, carry, convey, transport; deposit.
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guilt washed over her
affect, rush through, surge through, course through, flood over, flow over.
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the stonework was washed with pastel paint
paint, colour, tint, shade, dye, stain; coat, cover.
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(informal) this story just won't wash
be accepted, be acceptable, be plausible, be convincing , hold up, hold water, stand up, bear scrutiny.
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ANTONYMS :dirty, soil.

noun
she needs a wash
clean, shower, dip, bath, soak; formal ablutions.
that shirt should go in the wash
laundry, washing.
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antiseptic skin wash
lotion, salve, preparation, rinse, liquid; liniment, embrocation.
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the wash of a motor boat
backwash, wake, trail, path.
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the wash of the waves on the beach
surge, flow, swell, sweep, rise and fall, roll, splash.
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water thinned out the crayon into a wash
paint, stain, film.
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wash something away
erode, abrade, wear away, eat away, undermine. wash one's hands of
disown, renounce, reject, forswear, disavow, give up on, turn one's back on, cast aside, abandon; formal abjure. wash up
wash the dishes, do the dishes, do the washing-up.

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washed out

adjective
a washed-out denim jacket
faded, bleached, decolorized, stonewashed; pale, light, drab, muted.
he looked washed out after his exams
exhausted, tired, worn out, weary, fatigued, spent, drained, enervated, run down; informal all in, done in, dog-tired, bushed, beat, zonked; Brit. informal knackered; N. Amer. informal pooped, tuckered out.
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ANTONYMS :bold, energetic.

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washout

noun
(informal). See failure senses 2, 3.

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waspish

adjective
irritable, touchy, testy, cross, snappish, cantankerous, splenetic, short-tempered, bad-tempered, moody, crotchety, crabby, ratty; informal grouchy.

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waste

verb
he doesn't like to waste money
squander, misspend, misuse, fritter away, throw away, lavish, dissipate, throw around; informal blow, splurge.
kids are wasting away in the streets
grow weak, grow thin, shrink, decline, wilt, fade, flag, deteriorate, degenerate, languish.
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the disease wasted his legs
emaciate, atrophy, wither, debilitate, shrivel, shrink, weaken, enfeeble.
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(poetic/literary) our country was wasted by the enemy.
See devastate sense 1.
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(N. Amer. informal) I saw them waste the guy.
See murder verb sense 1.
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ANTONYMS :conserve, thrive.

adjective
waste material
unwanted, excess, superfluous, left over, scrap, useless, worthless; unusable, unprofitable.
waste ground
uncultivated, barren, desert, arid, bare; desolate, void, uninhabited, unpopulated; wild.
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noun
a waste of money
misuse, misapplication, misemployment, abuse; extravagance, wastefulness, lavishness.
household waste
rubbish, refuse, litter, debris, dross, junk, detritus, scrap; dregs, scraps; sewage, effluent; N. Amer. garbage, trash.
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the frozen wastes of the South Pole
desert, wasteland, wilderness, emptiness, wilds.
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lay waste. See lay1.

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wasted

adjective
a wasted effort
squandered, misspent, misdirected, misused, dissipated; pointless, useless, needless, unnecessary.
a wasted opportunity
missed, lost, forfeited, neglected, squandered, bungled; informal down the drain.
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I'm wasted in this job
underemployed, underused, too good for; neglected, forgotten, disregarded.
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his wasted legs
emaciated, atrophied, withered, shrivelled, weak, frail, shrunken, skeletal, rickety, scrawny, wizened.
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(informal) everybody at the party was wasted.
See drunk adjective.
Top

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wasteful

adjective
prodigal, profligate, uneconomical, extravagant, lavish, excessive, imprudent, improvident; thriftless, spendthrift; needless, useless. ANTONYMS :frugal.

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wasteland

noun
wilderness, desert; wilds, wastes, badlands.

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waster

noun
(informal) idler, loafer, good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, slob, lounger, shirker, sluggard, laggard; informal loser, skiver, slacker, lazybones; N. Amer. informal bum; poetic/literary wastrel.

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wastrel

noun
(poetic/literary). See waster.

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watch

verb
she watched him as he spoke
observe, view, look at, eye, gaze at, stare at, gape at, peer at; contemplate, survey, keep an eye on; inspect, scrutinize, scan, examine, study, ogle, regard, mark; informal check out, get a load of, recce, eyeball; Brit. informal have a butcher's at; poetic/literary behold.
he was being watched by the police
spy on, keep in sight, track, monitor, survey, follow, keep under surveillance; informal keep tabs on, stake out.
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will you watch the kids?
look after, mind, keep an eye on, take care of, supervise, tend, attend to; guard, safeguard, protect.
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we stayed to watch the boat
guard, protect, shield, defend, safeguard; cover, patrol, police.
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watch what you say
be careful, mind, be aware of, pay attention to, consider, pay heed to.
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ANTONYMS :ignore, neglect.

noun
Bill looked at his watch
timepiece, chronometer; wristwatch, pocket watch, stopwatch.
we kept watch on the yacht
guard, vigil, lookout, an eye; observation, surveillance, vigilance.
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watch out/it/yourself
be careful, be watchful, be on your guard, beware, be wary, be cautious, mind out, look out, pay attention, take heed, take care, keep an eye open/out, keep one's eyes peeled, be vigilant.

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watchdog

noun
they use watchdogs to ward off trespassers
guard dog.
a consumer watchdog
ombudsman, monitor, scrutineer, inspector, supervisor; custodian, guardian, protector.
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watcher

noun
onlooker, spectator, observer, viewer, fly on the wall; witness, bystander; spy; informal rubberneck; poetic/literary beholder.

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watchful

adjective
observant, alert, vigilant, attentive, awake, aware, heedful, sharp-eyed, eagle-eyed; on the lookout, on the qui vive, wary, cautious, careful, chary.

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watchman

noun
security guard, custodian, warden; sentry, guard, patrolman, lookout, sentinel, scout, watch.

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watchword

noun
guiding principle, motto, slogan, maxim, mantra, catchword, catchphrase, byword; informal buzzword.

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water

noun
a glass of water
technical H_20; dated Adam's ale.
a house down by the water
sea, ocean; lake, river.
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aqueous, aqua-.
verb
water the plants
sprinkle, moisten, dampen, wet, spray, splash; soak, douse, souse, drench, saturate; hose (down).
my mouth watered
moisten, become wet, leak; salivate.
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he watered the claret.
See water something down sense 1.
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hold water
be tenable, ring true, bear scrutiny, make sense, stand up, hold up, be convincing, be plausible, be sound. water something down
staff had watered down the drinks
dilute, water, thin (out), weaken; adulterate, doctor, mix; informal cut.

the proposals were watered down
moderate, temper, mitigate, tone down, soften, tame; understate, play down, soft-pedal.
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waterfall

noun
cascade, cataract, falls, rapids; N. English force.

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waterproof

adjective
a waterproof jacket
watertight, water-repellent, water-resistant, damp-proof; impermeable, impervious; rubberized, waxed.
noun
(Brit.) she put on a waterproof
raincoat, anorak, oilskin, cagoule; Brit. mackintosh; Brit. informal mac.

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watertight

adjective
a watertight container
impermeable, impervious, (hermetically) sealed; waterproof, water-repellent, water-resistant, damp-proof.
a watertight alibi
indisputable, unquestionable, incontrovertible, irrefutable, unassailable, impregnable; foolproof, sound, flawless, airtight, conclusive.
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ANTONYMS :leaky, flawed.

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watery

adjective
a watery discharge
liquid, fluid, aqueous; technical hydrous.
a watery meadow
wet, damp, moist, sodden, soggy, squelchy, soft; saturated, waterlogged; boggy, marshy, swampy, miry, muddy.
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watery porridge
thin, runny, weak, sloppy, dilute, diluted; tasteless, flavourless, insipid, bland.
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the light was watery and grey
pale, wan, faint, weak, feeble; informal wishy-washy.
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watery eyes
tearful, teary, weepy, moist, rheumy; formal lachrymose.
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ANTONYMS :dry, thick, bright.

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wave

verb
he waved his flag furiously
move up and down, move to and fro, wag, shake, swish, sweep, swing, brandish, flourish, wield; flick, flutter; informal waggle.
the grass waved in the breeze
ripple, flutter, undulate, stir, flap, sway, shake, quiver, move.
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the waiter waved them closer
gesture, gesticulate, signal, beckon, motion.
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noun
she gave him a friendly wave
gesture, gesticulation; signal, sign, motion.
he surfs the big waves
breaker, roller, comber, boomer, ripple, white horse; (waves) swell, surf, froth; Austral. bombora; archaic billow.
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a wave of emigration
flow, rush, surge, flood, stream, tide, deluge, spate.
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a wave of self-pity
surge, rush, stab, dart, upsurge; thrill, frisson; feeling.
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his hair grew in thick waves
curl, kink, corkscrew, twist, ringlet, coil.
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electromagnetic waves
ripple, vibration, oscillation.
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make waves (informal)
cause trouble, be disruptive, be troublesome; make an impression, get noticed. wave something aside
dismiss, reject, brush aside, shrug off, disregard, ignore, discount, play down; informal pooh-pooh. wave someone/something down
flag down, hail, stop, summon, call, accost.

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waver

verb
the candlelight wavered in the draught
flicker, quiver, twinkle, glimmer, wink, blink.
his voice wavered
falter, wobble, tremble, quaver.
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he wavered between the choices
be undecided, be irresolute, hesitate, dither, equivocate, vacillate, fluctuate; think twice, change one's mind, blow hot and cold; Brit. haver, hum and haw; informal shilly-shally, sit on the fence.
Top

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wavy

adjective
curly, curvy, curved, undulating, squiggly, rippled, crinkly, kinked, zigzag.

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wax

verb
the moon is waxing
get bigger, increase, enlarge.
(poetic/literary) price sensitivity is waxing
increase, grow, develop, rise, expand, escalate, intensify, spread, mushroom, snowball.
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ANTONYMS :wane.

wax lyrical
be enthusiastic, enthuse, rave, gush, get carried away.

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waxen

adjective
pallid, pale, pasty, wan, ashen, colourless, anaemic, bloodless, washed out, white, grey, whitish, waxy, drained, sickly. ANTONYMS :ruddy.

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waxy

adjective
. See waxen.

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way

noun
a way of reducing the damage
method, process, procedure, technique, system; plan, strategy, scheme; means, mechanism, approach.
she kissed him in her brisk way
manner, style, fashion, mode; modus operandi, MO.
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I've changed my ways
practice, wont, habit, custom, policy, procedure, convention, routine, modus vivendi; trait, attribute, peculiarity, idiosyncrasy; conduct, behaviour, manner, style, nature, personality, temperament, disposition, character.
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which way leads home?
route, course, direction; road, street, track, path.
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I'll go out the back way
door, gate, exit, entrance, entry; route.
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a short way downstream
distance, length, stretch, journey; space, interval, span.
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April is a long way away
time, stretch, term, span, duration.
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a car coming the other way
direction, bearing, course, orientation, line, tack.
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(informal) what do they call it down your way?
area, region, district, neighbourhood, locality, locale; informal neck of the woods, parts; Brit. informal manor; N. Amer. informal hood, nabe.
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in some ways, he may be better off
respect, regard, aspect, facet, sense; detail, point, particular.
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the country is in a bad way
state, condition, situation, circumstances, position; predicament, plight; informal shape.
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by the way
incidentally, by the by, in passing, en passant. give way
the government gave way and passed the bill
yield, back down, surrender, concede defeat, give in, submit, succumb; acquiesce, agree, assent; informal throw in the towel/sponge, cave in.

the door gave way
collapse, give, cave in, fall in, come apart, crumple.
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grief gave way to guilt
be replaced by, be succeeded by, be followed by, be supplanted by.
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on the way
coming, imminent, forthcoming, approaching, impending, close, near, on us; proceeding, en route, in transit.

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wayfarer

noun
(poetic/literary). See wanderer.

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waylay

verb
we were waylaid and robbed
ambush, hold up, attack, assail, rob; informal mug, stick up.
several people waylaid her to chat
accost, detain, intercept, take aside, pounce on, importune; informal buttonhole.
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way-out

adjective
(informal) unconventional, avant-garde, outlandish, eccentric, quirky, unusual, bizarre, strange, peculiar, odd, uncommon; informal far out, offbeat, oddball, off the wall; Brit. informal rum. ANTONYMS :ordinary.

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wayward

adjective
wilful, headstrong, stubborn, obstinate, obdurate, perverse, contrary, disobedient, insubordinate, undisciplined; rebellious, defiant, uncooperative, recalcitrant, unruly, wild, unmanageable, erratic; difficult, impossible; formal refractory. ANTONYMS :docile.

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weak

adjective
they are too weak to move
frail, feeble, delicate, fragile; infirm, sick, sickly, debilitated, incapacitated, ailing, indisposed, decrepit; tired, fatigued, exhausted; informal weedy.
bats have weak eyes
inadequate, poor, feeble; defective, faulty, deficient, imperfect, substandard.
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a weak excuse
unconvincing, untenable, tenuous, implausible, unsatisfactory, poor, inadequate, feeble, flimsy, lame, hollow; informal pathetic.
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I was too weak to be a rebel
spineless, craven, cowardly, pusillanimous, timid; irresolute, indecisive, ineffectual, inept, effete, meek, tame, ineffective, impotent, soft, faint-hearted; informal yellow, weak-kneed, gutless, chicken.
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a weak light
dim, pale, wan, faint, feeble, muted.
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a weak voice
indistinct, muffled, muted, hushed, faint, low.
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weak coffee
watery, diluted, dilute, watered down, thin, tasteless, flavourless, bland , insipid, wishy-washy.
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a weak smile
unenthusiastic, feeble, half-hearted, lame.
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ANTONYMS :strong, powerful, convincing, resolute, bright, loud.

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weaken

verb
the virus weakened him terribly
enfeeble, debilitate, incapacitate, sap, enervate, tire, exhaust, wear out; wither, cripple, disable.
she tried to weaken the shock for him
reduce, decrease, diminish, lessen, moderate, temper, dilute, blunt, mitigate, soften.
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our morale weakened
decrease, dwindle, diminish, wane, ebb, subside, peter out, fizzle out, tail off, decline, falter.
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the move weakened her authority
impair, undermine, compromise; invalidate, negate, discredit.
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weakling

noun
milksop, namby-pamby, coward, pushover; informal wimp, weed, sissy, drip, softie, doormat, chicken, yellow-belly, scaredy-cat; N. Amer. informal wuss, pussy.

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weakness

noun
with old age came weakness
frailty, feebleness, enfeeblement, fragility, delicacy; infirmity, sickness, sickliness, debility, incapacity, indisposition, decrepitude; informal weediness.
he has worked on his weaknesses
fault, flaw, defect, deficiency, weak point, failing, shortcoming, imperfection, Achilles' heel.
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a weakness for champagne
fondness, liking, partiality, preference, love, penchant, soft spot, predilection, inclination, taste, eye; enthusiasm, appetite.
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the President was accused of weakness
timidity, cravenness, cowardliness, pusillanimity; indecision, irresolution, ineffectuality, ineptitude, meekness, powerlessness, ineffectiveness, impotence.
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the weakness of this argument
untenability, implausibility, poverty, inadequacy, transparency; flimsiness, hollowness.
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the weakness of the sound
indistinctness, mutedness, faintness, feebleness, lowness; dimness, paleness.
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weak-willed

adjective
spineless, weak, irresolute, indecisive; impressionable, persuadable, persuasible, submissive, unassertive, compliant, pusillanimous; informal wimpish, chicken.

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weal

noun
welt, wound, lesion, swelling; scar, cicatrix, mark, blemish.

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wealth

noun
a gentleman of wealth
affluence, prosperity, riches, means, substance, fortune; money, cash, lucre, capital, treasure, finance; assets, possessions, resources, funds; property, stock, reserves, securities, holdings; informal wherewithal, dough, bread.
a wealth of information
abundance, profusion, plethora, mine, store, treasury, bounty, cornucopia; informal lot, load, heap, mass, mountain, stack, ton; Brit. informal shedload; formal plenitude.
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ANTONYMS :poverty, dearth.

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wealthy

adjective
rich, affluent, moneyed, well off, well-to-do, prosperous, comfortable, propertied; of substance; informal well heeled, rolling in it, in the money, made of money, filthy rich, stinking rich, loaded, flush, quids in; Austral./NZ informal financial; informal, dated oofy. ANTONYMS :poor.

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wear

verb
he wore a suit
dress in, be clothed in, have on, sport; put on, don.
Barbara wore a smile
bear, have (on one's face), show, display, exhibit; give, put on, assume.
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the bricks have been worn down
erode, abrade, rub away, grind away, wash away, crumble (away), wear down; corrode, eat away (at), dissolve.
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the tyres are wearing well
last, endure, hold up, bear up, prove durable.
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(Brit. informal) I've asked him twice, but he won't wear it
allow, permit, authorize, sanction, condone, indulge, agree to, approve of; put up with, take, stand, support; accept, swallow, tolerate, countenance; informal hack, abide, stomach; Brit. informal stick; formal brook; archaic suffer.
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noun
you won't get much wear out of that
use, wearing, service, utility, value; informal mileage.
evening wear
clothes, clothing, garments, dress, attire, garb, wardrobe; informal get-up, gear, togs ; Brit. informal kit, clobber; formal apparel; poetic/literary array.
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the varnish which will withstand wear
damage, friction, erosion, attrition, abrasion.
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wear something down he wore down her resistance

gradually overcome, slowly reduce, erode, wear away, exhaust, undermine. wear off the novelty soon wore off

fade, diminish, lessen, dwindle, decrease, wane, ebb, peter out, fizzle out, pall, disappear, vanish, run out. wear on the afternoon wore on

pass, elapse, proceed, advance, progress, go by, roll by, march on, slip by/away, fly by/past. wear out
deteriorate, become worn, wear thin, fray, become threadbare, go into holes, wear through. wear something out
use up, consume, go through. wear someone out
fatigue, tire out, weary, exhaust, drain, sap, overtax, enervate, debilitate, jade, prostrate; informal whack, poop, shatter, frazzle, do in; Brit. informal knacker.

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wearing

adjective
tiring, exhausting, wearying, fatiguing, enervating, draining, sapping; demanding, exacting, taxing, arduous, gruelling, punishing, difficult, hard, tough, laborious, strenuous, rigorous.

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wearisome

adjective
. See wearing.

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weary

adjective
he was weary after cycling
tired, worn out, exhausted, fatigued, sapped, dog-tired, spent, drained, prostrate, enervated; informal all in, done in, dead beat, ready to drop, bushed, worn to a frazzle, shattered; Brit. informal knackered, whacked; N. Amer. informal pooped, tuckered out.
she was weary of the arguments
tired of, fed up with, bored by, sick of; informal have had it up to here with.
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a weary journey
tiring, exhausting, wearying, fatiguing, enervating, draining, sapping, wearing, trying, demanding, taxing, arduous, gruelling, difficult, hard, tough.
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ANTONYMS :fresh, keen, refreshing.

verb
she was wearied by her illness
tire, fatigue, wear out, overtire, exhaust, drain, sap, enervate, debilitate, enfeeble, prostrate; informal whack, bush, shatter, frazzle, poop, do in; Brit. informal knacker.
don't risk wearying the reader
bore, tire; irk, irritate, exasperate.
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he wearied of th e struggle
tire of, become fed up with, become bored by, sicken of; have had enough of.
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ANTONYMS :refresh, interest.

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wearying

adjective
. See wearing.

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weather

noun
what's the weather like?
forecast, outlook; meteorological conditions, climate, atmospheric pressure, temperature; elements.
verb
we weathered the recession
survive, come through, ride out, pull through; withstand, endure, rise above, surmount, overcome, resist; informal stick out.
under the weather (informal). See ill adjective sense 1.

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weathered

adjective
weather-beaten, worn; tanned, bronzed; lined, creased, wrinkled, gnarled.

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weave 1

verb
flowers were woven into their hair
entwine, lace, twist, knit, intertwine, braid, plait.
he weaves colourful plots
invent, make up, fabricate, construct, create, contrive, spin; tell, recount, relate.
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weave 2

verb
he had to weave his way through the crowds
thread, wind, wend; dodge, zigzag.

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web

noun
a spider's web
mesh, net, lattice, latticework, lacework, webbing; gauze, gossamer.
a web of friendships
network, nexus, complex, set, chain.
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wed

verb
they are old enough to wed
marry, get married, become husband and wife; informal tie the knot, walk down the aisle, get spliced, get hitched.
he will wed his girlfriend
marry, take as one's wife/husband, lead to the altar; informal make an honest woman of; archaic espouse.
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she wedded the two forms of spirituality
unite, unify, join, combine, amalgamate, fuse, integrate, bond, merge.
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ANTONYMS :divorce, separate.

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wedded

adjective
wedded bliss
married, matrimonial, marital, conjugal, nuptial; Law spousal; poetic/literary connubial.
he is wedded to his work
dedicated to, devoted to, attached to, fixated on, single-minded about.
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wedding

noun
marriage (service/rites), nuptials, union; archaic espousal. nuptial.

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wedge

noun
the door was secured by a wedge
tapered block, chock, stop.
a wedge of cheese
triangle, segment, slice, section; chunk, lump, slab, hunk, block, piece.
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verb
she wedged her case between two bags
squeeze, cram, jam, ram, force, push, shove; informal stuff, bung.

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wedlock

noun
marriage, (holy) matrimony, married state, union.

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wee

adjective
(Scottish) little, small, tiny, minute, miniature, mini, compact, undersized, diminutive, dwarf, midget, infinitesimal, microscopic, minuscule; informal teeny, teeny-weeny, itsy-bitsy, half-pint, dinky; Brit. informal titchy, diddy; N. Amer. informal little-bitty. ANTONYMS :big.

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weed

weed something/someone out
isolate, separate out, sort out, sift out, winnow out, filter out, set apart, segregate; eliminate, get rid of, remove; informal lose.

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weedy

adjective
(informal) puny, feeble, weak, frail, undersized, slight, skinny; informal pint-sized.

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weekly

adjective
weekly instalments
once a week; lasting a week; formal hebdomadal.
adverb
the directors meet weekly
once a week, every week, each week, on a weekly basis; by the week, per week, a week.

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weep

verb
even the toughest soldiers wept
cry, shed tears, sob, snivel, whimper, whine, wail, bawl, keen; Scottish greet; informal boohoo, blub, blubber; Brit. informal grizzle.
noun
you sit and have a weep
cry, sob, snivel, whimper, bawl; informal blub, blubber; Brit. informal grizzle.

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weepy

adjective
tearful, close to tears, upset, distressed, sad, unhappy; in tears, crying, weeping, snivelling; informal teary; formal lachrymose.

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weigh

verb
she weighs the vegetables
measure the weight of, put on the scales.
he weighed 118 kg
have a weight of, tip the scales at.
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the situation weighed heavily on him.
See weigh someone down sense 2.
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he has to weigh up the possibilities
consider, contemplate, think about, mull over, chew over, reflect on, ruminate about, muse on; assess, appraise, analyse, investigate, inquire into, look into, examine, review, explore, take stock of.
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they need to weigh benefit against risk
balance, evaluate, compare, juxtapose, contrast.
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weigh someone down
my fishing gear weighed me down
burden, saddle, overload, overburden, encumber, hamper, handicap.

the silence weighed me down
oppress, depress, lie heavy on, burden, cast down, hang over, gnaw at, prey on (one's mind); trouble, worry, bother, disturb, upset, haunt, nag, torment, afflict, plague.
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weight

noun
the weight of the book
heaviness, mass, load, burden, pressure, force; poundage, tonnage.
his recommendation will carry great weight
influence, force, leverage, sway, pull, importance, significance, consequence, value, substance, power, authority; informal clout.
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a weight off her mind
burden, load, millstone, albatross, encumbrance; trouble, worry, strain.
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the weight of the evidence is against him
preponderance, majority, bulk, body, lion's share, predominance; most, almost all.
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weighty

adjective
a weighty tome
heavy, thick, bulky, hefty, cumbersome, ponderous.
a weighty subject
important, significant, momentous, consequential, far-reaching, key, major, vital, critical, crucial; serious, grave, solemn.
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a weighty responsibility
burdensome, onerous, heavy, oppressive, taxing, troublesome.
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weighty arguments
compelling, cogent, strong, forceful, powerful, potent, effective, sound, valid, telling; impressive, persuasive, convincing, influential, authoritative.
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ANTONYMS :light, trivial, weak.

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weird

adjective
weird apparitions
uncanny, eerie, unnatural, supernatural, unearthly, other-worldly, ghostly, mysterious, strange, abnormal, unusual; Scottish eldritch; informal creepy, spooky, freaky.
(informal) a weird sense of humour
bizarre, quirky, outlandish, eccentric, unconventional, unorthodox, idiosyncratic, surreal, crazy, peculiar, odd, strange, queer, freakish, zany, madcap, outré; informal wacky, freaky, way-out, offbeat, off the wall; Brit. informal rum; N. Amer. informal wacko.
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ANTONYMS :normal, conventional.

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weirdo

noun
(informal). See eccentric noun.

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welcome

noun
a welcome from the vicar
greeting, salutation; reception, hospitality; the red carpet.
verb
welcome your guests in their own language
greet, salute, receive, meet, usher in.
we welcomed their decision
be pleased by, be glad about, approve of, appreciate, embrace; informal give the thumbs up to.
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adjective
welcome news
pleasing, agreeable, encouraging, gratifying, heartening, promising, favourable, pleasant; gladly received, wanted, appreciated, popular, desirable.

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weld

verb
fuse, bond, stick, join, attach, seal, splice, melt, solder.

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welfare

noun
the welfare of children
well-being, health, comfort, security, safety, protection, prosperity, success, fortune; interest, good.
we cannot claim welfare
social security, (state) benefit, public assistance; pension, credit, support; sick pay, unemployment benefit; Brit. informal the dole.
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well 1

adverb
please behave well
satisfactorily, nicely, correctly, properly, fittingly, suitably, appropriately.
they get on well together
harmoniously, agreeably, pleasantly, nicely, happily, amicably, amiably, peaceably; informal famously.
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he plays the piano well
skilfully, ably, competently, proficiently, adeptly, deftly, expertly, admirably, excellently.
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treat your employees well
decently, fairly, kindly, generously, honestly.
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mix the ingredients well
thoroughly, completely; effectively, rigorously, carefully.
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I know her quite well
intimately, thoroughly, deeply, profoundly, personally.
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they studied the car market well
carefully, closely, attentively, rigorously, in depth, exhaustively, in detail, meticulously, scrupulously, conscientiously, methodically, completely, comprehensively, fully, extensively.
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they speak well of him
admiringly, highly, approvingly, favourably, appreciatively, warmly, enthusiastically, glowingly.
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she makes enough money to live well
comfortably, in (the lap of) luxury, prosperously.
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you may well be right
quite possibly, conceivably, probably; undoubtedly, certainly, unquestionably.
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he is well over forty
considerably, very much, a great deal, substantially, easily, comfortably, significantly.
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she could well afford it
easily, comfortably, readily, effortlessly.
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ANTONYMS :badly, negligently, disparagingly, barely.

adjective
she was completely well again
healthy, fine, fit, robust, strong, vigorous, blooming, thriving, hale and hearty, in good shape, in good condition, in good trim, in fine fettle; informal in the pink.
all is not well
satisfactory, all right, fine, in order, as it should be, acceptable; informal OK, hunky-dory; N. Amer. & Austral./NZ informal jake; Brit. informal, dated tickety-boo.
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it would be well to tell us in advance
advisable, sensible, prudent, politic, commonsensical, wise, judicious, expedient, recommended, advantageous, beneficial, profitable, desirable; a good idea.
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ANTONYMS :poorly, unsatisfactory, inadvisable.

as well
too, also, in addition, additionally, into the bargain, besides, furthermore, moreover, to boot. as well as
together with, along with, besides, plus, and, with, on top of, not to mention, to say nothing of, let alone.

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well 2

noun
she drew water from the well
borehole, bore, spring, waterhole.
he's a bottomless well of forgiveness
source, supply, fount, reservoir, mine, fund, treasury.
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verb
tears welled from her eyes
flow, spill, stream, run, rush, gush, roll, cascade, flood, spout; seep, trickle; burst, issue.

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well advised

adjective
wise, prudent, sensible.

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well balanced

adjective
. See balanced senses 1, 2, 3.

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well behaved

adjective
orderly, obedient, disciplined, peaceable, docile, controlled, restrained, cooperative, compliant; mannerly, polite, civil, courteous, respectful, proper, decorous, refined, polished. ANTONYMS :naughty.

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well-being

noun
. See welfare sense 1.

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well bred

adjective
well brought up, polite, civil, mannerly, courteous, respectful; ladylike, gentlemanly, genteel, cultivated, urbane, proper, refined, polished, well behaved.

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well built

adjective
sturdy, strapping, brawny, burly, hefty, muscular, muscly, strong, rugged, lusty, Herculean; informal hunky, beefy, husky, hulking. ANTONYMS :puny.

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well dressed

adjective
smart, fashionable, stylish, chic, modish, elegant, neat, spruce, trim, dapper; N. Amer. trig; informal snazzy, natty, snappy, sharp; N. Amer. informal spiffy, fly. ANTONYMS :scruffy.

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well founded

adjective
justifiable, justified, warranted, legitimate, defensible, valid, admissible, allowable, understandable, excusable, acceptable, reasonable, sensible, sound. ANTONYMS :groundless.

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well heeled

adjective
(informal). See wealthy.

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well known

adjective
well-known principles
familiar, widely known, popular, common, everyday, established.
a well-known family of architects
famous, famed, prominent, notable, renowned, distinguished, eminent, illustrious, celebrated, acclaimed, important.
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ANTONYMS :obscure.

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well mannered

adjective
polite, courteous, civil, mannerly, genteel, decorous, respectful, refined, polished, civilized, urbane, well bred.

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well-nigh

adverb
almost, nearly, just about, more or less, practically, virtually, all but, as good as, nearing, approaching; roughly, approximately; informal pretty much, nigh on.

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well off

adjective
her family's very well off.
See well-to-do.
the prisoners were relatively well off
fortunate, lucky, comfortable; informal sitting pretty.
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the island is not well off for harbours
well supplied with, well stocked with, well furnished with, well equipped with.
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well read

adjective
knowledgeable, well informed, well versed, erudite, scholarly, literate, educated, cultured, bookish, studious; dated lettered. ANTONYMS :ignorant.

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well spoken

adjective
articulate, nicely spoken; refined, polite; Brit. informal posh.

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well-to-do

adjective
wealthy, rich, affluent, moneyed, well off, prosperous, comfortable, propertied; informal rolling in it, in the money, loaded, well heeled, flush, made of money, quids in, worth a packet, on easy street.

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welter

noun
confusion, jumble, tangle, mess, hotchpotch, mishmash, mass.

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wend

verb
meander, wind one's way, wander, amble, stroll, saunter, drift, roam, swan, traipse, walk; journey, travel; informal mosey, tootle.

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west

adjective
western, westerly, occidental.

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wet

adjective
wet clothes
damp, moist, soaked, drenched, saturated, sopping, dripping, soggy; waterlogged, squelchy.
it was cold and wet
rainy, raining, pouring, teeming, showery, drizzly, drizzling; damp.
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the paint is still wet
sticky, tacky; fresh.
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a wet mortar mix
aqueous, watery, sloppy.
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(Brit. informal) the cadets were a bit wet
feeble, silly, weak, foolish, inept, ineffectual, effete, soft, namby-pamby, timid, spiritless, cowardly, spineless; informal sissy, pathetic, drippy, wimpish, weedy, chicken; Brit. informal soppy.
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ANTONYMS :dry, fine, brave.

verb
wet the clothes before ironing them
dampen, damp, moisten; sprinkle, spray, splash; soak, saturate, flood, douse, souse, drench. ANTONYMS :dry.

noun
the wet of his tears
wetness, damp, moisture, moistness, sogginess; wateriness.
the race was held in the wet
rain, drizzle, precipitation; spray, dew, damp.
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(Brit. informal) come on, don't be such a wet
namby-pamby, weakling, milksop, Milquetoast, baby, coward; informal wimp, weed, drip, sissy, softie, chicken, scaredy-cat; Brit. informal big girl's blouse; N. Amer. informal pantywaist, pussy.
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whack (informal)

verb
she whacked him on the head.
See strike verb sense 1.
noun
he got a whack with a stick.
See blow2 sense 1.
(Brit. informal) everyone will get their whack.
See share noun.
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wharf

noun
quay, pier, dock, berth, landing, jetty; harbour, dockyard, marina.

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whatsit

noun
(informal) thing, so-and-so, whatever it's called; informal whatnot, doodah, what-d'you-call-it, what's-its-name, thingy, thingummy, thingamabob, thingamajig, oojamaflip; Brit. informal doings; N. Amer. informal doodad, doohickey.

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wheedle

verb
coax, cajole, inveigle, induce, entice, charm, tempt, beguile, flatter, persuade, influence, win someone over, bring someone round, convince, prevail on, get round; informal sweet-talk, soft-soap.

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wheel

noun
a wagon wheel
disc, hoop, ring, circle.
verb
she wheeled the trolley away
push, trundle, roll.
the flock of doves wheeled round
turn, go round, circle, orbit.
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at/behind the wheel
driving, steering, in the driving seat.

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wheeze

verb
the illness left her wheezing
breathe noisily, gasp, whistle, hiss, rasp, croak, pant, cough.
noun
she still had a slight wheeze
rasp, croak, whistle, hiss, pant, cough.
(Brit. informal) I've thought of a brilliant wheeze.
See ruse.
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whereabouts

noun
location, position, site, place, situation, spot, point, vicinity; home, address, locale, neighbourhood; bearings, orientation.

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wherewithal

noun
money, cash, capital, finance(s), funds; resources, means, ability, capability; informal dough, bread, loot, readies, the necessary, boodle, dibs, ducats; Brit. informal dosh, brass, lolly; N. Amer. informal bucks; US informal greenbacks.

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whet

verb
he whetted his knife on a stone
sharpen, hone, strop, grind, file.
something to whet your appetite
stimulate, excite, arouse, rouse, kindle, trigger, spark, quicken, stir, inspire, animate, fuel, fire, activate, tempt, galvanize.
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ANTONYMS :blunt.

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whiff

noun
I caught a whiff of perfume
faint smell, trace, sniff, scent, odour, aroma.
(Brit. informal) there's a terrible whiff in here
stench, stink, smell, reek; Brit. informal pong, niff, hum; Scottish informal guff; N. Amer. informal funk.
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the faintest whiff of irony
trace, hint, suggestion, impression, suspicion, soupçon, nuance, intimation, tinge, vein, shred, whisper, air, element, overtone.
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whiffs of smoke from the boiler
puff, gust, flurry, breath, draught, waft.
Top

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while

noun
we chatted for a while
time, spell, stretch, stint, span, interval, period; duration, phase; Brit. informal patch.
verb
tennis helped to while away the time
pass, spend, occupy, use up, kill.

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whim

noun
she bought it on a whim
impulse, urge, notion, fancy, foible, caprice, conceit, vagary, crotchet, inclination.
human whim
capriciousness, whimsy, caprice, volatility, fickleness, idiosyncrasy.
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whimper

verb
he was whimpering in pain
whine, cry, sob, moan, snivel, wail, groan; Brit. informal grizzle.
noun
she gave a whimper of protest
whine, cry, sob, moan, bleat, wail, groan.

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whimsical

adjective
a whimsical sense of humour
fanciful, playful, mischievous, waggish, quaint, curious, droll; eccentric, quirky, idiosyncratic, unconventional, outlandish, queer; informal offbeat, freaky.
the whimsical arbitrariness of autocracy
volatile, capricious, fickle, changeable, unpredictable, variable, erratic, mercurial, mutable, inconstant, inconsistent, unstable, protean.
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whine

noun
the dog gave a whine
whimper, cry, mewl, howl, yowl.
the whine of the motor
hum, drone.
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a whine about the quality of service
complaint, grouse, grumble, murmur; informal gripe, moan, grouch, whinge, bellyache, beef.
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verb
a child was whining
wail, whimper, cry, mewl, moan, howl, yowl.
the lift began to whine
hum, drone.
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he's always whining about something
complain, grouse, grouch, grumble, moan, carp, mutter, murmur; informal gripe, bellyache, whinge.
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whinge (informal)

verb
I whinged about the weather.
See whine verb sense 3.
noun
his tale is one long whinge.
See whine noun sense 3.

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whip

noun
he would use a whip on his dogs
lash, scourge, strap, belt; historical cat-o'-nine-tails.
verb
he whipped the boy
flog, scourge, flagellate, lash, strap, belt, thrash, beat, tan someone's hide.
whip the cream
whisk, beat.
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he whipped his listeners into a frenzy
rouse, stir up, excite, galvanize, electrify, stimulate, inspire, fire up, get someone going, inflame, agitate, goad, provoke.
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(informal) he whipped round the corner.
See dash verb sense 1.
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(informal) then he whipped out a revolver
pull, whisk, snatch, pluck, jerk; informal yank; Scottish informal wheech.
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(Brit. informal) he whipped the necklace.
See steal verb sense 1.
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whippersnapper

noun
(informal) upstart, stripling; informal pipsqueak, squirt; Brit. informal squit; N. Amer. informal snip.

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whirl

verb
leaves whirled in eddies of wind
rotate, circle, wheel, turn, revolve, orbit, spin, twirl; Scottish birl.
they whirled past
hurry, race, dash, rush, run, sprint, bolt, dart, gallop, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, fly, speed, scurry; informal tear, belt, pelt, scoot; Brit. informal bomb; N. Amer. informal hightail it.
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his mind was whirling
spin, reel, swim.
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noun
a whirl of dust
swirl, flurry, eddy.
the mad social whirl
hurly-burly, activity, bustle, rush, flurry, fuss, turmoil, merry-go-round; informal to-do.
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Laura's mind was in a whirl
spin, daze, stupor, muddle, jumble; confusion; informal dither.
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(informal) go on, give it a whirl
try, test; informal go, shot, bash, stab.
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whirlpool

noun
a river full of whirlpools
eddy, vortex, maelstrom; N. Amer. informal suckhole.
the health club has a whirlpool
jacuzzi, spa bath, hot tub.
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whirlwind

noun
the building was hit by a whirlwind
tornado, hurricane, typhoon, cyclone, vortex; Austral. willy-willy; N. Amer. informal twister.
a whirlwind of activity
maelstrom, welter, bedlam, mayhem, babel, swirl, tumult, hurly-burly, commotion, confusion; informal madhouse; N. Amer. three-ring circus.
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adjective
a whirlwind romance
rapid, lightning, headlong, impulsive, breakneck, meteoric, sudden, swift, fast, quick, speedy; informal quickie.

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whisk

verb
the cable car will whisk you to the top
speed, hurry, rush, sweep, hurtle, shoot; Scottish informal wheech.
she whisked the cloth away
pull, snatch, pluck, tug, jerk; informal whip, yank; Scottish informal wheech.
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he whisked out of sight
dash, rush, race, bolt, dart, gallop, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, fly, speed, zoom, scurry, scuttle, scamper; informal tear, belt, pelt, scoot, zip, whip.
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horses whisk their tails
flick, twitch, wave.
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whisk the egg yolks
whip, beat, mix.
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noun
the horse gave a whisk of its tail
flick, twitch, wave, sweep.
blend the eggs with a whisk
beater, mixer, blender.
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whisper

verb
Alison whispered in his ear
murmur, mutter, mumble, speak softly, breathe.
(poetic/literary) the wind whispered in the grass
rustle, murmur, sigh, moan, whoosh, whirr, swish, blow, breathe.
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ANTONYMS :roar.

noun
she spoke in a whisper
murmur, mutter, mumble, low voice, undertone.
(poetic/literary) the wind died to a whisper
rustle, murmur, sigh, whoosh, swish.
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I heard a whisper that he's left town
rumour, story, report, speculation, insinuation, suggestion, hint; informal buzz.
Top
not a whisper of interest.
See whit.
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whit

noun
scrap, bit, speck, iota, jot, atom, crumb, shred, grain, mite, touch, trace, shadow, suggestion, whisper, suspicion, scintilla; informal smidgen, smidge.

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white

adjective
a clean white bandage
colourless, unpigmented, bleached, natural; snowy, milky, chalky, ivory.
her face was white with fear
pale, pallid, wan, ashen, bloodless, waxen, chalky, pasty, peaky, washed out, drained, drawn, ghostly, deathly.
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white hair
snowy, grey, silver, silvery, hoary, grizzled.
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the early white settlers
Caucasian, European.
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a whiter than white government
virtuous, moral, ethical, good, righteous, honourable, reputable, wholesome, honest, upright, upstanding, irreproachable; decent, worthy, noble; blameless, spotless, impeccable, unsullied, unblemished, uncorrupted, untainted; informal squeaky clean.
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ANTONYMS :black, florid, immoral.

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white-collar

adjective
clerical, professional, executive, salaried, office.

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whiten

verb
make white, make pale, bleach, blanch, lighten, fade; Brit. Military blanco; archaic white.

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whitewash

noun
the report was a whitewash
cover-up, camouflage, deception, facade, veneer, pretext.
a four-match whitewash
walkover, rout, landslide; informal pushover, cinch, breeze.
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ANTONYMS :exposé.

verb
don't whitewash what happened
cover up, sweep under the carpet, hush up, suppress, draw a veil over, conceal, veil, obscure, keep secret; gloss over, downplay, soft-pedal. ANTONYMS :expose.

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whittle

verb
he sat whittling a piece of wood
pare, shave, trim, carve, shape, model.
his powers were whittled away
erode, wear away, eat away, reduce, diminish, undermine, weaken, subvert, compromise, impair, impede, hinder, cripple, disable, enfeeble, sap.
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the ten teams have been whittled down to six
reduce, cut down, cut back, prune, trim, slim down, pare down, shrink, decrease, diminish.
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whole

adjective
the whole report
entire, complete, full, unabridged, uncut.
a whole marble mantelpiece
intact, in one piece, unbroken; undamaged, flawless, faultless, unmarked, perfect.
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ANTONYMS :incomplete.

noun
a single whole
entity, unit, body, discrete item, ensemble.
the whole of the year
all, every part, the lot, the sum (total).
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on the whole
overall, all in all, all things considered, for the most part, in the main, in general, generally (speaking), as a (general) rule, by and large; normally, usually, more often than not, almost always, most of the time, typically, ordinarily.

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wholehearted

adjective
committed, positive, emphatic, devoted, dedicated, enthusiastic, unshakeable, unswerving; unqualified, unreserved, without reservations, unconditional, unequivocal, unmitigated; complete, full, total, absolute. ANTONYMS :half-hearted.

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wholesale

adverb
the images were removed wholesale
extensively, on a large scale, comprehensively; indiscriminately, without exception. ANTONYMS :selectively.

adjective
wholesale destruction
extensive, widespread, large-scale, wide-ranging, comprehensive, total, mass; indiscriminate. ANTONYMS :partial.

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wholesome

adjective
wholesome food
healthy, health-giving, healthful, good (for one), nutritious, nourishing; natural, uncontaminated, organic.
wholesome fun
moral, ethical, good, clean, virtuous, pure, innocent, chaste; uplifting, edifying, proper, correct, decent; informal squeaky clean.
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wholly

adverb
the measures were wholly inadequate
completely, totally, absolutely, entirely, fully, thoroughly, utterly, quite, perfectly, downright, in every respect, in all respects; informal one hundred per cent.
they rely wholly on you
exclusively, only, solely, purely, alone.
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whoop

noun
whoops of delight
shout, cry, call, yell, roar, scream, shriek, screech, cheer; informal holler.
verb
he whooped for joy
shout, cry, call, yell, roar, scream, shriek, screech, cheer; informal holler.

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whopper

noun
(informal) what a whopper!
monster, brute, giant, colossus, mammoth, monstrosity; informal jumbo.
Joseph's story is a whopper.
See lie1 noun.
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whopping

adjective
(informal). See huge.

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whore

noun
the whores on the street.
See prostitute noun.
verb
she spent her life whoring
work as a prostitute, sell one's body, sell oneself, be on the streets; informal be on the game.
the men whored and drank
use prostitutes; archaic wench.
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whorehouse

noun
. See brothel.

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whorl

noun
loop, coil, hoop, ring, curl, twirl, twist, spiral, helix.

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wicked

adjective
wicked deeds
evil, sinful, immoral, wrong, morally wrong, wrongful, bad, iniquitous, corrupt, black-hearted, base, mean, vile; villainous, nefarious, erring, foul, monstrous, shocking, outrageous, atrocious, abominable, reprehensible, hateful, detestable, despicable, odious, contemptible, horrible, heinous, egregious, execrable, fiendish, vicious, murderous, barbarous; criminal, illicit, unlawful, illegal, lawless, felonious, dishonest, unscrupulous; Law malfeasant; informal crooked; Brit. informal beastly; dated dastardly; rare peccable.
the wind was wicked
disagreeable, unpleasant, foul, bad, nasty, irksome, troublesome, annoying, irritating, displeasing, uncomfortable, hateful, detestable.
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a wicked sense of humour
mischievous, playful, naughty, impish, roguish, arch, puckish, cheeky.
Top
(informal) Sophie makes wicked cakes.
See excellent.
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ANTONYMS :virtuous.

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wickedness

noun
evil-doing, evil, sin, sinfulness, iniquity, vileness, baseness, badness, wrongdoing, dishonesty, unscrupulousness, roguery, villainy, viciousness, degeneracy, depravity, immorality, vice, corruption, corruptness, devilry, fiendishness; Law malfeasance; informal crookedness; formal turpitude.

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wide

adjective
a wide river
broad, extensive, spacious, vast, spread out.
their mouths were wide with shock
fully open, agape, wide open.
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a wide range of opinion
comprehensive, ample, broad, extensive, large, large-scale, wide-ranging, exhaustive, general, all-inclusive.
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his shot was wide
off target, off the mark, wide of the mark/target, inaccurate.
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ANTONYMS :narrow.

adverb
he opened his eyes wide
fully, to the fullest/furthest extent, as far/much as possible.
he shot wide
off target, wide of the mark/target, inaccurately.
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wide awake

adjective
fully awake, conscious, sleepless, insomniac; archaic watchful. ANTONYMS :asleep.

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wide-eyed

adjective
the whole class was wide-eyed
staring in amazement, goggle-eyed, open-mouthed, dumbstruck, amazed, surprised, astonished, astounded, stunned, staggered; informal flabbergasted; Brit. informal gobsmacked.
wide-eyed visitors
innocent, naive, impressionable, ingenuous, childlike, credulous, trusting, unquestioning, unsophisticated, gullible.
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widen

verb
a proposal to widen the motorway
broaden, make/become wider, open up/out, expand, extend, enlarge.
the Party must widen its support
increase, augment, boost, swell, enlarge.
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wide open

adjective
his eyes were wide open
fully open, open wide, agape.
the championship is wide open
unpredictable, uncertain, unsure, in the balance, up in the air; informal anyone's guess.
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they were wide open to attacks
vulnerable, exposed, unprotected, defenceless, undefended, at risk, in danger.
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widespread

adjective
general, extensive, universal, common, global, worldwide, international, omnipresent, ubiquitous, across the board, predominant, prevalent, rife, broad, rampant, pervasive. ANTONYMS :limited.

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width

noun
the width of the river
wideness, breadth, broadness, thickness, span, diameter, girth.
the width of experience required
range, breadth, compass, scope, span, scale, extent, extensiveness, comprehensiveness.
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ANTONYMS :length, narrowness.

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wield

verb
he was wielding a sword
brandish, flourish, wave, swing; use, employ, handle.
he has wielded power since 1972
exercise, exert, hold, maintain, command, control.
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wife

noun
spouse, partner, mate, consort, woman, helpmate, helpmeet, bride; informal old lady, wifey, better half, missus; Brit. informal other half, her indoors, trouble and strife. uxorial.

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wiggle

verb
jiggle, wriggle, twitch, shimmy, joggle, wag, wobble, shake, twist, squirm, writhe; informal waggle.

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wild

adjective
wild animals
untamed, undomesticated, feral; fierce, ferocious, savage.
wild flowers
uncultivated, native, indigenous.
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wild tribes
primitive, uncivilized, uncultured; savage, barbarous, barbaric.
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wild hill country
uninhabited, unpopulated, uncultivated; rugged, rough, inhospitable, desolate, barren.
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a wild night
stormy, squally, tempestuous, turbulent, boisterous.
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her wild black hair
dishevelled, tousled, tangled, windswept, untidy, unkempt; N. Amer. mussed up.
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wild behaviour
uncontrolled, unrestrained, out of control, undisciplined, unruly, rowdy, disorderly, riotous.
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wild with excitement
very excited, delirious, in a frenzy; tumultuous, passionate, vehement, unrestrained.
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(informal) I was wild with jealousy
distraught, frantic, beside oneself, in a frenzy, hysterical, deranged, berserk; informal mad, crazy.
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(informal) Hank went wild when he found out.
See furious sense 1.
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(informal) his family weren't wild about me
very keen, very enthusiastic, enamoured, infatuated, smitten; informal crazy, mad, nutty/nuts.
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Bill's wild schemes
madcap, ridiculous, ludicrous, foolish, stupid, foolhardy, idiotic, absurd, silly, ill-considered, senseless, nonsensical; impractical, impracticable, unworkable; informal crazy, crackpot, cock-eyed.
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a wild guess
random, arbitrary, haphazard, uninformed.
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ANTONYMS :tame, cultivated, calm, disciplined.

run wild
the garden had run wild
grow unchecked, grow profusely, run riot.

the children are running wild
run amok, run riot, get out of control, be undisciplined.
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wilderness

noun
the Siberian wilderness
wilds, wastes, inhospitable region; desert.
a litter-strewn wilderness
wasteland.
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wildlife

noun
(wild) animals, fauna.

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wilds

plural noun
remote areas, wilderness; backwoods; N. Amer. backcountry, backland; Austral./NZ outback, bush, backblocks, booay; N. Amer. informal boondocks, tall timbers.

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wiles

plural noun
tricks, ruses, ploys, schemes, dodges, manoeuvres, subterfuges, artifices; guile, artfulness, cunning, craftiness.

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wilful

adjective
wilful destruction
deliberate, intentional, done on purpose, premeditated, planned, conscious.
a wilful child
headstrong, strong-willed, obstinate, stubborn, pig-headed, recalcitrant, uncooperative, obstreperous, ungovernable, unmanageable; Brit. informal bloody-minded, bolshie; N. Amer. informal balky; formal refractory; archaic froward, contumacious.
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ANTONYMS :accidental, amenable.

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will 1

verb
accidents will happen
have a tendency to, are bound to, do.

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will 2

noun
the will to succeed
determination, will power, strength of character, resolution, resolve, resoluteness, single-mindedness, purposefulness, drive, commitment, dedication, doggedness, tenacity, tenaciousness, staying power.
they stayed against their will
desire, wish, preference, inclination, intention, intent.
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God's will
wish, desire, decision, choice; decree, command.
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his father's will
(last will and) testament.
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verb
do what you will
want, wish, please, see/think fit, think best, like, choose, prefer.
God willed it
decree, order, ordain, command.
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she willed the money to her husband
bequeath, leave, hand down, pass on, settle on; Law devise.
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at will
as one pleases, as one thinks fit, to suit oneself, at whim.

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willing

adjective
I'm willing to give it a try
ready, prepared, disposed, inclined, of a mind, minded; happy, glad, pleased, agreeable, amenable; informal game.
willing help
readily given, willingly given, ungrudging.
Top
ANTONYMS :reluctant.

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willingly

adverb
voluntarily, of one's own free will, of one's own accord; readily, without reluctance, ungrudgingly, cheerfully, happily, gladly, with pleasure.

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willingness

noun
readiness, inclination, will, wish, desire.

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willowy

adjective
tall, slim, slender, svelte, lissom, sylphlike, long-limbed, graceful, lithe; informal slinky.

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will power

noun
. See will2 noun sense 1.

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willy-nilly

adverb
cars were parked willy-nilly
haphazardly, at random, randomly.
we are, willy-nilly, in a new situation
whether one likes it or not, of necessity; informal like it or lump it; formal perforce, nolens volens.
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wilt

verb
the roses had begun to wilt
droop, sag, become limp, flop; wither, shrivel (up).
wilting in the heat
languish, flag, droop, become listless.
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Shelley's happy mood wilted
fade, ebb, wane, evaporate, melt away.
Top
ANTONYMS :flourish.

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wily

adjective
shrewd, clever, sharp, sharp-witted, astute, canny, smart; crafty, cunning, artful, sly, scheming, calculating, devious; informal tricky, foxy; archaic subtle. ANTONYMS :naive.

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wimp

noun
(informal) coward, namby-pamby, milksop, weakling; informal drip, sissy, weed, wuss, pansy, scaredy-cat, chicken; Brit. informal wet, mummy's boy, big girl's blouse; N. Amer. informal cupcake, pantywaist, pussy; Austral./NZ informal sook; archaic poltroon.

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win

verb
Steve won the race
be the victor in, be the winner of, come first in, take first prize in, triumph in, be successful in.
she was determined to win
come first, be the winner, be victorious, carry/win the day, come out on top, succeed, triumph, prevail.
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he won a cash prize
secure, gain, collect, pick up, walk away/off with, carry off; informal land, net, bag, scoop.
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Ilona won his heart
captivate, steal.
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ANTONYMS :lose.

noun
a 3 0 win
victory, triumph, conquest. ANTONYMS :defeat.

win someone round/over
persuade, talk round, convince, sway, prevail on.

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wince

verb
he winced at the pain
grimace, pull a face, flinch, blench, start.
noun
a wince of pain
grimace, flinch, start.

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wind 1

noun
the trees were swaying in the wind
breeze, current of air; gale, hurricane; informal blow; poetic/literary zephyr.
Jez got his wind back
breath; informal puff.
Top
you do talk a lot of wind.
See hot air.
Top
flatulence, gas; formal flatus.
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aeolian.
get wind of (informal)
hear about/of, learn of, find out about, be told about, be informed of; informal hear something on the grapevine. in the wind
on the way, coming, about to happen, in the offing, in the air, on the horizon, approaching, looming, brewing, afoot; informal on the cards. put the wind up someone (Brit. informal)
scare, frighten, make afraid, make nervous, throw into a panic, alarm.

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wind 2

verb
the road winds up the mountain
twist (and turn), bend, curve, loop, zigzag, weave, snake.
he wound a towel around his waist
wrap, furl, entwine, lace.
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Anne wound the wool into a ball
coil, roll, twist, twine.
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wind down
(informal) he needed to wind down
relax, unwind, calm down, cool down/off, ease up/off, take it easy, rest, put one's feet up; N. Amer. informal hang loose, chill (out).

the campaign was winding down
draw to a close, come to an end, tail off, slack(en) off, slow down.
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wind something down
bring to a close/end, wind up, close down. wind up (informal)
end up, finish up, find oneself, land up; informal fetch up. wind someone up
(Brit. informal) Katie was just winding me up
tease, make fun of, chaff; informal take the mickey out of, send up, rib, josh, kid, have on, pull someone's leg; N. Amer. informal pull someone's chain; Austral./NZ informal poke mullock at.

David was winding him up on purpose
annoy, anger, irritate, exasperate, get on someone's nerves, provoke, goad; Brit. rub up the wrong way; informal aggravate, rile, niggle, bug, put someone's back up, get up someone's nose, hack off; Brit. informal nark; N. Amer. informal ride.
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wind something up
Richard wound up the meeting
conclude, bring to an end/close, end, terminate; informal wrap up.

the company has been wound up
close (down), dissolve, put into liquidation.
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winded

adjective
out of breath, breathless, gasping for breath, panting, puffing, puffed out; informal out of puff.

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windfall

noun
bonanza, jackpot, pennies from heaven.

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winding

noun
the windings of the stream
twist, turn, turning, bend, loop, curve, zigzag, meander.
adjective
the winding country roads
twisting and turning, meandering, windy, twisty, bending, curving, zigzag, zigzagging, serpentine, sinuous, snaking. ANTONYMS :straight.

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windpipe

noun
trachea, pharynx; throat.

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windswept

adjective
the windswept moors
exposed, bleak, bare, desolate.
his windswept hair
dishevelled, tousled, unkempt, wind-blown, untidy; N. Amer. mussed up.
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windy

adjective
a windy day
breezy, blowy, fresh, blustery, gusty; wild, stormy, squally, tempestuous, boisterous.
a windy hillside
windswept, exposed, open to the elements, bare, bleak.
Top
(informal) windy speeches.
See long-winded.
Top
(Brit. informal) she felt a bit windy.
See anxious sense 1.
Top
ANTONYMS :still, sheltered.

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wine

noun
informal plonk, vino, the grape; poetic/literary vintage. vinous, oeno-.

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wing

noun
a bird's wings
poetic/literary pinion.
the east wing of the house
part, section, side; annexe, extension; N. Amer. ell.
Top
the radical wing of the party
faction, camp, caucus, arm, branch, group, section, set, coterie, cabal.
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verb
a seagull winged its way over the sea
fly, glide, soar.
the bomb winged past
hurtle, speed, shoot, whizz, zoom, streak, fly.
Top
she was shot at and winged
wound, graze, hit.
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wing it (informal)
improvise, play it by ear, extemporize, ad lib; informal busk it.

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wink

verb
he winked an eye at her
blink, flutter, bat.
the diamond winked in the moonlight
sparkle, twinkle, flash, glitter, gleam, shine, scintillate.
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noun
a wink of light
glimmer, gleam, glint, flash, flicker, twinkle, sparkle.
in the wink of an eye (informal)
very quickly, very soon, in a second, in a moment, in a trice, in a flash, in an instant, in no time at all; N. Amer. momentarily; informal in a jiffy, in two shakes (of a lamb's tail), in a sec, in the blink of an eye; Brit. informal in a tick, in a mo; N. Amer. informal in a snap. wink at
turn a blind eye to, close one's eyes to, ignore, overlook, disregard; connive at, condone, tolerate.

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winkle

winkle something out
worm out, prise out, dig out, extract, draw out, obtain, get.

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winner

noun
victor, champion, conqueror, vanquisher, hero; medallist; Brit. victor ludorum; informal champ, top dog. ANTONYMS :loser.

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winning

adjective
the winning team
victorious, successful, triumphant, vanquishing, conquering; first, top.
a winning smile
engaging, charming, appealing, endearing, sweet, cute, winsome, attractive, pretty, prepossessing, fetching, lovely, adorable, delightful, disarming, captivating; dated taking.
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winnings

plural noun
prize money, gains, prize, booty, spoils; proceeds, profits, takings, purse.

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winnow

verb
separate (out), divide, sort out, sift out, filter out; isolate, find, identify; remove, get rid of.

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winsome

adjective
. See winning sense 2.

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wintry

adjective
wintry weather
bleak, cold, chilly, chill, frosty, freezing, icy, snowy, arctic, glacial, bitter, raw; informal nippy; Brit. informal parky.
a wintry smile
unfriendly, unwelcoming, cool, cold, frosty, frigid.
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ANTONYMS :summery, warm.

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wipe

verb
Beth wiped the table
rub, mop, sponge, swab; clean, dry, polish.
he wiped the marks off the window
rub off, clean off, clear up, remove, get rid of, take off, erase, efface.
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she wiped the memory from her mind
obliterate, expunge, erase, blot out, blank out.
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noun
he gave the table a wipe
rub, mop, sponge, swab; clean, polish.
wipe someone/something out
destroy, annihilate, eradicate, eliminate; slaughter, massacre, kill, exterminate; demolish, raze to the ground; informal take out, zap; N. Amer. informal waste; poetic/literary slay.

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wire

noun
cable, lead, flex.

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wiry

adjective
a wiry man
sinewy, tough, athletic, strong; lean, spare, thin, stringy, skinny.
wiry hair
coarse, rough, strong; curly, wavy.
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ANTONYMS :flabby, smooth.

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wisdom

noun
we questioned the wisdom of the decision
sagacity, intelligence, sense, common sense, shrewdness, astuteness, smartness, judiciousness, judgement, prudence, circumspection; logic, rationale, rationality, soundness, advisability.
the wisdom of the East
knowledge, learning, erudition, scholarship, philosophy; lore.
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ANTONYMS :folly.

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wise

adjective
a wise old man
sage, sagacious, intelligent, clever, learned, knowledgeable, enlightened; astute, smart, shrewd, sharp-witted, canny, knowing; sensible, prudent, discerning, judicious, perceptive, insightful, perspicacious; rational, logical, sound, sane; Brit. informal fly; formal sapient. ANTONYMS :foolish.

put someone wise (informal)
tell, inform, notify, apprise, make aware, put in the picture, fill in; warn, alert; informal clue in/up, tip off. wise to (informal)
aware of, familiar with, acquainted with; formal cognizant of.

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wisecrack

noun
(informal) joke, witticism, quip, jest, sally; pun, bon mot; informal crack, gag, funny, one-liner.

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wish

verb
I wished for power
desire, want, hope for, covet, dream of, long for, yearn for, crave, hunger for, lust after; aspire to, set one's heart on, seek, fancy, hanker after; informal have a yen for, itch for; archaic be desirous of.
they can do as they wish
want, desire, feel inclined, feel like, care; choose, please, think fit.
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I wish you to send them a message
want, desire, require.
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I wished him farewell
bid.
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noun
his wish to own a Mercedes
desire, longing, yearning, inclination, urge, whim, craving, hunger; hope, aspiration, aim, ambition, dream; informal hankering, yen, itch.
her parents' wishes
request, requirement, bidding, instruction, direction, demand, order, command; want, desire; will; poetic/literary behest.
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wishy-washy

adjective
he's so wishy-washy
feeble, ineffectual, weak, vapid, effete, spineless, limp, namby-pamby, spiritless, indecisive; informal wet, pathetic.
wishy-washy soup
watery, weak, thin; tasteless, flavourless, insipid.
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a wishy-washy colour
pale, insipid, pallid, muted.
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ANTONYMS :strong, tasty, vibrant.

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wisp

noun
strand, tendril, lock; scrap, shred, thread.

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wispy

adjective
thin, fine, feathery, flyaway.

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wistful

adjective
nostalgic, yearning, longing; plaintive, regretful, rueful, melancholy, mournful; pensive, reflective, contemplative.

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wit

noun
he needed all his wits to escape
intelligence, shrewdness, astuteness, cleverness, canniness, (common) sense, wisdom, sagacity, judgement, acumen, insight; brains, mind; informal nous, gumption, savvy, horse sense; Brit. informal common; N. Amer. informal smarts.
my sparkling wit
wittiness, humour, funniness, drollery; repartee, badinage, banter, wordplay; jokes, witticisms, quips, puns.
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she's such a wit
comedian, humorist, comic, joker, jokester; informal wag; informal, dated card, caution.
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witch

noun
the witch cast a spell
sorceress, enchantress, hex; Wiccan; archaic pythoness.
(informal) she's a right old witch
hag, crone, harpy, harridan, she-devil; informal battleaxe.
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witchcraft

noun
sorcery, (black) magic, witching, witchery, wizardry, thaumaturgy, spells, incantations; Wicca; Irish pishogue.

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witch doctor

noun
medicine man, shaman, healer.

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with

preposition
accompanied by, escorted by; alongside, in addition to, as well as.

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withdraw

verb
she withdrew her hand from his
remove, extract, pull out, take out; take back, take away.
the ban on advertising was withdrawn
abolish, cancel, lift, set aside, end, stop, remove, reverse, revoke, rescind, repeal, annul, void.
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she withdrew the allegation
retract, take back, go back on, recant, disavow, disclaim, repudiate, renounce; back down, climb down, backtrack, back-pedal, do a U-turn, eat one's words.
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the troops withdrew from the city
leave, pull out of, evacuate, quit, retreat from.
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his partner withdrew from the project
pull out of, back out of, bow out of; get cold feet.
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they withdrew to their rooms
retire, retreat, adjourn, decamp; leave, depart, absent oneself; formal repair; dated remove; poetic/literary betake oneself.
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ANTONYMS :insert, introduce, deposit, enter.

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withdrawal

noun
the withdrawal of subsidies
removal, abolition, cancellation, discontinuation, termination, elimination.
the withdrawal of the troops
departure, pull-out, exit, exodus, evacuation, retreat.
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withdrawn

adjective
introverted, unsociable, inhibited, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, quiet, reticent, reserved, retiring, private, reclusive; shy, timid; aloof; informal stand-offish. ANTONYMS :outgoing.

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wither

verb
the flowers withered in the sun
shrivel (up), dry up; wilt, droop, go limp, fade, perish.
the muscles in his leg withered
waste (away), shrivel (up), shrink, atrophy.
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her confidence withered
diminish, dwindle, shrink, lessen, fade, ebb, wane; evaporate, disappear.
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ANTONYMS :thrive, grow.

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withering

adjective
scornful, contemptuous, scathing, stinging, devastating; humiliating, mortifying. ANTONYMS :admiring.

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withhold

verb
he withheld the information
hold back, keep back, refuse to give; retain, hold on to; hide, conceal, keep secret; informal sit on.
she could not withhold her tears
suppress, repress, hold back, fight back, choke back, control, check, restrain, contain.
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within

preposition
within the prison walls
inside, in, enclosed by, surrounded by; within the bounds of, within the confines of.
within a few hours
in less than, in under, in no more than, after only.
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ANTONYMS :outside.

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without

preposition
thousands were without food
lacking, short of, deprived of, in need of, wanting, needing, requiring.
I don't want to go without you
unaccompanied by, unescorted by; in the absence of.
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withstand

verb
resist, weather, survive, endure, cope with, stand, tolerate, bear, defy, brave, hold out against, bear up against; stand up to, face, confront.

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witless

adjective
foolish, stupid, unintelligent, idiotic, brainless, mindless; fatuous, inane, half-baked, empty-headed, slow-witted; informal thick, birdbrained, pea-brained, dopey, dim, dim-witted, half-witted, dippy, lamebrained, wooden-headed; Brit. informal daft; Scottish & N. English informal glaikit; N. Amer. informal dumb-ass.

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witness

noun
witnesses claimed that he started the fight
observer, onlooker, eyewitness, spectator, viewer, watcher; bystander, passer-by.
a whisky bottle was the only witness of his mood
evidence, indication, proof, testimony.
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verb
who witnessed the incident?
see, observe, watch, view, notice, spot; be present at, attend; poetic/literary behold.
the will is correctly witnessed
countersign, sign, endorse, validate; N. Amer. notarize.
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his writings witness an inner toughness
attest to, testify to, bear witness to, confirm, evidence, prove, verify, corroborate, substantiate; show, demonstrate, indicate, reveal, bespeak.
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witter

verb
(Brit. informal). See gabble verb.

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witticism

noun
joke, quip, jest, pun, play on words, bon mot; informal one-liner, gag, funny, crack, wisecrack.

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witty

adjective
humorous, amusing, droll, funny, comic, comical; jocular, facetious, waggish; sparkling, scintillating, entertaining; clever, quick-witted.

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wizard

noun
the wizard cast a spell over them
sorcerer, warlock, magus, (black) magician, enchanter; archaic mage.
a financial wizard
genius, expert, master, virtuoso, maestro, marvel, Wunderkind; informal hotshot, demon, whizz-kid, buff, pro, ace; Brit. informal dab hand; N. Amer. informal maven.
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wizardry

noun
sorcery, witchcraft, witchery, witching, (black) magic, enchantment; spells, charms; Irish pishogue.

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wizened

adjective
wrinkled, lined, creased, shrivelled (up), withered, weather-beaten, shrunken, gnarled.

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wobble

verb
the table wobbled
rock, teeter, jiggle, sway, see-saw, shake.
he wobbled across to the door
teeter, totter, stagger, lurch.
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her voice wobbled
tremble, shake, quiver, quaver, waver.
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for a few days the minister wobbled
hesitate, vacillate, waver, dither, shilly-shally, blow hot and cold; Scottish swither.
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noun
she stood up with a wobble
totter, teeter, sway.
the operatic wobble in her voice
tremor, quiver, quaver, trembling, vibrato.
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wobbly

adjective
a wobbly table
unsteady, unstable, shaky, rocky, rickety; unsafe, precarious; uneven, unbalanced; informal wonky.
her legs were a bit wobbly
shaky, quivery, weak, unsteady; informal trembly, like jelly.
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I feel so wobbly
faint, dizzy, light-headed, giddy, weak (at the knees), groggy, muzzy; informal woozy.
Top
ANTONYMS :stable.

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woe

noun
a tale of woe
misery, sorrow, distress, wretchedness, sadness, unhappiness, heartache, heartbreak, despondency, despair, depression, gloom, melancholy; adversity, misfortune, disaster, suffering, hardship; poetic/literary dolour.
financial woes
trouble, difficulty, problem, trial, tribulation, misfortune, setback, reverse.
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ANTONYMS :joy.

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woebegone

adjective
sad, unhappy, miserable, dejected, disconsolate, forlorn, crestfallen, downcast, glum, gloomy, doleful, downhearted, despondent, melancholy, sorrowful, mournful, woeful, depressed, wretched, desolate; informal down in the mouth, down in the dumps, blue. ANTONYMS :cheerful.

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woeful

adjective
her face was woeful.
See woebegone.
a woeful tale
tragic, sad, miserable, cheerless, gloomy, sorry, pitiful, pathetic, traumatic, depressing, heartbreaking, heart-rending, tear-jerking.
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the team's woeful performance
dreadful, awful, terrible, atrocious, disgraceful, deplorable, shameful, hopeless, lamentable; substandard, poor, inadequate, inferior, unsatisfactory; informal rotten, appalling, crummy, pathetic, pitiful, lousy, abysmal, dire; Brit. informal duff, chronic, rubbish.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful, excellent.

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wolf

verb
devour, gobble (up), guzzle, gulp down, bolt; informal put away, demolish, shovel down, scoff (down), get outside of; Brit. informal gollop; N. Amer. informal scarf (down/up), snarf (down/up).

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wolfish

adjective
(informal) lascivious, lecherous, lustful; predatory, rapacious.

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woman

noun
a woman got out of the car
lady, girl, female; matron; Scottish & N. English lass, lassie; Irish colleen; informal chick, girlie, filly, biddy; Brit. informal bird; Scottish & N. English informal wifie; N. Amer. informal sister, dame, broad, gal, jane; Austral./NZ informal sheila; poetic/literary maid, maiden, damsel; archaic wench, gentlewoman.
he found himself a new woman
girlfriend, sweetheart, partner, significant other, inamorata, lover, mistress; fiancée; wife, spouse; informal bird, fancy woman, missus, better half; Brit. informal other half, Dutch, trouble and strife; Irish informal mot; N. Amer. informal squeeze; dated lady friend, lady love; archaic leman.
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female, gynaeco-.

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womanhood

noun
she was on the brink of womanhood
adulthood, maturity; poetic/literary muliebrity.
she's an ideal of womanhood
womanliness, femininity.
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the stereotype of Soviet womanhood
women, womenfolk; womankind, womenkind, woman; the female sex.
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womanish

adjective
effeminate, girlish, girly, unmanly, unmasculine. ANTONYMS :manly.

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womanizer

noun
philanderer, Casanova, Don Juan, Romeo, Lothario, ladies' man, playboy, seducer, rake, roué, libertine, lecher; informal skirt-chaser, ladykiller, lech.

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womankind

noun
women, woman, the female sex, womenkind, womanhood, womenfolk.

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womanly

adjective
womanly virtues
feminine, female; archaic feminal.
her womanly figure
voluptuous, curvaceous, shapely, ample, Junoesque, Rubenesque, buxom, full-figured; informal curvy, busty.
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ANTONYMS :masculine, boyish.

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wonder

noun
she was speechless with wonder
awe, admiration, wonderment, fascination; surprise, astonishment, amazement.
the wonders of nature
marvel, miracle, phenomenon, sensation, spectacle, beauty; curiosity.
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verb
I wondered what was on her mind
ponder, think about, meditate on, reflect on, muse on, speculate about, conjecture; be curious about.
I wonder you were so patient
be surprised, find it surprising.
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people wondered at such bravery
marvel, be amazed, be astonished, stand in awe, be dumbfounded, gape, goggle; informal be flabbergasted.
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wonderful

adjective
marvellous, magnificent, superb, glorious, sublime, lovely, delightful; informal super, great, fantastic, terrific, tremendous, sensational, incredible, fabulous, fab, awesome, magic, ace, wicked, far out; Brit. informal smashing, brilliant, brill; N. Amer. informal peachy, dandy, neat; Austral./NZ informal beaut, bonzer; Brit. informal, dated champion, wizard, spiffing, topping; N. Amer. informal, dated swell. ANTONYMS :awful.

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wonky

adjective
(Brit. informal) a wonky picture.
See crooked sense 3.
wonky stools.
See wobbly sense 1.
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wont

adjective
he was wont to arise at 5.30
accustomed, used, given, inclined.
noun
Paul drove fast, as was his wont
custom, habit, way, practice, convention, rule.

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wonted

adjective
customary, habitual, usual, accustomed, familiar, normal, conventional, routine, common.

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woo

verb
Richard wooed Joan
pay court to, pursue, chase (after); dated court, romance, seek the hand of, set one's cap at, make love to.
the party wooed voters with promises
seek, pursue, curry favour with, try to win, try to attract, try to cultivate.
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an attempt to woo him out of retirement
entice, tempt, coax, persuade, wheedle; informal sweet-talk.
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wood

noun
polished wood
timber, planks, planking; logs; N. Amer. lumber.
a walk through the woods
forest, woodland, trees; copse, coppice, grove; Brit. spinney; archaic greenwood.
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ligneous.

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wooded

adjective
forested, afforested, tree-covered, woody; poetic/literary sylvan, bosky.

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wooden

adjective
a wooden door
wood, timber, woody; ligneous.
wooden acting
stilted, stiff, unnatural, awkward, leaden; dry, flat, stodgy, lifeless, passionless, spiritless, soulless.
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her face was wooden
expressionless, impassive, poker-faced, emotionless, blank, vacant, unresponsive.
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woodland

noun
woods, wood, forest, trees; archaic greenwood.

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woodwork

noun
carpentry, joinery.

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wool

noun
sheep's wool
fleece, hair, coat; floccus.
a sweater made of cream wool
yarn.
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pull the wool over someone's eyes (informal)
deceive, fool, trick, hoodwink, dupe, delude; informal lead up the garden path, put one over on, bamboozle, con.

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wool-gathering

noun
daydreaming, reverie, dreaming, musing, abstraction, preoccupation; absent-mindedness, forgetfulness.

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woolly

adjective
a woolly hat
woollen, wool, fleecy.
a sheep's woolly coat
fleecy, shaggy, hairy, fluffy, flocculent.
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woolly generalizations
vague, ill-defined, hazy, unclear, fuzzy, blurry, foggy, nebulous, imprecise, inexact, indefinite; confused, muddled.
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noun
(informal) sweater, pullover, jersey, cardigan; Brit. jumper; Brit. informal cardy.

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woozy

adjective
(informal). See groggy.

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word

noun
the Italian word for "ham"
term, name, expression, designation, locution, vocable; formal appellation.
his words were meant kindly
remark, comment, observation, statement, utterance, pronouncement.
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I've got three weeks to learn the words
script, lyrics, libretto.
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I give you my word
promise, word of honour, assurance, guarantee, undertaking; pledge, vow, oath, bond; formal troth.
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I want a word with you
talk, conversation, chat, tête-à-tête, heart-to-heart, one-to-one; discussion, consultation; informal confab, powwow; formal confabulation.
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there's no word from the hospital
news, information, communication, intelligence; message, report, communiqué, dispatch, bulletin; informal info, gen, dope; poetic/literary tidings.
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word has it he's turned over a new leaf
rumour, hearsay, talk, gossip; informal the grapevine, the word on the street.
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I'm waiting for the word from HQ
instruction, order, command; signal, prompt, cue, tip-off; informal go-ahead, thumbs up, green light.
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his word was law
command, order, decree, edict; bidding, will.
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our word now must be success
motto, watchword, slogan, catchword, buzz word.
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verbal, lexical.
verb
the question was carefully worded
phrase, express, put, couch, frame, formulate, style; say, utter.
have words
quarrel, argue, disagree, squabble, bicker, fight, wrangle, dispute, fall out, clash; Brit. informal row. in a word
briefly, to be brief, in short, in a nutshell, to come to the point, to cut a long story short, not to put too fine a point on it; to sum up, to summarize, in summary. word for word
they took down the speeches word for word
verbatim, letter for letter, to the letter; exactly, faithfully.

a word-for-word translation
verbatim, literal, exact, direct, accurate, faithful; unadulterated, unabridged.
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wording

noun
phrasing, words, phraseology, language, expression, terminology.

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wordplay

noun
punning, puns, play on words; wit, witticisms, repartee.

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wordy

adjective
long-winded, verbose, prolix, lengthy, protracted, long-drawn-out, rambling, circumlocutory, periphrastic, pleonastic; loquacious, garrulous, voluble; informal windy; Brit. informal waffly. ANTONYMS :succinct.

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work

noun
a day's work in the fields
labour, toil, slog, drudgery, exertion, effort, industry, service; informal grind, sweat, elbow grease; Brit. informal graft, fag; Austral./NZ informal yakka; poetic/literary travail.
I'm looking for work
employment, a job, a post, a position, a situation; occupation, profession, career, vocation, calling.
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haven't you got any work?
tasks, jobs, duties, assignments, projects; chores.
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works of literature
composition, piece, creation; opus, oeuvre.
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this is the work of a radical faction
handiwork, doing, act, deed.
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a lifetime spent doing good works
deeds, acts, actions.
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the complete works of Shakespeare
writings, oeuvre, canon, output.
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a car works
factory, plant, mill, foundry, yard, workshop, shop.
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the works of a clock
mechanism, machinery, workings, parts, movement, action; informal insides.
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(informal) for only $60 you can get the works
everything, the full treatment; informal the lot, the whole shebang, the full nine yards; Brit. informal the full monty.
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ANTONYMS :leisure.

verb
staff worked late into the night
toil, labour, exert oneself, slave (away); keep at it, keep one's nose to the grindstone; informal slog (away), beaver away, plug away, put one's back into it, knock oneself out, sweat blood; Brit. informal graft, fag; poetic/literary travail.
he worked in education for years
be employed, have a job, earn one's living, do business.
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farmers worked the land
cultivate, farm, till, plough.
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his car was working perfectly
function, go, run, operate; informal behave.
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how do I work this machine?
operate, use, handle, control, manipulate, run.
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their ploy worked
succeed, work out, turn out well, go as planned, get results, be effective; informal come off, pay off, do the trick; N. Amer. informal turn the trick.
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blusher can work miracles
bring about, accomplish, achieve, produce, perform, create, engender, contrive, effect.
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(informal) the chairman was prepared to work it for Phil
arrange, manipulate, contrive; pull strings; N. Amer. pull wires; informal fix, swing, wangle.
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he worked the crowd into a frenzy
stir (up), excite, drive, move, rouse, fire, galvanize; whip up, agitate.
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work the mixture into a paste
knead, squeeze, form; mix, stir, blend.
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he worked the blade into the padlock
manoeuvre, manipulate, guide, edge.
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her mouth worked furiously
twitch, quiver, convulse.
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he worked his way through the crowd
manoeuvre, make, thread, wind, weave, wend.
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ANTONYMS :rest, fail.

work on someone
persuade, manipulate, influence; coax, cajole, wheedle, soften up; informal twist someone's arm, lean on. work out
the bill works out at £50
amount to, add up to, come to, total; Brit. tot up to.

my idea worked out.
See work verb sense 6.
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things didn't work out the way she planned
end up, turn out, go, come out , develop; happen, occur; informal pan out.
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he works out at the local gym
exercise, train.
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work something out
work out what you can afford
calculate, compute, reckon up, determine.

I'm trying to work out what she meant
understand, comprehend, puzzle out, sort out, make sense of, get to the bottom of, make head or tail of, unravel, decipher, decode; informal figure out; Brit. informal suss out.
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they worked out a plan
devise, formulate, draw up, put together, develop, construct, arrange, organize, contrive, concoct; hammer out, negotiate.
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work something up
stimulate, rouse, raise, arouse, awaken, excite.

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workable

adjective
practicable, feasible, viable, possible, achievable; realistic, reasonable, sensible, practical; informal doable. ANTONYMS :impracticable.

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workaday

adjective
ordinary, average, run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-road, conventional, unremarkable, unexceptional, humdrum, undistinguished, commonplace, mundane, pedestrian; routine, everyday, day-to-day; N. Amer. garden-variety; informal bog-standard, nothing to write home about, ten a penny, a dime a dozen; Brit. informal common or garden. ANTONYMS :exceptional.

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worker

noun
a strike by 500 workers
employee, member of staff; workman, labourer, hand, operative, operator; proletarian; artisan, craftsman, craftswoman; wage-earner, breadwinner.
(informal) I got a reputation for being a worker
hard worker, toiler, workhorse; informal busy bee, eager beaver, workaholic; N. Amer. informal wheel horse.
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workforce

noun
employees, staff, personnel, workers, labour force, manpower; human resources; informal liveware.

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working

adjective
working mothers
employed, in (gainful) employment, in work, waged.
a working waterwheel
functioning, operating, running, active, operational, functional, serviceable; informal up and running.
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a working knowledge of contract law
sufficient, adequate, viable; useful, effective.
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ANTONYMS :unemployed, faulty.

noun
the working of a carburettor
functioning, operation, running, action, performance.
the workings of a watch
mechanism, machinery, parts, movement, action, works; informal insides.
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workman

noun
(manual) worker, labourer, hand, operative, operator; employee; journeyman, artisan.

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workmanlike

adjective
efficient, competent, professional, proficient, skilful, adept, masterly.

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workmanship

noun
craftsmanship, artistry, craft, art, artisanship, handiwork; skill, expertise, technique.

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workout

noun
exercise session, keep-fit session, training session, drill; warm-up; exercises, aerobics; informal, dated daily dozen.

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workshop

noun
a car repair workshop
factory, works, plant; garage.
the craftsmen had a chilly workshop
workroom, studio, atelier.
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a workshop on combating stress
study group, discussion group, seminar, class.
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world

noun
he travelled the world
earth, globe, planet, sphere.
life on other worlds
planet, satellite, moon, star, heavenly body, orb.
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the academic world
sphere, society, circle, arena, milieu, province, domain, orbit, preserve, realm, field, discipline, area.
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she would show the world that she was strong
everyone, everybody, people, mankind, humankind, humanity, the (general) public, the population, the populace, all and sundry, every mother's son, (every Tom, Dick, and Harry), every man jack.
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a world of difference
huge amount, good deal, great deal, abundance, wealth, profusion, mountain; plenty; informal heap, lot, load, ton, masses; Brit. informal shedload.
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she renounced the world
society, secular interests, temporal concerns, earthly concerns.
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on top of the world (informal). See overjoyed. out of this world (informal). See wonderful.

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worldly

adjective
his youth was wasted on worldly pursuits
earthly, terrestrial, temporal, mundane; mortal, human, material, materialistic, physical, carnal, fleshly, bodily, corporeal, sensual.
a worldly man
sophisticated, experienced, worldly-wise, knowledgeable, knowing, enlightened, shrewd, mature, seasoned, cosmopolitan, urbane, cultivated, cultured.
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ANTONYMS :spiritual, naive.

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worldly-wise

adjective
. See worldly sense 2.

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worldwide

adjective
global, international, intercontinental, universal; ubiquitous, extensive, widespread, far-reaching, wide-ranging, all-embracing. ANTONYMS :local.

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worn

adjective
his hat was worn
shabby, worn out, threadbare, tattered, in tatters, holey, falling to pieces, ragged, frayed, moth-eaten, scruffy, having seen better days; informal tatty, ratty, the worse for wear; N. Amer. informal raggedy.
her face looked worn.
See worn out sense 2.
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ANTONYMS :smart, fresh.

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worn out

adjective
a worn-out shirt.
See worn sense 1.
by evening they looked worn out
exhausted, fatigued, tired (out), weary, drained, worn, drawn, wan, sapped, spent; careworn, haggard, hollow-eyed, pinched, pale, peaky; informal all in, done in, dog-tired, dead beat, fit to drop, shattered; Brit. informal knackered; N. Amer. informal pooped, tuckered out.
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worn-out ideas
obsolete, antiquated, old, stale, hackneyed, trite, overused, overworked, clichéd, unoriginal, commonplace, pedestrian, prosaic, stock, conventional; informal played out, old hat.
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ANTONYMS :smart, fresh.

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worried

adjective
anxious, perturbed, troubled, bothered, concerned, upset, distressed, distraught, disquieted, uneasy, fretful, agitated, nervous, edgy, on edge, tense, overwrought, worked up, keyed up, jumpy, stressed; apprehensive, fearful, afraid, frightened, scared; informal uptight, a bundle of nerves, on tenterhooks, jittery, twitchy, in a stew, all of a dither, in a flap, in a sweat, het up, rattled; Brit. informal windy, having kittens; N. Amer. informal antsy, squirrelly. ANTONYMS :carefree.

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worrisome

adjective
. See worrying.

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worry

verb
she worries about his health
fret, be concerned, be anxious, agonize, brood, panic, lose sleep, get worked up; informal get stressed, get in a flap, get in a state, stew, torment oneself.
is something worrying you?
trouble, bother, make anxious, disturb, distress, upset, concern, disquiet, fret, agitate, unsettle, perturb, scare, fluster, stress, tax, torment, plague, bedevil; prey on one's mind, weigh down, gnaw at; informal rattle, bug, get to.
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a dog worried his sheep
attack, savage, maul, mutilate, mangle, go for; molest, torment, persecute.
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noun
I'm beside myself with worry
anxiety, perturbation, distress, concern, uneasiness, unease, disquiet, fretfulness, restlessness, nervousness, nerves, agitation, edginess, tension, stress; apprehension, fear, dread, trepidation, misgiving, angst; informal butterflies (in the stomach), the willies, the heebie-jeebies.
the rats are a worry
problem, cause for concern; nuisance , pest, plague, trial, trouble, vexation, bane, bugbear; informal pain (in the neck), headache, hassle, stress.
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worrying

adjective
alarming, worrisome, daunting, perturbing, niggling, bothersome, troublesome, unsettling, nerve-racking; distressing, disquieting, upsetting, traumatic, problematic; informal scary, hairy.

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worsen

verb
insomnia can worsen a patient's distress
aggravate, exacerbate, compound, add to, intensify, increase, magnify, heighten, inflame, augment; informal add fuel to the fire.
the recession worsened
deteriorate, degenerate, decline; informal go downhill, go to pot, go to the dogs, hit the skids, nosedive.
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ANTONYMS :improve.

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worship

noun
the worship of saints
reverence, veneration, adoration, glorification, glory, exaltation; devotion, praise, thanksgiving, homage, honour; dulia, latria; formal laudation; archaic magnification.
morning worship
service, religious rite, prayer, praise, devotion, religious observance; matins, vespers, evensong.
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he contemplated her with worship
admiration, adulation, idolization, lionization, hero-worship.
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verb
they worship pagan gods
revere, reverence, venerate, pay homage to, honour, adore, praise, pray to, glorify, exalt, extol; hold dear, cherish, treasure, esteem, adulate, idolize, deify, hero-worship, lionize; informal put on a pedestal; formal laud; archaic magnify.

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worst

verb
defeat, beat, prevail over, triumph over, trounce, rout, vanquish, conquer, master, overcome, overwhelm, overpower, crush; outdo, outclass, outstrip, surpass; informal thrash, lick, best, clobber, drub, slaughter, murder, wipe out, crucify, demolish, wipe the floor with, take to the cleaners, walk all over, make mincemeat of; Brit. informal stuff; N. Amer. informal shellac, cream.

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worth

noun
evidence of the rug's worth
value, price, cost; valuation, quotation, estimate.
the intrinsic worth of education
benefit, advantage, use, value, virtue, utility, service, profit, help, aid; desirability, appeal; significance, sense; informal mileage, percentage; archaic behoof.
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a sense of personal worth
worthiness, merit, value, excellence, calibre, quality, stature, eminence, consequence, importance, significance, distinction.
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worthless

adjective
the item was worthless
valueless; poor quality, inferior, second-rate, low-grade, cheap, shoddy, tawdry; informal crummy, rubbishy, ten a penny; Brit. informal twopenny-halfpenny; N. Amer. informal nickel-and-dime.
your conclusions are worthless
useless, no use, ineffective, ineffectual, fruitless, unproductive, unavailing, pointless, nugatory, valueless, inadequate, deficient, meaningless, senseless, insubstantial, empty, hollow, trifling, petty, inconsequential, lame, paltry, pathetic; informal a dead loss.
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his worthless son
good-for-nothing, ne'er-do-well, useless, despicable, contemptible, low, ignominious, corrupt, villainous, degenerate, shiftless, feckless; informal no-good, lousy.
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ANTONYMS :valuable, useful.

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worthwhile

adjective
valuable, useful, of use, of service, beneficial, rewarding, advantageous, positive, helpful, profitable, gainful, fruitful, productive, constructive, effective, effectual, meaningful, worthy.

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worthy

adjective
a worthy citizen
virtuous, righteous, good, moral, ethical, upright, upstanding, high-minded, principled, exemplary; law-abiding, irreproachable, blameless, guiltless, unimpeachable, honest, honourable, reputable, decent, respectable, noble, meritorious; pure, whiter than white, saintly, angelic; informal squeaky clean. ANTONYMS :disreputable.

noun
local worthies
dignitary, personage, grandee, VIP, notable, notability, pillar of society, luminary, leading light, big name; informal heavyweight, bigwig, top dog, big shot, big cheese; N. Amer. informal big wheel, big kahuna. ANTONYMS :nobody.

be worthy of
deserve, merit, warrant, rate, justify, earn, be entitled to, qualify for.

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would-be

adjective
aspiring, budding, promising, prospective, potential, hopeful, keen, eager, ambitious; informal wannabe.

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wound

noun
a chest wound
injury, lesion, cut, gash, laceration, tear, slash; graze, scratch, abrasion; bruise, contusion; Medicine trauma.
the wounds inflicted by the media
insult, blow, slight, offence, affront; hurt, damage, injury, pain, distress, grief, anguish, torment.
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verb
he was critically wounded
injure, hurt, harm; maim, mutilate, disable, incapacitate, cripple; lacerate, cut, graze, gash, stab, slash.
her words had wounded him
hurt, scar, damage, injure; insult, slight, offend, affront, distress, disturb, upset, trouble; grieve, sadden, pain, sting, shock, traumatize, torment.
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wraith

noun
ghost, spectre, spirit, phantom, apparition, manifestation; informal spook; poetic/literary shade, phantasm.

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wrangle

noun
a wrangle over money
argument, dispute, disagreement, quarrel, falling-out, fight, squabble, altercation, war of words, shouting match, tiff; informal set-to, run-in, slanging match; Brit. informal barney, row, bust-up.
verb
we wrangled over the details
argue, quarrel, bicker, squabble, fall out, have words, disagree, be at odds, fight, battle, feud, clash; informal scrap; Brit. informal row.

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wrap

verb
she wrapped herself in a towel
swathe, bundle, swaddle, muffle, cloak, enfold, envelop, encase, cover, fold, wind.
I wrapped the vase carefully
parcel (up), package, pack (up), bundle (up); gift-wrap.
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noun
he put a wrap round her
shawl, stole, cloak, cape, mantle, scarf, poncho, serape; historical pelisse.
wrap up
wrap up well it's cold
dress warmly, muffle up.

(Brit. informal) tell that child to wrap up.
See shut up at shut.
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wrap something up (informal)
conclude, finish, end, wind up, round off, terminate, stop, cease, finalize, complete, tie up; informal sew up.

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wrapper

noun
a sweet wrapper
wrapping, packaging, paper, cover, covering; jacket, sheath.
(N. Amer.) she wore a cotton wrapper
housecoat, bathrobe, dressing gown, robe, kimono, peignoir.
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wrath

noun
anger, rage, fury, outrage, spleen, vexation, (high) dudgeon, crossness, displeasure, annoyance, irritation; poetic/literary ire, choler. ANTONYMS :happiness.

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wreak

verb
inflict, bestow, mete out, administer, deliver, impose, exact, create, cause, result in, effect, engender, bring about, perpetrate, unleash, vent; formal effectuate.

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wreath

noun
garland, circlet, chaplet, crown, festoon, lei; ring, loop, circle.

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wreathe

verb
a pulpit wreathed in holly
festoon, garland, drape, cover, bedeck, deck, decorate, ornament, adorn.
blue smoke wreathed upwards
spiral, coil, loop, wind, curl, twist, snake, curve.
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wreck

noun
salvage teams landed on the wreck
shipwreck, sunken ship, derelict; shell, hull.
the wreck of a stolen car
wreckage, debris, remainder, ruins, remains.
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verb
he had wrecked her car
demolish, crash, smash up, damage, destroy; vandalize, deface, desecrate, write off; N. Amer. informal trash, total.
his ship was wrecked
shipwreck, sink, capsize, run aground.
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the crisis wrecked his plans
ruin, spoil, disrupt, undo, put a stop to, frustrate, blight, crush, quash, dash, destroy, scotch, shatter, devastate, sabotage; informal mess up, screw up, foul up, put paid to, stymie, put the kibosh on, nix; Brit. informal scupper, dish.
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wreckage

noun
. See wreck noun senses 1, 2.

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wrench

noun
she felt a wrench on her shoulders
tug, pull, jerk, jolt, heave; informal yank.
hold the piston with a wrench
spanner, monkey wrench.
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a wrench in his arm
sprain, twist, strain, rick, crick.
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leaving was an immense wrench
painful parting, traumatic event; pang, trauma.
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verb
he wrenched the gun from her hand
tug, pull, jerk, wrest, heave, twist, pluck, grab, seize, snatch, force, prise; N. Amer. pry; informal yank.
she wrenched her ankle
sprain, twist, turn, strain, rick, crick, pull; injure, hurt.
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wrest

verb
wrench, snatch, seize, grab, prise, pluck, tug, pull, jerk, dislodge; N. Amer. pry; informal yank.

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wrestle

verb
grapple, fight, struggle, contend, vie, battle, wrangle; scuffle, tussle, brawl; informal scrap.

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wretch

noun
the wretches killed themselves
poor creature, poor soul, poor thing, poor unfortunate; informal poor devil, poor beggar.
I wouldn't trust the old wretch
scoundrel, villain, ruffian, rogue, rascal, reprobate, criminal, miscreant, good-for-nothing; informal heel, creep, louse, rat, swine, dog, lowlife, scumbag; informal, dated rotter, bounder, blighter; archaic blackguard.
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wretched

adjective
I felt so wretched without you
miserable, unhappy, sad, heartbroken, grief-stricken, sorrowful, distressed, desolate, devastated, despairing, disconsolate, downcast, dejected, crestfallen, cheerless, depressed, melancholy, morose, gloomy, mournful, doleful, dismal, forlorn, woebegone; informal blue; poetic/literary dolorous.
I feel wretched
ill, unwell, poorly, sick, below par; Brit. off colour; informal under the weather, out of sorts.
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their living conditions are wretched
harsh, hard, grim, stark, difficult; poor, impoverished; pitiful, pathetic, miserable, cheerless, sordid, shabby, seedy, dilapidated; informal scummy; Brit. informal grotty.
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the wretched dweller in the shanty town
unfortunate, unlucky, luckless, ill-starred, blighted, hapless, poor, pitiable, downtrodden, oppressed; poetic/literary star-crossed.
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he's a wretched coward
despicable, contemptible, reprehensible, base, vile, loathsome, hateful, detestable, odious, ignoble, shameful, shabby, worthless; informal dirty, rotten, low-down, lousy.
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wretched weather
terrible, awful, dire, atrocious, dreadful, bad, poor, lamentable, deplorable; informal God-awful; Brit. informal beastly.
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I don't want the wretched money
informal damn, damned, blasted, blessed, flaming, confounded, rotten; Brit. informal flipping, blinking, blooming, bloody.
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ANTONYMS :cheerful, well, comfortable, fortunate, excellent.

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wriggle

verb
she tried to hug him but he wriggled
squirm, writhe, wiggle, jiggle, jerk, thresh, flounder, flail, twitch, twist and turn; snake, worm, slither.
he wriggled out of his responsibilities
avoid, shirk, dodge, evade, elude, sidestep; escape from; informal duck.
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noun
the baby gave a wriggle
squirm, jiggle, wiggle, twitch, twist.

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wring

verb
wring out the clothes
twist, squeeze, screw, scrunch, knead, press, mangle.
concessions were wrung from the government
extract, elicit, force, exact, wrest, wrench, squeeze, milk; informal bleed.
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his expression wrung her heart
rend, tear at, harrow, pierce, stab, wound, rack; distress, pain, hurt.
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wrinkle

noun
fine wrinkles around her mouth
crease, fold, pucker, line, crinkle, furrow, ridge, groove; informal crow's feet.
(informal) learn the wrinkles from someone more experienced
guideline, hint, tip, pointer, clue, suggestion; (wrinkles) guidance, advice.
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verb
his coat tails wrinkled up
crease, pucker, gather, line, crinkle, crimp, crumple, rumple, ruck up, scrunch up.

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writ

noun
summons, subpoena, warrant, arraignment, indictment, citation, court order.

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write

verb
he wrote her name in the book
put in writing, write down, put down, jot down, note (down), take down, record, register, log, list; inscribe, sign, scribble, scrawl, pencil.
I wrote a poem
compose, draft, think up, formulate, compile, pen, dash off, produce.
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he had her address and promised to write
correspond, write a letter, communicate, get in touch, keep in contact; informal drop someone a line.
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write someone/something off
they have had to write off loans
forget about, disregard, give up on, cancel, annul, wipe out.

he wrote off his new car
wreck, smash up, crash, destroy, demolish, ruin; N. Amer. informal total.
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who would write off a player of his stature?
disregard, dismiss, ignore.
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writer

noun
author, wordsmith, man/woman of letters, penman; novelist, essayist, biographer; journalist, columnist, correspondent; scriptwriter, playwright, dramatist, dramaturge, tragedian; poet; informal scribbler, scribe, pen-pusher, hack.

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writhe

verb
squirm, wriggle, thrash, flail, toss, toss and turn, twist, twist and turn, struggle.

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writing

noun
I can't read his writing
handwriting, hand, script, print; penmanship, calligraphy, chirography; informal scribble, scrawl.
the writings of Gertrude Stein
works, compositions, books, publications, oeuvre; papers, articles, essays.
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wrong

adjective
the wrong answer
incorrect, mistaken, in error, erroneous, inaccurate, inexact, imprecise, fallacious, wide of the mark, off target, unsound, faulty; informal off beam, out.
he knew he had said the wrong thing
inappropriate, unsuitable, inapt, inapposite, undesirable; ill-advised, ill-considered, ill-judged, impolitic, injudicious, infelicitous, unfitting, out of keeping, improper; informal out of order.
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I've done nothing wrong
illegal, unlawful, illicit, criminal, dishonest, dishonourable, corrupt; unethical, immoral, bad, wicked, sinful, iniquitous, nefarious, blameworthy, reprehensible; informal crooked.
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there's something wrong with the engine
amiss, awry, out of order, not right, faulty, defective.
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ANTONYMS :right, correct, appropriate, legal.

adverb
she guessed wrong
incorrectly, wrongly, inaccurately, erroneously, mistakenly.
noun
the difference between right and wrong
immorality, sin, sinfulness, wickedness, evil; unlawfulness , crime, corruption, villainy, dishonesty, injustice, wrongdoing, misconduct, transgression.
an attempt to make up for past wrongs
misdeed, offence, injury, crime, transgression, peccadillo, sin; injustice, outrage, atrocity; Law tort; archaic trespass.
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ANTONYMS :right.

verb
she was determined to forget the man who had wronged her
ill-use, mistreat, do an injustice to, do wrong to, ill-treat, abuse, harm, hurt, injure; informal do the dirty on.
perhaps I am wronging him
malign, misrepresent, do a disservice to, impugn, defame, slander, libel.
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get someone/something wrong
misunderstand, misinterpret, misconstrue, mistake, misread, take amiss; get the wrong idea/impression; informal get the wrong end of the stick, be barking up the wrong tree. go wrong
I've gone wrong somewhere
make a mistake, make an error, make a blunder, blunder, miscalculate, trip up; informal slip up, screw up, make a boo-boo; Brit. informal boob.

their plans went wrong
go awry, go amiss, go off course, fail, be uns uccessful, fall through, come to nothing; backfire, misfire, rebound; informal come to grief, come a cropper, go up in smoke; Brit. informal go adrift.
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the radio's gone wrong
break down, malfunction, fail, stop working, crash, give out; informal be on the blink, conk out, go kaput; Brit. informal play up, pack up.
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in the wrong
to blame, blameworthy, at fault, reprehensible, responsible, culpable, answerable, guilty; archaic peccant.

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wrongdoer

noun
offender, lawbreaker, criminal, felon, delinquent, villain, culprit, evil-doer, sinner, transgressor, malefactor, miscreant, rogue, scoundrel; informal crook, wrong 'un; Law malfeasant; archaic trespasser.

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wrongdoing

noun
crime, lawbreaking, lawlessness, criminality, misconduct, misbehaviour, malpractice, corruption, immorality, sin, sinfulness, wickedness, evil, vice, iniquity, villainy; offence, felony, wrong, misdeed, misdemeanour, fault, peccadillo, transgression; Law malfeasance, tort; formal malversation; archaic trespass.

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wrongful

adjective
unjustified, unwarranted, unjust, unfair, undue, undeserved, unreasonable, groundless, indefensible, inappropriate, improper, unlawful, illegal, illegitimate. ANTONYMS :rightful.

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wrought up

adjective
agitated, tense, stressed, overwrought, nervous, on edge, edgy, keyed up, worked up, jumpy, anxious, nervy, flustered, fretful, upset; informal in a state, in a stew, het up, wound up, uptight, in a tizz/tizzy; Brit. informal strung up; N. Amer. informal spooky, squirrelly. ANTONYMS :calm.

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wry

adjective
his wry humour
ironic, sardonic, satirical, mocking, sarcastic; dry, droll, witty, humorous.
a wry expression
unimpressed, displeased, annoyed, irritated, irked, vexed, piqued, disgruntled, dissatisfied; informal peeved.
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a wry neck
twisted, crooked, contorted, distorted, deformed, misshapen; Scottish thrawn.
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X

xenophobic

adjective
jingoistic, chauvinistic, flag-waving, excessively nationalistic, isolationist; prejudiced, bigoted, intolerant.

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Xerox

noun
(trademark) photocopy, copy, duplicate, reproduction; trademark photostat.

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Xmas

noun
(informal). See Christmas.

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X-ray

noun
radiograph, X-ray image/picture/photograph, roentgenogram, radiogram.

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Y

yahoo

noun
boor, lout, oaf, thug, barbarian, Neanderthal, brute, bully boy; informal clod, roughneck, bruiser; Brit. informal yobbo, yob, oik.

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yank

verb
(informal) jerk, pull, tug, wrench; snatch, seize.

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yap

verb
the dogs yapped about his heels
bark, woof, yelp.
(informal) what are they yapping on about?
See babble verb sense 1.
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yardstick

noun
standard, measure, gauge, scale, guide, guideline, indicator, test, touchstone, barometer, criterion, benchmark, point of reference, model, pattern.

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yarn

noun
you need to use a fine yarn
thread, cotton, wool, fibre, filament; ply.
(informal) a far-fetched yarn
story, tale, anecdote, saga, narrative; informal tall tale/story, cock and bull story, shaggy-dog story, spiel.
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yawning

adjective
gaping, wide open, wide, cavernous, deep; huge, great, big.

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year

noun
twelve-month period, calendar year; poetic/literary sun, summer, winter; archaic twelvemonth. annual.
year in, year out
repeatedly, again and again, time and (time) again, time after time, over and over (again), (week in, week out), (day in, day out), recurrently, continuously, continually, constantly, habitually, regularly, without a break, unfailingly, always.

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yearly

adjective
a yearly payment
annual, once a year, every year, each year.
adverb
the guide is published yearly
annually, once a year, per annum, by the year, every year, each year.

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yearn

verb
long, pine, crave, desire, want, wish, hanker, covet, lust, pant, hunger, thirst, ache, eat one's heart out, have one's heart set on; informal have a yen, itch.

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yearning

noun
longing, craving, desire, want, wish, hankering, urge, hunger, thirst, appetite, lust, ache; informal yen, itch.

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yell

verb
he yelled in agony
cry out, call out, call at the top of one's voice, shout, howl, yowl, wail, scream, shriek, screech, yelp, squeal; roar, bawl; informal holler.
noun
a yell of rage
cry, shout, howl, yowl, scream, shriek, screech, yelp, squeal; roar; informal holler.

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yellow

adjective
yellow hair | a yellow shirt
flaxen, golden, gold, blonde, fair; lemon, daffodil-yellow, mustard.
(informal) he'll have to prove he's not yellow.
See cowardly.
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yelp

noun & verb
squeal, shriek, howl, yowl, yell, cry, shout, yawp; informal holler.

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yen

noun
(informal) hankering, yearning, longing, craving, urge, desire, want, wish, hunger, thirst, lust, appetite, ache; fancy, inclination; informal itch.

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yes

adverb
all right, very well, of course, by all means, sure, certainly, absolutely, indeed, affirmative, in the affirmative, agreed, roger; Scottish, N. English, & archaic aye; Nautical aye aye; informal yeah, yep, yup, uh-huh, okay, OK, okey-dokey, okey-doke; Brit. informal righto, righty-ho; N. Amer. informal surely; archaic ? formal yea. ANTONYMS :no.

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yes-man

noun
(informal) sycophant, toady, creep, fawner, flatterer, lickspittle, doormat; informal bootlicker; Brit. informal poodle; N. Amer. informal suck-up.

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yet

adverb
he hasn't made up his mind yet
so far, thus far, as yet, up till/to now, until now.
don't celebrate just yet
now, right now, at this time; already, so soon.
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he was doing nothing, yet he appeared purposeful
nevertheless, nonetheless, even so, but, however, still, notwithstanding, despite that, in spite of that, for all that, all the same, just the same, at the same time, be that as it may; archaic natheless.
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he supplied yet more unsolicited advice
even, still, further, in addition, additionally, besides, into the bargain, to boot.
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yield

verb
too many projects yield poor returns
produce, bear, give, supply, provide, afford, return, bring in, earn, realize, generate, deliver, pay out.
the nobility had yielded power to the new capitalist class
relinquish, surrender, cede, remit, part with, hand over; make over, bequeath, leave.
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the Duke was forced to yield
surrender, capitulate, submit, relent, admit defeat, back down, climb down, give in, give up the struggle, lay down one's arms, raise/show the white flag, throw in the towel/sponge.
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he yielded to her demands
give in to, give way to, submit to, bow down to, comply with, agree to, consent to, go along with; grant, permit, allow; informal cave in to; formal accede to.
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the floorboards yielded underfoot
bend, give, give way.
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ANTONYMS :withhold, resist, defy.

noun
risky investments usually have higher yields
profit, gain, return, dividend, earnings.

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yob yobbo

noun
(Brit. informal). See hooligan.

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yoke

noun
the horses were loosened from the yoke
harness, collar, coupling.
countries struggling under the yoke of imperialism
tyranny, oppression, domination, hegemony, enslavement, servitude, subjugation, subjection, bondage, thrall; bonds, chains, fetters, shackles.
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the yoke of marriage
bond, tie, connection, link.
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verb
a pair of oxen were yoked together
harness, hitch, couple, tether, fasten, attach, join.
their aim of yoking biology and mechanics
unite, join, link, connect; tie, bind, bond.
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yokel

noun
bumpkin, peasant, provincial, rustic, country cousin, countryman/woman; Irish informal culchie; N. Amer. informal hayseed, hillbilly, hick; Austral. informal bushy.

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young

adjective
young people
youthful, juvenile; junior, adolescent, teenage; in the springtime of life, in one's salad days.
she's very young for her age
immature, childish, inexperienced, unsophisticated, naive, unworldly; informal wet behind the ears.
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the young microbrewery industry
fledgling, developing, budding, in its infancy, emerging.
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ANTONYMS :old, elderly, mature.

noun
a robin feeding its young
offspring, progeny, family, babies.
the young don't care nowadays
young people, children, boys and girls, youngsters, youth, the younger generation, juveniles, minors; informal kids, young 'uns.
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youngster

noun
child, teenager, adolescent, youth, juvenile, minor, junior; boy, girl; Scottish & N. English lass, lassie; informal lad, kid, whippersnapper, young 'un, teen.

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youth

noun
he had been a keen sportsman in his youth
early years, young days, teens, teenage years, adolescence, boyhood, girlhood, childhood; minority; formal juvenescence.
she had kept her youth and beauty
youthfulness, freshness, bloom, vigour, energy.
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local youths
young man, boy, juvenile, teenager, adolescent, junior, minor; informal lad, kid.
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the youth of the nation
young people, young, younger generation, next generation; informal kids.
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ANTONYMS :adulthood, old age.

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youthful

adjective
young-looking, spry, sprightly, vigorous, active; young, boyish, girlish; fresh-faced, in the springtime of life, in one's salad days. ANTONYMS :old, elderly.

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Z

zany

adjective
eccentric, peculiar, odd, unconventional, strange, bizarre, weird; mad, crazy, comic, madcap, funny, quirky, idiosyncratic; informal wacky, screwy, nutty, oddball, off the wall; Brit. informal daft; N. Amer. informal kooky, wacko. ANTONYMS :conventional, sensible.

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zap

verb
(informal) they were zapped by anti-radar missiles.
See destroy sense 5.
racing cars zapped past.
See speed verb sense 1.
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zeal

noun
passion, ardour, love, fervour, fire, avidity, devotion, enthusiasm, eagerness, keenness, appetite, relish, gusto, vigour, energy, intensity; fanaticism. ANTONYMS :apathy.

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zealot

noun
fanatic, enthusiast, extremist, radical, young Turk, diehard, activist, militant; bigot, dogmatist, sectarian, partisan; informal fiend, maniac, ultra, nut.

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zealous

adjective
fervent, ardent, fervid, fanatical, passionate, impassioned, devout, devoted, committed, dedicated, enthusiastic, eager, keen, avid, vigorous, energetic, intense, fierce; poetic/literary perfervid. ANTONYMS :apathetic.

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zenith

noun
highest point, high point, crowning point, height, top, acme, peak, pinnacle, apex, apogee, crown, crest, summit, climax, culmination, prime, meridian. ANTONYMS :nadir.

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zero

noun
the sum's wrong you've left off a zero
nought, nothing, nil, 0; Computing null character; dated cipher; archaic naught.
I rated my chances as zero
nothing (at all), nil, none; N. English nowt; informal zilch, nix, sweet Fanny Adams, sweet FA, not a dicky bird; Brit. informal damn all, not a sausage; N. Amer. informal zip, nada, diddly-squat; archaic naught, nought.
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zero in on
focus on, focus attention on, centre on, concentrate on, home in on, fix on, pinpoint, highlight, spotlight; informal zoom in on.

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zero hour

noun
the appointed time, the critical moment, the moment of truth, the point/moment of decision, the Rubicon, the crux; informal the crunch.

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zest

noun
she had a great zest for life
enthusiasm, gusto, relish, appetite, eagerness, keenness, avidity, zeal, fervour, ardour, passion; verve, vigour, liveliness, sparkle, fire, animation, vitality, dynamism, energy, brio, pep, spirit, exuberance, high spirits; informal zing, zip, oomph, vim, pizzazz, get-up-and-go.
he wanted to add some zest to his life
piquancy, tang, flavour, savour, taste, spice, spiciness, relish, bite; excitement, interest, an edge; informal kick, punch, zing, oomph.
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the zest of an orange
rind, peel, skin.
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ANTONYMS :apathy, indifference, blandness.

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zigzag

adjective
twisting, twisty, full of twists and turns, serpentine, meandering, snaking, snaky, winding, crooked. ANTONYMS :straight.

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zing

noun
(informal). See zest sense 1.

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zip (informal)

noun
he's full of zip.
See energy.
verb
I zipped back along the M20.
See speed verb sense 1.

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zone

noun
area, sector, section, belt, stretch, region, territory, district, quarter, precinct, locality, neighbourhood, province.

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zoom

verb
(informal). See speed verb sense 1.

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